Rare PS1 Games can be worth a fortune! We thought it’d be fun to research some of those rare and valuable PlayStation 1 (PS1) games, whilst some of the prices are out of reach for most of us. Some of you may already own a few of these titles.
Let’s take a look at some of the rarest and greatest PS1 games of all time.
Rare PS1 Games – How many rare PS1 games?
There were around 1300 games released for the PS1. Most of those games went on to sell thousands of copies. Some sold a few thousand and even fewer sold less than a few hundred. The games that had low sales numbers are rare and some of them are worth a small fortune.
The second hand PS1 game market is fast paced so be quick if you want to cash in! Likewise, if you want to hold out for a rare game they do come down in price occasionally.
So let’s take a look at 5 of the most rare and valuable ps1 games.
Rarest and Most Valuable Playstation 1 Games
First up on the list is probably the most expensive game that I’ll cover today. I’d never heard of it before doing my research for this article. A few of these games are really obscure and others are highly collectible.
Rare PS1 Games – Cindy’s Fashion World
A mint copy of Cindy’s Fashion World will set you back around £600 ($787). That’s one hell of a price for a game that I’d never heard of. The price point is partly due to that obscurity, there where only a few thousand made. It’s also partly due to it being by a small games publisher called Phoenix. They also put out Dalmatians 2 and Dinosaurs.
Cindy’s Fashion World is known to be a little bit rubbish and a bit buggy. We’ve read stories online of it refusing to play on a lot of Playstation 1 consoles for no apparent reason.
If you did want to buy it, it’s available on CEX! Don’t though, it’s definitely not worth it.
Rare PS1 Games – Hellnight
This first person survival horror game was released in 1998. The publisher is none other than the legends over at Konami. It’s got some really good reviews and the authors of those reviews suggest that the game is actually pretty scary.
At the time, the game sold very few copies which explains the rarity of it today. It’s quite cheap considering the first game on the list would set you back nearly $600.
So, if you wanted to start your Rare PS1 game collection this would be a good starting point.
An ordinary copy will set you back around £25 ($32) but a mint copy will cost you around £100 ($131).
Revelations: Persona
The Persona series is now quite well-known by hardcore game collectors and casual gamers alike. It wasn’t always like this though, back in the day it was pretty much unheard of. Which caused the price to rise.
When it was first released people noted how Persona broke typical RPG fashion because it took place in a modern day high school setting.
You can pick up a copy today for around $100. It’s not as valuable as some of the games on this list but it’s certainly up there with the rarest and most unheard of.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Now, if you haven’t heard of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night you need to carry on reading!
Another one from legendary publisher Konami. Expect to pay over £300 ($393) for a mint copy. This game will crop up on the majority of “greatest ps1 games of all times” lists. This game was a NES original, it came to the Playstation 1 in 1997 and was every bit as good as the original.
The goal of the game is for you to uncover all the mysteries inside Castlevania. Castelvania just so happens to be Dracula’s castle.
Herkules
Take control of the world’s strongest man, Herkules. Well, you can if you have £250 ($327) to splash on a Playstation One game. This version, spelt Herkules (not a typo) is another game by Phoenix. So don’t confuse this game with the Disney version. The game is pretty terrible as it’s basically a digital colouring book and jigsaw puzzle.
It’s probably in the top 15 rarest PS1 standard release games. So it really only appeals the most hardcore of black label collectors. I have seen some copies sell for as low as £25 ($32) so it depends on where you are buying it from and if you are willing to wait for the price to drop a little bit.
LSD: Dream Emulator
First of all, I’m surprised this game hasn’t been banned. The game, a type of exploration game was publishing by Asmik Ace Entertainment in 1998. As you can expect it was met with some sort of speculation and controversy. According to Wikipedia:
“The game was conceived by Japanese artist Osamu Sato, who rejected the idea of games, and wanted to use the PlayStation as a medium for creating contemporary art.“
That sounds like a great idea if not a little ahead of it’s time. The game will set you back around £250 ($327) if you want a mint copy. I’d pass on this one though as according to online reports, it’s fairly rubbish.
Elemental Gearbolt
Although not the rarest game on the list (there are several listings on Ebay). For a mint copy, it’s pretty damn expensive. If you want to buy this game it’s going to cost you around $120 / £115.
Elemental Gearbolt was released in December 1997, it was very well received by critics due to it’s sci-fi setting. It has an awe inspiring orchestral soundtrack, and beautiful animated cutscenes. Will you be adding it to your collection?
Syphon Filter 3- Rare PS1 Games
This is one of those games that’s really only a rare PS1 game because of an event that shocked the world. That event was 9/11.
Syphon Filter 3 was originally scheduled to be released on September 21, 2001. Which in it’s self wasn’t the problem. The problem was that the cover originally feature artwork that was pretty controversial. It had a US Flag draped over exploding buildings. Which, was slightly sensitive as 9/11 had only just happened.
The initial shipments of the game were already sent out to retailers in advance of the release, but were recalled to allow the distributor to quickly to swap out the controversial artwork. This obviously caused a delay to the launch.
These “American Flag” variants were never officially released for sale but obviously some of the boxes were opened by the retailers and a few copies where held back. Some of these copies were then sold to customers.
Back in 2017, thee sealed copies were selling from anywhere between $900 up to $3000. As more and more of these copies were unearthed the price quickly feel. But, we’ve seen the price climb in recent times and there are a few copies currently for sale on eBay for $3000.
Rare PS1 Games F.A.Q’s
It’s normally due to how scarce it is and the number of copies sold. The lower the number the rarer the game.
You can buy rare Playstation games from CEX, Ebay or other online platforms.
You can. We’d recommend trying Ebay for more exposure or trying CEX, they will offer you a fixed price. CEX are safer due to being a company but often offer a lower than market value price.
Usually mint, unopened games are worth the most.
It’s difficult to say. A lot of times people mistake rarity with popularity. Just because a game is expensive doesn’t make it rare. The list we’ve compiled is pretty accurate.
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I’m so annoyed I got rid of mine now.
crash bandicoot
A well loved game regardless of the console! It’s been remastered and all 3 games are available on the Nintendo Switch now.
Love ours
Metal Gear Solid
Spyro all the way, I loved that game!
Yea it’s a great game isn’t it!
Crash bandicoot! Best game ever
A lot of love for Crash Bandicoot.
My ultimate fav has got to be ty the Tasmanian tiger,loved it,played for hours!
Still have mine! Love the retro aspect of it now playing games like crash bandicoot, medal of honour and the original tekken!
Yea, the older games will always have a place in most gamers hearts.
My son still has his an sometimes he gets it to play on for a change
I remember an LSD demo on an old PSM disc. Very odd. Like Fluid too on PS1 where you controlled an ambient dance dolphin.
Crash bandicoot was our favorite
A lot of people loving Crash!
Croc was the first full game I had for the PS1, I spent a lot of time playing demos! I think my favourite though is destruction derby!
Got rid of all ours just goes to show crash bandicot was a firm favourite here
Oops I maybe shouldn’t have binned ours when the kids moved out. Didn’t have these games though.
You binned it! How many games did you get rid of?
Hi all,
Don’t forgot to register for our new monthly competition called Gamerday.
It’s launching in March, go to the top of the site and click ‘Win Games’ that page will explain all of the rules and entry requirements.
Mike.
The first-ever game I played was the creatively titled ‘Formula 1’ – I had a book (which still sits proudly on my shelf) that had a cheat in it which meant Murray Walker’s commentary was shuffled so he could be announcing the start of Monaco whilst I was crashing in Adelaide!
my boy still have one in the loft , i used to love playing Bust a move on it
Crash Bandicoot!
The best game for me for the PS1 would be Silent Hill, it was one of first PS1 games I played and it scared the hell out of me lol, great use of sounds 🙂
I loved playing Pandemonium on the PS1
I loved Bust a move and Bubble Bobble, spent many a happy hour on those and Hogs of war
Spyro was the best game I played
Syndicate Wars. I spent many hours playing that one. Definitely my favourite title on the PS1.
NBA live 2001 is the best ps1 game ever created.
It’s a decent game for sure but I don’t think it’s the greatest PS1 game ever created. For me it would have to be Final Fantasy 7/8/9 or Crash Bandicoot!
How many of you still have gta triple pack with maps and the London version.? If so what would you recommend a price tag onit,
To be honest, I’m not so sure on the price. Probably best to get it appraised. What kind of condition is it in?
Thank you so much mike for inadvertently helping me remember the name of a game I played as a kid.
You showed Syphon Filter.
For at least 10 years I’ve been trying to remember a game where a character named Ben dies and gives you his power glove and you fight an insect queen. And also search this game on this blog “xfire”
It was Ted from Suikoden 1.
Thank you, it’s a load off my mind.
A fantastic game! No worries, I’m glad I was able to jog your memory.