Free McBoot Query

[Memor-X]

i was directed to this site and to Free McBoot from another forum that i make a post asking how i could get NTSC PS2 Games to work on my 60GB PAL PS3, after finally being suggested to use this i came here (lucky i had my PS2 out also because Ratchet and Clank lags like hell in heavy action on the PS3)

after reading up about this i am curious if i was directed to the right place, so i'll ask this here

can Free McBoot allow me to play NTSC PS2 games on my PAL PS2, the games won't be backups or copies, they will be originals (hopefully), i want to know because i want to get .Hack//G.U, got all of .Hack (part 4 being the hardest) from the UK because the series is discontinued here in Australia and ebay only had PAL Copies of it in the UK, after searching for .Hack//G.U, found there are no PAL copies of it on ebay (and every update to the search just brings up the novels which i don't want at this time)

[dlanor]

can Free McBoot allow me to play NTSC PS2 games on my PAL PS2,

FMCB is just a homebrew boot system. It is not directly involved in making any games bootable. But it does allow for the launching of various other homebrew programs which do have the ability to run games in various forms.

the games won't be backups or copies, they will be originals (hopefully),

That is not possible, except by modchip or 'disc-swap' methods that are harmful both for the original discs and for the CDVD drive.

The CDVD controller chip (aka: mechacon) performs region checking on a low level that no system software can interfere with, so original PS2 game discs from another region than the console will always be refused.

But that does not apply to backup discs of the same games, when using the ESR patch method. This entails 'ripping' the original disc content to an ISO file which is then patched by a special program after which the ISO file is burned to a DVD-R disc.

This tricks the mechacon into treating that disc as a DVD-Video movie (thus game regions do not apply) while the higher level PS2 system is tricked into still using the disc as a game. Such backups therefore work fine regardless of the game region.

Another backup method is to transfer the original disc content into an image file stored on internal HDD or external USB drives, or even on a PC for runtime access by the PS2 over LAN. The backup game loader OPL (Open PS2 Loader) supports all of those backup methods. And since the game content is then not read through the mechacon, this too makes the game region irrelevant.

i want to know because i want to get .Hack//G.U, got all of .Hack (part 4 being the hardest) from the UK because the series is discontinued here in Australia and ebay only had PAL Copies of it in the UK, after searching for .Hack//G.U, found there are no PAL copies of it on ebay (and every update to the search just brings up the novels which i don't want at this time)

Those games should work fine with either ESR or OPL as booted by FMCB, regardless of whether you get hold of PAL or NTSC versions.

But another aspect to consider in using out-of-region games is whether your TV set can handle the video mode of those games. Usually this is no problem for modern HDTV sets in PAL regions, since most of them support both PAL and NTSC signals. And for SDTV sets of older kind which accept only PAL we have homebrew drivers which can make NTSC games run in PAL too (or vice versa). (Search for "GSM" if interested.)

Best regards: dlanor

[Memor-X]

That is not possible, except by modchip or 'disc-swap' methods that are harmful both for the original discs and for the CDVD drive.

what about Swap Magic, one of the install methods of Free McBoot is using it and i saw on the Swap Magic site there's a tool that comes with it called the Slide Tool which goes under the tray, unlocks something and then pulls it out, that's harmful?

i always thought with Free McBoot you would first install it to the memory card then after words you boot it up with Swap Magic, then use one of the apps in Free McBoot to boot the disk (after swapping Swap Magic for it) to bypass the region checking, was i wrong?

[djflexmaster79]

what about Swap Magic, one of the install methods of Free McBoot is using it and i saw on the Swap Magic site there's a tool that comes with it called the Slide Tool which goes under the tray, unlocks something and then pulls it out, that's harmful?

i always thought with Free McBoot you would first install it to the memory card then after words you boot it up with Swap Magic, then use one of the apps in Free McBoot to boot the disk (after swapping Swap Magic for it) to bypass the region checking, was i wrong?

OK, well first off. using a SLIDE TOOL, is VERY HARMFUL to a PS2. What it basically does is pulls the DVD drive gears in a non-functioning way. Could break teeth off of gears.

There is to many other options to take then risk damaging your PS2.
IE, members here do an install of FMCB for you.

FMCB is basically the standing stone of playing backups. FMCB is installed to a MC. And after that you use ESR, to load your backup games.

There really isn't another reason per-say to use swap magic again after FMCB is installed on a MC..

DJ

[Memor-X]

oh man, i came here thinking Free McBoot would allow me to play original NTSC games on my PS2 and making a backup of the game to use with Free McBoot seems kinda....i don't know, crappy, no offence or anything, it's a good idea this but i'm the kinda of person who would download an entire series of anime and then go off and buy the entire series on DVD then no longer use the download (probably just to archive it in case if there's a power outage and my laptop still have power), i don't really want to buy a game i really want to get just so i can make a copy of it and use that instead

this probably is a bit off topic but in a sense it does kinda go with the post but is there any other way i could play original NTSC games on my PAL PS2 with or without Free McBoot, or even with my PS3 (take note that i'm hesitant with modding my PS3, it's one of the original 60GB which you can't buy in the shops and can get on ebay for $650+)

[TehJawknee]

i don't really want to buy a game i really want to get just so i can make a copy of it and use that instead

The reason you make a backup is to save the wear on your original. I have seen more than a few originals that are too scratched up to be read by the laser. Using your backups lets you abuse them as much as you want as you will go ahead and have your original to make more later if they get damaged.

If you damage your original, you will end up having to buy another.

[spud42]

did you say you already had swapmagic? or were you going to buy it? I can do an install for you for the cost of postage only. save buying a disk you may use only once.

TehJawknee is right about using a backup especially on hard to get games. the last thing you need is a scratch to make it unplayable...... but its up to you i guess its your choice but i would strongly advise against trying to slide tool your PS2.

BTW which model PS2 is it?

[Memor-X]

@TehJawknee: the game i want to play .Hack//G.U isn't all that hard to find in NTSC format, it's just impossible to find in PAL format, that's all, but you do have a point, at one point or another it will become rare (unless Bandai gets PSN to release the games on the PSN Store like what Square did with FF 7 - 9 (no longer rare if you can download them when ever you want)) but i take so much care with my games, Final Fantasy VII which i've had since i was 9 (i think, i was real young) is barly scratched and i've played and beaten the game like over 50 times and put almost 5,000 hours in it (roughly guessing, each one of my games is about 100 hours long) ofcause i have an ISO of that on my computer to use with EPSXE to speed up the game when all my consoles was in storage

@spud42: going to buy it, still got to raise the money at the garage sale we will have, i'm not exactly what model it is, it's PAL, it's one of the big bulky ones, it says SCPH3......not sure, the number starts with a 3 and i think its SCPH, that's how i remember the EPSXE Bios File, i would like that problem is that 1. my mum only buys stuff from ebay, 2. i was going to give the money to my friend to buy it for me, 3. not sure where you are or how much you charge, like if you got a site then i could check it out

[spud42]

top right corner of every post of mine.... Brisbane.

i do not charge anything to install FMCB. the only expense you have is the postage and envelopes to me and back to you. get your mum to read the first post in the FMCB installer thread. i am no kid and i have done over 50 installs all around the country from Perth to cairns and Melbourne...... $5 for envelopes and post is better than $39.95 plus post for swapmagic

Playstation 2 Software
not pushing this vendor just backing up my claim on the price of swapmagic.