With the release of Sega Ages 2500: Panzer Dragoon not too far away, I thought it would be worthwhile making a topic covering various places where we can get our hands on a modded or Japanese Playstation 2 console capable of playing the Japan-only Panzer game. If we can gather a reasonable amount of sites and stores where modded PS2s can be purchased, we’ll be able to compare prices and availability, helping The Will of the Ancients members to be get the best deal.
=/
Wouldn’t it be better to just get the console you already own modded?
;p
Anyway:
www.ravenonline.co.uk mod consoles - but they are expensive 
I’ll post more when I remember links!
Well I want/need a modded PS2 in the future so I thank you for this topic.
Woah! It’s only going to play on Japanese PS2s? 
I did not know that.
All games are region protected on PS2, Japanese games only play on Japanese PS2s ETC.
Most consoles and games have encorporated some form of region code. It’s the same with most DVD-Videos.
Some Xbox games are region free, all PS3 games will be region free.
don’t forget if you’re in Europe you’ll need a step-down transformer (Or simply a UK Power supply pack if it’s a slimline PS2).
Japan and the USA operate at 100 to 110 Volts where as Europe operates at 220 to 230 Volts.
And If you’re in europe you’ll need an NTSC compatible TV, Component or RGB 15Khz-60Hz compatible TV, as the PS2 outputs NTSC rather than PAL on 60Hz mode. Not that it matters, since RGB cables look better than anything else.
If you already have a PS2 it would probably be better just to get it modded.
No, I didn’t know that they weren’t making an English version.
Aren’t there such things as Freeloader disks for the infernal S*ny console?
Thats what I use to play foreign games on my GC.
There’s not something as simple as the Freeloader but there is something similar - it’s called Swap Magic and it involves either installing a flip-top on an old style PS2 or breaking off the front and sliding the disc out (I believe this is because you need to swap the boot disc for the game disc without the system realising it’s been opened).
As for modding… it’s not all that cheap (unless you want to try it yourself), if it’s done wrong you ruin a perfectly working console, and there’s still the compatability issues.
Unless you’re planning on importing just one specific game I’d always recommend just buying the original hardware - who wants to pay ?40 for a game only to find out it won’t work once you get it home?
EDIT: Forgot to add, here’s the link to the Swap Magic website swapmagic3.com/
[quote=“SotiCoto”]Aren’t there such things as Freeloader disks for the infernal S*ny console?
Thats what I use to play foreign games on my GC.[/quote]
Yeah, Freeloaders suck.
I’m gonna get my GC modded one day if I find the money.
Disc swapping is so damned annoying! And it doesn’t work with every game!
Plus, modding consoles isn’t all bad.
There’s a PS2 mod that practically turnd your PS2 into a PC, let’s you browse the net on it and stuff! Xboxes are the best to mod, obviously, since their PC like structure makes development for them a whole lot easier.
BTW: about compatability issues with Mod chips - don’t most of them simply send a “valid” code to the laser’s IC when a disc is read rather than the actual region code from the game itself?
… ?_?
Speak for yourself. I’ve never had any problems with my Action Replay disk getting foreign GC games to work. Never a single problem. Far less risky than chipping the silly little box.
Chipping is only risky if your chip installed by a moron.
[quote=“SotiCoto”]
Yeah, Freeloaders suck.
I’m gonna get my GC modded one day if I find the money.
Disc swapping is so damned annoying! And it doesn’t work with every game!
… ?_?
Speak for yourself. I’ve never had any problems with my Action Replay disk getting foreign GC games to work. Never a single problem. Far less risky than chipping the silly little box.[/quote]
Switching/Chipping the likes of the CUBE is pretty easy, much like the Mega Drive and Saturn . Modded the X-Box is pretty easy too (done a few myself) . PS2 is a bit harder thought, not helped by being a mess inside
I have a Pro Action Replay Max for PS2. Can you play Japanese games using this?
One should also remember that chipping is illegal in the UK, among other countries.
No quite,
Swtiching a console is not illegal at all, Only modding is, thanks to altering the machines bios and thats the illegal part .
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Nope.
[quote]SotiCoto wrote: … ?_?
Speak for yourself. I’ve never had any problems with my Action Replay disk getting foreign GC games to work.[/quote]
Well then how did SotiCoto use his GC Action replay to play foreign GC games? If the GC Action Replay can play foreign games, then why not the PS2 Action Replay?
Differences in the ways the Gamecube & PS2 region encodings work. With a simple Freeloader/Action Replay you can knock out the Gamecube’s region encoding, the PS2’s is a little tougher. You COULD get the Swapdisc tools and such for your PS2, BUT those only work with 99% of the games, and that 1% is for many too much of a risk to blow ?50 on for an import game.