Forgotten PlayStation Picks: Best PS1 Hidden Gems You’ve Probably Never Played

Playing the Best PS1 Hidden Gems.  Somewhere in the world, we imagine there’s a collector who keeps all 7,918 games behind security-enforced display cases. There they remain, day after day, barred from any human interaction. Gee, how fun.

So when was the last time you played Koudelka, Top Shop, or Rival Schools on PS1? Just kidding! That was a trick question.

If you’re like most gamers, you’ve never even heard of these titles before. And that’s a real shame because these games are true masterpieces of the PS1 era. 

Sadly, though, there are loads of hidden PS1 gems like these that were simply overshadowed by other PS1 hits. Of course, this is bound to happen when such games are released alongside historical hits like Final Fantasy VII.

The Table of Contents

Think You Know PS1 Games? These Hidden Gems Say Otherwise

Bushido Blade – The Most Realistic Sword Duel on PS1

• As a retro gamer, you've probably played your fair share of fighting games — and you know the formula: characters punch, kick, or fireball each other until a health meter depletes.

• But Bushido Blade, developed by Square, completely breaks that mold. It's one of the only fighting games in history that plays like an authentic, one-hit-kill samurai duel.

Gameplay Breakdown

• Each player chooses a traditional Japanese weapon, then selects from multiple fighting stances that influence movement, attack style, and reach. The match starts, and in seconds — it could be over.

• A clean hit to the head or torso results in instant death. There's no HUD, no health bars, and no magic meters — just tension, timing, and steel. It's brutally simple and shockingly addictive.

• Bushido Blade supports both single-player and couch multiplayer, and honestly, it makes an amazing retro party game. (One-hit kills and shot rules? Let the chaos begin.)

Rival Schools – Capcom's Most Underrated Team Fighter

• If you're into classic fighters and think you've played them all, give Rival Schools a shot. This hidden gem from Capcom often gets overshadowed by the Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom franchises — but it deserves its own spotlight.

• With no ties to existing lore, Capcom had full creative freedom — resulting in an original cast, a surprisingly solid story mode, and even some quirky minigames. For seasoned fighting game veterans, it’s a refreshing and chaotic ride.

Gameplay Breakdown

• Combos and air combos are crunchy and satisfying, but the real thrill is in the team attacks. You choose two characters: your primary fighter and a partner. If you time it right, that partner jumps in for a devastating assist.

• Mistime it? You eat the counter and get wrecked. There’s no tag-in/out like Tekken Tag Tournament, but Rival Schools supports up to 8 players with dual multitaps — making it one of the wildest multiplayer brawlers on the PS1.

Koudelka – Survival Horror Meets Tactical RPG

• Koudelka nails the dark, haunting atmosphere of a classic survival horror game, but under the surface, it’s a cutscene-rich tactical RPG with a moody narrative.

• Developed by SNK and a group of ex-Square developers, the game blends gothic horror with turn-based gameplay in a way that's rarely seen on the PS1.

Gameplay Breakdown

• So does Koudelka's hybrid style actually work? That depends on the player. RPG fans may feel right at home with the random turn-based battles, but if you’re expecting real-time combat à la Resident Evil, it might throw you off.

• Battles can be lengthy and challenging, which sometimes disrupts the pacing — but the reward is a rich, emotional story with multiple endings and a chilling ambiance that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Board Game Top Shop – The Quirky PS1 Monopoly Clone You’ll Love

• Top Shop is a surprisingly addictive digital board game for PS1 — basically a quirky, Japanese take on Monopoly. But instead of collecting rent, you open shops, sell items, and try to out-earn your opponents. Think of it as Monopoly meets SimCity with a twist of chaos.

• Unlike Monopoly, it doesn't take 9 hours to finish, and it's far more interactive. Yes, it may seem odd to include a board game on a list of must-play PS1 titles — but that’s exactly why it belongs here.

• To the uninitiated, it might look like a bargain bin knockoff. But for those of us who’ve played it? Top Shop becomes a household favorite — one of those unexpected games the whole family can enjoy for years.

Gameplay Breakdown

• The goal is simple: grow your “assets” to a certain amount. Your total assets = cash on hand + value of your shops. You want players to land on your stores and buy items — if a shop runs out of stock, someone else can buy it from you.

• Instead of rolling dice, you spin a pencil (yes, really). Sometimes it lands on "E" — which triggers a random card event, good or bad. You’ll also collect points as you pass the bank, adding another layer of strategy.

• Is your PS1 collection complete without a bizarre yet brilliant party game like Top Shop? Of course not. And the best part? With so many hidden gems out there, the adventure never ends.

Alundra – A 16-Bit Action RPG on PlayStation Steroids

• For old-school gamers who grew up on the SNES and Genesis, Alundra is pure pixelated joy. It looks and plays like a 16-bit classic — think Chrono Trigger visuals with A Link to the Past gameplay — but takes full advantage of the PS1’s 32-bit power for smoother animation and deeper storytelling.

• The result is a nostalgic adventure that feels familiar yet fresh. Alundra may not have the brand recognition of Zelda, but it delivers a surprisingly deep experience that still holds up beautifully today.

Gameplay Breakdown

• Played from a top-down perspective, you’ll hack through enemies, explore dungeons, solve environmental puzzles, and fight massive bosses — all while diving into villagers’ dreams to battle their inner demons.

• The puzzles are clever, the swordplay is tight, and the story is much darker than it first appears. Sound design feels like a mashup of Castlevania: Bloodlines and Chrono Trigger, with a few strange chill tracks thrown in for variety.

• If you love Zelda-style action RPGs and missed this one back in the day, don’t sleep on Alundra. It’s not just a great hidden gem — it’s a must-play for any retro fan.

Jade Cocoon – Pokémon Meets Dark Fantasy on PS1

• Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu is one of the PS1’s most visually striking games. With richly rendered environments and detailed monster animations, it looks far better than you'd expect from 1998 hardware.

• You play as Levant, a young Cocoon Master tasked with protecting his village after a swarm of insectoid monsters attacks. The story starts off serious — but let’s be honest, you’ll be too busy building your monster empire to remember most of the plot.

Gameplay Breakdown

• If you’re a Pokéfan, you’ll feel right at home. You battle, capture, and train monsters — but unlike Pokémon, you can also fuse creatures together to create new, stronger hybrids with unique traits and appearances.

• Eventually, monster collecting becomes the game’s true hook. Level grinding, fusion experiments, and rare creature hunting can easily devour hours of your time. It’s a weird, wonderful monster mash that deserves more recognition.

Tobal No. 1 – Square’s Forgotten Fighting Game Experiment

• You know Square as the legendary RPG studio behind Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. But what you may not know is that they once dipped into the fighting game genre with a strange little gem: Tobal No. 1.

• This 3D fighter launched with little fanfare and faded quickly into obscurity. But for those who gave it a shot, it revealed something surprisingly fun — and way ahead of its time.

Gameplay Breakdown

• The visuals may look rough (yes, we see those untextured polygons), but that was a deliberate design choice to allow for incredibly smooth animations. In fact, Tobal No. 1 still boasts some of the most fluid movement on PS1.

• The combat system was designed by Seiichi Ishii, the veteran behind Tekken and Virtua Fighter, so it has legit arcade pedigree. While not the tightest controls on the console, it’s far better than its reputation suggests.

Bonus: it includes an RPG-style story mode where you explore dungeons, fight for survival, and unlock characters for VS mode. If you’ve ever wanted a fusion of fighting mechanics and light RPG progression, this one’s for you.

The verdict? If you can't decide between an RPG and a fighter — Tobal No. 1 gives you a taste of both.

No One Can Stop Mr. Domino – The Strangest Game You’ll Love

• No One Can Stop Mr. Domino is one of those bizarre concepts that sounds too dumb to work — until it hooks you for hours. You’re literally laying down dominoes… so that Mr. Domino can knock them over while sprinting through looping stages.

• The catch? Mr. Domino never stops moving. So you have to think fast, hit your cues, and avoid obstacles before you miss your window. It’s simple, brilliant chaos.

Gameplay Breakdown

• Icons flash across the screen, prompting you to hit buttons to drop dominos at precise points. You’ll dodge hazards, manage timing, and retry over and over in pursuit of the perfect domino chain reaction.

• The game gets more chaotic with every level, throwing in reset triggers and evil obstacle placements just to mess with your rhythm. But once it clicks, Mr. Domino becomes absurdly addictive.

• No screenshot or trailer does it justice — this is one you have to play to understand. And once you do, good luck pulling yourself away.

The Hidden Gems - Wrap Up

Think your PS1 collection is complete? Think again. These underrated gems are still flying under the radar. Be sure to track them down — and if you're rotating your shelf, get an instant quote on your extras at our PS1 trade-in center.

Frequently Asked Questions: