The Gamer's Quarter

[friedchicken]

I know there's a lot of folks here who are really good at finding things. You know, obscure games, etc.

Well, what I want to know is this: Can anyone here get me a line on a used Japanese PS2? I'm not even looking for a system in great shape, or that is complete with cables. All I want to do is occasionally swap out my US PS2 for a Japanese one, to play one or two imports. Then swap back and repeat as needed.

EDIT: I should perhaps stress that I've looked all over the place online, but to no avail. I'm not just being lazy and asking someone else to do the google search for me.

I had considered modding PS2 or using one of the myriad sway disks, but y'know, my elderly PS2 was bought on launch day and has outlived many of my friends' systems bought later on. I don't want to tempt fate. I'd rather try and find a cheap, not in the best of shape used console.

Plus, the last time this was brought up someone suggested NCSX.com as a company that does modding. They're my import company of chooice to begin with, and as far as I can tell, they no longer mod PS2 systems.

Let me speak for a minute about eBay. I know that there are occasionally used Japanese systems there, but after thinking it over, by the time I add in shipping, the cost is so close to what I can get a new PS2 it's hardly worth it. Plus I have to deal the whole international shipper syndrome.

So am I asking for too much? If so please tell me and I'll start looking at new Japanese consoles.

[SuperWes]

I bought my Japanese PS2 when I was in Japan. I had to go with a new one and it wasn't cheap, so I'm guessing you probably aren't going to easily find a used Japanese system in America. My best suggestion would be buying one from either Play Asia or NCSX.

-Wes
_________________

[dessgeega]

[SuperWes]

Me too. Playasia's got silver ones for $220. Which is a lot of money, but it's also braggable. And if you buy a lot of imports you're used to paying a little bit too much for bragging rights.

-Wes
_________________

[xvs07]

[GSL]

Modding - in the form of having a chip installed to defeat the hardware lockout in most console systems - is insanely hard on the system, and in most cases will often shorten the expected lifespan of a system to a year and a half at best. The fact that modchips essentially brute-force hardware lockouts into believing a disc is coded for the proper region probably has something to do with it, although I've heard stories about bizarre power fluctuations caused by having a chip installed as well.

I had a roommate from Thailand who seriously went through three modded PS2s in the span of as many years, and we're talking the professionally done mods from what's essentially a thriving industry in some Asian countries. The PS2s all acted fine for a few months, and by the end of their lifespan they were failing to read ANY discs, and horrible grinding noises would emit from the drive. Yes, we kept the system clean and put nothing but CD/DVDs inside the door.

If you have a launch-era PS2, I would give it six months at the most to conk out if you have a modchip installed. What I do recommend, as I've used it myself for the import DDR titles that are invariably better than the dumbed-down ones we recieve in the US, is a flip-top case. They're relatively cheap, reversable, and to my 2+ years of experience, perfectly safe for your system.

[chompers po pable]

I have a flip-top mod on my PS2, and it works fine. I have had the system (bought it used) and the mod for two+ years and it has never given me any problems. It cost me twenty five bucks and five minutes of work. Granted, the warranty is voided as soon as you cut the sticker off of the back of the machine, so.

[dark steve]

You ever tried to replace a sony product that was under warranty, though? Yikes.

[Scratchmonkey]

I got a "professional" mod job done on my PS2 and about 6 months later, it began screwing up to the point where trying to boot disk works about 1 time out of 50, which means a lot of rebooting.

Thankfully, they set it up so that if you turn on the PS2 by holding down the "Eject" button, it locks out the mod. So I can still play PS2 games, just none of the Japanese ones that I own. I've been meaning to just buy a Japanese PS2, I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[friedchicken]

Thanks everybody for your responses. Yeah, I had been leaning toward getting a new one, but it's tough to consider a brand new system that will just play the tiny handful of imports I'm interested in.

In the meantime I've got a bid in on a reasonable eBay auction.