That said, I can't imagine I'll ever have more fun with my imaginary future Vita than I will with the system seen in the photo below--which is a Japanese PSone with a nifty little Sony monitor strapped onto its back, in case you've never laid eyes on such a thing.
I recently picked up this killer combo via eBay for just $60, by the way. I've been looking to buy a Japanese PSone for ages now, so when this auction popped up I did whatever I could to ensure I won the damn thing.
Anyway, thanks to this awesome acquisition, I'm now experiencing another full-on PlayStation obsession--which of course means I recently snapped up a few Japanese PS games (such as the crazy Shake Kids! that I mentioned during the latest episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever) to play on my shiny new (not really) PSone.
I'll do my best to write about as many of them as possible in the coming weeks and months, of course. At the very least, though, you can expect me to write about the most interesting ones.
Do any of you own one of these wonderful contraptions, by the way?
I know some will say they're kind of pointless in this day and age, when many PlayStation titles can be played on PSPs and Vitas, but I've always been a sucker for playing games as originally intended. Plus, the PSone is so adorable it's kind of hard to resist--which may explain why I now have two (the one shown above and here is of the North American variety).
See also: additional photos of (some of) my PlayStation 'collection'
They're lovely aren't they? I owned one back when you could still buy them new, the screen's not just really good quality but a perfect fit for the dinky little PSOne :D
ReplyDeleteI can dig it!
ReplyDeleteYes, they're completely lovely, Kimimi :) I remember seeing them in the stores when they were new, but pretty much ignoring them because they were old news. A few years back, though, I became aware of them again, and ever since then I've been in love with them :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, now I have a great/easy way to play all of my new Japanese PSone imports. Yay! Oh, and double yay: that means I'll finally be reviewing some of those suckers in the next weeks and months!
Thanks, K :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic news on all counts!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kimimi :)
ReplyDeleteDo both parts run off batteries?
ReplyDeleteNeither! The PSone system/console itself has to be plugged into the wall just like always. I think you may be able to find a car adapter for it, but I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, yes, this does mean this PSone+monitor combo isn't actually as portable as a Vita or PSP, but that's OK with me, as I do most of my "portable" gaming at home :)
Actually this is a good idea since modern TV's make PS1 games look like crap. I can't wait to hear more about Shake Kids after you talked about it on the podcast. Also, will there be Jingle Cats?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess you could say modern TVs make most PS1 games look terrible, although I don't usually mind too much. (Hell, I recently played through a good chunk of SaGa Frontier on my HDTV--even though it was ugly as sin!)
ReplyDeleteAs for Shake Kids: you can count on me to write about it, and share photos of it, etc. And eventually review it, of course.
Oh, and I don't yet own a copy of Jingle Cats, but it's on my 'to buy' list, no question--along with a few other weirdo Japanese PS1 games :P
I can't comment on the PSX, but I do want to say that your house is cute as hell. Seriously. If the rest of it is as great as the background of this shot, dang!
ReplyDeleteOh! I didn't even think about our living room appearing in the background of this photo, Justin. I just wanted to give folks a different perspective (other than our dining room table or dining-room floor, I mean).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks! I love our house. In fact, if we planned to stay in Seattle for the rest of our loves (we don't), I'd never want to move from this house. That's how much I love it.
I love how small flat screens make PSOne games look so nice, it's especially neat on the PS Vita's OLED screen. :) The digital PSOne games do look rather great on the big screen thanks to the PS3's awesome upscaling as well tho.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what you got yourself here seems to be a pretty convenient thing. I could see myself playing on that thing in bed all night long - the pro over a handheld is just so obvious to me: I could put the blanket over my hands without obstructing the view of the screen. (I get cold fingers quickly when playing games XD)
Oh, yes, I've played this in bed many times, miruki--and on the couch, on the floor, etc. As much as I love 'real' handhelds, this setup is cool, too, because I can use a real controller :)
ReplyDeleteOh, wow. I'd forgotten that thing existed. I remember wanting one back in the day because I thought it was as close as I'd get to having a semi-portable version of Final Fantasy 8. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteI love it! Very neat design as well. A friend of mine actually plugged in his Wii U on the bus and played the game via the controller screen. Portable gaming, haha! :D
ReplyDeleteThat makes me smile to hear it. And I'm not sure if it was clever wording or a typo, but "rest of our loves" made me smile. Where would you go?
ReplyDeleteHa! Nope, I didn't mean to say "loves," but it does seem oddly appropriate, doesn't it? As for where we'd go: back to Wisconsin for a while, and then ???
ReplyDeleteHa! That's great, Zaphod. And, really, this isn't exactly the best option when it comes to actual portable gaming, but it's pretty great when all you want to do is play games while in bed, etc.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's too funny about the Wii U! I'll bet your friend got some interesting looks from his/her fellow passengers :)
ReplyDeleteAw the little Ps1! I remember I had one back when I was a kid. I remember I always preferred the screen, probably because televisions in those days were big bulky bastards. Great purchase!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm guessing the little monitor was especially appealing back then. Even now, though, I think it's pretty cool :)
ReplyDeleteTrue. These days I have most of the Final Fantasy games on my Vita, but that PS1 screen was an enticing option.
ReplyDeleteThe benefit this combo has over Vita: it can play ALL of my PlayStation games, not just the ones that are put on PSN :)
ReplyDelete3rd party battery packs for the PSOne+screen combo are available. I have one, its almost as big as the PSOne itself. It sits under the PSOne so it looks like 2 stacked systems, but has a large plastic cage that grips the console to hold it together when on the move. Prior to owning a PSP I used mine on the bus and train.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's going to happen sooner rather than later, Justin. We've been talking about this for some time now. Just need to wait for a few things to fall into place.
ReplyDeleteReally, Antiriad? I've never heard of such a thing. And now I'm going to have to go look for photos of one. Anyway, thanks for the info :)
ReplyDeleteSo cool! I love the design of the PSone with monitor! I'm guessing you had some fun PSX time this weekend! ^^ Now I want to try Shake Kids! lol
ReplyDeleteActually, I didn't play any PSX games this weekend thanks to Super Mario Sunshine and Witch & Hero. I'm planning to put this sucker to good use, though, as soon as my copy of Shake Kids finally arrives (along with another unnamed PS1 game).
ReplyDeleteI do not own one of those, no. :) I still have an original PS1 bouncing around, hooked up to my tv upstairs. Of course, it's a funny title for this post since I spent most of yesterday playing my Vita (while working on my PC for about fourteen hours in the den).
ReplyDeleteMan. You might be close enough to actually get to meet in person. That would be AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Fingers crossed that it happens sooner rather than later :)
ReplyDelete