PS2 Mod Chips.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I seem to make a lot of these sorts of posts. That's just because I love you guys.

 

...

 

Anyway. I plan to buy a used ps2 very soon, along with a dvd burner (the latter has its own complications already mentioned in the Computer section). Naturally, given that I'm strapped for cash, I'm hoping to download games, burn 'em, and play on ps2. I mention this idly to friend, who said I would need a mod chip. Lo and behold, surprises of surprises, I've no idea how to go about installing one. Friend who told me is no help as, quote, she bought hers from "Malaysia, piracy capital".

 

So, what's a good mod chip for a n00b who's never opened up a ps2 or tinkered around there, and one that is hopefully not *too* pricey?

[Guest Princess Leena]

Buy a fat PS2 (the older model). You can soft mod it, which is rather simple to do. I've recently done so. Plus, you can install a hard drive to play all your games off of, which you'd be very thankful for down the road with Sony's shoddy parts.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I'll buy whatever the pawn shop has, but given that it's gonna be only $90 (well, 89.50) with cables and a controller, I'm certain it'll be an older model.

 

Soft mod? Is that with GameShark trick? Yeah hard drive sounds cool, so long as they're not too expensive. Basically, I'm trying to fit everything under a $200-$250 range (couple with the need to get a dvd burner drive and an external HD, both for laptop).

[Guest Princess Leena]

There's newer and better ways to soft mod. Search around. I can't explain it. All I needed was a Action Replay and a cheapy flash drive to get to the PS2 to read burned discs.

 

A used fat model goes for $100 at EB/GS. newegg has 80-160GB HDs for like $50-60. Don't get Western Digitals though, they don't fit.

[tigeraid 0]

You can also use a swap disc and lid, which is fairly straightforward and saves the hassle of opening up the box. It also exists for either the old or new PS2. Bout $30 USD.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

You can also use a swap disc and lid, which is fairly straightforward and saves the hassle of opening up the box. It also exists for either the old or new PS2. Bout $30 USD.

I'm glad you commented. I've decided to go the Swap Magic/Flip-Lid route - no soldering, just a replacement cover and, well, switching discs. I doubt such a thing is sold in the local Wal-Mart (I've checked the site), so I'm supposing I'll get it at an online venue.

 

Next to eBay I've never purchased from an online site. Where can you recommend for such a purchase?

[AndrewTS 0]

http://www.ps2fliptop.net/main.htm

http://www.modchip.com

[tigeraid 0]

Right there

 

I honestly forget where I bought it, but I think it was modchip.com.

 

You have to take the PS2 apart to install it, but it's very straightforward and you can't really break anything if you do it carefully.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Found a few good deals at the site -- thanks muchly for the links.

 

Now here's another newb question. I've noticed on GameFaqs.com that they've uploaded save games. (Which may or may not be here today, but moving on...). Easy enough to download those, but how do we get them onto the ps2 mem card? I was thinking we put the downloaded save file onto a USB drive, plug that drive into the ps2, and then transfer to the mem. card... but I'm probably wrong. ^^;

[Cartman 0]

I use the Action Replay Evo to get files from PC to mem card via USB flash drive.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Once you mod, you can FTP save files to the PS2 HD.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Thanks for all the help guys -- I really do appreciate it

 

I haven't been down to the pawn shop yet to buy the PS2. Thusly I've been on eBay, hoping to find a good system. Sure I find some good prices...that is until the auction closes and the prices SPIKE WAY UP. >.<;; It's rare to find an auction for a ps2 that accepts money orders. Not to mention the pricey shipping... Yes, it's warranted, but if the auction ends at $115, and the shipping is $30, why not go out and buy a new one? Goodness. Stupid people.

 

I felt the need to rant. -deep breath-

 

I might just blow the extra $40 and get a new one. Any problems with the new Slim version? I figure that's all the stores would carry now-a-days. The system worries me. It's so...tiny; looks like a feather bumps it and it's fucked... Yeah, I won't be able to do the HDD back-up trick, but ya win some ya lose some, I guess.

[AndrewTS 0]

On the slim:

 

-Built-in network adapter.

 

-Top-loading design makes it easier to modify for playing imports (and perhaps pirates, you scum).

 

-No fan, but it runs quieter and cooler. However, I notice PS1 games seem to make it noisier after about a half hour or play.

 

-It appears PS1 backwards compatibility is sketchier on the slim (and the new Silver doesn't play some PS2 games).

[Guest Queen Leelee]

The slim is made a lot better.

 

But, if you're going to mod, it's a lot easier with the fat version. They're not hard to find. EB/GS usually has lots of used ones for $100. The bigger problem is hoping the laser works long enough to where you can play burned games... This is why the HD is the best option.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I've done all three methods, and I like the HDLoader the best.

 

Then again, I've had two PS2's die on me (yay, shoddy consoles) and one had the swap disc, the other modded.

 

With all three methods, you run into the occasional game that doesn't work. Swap discs won't play dual-layer games (IIRC), some modchips have problems with a few games, and HDLoader will run (most) everything. Some games have to be patched, but that's easy to do.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Fliptop/modchip + HD Loader is the way to go. That way you can just burn the HD Loader program instead of paying (hah!) for it, and you have the backup of playing the games via disc for those that don't work on the HD.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I'm lovin' Swap Magic. Thus far I only have one backup I've been playing - RE4 - and it has yet to give me a problem.

 

So why the bump? Because I'm wondering if Swap Magic works just as well on movie DVD Backups -- for me it hasn't worked. I load up the movie-backup the same way I would the game and... it takes me back to the PS2 browser screen. I've tried this with both a DVD+R and DVD-R disc. No go. (RE4 is on a DVD-R, by the by.) The backup- game works perfectly, but the backup-movies... aren't.

 

So... is there a certain way to do it, or is SM only for games?

[World's Worst Man 0]

Pirated DVD movies should play without having to do anything.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

And yet they don't... I get disc read errors for 'em more times than not, after a very lengthy load time. The discs work in a normal dvd player, so I know that's not the problem. And my burner is a cheap-o one; it can only burn at a max of 2.2x, so I know the prob isn't there either. >.>

[AboveAverage484 0]

And yet they don't... I get disc read errors for 'em more times than not, after a very lengthy load time. The discs work in a normal dvd player, so I know that's not the problem. And my burner is a cheap-o one; it can only burn at a max of 2.2x, so I know the prob isn't there either. >.>

 

This may be a dumb question to ask but you are using the DVD boot disc when trying to watch DVD's, correct?

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

And yet they don't... I get disc read errors for 'em more times than not, after a very lengthy load time. The discs work in a normal dvd player, so I know that's not the problem. And my burner is a cheap-o one; it can only burn at a max of 2.2x, so I know the prob isn't there either. >.>

 

This may be a dumb question to ask but you are using the DVD boot disc when trying to watch DVD's, correct?

Hehe, yeah. ...And yes, I checked It's the same disc I use for loading up RE4.

[World's Worst Man 0]

And yet they don't... I get disc read errors for 'em more times than not, after a very lengthy load time. The discs work in a normal dvd player, so I know that's not the problem. And my burner is a cheap-o one; it can only burn at a max of 2.2x, so I know the prob isn't there either. >.>

 

What kind of blanks are you using? The PS2 is generally a terrible DVD player and it tends to have problems with low quality media. The problems you describe sound like a problem with the laser rather than the PS2 simply not playing backed up movies. I would suggest not using the PS2 as a DVD player, I've heard many stories about PS2s dying out due to the strain it puts on the laser.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Maxell DVD+R and Memorex DVD-R are the ones I'm using now. I recently purchased a 25pk of, I believe, Maxell DVD-R... it's the kind that's "printer friendly" with the white covers. Haven't recorded anything onto them yet, though.

[World's Worst Man 0]

I've had problems with Maxell and Memorex media with my old, fat PS2. It basically doesn't read them as fast as it should. That might be the PS2 though, since my PC doesn't have any problems with them. If it's a big deal to you, try Verbatim, they seem to work well.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I've had problems with Maxell and Memorex media with my old, fat PS2. It basically doesn't read them as fast as it should. That might be the PS2 though, since my PC doesn't have any problems with them. If it's a big deal to you, try Verbatim, they seem to work well.

I figured out the problem. It was the media I was using. Games work perfectly fine on Memorex DVD-R (gold standard, I think?) but on the other discs - the one withs 'printer friendly' blank tops - they don't. The printer-friendly ones are most likley not Maxell.

 

So far I've dowloaded and played:

Resident Evil 4 (probably the most used disc of my collection)

Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (waste of a disc)

Legacy of Kain Defiance (just started - interesting, but the camera really annoys me)

Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (goddamn if that first boss in Mission 2 hasn't killed me multiple times!)

Haunting Ground (Absolutely beautiful, and I love the different play style)

 

I have five or six discs left for games. Any recommendations? I was thinking of God of War, but unfortunately, that's a dual-layer game >.>;

[World's Worst Man 0]

You can find a DVD5 rip of God of War. As for recommendations, there's far too many. Just go to gamerankings and look for the highest rated games.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

You can find a DVD5 rip of God of War. As for recommendations, there's far too many. Just go to gamerankings and look for the highest rated games.

Yeah, but most of the DVD5 versions seem to lose some of the cutscenes. But I"ll keep looking =)

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I've done all three methods, and I like the HDLoader the best.

 

Then again, I've had two PS2's die on me (yay, shoddy consoles) and one had the swap disc, the other modded.

 

With all three methods, you run into the occasional game that doesn't work. Swap discs won't play dual-layer games (IIRC), some modchips have problems with a few games, and HDLoader will run (most) everything. Some games have to be patched, but that's easy to do.

 

Bump for this topic because... well, I can. And this place is so great for answers. Anyway. I recently acquired some money from graduation and birthday. (Yay me!) I was thinking I would be interested in buying an HD, try out the 'HDLoader' method. So, a few questions...

 

1) If the hd is used for loading up games, can it still be used for data storage as well? (I currently only have $100, and if an 80gb hd costs around $60 or whatever, I'd love to get out as much use of it as I can)

 

2) What are the best drives to get, compatibility and performance wise?

[World's Worst Man 0]

The HD is formatted by the PS2 when you put it in, so you can't use it as a regular PC HD at the same time. You'd have to reformat it and lose all of the games to use it on PC.

 

Maxtor, Seagate or Western Digital are the big HD manufacturers and any should be fine. http://ps2drives.x-pec.com/?p=list has a list of compatible HDs, but it's down as of this minute, and I don't know if it will be fixed. From what I remember, the vast majority of HD models were compatible. I think one of the few issues was that when using a large HD, the PS2 wasn't able to see all of its space, but if you're only using an 80 or 100 gig HD it shouldn't be a problem.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Thanks for the response =) So...how does the HDLoader work? I get that it uses the network adapter - I have one - and the hdd goes into the fat ps2...but is it worth upgrading from the SM method? And whats the difference between an IDE hdd and usb?