Import shooters on PS2...

llabnip · Post by **llabnip** » Sun May 15, 2005 3:50 am

Well... yard sale luck has hit! I got an amazingly cheap US PS2 and after a bit of cleaning it works (a bit loud, but it works!). I went out and picked up Gradius V at the local EB games... but that's all I have for it! Obviously, imports are where it's at... Short of buying a Japanese PS2, what's the best way for me to be able to play DDP-2 and Sengoku Ace (those are all I care about at the moment). Will a PS2 boot disc work? Anything to attach to the USB or expansion ports? Or will I have to bust out the soldering iron for this one...

The other US shooters they had were MLF2 and Silpheed:TLP... neither of which looked good. Gradius V is amazing looking... not quite up to the level of Gradius Gaiden yet... but I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

roushimsx · Post by **roushimsx** » Sun May 15, 2005 5:02 am

IIRC with a boot disc you won't be able to play Black Label Mode in DDPDOJ.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sun May 15, 2005 5:09 am

Death label, to be technical.

Anyways llabnip, I recommend this, and from that site as I can vouch for their reliability.

TVG · Post by **TVG** » Sun May 15, 2005 5:16 am

death label isnt very interesting imo, unless you find the main game too easy or something, as far as im concerned its full of patterns i cant cope with and im just forced to bomb bomb bomb, very interesting experience if you can defeat all 2ND loop bosses a full rank with a hyper activated easily i guess.

random shit: if you play DOJ with HD loader the "super replay" part of simulation will desync at stage 1-5 and 2-5, kinda like when you get a bad mame version for an imp or something.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sun May 15, 2005 7:26 am

You know llabnip, given that you're a fan of the PS1, it'd be a good idea for you to import a PS2 anyways for the fact that you can smooth out the visuals and the big one decrease the loadtimes via the options menu you get if you boot it with no disc in the drive.

I'll let everyone know the extent of the load reductions when mine arrives

matt · Post by **matt** » Sun May 15, 2005 7:45 am

The fast loading gimmick makes most of my games crash :/

IMO, modchips are the way to go for the most convenience in playing imports. These days, they're pretty darn sophisticated and will even wash your dishes for you. Getting the mod done can be pricy, but I think it's worth the expense (if the guy does a good job).

Post by **system11** » Sun May 15, 2005 12:45 pm

matt wrote:The fast loading gimmick makes most of my games crash :/

IMO, modchips are the way to go for the most convenience in playing imports. These days, they're pretty darn sophisticated and will even wash your dishes for you. Getting the mod done can be pricy, but I think it's worth the expense (if the guy does a good job).

Thing is, it costs more to have done than you can find second hand JP PS2s for.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Sun May 15, 2005 12:52 pm

You might want to pick up R-Type Final too, llabnip. It's not of Delta quality, but it's still more than worthy imho. Keep in mind that it's slow paced and hampered by some noticeable slowdowns, though.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:02 pm

Way to go llabnip!

Don't forget ESPgaluda and that insect-based cave game coming out in a couple months! What? Not excited about Dragonblaze?

There's also plenty of non-shmup ps2 goodness that is well worth your time. Where's your copy of Katamari Damacy?

icycalm · Post by **icycalm** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:50 pm

The "insect-based" game is Mushihime sama.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Sun May 15, 2005 3:04 pm

roushimsx wrote:IIRC with a boot disc you won't be able to play Black Label Mode in DDPDOJ.

Actually, with recent Swap Magic discs, Death Label works perfectly fine. That's at least v3.3 and above (don't know about 3.2 or before but it's not like you can still buy those versions anyway from online stores).

Nei First · Post by **Nei First** » Sun May 15, 2005 5:33 pm

But are these boot discs as reliable as the Dreamcast ones?
Or is it still better to get a mod/Jap PS2?

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Sun May 15, 2005 6:05 pm

I'm too cheap to get it modded. I just paid my $30 some for a fliptop and Swap Magic. No regrets in hindsight since it hasn't given me a problem in the infamous DOJ Death Label, Psyvariar 2, or any game. No Shienryu yet to try it out though.

I still hear of problems with Swap Magic still so they're not extremely reliable (though much of the problems are probably from pirating), certainly not as much as, say, DC-X for the DC. For pure reliability, a JP system is best. For excellent reliability (if done properly), a mod in the US should be somewhat cheaper. For the inexpensive and possibly less reliable route, there's boot discs. And for those who don't care about reliability or prices, there's crappy, inconsistent snap-on and no-solder modchips.

How much are you charging for PS2 mods nowadays, matt?

matt · Post by **matt** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 4:35 am

Ganelon wrote:How much are you charging for PS2 mods nowadays, matt?

I stopped. I no longer have enough time to deal with them in a responsible manner, and my real job pays the bills better these days.

I'm sure there are still some good modders out there who don't charge an arm and a leg.

Metal Gear Okt · Post by **Metal Gear Okt** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 4:42 am

Ganelon wrote:
roushimsx wrote:IIRC with a boot disc you won't be able to play Black Label Mode in DDPDOJ.
Actually, with recent Swap Magic discs, Death Label works perfectly fine. That's at least v3.3 and above (don't know about 3.2 or before but it's not like you can still buy those versions anyway from online stores).

Ahh, that's the answer i was looking for. I'm planning on picking up ESPGaluda, DDP DOJ, and Mushihimsama right off the bat. I'm sure I'll pick up Ibara whenever it makes its way to PS2 as well.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:14 am

Psyvariar was also released on Import PS2...I didn't like it much because it was so short...my copy sees very little gameplay anymore.

Although it not PS2, Zanac X Zanac (Zanac Neo) is always a good choice...one of the best overhead shooters made for PS1, with classic Zanac thrown in for extra measure.

You can't beat that with a brass duck.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:01 pm

i'm looking to possibly sell my ZanacXZanac with reg and spine. pm me if interested (please include offer).

trades also considered here is list