PS2 Modding

[LuciaOne]

Um, I understand if you guys close this topic b/c modding Ps2's is illegal, however;
I just bought Dragon Force for the PS2.
Now that WD is gone, I seriously doubt it'll be brought stateside. My friend Rob just got back from a long trip to Japan and he said he couldn't find it anywhere... so buying it on eBay for $35 doesn't seem so bad =D
But I can't play it on a US PS2, and I know you can mod them but I'm just wondering if anyone knows how/what the easiest way to do so is. I don't want to play burned games, just Japanese ones XD

[GhaleonOne]

It's only going for 35 on Ebay? I may have to pick it up myself. I wanted it, and with WD gone, Sega is probably the only other company that might pick it up. And even then, it's been out long enough with no US announcement that it's very unlikely. I can't help you on the modded issue, but if I pick it up, I may have to look into it myself unless I can find a cheap Japanese PS2.

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Edit - just checked. It's the regular version. There's one in the store thing for like 33 instead of 35 BTW. Only 2 bucks, but still.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dragon-Force-PS2-IM ... dZViewItem

Also, for 20 more, you can get the Sega Direct one with the artbook and pinbadge. Unfortunately it looks like the full limited edition one with the soundtrack and stuff is sold out. The Sega Direct one is brand new at NCSX:

http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi-bin/shop/SLPM-65778SR.html

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Edit 2

Alayna, if you are going to buy the regular, this place has it cheaper than Ebay:

http://www.gamechoiceclub.com/navigateP ... ct_id=5137

[red9_merchant]

If you're looking for a mod, try http://www.madisonmods.com

I don't mod. In fact, I am slightly against modding and emulating/roms. I wasn't when I found this site. I never delt with the guy, because I broke down and bought a Japanese PS2 for $240.00.

[Zophar]

Um, I understand if you guys close this topic b/c modding Ps2's is illegal, however;
I just bought Dragon Force for the PS2.
Now that WD is gone, I seriously doubt it'll be brought stateside. My friend Rob just got back from a long trip to Japan and he said he couldn't find it anywhere... so buying it on eBay for $35 doesn't seem so bad =D
But I can't play it on a US PS2, and I know you can mod them but I'm just wondering if anyone knows how/what the easiest way to do so is. I don't want to play burned games, just Japanese ones XD

Here are the options you have for getting your PS2 to play Imports:
1. Install a modchip into your ps2
2. Use one of those slide card things

Unfortunately, Action Replay never made a free loader for the PS2. So the easiet option doesn't exist.

Of course you could always buy a japanese ps2... but that is a rather expensive alternative.

[LuciaOne]

omfg, god dangit, I would have loved to have spent the extra $30 or whatever on that special edition DF thing for the artbook. I collect art books T_T

[Alunissage]

I don't mod. In fact, I am slightly against modding and emulating/roms. I wasn't when I found this site. I never delt with the guy, because I broke down and bought a Japanese PS2 for $240.00.

You do realize that these are different things, right?

My fiancé has owned four PS2s. He modded the first one to play Japanese Bemani games, but eventually the chip overheated or something and it stopped working. So he bought a second PS2. Then he bought a Japanese PS2 to play imports. Then he bought an Asian PS2 to keep up north with his family so his brother could play bemani games, but that ended up not happening so he sold it to a friend who also plays them. At some point he modded the US PS2, although this always irks me a little because then he plays his bemani games on it instead and takes it with him on vacations so then I can't play my domestic games on it. So he's thinking of modding the Japanese one so that we can both play both regions even when we take separate vacations.

One of these also has a hard drive in it, so that using the game disc isn't necessary. The games on it were copied from our legally purchased discs, of course.

It may be seen as ironic that I used the Asian or Japanese PS2 to play my Zelda no Video DVD. Stupid region lockout.

Anyway, the point is that modding is not the same as pirating. And that owning a Japanese system doesn't mean no modding occurs. (Who wants to lug two systems around on vacation when they can bring just one?)

[red9_merchant]

I don't mod. In fact, I am slightly against modding and emulating/roms. I wasn't when I found this site. I never delt with the guy, because I broke down and bought a Japanese PS2 for $240.00.

You do realize that these are different things, right?

My fiancé has owned four PS2s. He modded the first one to play Japanese Bemani games, but eventually the chip overheated or something and it stopped working. So he bought a second PS2. Then he bought a Japanese PS2 to play imports. Then he bought an Asian PS2 to keep up north with his family so his brother could play bemani games, but that ended up not happening so he sold it to a friend who also plays them. At some point he modded the US PS2, although this always irks me a little because then he plays his bemani games on it instead and takes it with him on vacations so then I can't play my domestic games on it. So he's thinking of modding the Japanese one so that we can both play both regions even when we take separate vacations.

One of these also has a hard drive in it, so that using the game disc isn't necessary. The games on it were copied from our legally purchased discs, of course.

It may be seen as ironic that I used the Asian or Japanese PS2 to play my Zelda no Video DVD. Stupid region lockout.

Anyway, the point is that modding is not the same as pirating. And that owning a Japanese system doesn't mean no modding occurs. (Who wants to lug two systems around on vacation when they can bring just one?)

I see what you're saying. But yes, I do realize they aren't the same thing. I just don't prefer to void my warranty, considering that my US PS2 is starting to act weird. I'm not against others modding. I'm against myself modding.

[DragonmasterDan]

Not to repeat what Alunnisage said but Modding IS NOT illegal under current US law despite what a Sony or MS rep might tell you, stories you hear coming from the ESA and other uninformed (or malicioius in intent) organizations. Software piracy is illegal and the stories you see on large game sites or other tech pages about a store selling modified systems (usually Xboxes) being busted always mentions (or at least will in the source article) that pirated software was included with the system.

I've been meaning on buying a cheap working PS2 and modding it as I own 4 PS2 imports (Dragon Force with Artbook included) but I have no way to play them.

[AkagisWhiteComet]

If you have a slimline PS2 (the newer slim one), then you can play imports easily without a mod chip. Just look up Swap Magic 3.X. What it is is this modified door that allows you to open the PS2 without hitting the button to open the case. Everytime you hit this button the PS2 reads what disk is currently loaded. With a swap disk you can swap out the boot disk for whatever game you want to play. And it only takes one swap. The laser is off when you swap the disks so there's no damage going on.

I've had it for about half a year and it works wonderfully and I've had no problems. I only play one import on it though - Initial D Special Stage (I seriously got rid of over half my PS2 game collection after buying Initial D Special Stage). When I get some more money I plan on buying some more 'touge' racing games and I kinda want to try my hand at Tokimeki Memorial for the PS2.

One cool thing about the swap door is you can install it without breaking the warranty seal on the back of the PS2 case, so if something goes wrong you can put back on the old door and the warranty sticker still be intact.

I also have a modded Sega Saturn so I'm able to play the Saturn Lunar.

[GhaleonOne]

Speaking of mods, did anyone see the news of the PS3 being region-free?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html

[Kizyr]

Speaking of mods, did anyone see the news of the PS3 being region-free?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html

About damn time they got their protectionist heads out of their asses.

Region lockout was always an arbitrary thing, designed only to squeeze out some extra money from the small fraction of folks who want to import. It's about time someone finally owned up to this fact enough to ditch the idea altogether for a major console. KF

[Imperial Knight]

It's nice to see that. My import collection consists of one PS2 game and, depending on your perspective, either two or three PS1 games (one of them is a collection of two games). It's annoying that I had to mod my consoles just because I wanted to play a couple of games that didn't get American releases.

[phyco126]

About modding a system. I never saw it as illegal. Whether or not it really was doesn't matter to me. For one, it's my system that I bought, that I owned (despite the license agreements or whatever.) If I wanted to mod my system, put firecrackers in it, or set us up to bomb doesn't matter. I've always had those kinds of issues about owning crap. Houses, systems, cars....

But yes, it is good that the PS3 is supposed to be region free whatever.

[Kizyr]

About modding a system. I never saw it as illegal.

DM Dan is the authority on this, but as far as I know, you're completely right. It's not illegal; and while console manufacturers might tell you it is, when you buy it, unless you use it to do something illegal, modding it in any way is not illegal.

Even with piracy, the illegal part is in obtaining copyrighted material without paying. Not in modifying a system to be able to use it. Most cases where you hear about someone getting busted for modding a system, you'll have to read further into the article: usually either a) pirated games, or b) selling the modded system was involved. Either way, modifying the system wasn't what was illegal.

So yeah, you can stick firecrackers in it if you want. ...I wouldn't advise that, though, unless you're in a secluded place away from combustibles. KF