Sony almost didn’t have a console because their efforts with Nintendo fell through. When the CD-based version of the SNES was canceled, Sony did not give up and instead produced their own console, the PlayStation. The PS1 was released in Japan first in 1994 followed by a North American launch in 1995. With the delay in the West, North Americans did get the benefit of more games around launch.
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Still, there were some exclusives in Japan in 1995 that were never released in North America or at least were delayed. Between Japanese games and launch titles in the West, 1995 was a big year for the PS1, and here’s why.
8
Arc The Lad
Lost Until Days Of The PS1
Arc the Lad
- Released
-
June 30, 1995
- Developer(s)
-
SCEI
, G-Craft - ESRB
-
e
Arc the Lad was an early PS1 RPG that combined classic enemy encounters with grid-based tactics. It was released in 1995 in Japan but would not hit the West until Arc the Lad Collection was released for the PS1 in 2002. It combined the three main games and a spinoff all in one neat little bundle.
It’s a notable franchise because it was initially published by Sony and developed by G-Craft, the developer who independently started making Front Mission games before Square sealed the deal and bought them. Technically, the last game in this franchise was Arc the Lad R in 2018 but that was a mobile game whereas Arc the Lad: End of Darkness was the last console game as of 2004 in Japan and 2005 in North America.
7
Beyond The Beyond
One Of Two Early RPGs
- Developer: Camelot Software Planning
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Platform: PS1
- Released: November 3, 1995 (Japan)
Beyond the Beyond was the second big RPG to hit the PS1 exclusively but this RPG never had as great of a progression as Arc the Lad. It was this game in 1995, a year before the West would get it, and then it was never reissued again digitally nor did it get any sequels.
The developer, Camelot, did go on to make great things though like Golden Sun and the various Mario-based sports spinoffs for Nintendo. Golden Sun fans can see a lot of similarities with Beyond the Beyond from the big sprites in battle to the text-based prompts. Maybe one day Sony will reboot the franchise even without Camelot.
6
Cho Aniki – Kyukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyo Otoko
What Exactly Is This Game?
- Developer: Masaya
- Publisher: Nippon Computer Systems (Japan)
- Released: December 29, 1995 (PS1 Version)
- Platform: PS1, Sega Saturn, PSN
Cho Aniki – Kyukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyo Otoko can roughly be translated to Super Big Brother – The Ultimate, Most Powerful Man in the Milky Way. At its core, it’s a horizontal shooter akin to R-Type or Gradius with one big difference: big beefy half-nude men.
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All enemies are digitized actors in wild costumes all trying to gun the player down in some of the weirdest levels imaginable. It’s part of the Cho Aniki series, most of which were never released outside of Japan. This game was a Japanese exclusive too for many years but it was eventually released in 2010 on PSN for the PS3 crowd.
5
The Firemen 2: Pete & Danny
Five These Firefighters An Emblem
- Developer: Media Entertainment
- Publisher: Human Entertainment
- Released: December 22, 1995 (Japan)
- Platform: PS1, PSN
The Firemen 2: Pete & Danny is another game that was not released in North America initially. It made it onto PSN late into the PS3’s life cycle in 2014. Funnily enough, the first game which was on the SNES, did make it to PAL regions besides Japan but not North America.
Regions aside, The Firemen 2: Pete & Danny was an interesting top-down action-adventure game wherein players fought fires and solved puzzles to rescue civilians. It took place around Christmas in an amusement park which is still a unique setting for a firefighter game that was surprisingly captivating to play too.
4
Jumping Flash
Robotic Rabbits To The Rescue
Jumping Flash
- Released
-
November 2, 1995
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone Due To Mild Violence
Before Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon lit up the PS1 platformer scene, there was Jumping Flash. Players assumed the role of a giant mech robot in short levels with collectible objectives. It had a good run on the PS1 with the first two games making it to North America while the third game, Robbit Mon Dieu, did not.
The trilogy has been re-released several times digitally over the years, even on the PS5. Also, Jumping Flash was immortalized in Astro Bot as one of the many rescues, so the series is still alive somewhat even if there hasn’t been a new game in decades.
3
Rayman
Ubisoft’s OG Mascot
Rayman was Ubisoft’s biggest mascot for quite a long time before he was eventually sidestepped by his enemies, the Rabbids. Development for the first game was planned on the CD-based version of the SNES and there is a prototype of the build out there if fans want to check it out. Eventually, it made it to the Atari Jaguar and PS1 instead when the PS1 launched in North America.
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The Rayman franchise EXPLODED with tons of sequels and spinoffs across a plethora of platforms. While the last Rayman-focused console game was Rayman Legends in 2013, again, the Rabbids have made a splash recently with games like Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Plus there have been mobile games and Rayman made a cameo in the Netflix anime, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.
Smash Cars For The Devil
- Released
-
November 5, 1995
- Developer(s)
-
Sony Interactive Studios America
, SingleTrac - ESRB
-
T For Teen due to Animated Violence
Twisted Metal rocked the PS1 for players wishing to destroy cars in big explosions. Compared to the rest of the Twisted Metal series, the first game is timid as many of the sequels are thought of as superior games. The final iteration was Twisted Metal in 2012 for the PS3 and besides some re-releases of older games digitally, the series has been dead in game form.
However, in multimedia, Twisted Metal is doing well thanks to the 2023 live-action adaptation of Peacock which did get greenlit for a second season. Will this lead to a new game soon, especially for the franchise’s 30th anniversary?
1
Suikoden
Raise Your Army Well
- Released
-
December 15, 1995
Suikoden was one of Konami’s big RPG franchises for a good decade and more. The original made it to the PS1 in Japan in 1995 with the West getting it a year later. There were copious amounts of sequels and re-releases with Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century being the last new official game in 2012 for the PSP.
It was released in Japan only which was sad back then but Suikoden fans can rejoice because the series is getting revived soon. Konami is re-releasing the first two games in HD via Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars which is a great way to celebrate thirty years of service.
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