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Considering importing a PAL PS2. Seeking advice

RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
edited May 2011 in Games and Technology
So I got the strange idea this morning that I'd like to import a PAL PS2 to the US since I noticed that they sell for pretty cheap on ebay.

Games I'm considering:
Siren 2 (loved the Chinese ver and I'd really like to play it in English. From what I've heard, it's one of the only games that can only be played on a PAL system - modded US systems won't run it correctly).
FFX International
Global Defence Force (assuming the upcoming one isn't superior)

Any other great PS2 or PS1 games that came out in Europe, but not in the US? Preference for RPGs, horror games, and shmups.

Also, what would I need to actually run the PAL PS2 here on my 1080p TV? I assume I need a PAL->NTSC video converter, and a power converter. Any suggestions on which ones give high quality at a low price? Do I need PAL memory cards or can I save data on a US memory card?

RainbowDespair on

Posts

  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Good three to start with!
    Consider Gregory Horror Show. Weird survival horror title that felt like it was almost aimed at children, but not quite.
    I don't think there are any others. You guys got more good PS2 releases than we did.

    Xagarath on
  • Satanic JesusSatanic Jesus Hi, I'm Liam! with broken glassesRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    We also got a Psyvariar game if that's the kind of game you like. It's called Psyvariar -Complete Edition-

    Satanic Jesus on
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  • HardtargetHardtarget There Are Four Lights VancouverRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    err do you have a TV that can display PAL?

    Hardtarget on
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  • MoioinkMoioink Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    If you go the PAL PS2 route you will need a video converter (which if the PAL to NTSC converters of old are anything to go by, will make the picture look like butt, doubly so on a HDTV) and a step-up converter for the voltage although if you get a PStwo you can just buy an American PSU off ebay instead as I don't think it uses an internal one with the newer models.

    All region games can be saved to the same memory card.

    Unless you can get hold of something like an old C64 monitor with RGB SCART or some other 50/60Hz TV I don't see why you would want to do this.

    Moioink on
  • RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Moioink wrote: »
    Unless you can get hold of something like an old C64 monitor with RGB SCART or some other 50/60Hz TV I don't see why you would want to do this.

    Because Siren 2 is the best horror game in existence and this is the only way to play it in English. From what I hear, mod-chipped PS2s and emulators will not play the game without major issues that render it unplayable.

    To be honest, I haven't fully decided to do this, but I'd like to explore my options.

    And no, I don't think my HDTV (LG 32lh40) will display PAL which is why I asked about PAL->NTSC converters.

    RainbowDespair on
  • CygnusZCygnusZ Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Can't you just use swap magic?

    CygnusZ on
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Maken 'Shao'(X): Demon Sword PS2 only came out in Europe. US just got the Dreamcast version.

    Quirky action game made by the Megami Tensei team.

    cj iwakura on
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  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    It's not the craziest thing I've heard. I bought a JPN PS2 just so I can play Beatmania/drummania games.

    Bartholamue on
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  • RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    CygnusZ wrote: »
    Can't you just use swap magic?

    No. The UK version of Siren 2 is on a DVD9 which Swap Magic isn't compatible with.

    The game can technically be played on an emulator, but there are serious visual problems as this video illustrates (skip the first couple of minutes since that's a cutscene and there are no problems there).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie7O43vP6z8

    Plus if you emulate it, there are parts you have to cheat to get passed because it'll do something like give you a blank screen when you're supposed to sightjack the past to find a code.

    I guess I could just get a Japanese PS2 and import the Chinese version again. Much easier to actually do since Japanese systems are identical to US systems except for the region encoding. And it'd be good practice for my Chinese. Still, it'd be nice to play in English (lots of weird stuff in the game so the Chinese can get pretty difficult).

    EDIT: While not technically an exclusive, Maken X is a game that I'd like to play, but not enough to buy a Dreamcast for, so I'd definitely grab the PAL version if I had a PAL PS2.

    RainbowDespair on
  • FrozenzenFrozenzen Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Why don't you just chip your current ps2?

    I had my PS2 chipped a fair few years ago and it was cheap even back then, it plays all games without any issues.

    Frozenzen on
  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Because Siren 2 is the best horror game in existence and this is the only way to play it in English. From what I hear, mod-chipped PS2s and emulators will not play the game without major issues that render it unplayable.

    Also that video. Ouch.

    If you're serious about buying a PAL PS2, there are options for PAL encoding. You might have to know how to solder, though.

    Also, there's nothing like being able to play a system from another region, putting a game in it, and it just "works." I've used Swap Magic for over half a year, and I had a hell of a time with it. When I wanted to put another game in there, I couldn't even read the swap disc most of the time.

    Bartholamue on
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  • Unco-ordinatedUnco-ordinated NZRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    FFX International

    Probably not the smartest idea. Sure you get all the additional content they included in FFX International but you're also hamstrung with a framerate that's 17% slower. Why is this a problem when all PAL games run at 50Hz? Because they didn't make it compensate for the slower framerate, it just throws the extra 10% over to the next second, so it runs like the fucking game is in slow motion. Oh and there were bloody big borders around the screen too, since PAL screens have a different resolution than NTSC screens. They didn't start localising games properly till a couple years later (same as Capcom for that matter, our version of DMC1 suffered the exact same problems).

    I'd stick with the US version if I were you and/or hope that Square Enix bothers to release a FF HD Collection on PS3.

    On the other hand, you could buy Ico. SCEE re-released it a few times so it's not so hard to find and the PAL version is far superior to the US one. The only other PAL exclusives I can think of are:
    Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica - It's a Resident Evil and never got a US release. There's a reason for that. Worst game in the series and that's including the GBA one.
    Age of Empires 2 - Yeah, this happened. Microsoft managed to shut down the US release but couldn't stop the PAL one.

    That's all I can think of at the moment. As with every gen, we got the short end of the stick. No Suikoden III, Kingdom Hearts Re:CoM, Katamari Damacy (got the sequel but not the original), Tales games (apart from ToS on GC because Nintendo published it) or plenty of other games but hey, we got a couple of leftovers!

    Unco-ordinated on
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  • RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    FFX International

    Probably not the smartest idea. Sure you get all the additional content they included in FFX International but you're also hamstrung with a framerate that's 17% slower. Why is this a problem when all PAL games run at 50Hz? Because they didn't make it compensate for the slower framerate, it just throws the extra 10% over to the next second, so it runs like the fucking game is in slow motion. Oh and there were bloody big borders around the screen too, since PAL screens have a different resolution than NTSC screens. They didn't start localising games properly till a couple years later (same as Capcom for that matter, our version of DMC1 suffered the exact same problems).

    I'd stick with the US version if I were you and/or hope that Square Enix bothers to release a FF HD Collection on PS3.

    Ouch. Okay, that's off the list. Looks like I'll pray for a PS2 FF collection then. Or pick up a Japanese copy since it has an English mode.
    On the other hand, you could buy Ico. SCEE re-released it a few times so it's not so hard to find and the PAL version is far superior to the US one.

    I enjoyed Ico back in the day and would be up for replaying it. How is the PAL version superior?
    That's all I can think of at the moment. As with every gen, we got the short end of the stick. No Suikoden III, Kingdom Hearts Re:CoM, Katamari Damacy (got the sequel but not the original), Tales games (apart from ToS on GC because Nintendo published it) or plenty of other games but hey, we got a couple of leftovers!

    Not that I'm disputing that PAL regions usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to localization, but I don't think you were missing out much from not getting those games you listed. Suikoden III has some interesting parts but has terrible pacing, Katamari Damacy 2 renders the first one completely obsolete, and I've never been a fan of the Tales or KH series (although Vesperia is pretty good).

    RainbowDespair on
  • Unco-ordinatedUnco-ordinated NZRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I enjoyed Ico back in the day and would be up for replaying it. How is the PAL version superior?
    After you've finished it once you unlock co-op, Yorda subtitles, a lightsaber and an alternative ending. Plus, the cover isn't super assy.

    Wait no, that'll be bundled into the HD Collection that's coming up so you may as well skip it. Assuming you're getting a PS3 anyway (or did you already get one? I can't remember).
    Not that I'm disputing that PAL regions usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to localization, but I don't think you were missing out much from not getting those games you listed. Suikoden III has some interesting parts but has terrible pacing, Katamari Damacy 2 renders the first one completely obsolete, and I've never been a fan of the Tales or KH series (although Vesperia is pretty good).

    I'm a huge Suikoden fan though (2 is my favourite RPG ever, 5 is one of my favourites on PS2) so it just sucks that I've never been able to play it. Katamari I don't mind as much but KH Re:CoM was really disappointing since I really like the KH series (though I think the story needs to be completely rebooted cause it's awful post-KH1). And there were plenty of other games we didn't get as well (Radiata Stories, Grandia 3, Romancing SaGa and Front Mission 4 to name more Square Enix titles, but hey we did get Unlimited Saga...).

    Sure things were nowhere near as bad last gen as they were during the PS1 gen (where we missed out on the Chrono Trigger port, Xenogears, FFT, Chrono Cross, DQVII, Parasite Eve 1, all the Tales games and a number of other games I'm probably forgetting) but still, it's bloody annoying knowing that those games are available in english but for some idiotic reason were never brought over here. Especially since only a handful of JRPG's are actually translated into the various differnet European languages.

    Unco-ordinated on
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  • MoioinkMoioink Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    A good 90% of my PS2 games are NTSC, dedicated PAL gamers got their machine chipped because it was an utterly miserable machine particularly early on. Lots of bad PAL conversions of big titles and huge release delays.

    You can write off not having Katamari as being not a big deal but at the time it was. We <3 Katamari didn't come out in Europe until a good 18 months after the US release of the original.

    Moioink on
  • GilderGilder Aw snap Macaroni PartyRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    You should try to find a copy of Michigan: Report from Hell. It's not a really great game, but it's a Suda 51 game that NA never got for some reason (Suda was surprised it came out in any english speaking countries according to one interview) and it's an interesting concept for a "horror" game where you're playing as a cameraman the whole time. The voice acting is also pretty bad so it may be worth it for that.

    Gilder on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    We also didn't get Robot Alchemic Drive, Devil Summoner 2 or Space Channel 5 part 2.

    :(

    Xagarath on
  • BigminimusBigminimus Registered User regular
    Why not get a ps2-usb adapter, a ps2 emulator for the pc and download the roms from a website?

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