So its gotten to a point where I want to start importing some games (NxC/international FF’s, etc) and was wondering if any of you have experience with doing so?
Any info would be appreciated.
Purchase a Japense PS2. My experience with swap magic was that it was time consuming, some games didn’t work, and it wears on your hardware.
As far as games go, fighting games are by far the most language friendly, as you need to understand zero japanese to play them. You don’t even have to understand any language to play them, just simple menu navigation. Other games can work, like “Densha de Go” if you are willing to undergo some trial and error to figure things out. There will be a lot of games however, especially RPGs, where you can’t play the game without understanding Japanese.
I always purchase import stuff either used from forums, or using this site.
You can put a hard drive in your PS2 and acquire a memory card exploit and HDLoader, then put the games on your PS2 hard drive with your PC. It sounds complicated but it’s probably cheaper (maybe). Also, no wear on the laser, drive tray, or anything expect the fan and processors. Getting the memory card exploit would be difficult unless someone you know has a modchip, though, because you need to either FTP it to the PS2 or burn it to a CD/DVD and copy it, neither of which you can do on an unmodded system.
Most games that are action-based won’t be that hard to play if you can’t read Japanese. The Japanese Godhand doesn’t even have Japanese voices, it uses the same ones as the English version.
After looking into modchips, I decided it was easier to just go and get a Hong Kong PS2. I bought it primarily for shmups and fighting games that never made it to Europe, and all the ones I’ve bought so far have English menus.
so can japan/hong kong ps2 can play europe and US games?
I have swap magic and have yet to encounter problems running all the hottest ps2 J fighting games:wink:
Burn a copy of DVD loader wich is free and you can load the troublesome games.
also swap magic 3.6 and up will let u launch homebrew apps 
u just need a USB stick:wink:
No, they’re all region locked, although I hear there are several places in Hong Kong that openly sell chipped systems.
Only fighter I know of that doesn’t work with Swap Magic is Rumble Fish, other than that I hear a majority of the games run well. Though some like Arcana Heart and Metly Blood are heavy on the non-english side. But all that swapping gets to be a pain, so if you can’t get a MODed system, I’d go with a Japense PS2. MODed is the way to go though, 100%. I’ve used both the DMS4 and Crystal chip, both work great. Plus you can use a MODed system to play PAL games as well.
Thanks for the input guys. I live in Ontario so how much would I be looking at for an imported ps2?
Darn Region lock, since I can’t play J games on my ps3, I am thinking whenever possible investing on a ps2 slim, it has an ethernet port already, right, and I heard I can just get a usb drive and use it on it. A friend has a modden ps2 for imports, can I just copy the memory card exploit, and then usb drive into a slim. Anyhow have experience with that.
Otherwise thanks sony, I would prefer not to have to do this, and just buy games off playasia, and enjoy them, but no… seriously the region lock on the ps3 ps2 emulation makes absolutely no sense.
Yes, just copy the memory card exploit.
just swap magic it. sure its a pain in the ass to swap everytime, but its the easiest/cheapest imo.
so with memory exploit I can just plug in a usb 2.0 hdd, and be done with it? Albeit now I have to copy and iso my games, etc O-o.
Honestly I agree Swap magic seems like a great idea, however with all the problems the ps2 has with the laser, its really the main reason why I just want to hdd it.
memory card exploit i hear does not work with slims, damm it i would try this memory card on my slim if i had an original ps1 game i dont have none:annoy:
also i hear uSB advance for slims sucks big time
so i would get a fat ps2 memory card exploit to load hdloader and an IDE HDD:lovin:
What is the Memory card exploit, by the way? I too am looking to play a few imports(primarly SNK) so that I can catch up with the times.
Yes, I would also welcome information on the memory card exploit. Is this developed to the point where games will boot off the HDD directly and the disc tray is literally never used? The last time I looked into this solution the program still needed to start from an HD Advance disc, which sort of defeated the purpose when dealing with a DRE-afflicted machine.
If anyone can point out a site with clear information about HD use and the exploit, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Just keep in mind that if you’re copying the memory exploit from a friend’s MC, you got to have the same PS1 game that your friend is using in order to trigger the memory exploit and make it work. I’m using the “Arcade Mode” disc from Gran Turismo 2 (The Greatest Hits version) for my exploit, now if I was to copy my exploit for a friend, they will have to get the same exact disc to make the exploit to work. Don’t waste your money on HDAdvance or USBAdvance because they’re basically just re-branded HDLoader and you can easily find the exploit for free on the internet. Keep in mind that, it is better to have a chunky PS2 because the IDE HD is easily connected to the PS2 with the network adapter. If you have a slim PSTwo, you can get an IDE HD to work but only with soldering a bunch of wires. Don’t even bother with using an USB HD because the loading of a game is horrible as well as the compatibility of what games work or don’t work. If your PS2 is having trouble reading DVD based PS2 games but can read CD based games (blue discs) and PS1 games, then you can make the exploit work because all you really need is for your PS2 to read the PS1 game. Believe or not, you’re not going to get 100% of all PS2 games to work off the HD because some game makers have found ways to make their games unplayable off a HD. PAL games will work on a NTSC PS2 system if the game is patch to fix the video signal. Vice versa with NTSC games on a PAL PS2 system. For more in depth information on the exploit, visit the forums at www.ps2hd.com. This site constantly updates its list of what games works and don’t work off a HD.
Correct. The memory card exploit does not work on the Slim PS2s. If you want to hook a hard drive to a slim PS2, the best way is to use HDCombo. But from my understanding with that, it’ll only work on the older slims because Sony took out the IDE connectors on the motherboard for the newer ones. Someone with more knowledge with that can correct me if I’m wrong since I don’t bother with slim PS2s.
Long story short, the memory card exploit allows you to boot up homebrew software stored on your PS2 memory card. This includes HDLoaders, emulators, and various other programs that people make.
No. Unless someone breaks Sony’s Magic Gate encryption, the memory card exploit requires a system that can read CD-based media (PS1 games) so that the exploit can be loaded. If your system can’t read PS1 games, you can’t run the exploit. After that initial load though, your system’s disc drive is used again until you reset the system. There was talks about those memory card modchips a few months back, but no info has been posted since then, so I assume it was all a hoax.
That’s true in your friend’s case because he probably created his own custom title.db file in the memory card to save a little bit of space. A lot of people (including me) use the original 800+ game title.db that has been around the net since forever. That way, I can copy the exploit to my friends more easily without having to make a new title.db every time. All they would need is one of the following games.
It’s just as easy to make your own Title.DB with whatever game you want.
Seems we are getting off the OP’s question. Basically he wants to know if he should buy and import PS2, a swap magic, or any other method of running imports. If you get a memory card with the exploit file (which, if you dont know, is a way to run a ps2 program that is in an elf file, using a ps1 game and a ps2 memory card, that exploits a flaw in the way the ps2 recognizes a ps1 disc) well if you get this, you can run a swap magic .elf file, and put the disc in if I am not wrong, and then run the game, if there is some reason not to swap, because this way, you are only putting the one game in. Otherwise, a modchip or using a hard drive to play them would be necessary. Of course, it would work fine on a japanese ps2, but that is a considerable amount of $ more.
hello, I just bought a ps2 jap myself. But I did it to try to access the server from japan or asia to play against Japanese and Asian player online in games such as kof 11, kof impact regulation A, garou etc… ( snk games). But I av to set up the network which only have the language option of Chinese and Japanese to be set up on. So I am looking for help to set up my network to go and kick some people online in Asia. Is there any bright idea to help me?