Tomb Raider introduced Lara Croft on Sega Saturn before she became closely linked with PlayStation.
Core Design developed the 1996 adventure, while Eidos Interactive published it. Later, Lara topped a BAFTA public poll naming gaming’s most iconic character.
Initially, European Saturn players got the first chance to explore her world that October. PlayStation and MS-DOS versions followed in November, helping bring the adventure to a wider audience.
However, the Saturn-first launch did not apply everywhere: all three versions arrived together in North America.
How did Tomb Raider turn Lara Croft into a star?
First, the game sent Lara hunting for pieces of an ancient artifact called the Scion. Players guided her through dangerous ruins, solving puzzles and making careful jumps. Rather than simply following a straight path, they had to study each space before moving ahead.
Meanwhile, the team drew inspiration from adventures that mixed movement with danger.
Creator Toby Gard explained, “Tomb Raider is a cross between Prince of Persia – which is an excellent game for traps and pitfalls – and the Indiana Jones films.” A contemporary magazine feature also described developers building challenging puzzles with a custom level editor.
Soon, that mix reached millions of players across the game’s releases. Technology publication Heise reports that the original sold more than seven million copies worldwide. Those are combined sales, not a total for PlayStation alone.
Who named Lara Croft gaming’s most iconic character?
Years later, BAFTA asked players to choose their most iconic video game character. More than 4,000 people worldwide took part ahead of the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards.
Ultimately, Lara finished first, with Mario second and Hitman’s Agent 47 third. However, the result reflects votes from participants, not a scientific measure of every player’s opinion.
Beyond games, Lara’s story also reached films, books and comics. BAFTA highlighted those different forms when explaining her lasting recognition across generations.
