Be Excellent To Each Other

I've just acquired a free PlayStation 2 (rather old chunky model; my brother's gone to uni and he's let me have it as he hasn't touched it for 3 years anyway). What's the easiest way to get it to play imports and ("imports" - Ed)? Swap Magic?

A bloke at bowlers computer fair aparently chips em for £20 iirc.

I've been meaning to get it done, there are a bunch of imports I'd love to play.

If you fancy a "fun" experiment, and you've got a suitable model, then you can install a hard drive.
You still won't be able to play "imported" discs, but you will be able to install them and play them from the hard drive.

I can't remember all the details, but I can try and dig out how to do it if you're interested.

To start with though, you will need:
A suitable hard drive
A PS2 network adaptor
A PS2 memory card
A PSOne game that works on your console (so an original one).
Some way of getting games on to the hard drive - You can install them from the ps2 (you can only install games that your ps2 would normally be able to read this way, so not imports), install them over a network, or hook the drive up to a pc and install them this way.

Edit - I forgot the tricky bit. You also need some way of transferring a save from your pc onto your memory card, although this is only a one time process, so you just need to know somebody that can do it (like me, I suppose, if I can remember how it's done).

I can do such a thing also. It's just not terribly cheap to do the network adapter thing. They're not easy to come by and cost a lot. The Slide Tool is the cheapest way of playing "backups" and "imports".

The slide tool, if you can get it to work, will do everything and is great.

If you get the network adapter and a (normal PC IDE) hard drive, you can play (most) games off the hard drive (any region) after copying them to it. You need some way to boot up one of the launcher programs. One of these programs is called HDLoader.

There's a number of ways to get HDLoader running.

There's a special disc called HD Advance which is some kind of modified retail disc that you just put into your PS2 and it'll run HDLoader for you straight off. HD Advance is rare as HELL though.

If you know somebody with the mojo, then you can install an exploit onto your PS2 memory card. This takes the form of a special screwy PS1 save game that makes the PS2 crash and load an executable (a file manager, or HD Loader usually) when you try to run the specific PS1 game. If you have HD Advance, it's possible to make and run an ISO that installs the exploit based on any PS1 game for you. When you do that, you no longer need the HD Advance disc (to keep it super safe), and you can update the HD Loader version. (HD Advance's HD Loader is a slightly old version. If you've read about 'special' HD Loader versions with extra support for specific games, then HD Advance doesn't have any of those.)

Or you could just get it chipped if you know someone.

Cheers all, think I'll give Swap Magic & slide tool a try.

There is also a Memory Card with a USB slot in it that will allow you to play imports and (legally bought games, ED) http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/07/playstation-2-modchip-on-a-memory-card-now-on-sale/.

I had one of those memor32 cards. A Bit pricey, but probably the most hassle-free way of all. The sad part is that it's rotting away in a box back in Ireland, when I could have happily given it to any of you lot for postage

Hey, here's a bit of a long shot:
If anybody wants to post me their PS2 memory card and gives me a couple quid to send it back, I'm pretty sure I can copy the exploit files onto it, together with the latest version of HD Loader (special version). You pick a PS1 game you have, and I'll make it so that when you boot the PS2 with that game in, you get the magic menu that lets you boot into HDLoader.

Will that work for a slimline PS2?

Once you've got a single "broken" ps2, you can run a simple ftp server to "convert" a limitless number of cards easy enough.

I'm tempted by the Memor32 card, it sounds nice and easy. My chunky PS2 doesn't see much use anymore but it's still connected to the telly....

How easy is it to make backups of my PS2 game collection? I'm using a PC, don't want to buy a network adapter for the PS2 or anything too expensive.

Doesn't seem like you can do the 'stick an exploit on the memory card' method for the slim PS2, Gaz.

This guy is trying to do exactly what I suggested.

Ooh, that would be quite lovely. PM me your address and we'll sort summat out?