Best way to play an American PS2 game in the UK?

[FantasiaWHT]

Hey folks!

Got a friend from the UK visiting now, and I got him completely hooked on Katamari Damacy!

But it hasn't been released in the UK and it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

What's the cheapest way to get that done? Is there a way that's easier to do but less expensive? The only thing I can think of is buying a US PS2, TV, and the game here and a couple power-plug adapters for the different outlets heh.

Any help would be appreciated

[poloplayr]

Buy a modded PS2 or get a modchip installed in you PS2.

[shvnsth]

do modded ps2's work on pal tv's? im going over there for 10 monthes next year, and was planning on bring a console of some sort with me.

[FantasiaWHT]

Anything more specific? Like what exactly am I looking for and where do I get it?

[poloplayr]

I guess your talking about a modded US/NTSC PS2? They should work, all you need is a step-down converter for electricity.

I'm running a modded PAL PS2.

I think www.divineo.co.uk is still selling pre-modded systems.

[Captain Wrong]

Related, anyone know how to go the opposite way (UK PAL to US NTSC)? We picked up some games on vacation we'd like to play. I can play imports, but of course the display is screwed up because of the differences in TV formats.

[Mayhem]

Here's what he can do to play Katamari once back in the UK.

1) Assuming he has an old style (non slim line) PS2, then get a copy of Slide Magic to be able to play imports on a PAL console.

OR

2) If he has a slim line PS2 already, then there's a new copy of SM available that fools the lid into thinking it's open so you can do the swop trick with it.

OR

3) The problem with either of those two methods is it will eventually knacker the drive unit. If he has a slim PS2 already, he can buy a slimline US PS2 and use the UK power supply with it when he gets back. This is only possible as the power unit is outside the machine a la Nintendo.

OR

4) Get the PS2 mod chipped, but it needs more work on a slimline than an older model, plus you should really compensate for laser burnout with certain resistors in place. Your local friendly modder (whose avoiding Sony's attention) can help you there.

OR

5) If he's got an old style PS2, get a Maxtor HD of between 40MB and 200MB, a network adapter card and a copy of HDloader or HDAdvance. Now without a mod chip in the PS2, you can't install imports with the HD software, but you CAN connect the HD to a PC and run a special program on it to copy the game to the HD that way instead. Remove the HD, attach to PS2, run HD software and play

Either way with ANY of these methods, he should also pick up an RGB cable to avoid any NTSC output problems. The Blaze cable available from many online outlets is very good value for money for what it does. It also has a switch on it to go over to composite if playing DVD movies (to get around the green screen effect).

OR if he's really nice, I might consider selling the spare modded PS2 I have here at home

@Captain Wrong - you'll ideally need a device that supports either PAL, or the games in question have 60Hz mode (as with the PS2, they invariably are NTSC 60Hz NOT PAL 60Hz, unlike the Cube which WILL be PAL 60Hz. Why? Laziness I guess, just the way it goes). OR find a device that supports RGB and get an RGB cable to connect to it.

[FantasiaWHT]

OR if he's really nice, I might consider selling the spare modded PS2 I have here at home

He IS really nice! He works for Firefly, the company behind Stronghold

Thanks for all the advice!