Okay, deep in thought, I realized that I’m absolutely outraged that us good-hearted Americans never got Final Fantasy X International. Not being one to settle for second-best, I’ve decided that the best way to solve my little dilemma is to import the PAL version of FFX and mod myself an American PS2.
<small>But I’ve never done such a thing.</small>
Importing the game will be easy. What I need advise on is how I should go about modding the beast. First thing: I don’t solder. I don’t know how to, I don’t want to learn, and I don’t own a soldering iron. Second thing, price is the most important thing. I need something cheap. I don’t mind disc swapping.
I’ve been thinking about getting that Slide Card thing, since I wouldn’t have to crack open the PS2, but I’m skeptical. Has anybody else used this? Or any other mod chips or other things I should look into?
Also, more importantly, has anybody else imported the PAL version of FFX and had success running it on a NTSC machine?
Mwahahahahahahh puny Americans! Fear my international English version. But seriously, I would only consider doing what you’re doing if you reeeeeaaaalllyyyy want it, all there is extra are the Dark Aeons, which you will most likely get annoyed at.
Damn Dark Yojimbo.
I second that. Where the HELL do you fight him for the fifth time? I can get him four times, but then he dissappears outside, and I lose him! WHERE IS HE?
My brother modded my PS2 (I didn’t ask him to do it though :P) Basically, he took it apart and he added some chip (:P) to this one part of the PS2, so that, if you hold the Eject button, it makes a funny noise, and ejects the game. It works in cooperation with a Pro Action Replay thing, like a Gameshark. So you put in the Gameshark, you start the game without codes, and then hold the eject button. You then swap the disc for the copied game and it works properly.
To be honest though, I haven’t ever tried it with PS2 games, thuogh I imagine it would work. It works perfectly with my PSX copied games, and my PSX imports, so I imagine it would work properly for PS2 copies/imports. I’m not sure about the specifics of PAL CDs as opposed to NTSC, which North America and Japan use, so I’m not 100% sure if PAL games work with modded stuff. In theory, the mod chip I have should work fine.
This particular mod chip is about 30 bucks. I would only reccomend it if you wanna take apart your PS2 though I know I flipped when I found out my bro did it to mine
Saturn is leery of modded PS2s. I was talking to him about it the other night and its actually the only system he got an imported version of instead of modding. He has a modded GC for example. Aparently, modding a ps2 is riskier than other systems. A modded PS2 Hiei used stopped working after a little while, but in Montreal, that’s not a big deal because aparently, the private shops offer guarantees that it’ll still work afterwards (though its an expensive job to do over there).
I haven’t modded a PS2, but from what I’ve seen when I was looking into mod chips a while back is that they are an absolute horror to install unless you get a very expensive on that has very few solder points (You’ll always have at least one solder, if not more, even for the game shark type, the usb type, or the ones that you can plug into the interal wires). If you go for cheaper ones (which I still heard work if installed correctly), you’ll have to solder anywhere from 22 to 44+ wires. And there’s still the fact you’ll be voiding the warrenty, so if you fuck up, you’re screwed. If you know someone that can solder, then you may get by alright, but I’d suggest paying a bit more and not buying a mod chip that has a shitload of wires to solder, that’s just asking for trouble.
There is a detachable part inside the PS2 where you unhook it and you place the mod chip. It works as a bypass for region protection and copy protection. It’s not actually that expensive…though I admit it looks and seems very dangerous anyways.
I know there is a no-solder mod chip for the PS2 (that is the main selling point of this particular chip). You have to plug it into a ribbon cable inside the PS2 somewhere. The whole installation looks like a big headache to me, but there is no soldering at all. But even after it’s installed, you still need to do a disk swap.
Then there’s the Slide Card thing. I think you have to remove the cover of the disk tray, then do a disk swap, and slide a little key in the disk tray or something whenever you want a backup or an import to load. This seems easier (if more annoying) than the no solder chip.
Anything that avoids solder is good. Solder can suck if you get it wrong by one single molecule. Are you installing it yourself or getting someone else to? Try finding someone to do it for you. S’what I did with my PS1
I have modded almost all of the systems i own, BUT NOT PS2…it is a bitch to mod…like epicgamer said, if you buy a cheap mod chip you are going to be soldering ALOT of wire, and since you are not comfortable with doing that, dont even try…i worked as an electrician over the past 2 summers so i am able of easily soldering, but the PS2 is insane…all of the switches and solder points are so cramped together that its almost impossible to do correctly, even if you are a pro…and the external chips are not to safe either, i bought one called ‘xploder’ that worked through the firewire port and it only worked sometimes, other times it wouldnt let the PS2 start…
Personally i think it would be better not to even mod your PS2, mnaybe you should just wait for FFX2…
At the risk of sounding like a broken record by saying the exact same thing in every one of my posts in this thread, <b>I’M NOT PLANNING ON SOLDERING ANYTHING</b>. If I do anything, I’m going to get that stupid slide card thing, which would mean I wouldn’t have to even open up the stupid PS2, which would mean I’d be able to do it easily myself.
Again, I’m <b>NOT PLANNING ON SOLDERING ANYTHING</b>, so everybody can stop warning me not to.
And it would be rather silly for me to forget about FFX International and wait for FFX-2. I’ve never even played FFX, so why would I want to play its sequel first? The only reason I want FFX International instead of just FFX is because I’m a perfectionist, and it would haunt me forever to play the non-international version instead.
Anyway, thanks for your help y’all. I think I’ll just get me a slide card.
PS: <b>I’M NOT PLANNING ON SOLDERING ANYTHING</b>.
EDIT: Actually, maybe I’ll get the flip-top cover. That seems easier. Anybody know anything about it?
Some no solder mod chips that plugs into a ribbon cable sometimes have a footnote saying that there’s one or two solder points becasue the website is lame. So just make sure you check all the text first. But you should be able to find one, you’ll just have to buy the 5 dollar swap disks that should most likely be sold at the same place.
I know I flipped when I found out my bro did it to mine 
I haven’t modded a PS2, but from what I’ve seen when I was looking into mod chips a while back is that they are an absolute horror to install unless you get a very expensive on that has very few solder points (You’ll always have at least one solder, if not more, even for the game shark type, the usb type, or the ones that you can plug into the interal wires). If you go for cheaper ones (which I still heard work if installed correctly), you’ll have to solder anywhere from 22 to 44+ wires. And there’s still the fact you’ll be voiding the warrenty, so if you fuck up, you’re screwed. If you know someone that can solder, then you may get by alright, but I’d suggest paying a bit more and not buying a mod chip that has a shitload of wires to solder, that’s just asking for trouble.