IrishNinja
Member
speaking of, what's the cheapest you can find/link to online for a quality pair of PS2 component cables?
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PS2 Appreciation & Celebration Thread, long live the King!
- Thread starter Canis lupus
- Start date
When you finish installing FMCB try using Open PS2 Loader (0.8 version), it has much greater compatibility. Pretty much all games I had that acted up on HDL are okay on OPL, with one exception - Test Drive Unlimited, which I need to boot with HDL. Also, for Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven you need a specific revision of OPL to work, which I can share with, if anyone wants.
Unfortunately, there's no homebrew application, as far as I know, that allows you to boot PSX imports
sixteen-bit
Member
I lucked out and got my official PS2 component cables at a yard sale for 50 cents.
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Dreamcast and Gamecube, but the PS2's image quality isn't as good as I was hoping over Component. Even through the official Sony cables (I had previous been using a 3rd-party one).
Still, it's a marked improvement of S-vid, so I would recommend it.
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Dreamcast and Gamecube, but the PS2's image quality isn't as good as I was hoping over Component. Even through the official Sony cables (I had previous been using a 3rd-party one).
Still, it's a marked improvement of S-vid, so I would recommend it.
Official component cables are not expensive, there are some here for $13.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MIXFWA/?tag=neogaf0e-20
From personal experience, do not buy third party/no name component cables. Sometimes they don't work, have buzzing sounds on the TV, or aren't compatible with some games. Go for the SONY officials.
I read on PSX-Scene that the PS2 trying to do this is utilizing the completely opposite spectrum of it's own hardware and the other opposite spectrum of it's hardware at the same time, and is currently "seemingly" impossible.Unfortunately, there's no homebrew application, as far as I know, that allows you to boot PSX imports
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=11402&cs_id=1140202&p_id=4009&seq=1&format=2
That brand is also on Amazon for a bit extra. Monoprice is the best. Never bought a cable from them that wasn't well over my expectations.
Nope, it's a huge waste of money. I have the official ones and they cost me well over three times what the above cables cost, with no difference in quality.
This is only from personal experience like I said, when playing older PS2 games or PS1 games, my third party cables would poop on me/screw up the sound and or picture, I switched to the official SONY component cables and all of those problems went away. It might have not even been the cables that fixed the problem, I'm not sure.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I'll agree that not all cables are equal. There are some pretty terrible third party cables on Amazon and the like. But there are good ones too that are much cheaper than Sony's.
When you finish installing FMCB try using Open PS2 Loader (0.8 version), it has much greater compatibility. Pretty much all games I had that acted up on HDL are okay on OPL, with one exception - Test Drive Unlimited, which I need to boot with HDL. Also, for Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven you need a specific revision of OPL to work, which I can share with, if anyone wants.
Unfortunately, there's no homebrew application, as far as I know, that allows you to boot PSX imports
Yes! OpenPS2Loader is much better than the older programs like HDL. The only thing I couldn't run was Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (so I bought a cheap copy of the original release, which works).
I also found it was much easier to install the games onto the hard drive via my computer than ripping them through the PS2. I ripped the PS2 discs to ISO files and installed them using a program called Winhiip. Connect the hard drive to the computer via IDE -> USB cables, and it's a piece of cake.
I was thinking about this, however I was questioning whether or not it was less of a hassle to continuously unscrew the network adapter and connect to the computer every time I wanted to put games on the HDD, or just rip discs.
I hear FTP can be useful but I cannot seem to connect to my PS2 HDD via Ethernet which is odd because I can connect to my original XBOX just fine.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I'd say you could rip all of your games on the PC at first, and every time you get a new game you could rip it on the PS2.
The PS2's ethernet over FTP isn't worth it, in my experience, because it takes forever to set up and is slow as hell.
I figured. :/
It's a bit of a hassle but the plus is it is faster (especially if you rip the games before hand and just copy them to PS2 HDD), and there's a very limited number of games that may throw an error at you when installing on PS2, although in the end they work fine. The installation definitely puts some strain on the laser too. In my case, after a period of chain-installation the laser stopped reading anything, but it, somehow, recovered on its own after a year, though I admit that was an extreme case.
And the most important part - using Wiinhip you can easily put import games, whereas on PS2 you either need a modchip or a Swap Magic to do this.
Unfortunately, there's something wrong with my IDE bridge since for quite some time my PC can't see the PS2 HDD when I try to connect it, though it works just fine with the console.
NinjaCatfish
Member
Is there a 'best' way to play PS2 games from a hard drive? I've looked around online and skimmed the thread but can't quite work it out.
I have a Slim with Matrix Infinity clone installed. Am I going to need a modified memory card, or some sort of disc to boot to a USB hard drive?
I've ripped all my discs to ISOs, and figure it'll be a great way to play all my games without having to take the discs with me.
I have a Slim with Matrix Infinity clone installed. Am I going to need a modified memory card, or some sort of disc to boot to a USB hard drive?
I've ripped all my discs to ISOs, and figure it'll be a great way to play all my games without having to take the discs with me.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
The PS2's USB ports are slow and games playing games off of them is not recommended. Some games will work, but loading will be slow. If you want to play PS2 games off a hard drive, getting a Phat along with the network adapter is much easier and has good compatibility.
But if you want to try it, install FreeMCBoot on the memory card, along with Open PS2 Loader. If you have a modded console, you should probably be able to get the FreeMCBoot installer running fairly easily.
NinjaCatfish
Member
Thanks for that! Guess I'll be on the lookout for a Phar in that case.
Yeah, this game always surprises me how good it looks (and when it was made). It was chock full of content too, but some weird memory glitch ruined things.
sixteen-bit
Member
I watched a recent Classic Game Room episode that featured the Sega Classics collection. I had no idea some of the Ages 2500 releases made it stateside. Is this worth getting? The CGR review was pretty positive but from what I can tell, all the CGR reviews are positive.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I love how there are still PS2 games I never got around to. Case in point: Kingdom Hearts. I had no idea that I had a craving for a 3D platformer RPG, but this is scratching it. And it looks so damn good.
Yeah I've never seen him go negative. CGR is good for hyping yourself when you've already bought it and you're waiting for the package to come in the mail.
Yeah I've never seen him go negative. CGR is good for hyping yourself when you've already bought it and you're waiting for the package to come in the mail.
Mark does do negative reviews, but he makes a point of being fair and seeing things from other perspectives. He also mostly just reviews games from genres that he likes, noted by the lack of RPGs that come up in CGR. Except for a few occasions, like the Crayon Shin Chan mini games review.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
If by "other perspectives" you mean "this game is great just like every other game" then yes, that's exactly what those reviews offer.
Whether or not he skips the games he doesn't like makes no difference. I go to CGR reviews for hype and praise. Which is fine; sometimes that's what I'm looking for.
You haven't seen all of his videos then.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
If that's a requirement to communicate an opinion on anything, then I would think most of GAF would be disqualified. I'm sure you've never had an opinion about something despite not having experienced all of its content, but some of us aren't quite as thorough.
Besides, I never said every CGR review is positive, just all the ones I've seen. That's what I use CGR reviews for.
I didn't say it was a requirement to have an opinion, but you've definitely not seen some of his negative reviews if you're espousing that he's all rainbows and sunshine. That's all I'm saying.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
EDIT: Never mind. It doesn't matter. Let's just praise the PS2 some more.
Kingdom Hearts 1 is a rad game, it holds up well, aside from some camera weirdness.
Kingdom Hearts 1 is a rad game, it holds up well, aside from some camera weirdness.
EDIT: alrighty, I've edited out mine as well. On topic, mark's got several PS2's, one of them being a silver JP version. Dude's stacked on consoles.
IrishNinja
Member
haha not all of Mark's are, check out appleseed on SNES or any ridge racer stuff
he was mostly spot-on though; some of those are awesome, some are terrible...some people dont like the aesthetic changes but outrun, harrier, fantasy zone etc were great by me (honestly you couldnt fuck up bonanza bros for me if you tried, i love that game) but golden axe in particular is the stinker. having played the crap out of alien syndrome on SMS, the remake is way more fun too.
it's totally worth it man, and you can get it on the cheap too - my copy was literally a freebie for buying other stuff on BST here. and yeah, having a strong desire for Sega AGES stuff, i was amazed that we got that and like no one talks about it, either. fun disc.
seriously, most of my non SHMUP ps2 purchases this year have been collection discs, PS2 is so golden for that
I sadly missed this console as a kid (outside of playing it at friends' homes), as I was mostly an OG Xbox guy (and I was pretty late to that part anyways). Well I finally picked up as PS2 Slim last week and I went to the vintage game store over the weekend looking for PS2 games (on top of the PS1 games I was already looking for). This console has always intrigued me so much due to the insanely fantastic library it has and now I'm going to dive into the gloriousness.
This weekend I picked up:
Final Fantasy X
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 4
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Kingdom Hearts
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (currently playing this)
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Resident Evil 4
This weekend I picked up:
Final Fantasy X
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 4
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Kingdom Hearts
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (currently playing this)
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Resident Evil 4
You've picked up a fantastic set. Game on dude.
sixteen-bit
Member
Hey thread contributors, what are your favorite RPGs for PS2? I have the big names like the FFs and the MegaTens. Any good B-tier stuff of note?
Valkyrie Profile 2
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Odin Sphere
Series:
.hack//IMOQ
.hack//Infection
.hack//Mutation
.hack//Outbreak
.hack//Quarantine
.hack//G.U.
.hack//G.U. Vol. 1 Rebirth
.hack//G.U. Vol. 2 Reminisce
.hack//G.U. Vol. 3 Redemption
Xenosaga
Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht
Xenosaga Episode 2: Jenseits von Gut and Bose
Xenosaga Episode 3: Also sprach Zarathustra
Shadow Hearts 1 & 2, Ys VI, Wild Arms 3 (havent played 5 yet), Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter, and Romancing SaGa (its really open in how you complete quests, and doesnt really hold your hand, but its really good once you get into it).
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
So... thoughts on Castlevania: Lament of Innocence? I really liked the game back in the day, but I sold it. I know that some people really harped on the repetitive level design, but I dug the game because the combat was so damn fun and was really the focus of the game. I dunno. Maybe some of the vitriol has subsided?
Either way, I'm really thinking about rebuying it.
Either way, I'm really thinking about rebuying it.
sixteen-bit
Member
Castlevania LoI? Isn't that by the Nanobreaker guy?
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Not sure. Pretty sure Igarashi was on LoI, but I dunno who the Nanobreaker guy was. I didn't think Nanobreaker or CV: Curse of Darkness were good, just as a side note.
secretanchitman
Member
One of the best consoles of all time. It had so many great games for it and I fucking loved that I could replay the entire PS1 catalog as well. The old PS1 controller and memory card worked perfectly on it, and DVD playback was a nice bonus.
I distinctly remember playing Final Fantasy 10, 12, Tekken Tag Tournament, Midnight Club 2, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance, DDRMAX, DBZ Budokai 3, Kingdom Hearts 1/2, Gran Turismo 4, MGS2, MGS3, GTA3, and countless other games. There was always something for everyone, which is what I loved.
The one downside that I didn't like was that it only supported 2 players out of the box, and that I wish more 4 player games were available, but it's a minor quibble because I rarely had any 4 player games.
Sadly, my 60GB PS3 is about to die (a fitting end considering the PS4 is coming soon) but it's a good thing I've played and beaten all of the PS2 games I have and wanted to play!
I distinctly remember playing Final Fantasy 10, 12, Tekken Tag Tournament, Midnight Club 2, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance, DDRMAX, DBZ Budokai 3, Kingdom Hearts 1/2, Gran Turismo 4, MGS2, MGS3, GTA3, and countless other games. There was always something for everyone, which is what I loved.
The one downside that I didn't like was that it only supported 2 players out of the box, and that I wish more 4 player games were available, but it's a minor quibble because I rarely had any 4 player games.
Sadly, my 60GB PS3 is about to die (a fitting end considering the PS4 is coming soon) but it's a good thing I've played and beaten all of the PS2 games I have and wanted to play!
SlipperyMoose
Member
Is Whiplash any good? I picked it up on the original Xbox but never played it. I remember it interesting me when I saw it but I never really looked deep into it.
As I'm going through Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time right now, I still can't get over how enjoyable the platforming is. Platforming that isn't just 'press a button to automatically jump here perfectly' and you actually have combo moves and need to think about where you need to go. So much fun.
Final Fantasy X up next.
Final Fantasy X up next.
Yes, Koji Igarashi was the producer on the shitfest known as Nanobreaker. The 2D games he worked on were much better.
DidntKnowJack
Member
One of these days I will gather up, clean, and photograph my PS2 collection. They're scattered across several boxes in my closet, but it shouldn't be too much trouble to gather them up.
Plus I need to organize them enough to see exactly what I own and what I still want to get. Though, admittedly that's not a lot. But right off the bat I know I want to get another copy of Rumble Racing. I sold my old copy for some stupid reason years ago.
Plus I need to organize them enough to see exactly what I own and what I still want to get. Though, admittedly that's not a lot. But right off the bat I know I want to get another copy of Rumble Racing. I sold my old copy for some stupid reason years ago.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Well, went ahead and rebought Lament of Innocence. $15 for a new copy isn't too steep, and I really, really loved the game back when I played it. So I kinda wanna see if it holds up.
Also rapidly realizing that my PS2 collection is far too sparse. Need to fill that shit out... maybe when I'm done finishing off my Wii collection.
Also rapidly realizing that my PS2 collection is far too sparse. Need to fill that shit out... maybe when I'm done finishing off my Wii collection.
drtomoe123
Member
I really liked Stella Deus and Makai Kingdom when it comes to SRPGs. King's Field: The Ancient City is a given if you like King's Field or are interested in the origins of Dark/Demon Souls (although the controls are a little grating). Actually, a lot of the other From Software games like Evergrace, Forever Kingdom, and Eternal Ring are all really interesting RPGs (and super cheap). Surprisingly, some of the Bandai anime RPGs aren't too bad. Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Jewel, Digimon World: Data Squad, and MS Saga are actually pretty competent games if you're a fan of any of the series (although I'd recommend playing each of them from the PS2 HDD or on an emu--loading times for Bandai games are rough). The second .hack series (G.U.) is okay.
The system's got some really cool stuff once you get past the "big name" RPG series like Suikoden, Star Ocean, Wild Arms, Xenosaga, Shadow Hearts, Valkyrie Profile, etc (although most of these games are pretty great, too).
IrishNinja
Member
as a reminder: since Gamestop stopped taking PS2 trade-ins back in june, im told some locations have moved to a B2G1 deal to help get rid of stock. im keeping an eye here & there on cheapassgamer to see if and when they do a 75% off liquidation thing like they did back in january for gamecube games, but i'm hoping if someone else catches that (or just a better deal than the current one) they'll post it here!