Awesome choices above and damn near each post has one I'd recommend.
Tomba! Was a very cool platformer.
This was my shyt! Still got a copy somewhere. Most overlooked platformer to me.. didn't mind the sequel too much either
And I don't know if it's just nostalgia but I'm throwing Mega Man Legends - seen it mentioned already - out there too
I don't know what you do and don't know about PS1 so I'll just throw some out that I don't think have been mentioned. Not chucking out many 5 star classics but these are all overlooked:
Alundra - Hidden gem, this. A Zelda-like but it gets dark as all fukk - thought I was a hard fukker begging my dad to get it me when I was 6. Wasn't built for that shyt
Azure Dreams - Randomly-generated dungeon, monster battling with a pretty cool levelling and breeding system, town building, trying to mack every broad in the city by doing stupid sidequests
Breath of Fire 3 or 4 - Your traditional turn-based RPG... I like all of 'em but yeah
Chrono Cross - Another turn-based RPG. Not a patch on Chrono Trigger but not a lot is
Cool Boarders - The clue is in the title.. you snowboard.. and it's cool. Again, more of a nostalgia pick but fukk it
Croc - One of the 1st all right 3D platformers.. doesn't suck cock like Bubsy 3D (fukking Mario 64...) but the character movement has aged like a white woman
Darkstalkers 3 - Goth Street Fighter. I remember young me first appreciating t*ts for one of the first times playing this (I read your post but
)
Die Hard Trilogy - This shyt right here.. one of the GOAT arcade-style shooters. Ended up getting it on emulator but used to smash the fukk out of the demo with the airport level
Dragon Ball GT Final Bout - The first 3D DB fighter, which is groundbreaking (I'm just fukking around here.. this game is boring shyts)
Fear Effect - I had fun with this - wasn't a bad looking action-adventure but don't expect to be wow'd by the controls.. it's not aged too good
Galerians - I
never see people mention this shyt. An inventive survival-horror - think sci-fi Resident Evil, pretty much. But you're some Aryan looking kid with psychic powers - can't remember why but it was cool
Gex: Enter the Gecko - Got this when I turned 8. Fun platformer with a lot of pop-culture jokes (and cac-ish humour) ... go for the UK version - better voice-actor
Jo-Jo's Bizarre Adventure - Well... it's pretty bizarre, I guess. Solid Capcom fighter based on the manga/anime or whatever - lots of personality
King of Fighters '99 - Still holds up now. Still being ported to systems now, even
Lemmings - It's fukking Lemmings
Been nostalgic but I'll post more some other time