Game Profiler

By: Paul RobertsTue Dec 18, 2007 at 11:46 PM

Profiles of hit games from Sony, Crash Bandicoot, Tekken 2, Formula 1 and Tomb Raider.

Crash Bandicoot

Developer: Naughty Dog.
Released: September 1996.
Copies Sold: More than 1.5 million.
Storyline: "Bandicoot" is Australian for a small, foxlike mammal. It's also the title character of one of PlayStation's best-known games. Invented by the crazed Dr. Neo Cortex for his army of animal warriors, Crash is found unworthy and dismissed. But he has fallen for the lovely Tawna, a member of Cortex's staff. The game, distinguished by its attractive sets and in-your-face graphics, chronicles his efforts to reclaim her.

Tekken 2

Developer: Namco.
Released: March 1996.
Copies Sold: More than 2.5 million.
Storyline: Roam a futuristic 3-D world, meet interesting characters -- and kill them. That's the gist of this classic fighting game. PlayStation emphasizes game genres beyond conventional shoot-'em-ups, but fighting games still account for roughly 25% of its sales. Tekken 2 is the most popular PlayStation title in North America. It provides dozens of characters, from a medieval warrior to a kangaroo, that players can become or fight or both.

Formula 1

Developer: Psygnosis.
Released: September 1996.
Copies Sold: 1.5 million.
Storyline: Formula 1 gives you the power and feel of a monster race car and a virtual track to test it on. Driving games make up nearly a quarter of all video game sales, and Formula 1 has lots of competition. Veteran players, however, give this title high marks for the realism of the environment and, most of all, the sensitivity of the car. Formula 1 is the biggest selling foreign-produced game in Japan.

Tomb Raider

Developer: Eidos Interactive.
Released: October 1996.
Copies Sold: More than 2 million.
Storyline: This fast-paced treasure hunt lets PlayStation shine. Players explore a vast, exquisitely rendered multilevel maze. They evade obstacles and solve riddles on their way to the treasure. Tomb Raider has several things going for it. The environment grows larger and more convoluted as players advance through the levels. And the lead character is a young woman with great athletic ability and an astonishing physique.