Man, I totally get how intimidating PS1 RPGs can feel at first. When I dusted off my old PS1 last weekend just for fun, popping in a JRPG disc felt like staring at a brick wall. Where do you even begin? It took me a whole Sunday of fumbling, but here’s exactly how I wrestled my way in.
Getting Set Up Was Half the Battle
First things first: digging that big gray console outta storage. Found it buried under old photo albums – surprise, the cables were missing! Scrounged up some composite cables (you know, the red/white/yellow ones) and hooked it up to my modern TV. Big mistake. Everything looked stretched and fuzzy, like playing through Vaseline. Switched to my old CRT monitor in the garage – instant nostalgia hit! Way better, just like it looked back in the day.
Picking My Poison
Stared at my tiny stack of games like it was life or death. Final Fantasy VII? Too big. Chrono Cross? Too weird right now. Went with Suikoden II instead – heard it was beginner-friendly-ish. Popped it in, heard that satisfying disc whirr… then got slapped in the face by a text-heavy intro scene. Almost backed out right there! Told myself: “Just watch this cutscene, one button press at a time.” Took deep breaths.
Baby Steps into the Chaos
My dude started blinking on screen. Okay, cool. Pushed the D-pad – nothing. Realized I had my controller plugged into port two! Switched ports. Movement felt weirdly stiff compared to modern games. Got into my first battle within minutes. Panic mode! Random dudes popped up, menus exploded everywhere. I accidentally mashed X a bunch – somehow won? Pure luck. Spent the next 30 minutes just walking around town, pressing X on literally everything: barrels, townsfolk, chickens. Got gold, a potion, useless info about turnips. Slowly clicked: talking and smashing pots = core RPG life.
- Save Like a Madman: Found that sparkly save point spot almost by accident. Saved immediately. Got killed by wolves 10 minutes later? Reloaded. Felt genius.
- Menu Terror to Comfort: Seriously lived in the menu screen checking stats. “What’s Rune Power?! Why does this knight eat so much rice?” Just accepted the mystery.
- Combat Clicked by Accident: Tried defending instead of attacking during a tough fight – oh crap, it actually reduced damage! Small victory dance happened.
The “Stuck” Phase is Mandatory
Got completely stuck by some river needing a boat. Wandered the whole map twice. Talked to everyone again. Nothing. Broke my “no guides” rule, skimmed a walkthrough – needed to chat with some fisherman near the docks I totally ignored. Felt dumb, but that little “aha!” moment? Worth it. Saved instantly after getting that stupid boat. Learned: miss nothing, talk to everyone twice.
After roughly two hours of feeling lost and clueless, something shifted. Navigating towns felt natural. Combat became rhythmic – attack, heal, defend. That save point glow felt like home. Didn’t conquer continents, but got past the brick wall. Takes patience, leaning into the jank, and accepting you won’t understand half the mechanics right away. Seriously guys, if I can crawl through it, anyone can!