Swap Magic: Worthwhile or Not?

Bangai-BingO · Post by **Bangai-BingO** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:42 am

Anyone here have any experience (positive or negative) using Swap Magic 3.3 to play imports on their Playstation 2? I'm thinking of getting it to play Espgaluda and Giga Wing Generations...although I may just pick up a JPN PS2 so I can play import PS1 titles as well. Money is really not a factor, but at the same time I don't want another system sitting around unnecessarily. I would just put a modchip in my system, but everyone I know (with a chipped PS2) has had nothing but DRE after DRE problems, no matter what chip. Swap Magic with a flip top seems to be the most unobtrusive way around this...no worries of overheating, soldering errors, etc. Any thoughts?

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:15 am

I would just go with a jps2. No good games that have come out here haven't come out there, but not vice versa. Swap magics are a headache, but they're worlds better than not being able to import at all. Most of the best shit on ps2 is sadly overseas.

benstylus · Post by **benstylus** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:47 am

I have a swap magic, and while it works for 90% of my import games, there are some where it just doesn't work at all. Most of my imports are the Sega Ages 2500 games, and of those, I have 3 that don't work using Swap Magic.

I plan to get a new slim model Japanese PS2, but I'll have to wait until I have the money to spare for that.

I would recommend it if you can't afford a J-PS2, as it works well most of the time, but be sure your games will work with it. If you can get a J-PS2, that's the better (though much more pricey) choice though.

Post by **Ghegs** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:34 am

Get someone who actually knows what they're doing to handle the modding.

Swap tricks might also not let you play all modes in a game, as is the case with DDPDOJ. "Death Label" (the boss rush mode) runs off a separate executable. And I'm not sure, but I have a vague recollection of someone not being able to start Psyvariar 2 at all with a swap.

Bangai-BingO · Post by **Bangai-BingO** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:58 am

The more I think about it, the more I tend to lean towards buying a modded PS2. I just don't want the hassle involved with swapping boot discs and games, and I really don't want the clutter associated with owning another system. Plus I could use a new sexier, *slimline*, PS2.

BIG · Post by **BIG** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:35 am

I've heard that the SwapMagic 3.3 does not support DVD-9 discs.

BIG-

oxtsu · Post by **oxtsu** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:17 am

So long as the modchip is installed precisely and original game discs are used , there shouldn't be any greater reliability problems than a normal un-modded system.

sffan · Post by **sffan** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:54 pm

I used to have an american PS2 to which I installed a no-solder mod-chip and used swap-magic disks. As someone else stated, DOJ Death Label didn't work and Psyvariar Complete Edition didn't run beyond the intro screen. Shienryu Explosion didn't run either.

Anyway I got a new PS2 with a pre-installed mod-chip and it plays American & Japanese PS2 games and American & Japanese PS1 games with no problems. It won't play import DVDs though, as far as I can figure out.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:33 pm

I have a PS2 + version using a fliptop and Swap Magic 3.3 discs. No problems for me at all. DOJ Death Label works perfectly, as does Psyvariar 2.

5parrowhawk · Post by **5parrowhawk** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:11 am

I've got an old-model PS2 and am using the Slide Card. Don't have DOJ, but Psyvariar Complete works for me.

benstylus · Post by **benstylus** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:36 pm

Ghegs wrote:Get someone who actually knows what they're doing to handle the modding.

My system isn't modded.

Just using the slide card with the swap discs.

shmup-o · Post by **shmup-o** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:20 pm

Ganelon wrote:I have a PS2 + version using a fliptop and Swap Magic 3.3 discs. No problems for me at all. DOJ Death Label works perfectly, as does Psyvariar 2.

Can you elaborate on 'DOJ Death Label'? Do you mean DDP DOJ works fine (as it did with the 2.0 discs) AND that you can play the Death Label/Boss Rush mode (which did NOT work with the 2.0 discs)??

Psyvariar Complete also did not work with the flip-top as it had two .exe files. It would boot up, go to menu, then freeze.

Hopefully the Psyko Collections won't do the same thing...

Also, you can play PS1 games by picking up a GameShark or a similar US Cheat disc, you just boot up the cheat disc and put the PS1 game in.

Bottom line? The flip top is a great, cheap way to get into imports.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:19 pm

First off, DDP DOJ works perfectly by itself.

When you enter Death Label, it just loads for a few seconds and works perfectly as well.

It may have not worked before with earlier Swap Magic discs but it does now (at least with my SCPH-50001 PS2).

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:48 am

A guy I know got The Rumble Fish today (the PS2 port) and his swap discs are anally raping him yet again. Sucks that most of his imports won't boot up.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:58 am

It won't play import DVDs though, as far as I can figure out.

have you tried holding down the reset button after you boot it up with the switch in the back? Sometimes modchips need tricks such as these...which model of chip do you use?

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:08 am

For the games which don't work with Swap Magic, it is possible to get some of them to work but it requires a second swap of a different disc (which you can download off the net). There is a list somewhere of what games require what extra swap.

Anyway, for my un-modded PS2 I use a Swap Magic plus Slide Card, and I can tell you it's a big hassle. Probably less so with a flip top, but honestly, direct-boot is much more convenient. Modded is really the way to go. If you're not confident with doing it yourself, get it done professionally. I've done nasty console case mods and stuff but from what I've read on PS2 chipping, I just bought a pre-modded system.

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:52 am

Just get a Japanese PS2 and quit dicking around. Yeah, you'll have one more system to deal with, but forever onward you'll have no worries. I got one about two years ago, and it's become the mainstay of my collection.