Proof that yes, you can find great stuff in UK shops!

[Mayhem]

It's break time from the holiday here... Kris and I are basically catching up with 3 days worth of internet in one go. Well what do you expect from us, that we are going to totally disconnect ourselves even on vacation? :P

Right, we happened upon a Game store in Kingston today so that Kris here could lay her mitts on a PAL PSone and countless PAL PS1 games that aren't available in the US. We were going up to pay and happen to spot a blue oldstyle PS1 in the cabinet behind the counter. Funny that, don't remember seeing that colour released in this country.

Anyhow, we ask to see it. It's only a bloody debug PS1! On sale for £20 ($35), and not there the last time I was in that shop no more than a month ago. Someone must have traded it in... someone evidently who had no sodding idea what the item is actually worth.

So aside from the huge bundles of US PS1 games from CEX and PAL PS1 games from Game, there's a rare PS1 unit in the house currently. And it's mine. Not the kitty's! Oh okay... yes maybe I'll let you have it Kris

Even though I paid for it :P

[PapaStu]

Is it an American Debug? Or is it European or Japanese? Sniff Sniff, So jealous... What kind of US games are you pulling out of England, just curious to see what makes it to the other side of the pond.

[Achika]

EVIL TWIN EVIL TWIN EVIL TWIN EVIL TWIN EVIL TWIN

DC DC DC DC DC DC DC DC DC DC

[-hellvin-]

Nice score my friend! I'd also like to hear what pal games ya picked up while you were there!

[Mayhem]

It's a Japanese debug unit, seems to work fine though we can't seem to get a colour picture from it when playing US games

And before you say, my TV can handle anything NTSC or PAL wise, as I run plenty of other import consoles on it without a problem. Get a b&w picture through composite or S-video. Don't have an RGB cable so can't test that, but it is possible that would be the only way to colour. PAL games give colour fine. Slightly confusing here...

As for what Kris picked up, enough to make her credit card scream blue murder :P

[Vroomfunkel]

Nice find!!!

Although I dread to think how much the US PS1 games cost if they were bought from CEX. Pretty much everything I see there is hideously overpriced. With occasional exceptions, but you're not likely to see those. Because I snap them up in a trice (I work round the corner from the Rathbone Place branch ..)

Picked up Panzer Dragoon Saga for £60 on Tuesday. Not bargain basement, but still a pretty decent price. They had a US Shining Force 3 for £40 too. And a Shenmue 2 (DC) for £18. Again, not an absolute steal, but a reasonably decent price. And then there was the rest .. Radiant Silvergun for £120, boxed Mega Jet for £150 & other assorted rip-offs.

Vroomfunkel

[Predatorxs]

When i first got a Jap' Playstation (chipped) it would always act funny with American Ntsc games and only play them in black and white..

Try a new scart / AV lead PS1 or PS2, and only use it in the 1st scart/AV socket on your TV, failing that run it through your VCR's AV and just play it through your video channel on your TV..

Also i'm in the UK and my TV can take a 60mhz ntsc signal..

..XS

[Mayhem]

I checked the serial number on it actually just to make sure. It's a PAL debug unit by the looks of it. Funny thing is, it's running off Japanese power requirements (hence the need for a stepdown so I can use it here) and everything on the back of the console is labelled in Japanese. Most bizarre.

I tried it with both composite and S-video through the individual ports on the back and the AV out, and both came up b&w with US games.

[Predatorxs]

Hey,

Do you have an official PS scart cable?? it has a scart plug on one end, and the other end plugs into the PS..

I'm sure you know what i'm talking about, but here is are a few auctions of the lead i'm talking about!

"Auction" or this "Auction"

You can see the small end that plug's into the PS, i wouldn't bother with the RF leads, one of these leads should do the trick!

..XS

[Mayhem]

Yeah I'll be getting an RGB cable anyhows (for the PS2) and will give it a test with the debug unit whenever and see...