No story spoilers. This piece only covers disc collecting and nicknames passed among Chinese players.

Recently, a friend was selling off his retro game discs and posted his PS1 Resident Evil 1 + 2 collection for sale on social media. I’m 27 years old. Back in the day, I had no access to the original releases due to limited information. I wanted to see what games were like from that era, so I bought them at a fair price.!

Prices converted from CNY for reference only, exchange rate fluctuates.

A simple unboxing felt incomplete. I wanted to share the nicknames Chinese players made for Resident Evil, plus the warm story behind this purchase.

The prices I paid are for reference only; final value depends on condition. I’m grateful for this transaction. Game plot and gameplay are open for everyone to discuss. Feel free to point out any mistakes.

1. Resident Evil 1, PS1 Japanese standard edition, bought for $12.60, some cosmetic wear

For Chinese players, the original PS1 Resident Evil is a landmark memory. Before this, many only played 2D games on the FC and arcade machines, not 3D titles on the PS1. I never got to play it as a kid, but Chinese players came up with fun nicknames that have circulated for 20 years.

1. Mansion: The official setting is the villa in the Arklay Mountains. Chinese players simply call it the Mansion, and the whole map goes by this name. When old players mention “the Mansion”, everyone knows it refers to the first Resident Evil. ​ 2. Door Loading Simulator: The PS1 had limited hardware power and could not load an entire room at once. Every time you opened a door, the screen cut to black for loading. Players spent most of their time waiting, so they jokingly named it the Door Loading Simulator. ​ 3. Lockpick Master Jill: Jill starts with a lockpick to open many locked rooms. Chris does not have one and must hunt for small keys. Hence players call Jill Lockpick Master.

There are more memes from old pirated translations, like Jill Sandwich, Tyrant known as the Mansion Boss, Hounds and Serpent for zombie dogs and giant snakes. Feel free to guess their original English names.

Many players agree the hardest part of this game is not puzzles or bosses, but basic movement. The camera and controls work very differently from FC and arcade games. People joke you spend two hours struggling just to get five minutes of combat. The game itself is fantastic; new players just struggle to adapt.

2. Resident Evil 2, PS1 Japanese edition, bought for $12.60, decent condition

My first Resident Evil game was the Resident Evil 2 Remake. My friend recommended the Resident Evil 4 Remake and said this one is also great. Back then there were no official PS game discs sold in mainland China. Old players shared games using nicknames known only within the community.

One of the series’ most famous nicknames comes from Resident Evil 4: Village Looter. The joke: kill everything, loot everything, take all treasures, leave nothing behind in the village. This nickname originates from Chinese players. The popular Chinese nickname “Li Sanguang” literally means “three cleans”: kill all enemies, loot all items, and clean out the whole village. Before playing RE2, I searched for this nickname and wondered why the gameplay did not match. My friend said the nickname is extremely famous and confuses many new players.

He told me to look up “Raccoon City Police Department Day Trip”, Big Leather Shoes (Mr.X), Parted Hair (Leon), and Tofu. He shared this poem:

In Raccoon City police station, the Parted Hair cop faces danger. The Big Leather Shoes’ footsteps draw near, while Tofu fights to escape with only a knife.

Note: This is a short Chinese-style rhyming couplet made by Chinese fans. It captures local fan nicknames: “Parted Hair” for Leon, “Big Leather Shoes” for Mr.X, and Tofu, the hidden debug-test character turned playable secret. The original Chinese version has neat rhythm and parallel structure, which cannot be fully replicated in English.

3. Resident Evil 1, PS1 Japanese DualShock Director’s Cut, gifted by my friend, good condition

My friend originally planned to sell the discs together but miscalculated pricing. He first offered RE1 + RE2 standard Japanese copies for $11.20. Later he found he also owned this DualShock Director’s Cut of RE1.

He wanted to sell them separately. I asked for a bundle price for all three discs, or a price without RE2. I already own the RE2 Remake. He said buying two copies of RE1 would be redundant and offered to throw this disc in for free. All three discs would cost just $25.20.

He asked curiously: “You don’t own a PS1, why buy these discs?” I told him I have a PS2 90000, and another friend gave me a PS3 40000, both can run PS1 discs. He reminded me to turn on vibration in system settings.

I researched compatibility afterwards. Information may not be fully accurate, corrections are welcome.

1. PS1 Resident Evil Director’s Cut DualShock Version: PS2 Fat models support vibration natively with perfect performance. Later PS2 Slim models may have vibration failure. All PS3 models run it via software emulation with working vibration. All consoles have region locks. ​ 2. PS1 Resident Evil standard release, non-vibration Director’s Cut and DualShock Director’s Cut discs are iterative upgrades. The base release is the original game. Non-vibration Director’s Cut adds rearranged game mode; the Japanese version included a Resident Evil 2 demo disc. The vibration version adds analog stick and rumble support plus remixed soundtrack. The Japanese release came with an extra disc with Resident Evil 1.5 materials. The US vibration release is a single disc only.

What stuck with me was talking to my friend, a veteran retro game collector. I asked why he sold his collection slowly instead of listing everything at once. He said he picks carefully, and did not want me buying just to help him out. He hoped people spend money on things that truly bring them joy.

I asked how he knew I recently got addicted to retro game discs. He replied, “I know you well. You love buying things that make you happy.” His words stuck with me. Within your budget, buying things you enjoy is fine. Chasing items you do not really need is not worth it.