PS1 Collecting

Jack burton

Ok, so I'm going to really start beefing up my ps1 collection. Now I only have games that I picked up around the place and less than a dozen that I got off ebay. So my collection isnt anything amazing

So before I really get into this need to get a few things cleared up

Can I mod my PAL ps1 to run at 60Hz or do I need a us console?

Start getting NTSC games right?

Anything else I should know?

o1s1n

Here's the annoying thing about PS1 games - the software is 50hz. Not the console. So you can't just mod the console to display in 60hz like Megadrives and Saturns.

That's why it's so important to start an NTSC collection from the beginning.

Retr0gamer

Get a PAL console, mod to be region free and then buy nothing but NTSC unless it's a Europe exclusive. There's another console I need to re-buy most of my games for

Hank Scorpio

Why are PS1 consoles so cheap, most seem to be like 5 euro

Retr0gamer

nuxxx wrote: »

Why are PS1 consoles so cheap, most seem to be like 5 euro

When something is one of the best selling consoles of all time and you live in a country that was second only to Japan for PS1 consoles per capita you get a lot of supply and not a lot of demand.

johnny_ultimate

Plus the PS2 and PS3 are backwards compatible with PS1 - not a lot of reasons for anyone but the enthusiast / importer to be hanging onto the original console.

Hank Scorpio

makes sence

CiDeRmAn

If I might chime in here.
Most of my memories of PS games are from PAL titles.
And there were a lot of them!
Sure, there might be some loss of speed or some letterboxing, but I have a pretty good selection of PS titles, nearly all PAL, and I'm pretty happy with them.

I suppose the big difference for me is that I picked up almost every PS title via browsing through stalls at markets or through the game shop shelves themselves some 6 or 7 years ago.
I prefer that to buying online, at least in this instance.

I can see the logic in, if starting out, just getting NTSC, and hope you enjoy building your PS collection!

One last word though, be prepared to be a tad disappointed in the visuals of many titles.
Early PS games from the mid 90's look pretty dreadful while later ones don't look bad.
Just don't lose heart when you excitedly pop in Wipeout or Destruction Derby and are treated to a screen full of broken polygons and massive pop up!

Jack burton

Ah I'm well used to playing PS games don't worry.

See if they were still available to buy around the place I'd get PAL but since I have to go online to get most of them night aswell get the NTSC

So console mod? Need a mod chip for that?

Myrddin

Jack burton wrote: »

So console mod? Need a mod chip for that?

Yep, you will need it chipped.

Myrddin

Eurasia is good for PS1 chips. If your using the Phat type PS1 get the MM3 for your region. If your using the PSone, get the ONEchip

http://www.eurasia.nu/shop/default.php?cPath=52&PHPSESSID=24c76148da1544ecb8f3523ec074b805

o1s1n

There was a chipped ps1 on adverts recently for €25. Worth seeing if it's still there.

CiDeRmAn

Word to the wise, original style Playstations are far easier to install a mod to compared to the PSone.
I know a seasoned soldered who get his knickers in a twist trying to mod a PSone for me.

o1s1n

Haha!

I think there was a wire on the modchips for the region lock that didn't have anywhere on the PCB to connect to?

It was the same with my PSone. Plays backups grand, you just need a boot disc to change the region.

/Edit - just remembered, you can also boot patch the images to the correct region negating the need for a boot disc.

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

Haha!

I think there was a wire on the modchips for the region lock that didn't have anywhere on the PCB to connect to?

It was the same with my PSone. Plays backups grand, you just need a boot disc to change the region.

/Edit - just remembered, you can also boot patch the images to the correct region negating the need for a boot disc.

Your PSone has the MM3 chip, which on the PSone needs a boot disc. The ONEchip is designed specifically for the PSone & gets around that problem so no bootdisc is required.

RedXIV

This is something I will probably look into soon as well.

I did manage to pick up a PSOne that has been chipped in travels but I don't know if thats for 60hz as the guy who sold it to me said it was for playing downloaded games (which he gave me a stack of on CDs).

Would this likely include the 60Hz mod?

Also, where are people buying NTSC PS1 games from?

o1s1n

RedXIV wrote: »

This is something I will probably look into soon as well.

I did manage to pick up a PSOne that has been chipped in travels but I don't know if thats for 60hz as the guy who sold it to me said it was for playing downloaded games (which he gave me a stack of on CDs).

Would this likely include the 60Hz mod?

Also, where are people buying NTSC PS1 games from?

Read above, there is no 60hz mod :pac:

You mod the console so it can play backups and discs from other regions. If you put an NTSC disc on a region modded PAL 50hz console then it still displays in 60hz.

o1s1n

EnterNow wrote: »

Your PSone has the MM3 chip, which on the PSone needs a boot disc. The ONEchip is designed specifically for the PSone & gets around that problem so no bootdisc is required.

Ah, that's what it was!

If I remember correctly, the image patcher I used can change the game's region to PAL to get around the boot disc, while still displaying the 60hz image.

So you in affect end up with a PAL region 60hz disc.

I think.

Will have to look back over my notes to confirm, it's been a while

RedXIV

o1s1n wrote: »

Read above, there is no 60hz mod :pac:

You mod the console so it can play backups and discs from other regions. If you put an NTSC disc on a region modded PAL 50hz console then it still displays in 60hz.

Ah ok, think I just said it arseways, what I mean is if my PSOne has been modded to play backups, it can probably play NTSC as well?

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

Ah, that's what it was!

If I remember correctly, the image patcher I used can change the game's region to PAL to get around the boot disc, while still displaying the 60hz image.

So you in affect end up with a PAL region 60hz disc.

I think.

Will have to look back over my notes to confirm, it's been a while

It could be that yeah. If anyone here is ordering from Eurasia you should ask can they order a ONEchip for you & we'll swap it out to save all that boot disc hassle

o1s1n

RedXIV wrote: »

Ah ok, think I just said it arseways, what I mean is if my PSOne has been modded to play backups, it can probably play NTSC as well?

It depends what chip was used in the mod. As Enternow was saying, if you use the ONEchip in a PSone then it lets you boot NTSC games.

If you use the MM3 chip in your PSone (like in my one), you can play backups, but you still need to use a boot disc for NTSC games.

RedXIV

o1s1n wrote: »

It depends what chip was used in the mod. As Enternow was saying, if you use the ONEchip in a PSone then it lets you boot NTSC games.

If you use the MM3 chip in your PSone (like in my one), you can play backups, but you still need to use a boot disc for NTSC games.

Gonna be fun figuring this out

If I have the wrong chip, I assume it can be easily switched?

Myrddin

RedXIV wrote: »

Gonna be fun figuring this out

If I have the wrong chip, I assume it can be easily switched?

The wiring points on the motherboard are likely to be different between the two types of chip, so its likely a reinstall

RedXIV

EnterNow wrote: »

The wiring points on the motherboard are likely to be different between the two types of chip, so its likely a reinstall

Cheers for all the advice on this, I'll investigate it tonight and see what I have. Will let you know o1s1n in case you want to double up on order from Eurasia

Myrddin

sugarman wrote: »

Just something I thought of reading this thread, since a ps3 plays ps1 games, and the console itself is region free.. Does that mean it could play NTSC ps1 discs?

Isn't the PS3 still region locked when it comes to DVD's? If so, maybe the same might hold for PS1 software...

martineatworld

I'm almost certain that the ps3 is region locked when it comes to ps1 and ps2 games. Shame.

Los Lobos

*shameless plug*

lots of ps1 games here :-)

http://www.adverts.ie/playstation/ps1-games/2562388

Jack burton

Thanks for the info lads, have one of those chips on the way and all. Right into my audiophile PS1

Next up a solid games list for purchasing!

CosmicSmash

o1s1n wrote: »

There was a chipped ps1 on adverts recently for €25. Worth seeing if it's still there.

I remember posting a link to that, 25 euro the seller was looking. It seems to be withdrawn/taken down. I paid the same myself for a modded one with a few games, seems to play anything you throw at it. Pal games pop up on adverts all the time, I'm collecting these at the weekend granted there are some lemons among them:o but for that money. http://www.adverts.ie/games/playstation-one-games/2592718

OwaynOTT

A solid list of good titles would be handy. Im fairly clueless most of the time and even more so with ps1.
I haven't one single ps1 title and I'm not sure if I should really start. Are the top titles expensive ntsc wise?

CosmicSmash

This gives a brief description of some games, may be of some use to you.
http://retro-sanctuary.com/Top-100-PS1-Games.html

B.A._Baracus

is there a soft mod for the ps1?

Retr0gamer

No. You can do the disc swapping method but when you are playing your PS1 a month down the line and it stops reading discs it's because you burnt out the motor on your drive doing it. It's really not advisable.

There are disc swappers you can get but they don't work on a lot of later games.

Jack burton

Monkeykube wrote: »

This gives a brief description of some games, may be of some use to you.
http://retro-sanctuary.com/Top-100-PS1-Games.html

Solid list right there!

Retr0gamer

I'd say it's a pretty rubbish list. Some awful ports listed, some very dated games and a lot of the hidden classics are left off.

Augmerson

Monkeykube wrote: »

This gives a brief description of some games, may be of some use to you.
http://retro-sanctuary.com/Top-100-PS1-Games.html

List needed more Tempest X3, ISS Pro Evolution, Street Fighter Ex Plus Alpha, Parasite Eve and Command & Conquer Red Alert.

CosmicSmash

I never claimed it to be the definitive playstation list, some people may say a lot of playstation games haven't aged particularly well. This seems true of many games released early in any consoles life improving as people get to grips with the hardware over time. But at least you're adding your own likes instead of just rubbishing the complete list without adding anything constructive.

Dale Parish

Both the Oddworld games are just fantastic IMO; not too sure about Command & Conquer on the PS though.. didn't do much for me.. (saying that, I didn't have the PS Mouse)

Augmerson

Monkeykube wrote: »

I never claimed it to be the definitive playstation list, some people may say a lot of playstation games haven't aged particularly well. This seems true of many games released early in any consoles life improving as people get to grips with the hardware over time. But at least you're adding your own likes instead of just rubbishing the complete list without adding anything constructive.

I thought it was fairly good tbh, if I had to sit down and do the same myself it would be hard, you're bound to forget something somebody else would consider paramount and definitive to any "Best of" list. I like that it had NFS Hot Pursuit in there, that is one of my favourite all time racing games.

It's tough too because, do you want to make a list with just the best PSX only titles? IE games that were only released solely for the system or games that came out first on the system but later got a port to something else?

Was Vib-Ribbon in there, or Einhander? PaRappa the Rapper? I can't remember now.

PS - I like saying PSX instead of PS1

Jack burton

PSX was this fella though

Ah its a solid list but by no means definitive

Some good games listed on raketboy aswell in these 2 articles

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/best-undiscovered-playstation-ps1-psx

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/games-that-defined-the-history-of-the-playstation-ps1

Augmerson

Jack burton wrote: »

PSX was this fella though

Ah its a solid list but by no means definitive

Some good games listed on raketboy aswell in these 2 articles

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/best-undiscovered-playstation-ps1-psx

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/games-that-defined-the-history-of-the-playstation-ps1

Wtf is that?! (wiki'd it, wow, never heard of it before today) I used to say PSX because in the old days of Playstation 1 magazines, that's how they referred to the console....now that I think about it though, maybe it was just one magazine that referred to themselves as PSX and what they meant was Playstation Xtreme or something :l

CiDeRmAn

I remember that puppy,
Introduced the XMC to the Sony range as well.
The PSX was the code word for the PS in development afaik, a lot of us referred to the PS as the PSX back in the day, pretentious? Possibly
I'm sure Retr0 will correct any E&O in due course!

o1s1n

Yep, this causes some mass confusion when it comes to the actual Jap only PSX hardware.

It's a cool item, has a HDD too. I was going to buy one last year (was a really good price) until I read all the menus are 100% Japanese and there's absolutely no way of running it in English

Jack burton

Yeah getting one of those is purely for looks with us chaps here...unless anyone can read Japanese?

The consoles are well known for breaking aswell if I remember correctly

Reganio 2

PS3 broke so I was thinking of starting up a collection of PS1 instead of buying a new PS3. Going back to the start though, need a PS1 console and games, so just wondering is ebay the way you guys do it or is their other sites? Id prefer not to use Ebay but if it comes to it I can.

Sorry for the new guy questions but just looking for any help from the seasoned veterans

CiDeRmAn

PS stuff is of the right vintage to be found in markets on a Sunday, car boot sales and charity shops.
Bookmart & Gamesexchange as well as CEX in Dublin have a decent selection.
Adverts also is great.

Augmerson

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

PS stuff is of the right vintage to be found in markets on a Sunday, car boot sales and charity shops.
Bookmart & Gamesexchange as well as CEX in Dublin have a decent selection.
Adverts also is great.

Is CEX that place up by Henry street?

CiDeRmAn

That's the one.
The shop that used to be on Grafton Street had some good stuff too, picked up Future Cop for less than tenner last year.
Pity, therefore, that it's gone