Why am I having trouble finding PS1/PS2 Shmups?

[Ganelon]

Yes, you specified examples but not a number. Obviously, it would be stupid to keep rotating heavyweight/fragile things. I'm asking for the number of small-to-medium size TVs that have broken on you compared to all the TVs you've rotated. I don't have any experience with arcade monitors and never mentioned them in any of my posts.

[system11]

Yes, you specified examples but not a number. Obviously, it would be stupid to keep rotating heavyweight/fragile things. I'm asking for the number of small-to-medium size TVs that have broken on you compared to all the TVs you've rotated. I don't have any experience with arcade monitors and never mentioned them in any of my posts.

Ok, well we will count the one where the flyback arced when the solder points failed, we will count the one that exploded when a heavy cap worked it's way out, and we will count the JAMMA that discoloured. Arcade monitors are better built to withstand this abuse than televisions, which aren't designed to sustain it at all - by virtue of the casings they are in as much as anything else. So that's 3.

You'll notice I said ones that are turned on their side and left that way will likely fare much better - it's people who frequently rotate the screen who might see issues. I refer to arcade monitors too, because the construction and function is pretty much identical - a CRT after all.

People will tate their screens - have fun with it, if I had one suitable I might do too, but don't even for a moment suggest its perfectly safe. They come in a box marked 'this way up' for a reason.

[Ganelon]

Fair enough; you've had a bad experience with them. At home, I use a 15-year old 21" TV that I keep rotated on a small table. Nobody uses it so I have it for my TATE shmup sessions and it's given me no problems. Again, I haven't the slightest clue on how arcade monitors are different so I guess I'll just keep in mind that rotating them isn't too safe.

[Blade]

I still have my doubts about Swap Magic (I've read about how some people actually ended up with a broken disc tray), however, I've heard it spoken by the guys at Codejunkies that a Gamecube version of Freeloader (a disc that apparently negates game regions) has been made, no little card to stick in the slot, no flip-top to screw in. I know Action Replay Max does it for DVD regions, which I know works. Here's hoping for a PS2 version.

Here's something I thought of as a possibility for Tate problems: is there a way to hook up a PC monitor to your PS2 and set it to Tate if Tate is an option on the PC monitor?

And I may decide to get the games mentioned, regardless of terrible opening Game screen.

[BrianC]

I still have my doubts about Swap Magic (I've read about how some people actually ended up with a broken disc tray), however, I've heard it spoken by the guys at Codejunkies that a Gamecube version of Freeloader (a disc that apparently negates game regions) has been made, no little card to stick in the slot, no flip-top to screw in. I know Action Replay Max does it for DVD regions, which I know works. Here's hoping for a PS2 version.

Here's something I thought of as a possibility for Tate problems: is there a way to hook up a PC monitor to your PS2 and set it to Tate if Tate is an option on the PC monitor?

And I may decide to get the games mentioned, regardless of terrible opening Game screen.

The Freeloader has been around for awhile. It works becuase the GCN's region protection is easier to bypass than the PS2's. There is a similar device for the Dreamcast called the DC-X too.

[Ganelon]

I still have my doubts about Swap Magic (I've read about how some people actually ended up with a broken disc tray), however, I've heard it spoken by the guys at Codejunkies that a Gamecube version of Freeloader (a disc that apparently negates game regions) has been made, no little card to stick in the slot, no flip-top to screw in. I know Action Replay Max does it for DVD regions, which I know works. Here's hoping for a PS2 version.

Here's something I thought of as a possibility for Tate problems: is there a way to hook up a PC monitor to your PS2 and set it to Tate if Tate is an option on the PC monitor?

And I may decide to get the games mentioned, regardless of terrible opening Game screen.

Yeah, fair enough. It is conceivable for someone to mess up installing a fliptop so if you're not comfortable with that, then you'll have to keep out since there aren't easier alternatives for the PS2.

Like BrianC said, Nintendo doesn't put all that crappy protection into its systems so you can swap the Freeloader as easy as you would a DC-X. You can thank PS2's difficulty with Sony implementing multiple disc checks whenever you hit the eject button. You'll never get something that easy with the PS2 thanks to that. Even bypassing via a USB exploit requires soldering to allow the exploit to pass through.

As for PC monitors, I'm not sure what you're getting at there. Yeah, you can connect your PS2 to a PC monitor, say with a VGA converter. However, what PC monitors have a TATE "option?"

[roker]

However, Swap Magic only works with PS2 and not PS games; supposedly, a PS1 boot disc will work but I've stuck to playing PS1 games with my PS and Goldfinger.

that's the only thing stopping me from buying a swap magic disc, I still don't know how to get my ps1 games to work

any info on the PS1 boot disc?

I don't play backups at all

[Ganelon]

A swap disc called Breaker Pro is supposedly able to work as a boot disc for PS1 games. However, I'm a bit skeptical. First off, I'm not sure if it features cheat codes to circumvent the later anti-modchip PS1 games. The PS-X-Change (which is only for PS1 systems) I hear featured them but didn't allow codes to be saved anywhere, which would've made those games a huge hassle to swap.

Also, I'm not sure Breaker Pro features accurate tracks and track lengths to play games with Redbook audio (leading either to no music from the Redbook tracks or the game freezing while trying to search for that track. PS-X-Change did not feature that support and Goldfinger required you to experiment with your most compatible US Redbook games (often with not-quite-right results) so I'm not sure how well any ordinary PS1 boot disc for the PS2 would function.

[roker]

A swap disc called Breaker Pro is supposedly able to work as a boot disc for PS1 games. However, I'm a bit skeptical. First off, I'm not sure if it features cheat codes to circumvent the later anti-modchip PS1 games. The PS-X-Change (which is only for PS1 systems) I hear featured them but didn't allow codes to be saved anywhere, which would've made those games a huge hassle to swap.

Also, I'm not sure Breaker Pro features accurate tracks and track lengths to play games with Redbook audio (leading either to no music from the Redbook tracks or the game freezing while trying to search for that track. PS-X-Change did not feature that support and Goldfinger required you to experiment with your most compatible US Redbook games (often with not-quite-right results) so I'm not sure how well any ordinary PS1 boot disc for the PS2 would function.

looks like I should continue to save up my money for an import PS2

I don't understand why Sony (:roll:) makes it so hard to play imports, the backups I understand, but this import stuff is frustrating to say the least

[Ganelon]

It doesn't help that they use blanket protection either. For example, the Saturn checked for both region and legitimacy separately and was nice enough to let its cart slot have the ability to bypass region detection. Meanwhile, it still wouldn't play backups, which was fine for us. Then you have the PS's, which try to prevent anything non-legit NTSC/UC from running. Pretty lazy and/or control freakish if you ask me.

[raiden]

I don't understand why Sony makes it so hard to play imports, the backups I understand, but this import stuff is frustrating to say the least

that´s the local branches of Sony fighting for their share. In the case of games which get localized, the local branch has to pay for translation and stuff, so they don´t want to lose out on people who prefer an import version, for example if it´s availlable half a year earlier or runs faster (Ntsc vs. Pal games). It´s funny in many ways: instead of trying to compete by doing a good conversion job, they try to force customers into buying a version they realize is crap. When it comes to organizing production, companies think as global as it gets, but they don´t allow their customers to share this attitude when buying their products. We are supposed to let ourselves get herded into market zones like sheep, because this whole regionizing doesn´t only try to prevent getting media before schedule, but simply locks out a big part of the market. You are just not supposed to play something like Dodonpachi Daioujou if you happen to live out of Japan. Be a good boy and buy GTA San Andreas like all the others do.

[FatCobra]

What I want to know is why shmups died out here in the States in the first place, they used to be EVERYWHERE in the early 90s.

[BrianC]

What I want to know is why shmups died out here in the States in the first place, they used to be EVERYWHERE in the early 90s.

I put the blame on the terrible review sites that don't review shooters fairly and call everything that doesn't at least have 20 hours worth of gameplay short. Some of those are popular and some people base their "opinion" way too much on those reviews.

[Ganelon]

My theory: people started expecting single-player length in their games as well as 3D visuals so any 2D genre with a short 1P game, be it sidescrollers, fighters, or shooters, were deemed to have little modern replay value and were thus widely ignored.