u/PocketStationMonk

Hey guys. Does anybody know if it's possible to rebind this menu/open button so that it would automatically load back to the PSX boot.bin when pressed? I use the PS1 bios menu often to organize my save files and it would make the "PSX experience" more authentic if this button would return me back to the bios menu when pressed.

Since this button has two functions, one for short press and one for long press, I think it would open up lots of cool options for customization if the user was able to change the function behind each type of action.

A few months ago I found a nice Yu‑Gi‑Oh edition PocketStation™ at a local internet marketplace.

The seller said he had bought it from Japan long ago and hadn’t used it himself. All the saves were in Japanese, so I guessed it belonged to a Japanese gamer, probably dating back to the early 2000s. It had the original Yu-Gi-Oh special edition lanyard intact, which I was after, so my guess is that this gamer was also a Yu-Gi-Oh fan.

When I first tried to read the card, my console didn’t recognize it. The BIOS save menu was empty. Luckily, this was a PocketStation™. Small digital numbers on the screen revealed that there were indeed save files inside. Eleven, to be precise. Hopefully not corrupted...?

I tried the simplest fix first. I used an electronic cleaning solution, scrubbed the pins, and tried again... Voilà. Now the console’s save manager reads the files correctly!

The card’s saves showed that the player was a big Final Fantasy fan: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX; Parasite Eve; Metal Gear Solid; and, curiously, Crash Bandicoot. But no signs of Yu-Gi-Oh? Maybe this wasn't the card's first owner after all? The Final Fantasy titles clocked for roughly 40 hours of playtime, though FF VIII was played for only about 3 hours. Parasite Eve had three separate saves with playtimes ranging from about 40 minutes to 5 hours. Metal Gear Solid was only 12 minutes, and Crash Bandicoot had just the first level completed, although the player did manage to obtain the first diamond — hence the 2 % rating.

Examining the save files filled me with nostalgia for a stranger I didn’t even know. I was surprised by this. I imagined who the previous owner might have been, what their life was like, and when they last booted up their PlayStation to play these games. Based on the hours spent on the RPGs, it was clear they were deeply invested in gaming. RPGs were their main priority, while platformers and action titles... not so much. More like side curiosities.

Seeing the Crash Bandicoot save stuck at 2 % saddened me. Perhaps the game was too difficult or just not interesting enough; it was clear they had no intention of finishing it. I felt the urge to do something, for them. This particular save file has waited almost three decades for somebody to finish it. Crash Bandicoot 1 being one of my all time personal favourite games, this was an easy choice.

So here we are. Fast forwarded 26 years. Some random guy from Finland gets a hold of this old relic from Japan and thinks, “I want to honor this player’s memory — literally — and finish what they started.”

I live and breathe Crash Bandicoot 1. It's my second nature. Well not quite, but almost. It took a couple of evenings to complete the game 100 %. All levels, gems, and keys were obtained. For me, it was a Tuesday. But for this unfinished save file, it was everyhing.

So here we are. This was for you, random stranger on the other side of the planet. Your Crash Bandicoot 1 save file from the late 90s is now completed.

I recorded a few clips to show you that your old save file has indeed earned the Tawna secret ending, and that she and Crash are now finally flying happily — 26 years later.

I don’t know who you are, but I hope you’re doing well, that life has treated you kindly, and that you may have created some new players in this world. Anyway, take care! Cheers!

PS: The remaining save files are also tempting. Maybe I'll have to finish MGS next time!