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Digimon World 1 (PS1)

The first digimon game made for the PS1, predating even the Anime! This game is notoriously cryptic, jank, and just unpolished. However, this game has such massive amounts of charm, and if you are a curious type, this game is perfect. So much of the game is unexplained and left up to the player to discover. While a guide may be invaluable at some parts, if you enjoy wandering around a relatively open world with no pressure, this game's pretty good!

The games mechanics are VERY unlike pokemon. You train one single creature, and it can evolve into a variety of things. Think if every Pokemon evolved like an Eevee. After reaching a certain stat/care requirement, they will evolve. However, your Digimon has a lifespan, so you have to measure, whats more important? Training a POWERFUL creature for a little while, or risk being underpowered, but have more time with your digimon? The main game has the Player exploring the world, recruiting digimon to File City. Plenty of Digimon must be fought to join, but some require sidequests, or a certain Item. Sometimes, simply FINDING them is the requirement! Each digimon you recruits improves File City in some way, opening businesses, fast travel, or even upgrading previous buildings! This game is a diamond in the rough, and I love it so much for what it is. This game is the definition of Junk Food. It's bad, but it's SO GOOD.



My first experience was playing this game as a kid, but I try my best to not let nostalgia cloud my vision, so I had a friend play it, and they completely agree. While the game is a bit too cryptic and jank at times, it just has a great amount of charm, and with someone giving you hints, drip feeding a bit to help progress along, the game is plenty of fun! Though, if you don't mind the weird jankiness and crypticness of old, poorly translated japanese ps1 games, this may be the game for you! Unfortunately, you cannot play this game easily, as both ps1's and discs of this game have been kind of getting rarer and rarer. So you might need to, err, find a good dealer?

If you are interested in this game, below are a few tools that'll help you out in case you get stuck, or need some help!

PheonixStaffel's Digimon Evolution calculator Does what it says on the tin!

Here's a guide on recruiting all Digimon possible on File Island.

Finally, moves are not learned by level like Pokemon, you have to be lucky enough to get them through battling digimon who share the moves with you. Here's the moves guide

Anyways, back to the review...



Digimon World 1 is a game I've spent, many, MANY hours on. Constantly exploring the island, training my Digimon... When I first played, I actually didn't have a PS1 save card, as I was playing on the PS2. So, when I finally got a ps1 save card, I was able to blitz through a good chunk of the starting game. Getting Coelamon, Betamon, Palmon, Kunemon, Agumon, Meramon, Biyomon, Patamon, Unimon, Centarumon, and even Tyranomon! Even today, I can manage to get all of those crucial digimon pretty much Day 1 / Day 2.

Now, considering this predates the Anime, don't expect to see Gomamon at all, or Tentomon very much. However, there's some spots here and there that *may* look familar. The game's asthetic is absolutely gorgeous, and one I hope to replicate in my own style someday. Neon signs on the floor, plugged in trees, Wire roots, Lightbulbs scattered around... The game has such a nice, unique atmosphere, and it gets you immersed quite well!



Being in what's essentially "Gen 0" (as a friend put it!), there's not very many digimon, and this list here shows all 62 obtainable digimon. You don't capture or obtain new digimon via befriending or any way you'd expect from a Monster Capture game. Instead, your digimon is a ticking time bomb. And once it hits 0, your digimon dies of old age. This makes time of the essense. Spend too long training and making a beefcake, and they'll keel over within a few minutes. Under-train however, and this games ruthless enemies will pummel you into oblivion, or prevent you from traveling too far. You'll need to find a good balance.

Evolutions, happiness and lack of disipline will all give you more time with your digimon. Meanwhile, Dying in battle, improper care, depression, and discipline will all lower your lifespan. There are silly ways of making your digimon have much more lifespan, but that'd be outside of this review. Ultimate level digimon can be a huge hurdle, but should you get one, RAVAGE the game APART as quickly as possible! But should you not reach any evolution requirements as a Rookie (Agumon, Gabumon, Palmon, Etc...), and you will become the lowly Numemon, reducing stats by a percentage, and being quite weak...