30 Unforgettable PlayStation 1 Games

Explosive and bursting with arcade-style excitement, this single disc offered a thrilling ride through video game adaptations of the three Die Hard films that existed at the time. Each game on the disc was its own beast, offering something different and equally thrilling. First up was a third-person shooter where you blasted your way through Nakatomi Plaza, mowing down terrorists in a game that kept you firmly on the edge of your seat. Then, there was an on-rails first-person shooter that took you through Dulles Airport, culminating in an utterly over-the-top finale where you manned a helicopter, shooting terrorists off the wings of a 747 mid-flight. Each game was a wild, unpredictable ride, encapsulating the essence of what made video games so exhilarating back then.

But the one that sticks with me the most is Die Hard With a Vengeance. This frenetic driving game sent you tearing through New York City’s streets and parks in a desperate race against time. Pulled into a terrorist’s twisted plot, your mission was to crash into bomb-rigged cars, stopping them from going off, all in true Chase HQ fashion. There were various camera angles, including a first-person view from inside the car that added to the chaos—hitting pedestrians would leave a splash of blood on your windshield, quickly cleared by your wipers. It was the kind of gritty, edgy action typical of the ’90s. While Die Hard With a Vengeance was straightforward and maybe even a bit limited, its energy was infectious, paving the way for the kind of pulse-pounding action seen in games like Burnout 3. Overall, Die Hard Trilogy radiated a kind of raw enthusiasm that made it a standout in the early days of the PlayStation era. — Carolyn Petit