Best way to play the original, non-remake RE1?

[Sarsben]

For a long time, I didn't have much interest in playing the original version of this game, since the remake exists. Now that I've played through every main series RE game except for the original RE1, though, I'm kind of interested in playing it, for curiosity's sake and to see how it differs from the remake.

As far as I know, my options are:

1. Buy the emulated PS1 Director's Cut version on the Playstation Store to play on my PSTV
2. Buy a used copy of the Deadly Silence version to play on my 3DS
3. "Acquire" one of the PS1 versions to play emulated on PC
4. "Acquire" the original PC version and hope I can get it running

If anyone is familiar with the different versions, which would be the way to go? Which is the most complete/enjoyable/playable? I know the DS version has some extra features and content, but I'm not sure if it's missing anything, or how well it plays. The Director's Cut seems to be the version that's most widely available, but I don't know if it's the best.

Any suggestions? I definitely want to hear that amazing original voice acting and see the infamous FMVs.

[SinCanDory]

If you can play on playstation, that would be the best I think. I don't know if the PC version of the original game supports controller. Which in my opinion helps a lot (the controller).

[James.Havoc]

Originally posted by Sinaxramax:

If you can play on playstation, that would be the best I think. I don't know if the PC version of the original game supports controller. Which in my opinion helps a lot (the controller).

It does support controllers. You can even use the analog sticks. However, getting the game to work properly on a modern system can become tricky. Usually it only works with in the low detail "System/Video-Memory"- mode, where the textures of the models are very low res, transparency effects are deactivated etc.
And it runs way too fast during cutscenes.

Plus side for the PC Version:
- Its usually uncut
- contains two bonus weapons (which can be considered the most powerfull weapons in the game)
- you can skip the door scenes,
- if it works with one of the 3D accelerator- modes, its the best looking versions of the game
- it has the orginal soundtrack, not this piece of garbage that comes with PS-Network variant and was based on the RE: Directors Cut Dual Shock Version.

Edit...
Well, getting RE1 on PC to run is not the only issue. GETTING the game can also be a challenge...atleast on the legal ways. ^^'

[Dracul]

I would avoid PS Classic at all costs, if you really want to throw your wallet at something invest in a PS1/PSX (the later is probably cheaper) , a memory card, and a physical copy of the original Resident Evil (Avoid dual shock , its a cancer edition. Director's Cut only if you have to.) just avoid that crazy fukboi on ebay trying to sell a copy for four grand.

[Sarsben]

I have a Playstation TV (basically a non-portable Vita that you connect to a TV), which I bought cheap mainly for Persona 4 Golden and a few of the PS1 games you can buy digitally to play on it, so if I play the PS1 version it'll be on there or emulated on PC. The version you can buy digitally on Playstation Store is $10 USD, and probably goes on sale sometimes, so I don't mind paying that.

A year or two ago I played RE3 for the first time, and it was the old PC version which I had found hosted on some abandonware site. I was amazed when it ran for me without incident, and recognized my 360 controller too, but it was probably modified to support those things. I know the original PC version of RE1 is older and might have additional compatibility issues.

So is the Director's Cut version for PS1 compromised in some way? I think I've heard to stay away from (I believe) the Dual Shock version before, but I'm not sure why.

Thanks for the replies.

[jere88_31]

Only thing that comes to mind is that Director's Cut has different soundtrack. Original had more scarier music playing but DC version is just ridicilous. There might be some good examples on Youtube if you want to check it out.

[James.Havoc]

The regular directors cut is good choice thanks to its additional difficulty level.
But the later released dual shock version replaced the original OST from the game with a new Soundtrack which is infamous for its "quality"...
To give you an idea, this is the soundtrack from the Original game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sITJuWV3HXg

and this is what they made of it for the dual shock version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcF7E69C6Q

[Sarsben]

That... kind of sounds like some MIDI circus music from an old Lucasarts adventure game. Which is pretty funny on its own, but I imagine that's not what they were going for.

I checked, and it sounds like the downloadable PSN version is called "Resident Evil Director's Cut" but is actually the Dual Shock version, at least in North America. I'll probably start by looking into emulation options and the old PC version, and go from there.

[Dracul]

Originally posted by holychair:

Originally posted by Dracul:

I would avoid PS Classic at all costs, if you really want to throw your wallet at something invest in a PS1/PSX (the later is probably cheaper) , a memory card, and a physical copy of the original Resident Evil (Avoid dual shock , its a cancer edition. Director's Cut only if you have to.) just avoid that crazy fukboi on ebay trying to sell a copy for four grand.

Why should we avoid PS Classic "at all costs"? Since I (idiotically) gave away my old PS One and all the games when we last moved, I'm actually toying with the idea of getting it - I just don't really like the "so-so" selection of games that comes with it.

Well what you get for $129.99 (USD?) is 20 'preloaded' games of which only like, six are worth playing - taste depending, for me stuff like R4 is not, some iconic classics are region locked (Parasite Eve and Armored Core are japanese only, teh ♥♥♥?!), it dosnt connect to playstation network and they wont be adding more games after launch - IE no downloadable content later. All together, a huge cash sink for only a handful of nostalgia games, and in the case of the resident evil you get one of the sub par versions - RE:DC was only fun to play through once you had GROUND the piss out of the original, and the demo fro RE2.

[Dracul]

Originally posted by holychair:

^Oh, there will be only those 20 games and then that's it? I thought this would only be what's already preinstalled and we could then rebuy further games. Well, if those 20 games is all we can get, then it's a no-buy of course.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Classic for all your fact finding needs, also is $99 usd, $129 is canadian lol.

[Dracul]

Originally posted by holychair:

Originally posted by Dracul:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Classic for all your fact finding needs, also is $99 usd, $129 is canadian lol.

Thanks for the link - and yes, I was wondering about the high-price tag you mentioned, $99 is what I thought I had heard.

Edit: Ok, being limited to this mediocre selection is a deal breaker, really.

No problem, and yeah its unfortunate but I do sort of understand the reasoning behind at least the initial selection - getting rights to all the popular games in all regions is probably a legal nightmare, however not having access to more games later killed it for me outright.

[Sarsben]

I would guess that the recent Crash Bandicoot and Spyro trilogy remasters have something to do with those games being excluded from the PS Classic. As for other obvious choices like Tomb Raider... who knows?

I do wish it had more and better games, though. I have FFVII on Steam, there are other options for playing Resident Evil, and I still have my PS1 Metal Gear Solid discs (though I don't have a console to play them on), and I'm not interested in most of the others. I might buy a used PS1 someday so I can replay the few old games I still own for it, and maybe pick up some others if they're affordable.

Really, I just wish Sony were more interested in making old games available, whether it's on a platform like PS Classic or emulated versions on PS4 or whatever. And I'm not sure why Capcom hasn't made Resident Evils 1-3 available digitally on PC. If they don't want to put in the work to update them for modern systems, I'm sure GOG would be willing to do it.

[chrisrussell99]

The best version is too obtain the Japanese PC version and get Gemini's Classic Rebirth patch too let it run on modern PCs without any issues.

Though getting it is troublesome, at least legally, but if you don't mind that its just a google search away.

[jlfrye63]

i need to figure way out how to find away to patch the download digital resident evil director's cut dualshock with the ultimate/extreme director's cut dualshock version of resident evil that has the original soundtrack instead of dualshock soundtrack one. and also uncensored which it is uncut these cutscenes. which it was heavily censored in the first place.

[NeutronVortex]

Originally posted by jlfrye63:

i need to figure way out how to find away to patch the download digital resident evil director's cut dualshock with the ultimate/extreme director's cut dualshock version of resident evil that has the original soundtrack instead of dualshock soundtrack one. and also uncensored which it is uncut these cutscenes. which it was heavily censored in the first place.

Are you talking about the old RE Ultimate Director's Cut Dual Shock patch?

You can find it on the second post, page 2 of this thread:
(links on first page don't work)
<snip>
Sorry, but for whatever reason, whenever I link the topic directly it says the topic doesn't exist, weirdly.
So, go here:
http://re123.bplaced.net/board/index.php

Look under the Modifications section and go to the Resident Evil board. Go the 2nd page of posts and look for one called [PS1] Resident Evil Ultimate Director's Cut Dual Shock. I think that's probably what you're looking for.

The links on the first page of this thread are dead, but go the second page and you'll find a working link from a user.

There are other mods for the PSX DC Dual Shock version that swap the music also. One even replaces all the og PSX videos with ones from the RE1 Remake version. You can find that one on moddb, iirc.