I had the EXACT same problem with Metal Gear Solid Integral
I posted this in the help and support section here
psxemulator.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=support&action=display&thread=3007I got the exact same screen.
The game boots, it's just when I try to start a new game it gives me the error. Even when I set the emulator to have player one as a dualshock controller. Do you mean I actually have to have a physical joypad plugged in? I will try this and get back to you but I am doubtful, is there any other possibilities? What does the error message say?
UPDATE:
I tried it with a joypad and it still didn't work, I've tried it with the american 1001 bios and various other japanese bios, the game loads fine and navigates menus perfectly well even with a gamepad, but as soon as I try to start a new game I get that same error screen.
The game will boot up a new game just fine in the emulator ePSXe.
I would like to do some control tests on actual hardware but reluctantly I do not have a real japanese playstation.
any further help would be greatly appreciated so I can enjoy this classic on pSX. A good stard would be to translate that error screen into english.
UPDATE 2:
I have been trying multiple US, JAP, and PAL bioses, both old and new, and all with the same result. The game always boots and I can change settings and watch cutscenes and features etc, but after I select any difficulty level for a new game and it goes to boot, the game gives that error screen.
I am using the PSOne book (aka greatest hits, players choice, platinum edition etc) OFFICIAL disk, I even took the wrapper off and the disks are legit.
so why am I getting what you guys say is a copy protection screen?
does the game know the emulator is not a real playstation? does it have some kind of test that does that?
UPDATE 3:
a guy over at the zsnes message board claimed having the same problem with the japanese version of Legend of Mana, he claimed that the game worked just fine on the real hardware.
I think you guys should check out your japanese security identification because their seems to be a problem with it.
I found a work around for myself by playing past the intro in ePSXe, saving the memory card and then converting the memory card file to pSX and this is working for me but it should still be addressed in the emu.