So I got two Pelican Real Arcade Universals...

[Edmond Dantes]

... What should I do with them?

I seem to recall there was some scare about them damaging PS2s back in the day so I'm afraid to test them, but honestly nowadays I can't find any info whatsoever except for some video of a guy hammering one to prove how Ford Tough it is.

(Sorry if this is the wrong forum section--as usual, I wasn't sure).

[ubersaurus]

I've never had any problems with mine or my friends' on PS2, honestly, though I would recommend changing out the parts for Happ/iL ones. They fit in really easily and are way better quality.

[Edmond Dantes]

How do you do that?

I just tested one on my modded PS2 (slim model). It didn't work, and then I played R-Types with a normal controller and the vibration didn't work, which I recall being one of the symptoms... but, then again, that particular PS2 was kind of having problems anyway, and I've got another, good PS2 that I'm afraid to plug these sticks into for fear that it'll destroy them.

I forgot to mention this, but I actually have had these sticks for awhile and just now rediscovered them in boxes of stuff.

[ubersaurus]

To be fair, I haven't actually tried them on a slim in a long time, but I recall it never doing anything to my friend's slim back when that still worked.

You can replace the buttons and stick by unscrewing the bottom of the case, removing the wiring (and hopefully label them), and then pop out the bottoms and stick from the case. Then you solder the wiring back onto the new items and you're pretty much set... it's not the easiest thing in the world but it's a lot easier than having to mod the case itself.

[Edmond Dantes]

I recall reading back in the day that the best way to make sure it won't fry a PS2 is to just replace the PCB, but I have no idea how to do that and I always heard that if you do then the stick can't go into Analog mode anymore (I'm not sure how big a deal that would be tho).

Maybe I'll just trade/sell them and use the money to get a Horii or two. the PS2 is pretty much the only system I play Fighters on.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Is it a real hazard? Fry a PS2 and not an Xbox or GC? I bought one not long ago, would like to know if there is anything to that or not. It's certainly new to me.

[ubersaurus]

I recall reading back in the day that the best way to make sure it won't fry a PS2 is to just replace the PCB, but I have no idea how to do that and I always heard that if you do then the stick can't go into Analog mode anymore (I'm not sure how big a deal that would be tho).

Maybe I'll just trade/sell them and use the money to get a Horii or two. the PS2 is pretty much the only system I play Fighters on.

I've replaced the PCB on mine so I could use it on the Wii for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. I'd suggest looking into a Cthulhu PCB; they have multiconsole functionality, and you can even reuse the same cable. It's a little time consuming and requires you being able to trace the wires on the cord, but it has a nice little grid to solder the various wire ends to, and if you want to get more involved, you can tweak it to work on a LOT of other consoles.

[Edmond Dantes]

The "frying PS2s" thing is true. I had it happen on a fat PS2 back in the day, which is one reason I both put these sticks away and went strictly old-school for awhile, and why I'm scared to test them on my good, brand-new Slim now.

Specifically, what happens is they can burn out the part that powers the controller's rumble. That may sound like a small thing, except that this also prevents a lot of peripherals from working, and I'm sure it leads to greater damage over time (and that's not even mentioning games like Metal Gear Solid 3 which is pretty much unplayable without rumble, at least IIRC)

There were also IIRC mixed reports that sometimes they won't work on Slim PS2s at all, but that apparently is hit or miss.

There were never reports of it doing this to the X-Box or Cube, and no I don't know why.