PS1 dilemma

[Nebagram]

...Okay, it's been bugging my brains out for ages- is it worth me (a Brit) importing a US PS1 (hell, maybe even a PS2) to play all the RPGs and other goodies that weren't released over here in blighty? If so, which games in particular? And finally, does anyone have a spare PS1 (any model will do as long as it works) that they can sell me and not stiff me on when it comes to postage?

Cheers all

Nebbers

[jajaja]

I would rather recommend a chipped PSX instead. Im sure someone sells it at ebay.co.uk so shipping wont be too high for you. About RPGs, i loved Threads of Fate, made my Square :)

[Xander]

You should give us a list of European RPG you have played. I don't know which one didn't make it to EU.

[Nebagram]

Alundra
Alundra 2
Final Fantasy Origins
Final Fantasy Anthology (European Edition)
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Grandia
Myst
Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Vagrant Story


Those are the european rpgs I own for the PS1- and as for chipped machines, I had considered it, but it is a wonder just how many there still are that work- and don't some ntsc games just refuse to work even if you solder half a pc into your ps1? (dimly recall some snes games behaving the same way too)

Thanks for replies so far though. :)

[jajaja]

Those are the european rpgs I own for the PS1- and as for chipped machines, I had considered it, but it is a wonder just how many there still are that work- and don't some ntsc games just refuse to work even if you solder half a pc into your ps1? (dimly recall some snes games behaving the same way too)

Thanks for replies so far though. :)

I have never heard of anything like that. I got myself something called a stealth modchip. What i remember is that it also plays games that uses some later protection added to the games or something. Anyways, i never had any problems playing both US and JAP games on my modded PSX :) About the soldering, my chip got 7 or 8 solder points, thats it.

[Xander]

Here are some RPG you didn't mention, dunno if they are NTSC exclusive, but they are all very good:

-Breath of Fire IV (might check III too, lot of people love it, but I don't)
-Suikoden I (Awesome!)
-Suikoden II (Awesome too!!)
-Lunar: Silver Star Story (Classic greatness)
-Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Good from beginning to the end)
-Star Ocean: The Second Story (Pure FUN)
-Valkyrie Profile (Mind blowing)
-Xenogears (This game alone is worth owning the system)

I check at this list and erf, if I were you, no hesitation. Start importing! 8). I didn't list everything! Check ou Legend of Mana, DQVII, Wild Arms 1+2 & many others!

[theshizzle3000]

Xenogears
Chrono Cross
Legend of Dragoon (just don't finish it the ending is horrible)
Wild Arms 2
Vagrant Story
Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy Anthology
Parasite Eve

[Xander]

About system importation, you should definitely check for a Ps2, they are real cheap these time. Like 70$ CAN cheap around here O_o. And for modding it for both PS1 and PS2 you can ask someone to ship a magic swap with it.

Mine work like wonders with burned DVD and CD. And I think the swap was around 40$ CAN.

So you could play all those PS1 games AND those PS2 games 8).

But for shipping, good luck. I went to the post office yesterday, and the girl at the counter told me she just shipped a PC (no monitor, just the box) to France, and it costed the guy a total of 120$. So I guess sending a PS2 to UK would cost at least a solid 35-40$ CAN (PS2 are pretty light, at least)

[PapaStu]

If your importing a system just get a US PS2 and call it a day. The PS incompatibility was something like 15 games and unless your dieing for some Wing Commander 3 semi-RPG lovin, your not really missing out on anything (though Tomba 2 doesn't work either, but that I'm pretty sure got a PAL release).

[Defconsoft]

The other way you can do it is to get a test station, they are region unlocked so no messing around with step downs and power convertors.

Of course finding one might be a little tricky although they often show up on eBay now and again. usually go for about £40-50 although if you are lucky you can get them cheaper.

(Also there are loads of chipped PS1's on eBay as well, just look for auctions that have 'back up games', 'free games', or are marked 'special'. Shouldn't take you too long to get hold of one, or be too costly)

[Mayhem]

Yeah it would be far easier just getting a chipped PAL PS1 to be honest. You should be able to get them for under 30 quid today. Just to cover all the possible bases my end I have a chipped PAL PS1 (which I didn't know was chipped until I accidently put a copied game in it!), a blue debug and a Yaroze!

[Widar]

I would go for a chipped PSX / PSone if i where you. They're easy to find and the shipping shouldn't be to much for you from ebay.co.uk. :)

[Nebagram]

Cheers everyone :-) Yep, looks like chipped would be the way to go for me- irony being that when I had my original PS in 1997 I was about the only one who DIDN'T have it chipped.

...And the first model PS I recently flogged for about £3 untested probably had a chip in it too. Ah well.

The thing I was mentioning earlier about incompatiblity were the old rumours that certain NTSC games like FF8 etc. were simply unplayable on a PAL PS no matter how you modified it. I dimly recall reading somewhere that some square games on the SNES are the same way. Which would be a bit of a bitch really, given that none of them came out in PALland.

Any decent NTSC-only games that aren't RPGs? :)