How A Demo Disc Defined The Original PlayStation

TheGamer Writes "If you were a PlayStation early adopter, chances are your console came bundled with a copy of Demo One. This unassuming CD-ROM didn't look like much from the outside—especially the PAL version. It was blank, black, and covered in copyright text. But then you slipped that thing into your freshly unboxed PS1, clunked the plastic lid shut, and as the disc whirred softly in the tray the future was beamed from your crappy little portable CRT directly into your brain. I'm exaggerating, of course. It was just a bunch of demos."

[darthv72]

Loved demo discs. And there were so many from different publications. they were the perfect little bite size sample of some of the best the PS1 (and PS2) had to offer.

[gurp]

I agree, demo discs were awesome, I played a lot of them on PS1, PlayStation Underground was the s***

[darthv72]

^^^ I still have the carry bag from PS Underground.

[Eidolon]

Played the crap out of the demo disc. It's where I discovered Spyro, Medieval, Crash, Tekken, Tony Hawks, Tenchu(I think), Tomba!, damn I know there's a few others.

[Name Last Name]

I bought my PS1 with no games just a demo disc. One of them was MGS1 and I played it for months until I was able to buy the full game. Good Times!

[generic-user-name]

I waited many months to find out what happened after you met the DARPA Chief.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I actually found some of my PS1 demo discs cleaning out the living room the other day, brought back some memories.

[RedDevils]

PS Magazine was real treat back then.

[Duke19]

Oh man, buying videogame magazines that had demo disks bundled in them.... so good

[Elda]

I used to have a slew of those,I threw most out years ago. I may have a couple somewhere in my junk draw.

[Eidolon]

Same, and as a kid it seemed worthless to me once I was done with them. but as an adult I think why the hell would I get rid of these relics of a the great eras in video games, they take only a fraction of space some other junk I keep do.

[Elda]

I concur...lol.

[Knightofelemia]

I miss those days I still have the demo disc for FF8 I also miss when Dreamcast was offering demo discs.

[Dirty_Lemons]

Man those old demo disks introduced me to Tombi, Oddworld, Ninja: Shadow of Darkness, G-Darius (which took me 15 years to eventually re-discover its name) and best of all, Psychon. Games are definitely improved now but not everything is better.

Net Yaroze... I wonder what happened to it.

[PrimeVinister]

I had the first Net Yaroze showcase demo. There were a few classics on there.

[Plagasx]

Tombi.... ;_; Good times man........

[Dirty_Lemons]

I know right! That and Tombi 2 were 👌 I remember my dad getting it for my brother and I but we weren't allowed it until after we had completed our homework 😑

[lonewolf10]

The Stingray and if memory serves T-Rex graphics demo's were cool. Was a nice bonus to have some demo's to try with the new console back then.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I forgot those even existed, fun to play with, but not much else.

[Deathdeliverer]

I had so many disc lol! It was insane when the pawn shops didn’t know they weren’t games per se. I played the metal gear solid demo soooo many times. The parrappa demo got a ton of play too. So many games I bought… well had my parents get thanks to the DD.

[badboyz09]

Going in the Magazine and Cereal Box supermarket isle stealing😢😢
MEMORIES!!!!

[Deathdeliverer]

Anyone that says they never stole a demo disc out a magazine is a lie!! Or never had access…

[z2g]

I remember it well. The ps1 discs were cool cuz they were black on the underside. And if you held them up to a light you could see that they were actually a super dark red.

[Silly gameAr]

When I first got my PS1, the only game I had to play was the demo disc that came with it. Tekken, KOF, Parrapa The Rapper, Jet Motto, Cool Borders, ect. I think I spent as much time on demo disc as I have whole games. I lived that OPM and PS Underground life.

[adamwparker]

That disc with Tony Hawk Pro Skater Warehouse level. ....so many hours.....

[Fearmonkey]

i still have quite a collection of demo discs, ahh the good ol days.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Still got a huge stack of them. So many memories.

Syphon Filter and Tenchu demos sealed the deal.

[chicken_in_the_corn]

I discovered so many great games through these

[Gamesual1]

Demos discs always created a special feeling of excitement and were a huge reason to get a gaming magazine back then. Physical media will always be special and unique compared to digital.

[GhostTurtle]

Playstation Underground!!!!!!!