Why Did I Pay Extra for a 17-Year-Old Handheld? A Chinese Player’s Gaming Story

This is a personal nostalgic essay, not a hardware review.

Half a month ago, I spent about $39 on a blue, original, unmodified DSi. It looks very nice. The only flaw is that the screen has some yellowing, which is caused by the natural aging of the LCD. The only way to fix it is to replace the screen. I’ll share my experiences playing on the DSi. By the way: Chinese players are used to putting the letter N in front of DS. If overseas friends search for “DS” on the Chinese internet, they can easily end up with a lot of unrelated results. But I believe that everyone’s love for games is universal.

Opening: From Emulators to a World Different From the PSP

Eight years ago, I bought a PSP with money I earned from a part-time job. It wasn’t a collector’s item, but it meant a lot to me. When I was a kid, I only knew about the PSP as the mainstream handheld, and I was always curious about who its rival was back then, and whether it was even more fun than the PSP.

I looked things up online and found that phones could run DS emulators. I tried Super Mario Bros., and the experience was pretty good. I didn’t live through the GBA era as a kid. Before the PSP, I had only played on pirated handhelds that could run Famicom games. Phone emulators could play the games, but they couldn’t reproduce the unique feeling of the dual screens. Not long after, I got a DS Lite for about $17, and it brought me a lot of surprises.

Anyone who has played the Famicom version of Super Mario Bros. knows that Mario grows bigger after eating a mushroom. Chinese players gave this scene a very vivid nickname: “eating a mushroom to grow bigger.” If the DS had become popular in China earlier, this nickname would have fit even better. On the DS, Mario not only grows bigger after eating a mushroom, but also becomes invincible. That was one of the reasons the DS attracted me back then.

I Sold My DS Lite Cheaply to Buy an Overpriced DSi, and I Don’t Regret It

A year and a half ago, the A button’s rubber pad on my DS Lite had poor rebound, and the screen yellowing had become more obvious. It could still play normally, but I was fairly busy at the time. It just so happened that a high school student online wanted to buy one. At that time, the second-hand market for DS Lites in China had already started to rise. I told her that this DS Lite could play GBA cartridges, came with two flashcarts and a memory card, and I even taught her step by step how to use it. She said the handheld let her relax amid heavy schoolwork, and she had a lot of fun with it.

I only charged her about $29 for the whole package. Now it could sell for at least $7–$14 more, but I don’t regret making less money. Compared with obsessing over the price difference, letting idle devices continue to be useful matters more to me.

So do I regret buying the DSi at a premium? My thought is: if I had bought it back in the day, the value for money would definitely have been better. But second-hand old machines vary a lot in condition, and this one is in pretty good shape, letting me experience a kind of fun different from the DS Lite. I’m not encouraging everyone to jump on the retro handheld bandwagon. For playing retro games, the best time is the present.

The Misunderstood DS: Chinese Players Jokingly Called It a “Dual-Screen PSP” and Thought It Was Just a Kids’ Console

In China, the DS was far less popular than the PSP. A big reason is that besides games, the PSP could also be used as an MP4 video player, and a large number of knockoff handhelds also rode the PSP’s popularity. I’ll go into that story in a later article.

Once, I was playing my DS Lite on a train. The young person across from me curiously asked what kind of game console it was. Maybe because the art style looked cute, they thought it was a dual-screen version of the PSP, and that it was just a machine for kids.

Later I learned that they had never really played this kind of handheld, and just called all handhelds PSPs. I explained to them that this was Nintendo’s handheld from the same generation as the PSP, and that its global sales were even twice as high as the PSP’s. They didn’t really understand, so I brought up Mario — Nintendo’s signature IP, aimed at all ages, not just kids.

In the early years, there were also TV quiz ads in China with prizes labeled as PSP and DS. But after dialing the number, people would be charged exorbitant phone fees, and almost no one could actually get the prizes. The ads only promoted the DS as a “Mario console,” which led many people to mistakenly believe that the DS could only play Mario games, causing them to miss out on the fun this handheld had to offer.

Chinese Players’ Obsession With the DQ9 Fan Translation, and Why That Version Froze So Often

Chinese players back then had a deep obsession with fan translations. Early Nintendo handhelds almost had no official Chinese versions, and many DS fan translations were very high quality. But Dragon Quest IX ran into trouble: The Chinese font file in the DQ9 fan translation was very large. When run on an ordinary R4 flashcart, it would exhaust the DS’s limited memory and cause random freezes. The only stable way to play the Chinese version of DQ9 back then was to buy the expensive DSTWO flashcart. Many players were willing to pay for it.

Back then, the atmosphere in Chinese gaming forums was great. Players paid out of their own pockets to buy all kinds of flashcarts, test game compatibility, power consumption, cheat functions, and so on, and posted side-by-side reviews, comparing both original and domestic clone cards. I also learned a lot from those posts.

Nowadays, the DQ9 fan translation is somewhat more stable, but there is still a chance of freezing. We developed a habit: manually save every few minutes to prevent losing progress. I also bought an official DQ9 cartridge as a keepsake.

DS flashcarts for players in China: relive your childhood for just 3–3.7 USD.

There are two mainstream DS flashcarts in China: the replica R4 flashcart (with a domestically produced PCB), and the DSpico flashcart. Both work very well.

The biggest difference between them: the R4 project long ago stopped official maintenance, but its DS game compatibility is very strong, and it can run DS games on a 3DS; its weakness is that native GBA game compatibility is very poor. DSpico is an open-source project deeply optimized for DS/DSi, and it cannot run 3DS-exclusive games; its DS game compatibility is a little weaker, but its GBA emulator compatibility is better. My DSi paired with DSpico gives a very good DS gaming experience.

Why is the price so cheap in China? I think it’s because production costs have dropped, and it’s not exactly a scarce product, so it’s inexpensive and durable. Going forward, I plan to continue writing about the original DS story. I’ll also test the domestic GBA flashcart SuperChis—it’s fairly modern and the experience is quite good.

Final Interaction Question: Do You Have Any Interesting DS Stories or Questions? Welcome to Share Them.

A Sega Console Worth Getting to Know

From Getting Burned on My First Saturn Purchase, to Finding the Right Console, to Meeting a Dedicated Creator of Replica Controllers

This all started two months ago, when I decided to get into retro consoles. Before that, I already owned a PS2 and a PS3, and I loved them. My original target was a PS1, but I learned that the PS1 requires modding, and the N64 doesn’t look great on modern displays. After comparing my options, the Sega Saturn (SS) stood out—no complicated mods required, beginner-friendly—so I decided to give the SS a try.

Why I Chose the Saturn Over the PS1 and N64

I suddenly wanted to experience a Sega console. As a kid, I played a bootleg Mega Drive, so I had a good impression of Sega and wanted a different kind of retro gaming experience.

Looking back at the era when 3D games were just getting started, the Saturn’s visual style actually suits my taste better today. That’s not to say the PS1 or N64 were bad—I didn’t live through that era myself. I simply prefer the Saturn’s visual texture.

I’ve always liked Sega. In my view, the company’s work started from a very high point, and while some titles varied in polish, the experience Sonic gave me was completely different from Mario’s. That cemented my decision to buy a Sega console.

Some people would say that this budget could go straight toward digital Sega games, giving Sega direct revenue. But to me, the value of a retro console isn’t just about playing games. Emulators are already very mature, but the experience of physical hardware is irreplaceable. When I hold a piece of hardware from over twenty years ago, I can’t help imagining: if I’d been born twenty years earlier, standing in front of the PS1, N64, and Saturn back then, would I have made the same choice? That kind of imagination seems useless, but it’s genuinely fun.

Inexperience Leads to a Bad Purchase

I spotted a Saturn listed for about $30 on a domestic second-hand platform—a very tempting price. The seller noted: the player 2 controller port had been repaired, the power board was modified, the Japanese console had a modchip installed, it was adapted for China’s 220V mains, and it had been running stably for a long time.

At first, everything worked fine. But a month later, the console powered on with the light on, yet produced no image or sound. I took it to a repair technician, who said the machine showed heavy signs of repair, the modified power board was low quality, and it had burned out the motherboard. If I continued repairing it, more faults would likely appear, and the repair quote wasn’t worth it.

The technician gave me two options: salvage the working parts as spares and scrap the rest to cut losses, or sell the whole unit to a hobbyist who enjoys tinkering. In the end, I sold the faulty console for about $13 to an enthusiast who wanted to practice repairs. Later, talking with people online, I learned that a Saturn PTU power board can serve as a replacement part. After researching, I found it is indeed a good spare, but domestic channels for buying one are limited, and a reliable off-the-shelf Chinese transformer is cheap and easy to get—so I didn’t try that route.

I’m grateful to the people online for the repair ideas. This isn’t a complaint—I just want to remind everyone to pay close attention to the power solution when buying a Saturn. I’ll attach photos of the faulty machine, and I welcome everyone to share their thoughts.

Meeting a Seller I Hit It Off With, and Getting a Reliable Console

A friend of mine mainly deals in game discs and cartridges and knows retro consoles well. He told me the domestic second-hand Saturn market: a complete-in-box unit in good condition costs at least $85; a bare console in nice condition runs over $55; if you want something practical and stable, $40–$55 can get you a well-maintained machine; anything under $40 likely has hidden problems.

After that, I found a suitable seller who specializes in importing Japanese game consoles and vintage electronics. He’s 17 years older than me, but we share the same hobby. He recommended a $50 Malaysia-made Asian version Saturn. Compared to the $42 Japanese model in his shop, this one was more stable, had better optical drive compatibility, and had already undergone routine maintenance before arriving.

The Saturn worked great once I got it. Chatting with the seller and exchanging our gaming stories added a human touch to the purchase. I’ll also attach photos of the console’s internals for reference.

The seller repeatedly reminded me to use a transformer. I spent about $14 on one with automatic voltage detection. He also recommended I try the Saroo Saturn flash cart, which I bought as well. It plugs directly into the Saturn’s accelerator card slot and costs about $25 domestically.

A Saturn Fighting Game Enthusiast’s Self-Made Replica Saturn Controller

One of my main reasons for getting a Saturn was to experience classic 2D fighting games. I happened to come across a self-made replica Saturn controller by a fellow player. At first I was skeptical: big companies rarely release new Saturn controllers—can an individual maker do it well? The price was very affordable: about $8 for the original Saturn connector version, about $14 for the version supporting Android and PC with a turbo IC. I ordered one on a whim, and it exceeded my expectations.

This replica controller isn’t meant to replace big-brand products like 8BitDo, Beitong, or Hori. Instead, it’s specifically designed with fighting game players in mind. I won’t say it’s better than an original Saturn controller, but the button rebound feel is solid. A friend of mine who’s been playing fighting games for 20 years tried it and also gave it a positive review.

The maker is very professional. When I wanted to use it with an emulator to play Saturn games and asked about compatibility, he recommended Yaba Sanshiro 2, which makes button mapping easy. Once I ran into an issue where buttons weren’t responding—I initially thought it was an emulator configuration problem—but he suggested I check the in-game button settings, and it was resolved quickly.

I’ll include photos of this replica controller. As for how good it is, I’ll leave that for everyone to judge—welcome to discuss.

To close the story, here’s a photo of a complete-in-box copy of Sakura Wars 2. I picked up this set for about $20, just for market reference. I love the Sakura Wars anime and story, and I’ve always hoped the series would come to modern gaming platforms.

Have you ever had a bad experience buying a Saturn? What’s your favourite Saturn fighting game?

I spent $3.50 to pick up a ten-year-old vibration-free Betop Bat gamepad, just for nostalgia. I own many controllers. Their specs keep getting better, yet I cannot recapture that old feeling. I suddenly remembered the first time I connected a gamepad to my PC. Compared with cheap no-name controllers, the experience was totally different. This is the rumble-free Betop Bat. Back then it sold for $6.85, while the rumble-enabled version was priced at $10.90. Its hand feel is mediocre, and the dpad is its biggest weakness. I do not even see the lack of wireless support as a downside. Most cheap generic controllers in that price range back then only supported DInput. Still, its build quality was far better than off-brand alternatives. It was popular among students and retro game players for its solid value. If we only look at practical value, spending $3.50 on this old pad is not a good buy, since brand-new entry-level gamepads are very cheap today. Even so, it works well enough for casual retro gaming and reminiscing about the old days.

Betop has grown into a gamepad brand with solid technical expertise within China. When I chatted with friends recently, we all remembered that this brand has grown alongside Chinese gamers for 29 years.

Looking back at 2015, options for gamepads at this price point were very limited, in both developed and developing countries. You could only pick up no-name controllers with terrible feel, unreliable lifespan, and messy in-game setup. If you wanted something with solid build quality and decent ergonomics, you would have to pay significantly more. Betop gave more players access to a relatively decent gaming experience. Even though the brand has had its share of debates over these 29 years, I’m just posting this to document a personal memory.

Note: I do not intend to compare the modern Betop Kunpeng with controllers like the DS5. This post only documents the old Bat gamepad and the story of Chinese retro gamers from that era

With emulators extremely mature now, why buy a $37 compatible console and plug in physical cartridges?

When I was young, I loved Mega Drive games. That blue hedgehog running at high speed, the varied level routes. The gameplay felt very different from Super Mario on the Famicom. For players in China, most games we had back then were pirated copies. I wanted an original Mega Drive console, but finding a good working unit is a matter of luck. A seasoned Mega Drive player friend suggested I try a handheld that accepts physical cartridges; I might get a nice surprise. I bought the Neocade MD200, and overall the experience is pretty good.

1. What kind of game console is this

Important note: The Neocade MD200 is not licensed by Sega. It is a third-party product from brand Neocade. It comes with 18 built-in NES games and an included 12-in-1 licensed reproduction Mega Drive cartridge published by PIKO. PIKO acquired the copyrights for these old games. So this is more of a third-party compatible handheld, not the pirated game consoles made by domestic manufacturers in the old days. One reason I chose it is its good after-sales support.

I got the Chinese domestic version of the unit. The agent sells it for $37, and the price can drop lower during promotions. The overseas version only differs by sales region.

Cheap price does not mean it suits everyone. I keep thinking: now that open-source handhelds are very mature, is there really a reason to play games on a cartridge-based console? I care not only about gameplay experience, but also the stories that happen while playing. My answer is it still has value.

First, hardware specs. This handheld has compatibility issues with flash carts, but works well with licensed physical Mega Drive cartridges.

• Screen: 3.5 inch LCD, resolution 320×240 ​
• Cartridge slot: Standard Mega Drive (MD) cartridge port ​
• Battery: Built-in lithium battery, roughly 6 hours of play on full charge ​
• Output: HDMI for TV out, 720P ​
• System: Linux ​
• Buttons: Standard Mega Drive 6-button layout (ABC XYZ) + D-pad, Start/Select, volume keys ​
• Form factor: Portable handheld, pocket-sized ​
• Box contents: Console + PIKO 12-in-1 MD cartridge + USB charging cable + manual

Pictures of gameplay are attached. Here are pros and cons, feel free to disagree and discuss.

Pros Handheld mode plays well. Volume adjustment works nicely. Buttons have firm travel, grip feels comfortable. I like the modern USB-C and Mini HDMI ports. The included cartridge has PIKO licensed games. They are relatively obscure titles but decent quality. I enjoyed the American football game on it even though I know nothing about the sport.

Cons The D-pad is not the design of the original Mega Drive controller. It works fine for most games, but some players will mind. The six action buttons are packed close together; fighting game players may find it uncomfortable.

There are compatibility issues between Mini HDMI cables and displays. The cable included with the unit did not work with my monitor, but switching to another cable that came with my monitor fixed it. The same applies to TVs. When outputting to a display, it defaults to 16:9 aspect ratio. There is no automatic adjustment; you need to manually change the picture ratio on your display.

Full game list, total of 30 games: 18 built-in NES games + 12 MD games on the included cartridge.

Built-in 18 NES (Famicom) games

1. 8 Eyes ​ 2. Bad Street Brawler ​ 3. Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum ​ 4. Eliminator Boat Duel ​ 5. The Immortal ​ 6. Little Lancelot ​ 7. Metal Mech ​ 8. Motor City Patrol ​ 9. Mutant Virus: The Crisis ​ 10. Power Punch II ​ 11. Road Raider ​ 12. Stanley ​ 13. Target: Renegade ​ 14. Thunderbolt ​ 15. Top Race 2 ​ 16. Water Margin ​ 17. Gadget Twins ​ 18. Legend of Wukong

Included PIKO 12-in-1 MD cartridge

1. AWS Pro Moves Soccer ​ 2. Risky Woods ​ 3. Sword of Sodan ​ 4. Street Racer ​ 5. Brutal Sports Football ​ 6. The Immortal ​ 7. Thunderbolt II ​ 8. BOB ​ 9. Beggar Prince ​ 10. Switchblade ​ 11. Deflektor ​ 12. Tinhead

My opinion on this console: If you want to play licensed physical Mega Drive cartridges and experience these 30 games, it is worth considering. If that is not your goal, buying it may not meet your expectations.

2. Sonic 2: Memories Across Time on an Old Cartridge

Before I got the MD200, I hunted down a physical Mega Drive copy of Sonic 2. It came complete with box and manual. The yellowed reply card has handwritten level select codes and short comments left by its previous owner. It is clear that the original owner loved this game. I paid $29 for the set, price for reference only.

For Japanese collectors, old cartridges with previous owners’ handwriting may be common. For me, it means something different. Looking at those handwritten cheat codes, I keep imagining the player who wrote them decades ago, experimenting with Sonic 2’s levels. If I had known this cheat back then, I would have been the cool kid among my friends.

This cartridge is more than a game medium. It carries emotional heritage between players across time. Even though I can buy Sonic games on Steam now, physical cartridges have a unique warmth that emulators struggle to replicate.

3. A Strange Accidental Firmware Bug and a Pleasant Customer Service Experience

While testing the included PIKO 12-in-1 cartridge, I encountered a weird behavior. When inserting the cartridge, the handheld would not load the multi-game menu. It would boot straight into Deflektor. Only occasionally would it open the normal game list.

I contacted the store’s customer service. They said they had never received reports of this issue before, but they were curious about this strange behavior and checked with the factory. Their solution: send me a brand new replacement 12-in-1 cartridge. They also shipped an extra PIKO licensed reproduction Mega Drive cartridge so I could keep testing compatibility with different physical cartridges.

This extra cartridge was not leftover old stock. They just wanted me to test more cartridges out of curiosity about this bug. This support experience left a deep impression on me.

After checking information to figure this out: this is not an official easter egg. When the 12-in-1 cartridge has poor contact, the handheld detects a cartridge is present, but fails to read the cartridge header ROM data. Instead of throwing an error as the firmware was designed to do, it falls into an unexpected code branch and loads Deflektor stored inside the handheld firmware. The agent had never seen this before. It is a glitch triggered by chance.

I did not make up any events. The customer service offered the extra cartridge voluntarily for testing. I will keep testing different physical Mega Drive cartridges on this console and share more about the MD200 cartridge compatibility later.

I have bought many Sonic games on Steam, and they are great to play. I plan to look at more Mega Drive cartridges in the future, and I hope I can share more gaming stories with everyone.

Hello everyone, I’m a Chinese player. I met Saturn by accident. When I was young I played pirated MD games. I saw Saturn for sale before, but I thought it was overpriced and I didn’t buy it. I thought maybe I get a SS. Its game library can complement my PS2 and PS3, and it has many fun games.

I talk about my console purchase and current condition. I don’t know repair or mod techniques. I bought this Japanese Saturn one month ago. It has a power supply modification, no transformer needed in China. The second controller port is damaged, fixed with UA glue and still stable. The optical drive works, and it has a modchip. I paid $29 for bare console.

Now the problem: I used GBSC and RGBS cable to play. It worked well last week. Yesterday there is sound but no picture. Power light on, flash cart light on, optical drive works normally.

At first I thought the power board broke. I asked a local repair shop owner online. He said this model’s power board is durable. Probably mainboard problem. Even if soldered well, other parts may fail again. Need testing. After he knew my goal: I want to fix the machine and share this story. He said it is too troublesome. He has many spare parts, but it is not necessary. Buy a better machine for flash cart use. I asked if he has spare console. He has one decent Saturn. I do not need modchip. My PS2 is only used to test game discs from different regions. I want to buy some games I like or games with interesting design for memory and collection.

I will post photos of my mainboard. Hope you can share your opinion for discussion.

My questions:

1. My priority: sentimental value > gameplay > collectibility. Which choice should I take? ​ 2. What maintenance do I need for this retro console? ​ 3. If my old machine is not worth repairing, how to pass it on with memorial meaning? I hope someone who really needs it takes it, not become trash e-waste.

Also I have another idea: find a donor console with same mainboard model, but broken shell and bad optical drive. Try to build one working Saturn by mixing good parts by myself. What do you think?

I stumbled across a niche Sega Saturn title originally made for visually‑impaired players. I really liked the concept and the price was reasonable, so I purchased it. The listing showed all accessories complete. When it arrived, however, the outer game box had obvious damage. The seller explained a family member handled the shipping and suspects the damage happened during sea freight. They offered me a partial refund.

Returning the game would be bad for both of us: the seller would cover return shipping, and there is risk of further damage in transit. Also, I might not find another copy at a decent price with acceptable condition.

I’ve come up with three options and I’m wondering what this community would do in my situation:

1. Get a PET protective sleeve to safeguard the cracked original box, preventing cracks from spreading. ​ 2. Source a second‑hand genuine original empty long‑box from another collector. I want to understand how swapping the box affects the item’s overall condition rating and scarcity value. ​ 3. Store only the disc inside a standard CD jewel‑case, and keep all original accessories sealed in storage bags.

Even if a future buyer wouldn’t mind these issues, disclosing the full truth might lower the resale price and make it harder to sell. Still, I want to be completely honest about its condition.

I’m curious about the community collectors’ perspective. What are the pros and cons of each option for long‑term personal collection and future resale value?

I’m planning a series of five posts telling stories about Chinese gamers. Some parts are from my personal experience, others are accounts I’ve collected from friends. I aim to finish all of them within one month, to share a lesser-known slice of gaming history.

I previously wrote a long post in the games community which got good reception. English is not my native language. For my follow-up posts, I used AI to polish the text, and those posts were removed by the community. I accept this rule and want to learn from this experience.

I have a few questions for everyone:

1. What stories or details from this timeline of Chinese gaming history are you most curious about? ​ 2. What kinds of topics carry higher risk and need careful handling under community rules? ​ 3. If I keep sharing retro gaming history posts, would dedicated retro gaming communities be a better fit than general gaming boards? No intention to compare or stir conflict; I just want to find the right space for this content. My planned timeline for the five chapters

These are my personal observations, not comprehensive official history

Hello everyone, I am an ordinary gamer from China. I recently learned that Sina Cloud has shut down its servers. This is the official notice; the service was permanently shut down on September 16. Lots of early Chinese internet content, especially retro gaming videos, were hosted on this service.

Sina Cloud could not help preserve these videos. It lacked manpower and storage resources, and it also faced huge copyright and legal risks. According to their service terms, data backup was the responsibility of users themselves.

I am not asking people overseas for help, nor am I complaining. I want to ask: after this event, what can regular players without technical knowledge do to help protect retro gaming culture?

These videos are not high-production, but they are collective memories for a generation. There is a general forum in China called Baidu Tieba. A community named Shichuan Meiti Bar on this platform carried out this rescue work. The cover image I attached is their forum announcement. This discussion is about cultural preservation, not about sharing the videos themselves.

I have some questions to discuss: Have you seen similar rescue projects for retro gaming videos? What did you think of them? What were the biggest technical difficulties? How did they handle copyright for the original videos? What kind of audience watched these videos?

Many of these old retro gaming videos were made by early creators from AcFun and Bilibili. Back in that era, neither AcFun nor Bilibili stored video files themselves. Uploaders hosted videos on external services like Sina Cloud, and these sites only provided the danmaku player and comment section. This is similar to early Niconico in Japan. The original Niconico also only offered the danmaku player while video files were stored on outside services.

I hope to hear your stories. I would love some warm perspectives.

An old internet cafe in China from the early 2000s, where many players discovered retro games.

Official shutdown notice for Sina Cloud

Fan-made banner for the community archive project

No story spoilers. This piece only covers disc collecting and nicknames passed among Chinese players.

Recently, a friend was selling off his retro game discs and posted his PS1 Resident Evil 1 + 2 collection for sale on social media. I’m 27 years old. Back in the day, I had no access to the original releases due to limited information. I wanted to see what games were like from that era, so I bought them at a fair price.!

Prices converted from CNY for reference only, exchange rate fluctuates.

A simple unboxing felt incomplete. I wanted to share the nicknames Chinese players made for Resident Evil, plus the warm story behind this purchase.

The prices I paid are for reference only; final value depends on condition. I’m grateful for this transaction. Game plot and gameplay are open for everyone to discuss. Feel free to point out any mistakes.

1. Resident Evil 1, PS1 Japanese standard edition, bought for $12.60, some cosmetic wear

For Chinese players, the original PS1 Resident Evil is a landmark memory. Before this, many only played 2D games on the FC and arcade machines, not 3D titles on the PS1. I never got to play it as a kid, but Chinese players came up with fun nicknames that have circulated for 20 years.

1. Mansion: The official setting is the villa in the Arklay Mountains. Chinese players simply call it the Mansion, and the whole map goes by this name. When old players mention “the Mansion”, everyone knows it refers to the first Resident Evil. ​ 2. Door Loading Simulator: The PS1 had limited hardware power and could not load an entire room at once. Every time you opened a door, the screen cut to black for loading. Players spent most of their time waiting, so they jokingly named it the Door Loading Simulator. ​ 3. Lockpick Master Jill: Jill starts with a lockpick to open many locked rooms. Chris does not have one and must hunt for small keys. Hence players call Jill Lockpick Master.

There are more memes from old pirated translations, like Jill Sandwich, Tyrant known as the Mansion Boss, Hounds and Serpent for zombie dogs and giant snakes. Feel free to guess their original English names.

Many players agree the hardest part of this game is not puzzles or bosses, but basic movement. The camera and controls work very differently from FC and arcade games. People joke you spend two hours struggling just to get five minutes of combat. The game itself is fantastic; new players just struggle to adapt.

2. Resident Evil 2, PS1 Japanese edition, bought for $12.60, decent condition

My first Resident Evil game was the Resident Evil 2 Remake. My friend recommended the Resident Evil 4 Remake and said this one is also great. Back then there were no official PS game discs sold in mainland China. Old players shared games using nicknames known only within the community.

One of the series’ most famous nicknames comes from Resident Evil 4: Village Looter. The joke: kill everything, loot everything, take all treasures, leave nothing behind in the village. This nickname originates from Chinese players. The popular Chinese nickname “Li Sanguang” literally means “three cleans”: kill all enemies, loot all items, and clean out the whole village. Before playing RE2, I searched for this nickname and wondered why the gameplay did not match. My friend said the nickname is extremely famous and confuses many new players.

He told me to look up “Raccoon City Police Department Day Trip”, Big Leather Shoes (Mr.X), Parted Hair (Leon), and Tofu. He shared this poem:

In Raccoon City police station, the Parted Hair cop faces danger. The Big Leather Shoes’ footsteps draw near, while Tofu fights to escape with only a knife.

Note: This is a short Chinese-style rhyming couplet made by Chinese fans. It captures local fan nicknames: “Parted Hair” for Leon, “Big Leather Shoes” for Mr.X, and Tofu, the hidden debug-test character turned playable secret. The original Chinese version has neat rhythm and parallel structure, which cannot be fully replicated in English.

3. Resident Evil 1, PS1 Japanese DualShock Director’s Cut, gifted by my friend, good condition

My friend originally planned to sell the discs together but miscalculated pricing. He first offered RE1 + RE2 standard Japanese copies for $11.20. Later he found he also owned this DualShock Director’s Cut of RE1.

He wanted to sell them separately. I asked for a bundle price for all three discs, or a price without RE2. I already own the RE2 Remake. He said buying two copies of RE1 would be redundant and offered to throw this disc in for free. All three discs would cost just $25.20.

He asked curiously: “You don’t own a PS1, why buy these discs?” I told him I have a PS2 90000, and another friend gave me a PS3 40000, both can run PS1 discs. He reminded me to turn on vibration in system settings.

I researched compatibility afterwards. Information may not be fully accurate, corrections are welcome.

1. PS1 Resident Evil Director’s Cut DualShock Version: PS2 Fat models support vibration natively with perfect performance. Later PS2 Slim models may have vibration failure. All PS3 models run it via software emulation with working vibration. All consoles have region locks. ​ 2. PS1 Resident Evil standard release, non-vibration Director’s Cut and DualShock Director’s Cut discs are iterative upgrades. The base release is the original game. Non-vibration Director’s Cut adds rearranged game mode; the Japanese version included a Resident Evil 2 demo disc. The vibration version adds analog stick and rumble support plus remixed soundtrack. The Japanese release came with an extra disc with Resident Evil 1.5 materials. The US vibration release is a single disc only.

What stuck with me was talking to my friend, a veteran retro game collector. I asked why he sold his collection slowly instead of listing everything at once. He said he picks carefully, and did not want me buying just to help him out. He hoped people spend money on things that truly bring them joy.

I asked how he knew I recently got addicted to retro game discs. He replied, “I know you well. You love buying things that make you happy.” His words stuck with me. Within your budget, buying things you enjoy is fine. Chasing items you do not really need is not worth it.

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. English is not my native language, so please excuse any mistakes.

This isn’t really a high-end collection. It means more to me as a set of keepsakes. I can’t go through every single game, so I’ll pick five titles that left a deep impression on me.

These are my personal purchase prices for used games. Prices vary a lot by region and condition.

1. Need for Speed: Most Wanted PS2

European version. Minor crease on manual. Paid ~34 USD.

This was my very first 3D game. Back then, information was hard to come by where I lived, and the studio had already shut down by the time I played it. It was a lucky accident. My old PC had really weak specs, and this game just happened to run on it. I downloaded it because the cover art looked awesome, and it gave me an unforgettable experience. I got my first PC fifteen years ago. If my computer had been more powerful, I might have never found this game at all. I know buying used game discs doesn’t send money to the original developers anymore. But for me, it’s a meaningful ritual, something I do for the kid who loved games all those years ago.

​ 2. Shin Sangokumusou 3, PS2

Japanese version. Great condition. Paid ~14 USD.

This was my second 3D game ever. There’s a nice little story behind this copy. I told the seller I wanted the version I played as a kid. Worried I’d pick the wrong one, he hopped on a phone call with me even though he wouldn’t make much profit from this sale. He sold me a great condition copy with the registration card, saying it would hold more sentimental value. I also picked up the Xtreme Legends expansion at the same time. ​

3. Demon’s Souls

Japanese PS3 the Best reprint. Fair condition. Paid ~9 USD.

I originally planned to get a PS2. A friend offered me one, but it turned out to be broken. Instead, he gave me his PS3 that came with a Demon’s Souls disc. He hadn’t played it in ages and couldn’t remember if the disc still worked. The console would show the game info but fail to launch it. I bought another disc from the same seller I got Dynasty Warriors from, and that one worked. I think the error came from region mismatch; the PS3 is a Hong Kong region console. I really love this genre. Standard copies are pretty affordable these days, so I picked up a working disc to play through it. ​

4. Nanatsukaze no Shima Monogatari

Japanese version (Sega Saturn). Includes obi and reply postcard. Fair condition. Paid ~41 USD. This is a Japanese exclusive adventure game for the Sega Saturn. I bought this disc from a game streamer I follow. He was clearing out his old collection, and nobody showed interest in this obscure Saturn title. I was drawn to its gorgeous hand-drawn art style; it feels so healing, just like reading a fairy tale book. I also wanted to support him, so I picked it up. It’s really meaningful to me. He even sent a signed card along with the game.

​ Song Shaohong — More Than Just a Gamer

5. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

PS3，includes bonus disc. Minor rust on metal parts. Paid ~16 USD.

This was recommended by the friend who gave me the PS3. He said I would enjoy Hideo Kojima’s games. It is not a very mainstream title among Chinese players, but it has a small group of die-hard fans. Many of us have been waiting a long time for a remake. I bought the Japanese first-print limited edition. It comes in a nice steelbook case at a reasonable price. As for the gameplay: In my opinion, this game is perfect for players who want to explore gaming culture. New players may not love the gameplay itself, but they can still feel how meaningful this title is. I plan to buy the new version during Steam China region sales, to support Hideo Kojima.

Four more game discs will arrive in my hands tomorrow. I bought them from the same streamer who sent me the signed card. They are the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut for PS1, plus 1945 for the Sega Saturn. These are all games I really love. There were some interesting stories when I purchased them. I also plan to talk about how these games influenced Chinese players. Stay tuned!