************** ******** ************** =========================== * * * SONY PLAYSTATION 2 FAQ ************** * ************** SONY PSTWO FAQ, V2.71 * * * BY NARU2005, 01/15/2007 * ******** ************** =========================== S O N Y C O M P U T E R E N T E R T A I N M E N T I N C . ........................................................................... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS ************ * ************ * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. PRE-FAQ QUESTIONNAIRE............................................... PS2-PRE SECTION I. ABOUT THE GUIDE.......................................... PS2-S1 1-A. WHY DID I WRITE THIS GUIDE?.................................. PS2-S1A 1-B. CONTACT INFORMATION.......................................... PS2-S1B SECTION II. ABOUT THE PLAYSTATION................................... PS2-S2 2-A. THE HISTORY OF THE PLAYSTATION............................... PS2-S2A 2-B. LAUNCH TITLES AND SUPPORTED DEVELOPERS....................... PS2-S2B SECTION III. PLAYSTATION 2/PSTWO GENERAL............................ PS2-S3 3-A. SPECIFICATIONS............................................... PS2-S3A 3-B. BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY...................................... PS2-S3B 3-C. PERIPHERALS.................................................. PS2-S3C 3-D. DVD PLAYER................................................... PS2-S3D 3-E. DIFFERENT WAYS TO HOOK UP YOUR SYSTEM........................ PS2-S3E SECTION IV. PLAYSTATION 2-ONLY...................................... PS2-S4 4-A. WHAT YOU GET IN THE PACKAGE.................................. PS2-S4A 4-B. CONNECTING YOUR PS2 TO YOUR TV............................... PS2-S4B 4-C. HARD DRIVE DISK(HDD) INFORMATION............................. PS2-S4C SECTION V. PSTWO-ONLY............................................... PS2-S5 5-A. WHAT YOU GET IN THE PACKAGE.................................. PS2-S5A 5-B. CONNECTING YOUR PSTWO TO YOUR TV............................. PS2-S5B 5-C. PLAYSTATION 2 VS PSTWO DIFFERENCES........................... PS2-S5C SECTION VI. THE PRESENT GAMES....................................... PS2-S6 6-A. MUST HAVE GAMES.............................................. PS2-S6A 6-B. GAMES DEVELOPED BY SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT............... PS2-S6B SECTION VII. SONY PLAYSTATION PRODUCTS.............................. PS2-S7 7-A. SONY PSP..................................................... PS2-S7A 7-B. SONY PLAYSTATION 3........................................... PS2-S7B 7-C. SONY PSX..................................................... PS2-S7C SECTION VIII. COMPARISON TO GAMECUBE AND XBOX....................... PS2-S8 8-A. COMPARED TO NINTENDO GAMECUBE................................ PS2-S8A 8-B. Compared to Microsoft Xbox................................... PS2-S8B SECTION IX. PLAYSTATION 2 COMMON ISSUES............................. PS2-S9 9-A. DISC READ ERRORS............................................. PS2-S9A 9-B. OTHER ISSUES................................................. PS2-S9B 9-C. PROBLEMS(MESSAGE BOARDS)..................................... PS2-S9C SECTION X. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS............................... PS2-S10 10-A. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS................................... PS2-S10A 10-B. E-MAILS...................................................... PS2-S10B SECTION XI. MICELLANEOUS INFORMATION................................ PS2-S11 11-A. PLAYSTATION 2/OTHER LINKS.................................... PS2-S11A 11-B. SECRETS/COOL STUFF........................................... PS2-S11B 11-C. RUMORS....................................................... PS2-S11C 11-D. MY REVIEW.................................................... PS2-S11D SECTION XII. CREDITS................................................ PS2-S12 12-A. CREDITS...................................................... PS2-S12A 12-B. THANK YOU E-MAILS............................................ PS2-S12B 12-C. REVISION HISTORY............................................. PS2-S12C ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ * * * PRE-FAQ QUESTIONNAIRE ************ * ************ * * * PS2-PRE * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. 1. Can I play imports on ? (revised off -wdleun@hotmail.com-s message) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A: Nope. Sony has a strict policy of regional lockouts. NTSC/UC games can only be played on a NTSC/UC machine. NTSC/J games can only be played on a NTSC/J machine. PAL games can only be played on a PAL machine. If you are serious about wanting to play it, mod chip is the only solution. 2. Will the controllers, multitaps, memory cards, HDD unit work with the specific PS2? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those type of peripherals are region-free. They can be used on any machine. However, the HDD unit CAN be used on any machine, but the software drivers to make it function are not region-free.. Same goes for the remote control. UPDATE(old news): The HDD unit can't be used with the new Sony PStwo(SCPH- 700xx models). There is no HDD bay to put the drive in. Also, the PStwo uses a new multitap, so if you have an old one, now is the time to buy a new one. 3. Will using the Vertical Stand make my discs scratch, etc..? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, if it does, we can criticize Sony all we want, and how they tricked us into putting it the Vertical way. The answer is No. As long as you keep your PS2 stationary and not TILT it one centimeter, you should be fine. The PS2 was designed to be played on its Vertical position. NOTE: This might not help at all, but if you are one of the people with the SCPH-3000x models and you are experiencing DREs with the Horizontal position you've been using all along, you can try and make it Vertical to play discs better. 4. Why does the PS2 have a crappy laser to start out with?? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sony incorporated the "crappy" laser to keep production costs low. This means the PS2 may have sophisticated hardware inside. If you really think the PS2 has THAT inferior hardware than the other next-gen consoles, then shouldn't Sony at least make a much better laser than the one implemented in the first batch of PS2s? 5. Is the PS2's hardware a upgraded version of the PS1? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are three sides to a story. Your side, my side, and the truth. I am not sure what the truth is. What I say is No. What others say is Yes. The truth is unknown. Some say some of the PS2 games are PS1 graphics which I pretty much agree. Those are due to poor ports, or the developer rushed or have no experience with the PS2 hardware. 6. What is the newest version of the PlayStation 2? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The newly redesigned PlayStation 2. It's slimmer and doesn't have HDD support. The model number is known to be SCPH-10000x. Please read Section V for the differences between the two.. UPDATE(old news): The new PS2 model isn't SCPH-10000x, but rather SCPH-700xx. The PlayStation 3 may have that number. 7. Can the PlayStation 2 play VCDs? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. However, with the PS1, you can install a movie card for compatibility with VCDs. 8. Can the PS2 play DVD+R/DVD-R/DVD-RW? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For SCPH-3000x or earlier, NO. For SCPH-3900x or later, Yes! For DVD-RW, it must be in VR mode. 9. Even for games?! O_O ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nope, only for copied movies. However, if there is a MPEG file inside the DVD-R, the PS2 wont be able to read it. 10. Where can I find the PS2 font? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google it. I'm sure you can find a PS2 font somewhere. It's fast to use search engines, and should take less than ten minutes. 11. Is Sony offering free fixes for my dead PS2? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- That has been going on for quite some time now. As of now, they may have to charge you 75 or more U.S. dollars to get it repaired. 12. What is Sony's tech support number? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-800-345-SONY(7669) _______________________________________________________________________________ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION I. PS2-S1 * * * ************ * ************ ABOUT THIS GUIDE * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-A. WHY DID I WRITE THIS GUIDE? PS2-S1A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wrote this guide to give mostly factual knowledge of the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment system. Many of you, I hope, will find this guide useful for your PlayStation 2 pleasure. This guide will only cover PlayStation 2 only, as it was never intended to cover the original other than the history of how it came to life(see that in the next section of this guide). However, this guide is never and probably will never be 100% complete as new information comes in every week or two. I will try my best to update as much as possible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-B. CONTACT INFORMATION PS2-S1B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is how you can reach me if you're not sure of something for any reason. I am on AOL/MSN daily, and I check the e-mails for both accounts. AOL: Naru2000@aol.com E-mail: red_mimi701@hotmail.com MSN Messenger: red_mimi701@hotmail.com Yahoo ID, Paltalk, etc..: None Where you can find me: GameFAQs Forums(Username: Naru2005). ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION II. PS2-S2 * * * ************ * ************ ABOUT THE PLAYSTATION * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-A. THE HISTORY OF THE PLAYSTATION PS2-S2A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PlayStation actually has a history behind it. Back then, when Sega released the Sega CD(the one that attaches to the Megadrive/Genesis), Nintendo wanted to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super Famicom(Super Nintendo). They hired Sony Corporation to develop the console for them. Suddenly, at some time, Nintendo for some reason rejected Sony when they were in the final stages of development. Sony was stuck with a working model and the SNES-CD was never released. So what did Sony do? Instead of trashing the hard work they did, they enhanced it, designed new controllers, and renamed it to the PlayStation. It made its debut in Japan on December 4, 1994. Sony then created three main markets to cover the PlayStation sales in each region...(Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and Sony Computer Entertainment America). Sony PlayStation Release Dates: Japan: December 3, 1994 USA/Canada: Early September 1995 Europe: Q4 1995 Sony PlayStation One(PSOne) Release Dates Japan: July 2000 USA/Canada: September 2000 Europe: Fall 2000 The Sony PlayStation 2 was its sequel system. Release dates are listed below.. Sony PlayStation 2 Release Dates Japan: March 4, 2000 USA/Canada: October 26, 2000 Europe: November 24, 2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-B. LAUNCH TITLES AND SUPPORTED DEVELOPERS PS2-S2B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(Japan) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artdink: A-Train 6 Ascii: Kakinoki Shoogi Ask: Kanekyuu Billiard Master Q Astrol: American Pinball(Miscellaneous) From SofEternal Ring Idea Factory: Sky Surfer Jaleco: Stepping Stage Koei: Kessen Koei: Mahjong Taikai Konami: Jikkyoo World Soccer 2000 Konami: Drum Mania Namco: Ridge Racer V(Racing) SCEI: Fantavision(Puzzle) Square: Driving Emotion Type-S(Driving) SunSoft: Street Mahjong Trance T&E Software: Golf Paradise(Sports) CAPCOM: Street Fighter EX 3(3-D Fighting) PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(USA/Canada) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From IGN... 1. Madden NFL 2001 (EA, Sports) 2. SSX (EA, Sports) 3. NHL 2001 (EA, Sports) 4. FIFA 2001 MLS (EA, Sports) 5. Kessen (EA, Adventure) 6. X Squad (EA, Action) 7. Swing Away (Paradise Golf in Japan) (EA, Sports) 8. Sim Theme Park (to be renamed as Theme Park World) (EA, sim) 9. Street Fighter EX3 (Capcom, Fighting) 10. Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco, fighting) 11. Ridge Racer V (Namco, Racing) 12. Summoner (THQ, RPG) 13. Ready to Rumble (Midway, Boxing) 14. Star Wars: Starfighter (LucasArts, Action-Shooter) 15. Unreal Tournament (Infogrames, First-Person Shooter) 16. Evergrace (Agetec, RPG) 17. Armored Core 2 (Agetec, Action) 18. Eternal Ring (Agetec, RPG) 19. Timesplitters (Eidos, First-Person Shooter) 20. Fusion GT (Hresvelgr in Japan) (Crave, Racing) 21. Smuggler's Run (Rockstar, Racing-Adventure) 22. Midnight Club (Rockstar, Racing) 23. Silent Scope (Konami, Action) PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(Europe) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (This part is currently under construction) PlayStation 2 Supported Developers(USA) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From GameZone UK.. 989 Studios 7 Studios Activision Inc Agetec Inc American Softworks Corp AndNow (Virtual Ocean, Nooks and Crannies) Atlus USA Inc Bungie Software Capcom Entertainment Cerny Games Cube Crave Entertainment Digital Anvil Dreamworks Interactive LLC Eidos Interactive Electronic Arts Enix Corp Flesh & Wire (Running With Scissors) Fox Interactive GT Interactive Oddworld Inhabitants (Hand of Odd, Munch's Oddysee) Hasbro Interactive Humongous Entertainment Incredible technologies Infogrames Entertainment Insomniac Games Interplay Entertainment Konami of America LucasArts Entertainment Midway Home Entertainment (Spy Hunter) Mindscape Namco Hometek Naughty Dog Neversoft Psygnosis Red Storm Entertainment Rage Software Shiny Entertainment Sierra Online (Professional Bullrider) Square Electronic Arts Stormfront Studios Sunsoft Surreal Take-Two Interactive/Rockstar TerraGlyph Interactive The 3DO Company THQ Titus Ubi Soft Universal Interactive Working Designs PlayStation 2 Supported Developers(European) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3DO Europe Ltd Activision UK Ltd Argonaut Software Criterion (Trickstyle 2) Codemasters Software Core Design Disney Interactive Eden Studios Eidos Plc Electronic Arts Ltd Eurocom Developments Ltd GTI Software Europe Hasbro Interactive Ltd Infrogrames Entertainment Kalisto Entertainment Konami of Europe Lego Media International Lionhead Studios Rage Software (Untitled Game) Reflections Revolution Square Europe Ltd Take-2 Interactive Software Europe Ltd THQ International TravelersÕ Takes UK Ubi Soft Entertainment Virgin Interactive Entertainment Europe ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION III. PS2-S3 * * * ************ * ************ PLAYSTATION 2/PSTWO GENERAL * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-A. SPECIFICATIONS PS2-S3A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 128-Bit Emotion Engine Multimedia CPU [================================================] Clock Speed: 294.912 MHz Cache Memory: 16KB Instruction, Data 8KB + 16KB Main Memory: 32MB Direct Rambus(RDRAM) running at 800Mhz, dual channel Memory Bus Bandwidth: 3.2GB per second Co-Processor: Two Parallel Vector Operational Units Floating Point Performance: 6.2GFLOPS Polygon Rate: 75 Million Polygons per second(no texture layer), 38 Million polygons per second(one texture layer), and 20 Million polygons per second(two texture layers) Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG-2 The 150MHz Graphics Synthesizer [======================================] Clock Speed: ~150Mhz(147.456MHz) On chip memory(VRAM): 4MB DRAM Frame Buffer Bandwidth: 38.4Gigabytes per second Pixel Write Speed: 2.4Gigapixels DRAM Bus Bandwidth: 48GB per second DRAM Bus width: 2560 bits Integrated 32-bit PlayStation CPU [========================================] Clock Speed: 33.8MHz Regular, 37.5Mhz with Fast Loading enabled IOP Memory: 2MB Sound Processor [======================] Number of Voices: 48 channels, with 3D surround sound Sound Memory: 2MB Output Frequency: 48Khz max(DAT quality) Supports: Dolby Digital, AC-3, and DTS(Digital Theatre System) Miscellaneous [====================] Format: Can run PlayStation games(Black Bottom), Audio CDs(Original or CD-R/ CD-RW), PlayStation 2 CDs(Blue/Purplish Bottom), PlayStation 2 DVDs (Single Layer Silver or Dual Layer Gold Bottom), and DVD Movies Speed: DVD-ROM - 4X speed, CD-ROM - 24X speed Expandibility: Controller Ports(x2), Memory Card slot(x2), USB(Universal Serial Bus) ports(x2), Optical Digital Output, Expansion Bay, a S400 iLink port(this was removed in the later models), and a Type III PCMCIA slot above expansion bay(open the cover first) Dimensions: 301mm(W) x 182mm(D) x 78mm(H), or 12" x 7.25" x 3.125" Weight: 2.2kg(4 pounds and 14 ounces) PSTwo-only Information ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The HDD expansion bay is not present in this version, so the HDD is NOT supported. Also, the PSTwo already included the Ethernet and Analog Modem ports on the back of the system, so there is no need for the Network Adaptor. The PSTwo now has a flip-top rather than a disc tray. Dimensions: 230 mm(W) x 28 mm(H) x 152 mm(D) Disc Capacity ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. PlayStation CD(650MB) 2. Audio CDs(74/80min or 650/700MB) 3. PlayStation 2 CDs(650MB) 4. PlayStation 2 DVDs(One layer - 4.7GB, Dual Layered - 8.5GB) 5. DVD Movies(One Layer/Single Side - 4.7GB, Dual Layered/Single Side - 8.5GB) (One Layer/Double Side - 9.4GB, Dual Layered/Double Side - 17GB) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-B. BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY PS2-3B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- One good thing about the PlayStation 2 is that it can play back all your old PlayStation games! Not only that, but you can also plug in your old PlayStation-compatible peripherals, such as memory cards, controllers, and multitaps. However, there are a few rules to this matter. Games [============] There are some PlayStation games that don't seem to work at all on the PS2. They either crash, freeze, or cause graphical glitches when you turn Fast Loading or Texture Mapping on in the PlayStation Driver menu. Please see Section 3-B-3 for more information on which games are compatible and non-compatible with the PS1 options turned on. Peripherals [==================] Another thing about the backwards compatibility of PlayStation 2 is that it can detect all your old equipment. All official PlayStation products will work with PlayStation 2. Well, here are the conditions in using the hardware. Explanations are given in more detail. Conditions: 1. You must have a PS1 memory card present in order to load/save PlayStation games. 2. You must have a PS1 multitap to play multitap-enabled PS1 games. 3. You must have a PS2 memory card to save/load PS2 games. 4. You must have a PS2 multitap to play multitap-enabled PS2 games. 5. You can copy your PS1 saves to the PS2 memory card for "storage" only. Explanations: 1. If you try to save PS1 data onto a PS2 memory card, the game wont let you. Nearly all the PS1 games wont read the PS2 memory card. However, the game -Suikoden III- can read -Suikoden II- PS1 data for some extras. 2. Shame on Sony for not letting the original Multitap be compatible for PS2 games. Now we have to pay an extra $35 in order for multiplayer mayhem. I'm pretty sure a PS2 game wont detect a PS1 multitap, and the same goes for the PS1 game not detecting a PS2 multitap. 3. For one reason, a PS2 game just can't fit onto a PS1 memory card. PS2 Memory Cards save by bytes, while PS1 games save by blocks. There's more storage into a PS2 memory card than a PS1 memory card. If you even try to save PS2 game data onto a PS1 memory card, the game wont detect it and therefore it wont let you. 4. Same as #2. 5. There's plenty of storage inside the PS2 memory card. A PS1 save comsumes 8kb, so you can store hundreds of saves. If you want to use the saves, you must copy them back to the PS1 memory card. PS1 Games with PS2 Enhancements [======================================] ***READ ON FOR HELP ON ENABLING THE PS1 ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS*** To turn on the PS1 enhancement options from your PS2, start up your PS2 until it goes to the Browser/System Configuration screen. Then simply hit Triangle and it will bring you to a screen giving you a list of version numbers. Go select the PlayStation Driver and hit Triangle, and from there you can turn on the options to makes your games load faster and/or smoothen out visuals. ***END HELP*** Keep in mind that in this section, this is from the listed users experience. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more to contribute. ************************************************************************** ** KEY ** ** FL = Fast Loading ** ** TS = Texture Smoothing ** ** DS2 = Dual Shock 2(if a DS2 is played with the listed game) ** ** * = From Ben Matthews(ben_matthews3@hotmail.com) ** ** ** = From Joseph Manfredi(jmanfredi@monmouth.net) ** ** *** = From D. Minter(dminter@mindspring.com) ** ** ^ = From Roland Linssen(rlinssen@wanadoo.nl, PAL versions only) ** ** ^^ = From John Yaple(elecman_x@hotmail.com) ** ************************************************************************** o---------------o--------------------------------------------------------o | GAME | AFTER-EFFECTS | o---------------o--------------------------------------------------------o | ALIEN | FL decreases load times by 40%. TS gives smoothness to | | RESURRECTION | backgrounds/objects. DS2 makes movements more exact. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | CAPCOM vs | FL/TS must be set to "Standard". Turning them on may | | SNK PRO | produce similar results as Street Fighter Alpha 3. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | CHRONO CROSS^^| TS smoothes out everything, except for key items. FL | | | increases speed, but occasionally crashes game. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DESCENT^ | TS improves graphics by smoothing textures and items. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DDR: KONAMIX**| TS gives very minimal improvement upon graphics. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DOOM(PAL)^ | TS slightly improves graphics, items/enemies smooth, | | | textures still pixelated. FL has no effect. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DRAGONBALL Z | TS smoothes out the actual characters in battle and | | U.B. 22(PAL)^^| backgrounds. FL causes game to crash often. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | DRAGON | TS smoothes out any 2D images such as characters, | | WARRIOR VII* | trees, and enemies. All 3D remains the same. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | EVIL ZONE^^ | TS smoothes out 3D stuff. FL improves loading. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FEAR EFFECT***| None of the four discs would load. PS1 logo lockup. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FINAL FANTASY | On the C.T. disc, the graphics look slightly smoother. | | CHRONICLES^^ | FL has no effect. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FINAL FANTASY | TS is slightly noticeable on things like magic and | | TACTICS** | summons, other things look a little etchy. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FINAL FANTASY | FL causes the game to crash sometimes. | | VII** | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FINAL FANTASY | FL slightly decreases load times when moving from place| | VIII** | to place in a city. TS makes pixelated ground smoother.| |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GAUNTLET | Issues similar to FEAR EFFECT. | | LEGENDS*** | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GRANDIA* | TS smoothes out most of the jaggies in the game. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GRAND THEFT | FL reduces time on game's first loading screen. | | AUTO 2* | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GUNDAM BATTLE | TS smoothes mobile suits, main menu looks etchy. | | ASSAULT** | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | GUNDAM BATTLE | TS smoothes out all the viewable pixels and jaggies on | | ASSAULT 2** | the mobile suits making them look totally revamped. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | HEXEN^^ | FL improves load times significantly. TS smoothens up | | | wall textures and monsters vastly, also cuts slowdown. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | LUNAR: TSSS** | FL makes loading faster when exploring place to place | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MDK^ | TS improves graphics, smoothes textures, causes a | | | slight flickering effect in backgrounds. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MEGAMAN* | TS slightly smooth out everything. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MEGAMAN | TS has no effect. FL sometimes causes game to hang | | LEGENDS 2^^ | when you enter the options menu, up to five minutes. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MEGAMAN X4^^ | TS causes the graphics to have slight borders. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | MEGAMAN X5-6^^| TS causes Zero's saber to move out of his hand. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | METAL GEAR | TS improves graphics, noticeably the blood in the | | SOLID** | Ninja hall. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | METAL GEAR | After-effects similar to regular MGS. | | SOLID: VR^^ | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | NUCLEAR | TS vastly smoothens the 3D graphics, but makes map | | STRIKE^^ | screen grainier. FL improves FMV loading. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | PSYCHIC FORCE | TS makes characters and 3D backgrounds less blocky, | | (PAL)^^ | also causes 2D textures to have weird borders. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | QUAKE II^ | TS improves graphics, Loading slightly faster with FL | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | RAINBOW SIX* | TS smoothes out 2D images. All 3D remains the same. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | RIVAL SCHOOLS | Disc 1, Arcade, does not load. Results are same as | | UBF*** | Fear Effect. Disc 2, Evolution, will load. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ROBO-PIT^^ | FL cuts down loading times completely. TS makes the | | | arenas, robots, and everything slightly better. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ROBOT-PIT 2^^ | TS vastly improves all textures. FL cuts loading times,| | | but sometimes game hangs. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | SILENT HILL | FL causes FMVs to play at double speed. TS sometimes | | (PAL)^^ | causes Harry's left leg to disappear randomly. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | SOUL BLADE** | FL loads battles faster. TS makes slight improvements. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | SPYRO THE | TS smoothes out 3D stuff. | | DRAGON^^ | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | STAR OCEAN 2**| TS gives cleaner sprites on characters and battle | | | backgrounds. FL freezes at selecting New Game/Continue | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | STREET FIGHTER| FL causes game to crash. TS gives slightly better image| | ALPHA 3 | quality. DS2 gives easier time doing rotations. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | STRIDER 2* | TS smoothes out everything. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | TEKKEN 3** | FL shortens loading times. TS improve character models.| |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | THE LEGEND OF | TS smoothes out blocks and jaggies. | | DRAGOON** | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | TOMORROW NEVER| FL makes the music and sounds in the game play way too | | DIES* | fast. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | TORNEKO: THE | FL shortens all load times by roughly 50%. | | LAST HOPE* | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | TOTAL ECLIPSE | TS smoothes out everything. | | TURBO* | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | ULTIMATE MK3^^| Turning either option on forces the game to give error.| |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | XENOGEARS** | TS improves graphics. | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | YGO: FORBIDDEN| TS improves monsters and their attack effects. FL cuts | | MEMORIES^^ | loading times of battles and memory card "data load". | o------------------------------------------------------------------------o EXTRA NOTES ----------- ***Strider 2 - "With Strider 2, the Strider 2 disc behaves oddly on 2 different PS2's I've owned. The Board 1 original release October 26, 2000 model and a Board 7 model I had modded. Even on the unmodded system, the PS2 will sometimes report the disc is not an original and refuses to load it. Brings up Capcom's big red circle with an X through it and the phone number." PS1 games that don't work at all on the PS2 [==================================================] (Submitted by Xjoopx75) March Madness 2000 Gradius Deluxe Pack Toua Plan Shooting Battle Wing Commander III Gallop Racer the Japanese Monster Rancher Dragonbeat Formula One 99 Namco Museum Encore-any version of it Note: Every other game not listed here makes no difference whether you turn on the options or not. Compatibility [====================] At the back of every game case in the bottom, there should be some wide rectangular boxes that tell you which hardware is compatible with the game and how much space is required on the memory card to save. I will list what they mean one by one, in no particular order... a. White Box - Shows how many players can play the game at once. b. Light Blue Box(Memory Card(for PS2) - xxxkb) - The amount of space *minimum* required to save a game on the memory card. c. Pink Box(Analog Control) - Analog Control means you need to be using a controller with two analog sticks. Dual Shock and Dual Shock 2 are prime examples. d. Yellow Box(Vibration Function) - Only a Dual Shock type controller can have Vibration Function. e. Red Box(Pressure Sensitive) - A number of games does use this feature. A Dual Shock 2 is required to play this game. f. Purple Box(Multitap) - The multitap(sold separately) is supported. g. Green Box(Digital Control) - Any Controller will work fine, as long as they are compatible with PlayStation. h. Blue Box(Network Adaptor) - Either requires or supports the Network Adaptor(sold separately). i. Dark Blue Box(Progressive Scan) - Progressive Scan features are only in the SCPH-50000 or later models. j. Red Box(iLink) - iLink is supported. Very few games support it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-C. PERIPHERALS PS2-S3C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From here I will only list the official peripherals they have for PS2 at this time being. This means no third-party stuff. I will also state the cost of each peripheral at this point. I will only listed the cost in US currency. All other currencies are different. Memory Card for PlayStation 2(8MB) [=========================================] Cost: $24.99 for one, $39.99 for two pack Model: SCPH-10020 U The original PlayStation's memory cards were saved by blocks. This time, games are saved by bytes(like PC's). It's up to the developers how much space they want to use on the memory card. Most games take between 16KB -450KB at most. Role-Playing Games has those "save per file" systems where you can save as many files as long as there is space on the memory card. Capacity of one Sony official Memory Card is 8MB. Must be formatted(the PS2 prompts you for this the first time you put in a new purchased memory card) before it can be used. The 'Amaray' PlayStation 2 game cases has a Memory Card storage place inside. However, do NOT push all the way in(YES, this means do not SNAP it in), or else it will be quite difficult to pull it back out. You have been warned. There is a two-pack available from Sony. Saves you ten dollars. Dual Shock 2 Analog Controller [=====================================] Cost: $24.99 each Model: SCPH-10010 U Yes, we all remember the original Dual Shock Analog Controllers. The only thing Analog back then was the twin Analog Sticks. This time, every button you see is analog except for Start and Select. The d-pad this time makes it easier to do rotations in 2-D and 3-D fighting games. Differences between Dual Shock 1 and Dual Shock 2: Dual Shock 1 Dual Shock 2 ------------ ------------ - Only the Twin Sticks All buttons are Analog except are Analog. for 'START' and 'SELECT'. - D-pad is stiff. D-pad is smooth. - Cord is short. Cord is longer. - Doesn't say 'Dual Shock' 'DUAL SHOCK 2' is printed on on top of controller. top of controller. Vertical and Horizontal Stand [====================================] Cost: $9.99 each Model: Vertical: SCPH-10040 U, Horizontal: SCPH-10110 U One good thing about the PlayStation 2 is that you can stand it vertical and still play games in that position. There is also a horizontal stand available if you want to add color to your PlayStation 2 system. PSTwo(SCPH-7001x) will be requiring a new Vertical Stand. Horizontal Stand not confirmed. Network Adaptor [======================] Cost: $39.99 each Model: SCPH-????? U Sony release the ability to go online back in August 2002. They released their game SOCOM: US Navy Seals to go along with it. (For more information on how to set up your Network Adaptor, please read Brutal Es Online Gaming FAQ) The new slimline model of the PS2(dubbed "PSTwo", SCPH-7001x) already has the Network Adaptor built-in. DVD Remote Control + IR Receiver Unit [============================================] Cost: $9.99 each Model: SCPH-10171 For those of you who actually watch DVD Movies on your PS2, this may come in handy. The good thing is that you have more features to play around with. The bad thing is that the IR Receiver Unit will take up one controller port. In later models, Sony implemented the IR Receiver on the PS2 itself. Contributed by Xavier3156@aol.com on May 20, 2004: - There are three versions of the remote. The first did not have the reset and open/close buttons. The second added these. The third and the newest one is the second version remote packaged with a IR receiver and and updated driver disk. Multitap(for 4-Player) [=============================] Cost: $34.99 each Model: SCPH-10090 U Yes, we remember the original Multitap for the PlayStation. Sony has made us a brand new black one. Read Section 4-A-2 for information on compatibility. PSTwo(SCPH-7001x) will be requiring a new Multitap to function. Sony USB Headset [=======================] Cost: $29.99 each Model: SCPH-????? U Yes, this is the headset that Sony released so you can talk to your buddies during online play. SOCOM II and Lifeline are two games that support this peripheral. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-D. DVD PLAYER PS3-S3D ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- One good thing about your PlayStation 2 is that it's able to play your DVD Movies! However, there are specific regions that you can play. NTSC/J machines can play Region 2 DVDs, NTSC/UC plays Region 1 DVDs, and PAL I am not sure of. However, all PS2 systems can play DVDs that have "Region ALL" printed on the back of the case. **The Controls for the DVD player with a Dual Shock/Dual Shock 2 controller** L2 - Rewind R2 - Fast Forward L1 - Previous Chapter R1 - Next Chapter D-pad - Cursor Control Start - Pause/Play Select - Display the Control Panel L3 - Subtitle Options R3 - Audio Options X - Enter Triangle - DVD Menu Circle - Cancel/Stop Square - Title Menu **Note: The Japanese PS2's (NTSC/J) have Circle and X reversed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-E. DIFFERENT WAYS TO HOOK UP YOUR PS2 SYSTEM PS2-S3E ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- RFU Adaptor ----------- Cost: $14.99 Model: SCPH-10071 This means by far the worst way to hook up your system. This adaptor supports most old TVs back in the 90's. Picture quality is dim, have a lot of fuzziness, and gives the PS2 the worst picture it can output. If you are paying so much for this machine, why reduce the picture quality of your games you love?? Composite A/V ------------- Cost: $14.99 Model: SCPH-10030 U This is the one that actually comes with your system. It's a set of red, white, and yellow plugs that connects to the Audio/Video inputs on your TV. Compared to RF Adaptor, the picture quality is brighter, removes most of the fuzziness, and gives a decent picture. Most TVs these day should support this cable. S-Video(Super Video) -------------------- Cost: $29.99 Model: SCPH-10060 U This is one of the higher quality connections you can make. Picture quality is sharper and clearer compared to Composite. It make a HUGE difference, so paying for this cable is a no-brainer. Component RGB ------------- Cost: $29.99 Model: SCPH-10100 U This is the highest connection you can make. This is the clearest output the PS2 can provide. I'm not sure which TVs support these, but you'll definitely need a high-end TV. ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION IV. PS2-S4 * * * ************ * ************ PLAYSTATION 2-ONLY * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-A. WHAT DO I GET IN THE PACKAGE? PS2-S4A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchasing a PlayStation 2 system through retail stores will most likely give you the full package inside. The package includes... PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System 1 Dual Shock 2 Analog Controller(Black) 1 Composite A/V Cable(Red, White, and Yellow Plugs) 1 AV Power Cord 1 Printed Set(Instruction Manual, etc..) Network Adaptor(for Online Pack) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-B. CONNECTING YOUR PS2 TO THE TV PS2-S4B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The System(Front End) ______________________ | |<-----(Reset and Eject buttons) | | | | | | | |<-----(Disc Tray) | | | PS2 | | PlayStation 2 | | | | | (FRONT END) | | | | | | | | | | | |<-----(Memory Card Slots x2, Top) | |<-----(Controller Ports x2, Middle) | |<-----(USB Ports x2 and S400 i-Link, Bottom) |---------------------| (iLink removed for SCPH-3900x/SCPH-5000x) The System(Rear End) ______________________ | | | |<---(Power Switch, Multi A/V Connector, | | and AC IN Connector) | |<--(Optical Digital Output) | | | | | PS2 | | PlayStation 2 | | | | | (REAR END) | | | | | | | | | |<-----\ | |<----- ) The Expansion Bay(and PC Card slot) | |<-----/ | | |---------------------| Step 1. Don't worry about the Expansion Bay for now. Instead take out the AV Power Cord and plug it in the back of the PlayStation 2 where there are two pins sticking out from inside(AC IN Connector), and then plug the other end to a working electrical outlet. Warning: There are voltage issues. 1. If you are using a NTSC/UC machine, then the voltage is 120V. 2. If you are using a NTSC/J machine, then the voltage is 100V. 3. If you are using a PAL machine, then the voltage is 220V. 4. If you live in USA/Japan, then a NTSC/UC and NTSC/J machine is compatible with your outlet. 5. If you live anywhere outside the USA, then you need a Power Converter which is available in any hardware store. Step 2. Now it depends on your TV now. If you see white and yellow inputs somewhere on your TV, then you're in luck because the Composite A/V cable that was included in the package supports it. You will not see the red input if your TV is monaural. See Section 3-E for more information on the other possible way to connect your PS2 to a TV. Step 3. Plug in the Dual Shock 2 controller in the front of the console. It might be hard to see where the port is. Step 4. Once you are done completing Steps 1-3, turn on the Power Switch on. You will see the "Sony Computer Entertainment" logo plus a nice blue background. Then, it will take you to the Browser and System Configuration menu. --------- Main Menu --------- |------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | ** Browser | | * * System Configuration | | ** | | | | | | (X) - Enter (/_\) - Option | |------------------------------------------| This is where you see the Browser and System Configuration options. Pressing Triangle on this screen will take you to the Driver Menu. Console - SCPH-xxxxx Browser - x.xx CD Player - x.xx PlayStation Driver - x.xx DVD Player - x.xx *Pressing Triangle while hi-lighting 'Console' will take you to the Diagnosis feature, which I will no idea on what it does. But Sony claims that turning this on will give you the best possible disc playback. *Pressing Triangle while hi-lighting 'PlayStation Driver' will take you to the enhancements that you can turn on for better PlayStation game playback. Some games work, some don't. See Section 4-A-3 for more information. In this menu you can turn on the following options.. Disc Speed - Toggle between Standard/Fast Loading Texture Mapping - Toggle between Standard/Smooth ------- Browser ------- This is where you manage your save files from your memory cards or start a disc that's already inside the PlayStation 2, if it's compatible. -------------------- System Configuration -------------------- This is where you change your system settings. If you have a memory card, then you'll need 5KB of space to save the System Settings. The following in the System Configuration options can be initially changed regardless of your hookup. - Time, Date, and Daylight Savings(This is where you change your time settings.) - Language(NTSC/J version will only have English and Japanese, NTSC/UC and PAL version don't have Japanese language. Instead, they have English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German.) - Digital Optical Output: On/Off(If you have a speaker system hooked up at the back, you can turn this on, and sound will come out of the Optical Digital Output. - Screen Size(Set your screen size to either a 4:3, 16:9, or Full Screen ratio) - Component Video Out: Either "RGB" or "Y Cb/Pb Cr/Pr", depending on which hookup you are using. Consult your manual for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-C. HARD DISK DRIVE(HDD) INFORMATION PS2-S4C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * ******************* ****************** ****************** * * * * * * * * * * ****************** ****************** The HDD unit was released on March 23, 2004 in the USA by Sony Computer Entertainment America. If you are curious of when it was released in Japan, it was sometime in mid-2001. European gamers wont get it until sometime later. What Do You Get In the Package? [======================================] (Contributed by Xavier3156@aol.com) - 40GB(Gigabyte) Hard Disk Drive(HDD) with brackets - HDD Utility Disc Ver. 1.10 - HDD Manual - HDD Utility Disc Ver. 1.10 Manual - Final Fantasy XI Game - FFXI Manual(which is 164 pages long) - Quick Start Guide(13 Pages long) - Final Fantasy XI Game Disc - PlayOnline/Tetra Master Disc The HDD will come preinstalled with the Final Fantasy XI game and it's additional software. So how much space does it take. The whole thing takes 10GB almost. Let me break it down to you: Final Fantasy XI Game - 8,192MB Tetra Master - 128MB PlayOnline Viewer - 1,024MB Features [===============] Here are some things you should know about the HDD.. (Contributed by Xavier3156@aol.com) The 40GB HDD is preformatted, so the actual capacity of the HDD is 38,144MB. You can put saves of games in the HDD unit, but you can't save directly onto it unless the games supports it.(Many games in Japan support the HDD unit, and only two support it in the USA, so far..) You can, however, transfer the saves over from your memory card for storage only. If you want to use the saves, you must transfer them back. Kind of like PS1 saves on a PS2 memory card. A Network Adaptor is required for installation of the HDD. If you do not have a Network Adaptor, you need to shell out forty bucks to get one. You slide the HDD into the Expansion Bay and then you firmly push the Network Adaptor onto it. Xavier also said: "The HDD is actually just a standard 40GB 5600RPM drive you'd find in a PC. You could probably reformat it and use it as a PC drive if you decide to go temporarily insane." More from Xavier... "I noticed that when you turn the PS2 on(from hibernation" via the front power button) it automatically reads the HDD each time. I noticed that it seemed too slow loading a game by a few seconds but it may just be me because I have been playing .hack and that particular game takes a while to load anyway." "I am not sure about previous version of Ps2's but mine has a light slightly below the 2nd controller port located in the vents. This is a "active" light for the drive and will turn on when the HDD is being read. I am not sure if this was in all versions of the PS2 but the HDD manual notes the light so I would assume it refers to all versions." Contributed by Xavier3156@aol.com on May 20, 2004: "I forgot to mention that certain titles benefit from the HDD. It will speed up load times, etc. The only American release I am aware of that currently uses this is Resident Evil: Outbreak. I believe RE:O actually lets you place the entire game onto the HDD, however I cannot currently confirm this since I do not not have the game." Revised from his message.. - There are older versions of the PS2 without a HDD expansion bay. These versions of the PS2 were only released in Japan, and a external HDD unit must be purchased for it. A lot of Japanese games support the HDD unit, being SCEI released the HDD since mid-2001. Such games that support it are Final Fantasy X, Capcom vs SNK 2, Ace Combat 4, Xenosaga Episode 1, etc.. However, the codes for installing into the HDD has been removed for the American and European versions. - The HDD utility disc has the updated DVD driver(which is ironcically place onto a memory card and cannot be copied/transferred). (There will be more on the HDD pretty soon!! Again, big thanks to Xavier for the information on the HDD.) ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION V. PS2-S5 * * * ************ * ************ PSTWO-only * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-A. WHAT DO I GET IN THE PACKAGE? PS2-S5A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchasing a PlayStation 2(PSTwo) system through retail stores will most likely give you the full package inside. The package includes... PlayStation 2(PSTwo) Computer Entertainment System 1 Dual Shock 2 Analog Controller(Black) 1 Composite A/V Cable(Red, White, and Yellow Plugs) 1 AV Power Cord 1 AC BOX 1 Printed Set(Instruction Manual, etc..) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-B. CONNECTING YOUR PSTWO TO THE TV PS2-S5B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The System(Front End) ________________________ | |<-----(Reset Button) | | | | | | | |<-----(Flip-Top) | | | |<--(USB Port) | | | |<--(USB Port, Bottom)(Eject Button, Top) |------------------------| (FRONT END) | PS2 | |------------------------| | | | | | | | |<-----(Memory Card Slots x2, Top) | |<-----(Controller Ports x2, Bottom) | | |------------------------| The System(Rear End) ________________________ | |<-----(AC IN) | |<-----(Multi-AV Input) | |<---(DIGITAL OPTICAL OUTPUT) | |<---(NETWORK, Ethernet/Analog Modem) | | | | |------------------------| | PS2 | |------------------------| | | (REAR END) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |------------------------| Step 1. Take out the AV Power Cord and plug it in the back of the AC Box, and use that cord to plug to the back of the PlayStation 2 where the yellow input is sticking out from inside(AC IN Connector), and then plug the other end to a working electrical outlet. Warning: There are voltage issues. 1. If you are using a NTSC/UC machine, then the voltage is 120V. 2. If you are using a NTSC/J machine, then the voltage is 100V. 3. If you are using a PAL machine, then the voltage is 220V. 4. If you live in USA/Japan, then a NTSC/UC and NTSC/J machine is compatible with your outlet. 5. If you live anywhere outside the USA, then you need a Power Converter which is available in any hardware store. Step 2. Now it depends on your TV now. If you see white and yellow inputs somewhere on your TV, then you're in luck because the Composite A/V cable that was included in the package supports it. You will not see the red input if your TV is monaural. See Section 3-E for more information on the other possible way to connect your PS2 to a TV. Step 3. Plug in the Dual Shock 2 controller in the front of the console. It might be hard to see where the port is. Step 4. Once you are done completing Steps 1-3, turn on the Power Switch on. You will see the "Sony Computer Entertainment" logo plus a nice blue background. Then, it will take you to the Browser and System Configuration menu. --------- Main Menu --------- |------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | ** Browser | | * * System Configuration | | ** | | | | | | (X) - Enter (/_\) - Option | |------------------------------------------| This is where you see the Browser and System Configuration options. Pressing Triangle on this screen will take you to the Driver Menu. Console - SCPH-xxxxx Browser - x.xx CD Player - x.xx PlayStation Driver - x.xx DVD Player - x.xx *Pressing Triangle while hi-lighting 'Console' will take you to the Diagnosis feature, which I will no idea on what it does. But Sony claims that turning this on will give you the best possible disc playback. *Pressing Triangle while hi-lighting 'PlayStation Driver' will take you to the enhancements that you can turn on for better PlayStation game playback. Some games work, some don't. See Section 3-B-3 for more information. In this menu you can turn on the following options.. Disc Speed - Toggle between Standard/Fast Loading Texture Mapping - Toggle between Standard/Smooth ------- Browser ------- This is where you manage your save files from your memory cards or start a disc that's already inside the PlayStation 2, if it's compatible. -------------------- System Configuration -------------------- This is where you change your system settings. If you have a memory card, then you'll need 5KB of space to save the System Settings. The following in the System Configuration options can be initially changed regardless of your hookup. - Time, Date, and Daylight Savings(This is where you change your time settings.) - Language(NTSC/J version will only have English and Japanese, NTSC/UC and PAL version don't have Japanese language. Instead, they have English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German.) - Digital Optical Output: On/Off(If you have a speaker system hooked up at the back, you can turn this on, and sound will come out of the Optical Digital Output. - Screen Size(Set your screen size to either a 4:3, 16:9, or Full Screen ratio) - Component Video Out: Either "RGB" or "Y Cb/Pb Cr/Pr", depending on which hookup you are using. Consult your manual for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-C. PLAYSTATION 2 VS PSTWO DIFFERENCES PS2-S5C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- +========================================================================+ | PlayStation 2 == PSTwo | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | HDD Support == No HDD Support | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | No Modem/Ethernet ports == Analog Modem/Ethernet ports | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 301mm(W) x 182mm(D) x 78mm(H) == 230 mm(W) x 28 mm(H) x 152 mm(D) | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | All PS2 games will work == Final Fantasy XI will not work | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | PSTwo requires the newer Multitap and Vertical Stand | +========================================================================+ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION VI. PS2-S6 * * * ************ * ************ THE CURRENT GAMES * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-A. MUST HAVE GAMES PS2-S6A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this section, it's just my opinion and what I've seen most of the fans suggested. Some other people may have better opinions than me. Keep in mind that this section is only for PlayStation 2, hence the PS2 FAQ :P. * = From Josh Michalski.. Must-Have Games of 2000 [==============================] Year 2000 wasn't a good year for the PlayStation 2. Some of the launch titles were okay, but it was mostly the backwards compatibility feature that saved it from going down in sales. Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore(3-D Fighting, Tecmo) Dynasty Warriors 2(Action/Strategy, Koei/Omega Force) *Red Faction(Action, THQ) Silent Scope(Action, Konami) Street Fighter EX3(3-D Fighting, Arika/Capcom) Must-Have Games of 2001 [==============================] Now we're talking. 2001 was probably the best year for PlayStation 2 as it had so many amazing titles. Devil May Cry(Action/Thriller, Capcom) Dynasty Warriors 3(Action/Strategy, Koei/Omega Force) Final Fantasy X(RPG, Turn-based, Squaresoft) Grand Theft Auto 3(Action/Driving, Rockstar) Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec(Racing, Polyphony Digital) Ico(Action/Fantasy, SCE) Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy(Action/Platformer, Naughty Dog/SCEA) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty(Action/Adventure, Konami) Onimusha: Warlords(Action, Capcom) Resident Evil: Code Veronica X(Action/Horror, Capcom) Silent Hill 2(Survival Horror, Konami) Twisted Metal: Black(Action/Racing, SCE/Incog Inc.) Zone of the Enders(Mech-type Anime Combat Action, Konami) Must-Have Games of 2002 [==============================] 2002 was a pretty cool year.. Dynasty Tactics(Strategy, Koei) Fatal Frame(Horror, Tecmo) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(Action/Driving, Rockstar) *Kingdom Hearts(RPG, Square-Enix) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(Action/Fantasy, Surreal Software) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(Action/Fantasy, EA Games/Stormfront Studios) *Medal of Honor: Frontline(Action/War, EA Games) NBA Street Vol. 2(Sports, EA) Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny(Action, Capcom) Ratchet and Clank(Action/Platformer, Insomniac/SCE) *Red Faction 2(Action, THQ) Silent Hill 2: Greatest Hits!(if you don't have Silent Hill 2 yet, Konami) SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals(Action/Shooter, SCE/Zipper Interactive) Suikoden III(RPG, Konami) The Mark of Kri(Beat 'Em Up Action, SCE) Must-Have Games of 2003 [==============================] However, 2003 has more titles than 2001 did.. as developers are getting better.... Castlevania: Lament of Innocence(Action, Konami) Chaos Legion(Action/RPG, Capcom) Dynasty Warriors 3: XTreme Legends(Action/Strategy, Koei/Omega Force) Dynasty Warriors 4(Action/Strategy, Koei) Dynasty Warriors 4: XTreme Legends(Action/Strategy, Koei) EyeToy: Play(Miscellaneous, SCEE) Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly(Horror, Tecmo) Final Fantasy X-2(RPG, Square-Enix) Grand Theft Auto Double Pack(if you haven't got the games already, Rockstar) Jak II(Action/Platformer, Naughty Dog/SCEA) King of Fighters 2000/2001 pack(2-D Fighting, SNK Playmore) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(Action/Fantasy, EA Games) Manhunt(Action, Rockstar) *Medal of Honor: Rising Sun(Action/War, EA Games) Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance(if you don't have Sons of Liberty yet, Konami) NBA Jam(Sports - Basketball, Acclaim) Need for Speed: Underground(Racing, EA) Primal(Action/Adventure, SCEE) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time(Action, Ubi Soft) Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando(Action/Platformer, Insomniac/SCEA) Silent Hill 3(Survival Horror, Konami) SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals(Action/Shooter, SCE/Zipper Interactive) *Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell(Action/Stealth, Ubi Soft) Tokyo Extreme Racer 3(Racing, Crave/Genki) Tony Hawk's UnderGround(Extreme Sports, Activision/Neversoft Entertainment) WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain(Wrestling, THQ/Yuke's) Xenosaga Episode 1(RPG, Turn based, Namco/Monolith Soft) Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner(Mech-type Anime Combat Action, Konami) Must-Have Games of 2004 [==============================] Year 2004 is already here, so get ready! Here are some upcoming must-haves for this year! Once again, some are from my suggestions and some are from other PlayStation 2 fan suggestions. Dragonball Z: Budokai 3(3-D Fighting, Atari) Final Fantasy XI(MMORPG, Square-Enix) Jak III(Platformer, Naughty Dog/SCEA) Gradius V(Side shooter, Konami) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas(Action/Driving, Rockstar) Killzone(Action, SCEE) King of Fighters: Maximum Impact(3-D Fighting, SNK) Maximo vs Army of Zin(Action, Capcom) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater(Action/Stealth, Konami) Mortal Kombat: Deception(3-D Fighting, Midway) Neo Contra(Shooter, Konami) NIco(or Ico 2)(Action/Fantasy, SCEA, unconfirmed) Onimusha 3: Demon Siege(Action/Hack n' Slash, Capcom) Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal(Platformer, Insomniac) Resident Evil: Outbreak(Survival Horror/Online, Capcom) Rumble Roses(Female Wrestling, Konami) Silent Hill 4: The Room(Survival Horror, Konami) Siren(Horror, SCEI) Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow(Online/Stealth/Action, Ubi Soft) Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time(RPG, Square-Enix) Viewtifoe Joe(2D Adventure, Capcom) Viewtifoe Joe 2(2D Adventure, Capcom) Games of 2005 and Beyond ******************************* Year 2005 is already here, and here are some games you might want to take note of.(USA release dates only) Castlevania: Curse of Darkness(Action, Konami) Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition(Action/Gothic, Capcom) Devil Kings(Action, Capcom) Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King(RPG, Square-Enix) Dynasty Warriors 5(Action/Hack n' Slash, Koei/Omega Force) Enthusia Professional Racing(Racing, Konami) Fatal Frame III - The Tormented(Horror, Tecmo) Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus(RPG, Square-Enix) Final Fantasy XII(RPG, Square-Enix) God of War(Action, SCEA) Gran Turismo 4(Racing, Polyphony Digital) Haunting Ground(Horror, Capcom) Jak X: Combat Racing(Platformer, SCEA/Naughty Dog) Kingdom Hearts II(RPG, Square-Enix) Metal Slug 4/5(2D Side-shooter, SNK Playmore) Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks(3-D Fighting, Midway) Nanobreaker(Futuristic Shooter, Konami) Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams(Action, Capcom) Ratchet: Deadlocked(Platformer, SCEA/Insomniac) Resident Evil 4(Horror, Capcom) Resident Evil Outbreak File #2(Survival Horror/Online, Capcom) Shadow of the Colossus(Action/Puzzle, Sony) Silent Hill 5(Unconfirmed title, Horror, Konami) SOCOM 3: US Navy Seals(Online Shooter, SCEA/Zipper Interactive) Suikoden IV(Turn-Based RPG, Konami) Suikoden V(RPG, Konami) - Spring 2006 World Soccer Winning Eleven 8(Sports, Konami) World Soccer Winning Eleven 9(Sports, Konami) Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose(RPG, Namco) Xenosaga Episode III(RPG, Namco) 6-A-7. Best Series on PlayStation 2 [===================================] Final Fantasy(RPG, Square-Enix) *Madden NFL Football(Sports-Football, EA Games) Metal Gear(Action/Konami) Onimusha(Action/Capcom) Resident Evil(Action/Capcom) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-B. GAMES DEVELOPED BY SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT PS2-S6B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This part of the section only lists the games developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Some games are released worldwide, and some games are released in their respective regions. (From GameFAQs.Com) SCEA ---- Dark Cloud(RPG) God of War(Action/Greek Mythology) I.Q. Remix+: Intelligent Qube(Music) Kinetica(Mech Racing) NBA Shootout 2003(Sports-Basketball) NFL Gameday 2001(Sports-Football) Popolocrois III Rise to Honor(Action/Martial Arts) Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain(Action/Shooter) The Mark of Kri(Action) TVDJ SCEE ---- Dropship: United Peace Force EyeToy: Play/Groove(Miscellaneous) Formula One 2001 Formula One 2002 Formula One 2003 GhostHunter(Horror) Hardware Primal(Action) This is Football 2002(Sports) Wipeout Fusion World Tour Soccer 2002(Sports) World Tour Soccer 2003(Sports) SCEI ---- Ally of Justice Ape Escape 2(Action) Ape Escape 2001(Action) Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits(RPG) Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 Fantavision(Puzzle) Forbidden Siren(Suspense) Hungry Ghosts Ico(Action/Fantasy) Mojib Ribbon Operator's Side Otosaz Phase Paradox Poinie's Poin Shadow of the Collossus(Action/Fantasy) Sky Gunner Sky Odyssey Space Fishermen Surveillance ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION VII. PS2-S7 * * * ************ * ************ SONY PLAYSTATION PRODUCTS * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. Stay in touch for the: ***************** ********** ***************** * * * * * * ***************** * ***************** * * * * * * * ********** * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-A. SONY PSP(PLAYSTATION PORTABLE) PS2-S7A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost: $249.99(Value Pack - Headphones/Memory Stick/AC/Battery Pack included) $199.99(Core Pack - PSP system, Battery Pack, AC Adaptor) $249.99(Entertainment Pack - Memory Stick/AC/Battery Pack, UMDs) The Sony PSP is a handheld developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. to compete with the Nintendo DS and all other handhelds in the handheld market. It's recent specifications are posted at: http://www.playstationportable.info/ The Sony PSP was released in Japan on December 12, 2004. It comes in two packs. One standard with a AC Adaptor. And a value pack which includes headphones with remote, 32MB Memory Stick, and a leather carrying case. The Sony PSP was released in North America on March 24, 2005. It comes in as a Value or Entertainment Pack, costing 250 dollars. It's also available with a Core Pack, costing 200 dollars. The Sony PSP was released in Europe on September 1, 2005. ***************** ********** ****************** * * * * * * ***************** * ****************** * * * * * * * ********** ****************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-B. SONY PLAYSTATION 3 PS2-S7B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost: $499.99(20GB HDD, Limited wireless capabilities) $599.99(60GB HDD, All wireless capabilities) The Sony PlayStation 3 was released on November 11, 2006 in Japan and November 17, 2006 in North America. Cost is currently not affordable for the average gamer, but that will pass over time. ***************** ********** * * * * * * * * * * ***************** * * * * * * * * * * * ********** * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-C. SONY PSX PS2-S7C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many people will confuse this for the original PlayStation. The original PlayStation was abbreviated "PS" by Sony. The "PSX" abbreviation was made up by the fans. This new PSX that Sony has released features a DVD-Burner, a hard drive, and the ability to play PlayStation 2 games. Here are the current specs for the "PSX" home entertainment system.. (From http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200310/03-1007E/) This just came in from Xavier3156@aol.com: "Sony decided to release the PSX without the DVD burner at the last minute in time for the 2003 holiday season. It looks like the PSX wont reach the states as well.." ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION VIII. PS2-S8 * * * ************ * ************ COMPARISON BETWEEN NINTENDO * * * GAMECUBE AND MICROSOFT XBOX * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-A. COMPARED TO NINTENDO GAMECUBE PS2-S8A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************** Nintendo Gamecube Specifications ******************************** (From http://www.psreporter.com/gamecube_specifications.html) MPU (Microprocessor Unit): 485 MHz custom IBM PowerPC "Gekko" Floating Point Performance: 1.9GFLOPS Graphics Processor: 162 MHz custom ATI/Nintendo "Flipper" Full Scene Anti-Aliasing: Yes Texture-Read Bandwidth: 10.4 GB per second (peak) Main Memory Bandwidth: 2.6 GB per second (peak) Pixel Depth: 24-bit color, 24-bit Z buffer Sound Processor: 81 MHz custom Macronix 16-bit DSP Sound Performance: 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding Polygon Performance: 6 to 12 million polygons per second (peak) System Memory: 40 MB Main Memory: 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM Disc Drive: 128 ms CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system Data Transfer Speed: 16 Mbps to 25 Mbps Media: 3-inch, 1.5 GB capacity disc Controller Ports: Four Memory Card Slots: Two Audio-Video Output: Analog and digital Dimensions: 4.3 by 5.9 by 6.3 inches (height by width by depth) The Game Library [=======================] The PlayStation 2, no doubt, obviously has the bigger game library because it came out a year earlier. While most of the games are Rated Mature on PlayStation 2 compared to Nintendo Gamecube, it attracts more adults into the system. But that does not mean that Gamecube doesn't have any Mature -rated games. It's got Resident Evil from Capcom Entertainment. The Hardware [===================] Central Processing Unit ----------------------- The heart of every console. The Gamecube is a lot faster than the PlayStation 2. It can have shorter loading times as well. Disc Capacity, Load Times ------------------------- Nintendo is trying to reduce load times by using mini-discs. The capacity of this mini-disc is 1.5GB. You'll see more multi-disc games on Gamecube than PlayStation 2. The disc capacity for one PS2 DVD is around 4.7GB for one layer and 8.5GB for dual layer. One good thing about the PlayStation 2 is that it is capable of playing DVD Movies as Gamecube lacks that feature. Graphics -------- Without a doubt the Gamecube can produce much better details than the PlayStation 2. But that doesn't mean the PlayStation 2 have bad graphics. We're seeing some great games with great graphics such as Silent Hill 3, Chaos Legion, and Devil May Cry. As for Gamecube, the Resident Evil Remake from Capcom has pleased every RE fan's eyes, and has put almost 70% of the PS2's library to shame. Expandibility ------------- The PlayStation 2 has two USB ports, one PCMCIA slot, a expansion bay, a network adaptor, and the hard drive. The Gamecube has parallel ports, four controller ports, a serial port, and the ability to hook up a Gameboy Player for GBA playback on games. One of the USB devices for the PS2 developed officially by Sony is the EyeToy. It's true that PlayStation 2 has more expandibility than other next-gen consoles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-B. COMPARED TO MICROSOFT'S XBOX PS2-S8B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- **************************** Xbox Hardware Specifications **************************** The Intel-Custom 733MHz Processor --------------------------------- Clock Speed: ~733MHz Main Memory: 64MB Double Data Rate(DDR) SDRAM Memory Bus Bandwidth: 6.4GB per second Floating Point Performance: 2.93GFLOPS Polygon Rate: 125 Million per second Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG-2 The 250MHz Custom-Designed NV2X ------------------------------- Clock Speed: 250Mhz Max Polygon Performance: 125 Million/sec Pixel Fill Rate: 4.8GB/s, No Texture, One Texture, and Two Textures Compressed Textures: Yes(6:1) Maximum Resolution: 1920x1080(HDTV) HDTV Game/Movie: Yes Full-Scene Anti-Aliasing: Yes The Sound --------- Number of Voices: 64 channels, with 3D surround sound Supports: 3D Audio, Midi/DLS2, AC-3 Miscellaneous ------------- Format: Can run Xbox games, DVD Movies, and Audio CDs. Capacity: Xbox game(DVD-9, 8.5GB) Speed: DVD-ROM - 2-5X speed Expandibility: Controller Ports(x4), Memory Card, Broadband-Enabled The Game Library [=======================] Okay, both PS2 and Xbox have a uber amount of Teen-Mature games. While the Xbox has more better First-Person Shooters than PlayStation 2, the PS2 wins in RPGs and Racing games. Certainly, the Japanese developers would support PlayStation 2 more than they support Xbox because it has a much bigger fanbase and they are still trying to *di-sect* the hardware to give their games the best possible solution. There's not many exclusives on the Xbox than PlayStation 2. Some games are not developed for a certain console because of hardware limitations(even at Capcom's site, they tell you that), or by the wishes of the console manufacturer, not just because of the fanbase. The Hardware [===================] Graphics -------- Let me be clear on something about the graphics between the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. For my opinion, I don't think it can be comparable. It's not that it's unfair, but it just *seems* as if PlayStation 2's graphic capabilities is heading in a different direction than Xbox. Multiplatform games will look better on Xbox obviously. Central Processing Unit ----------------------- Or the CPU for short. The PS2 has twice the performance than Xbox. I'm sorry, but Xbox websites don't tell you that. They only tell you the comparison of graphics and sound. Let me explain.. first, bits don't matter anymore, and MHz don't matter either. It's the FLOPS. You measure a CPU's performance by FLOPS. The PS2 can perform up to 6.2 GFLOPS while the Xbox can do a little over 3.0 GFLOPS. JorDaN Clock(as of 06-19-2004) confirmed: "The 3GFLOPS is the XCPU, which handles things like AI and physics, while the XGPU is 80GLOPS for all the visual stuff. That's why they are different." Mike Hannon(as of 08-02-2006) confirmed: "To be completely blunt with you, FLOPS is a rather poor indicator of actual preformance. It's more of a measurement tool. For instance, the amount of FLOPS in an average 2004 desktop PC is around 2.5-3.0 GFLOPS. The Sega Dreamcast, if i recall correctly, had a 1.2 GFLOPS. Does that, however, mean that the Dreamcast is 1/3 as powerful as a Pentium 4 desktop? Of course not. Run a Dreamcast through 3DMarks and it wouldn't even begin to come close to desktop PCs. I'm afraid MHz (currently now GHz and soon to be THz) is still important. Like Communism and religion, FLOPS sounds good on paper, but doesn't measure up (pun intended) to real-life computational facts." Memory ------ The Xbox has 64MB of DDR SDRAM running at 200MHz. The PlayStation 2 has 32MB of RDRAM running at 800MHz, dual channel. Comparison charts in websites don't tell you that. They just simply state the amount. Even if Xbox had 128MB of memory, Japanese developers would still prefer the PS2's memory system. Why? Beats me, I've just read about this in some article. Contributed by JorDan Clock(on June 19, 2004): - "Well, I am quite sure it has to do with RDRAM having greater bandwidth. If the developers can have greater bandwidth, they don't need larger amounts of RAM. RDRAM is dual channel, thus it has 3.2GB of bandwidth going up and down. So RDRAM technically has 6.4GB of bandwidth, but DDR has to share it's bandwidth between up and down." Expandibility ------------- The Xbox has a built-in hard drive, 4 controller ports, and online-enabled. If you want the same thing for PlayStation 2, you need to dish out over $300 for all the additional hardware. However, for the Xbox, you need to buy a DVD Remote for DVD Movie compatibility. For the PlayStation 2, you don't have to. You can simply use your controller as one, but you'll be missing out on certain features that the official DVD Remote has. PS2 vs NGC vs Xbox - Last Minute Notes -------------------------------------- It all comes down to the developer. A development team such as Hideo Kojima's team at Konami Computer Entertainment Japan can utilize a lot of power with the PS2. The same goes for Square-Enix with Final Fantasy X. Some details are done better on the PS2, and some details are done better on Gamecube/Xbox. A multiplatform game will definitely look better on the Gamecube/Xbox than the PlayStation 2 because the hardware is user-friendly and easier to work with. But a game heavily programmed on the PlayStation 2(FFX, MGS2, R&C) will have to be watered-down to play on the Xbox. The Gamecube can handle it well. Then a game designed heavily on the Xbox(Halo, DoA:XBV, PGR) will have to be toned down for the PlayStation 2 to handle it. But the Gamecube will handle it just fine with some tweaks here and there. Xbox Advantages over PlayStation 2 ---------------------------------- - Best Online Support - Best Sound(More Interactive Music in games) - Comes with a Hard drive and 4 controller ports - High-Resolution support for Gaming and DVD Movies(HDTV required & kit) - PC ports(Easy to port a PC game to the Xbox) - Broadband-Enabled Gamecube Advantages over PlayStation 2 -------------------------------------- - Clearer Sharper Graphics - Faster Loading Times - Four Controller Ports - Easy-to-use hardware PlayStation 2 Advantages over Xbox/Gamecube ------------------------------------------- - Free Online Gaming(except for Everquest and Final Fantasy XI) - Best Controller(IMO) - Larger Library of Games - Backward Compatibility - Expandibility(For In-Home Entertainment) - DVD Movie player does not require remote(where Xbox requires it). Xbox/Gamecube Advantages over PlayStation 2 ------------------------------------------- - Not many Disc Read Error problems.(lol)(Read below for Common Issues) ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION IX. PS2-S9 * * * ************ * ************ PLAYSTATION 2 COMMON ISSUES * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-A. DISC READ ERRORS PS2-S9A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ah, the most common of problems with nearly half of the PS2 owners out there is the dreaded Disc Read Errors(or DREs for short). People said that the SCPH-30001 R models of the PlayStation 2 mostly cause the issue. All others seem to work fine. How to Handle Disc Read Errors [=====================================] There are a few ways to handle the problem. These are from my experience and may not work effectively with you. You are better off if you read the Disc Read Error FAQs that other contributors have posted in this site. They go into more detail and give more effective ways to solve your problems. However, here are my methods: 1. The Sweat Method ------------------- Cleaning: A Disc with a plethora of minor scratches Effectiveness: Low to Rare(1 out of 5 chances) Tools: Lint-Free Cloth and a Person who sweats a lot This may sound confusing at first glance, but if you work out or go out on a hot sunny day and sweat a lot, you take a lint-free cloth and wipe your sweat with it. Then you wipe that sweaty part of the cloth on the bottom of the disc as gently as possible. Then clean it dry and pop the disc inside the PS2. One out of five chances say it will run the disc. 2. Open your PS2 method ----------------------- Cleaning: The Lens Effectiveness: Medium to High(4 out of 5 chances) Tools: Lint-free cloth or Q-tip, and some rubbing alcohol. Most of you know how this goes. Open up the PS2 and clean the lens with rubbing alcohol. Works wonders after you put it back together. 3. Boiling Method(submitted by Rmpace31@aol.com) ------------------------------------------------ Cleaning: The Scratched Disc Effectiveness: Unknown Tools: Boiling Water "Another way to fix the DRE is if the disc is scratched, put the disc in boiling water. I am not sure how long though, but it works." 4. Send it to Sony Method ------------------------- Cleaning: None Effectiveness: High(Guaranteed.. hopefully.) Tools: A Box big enough to hold a PlayStation 2 and work order. The most reliable way to solve a DRE problem. The bad news is that you need to wait a week or so to get it back from Sony. Call 1-800-345-7669 and a Sony representative will give you instructions on how to proceed. **Keep in mind that if your PS2 is modded, don't even think about sending it to Sony. They wont touch any modded PS2's.** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-B. OTHER ISSUES PS2-S9B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Controller [=====================] Very few people have controller problems. However, if you see "Pressure Sensitive" on the back of a PlayStation 2 game case, than a Dual Shock 2 is required. Games such as Silent Hill 2 will prompt you to plug in a Dual Shock 2. For a game like Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, if you plug in a Dual Shock 1, the analog features wont work with it, making some actions unusable. Games that don't tell you "Pressure Sensitive" but strongly recommends Dual Shock 2 for full functionality: Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Resident Evil Code: Veronica X The Bouncer Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (If you have anymore to add, please e-mail me.) The Memory Card [======================] Very few have Memory Card problems. A game such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty will show you corrupted data for each photo file you snap from the digital camera. However, they can be viewed in the game. 1. Why doesn't my game save to my Memory Card? ---------------------------------------------- Reasons: a. You are trying to save PS1 data onto a PS2 memory card. b. You are trying to save PS2 data onto a PS1 memory card. c. Your memory card is full. d. You probably cancelled the save. e. You are not using a official or licensed memory card. Answers: a. You can't save PS1 data onto a PS2 memory card. You must have a PS1 memory card present to save. b. PlayStation 2 saves by bytes, while PS1 saves by blocks. They are two different protocols and can't be used with each other. c. Make sure you have enough space on your memory card. Some game saves take less than what they printed in the back of the case. The reason is that the developers want to make sure you have enough space to save. So if you don't have enough space, free some before you save. d. It's confusing sometimes because some games produced in Japan use their own control method, such as Circle to Confirm and X to go back. You probably got use to pressing the X button to confirm, but instead you cancelled it. Keep that in mind. e. Official memory cards are the ones produced and manufactured by Sony. Licensed memory cards are manufactured by a third-party but tested by Sony to ensure compatibility. If none of these fall into the memory card you are using, then you need to buy a official or licensed memory card. Third-party memory cards will cost less than the ones from Sony. So it's your decision. 2. The mem. card states that there is no data, but the space counter doesn't read 8,192kb(or something like that)?(From PS2 Hardware Board.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reasons: a. You saved unlicensed software into the PS2 memory card. b. You have corrupted data. Answers: a. Action Replay, DVD Region X, or any unlicensed software for the PS2 will cause that glitch. The only way to solve this issue is to buy a new memory card.(Although some of you may know ways around that, you should help those that don't, for your kindness. >^_^<) b. A section of your memory card is corrupted, which means that part will be useless. You may have to re-format it using Sharkport or something like that. (Again, if you know ways around to fix that, tell it to your online friends that don't know how to solve them, for your kindness. >^_^<) For more on memory cards, read ATadeo's Memory Card FAQ for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-C. PROBLEMS(MESSAGE BOARDS) PS2-S9C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why am I doing this? Because for those of you who DO look at this guide, you can probably find your answer here so that you don't ask again. Be sure to tell all your online friends about the solutions as well. So anyway.. From PlayStation 2 Hardware Board.. *Problem #1. From Majin Rosh's topic.."Uh..What the heck..?"(12-25-03) Post: "Okay, I bought a brand new PS2 in june, (my first was broken do to my brother and his friends rough housing. -growls-) And.. Whenever i play dvds, the color fades in and out. i thought maybe it was just my TV, but it doesn't do that with my VHS player or my other DVD player, so it has to be something to do with the PS2 or wiring. any suggestions?" Answer(from omegazeroinfinite): "Some DVDs have a built in code that makes the picture all wonky when the player is run through a VCR. This was supposed to be a way to stop people from recording DVD quality picture and sound on to VHS. Try hooking it up directly to the TV." _____________________________________________________________________________ *Problem #2. From my Topic.."Post your bad experiences with PlayStation 2 and how you fixed it!"(01-21-2004) Reply #1(from Mystnight(1-22-2004): "one of my old problems is that the PS2 had a problem reading my codebreaker v7, and music CD-r's after a little laser adjusting and some litium grease on the tracs, it worked to an extent, the only downside is that it has to sit vertically, as for the DRE's I just swabbed the lens with a q-tip and alcohol" _____________________________________________________________________________ *Problem #3. From Van Dongo's topic.."Question about the Japanese PS2 working in USA"(01-25-2004) Post: "I am looking at purchasing a Japanese PS2 in order to play import games without having to potentially ruin my system with flip-tops or slide cards. My questions are: Will I need any sort of power adaptor, or will the J-PS2 work fine in an American outlet? Do USA-PS2 controllers and memory cards work with the J-PS2?" Answer(from TimiAzN): "Japanese PS2 runs fine on a American outlet, and your controllers and memory cards will be compatible with the Japanese PS2." ______________________________________________________________________________ *Problem #4. From RiotGirl's topic.."Network Adaptor Question!!"(01-27-2004) Post: "does the network adaptor produce any more fees other than your internet connection payments" Answer(from therad00): "Some internet service providers charge you fees, but I'm on Adelphia net and I don't have to pay extras. But if you intend to play Final Fantasy online or Everquest then there are monthly charges." ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION X. PS2-S10 * * * ************ * ************ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-A. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PS2-S10A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- General System Questions +========================+ Q1. My system is giving me Disc Read Errors, what should I do?! --------------------------------------------------------------- There are at least two faqs regarding that matter in the PlayStation 2 Hardware FAQ section. Use them to your advantage. If you are not caring to read them, call 1-800-345-7669 and a Sony representative will help you out. Q2. What is the password for Parental Control?! ----------------------------------------------- The default/master password is 7444. Q3. What is this new model I keep hearing about?! ------------------------------------------------- Sony released a new PlayStation 2 model SCPH-7001x. Differences can be found by searching around the end of the PSTwo section. Q4. Why do some games take up so much space on my memory card?! --------------------------------------------------------------- Very likely, some games such as sports titles require a huge save on your memory card to save a season. Most games produced in Japan will take up less space than the ones produced anywhere else.. For now, with one save, most games should take less than 500KB. Q5. What is this File Protection thing I see when I view one of my game saves?! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A: Some games use it. Some don't. For the games that do, it doesn't protect it from being erased or deleted. It actually protects it from being copied to another memory card, or so I've heard. Q6. I forgot my password for the Parental Control when I want to watch a DVD! How do I reset it?! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A: (from Avilajose01@aol.com): Go to the setup and password screen. Push 7444, then put 7444 again, then 7444 for re-input. Turn off the console for 15 seconds. Then turn it back on and put in the password 7444, and now you can change it to whatever you want it to be. Miscellaneous Questions +=======================+ Q1. Can I help you with this FAQ? --------------------------------- Sure thing, just try to help me with any additional info I might have missed. Q2. Are you a PS2 fan? ---------------------- A: Yes, I am. Not only PlayStation 2, but also a Nintendo fan. Q3. Have you wrote any other guides in GameFAQs? ------------------------------------------------ A: Here is a list of guides I wrote: Terminator: Dawn of Fate Secrets FAQ(Covers both PS2 and Xbox) PlayStation 2 FAQ Aliens vs Predator(for Arcade) Chaos Legion(PS2) Shadow Warrior(PC) Blood(PC, incomplete) The Punisher(ARC) The others(not listed) I'm still trying to complete and get more knowledge on.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-B. E-MAILS PS2-S10B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The e-mails I get regarding my PlayStation 2 FAQ. This may be of some help to others. From Xavier3156@aol.com(12-31-2003): Q: "hello, i just got a PS2 and, since u had a faq, i was wondering if u could answer a question for me. i noticed that my ps2 doesn't have the "iLink" port and was wondering if u knew why this was and/or when this was phased out. i just find it odd that they do something that dramatic w/o a "generation" revision (a la Sega Saturn or the Genesis 2 & 3)." A:The new Sony PlayStation 2 SCPH-5000x models does not have the iLink port because it's not necessary. Due to online-enabled play of course. Q: "also, i have another favor to ask, i have been looking for some of the older games, specifically gundam, and i was wondering if u knew of a good place online to get new, older games. i already know about ebay and amazon was no help. any secret places u know?" A: I may not know sites that sell old games.. but import stores such as http://www.japanvideogames.com/ or http://www.ncsx.com/ would probably still sell them. _____________________________________________________________________________ From nitemare04@hotmail.com(12-31-2003): Q: "I saw and read that Review guide about the Playstation 2 and other compared system but I was looking towards asking about how to leave the playstation 2 set. I am asking you the switch the playstation 2 that you turn on and after you turn it on and by the reset I see a red light that lights up ok and then I press it and it turns green the game starts up. Now the real is that when you turn it off do you turn it off from the back or ether do you just hold that reset button till it turns red again and leave it like that once ready to turn it off or just turn it off from the back manually?" A: From what I've managed to get out of your message, I can answer that there are two ways to turn off your PS2. One is Standby Mode and the other is off mode. If you know you're not going to play for a long while, turn it off from the back switch. If it's just temporary, hold the reset button for one to two seconds until it goes red. _____________________________________________________________________________ From buttman_1969@yahoo.com(01-02-2004): Q: "dude,can u pls give me a tips on how long can i play my PS2??? how many hours?? cause i bought my ps2 this past dec 27 then after jan 1 my PS2 cant read any disc.....it looks like i over used it....pls give me a tip on how long can i play it....." A: Most likely a Disc Read Error problem. It's impossible to get a DRE in a week. Your PS2 can last as long as you can handle it fine, two years at the minimum... Call 1-800-345-7669 to have a Sony representative help you regarding that matter. _____________________________________________________________________________ From skins2848@yahoo.com(01-23-2004): Q: "Hey, I have a question for you. My PS2 cd-rom drive gets stuck and I have to keep trying to open it several times before I can get it to open. I was wondering if there was a way to fix that without sending it in. Any help would be appreciated, thanks." A: If you don't want to send it in, then you should open up the PS2 and see if any part of the drive is misaligned or anything. Something might have gotten stuck between, maybe dust or something. Try to clean it out. _____________________________________________________________________________ From the_firestarter_12@yahoo.com(01-26-2004): Q: "hey. My freind told me some rumors about the PS2 having a cd burner. is this true or is my freind full of it?" A: Very unlikely. The only thing close to that is the Sony PSX, which features a DVD burner and only available in Japan at the time being. ______________________________________________________________________________ From Ruff4Eva1@aol.com(01-28-2004): Q: "something weird i discovered on the PS2 happened today. i was trying to watch this dvd, but like this one unedited version of this comedy act wouldnt play, probably due to like limits or something. So i was playing around in the setup menu and there was a section dealing with regions...like i could put it to Japanese etc, but it did nothing. like, why does it let you choose the region but does nothing?" A: Only Sony knows how to get around that because they know the code. I guess they implemented that in there for a reason, which I don't even know what that reason is. ______________________________________________________________________________ From John Zeitler(08-18-2004): Q: "I came across your excellent PS2 FAQ on GameFAQs this afternoon while searching for information on importing the machine from Japan. (I got hooked on Pop'n Music at Otakon... there's no shame in that, right?) I'm grateful to know that I won't have to muck around with any power converters in order to use the machine here in Pennsylvania, but I'm still a bit confused about the issue of memory cards. I understand that the memory cards are the same for each nation's version of the console, and that a memory card purchased on one side can be used on the other. My question is if data from games on both sides can be placed on the same card. Example: The memory card I have now has data for, say, Sega NFL 2K5. If I were to try to save Pop'n Music 9 data onto the same card, would the game not allow that transaction? Would the US data be lost as the card was formatted for the Japanese system? Or is the filesystem identical, allowing data from both regions to coexist on the card? I am aware that there's no difference in the controllers; I just want to make sure there's no issue with the memory cards. Thank you very much!" A: Okay.. First of all, your message was very well written. Thank you! ^_^;; This message will be included in my PS2 guide for someone to read about it. Now, to the problem... I don't have a exact answer to that, but I can give you my experience for a identical problem I had earlier with memory cards. Okay, I had a MadCatz PS2 memory card. Supposedly, it's the best of all the 3rd-party ones. I have two Japanese PS2s, and one American one. The MadCatz memory card I had can store BOTH system's congifuration files(5kb). But I primarily use the memory card to save American games. One day, when I tried to save data from a Japanese 3rd-party disc known as DVD Region X, the memory card completely lost all data. The Memory Card Manager didn't show anything inside the memory card. So that made me mad and I had no choice but to go out and buy two official Sony memory cards(the two-pack version, Red and Blue). I finally realized that unlicensed software can damage the memory card. First, if you can... try to see if you can get BOTH system's configuration files onto the card. If both shows up, then try to save the game data. I'm sure it WILL work, but it's not definite. I heard that ONLY Nintendo Gamecube's memory cards have regional lockouts on them. If Sony would not let you save Japanese data mixed with American data, they should've printed that in the memory card manual that came with the package, or something along the lines of "For software with NTSC/J, NTSC/UC, or PAL designation ONLY". And the game manual would have stated that as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Jim Caflisch(01-03-05): Q:Hi. I have a question about using a memory card with the new PSTwo console: Can you load games with data saved from the PS2 console? I'm thinking of replacing my old game console with the new version and wanted to be sure. A: The PSTwo is the same as the PS2, so any saves you saved on the PS2 will work on the PStwo. The same rules apply: PS2 games only with PS2 memory cards, etc.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Yik-ho(01-24-05): Q: Do you know if my European Playstation 2 (PAL) can play region 3 dvd's? Cuz I want to import some dvd's from Hong Kong. Most of the dvd's there are region 3. So that's why i'm asking this question A: As far as I can tell, I am not sure myself. I only know about the American and Japanese PS2 systems. I'm sure they can play them. In Hong Kong, the region is PAL afterall -OR- You can Google "DVD Region X" and find that software for PS2. Beware of saving the -DVD Region X- file on your Memory Card though.. as it will corrupt if you have other game saves on it -OR- you can buy a region-free DVD player. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Matt Gilland(05-09-06): E1: If your getting a disc read error. After cleaning the lens. Take off the disc tray and clean the bars that the lens moves on. for the earlier models there are 2 little screws in the top right corner. than it'll slip right out. I used a can of a WD-40 like substance called PB-Blaster. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Rose Diaz(09-20-06): M1: 1 there is a way to to fix the disc read errors on your ps2 with out sending it to the shop, keep in mind that this operation is for people who have steady hands, there is a little screw on different parts of the ps2 lens that if done carefully has that ability to fix your ps2 lens. Where the screw is varies due to the fact that every year the people at Sony have the stones to keep moving the screw around to keep people from repairing it themselves, like I said where it is located varies its location changes every now and then. This operation is trial and error all though people get the lens in the right place with a little tweaking. The thing is is that the lens is not always burnt out but it is merely dirty, moving it around helps the lens get a clear shot at the disc, like I said you don't have to move it around but a little bit not a lot thatÕs how stuff gets broken ha ha. M2: the next topic here is how loud the system can be on one faq that I have read it says that the ps2 only makes noise when the disc is damaged yet one report says that there is an oil that smoothens the tracks on the ps2. I think that this is the problem due to the fact that some of my games are not scratched, is it possible that the tracts need lubrication if so what type of oil do I need any response would be great please mail me back im having a hard time with this. ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION XI. PS2-S11 * * * ************ * ************ MISCELLANEOUS INFO * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-A. PLAYSTATION 2/OTHER LINKS PS2-S11A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HDD Information - http://www.sscorpio.com/~bungiefan/ PSP Information - http://www.playstationportable.info/ PS3 Information/Forums - http://www.ps3insider.com/ Sony Computer Entertainment America - http://www.scea.com/ Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. - http://www.scei.co.jp/ Sony Computer Entertainment Europe - http://eu.playstation.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-B. SECRETS/COOL STUFF PS2-S11B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this part I will list some of the cool things and secret stuff: 1. In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a photo saved on the memory card will show up as corrupted data on your memory card when viewed from the Browser. That is normal, and fixed in Substance. 2. Very recently, Konami has changed their logo to a more Asian style, and renamed their US department 'Konami Digital Entertainment America'. 3. I'll add it in here anyway. Back in April 1, 2003, Squaresoft and Enix merged together to form Square-Enix. The recent FF and Drakengard games have the logo in the front cover. 4. The game Gran Turismo 4 allows you to take pictures and save them onto a USB Thumb Drive. Any Thumb Drive will work. (Contributed by fishmanasc@gmail.com) 5. Konami Corporation has merged most of their subsidiarys. Many personnel have new positions as of now. Check Konami's website for more information. http://www.konami.co.jp/en/ 6. Acclaim Entertainment has gone bankrupt since last August. There were articles explaining the resurrection of the company. (E-mail me if you find more, with a detailed description!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-C. RUMORS PS2-S11C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Rumors about a PStwo name registered by Sony. It seems this will be a small portable PS2, just like they did with the PS1. Sorry I don't have a link to support this rumor, but some of you may know already. UPDATE: Confirmed and already released. 2. Rumors about a PlayStation 2 price drop in 2004 from Sony. More details will be revealed soon. Update: Confirmed price drop. PS2 is now $129.99 - Go pick one up if you haven't already. 3. Rumored Games that has yet to be announced for PlayStation 2.. - Devil May Cry 3(Confirmed) - Resident Evil 4(PS2 version surprisingly announced, release is Q4 2005) - Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes(This will never come out unless Konami wants to redo it. For now, it's only for Gamecube.) - Viewtiful Joe(Confirmed by Capcom) 4. Rumors about PSTwo malfunctioning. - Attention Grabbers. - Less than 0.1% of the PSTwo customers have the problem. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-D. MY REVIEW PS2-S11D ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in mind that this is the exact review I posted in GameFAQs. No changes are made except for spelling mistakes. Introduction ------------ Back in 1994, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. releases the PlayStation in Japan. It was then released later in North America and Europe in Q4 1995. It was successful. It had many great games. The RPGs is what kept this system alive mostly.. mainly Final Fantasy VII. Then in early 2000, Sony CEI launched Sony PlayStation 2 in Japan. And then it was released later in the year to North America and Europe. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.(who allied with IBM and Toshiba) Released worldwide. Features -------- The PlayStation 2 has a lot of features you can play around with. First of all, it can play back DVD movies and you can use your controller as a remote or buy one separately. Don't treat your PS2 as a standalone DVD player, because its DVD is designed to play DVD-ROM games, and you want to pet it as a gaming machine. The best feature overall about the PlayStation 2, and a major strong point about the PlayStation 2, is that you can play back all your old PlayStation games. Some games wont work, and I'm thinking Sony released a list of games that doesn't work on your PlayStation 2. While you play some games, you can also enhanced the graphics and speed up load times by turning the options on in the Driver menu. I'm glad Sony add this in, because then you won't have to pay the extra cash to buy a PS1. Not only you could play your old PS1 games, but also use your PS1 peripherals such as your controller, memory cards, etc.. The inside of the hardware includes a powerful processed Emotion Engine which runs at about 294.913MHz, 32MB of Rambus technology RAM running at 800MHz, and a 24X/4X CD/DVD drive. The system includes 2 USB ports(for future add-ons), a S400 iLink port(connect one PS2 to another), 2 controller and memory card slots, and the ability to twist the logo outside the disc tray if you stand it vertically. Peripherals/Design ------------------ The controller is so far the best one I've used since I started playing video games. The Dual Shock 2(more advanced than the original Dual Shock) adds the Analog feature to all the buttons except for Start and Select. All the buttons are positioned correctly and it makes life more easier to play games with it. There is a MultiTap 2, which allows up to 4 controllers to be connected so you can play multiplayer games. Also there's a Memory Card, which allows you to save games up to 8MB.(PS2 Memory Cards use Bytes[like computers] rather than Blocks which the PS1 memory card uses.) The remote controller (which sells now for $14.99) lets you control your DVD Movies more than what the controller has to offer. A controller port is required to use the remote controller. Not only you get the remote, but you get a disc where you can update your DVD drivers... Other accessories you can get for your PS2 are a Vertical Stand and an Horizontal Stand. Both stands add color to your PS2, so you don't have to see it in black all the time. The Vertical Stand lets you put your PS2 vertically, while the Horizontal is self-explanatory. The design of the PlayStation 2 looks incredible! Sony always makes their products sleek and futuristic. Games/Graphics/The Future ------------------------- First-generation games(games from launch year 2000) that came out the same time as the system wont look graphically detailed. So Sony decided to make games so that other top-quality developers can get an idea of how to use to hardware of such a complex machine. One game by Sony is Ico, their most artistic masterpiece. Other games from Sony include Primal, The Mark of Kri, etc.. Other games that use compressed power of the PlayStation 2 would be Gran Turismo 3. By Q4 2001, the PS2's strong point, games tend to look better and better. Konami releases Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2. Square releases Final Fantasy X. As technology gets better, these developers can get to the max performance of the PS2 hardware. Any game, as of up to Q1 2003 can be improved upon, because not one game has yet to use more than 50% of what the system has to offer. The PlayStation 2 can do a lot of physics and neat effects that'll last for 2-3 more years. The future of PS2 is among us. Better games will come out for the system, making this happy for our lives. Future games include Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy X-2 and XII. Long live PlayStation 2! And to remember, the PS2 is more than just gaming and DVD. It's a Sony product! Sound ----- The PS2 has a Optical output so you can connect Sound hardware to give your PS2 more sound quality. The PS2 can produce up to 48 channels of sound. Anyone who complains about the sound of the PlayStation, then you should have your ear checked out. While the original PlayStation only can produce to about 24 sound channels, this system merely doubles it with exciting new features, such as Dolby Surround support for games like Metal Gear Solid 2. Overall ------- Buy this system. It'll last you for a while before PlayStation 3 comes out. Somes games I recommend are the ones from Sony, Konami, Sega, Capcom and Squaresoft. The others you choose for yourself. The system now costs $149.99 at retail stores now that Sony has made a price drop again. Buy it, you'll love it... but it's definitely your choice. My final rating for this would be 10/10. Yes, a full score. I've had my PS2 for two and a half years and it's working along fine.. ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ************ ******* ************ SECTION XII. PS2-S12 * * * ************ * ************ CREDITS * * * * ******* ************ ............................................................................. ............................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-A. CREDITS PS2-S12A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Credits --------------- - Thanks to GameFAQs(CJayC) for posting my PlayStation 2 FAQ! - Thanks to GameFAQs for SCE-development information! - Thanks to YOU for buying the system and reading this FAQ! - Thanks to Sony for creating the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System! - Thanks all other websites(IGN, GameZone UK, PSreporter) for information! Hotmail/Yahoo Credits --------------------- wdleun@hotmail.com(Contributor, Problems) ben_matthews3@hotmail.com(Ben Matthews)(Contributor, Many Information!) campkillyourself315@hotmail.com(Josh Michalski)(Contributor, Games) AzazelDracos@yahoo.com(Contributor) chat_emuraude@hotmail.com(Kevin Simard)(Contributor, Pressure Sensitive) elecman_x@hotmail.com(John Yaple)(Contributor, PS1 Enhancements) FLASH_AZ@msn.com(Rose Diaz)(Contributor) flyinghigh21@hotmail.com(Mike Hannon)(Contributor) gc_pocketz@hotmail.com(Matt Gilland)(Contributor) America Online Credits ---------------------- Xjoopx75@cs.com(Contributor, Compatibility) Rmpace31@aol.com(Contributor, Disc Read Error) sldfghtrike@sbcglobal.net(Jeffrey Avila)(Contributor, Pressure Sensitive) Xavier3156@aol.com(HDD Information) AIM Credits ----------- JaakuKyubi(Toyin Oluwole)(Contributor, Problems) JorDan Clock(Contributor, Tech Specs) FAQs & Guides ------------- - Thanks to ATadeo for Dual Shock 2 and Memory Card Information! - Thanks Brutal E for the Online Gaming FAQ! - Thanks KabutoHunter, LordAtomic, Col_Sandoz/XShady for creating the Disc Read Error FAQs! - Thanks to bungiefan(in the Gamefaqs message board) for providing a link to his HDD guide for the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System. - Thanks to dsxgate for creating the PSX FAQ topic in the PlayStation 2 General Boards! Others ------ - Thanks to Roland Linssen(rlinssen@wanadoo.nl) for more information on the PS2 enhancements from PS1 games.. - Thanks to Joseph Manfredi(jmanfredi@monmouth.net) for more information on the PS2 enhancements from PS1 games.. - Thanks to D. Minter(dminter@mindspring.com) for more information on the PS2 enhancements from PS1 games.. - Thanks to all others at the message boards for help and helping others with their politeness...! - Thanks to John Zeitler for a extra problem I had never incorporated into the guide! - Thanks to Josh William(fishmanasc@gmail.com) for extra information! Sony ---- "PlayStation" and "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks and "PS2" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Copyright Sony Corporation 1995, 2000. All rights reserved. "PSX" is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation, Copyright 2003, 2004. All rights reserved. "PSP" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-B. THANK YOU E-MAILS PS2-S12B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ____________________________________________________________________________ From eins_alpha@hotmail.com(Raymond Bernstein)(01-27-2004): Response: "Just wanna drop by and say thanks for the PS2 FAQ you made. Im really amazed with the dedication of your FAQ (its friendly and comprehensive) ;) Keep up the good work and the professionalism!!!" ____________________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-C. REVISION HISTORY PS2-S12C ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.71 - I kinda reconstructed the guide a little. No new information, really. Some information was taken out of the guide. I felt that it was filler to begin with. (January 14, 2007) 2.70 - Long time, no see. A huge update on all the information I received by e-mail over the last year or so. Lots of new information, including tech info and PS1 enhancements..(November 3, 2006) 2.51 - Changed User Information. New account now. Fixed some information. Made changes.(October 21, 2005) 2.49 - Scanned through the guide, added some new stuff, made some changes, and that's about it.(May 4, 2005) 2.47 - Not much added. I thought I might add some extra e-mailed problems to the list.(May 1, 2005) 2.39 - Minor Information added in the Secrets/Cool Stuff section. Ouch, not many updates these days. =) (March 12, 2005) 2.37 - My apologies to the confusion of PSTwo not playing some PS2 games. It only rules out Final Fantasy XI(due to the game requiring the HDD). Everything else so far seems to work fine. Also, there are other changes to the FAQ and new updates. (January 6, 2005) 2.34 - Made some minor changes. Nothing big.(December 12, 2004) 2.32 - Fixed some mistakes with the package of the PSTwo. Other minor changes made as well..(October 15, 2004)(114kb) 2.30 - Newly redesigned guide for the first half of the guide. The second half remains the same.. This update covers the newly redesigned PS2 Sony recently released October 2004. That's all there is to it...Hope this will help some people. I will continue to update as long as I get more information.(October 14, 2004)(113kb) 2.17 - Just some small revisions. A new e-mail has been added to its respective section to help improve the quality of the guide. There's not very much to update these days, but eventually more information will come.(August 18, 2004)(108kb) 2.15 - Thanks to Roland Linssen, the PS1 compatibility on PS2 machine has been updated with a few more games. Reorganized the Credits List to give the readers a easier time to read.(August 15, 2004)(105kb) 2.10 - Added more Memory Card information in Section 4-B-1. Also, I have decided to create new headings for every section. Power to the PS2 guide. Remember, ladies and gentlemen, if you have anything to add/spot something missing/suggestions/any other form of contributions, please feel free to e-mail me anytime.(July 31, 2004)(103kb) 2.00 - NEW REVAMPED GUIDE! No, it's not 200% complete. It's been revised. Many of the sections were out of place, and now its fixed, giving the reorganized guide a better look(hopefully). If you are use to the old one, now its time for this new one. More than half of the guide still remains the same though... and a entire new section has been added for some more information...(July 24, 2004)(95kb) 1.99 - More new additions, such as the different between the two Dual Shock controllers, and more Pre-FAQ questions. Fixed some other mistakes as well. (July 20, 2004)(~94kb) 1.97 - Xavier3156 contributed more information on the HDD unit. Big thanks to him again! Also, thanks to another kind contributor for additional information. No, this guide isn't close to 200% complete as the first version I've created was 1.00. It's more like getting close to 100% complete but I'll never know. There's too much to know about the PS2 and its hardware/accessories and more information comes every week.(June 20, 2004)(90k) 1.94 - Created a new Section, Section 5: Hard Drive Disk(HDD) information, thanks to Xavier3156@aol.com. He contributed a chunk load of HDD information, and more will become available soon. Big claps to him =).(May 19, 2004)(88k) 1.89 - Nearly a month without an update. Looks like it's close to completion, but it needs more revision. So, what's new? I updated the PS1 games on PS2 list and fixed some more mistakes thanks to some kind supporters. (May 16, 2004)(84k) 1.86 - Seriously, it's long time no update. Well, I think I've gotten enough information for another update, although it's not much really. Updated the Disc Read Error section thanks to one person, and also the Frequently Asked Questions section as well. Set up a Pre-FAQ question section up top before you read the contents.(April 19, 2004)(82k) 1.81 - Fixed some mistakes, updated Section 9. 9-B. E-mails. Also updated Frequently Asked Questions in Section 9-A. More information contributed by Ben Matthews on PS2 enhancements for PS1 games and color boxes info. Updated other various info. Added a new section in the credits, titled Thank you e-mails.(January 29, 2004)(81k) 1.71 - More on Section 5. PS1 games on PS2, submitted from e-mail by Joseph Manfredi, fixed some mistakes, and included a 'What I need list' under the Revision History, other various updates, and updated Section 8. 8-C. Problems from Message Boards. Also added a part in Section 1. 1-C about the main menu of the PlayStation 2 system.(January 23, 2004)(76k) 1.59 - A new part in Section 8. 8-C. Problems from Message Boards., and other information on Memory Card Troubleshooting. Reorganized diagrams and contents. Updated Must-Have list, thanks to Josh!(January 20, 2004)(71k) 1.33 - Added a new Part in Section 5. Updated Section 5. PS1 games(from Ben Matthews) on PS2 and 10. Frequently Asked Questions, and other minor updates. (January 8, 2004)(67k) 1.26 - Fixed Some Mistakes, More Information in Section 11. Miscellaneous Info, and added developer information to the Games 2000-2004 lists. Also updated Section 7 with the specifications of the other next-gen consoles, and various info! Updated Section 8. PlayStation 2 Common Issues.(January 4, 2004)(65k) 1.19 - Added links in Section 11, included more information in the Contact Information. Set up a E-mails List in Section 10.(January 3, 2004)(58k) 1.16 - Created Section 11: Miscellaneous with Some Info, Updated Various Other Info, and fixed some errors. Changed Credits to Section 12. Included Review...(January 2, 2004)(54k) 1.1 - Updated Section 4-C-2(DVD Movies) with Dual Shock controls, Updated Frequently Asked Questions in Section 10, rearranged the games List from 2000-2004 in alphabetical order.(December 31-January 1, 2004), and various other info.(47k) 1.05 - More Information Added(December 31, 2003)(44k) 1.04 - Some Launch Information Added and Other Various Info. Guide first posted in GameFAQs.(December 29, 2003)(42k) Sony PlayStation 2 FAQ Copyright(©) Naru2005 2003, 2007