Can be a blast, but you must have the right hardware and software.

Reviewed by cimics, 2007-03-09

This can be a cool way to play playstation games on your PC, but there are four major caveats to consider, and hence, why this title only gets 3 stars out of 5 overall. First, you need a fast enough computer. Some of the other reviews have complained about this, but nowadays, one could easily have an old computer with specs that are high enough. I ran bleem comfortably on a computer with a 1 Ghz processor and 256 MB of RAM.

Second, you need the right software. Bleem will only run on Windows 95 or 98 (with directx 6.1 or greater installed). I used Windows 98 Second Edition, which is probably the ideal OS for this. Bleem will not run on any OS that uses the Windows NT kernel. That means you cannot run Bleem on Windows NT, 2000, XP, or Vista. NT-based systems will not even recognize it as a valid windows application, which means you cannot even try to run it. There may be a workaround with virtualization, however: running Windows 98 as a virtual machine within, say, Windows XP. Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 will work in XP Home (although MS will only support it for XP Tablet, Pro, or Vista), but thus far I have not been able to get the retail version of Bleem to work in a virtual Windows 98 environment. The demo version works, however, and it can be found on the internet for free: its drawbacks being no sound and no hardware acceleration, which are both present in the retail version. At any rate, even if you get Bleem retail to run, my understanding is there is really no directx support in virtualization, so no hardware acceleration, but the future might bring improvements in this area.

Also, scour the net and get the updated version of Bleem: version 1.5b (there is also a 1.6a and 1.6b that are beta). This works better than the version that is on the CD, but you'll still have to keep your CD handy because it supplies the key necessary to start any retail version of the program.

That brings us to the third caveat. Not all playstation games will work. But a great many of them do. And some have better graphics (with hardware acceleration enabled) than they do on an original playstation (not sure how this stacks up with a PS2 or PS3). Tekken 3 was great with the upped graphics. If you have particular games in mind to play, however, you would do well to check around at the compatibility list to see whether the game will play, play with flaws, or won't play at all.

The final caveat is that the company is defunct, so there will be no updates beyond 1.5b (and 1.6 beta).

Works on super Windows XP SP2

Reviewed by Tails Power 2001, 2007-03-07

The makers are sill offering updated versions online that sill need the Bleem CD-ROM to work and these updates incude Windows XP SP2 suport.

Does not work with Windows XP

Reviewed by Chris Redford, 2004-04-30

I really wish I would have known this before I bought it. This program has ZERO complatibility with Windows XP. In other words: it's useless. The company has gone out of business, so there will be no updates. Trust me, I've found about 30 cases on the net of people with the same problem.

Do not buy this unless for some reason you have a computer with awesome hardware that isn't running Windows XP (why would you have such a machine?).

If you have the awesome computer running old windows OR you are like 99% of the other gamers like myself who have good hardware AND Windows XP, download EPSXE (...). You will have to find a PS bios. The configuration wizard will give you instructions on how to find it. I know this setup is tedious, but there is no other way to play playstation games on an XP machine.

Please......just buy a PS2 for goodness shakes

Reviewed by Leo Williams, 2004-04-20

I have a PCI video card so the graphics that I get from Bleem is not as good as I'd expected. So if you have an older computer like I do, you're not going to get fantastic graphics.

A second problem with the Bleem is that is often stalls when you try to open it from the Start menu.

A third problem it that it is not compatible with every PS1 game.

My advice is to get a PS2 system. You'll get superb graphics and you can play all of the old PS1 games on it.

Or buy a monitor adaptor for the Sega Dreamcast. There is a very cheap external adaptor plug that converts the video signal of a Dreamcast into a signal that is directed to a computer monitor. This way, you can play 124 bit games while you are at the office. Games like Berserk and Soul Calibur look great on a monitor!!!!

Why waste your money?

Reviewed by Anonymous, 2004-01-27

Why spend any money at all on this thing when you can download a Playstation Emulator and have EVERY GAME work perfectly! The emulators even have a gameshark!!!!!!

I would think twice before buying this........