Best PS1 Games With Child Protagonists

Summary

• Some of the best PS1 games starred kids as protagonists in action, platformers, and RPGs.
• Titles like South Park, 40 Winks, and Spyro the Dragon showcase diverse gameplay and compelling child characters.
• These games offer memorable experiences, engaging storylines, and remain popular among fans today.

In its effort to appeal to a wide swathe of players, Sony positioned the PlayStation as a home for all types of games. All sorts of RPGs, third-person action games and strategy titles were able to find a place to thrive. And in keeping with that need for variety, the types of protagonists that starred in these games also ran the gamut, and some of the best games on PS1 featured kids in the lead role.

Not every PS1 protagonist was a gruff, no-nonsense soldier or an adult seeking adventure. Some of the PS1’s best titles featured kids in the lead role, including some absolutely stellar action games and cinematic platformers. It was a console noted for its vast library of incredible games, and these games starring child protagonists rank among some of the platform’s best releases.

6 South Park

First-Person Shooter Captures The Humor Of TV Series

The first video game based on the hit Comedy Central series about a small mountain town in Colorado was released on the PS1 in 1999, nearly a full year after its N64 debut. Starring Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, South Park is a first-person shooter that perfectly captures the edgy attitude of the kids and sees them embark on a journey to save their town from aliens, rabid turkeys and other baddies.

Featuring the original voice cast and making use of the impressive engine for Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, South Park is a treat for fans of the series, as the quaint little town is fully realized in 3D for the first time. The quirky voice acting and oddly satisfying feeling of hitting turkeys with snowballs and plungers works perfectly together, as this oddball approximation of the cult-hit TV series is still quite a bit of fun to fire up with some friends today.

5 40 Winks

Charming 3D Platformer Features Two Playable Characters

• Release Date: November 14, 1999
• Developer: Eurocom
• Platform: PS1

In its ongoing effort to directly compete with Nintendo, Sony was keen on having competent 3D platformers to rival the likes of Mario and Banjo-Kazooie. Enter 40 Winks, a cute platformer that sees players control Ruff and Tumble, a pair of siblings who find themselves traversing various dream worlds in order to stop the HoodWinks and their nightmarish creations.

40 Winks is absolutely loaded with charm, as Ruff and Tumble are delightful little kids with adorable voices. The platforming feels excellent, and the wide variety of worlds available to explore, ranging from medieval fantasy to science fiction. Ruff uses a candle to dispatch enemies, while Tumble makes use of a tiny teddy bear. 40 Winks is readily available on Steam today, and it is absolutely worth revisiting.

4 Heart Of Darkness

Cinematic Platform Is One Of The Genre’s Best

The cinematic platformer was already fairly niche by the time Heart of Darkness released in 1998, but had cultivated a passionate fanbase thanks to landmark releases like Prince of Persia in 1989 and Another World in 1991. But where early cinematic platformers had starred adults, Heart of Darkness felt like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life, as players took control of Andy in a quest to rescue his dog from sinister shadow creatures.

Directed by Eric Chahi of Another World, Heart of Darkness features absolutely stellar animation and some incredibly detailed backgrounds. Andy is a wonderful lead, as his expressive movement and strong personality come to life beautifully thanks to the outstanding animation. It also has some remarkable music, composed by Bruce Broughton with a live orchestra, which helps make the entire thing feel like an interactive children’s film.

3 Breath Of Fire 3

Traditional Turn-Based JRPG Features Young Ryu As Lead

• Release Date: May 18, 1998
• Developer: Capcom Development Studio 3
• Platform: PS1, PSP

Although it hasn’t been heard from since a disappointing mobile game in 2016, the Breath of Fire series remains one of Capcom’s most beloved franchises. And with Breath of Fire 3, Capcom continued the story of Ryu on his quest to fully understand his dragon transformation powers, as this traditional turn-based JRPG is still one of the console’s best.

Ryu is a brave young warrior on the verge of a great destiny, as this epic journey takes him to a variety of different locations and dungeons. Breath of Fire 3 is still one of the franchise’s most influential entries, and manages to stand out on a console that is overflowing at the seams with JRPGs. Its satisfying combat and compelling tale of heroism is a fabulous tandem, as this classic title would benefit greatly from an enhanced remake today.

2 Chrono Cross

Sequel To SNES Classic Features Party Of Young Heroes

Despite the popularity of Chrono Trigger, and its status as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, Square opted to go in a different direction for the sequel. Instead of directly continuing the events of the SNES game, Chrono Cross is set within the same world, only hundreds of years later. To that end, Square created a new cast of characters for this time-traveling journey, led by the charismatic Serge.

Serge is still one of PS1’s best heroes, and he leads a party of equally charming characters. Alongside the spunky Kid and the delightful Harle, this robust cast of recruits makes up one of the best JRPG casts of all time. This surefire PS1 classic is still an absolute blast to play, and is currently available via a spectacular remaster on all modern platforms.

1 Spyro The Dragon

Excellent 3D Platformer Showcases Young Dragon In His Debut

After proving how well they could thrive in the highly competitive 3D platformer scene with Crash Bandicoot in 1996, Sony went all-in, hiring Insomniac to produce Spyro the Dragon for the console. Released in 1999, not long after the PlayStation 2 was announced, Insomniac was able to squeeze a lot of power out of the aging hardware and put players in control of an adorable little dragon named Spyro.

This spunky young dragon was tasked with a big job in the first Spyro game, as he makes his way across impressively-large 3D worlds in order to rescue dragons trapped inside crystal prisons. Even for a PS1 game, the size and scope of the worlds is fantastic, and the music by Stewart Copeland is some of the best heard on the platform. This outstanding 3D platformer was remade for modern hardware, alongside the two PS1 sequels, in 2018 and is still a brilliant experience.