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Hagen de Merak

1051th Post

Red Carpet Premium Member

"Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 17:18

I was wondering what the best way to play them was. Should I fork down $200+ on a Japanese PS2, or buy an cheap American ps2 slim for $99 and mod it? I would assume buying a Japanese Ps2 would be cheaper in the long run, but I heard supposedly the mod chip has a longer life span on the ps2 slim than on the old "fat" version. Any thoughts, or suggestions? Anything would help, thanks.

Replies:

Pollyanna

2864th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 17:28

quote:
I was wondering what the best way to play them was. Should I fork down $200+ on a Japanese PS2, or buy an cheap American ps2 slim for $99 and mod it? I would assume buying a Japanese Ps2 would be cheaper in the long run, but I heard supposedly the mod chip has a longer life span on the ps2 slim than on the old "fat" version. Any thoughts, or suggestions? Anything would help, thanks.

The cheapest, easiest way is with a flip top lid and Swap Magic. The installation takes like...15 minutes, doesn't put your system in danger and is easy enough for a donkey to do. The downside is that you have to run a boot disk every time you start up a game. I don't really consider it much trouble, really.

That's the option I went with after my old system died.

Out of curiosity, what game(s) were you interested in?

青春謳歌　弱肉強食

Toxico

4863th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 17:39:

quote:
I would assume buying a Japanese Ps2 would be cheaper in the long run, but I heard supposedly the mod chip has a longer life span on the ps2 slim than on the old "fat" version.

No. Slim + chip = early grave. I have never seen a modded slim ps2 that has survived with no problems for more than a year. 1 was really close to make it on more than one year, but a baby dropped juice on it and it died, it was fate.

My fatty was modded in 02', and up to this day I didn't have any problems that wouldn't be solved by cleaning the lens. And I have seen several other "late age" fatties taking in modding with no problem at all. The only fatties that don't take well chips are the one that where produced near to the console release date (those types that devoured discs, got stuck with dvd videos, turned into fire due to electricity problems, erased memory cards any many other sponsored sony exclusive interactive activities).

Modding is also good to install a hard drive in the console, which in turn is also good if the lens dies from abuse and over use.

BTW, I have seen hundreds of modded consoles in action before creating my opinion on the matter.

... But, considering the problems of checking if the chip is good for you, getting the chip, installing it, and later getting a net card and the hdd (that's how they are installed), you are better of using the magic of swapping.

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[this message was edited by Toxico on Tue 23 Feb 17:51]

Hagen de Merak

1052th Post

Red Carpet Premium Member

"Re(2):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 17:54

quote:

The cheapest, easiest way is with a flip top lid and Swap Magic. The installation takes like...15 minutes, doesn't put your system in danger and is easy enough for a donkey to do. The downside is that you have to run a boot disk every time you start up a game. I don't really consider it much trouble, really.

That's the option I went with after my old system died.

... But, considering the problems of checking if the chip is good for you, getting the chip, installing it, and later getting a net card and the hdd (that's how they are installed), you are better of using the magic of swapping.

Ok sounds good. How much does installing the flip top lid cost? Magic Swap should be cheap from what I've seen. Oh and Toxico, thanks for the heads up on the short life span of a modded ps2 slim, I'm going to kill a certain someone......

quote:

Out of curiosity, what game(s) were you interested in?

Right now just Hokuto no Ken, Thunder Force 6, and the Galaxy Force collection. But I'm sure I'll end up buying more once I'm able to play imports.

Pollyanna

2865th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(3):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 19:32

quote:

Ok sounds good. How much does installing the flip top lid cost? Magic Swap should be cheap from what I've seen. Oh and Toxico, thanks for the heads up on the short life span of a modded ps2 slim, I'm going to kill a certain someone......

You can probably get the lid and the boot disc for like...$40? No soldering is required, so as long as you can operate a screwdriver, you can install it yourself, no problem. All it does is replace the lid.

青春謳歌　弱肉強食

Ishmael

3695th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(2):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Tue 23 Feb 23:35

quote:
The cheapest, easiest way is with a flip top lid and Swap Magic. The installation takes like...15 minutes, doesn't put your system in danger and is easy enough for a donkey to do.

I wish I had contracted the job out to a donkey instead of attempting to mod a PS2 slim myself. When I popped open my PS2 a big chunk of something went flying out that I never did manage to reinstall. While my PS2 hasn't joined Toxico's list of fallen consoles it did feel like I was doing field surgery instead of what was billed as a simple adjustment. Then again, all my problems could be explained away by my lack of aptitude for electronics.

Maou

1925th Post

Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"Re(2):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Wed 24 Feb 11:29

quote:
(those types that devoured discs, got stuck with dvd videos, turned into fire due to electricity problems, erased memory cards any many other sponsored sony exclusive interactive activities).

Heheheh. They were giving us hilarious console-related catastrophe options way before 360 made it cool.

人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．

Pollyanna

2866th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(3):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Fri 26 Feb 20:13

quote:

I wish I had contracted the job out to a donkey instead of attempting to mod a PS2 slim myself. When I popped open my PS2 a big chunk of something went flying out that I never did manage to reinstall. While my PS2 hasn't joined Toxico's list of fallen consoles it did feel like I was doing field surgery instead of what was billed as a simple adjustment. Then again, all my problems could be explained away by my lack of aptitude for electronics.

Augh...I'm sorry I said that. That's one of my pet peeves. It happens to me a lot.

Friend: "Only a complete idiot would do *whatever*!

Me:"I...I do *whatever*."

Friend:"Oh, I wasn't talking about YOU."

I'm sure you didn't cry yourself to sleep because someone on the internet implied that you might be lower than a donkey when it comes to flip-top lid installation, but I'm sorry all the same. I'm less tactful than a donkey, evidently.

青春謳歌　弱肉強食

Ishmael

3700th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(4):Playing PS2 import games." , posted Sat 27 Feb 05:48

quote:
Augh...I'm sorry I said that. That's one of my pet peeves. It happens to me a lot.

Friend: "Only a complete idiot would do *whatever*!

Me:"I...I do *whatever*."

Friend:"Oh, I wasn't talking about YOU."

I'm sure you didn't cry yourself to sleep because someone on the internet implied that you might be lower than a donkey when it comes to flip-top lid installation, but I'm sorry all the same. I'm less tactful than a donkey, evidently.

You're fine, I was just using your post as an excuse to ramble on like an old man about my modding misadventures. Since there's a small number of people who would even know what I was talking about with my tale of woe I leapt at even the slightest opportunity to tell that anecdote.