Ported games

I’m planning on buying the KH2FM+ game soon. However since it is not sold over here I am wondering if it will work. So can anyone tell me if games that are shipped over from Japan or Asia will work on a system bought over here?

It depends on the region of your console. If you bought your console from America or Europe, games from Japan will not work on the console. Ig you have a moded console you can play games from other regions too though.

www.modchipstore.com or www.estarland.com have everything you need to either a mod chip or flip-top.

Well, depends on console, but for the PS2, the short answer is: yes.

There are a few ways to get around it:

– Buy a PS2 from that region along with the game
Cons: expensive, might need a power transformer/TV system converter, plays games from the same region only, leaves you with bulk in the form of a second console.
Pros: 100% guaranteed success rate.

– Permanently modchip your console
Cons: might void warranty unless your PS2 is out of warranty anyway, might destroy yor PS2 if the mod is installed by someone inexperienced, you might get into trouble with DNAS if you play online
Pros: Success rate only slightly lower than getting a PS2 from the region, no separate power transformer/TV system converter needed, no extra bulk or extra PS2 needed.

– Softmod it i.e. magic switch/slide card + bootdisc, or using a HD Loader and portable hard disk or the PS2 hard disk
Cons: also expensive, even lower success rate than using a permanent mod(HD Loader) or equal to that of a modchip(Swap Disc), you might get into trouble with DNAS if you play online and the game is booted from the hard disk or using a swap disc, requires lots of tweaking(HD Loader), going for a portable hard disk adds bulk to the system, if you’re going to use the internal hard disk to store games and you have PS2 Linux – either the Linux install must go or you need to get a second hard disk and swap them.
Pros: No permanent modification to the PS2, no need to worry about opening up the PS2 to install anything and royally screwing up.

Well, I agree with the above post, but it seems to me that you’re referring to the fat PS2? I have the Slimline PS2 with Swap Magic 3.8 CODER and the Flip Top (you can get this for all models of the PS2). I originally got it only for the Japanese racing game: Initial D: Special Stage, but after learning how to download PS2 games and burning them, I use it more for that now. Any rate, it’s success rate isn’t at all that low compared to a solder modchip, the game percentage that will work with the boot disk is around 97-99%. If you download a game and burn it (at either the lowest or half the maximum burning speed or your CD/DVD recorder), then those will work 100%. In the end, it’s up to you which one you want. The only drawback of getting a PS2 of another region is that it won’t play any games from another other regions (if you get a Japanese PS2, it will only play Japanese games).

Well, I was referring to both. For slim PS2s, I recall reading that you can use something called a magic switch (which appears to be a few small rubber knobs intended to trick the Slim PS2 into thinking that the cover is closed) along with the Swap Magic disk.

Yeah, the success rate of using swap magic is almost equal to that of a solder (permanent) modchip. I guess I should clarify that I’m referring to the HD Loader.

As for the Japanese console, that’s very true too. Although if you live in a PAL area, your TV should also be either World-Multi or NTSC ready (personally, tho, Malaysia uses a 220v 50Hz power supply and the PAL-B/G TV system, so I was lucky that the PS2 I bought off eBay uses a separate power supply box that supports 100-240v power and I’m using it with a Macintosh with a multi-system video digitizer, so all is good).

There are a few PAL games out there (I have three: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Tekken 5,and The Sword of Etheria) that will give you the option to either keep it as 50hz or change it to 60hz. I think The Sword of Etheria is the only one that asks you (along which other languages you want the game to display) at the start up while the others you have to go to the options menu for. I saw on Ebay a PAL/NTSC converter that plugs into your television for about $20USD. I almost bought it but decided not to.

There are a few PAL games out there (I have three: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Tekken 5,and The Sword of Etheria) that will give you the option to either keep it as 50hz or change it to 60hz. I think The Sword of Etheria is the only one that asks you (along which other languages you want the game to display) at the start up while the others you have to go to the options menu for. I saw on Ebay a PAL/NTSC converter that plugs into your television for about $20USD. I almost bought it but decided not to.

Well, I guess it’s because most of us don’t have many reasons to buy PAL games, seeing how most of them are basically the same as their NTSC equivalents and only released after their NTSC counterparts. The funny thing tho, is that Malaysia uses the PAL system, yet the consoles sold here are NTSC/J – guess Sony wanted to push their multi-system TVs as well.