Jump to content
IGNORED

thoughts on ps1 demo discs ?


Recommended Posts

I remember playing these on ps1 from 95 to 98. The pizza hut one, the playstation picks one, and the interactive sampler disc series. It was a great way to try games without dropping 40 bucks a pop. Also if you were poor you had the demo discs to tide you over until you could buy the full game.

 

What do you guys and gals think ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really like them, and I have amassed a modest collection: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ab443/demos.htm

 

Some of the JamPack demo disks even included sample levels from import games that are otherwise unobtainable.

 

Alas, they are becoming almost impossible to find. The last one I bought was bundled together with a random selection of PC software (that I did not want).

 

I don't think that the Pizza Hut disk was even available here in Canada; I have certainly never seen one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Playstation Underground was neat ... there was a downloadable "magazine" called Qore on PS3 for a while, too. They've been replaced by websites and streaming video sites.

 

Demos of games? Yeah, they're kinda fun ... they seem to be out of favor nowadays though. You can watch a video and get the idea, without them having to code up a custom piece of software that allows people to play for free until they're bored with your game.

 

Ever notice how 3DS demos limit the number of times you can play them? That always annoyed me, even though I never played them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can still download game demos on services like XBox Live. I haven't really messed with many of them, though. Usually just one of those where you can play the first level or so.

 

 

Me I collect PS1 Demo Discs I have around 50 in total including ever Playstation Undergroud

 

Hey, can you tell me which Playstation Underground issue has the Net Yaroze game/demo of Funky Beans? It was a Tetris style puzzle game with falling pieces and when you made some pieces disappear it said, "Yee Haw" or something. I think of all the PU demos and such, that was the one I had the most fun with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My brother subscribed to PlayStation Underground, and I've almost got a complete set of those... Only lacking I think 2-3 volumes.
I also have a few demo discs including the ones that came with the system in the box.

 

I thought about offloading them since I'm not trying to collect, but I don't have a clue who I'd sell them to... or what I'd even price them at.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really dig these demo discs as well, especially the Playstation Underground series. Volume 2 issue 1from '98 is a personal favorite as it features a segment with Mike and the 'bots from MST3K riffing the game demos and it's utterly hilarious. At one point as they're playing PS1 games together, Servo says to Mike "My arms don't even work and I'm doing better than you!" Priceless!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love demo discs. I got some PSU discs somewhere and still list over some games I've still not found full retail copies of yet.

 

I got most of the Xbox magazine discs, but I quit getting the magazine when they stopped including the discs. I know, "but people!e just download that now" and sure that's fine, if you live in town and have reliable unlimited internet. Not all of us have that option though.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a handful. I wish I still had the one that introduced me to Demolition Racer (a great, totally under the radar game that also came out on the Dreamcast) and had the first level of the sadly kind of poor Macross Plus game that I don't think ever came out here.

 

I do have every issue of the late, lamented Dreamcast magazine and all of the demo discs for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the most part I don't hunt down demos, but I've kept all the ones I've gotten over the years for nostalgia. I like seeing the differences in demo builds, especially when it can lead to other weirdness. Like the Lunar Silver Star Story demo, with the Japanese battle voices. You can use your save from that in the main game. Trick is, in the main game Alex can't drop his ocarina, but in the demo you can give it to Nall. If you do that, & move to the main game, he can't give it back- meaning you actually can't beat the game because Alex needs to have it later on. I know at the time you could contact working designs for a fix- but I have no idea what they did to fix it. I'd love to know!

 

There is one demo disc I'd like to have. I think it was a PS2 era Underground disc with Viewtiful Joe on it. There was a glitch in that demo where, upon starting it, the system would forcibly delete & reformat the memory card in slot 1. All I know for sure is, it's super hard to come by because it was partially recalled, & even then people figured out it's a great repair tool for memory cards with corrupted data on them.

 

EDIT: I looked it up since I'm thinking about it- it's the Holiday 2004 demo disc, with the Viewtiful Joe 2 demo, and it deletes both memory cards if present.

Edited by HoshiChiri
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

EDIT: I looked it up since I'm thinking about it- it's the Holiday 2004 demo disc, with the Viewtiful Joe 2 demo, and it deletes both memory cards if present.

 

I'm reasonably certain that I have this disk -- I have almost all of the PS 2 Underground demos -- but I have not tried this particular demo. Thanks for the warning! :-o

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think that the Pizza Hut disk was even available here in Canada; I have certainly never seen one.

 

I remember getting one or two PS1 demo discs from Pizza Hut in Canada. I might still have them. My son was the primary PS1 user at the time and was only about 5 years old. He had a habit of not treating discs very nicely. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a few. The only one I'd consider memorable was the one that had the demo of Macross VF-X 2 on it. I remember geeking out so hard about being able to fly Isamu's YF-19. I was so pissed when the real game never got a North American release.

 

I guess there was also the one for Final Fantasy VIII, but I think that was a bonus disc in some other game I rented, not a demo disc. I remember being so excited about that game because of how good FF7 was. And the demo seemed like it would be good. But then a few months later the full game hit and it was revealed what a turd it was.

 

So, I guess my main memories of demo disks were preludes to disappointment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a few. The only one I'd consider memorable was the one that had the demo of Macross VF-X 2 on it. I remember geeking out so hard about being able to fly Isamu's YF-19. I was so pissed when the real game never got a North American release.

 

I guess there was also the one for Final Fantasy VIII, but I think that was a bonus disc in some other game I rented, not a demo disc. I remember being so excited about that game because of how good FF7 was. And the demo seemed like it would be good. But then a few months later the full game hit and it was revealed what a turd it was.

 

So, I guess my main memories of demo disks were preludes to disappointment.

Parasite Eve might be the one you're thinking of. It had non-playable previews of Final Fantasy VIII, Bushido Blade 2, and Brave Fencer Musashi. It also had a playable demo of Xenogears. I miss the days when Square Soft made awesome stuff like this and included demos with their games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm reasonably certain that I have this disk -- I have almost all of the PS 2 Underground demos -- but I have not tried this particular demo. Thanks for the warning! :-o

 

There's 2 versions of this Holiday disc, one with the Demo of Deletion, and one without.

 

I remember reading about the problem at the time & racing to check my own disc (came in the mail, hadn't had time to check it out). Mine's the safe version. I was both relieved my saves were safe, and slightly disappointed I couldn't try it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always loved the demo discs back in the day. I remember having a subscription to Official US PlayStation Magazine and and getting those demo discs with the magazine in the mail was like the highlight of my month as a kid. I'd spend a ridiculous amount of hours exploring each and every one of the playable demos until I had found and done everything that you could possibly find or do in them, and even then I'd still go back and replay them again and again while I waited for my parents to buy me a new game; since I only got a few games a year most of the time.

 

As an adult I never went back and collected the demo discs again, mostly because my wife collects PS1 games and already has 90% of the games I'd want to play the demos of, but I still have a lot of fond memories of those monthly demo discs. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one that came with my PlayStation that had playable demos for Tekken 2 and I think 2Extreme and maybe Tunnel B1, and a promo video for Twisted Metal 2. Pretty sure the disc is long gone so I'm kinda fuzzy on what was on it, but I definitely remember Tekken 2 (only had two or three characters) and the TM2 video. I distinctly remember playing Tunnel B1 and 2Extreme somewhere but I never owned copies of the games so I'm thinking they must have been on that demo disc.

I had another one, I think from PlayStation Magazine (?), that had a relatively comprehensive "shareware" version of Treasures of The Deep. That was a pretty cool game, definitely a sleeper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, sometimes it's fun just navigating through the menus and such. I'll often find a few at thrift stores or flea markets, but never pick them up. Maybe I should grab a few for nostalgia. They usually don't cost much.

 

Right now I only have one demo disc and it's for the Saturn. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...