Journal Journal: Old PSX Games: Part The First 2
I am a happy PS2 owner, but not because of the PS2's games library. Rather, I use my PS2 as a sort of supercharged PlayStation One (what we used to call a PSX before Sony diluted the term with this thingy).
The advantages of playing PSX games on the newer machine are as follows:
- Faster loading times for some games (this is especially good for Metal Gear Solid and Sheep Raider a.k.a. Sheep Dog N Wolf) - this feature requires some simple driver tweaking.
- Higher res 3D textures on the vast majority of games (especially good for Final Fantasies 7 through 9) - again, this feature requires some simple driver tweaking.
- The ability to archive all of your PSX saved games and settings onto a single PS2 memory card (this is easy to do via the Browser screen)
- PS2 controllers are backwards compatible (not sure about the multitap, though).
The other great thing about PSX games are that you can find them quite cheaply second hand (the going rate in Sydney pawn shops is $AUD 20 which is something like 6 GBP or $US 10), and they seem to work well despite their age, which can't be said for old Sega and Nintendo carts. Also, the sheer volume of PSX titles means that there are a lot of great games out there, whereas the current generation of console seem to only have a few killer titles apiece.
So, which old games to get and which to avoid? It's a matter of taste, obviously, but over the next batch of journal entries I'll give you my two cents (equivalent to a dime of American wisdom or two thirds of a British penny -- 'a hapenny wrapped in silver paper' as Spike Milligan once put it). Suggestions welcome.