Tomb Raider
The 3D adventure that sent archaeologist Lara Croft leaping across ancient ruins, solving puzzles and blasting wildlife. It made Lara one of gaming's first true icons.
Tomb Raider was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, debuting in 1996 first on the Sega Saturn and then on MS-DOS and the PlayStation. Its heroine, archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft, was stitched together from influences as varied as Tank Girl, Indiana Jones, and the film Hard Boiled. The game sent her navigating sprawling levels split into rooms and chambers — fighting enemies, working out physical puzzles, and above all exploring in true three dimensions at a time when that still felt new.
Critics praised its innovative 3D graphics, controls, and design, and it went on to become one of the best-selling PlayStation games with around seven million copies sold. It's since been ranked among the greatest video games ever made.
Lara Croft herself broke out beyond the game to become a genuine pop-culture icon, one of the most recognizable characters the medium has produced. The original's success launched a franchise that has run for decades, starting with Tomb Raider II in 1997.
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