Ico (US), Swap Magic (EUR) and PS2 (PAL) problem

[gordon]

Hi

Basically, the problem is this. I've got:

PAL PS2 (PStwo)
Swap Magic DVD 2 and CD 3.0
an NTSC (US) copy of Ico.

...and I can't get it to load. I've tried both Swap Magic discs: the DVD doesn't work (I've heard the US version is CD anyway), and with the CD, whatever option I choose (PAL, NTSC, whatever), I get a red screen, followed by "Sony Corporation of American presents", then it freezes. I tried it without a memory card and it freezes at the "continue without saving?" message. The disc continues spinning in both cases.

I thought eventually it might be a problem with memory cards: I've got PAL and JAP saves on my card, and wondered if it couldn't cope with Ico's US save as well. I've had no trouble loading Japanese games using swap magic.

Any ideas about what might be going wrong? Or any tips? I've googled to no effect.

[anephric]

Swap Magic is not 100%: this just might be in the "un"percentage.

I don't think multiregion saves on your memory card will be the problem.

[Lyris]

I have US and Japanese games existing on one card.

[gordon]

OK, so it's not the memory card issue, which is a relief. It's beginning to look like it's incompatible with Swap Magic, then.

I've got Katamari Damacy (US) coming this week, so I'm hoping that one will load.

[jman]

you need a chip dude,atm though the pstwo itself has probs according to some ppl on these forums so i dunno about a chip for it just yet,they are available though if your wondering

[gordon]

you need a chip dude,atm though the pstwo itself has probs according to some ppl on these forums so i dunno about a chip for it just yet,they are available though if your wondering

Yeah, I've heard much the same thing. A guy on another forum I know has tested some of the current chips and found them less than satisfactory -- which is basically the reason I went for Swap Magic in the meantime. Anyway, you're right: I'll get it chipped when something definitive comes along next year.

[anephric]

Korean Damacy works fine with my Swap Magic

[gordon]

Korean Damacy works fine with my Swap Magic

Ha. I'll keep my fingers crossed, then. Otherwise I'll be off to PlayAsia.

[gIzzE]

Yeah, I've heard much the same thing. A guy on another forum I know has tested some of the current chips and found them less than satisfactory -- which is basically the reason I went for Swap Magic in the meantime. Anyway, you're right: I'll get it chipped when something definitive comes along next year.

I don't think it is the chips that are unsatisfactory, more like the machine, they keep dying, and no one wants the hassle of fitting a chip when the machine could be dead within a week anyway.

The new batch of PStwos should be better I hope, I am going to wait before getting one and chipping it.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Where exactly is this chipping going to take place anyway? You'll be lucky to find any now, unless you go and see Mad Frank or some other such shady underworld dealer.

[Mayhem]

Or a certain somebody on here who used to do them

[gordon]

Or a certain somebody on here who used to do them

That'd be Mad Frank, then.

TBH, I'm not that worried about finding someone to chip it as and when: the only difference between now and before the ban is that now people communicate in PMs rather than openly on the forum(s).

Anyway, I've got another problem: I've bought a pair of Japanese shoes off ebay which are incompatible with my UK feet. I've tried Swap Shoe Horn, and no one's prepared to mod my feet...

[Darwock]

Have you tried with CDloader on top of swap magic? There's a few games such as Soul Calibur 2 and Suikoden III that do not work with swap magic directly, but using SM to boot CDloader allows them to load from that. I don't know if that includes Ico or not though.

[anephric]

They are still market vendors in Derby etc that offer PS2 chipping openly. You take your circuit boards in your hands, though...

[gordon]

They are still market vendors in Derby etc that offer PS2 chipping openly. You take your circuit boards in your hands, though...

Yeah, I've heard the same about Manchester, where my brother lives; but I'm stuck down here in Oxfordshire, and the nearest I've heard is a guy in London. But it's worth doing in the end -- I've never regretted getting my XBox chipped, if only for the fantastic emulators.

Have you tried with CDloader on top of swap magic?

Sort of. I downloaded the version of CDLoader for v7 PS2s and burnt it onto a (admittedly cheap media) CD using alcohol120, twice; but neither CD got along with Swap Magic: it just crashed. Is it a media problem? Do I need to buy more expensive CDs? I've got some decent Samsung 80 minute CDRs which I used to backup my Dreamcast Utopia disc...