Really Frustrating PS2 Controller Problem...

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed May 30, 2007 10:44 pm

Okay, something is up with my PS2, and I have no clue what it is. Here's what happened...

Recently, I bought myself a new US PS2 game, and wanted to try it out: it had been a few weeks since I'd last used my US PS2 system, but it had worked fine last time I'd used it. So I put the game in, it loads fine, and within a few moments I'm at the title screen, instructed to push Start. I did.

Nothing happened.

I pushed it several more times, quite firmly, and still nothing happened. Puzzled, I return to the main menu, and the controller appears to work there: I can still select the menu options and confirm/cancel them with the face buttons. So now I plug the controller into the 2P port and try it there.

Still nothing.

Wondering if the game somehow has something to do with it, I take out one of my other PS2 games (which had played with no problems previously) and load it up, and arrive at the "Press Start" prompt. I obey.

On this game also, suddenly nothing.

Somewhat frustrated, I head over to where my JPS2 is, complete with 2 controllers. I transfer one of them over to the US PS2, plug it in, and the exact same problem occurs. Back I go to the JPS2, where this time I boot up a game and attempt to play it with the remaining controller: all the buttons, including Start, work fine as they always have. So I take one more trip to the US system, plug it in, and...

...guess what.

At that point I figured I'd better ask for some help...all indications seem to be that my US PS2 system, for reasons beyond my comprehension, has suddenly decided to stop responding to the "Start" button, and the "Start" button only, on every controller I have. This is the first time it's ever done this to me, and I have no clue what's going on.

Does anyone have any idea what might be the problem, and what I might do to solve it? You have my gratitude.

D · Post by D » Wed May 30, 2007 11:29 pm

are you sure it is just the start button? That would be very odd. other controls buttons should be affected as well IMO.
What do I know......
Perhaps try the R3 and R1 buttons as well. PS pads have 8 pins, right?
maybe try booting with different controllers. maybe it's just one slightly faulty controller that does something strange when the ps2 boots with that.
*damn, I'm clueless* I want to help, but it makes no sense.
Corosion on the pins? Maybe a certain voltage for the start function is too low to pass back?

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu May 31, 2007 1:06 am

D wrote:I want to help, but it makes no sense.

Tell me about it...I actually fiddled around with it some more and the plot thickens, lucky me...

First thing I did was test the controller that was originally in the US PS2 in my JPS2 - worked without a hitch. A little while later I fired up the US PS2 again, but this time attempted to load the older game first: lo and behold, the start button (and everything else) works fine. After playing for a few minutes to make sure things stayed that way, I reset back to the main menu and exchanged the older game for the new one...

Guess what, the start button still won't work for it!

Now I'm even more confused. I switch back to the older game one more time, and it plays fine, just like before...one more switch to try the new game again, and no luck.

I'm not sure what made the button not work for everything earlier on, but as of now it just seems not to like the new game for some reason...one stupid possibility I'm considering is the fact that I'm using an "old" Dual Shock, and not a Dual Shock 2...maybe some bug/glitch in the new game makes it only work with a new controller or something? I'm completely clueless...and I really don't want to spend 25 bucks to test this theory out.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Thu May 31, 2007 1:59 am

Doesn't sound strange at all. If you haven't been able to get past the Press Start screen, do you know for sure that it's just the Start button and not all the buttons for that particular game?

As you deduced, certain PS2 games do not work at all with PS1 controllers (regular, analog, DS, it doesn't matter). Just let us know what the game is and somebody can probably test it out for you.

And by the way, it's literally impossible for a PS controller port to suddenly kill off the Start data without affecting every other button press on the data signal.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu May 31, 2007 2:04 am

Ganelon wrote:It's literally impossible for a PS controller port to kill off the Start data without affecting every other button press on the data signal.

I would have guessed this sooner, but the fact that my older game, which had worked previously, stopped responding for awhile had me going nuts, especially since the buttons did seem to work on the main menu.

As you deduced, certain PS2 games do not work at all with PS1 controllers (regular, analog, DS, it doesn't matter).

Wasn't aware of that...then again, I wasn't aware that Giga Wing wouldn't work on an RGB connection either. And heaven only knows what other fun discoveries I'll make during my gaming exploits, heh heh.

Just let us know what the game is and somebody can probably test it out for you.

The game in question, if anyone wants to try this out, is Odin Sphere.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:56 pm

Well, Ganelon, it appears that you were right...I snagged myself a used Dualshock 2 and Odin Sphere responded fine. I was seriously unaware of this issue though...I'd never experienced it with any of my other games, import or domestic. Guess I'd best keep it in mind, thanks for your help.