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Can I play NTSC Games on a Pal PS2

  • 03-02-2012 10:54AM
    #1
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭


    Hey,

    As above.

    Had an NTSC playstation, but the power converter I was using went bust.

    Is there a way to make a PAL PS2 region free?

    Thanks


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Hey,

    As above.

    Had an NTSC playstation, but the power converter I was using went bust.

    Is there a way to make a PAL PS2 region free?

    Thanks

    You can either install a mod chip into it, or soft-mod it with Free McBoot. These solutions will enable you to run games from any region


  • #3
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    You can either install a mod chip into it, or soft-mod it with Free McBoot. These solutions will enable you to run games from any region


    Brilliant, thank you! Off to read abour Free McBoot!


  • #4
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Brilliant, thank you! Off to read abour Free McBoot!

    If you install Free McBoot, you can then add a 3.5" IDE hdd to your PS2 if its a Phat model via the Network adaptor. This will let you dump your original games to the hdd & play them via a menu on the PS2. It's very cool


  • #5
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    If you install Free McBoot, you can then add a 3.5" IDE hdd to your PS2 if its a Phat model via the Network adaptor. This will let you dump your original games to the hdd & play them via a menu on the PS2. It's very cool

    I must try that, I have a tonne of old survival horror games, that tend to skip a bit during FMV's maybe if I dump them here, this could resolve this issue.


  • #6
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    I must try that, I have a tonne of old survival horror games, that tend to skip a bit during FMV's maybe if I dump them here, this could resolve this issue.

    Yeah its possible if the laser is getting weak that its struggling to read those sections of the discs. The hdd does away with the laser altogether so load times are greatly increased. Not all games work with it though, but its mostly successful.

    If you get Free McBoot installed, just buy the Network Adaptor & pick up an old IDE hdd. It's plug & play as the PS2 has native support for the hdd.


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  • #7
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    I will be trying this over the weekend.

    I apologize in advance because I will more than likely have about 100 more questions in the near future!


  • #8
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    I will be trying this over the weekend.

    I apologize in advance because I will more than likely have about 100 more questions in the near future!

    Feel free to as away, I know I do when I need to :D


  • #9
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    So I got a 32Mb memory card with the software installed a network adapter and a 300gb IDE drive.

    I have ni idea where to start.

    Can somebody point me in the right direction?

    I've been told that I need to format the HDD to use it with the PS2?


  • #10
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    So I got a 32Mb memory card with the software installed a network adapter and a 300gb IDE drive.

    I have ni idea where to start.

    Can somebody point me in the right direction?

    I've been told that I need to format the HDD to use it with the PS2?

    Is Free Mcboot up & running on your memory card?


  • #11
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    Hey, I assume so, I have not tested it yet.

    However, I bought it off a Boardsie who was using it so I assume it will work.


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  • #12
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Hey, I assume so, I have not tested it yet.

    However, I bought it off a Boardsie who was using it so I assume it will work.

    Well until that's up & running, you won't be able to do much with the hdd. Plug in the memory card & boot the console. It should boot to the FMB menu, which looks like the official PS2 menu but there's different options


  • #13
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Well until that's up & running, you won't be able to do much with the hdd. Plug in the memory card & boot the console. It should boot to the FMB menu, which looks like the official PS2 menu but there's different options

    Cool, so I do this and insert the HDD into the adapter?

    Can FMB format the HDD or will I need to instal it to a desktop to format it correctly?


  • #14
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,343 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    Is it a slim or phat ps2?

    Free McBoot wont make the ps2 region free for original games

    ESR games will be region free, but i cant talk about that!

    Games off the hard drive would region free too.


  • #15
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Cool, so I do this and insert the HDD into the adapter?

    Can FMB format the HDD or will I need to instal it to a desktop to format it correctly?

    Basically:

    Plug the Hdd into the Network adaptor
    Install the Network adaptor into the PS2

    Boot the console with Free McBoot on the memory card
    You should have an option for HD Loader

    I think the drive can be formatted from within there, from memory anyway. Then use HD Loader to dump your original game discs via the PS2 to the HD. It won't work with burned discs, as the author didn't want the programe ised for piracy.

    You can also transfer game images to the hdd by connecting the HD to your pc & using a special programme to mount the drive.

    Here's my PS2 running FMB - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67094995&postcount=4


  • #16
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Basically:

    Plug the Hdd into the Network adaptor
    Install the Network adaptor into the PS2

    Boot the console with Free McBoot on the memory card
    You should have an option for HD Loader

    I think the drive can be formatted from within there, from memory anyway. Then use HD Loader to dump your original game discs via the PS2 to the HD. It won't work with burned discs, as the author didn't want the programe ised for piracy.

    You can also transfer game images to the hdd by connecting the HD to your pc & using a special programme to mount the drive.

    Here's my PS2 running FMB - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67094995&postcount=4

    Brilliant! Thank you so much! i will let you know how I get on.


  • #17
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    Ok, I got FMB working but I cant figure out how to boot NTSC games and HD loader is not detecting the HDD, any ideas?


  • #18
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,343 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Ok, I got FMB working but I cant figure out how to boot NTSC games and HD loader is not detecting the HDD, any ideas?

    As I said in my earlier post, free mc boot will not make a ps2 region free for original games (unless something has changed since i used it last)

    Not sure about the hard drive thing, are you using a USB hard drive?


  • #19
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    witnessmenow wrote: »
    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Ok, I got FMB working but I cant figure out how to boot NTSC games and HD loader is not detecting the HDD, any ideas?

    As I said in my earlier post, free mc boot will not make a ps2 region free for original games (unless something has changed since i used it last)

    Not sure about the hard drive thing, are you using a USB hard drive?

    Hey, I missed your previous post.

    Nope using a 320 gb IDE drive with the network adapter.


  • #20
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    witnessmenow wrote: »
    As I said in my earlier post, free mc boot will not make a ps2 region free for original games (unless something has changed since i used it last)

    Not sure about the hard drive thing, are you using a USB hard drive?

    My PAL PS2 plays NTSC games via HD Loader

    @Keith, have you formatted the hdd yet?


  • #21
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    witnessmenow wrote: »
    As I said in my earlier post, free mc boot will not make a ps2 region free for original games (unless something has changed since i used it last)

    Not sure about the hard drive thing, are you using a USB hard drive?

    My PAL PS2 plays NTSC games via HD Loader

    @Keith, have you formatted the hdd yet?

    No. I assumed you can do it via the ps and hd loader.


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  • #22
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    No. I assumed you can do it via the ps and hd loader.

    HD Loader should prompt you to format the drive when it first detects it. So your PS2 must not be detecting the drive yet. What way are the jumpers set on your drive?

    Skip to 4:00

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkIGXXPPHvs


  • #23
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,343 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    EnterNow wrote: »
    My PAL PS2 plays NTSC games via HD Loader

    I said that in my post too :)


  • #24
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    witnessmenow wrote: »
    I said that in my post too :)

    The OP will need to dump his original games to the hdd via his pc if they are from a different region, but we'll get to that in due course. Once he gets the drive formatted, it should be plain sailing


  • #25
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    @Keith - The Hdd should have the jumper(s) set to MASTER for use in the PS2.

    When we get to conecting it to your pc, you can set them to SLAVE.


  • #26
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    EnterNow wrote: »
    @Keith - The Hdd should have the jumper(s) set to MASTER for use in the PS2.

    When we get to conecting it to your pc, you can set them to SLAVE.

    Ah I had it set to slave. So connect it as master to format. Back to slave for pc?


  • #27
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Ah I had it set to slave. So connect it as master to format. Back to slave for pc?

    Yep, don't worry about the pc side of it now though. Set the Hdd to Master, install it in the PS2 & boot the console. When at the menu, start up HD Loader & from there it should detect the drive & give you the option to format it.


  • #28
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    Done and done. Installed pal game and working fine. Now for the NTSC


  • #29
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    Done and done. Installed pal game and working fine. Now for the NTSC

    Cool, you can dump your originals [PAL] via HD Loader onto the hdd from here on out. To dump your NTSC images, you'll have to install a pc based programme which can mount your newly formatted hdd. I use Winhiip, located here, almost half way down you'll see the most recent one for download. Download this & install it.
    WinHiip is used to copy PS2 games (which you own) to your PS2 HDD from your PC. As a disc you can use CD's (original and back-ups), DVD's (original and back-ups), ISO's, NRG's, BIN's, MDF's, etc. Supports almost anything.

    After starting the application you must select the PS2 drive (WinHiip
    automatically recognizes the Ps2 drive in your PC and selects it). If you are using a brand-new drive you can format it into the PS2 format. You can also format an existing drive (Remeber formating a drive erases it).

    Now you can select an CD/DVD or image file. After you give it the correct display name and the correct game mode you can copy it to your PS2 drive. If you use images it will use the filename as display name (e.g. apeescape2.iso will be named apeescape2 instead of Ape Escape 2). You can always rename an installed game and change the game mode.

    It supports drives over 128 Gb (48bit HDL patch) and it can apply (and undo) PPF files (patches) on the installed games. It is way faster than copying within HDAdvance on the PS2. HDLDump doesnt work with a >160 GB drive

    Ok, power down yor PS2 & remove the drive. Power down your PC completely too, & connect the hdd to your pc's ide port. Depending on how you connect it, don't forget to change the jumper if you use the drive on the slave part of the ide cable.

    Once connected, power back up your pc. Start up Winhiip, & select the PS2's hdd from the menu. Once mounted, you can dump your NTSC discs to the hdd no problem :)


  • #30
    Full_TiltKeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Full_TiltKeith


    No comes the problem of how to mount the hdd when I have no pc tower..... Just a laptop


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  • #31
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Full_TiltKeith wrote: »
    No comes the problem of how to mount the hdd when I have no pc tower..... Just a laptop

    In that case, your gonna have to get one of those cheap IDE/SATA to USB things, I got one for a tenner on Adverts a while back. Or if you have a 3.5" enslosure that opens, check & see if its IDE based. You might be able to use that.

    Also, instead of HD loader, you could use a USB based HDD with a programme called USB Loader. Though as the PS2 uses USB 1, a lot of games stutter as the bus speed isn't fast enough.

    Pick up a cheap IDE to USB adaptor for best results


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