PS2 memory card issues

[Rev. Link]

A few months back I bought a new PS2 memory card (1st party). I was running out of room on my only other card, a MadCatz that has served me well for years. I moved all my Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman saves to the new Sony card. Since then I've only used that card maybe once.

Then the other day I finally got around to buying Tony Hawk's Underground 2. I put my Sony card in slot 1 started it up. I get a message saying no memory card is detected in slot 1. So I take the game out and try to access the cards with no game in the system. Both cards come up and I start browsing the Sony card. While I'm doing this the system kicks me back out to the card menu and now only the MadCatz card is showing.

I haven't tried to use my PS2 since then. That Sony card is practically brand new. Is it dead? If so, I'll be pretty pissed. It cost $5 more than a 3rd party card, and I'd hate to lose my Tony Hawk saves! Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

[InsaneDavid]

I've had some similar problems with my PS2, nothing exactly the same but close.

I've had first party PS2 cards sometimes not show up in the browser or be seen when autoloading a game. Turns out the connection was loose and the card just needed a bit of shaking around (think NES game in a toaster NES) until it popped up in the browser.

Now this made no sense to me until I remembered that for a while I was using a couple PS1 MadCatz memory cards for PS1 games (was waiting for the Sony branded PS1 cards to drop in price before migrating ALL my old PS1 saves onto them - I have caddies for my memory cards, it's insane). Those MadCatz PS1 cards would have to be jammed into the PS2 cart slot and would be a bitch to insert and remove, my guess is they slightly altered the memory card connection areas. (they also would always be seen by the PS2 browser as PocketStations)

I'd say the MadCatz PS2 memory card altered the memory card socket just slightly as MadCatz PS1 cards did to mine. Try putting the Sony PS2 card in slot 2 and seeing if you ever have any problems having it come up in the browser. If this seems to resolve the problem then return the PS2 card to slot 1 and bring up the browser, jiggle the card around until it comes up and stays up.

Moral of the story: spend the extra $5 and keep it first party when it comes to memory cards, even if third party stuff is licensed.

[SuperShark]

Reviving an old thread now, i know.

Question, Will a 3rd Party MadCatz PS1 memory card work for saving game files for PS2 games on a PS2? If so, If I only use those memory cards, the 3rd part mad catz cards, wold that be all right as long as I do not have hopes of one day using a lot of 1st party cards? As long as I continue to use one and only one type of 3rd party card, even if it messes up the connection for other 3rd party cards and 1st party cards, it should be all right for THOSE particular 3rd party cards, right?

Sorry if this sounds stupid. I think that I would be all right, but I wanted to make sure. I JUST got a PS2, and the previous owner only used 1st party cards, so its like being brand new. If I mess it up forever for 1st party cards, will I ever mess it up for these 3rd party cards? Will the PS1 cards work PERFECTLY ok with ANY PS2 games?

Thanks in advance for any help. Just wanted to clear a few things before shoving these 3rd party cards in my new PS2, as I have to share this PS2 with others in my family.

[Whiskers the Wonder Cat]

PSone Memory Cards cannot save PS2 games.

Madcatz PS2 Memory Cards are officially liscensed by Sony.

[InsaneDavid]

Question, Will a 3rd Party MadCatz PS1 memory card work for saving game files for PS2 games on a PS2?

PS1 cards ONLY save PS1 data. PS2 cards can store archived PS1 data, like a file cabinet, but cannot read and write to game from them, PS1 games will not see PS2 cards. Likewise, PS2 games will not see PS1 cards.

If I only use those memory cards, the 3rd part mad catz cards, wold that be all right as long as I do not have hopes of one day using a lot of 1st party cards? As long as I continue to use one and only one type of 3rd party card, even if it messes up the connection for other 3rd party cards and 1st party cards, it should be all right for THOSE particular 3rd party cards, right?

Bad idea. Example "if I force a square peg into a round hole until the hole widens enough to allow the peg to fit, as long as I never have any intention of using a round peg, is it okay?" The answer to the example, if you do that after awhile neither of them will fit quite right. Same goes with the memory cards. Compatibility and reliability problems only BEGIN with the size decrepencies.

Honestly the extra couple bucks for 1st party PS2 cards will be worth it in the long run. First party PS1 cards are on eBay, at used game stores, flea markets, etc. all the time for no more than $5.

Again, just clarification on a PS2...

PS1 memory card - PS1 game saves
PS2 memory card - PS2 game saves, PS1 save archival (ie transfer PS1 saves in the browser to a PS2 card) however you cannot load / save PS1 files to game from a PS2 card.

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EDIT because the plain vanilla answer above beat me in.

Madcatz PS2 Memory Cards are officially liscensed by Sony.

They're still not worth your time nor money. Stick with Sony made memory cards.

[Leo_A]

If their PS2 memory cards are as good as their Game Cube versions, I disagree. They work just fine.

[InsaneDavid]

I know I'm reviving an old thread but I just got an e-mail from a DPer concerning this issue and searched out the thread and didn't notice the post before this one until now.

If their PS2 memory cards are as good as their Game Cube versions, I disagree. They work just fine.

From your post I'm assuming you don't have experence with the Madcatz PS2 memory cards. The problem here isn't with operations, it's with the physical size of the card being slightly larger than the card slot was designed for which eventually causes damage. Eventually the size decrepencies cause neither first nor third party cards to make solid connections which result in consoles unable to smoothly read either brand of card. Additionally the circuit boards in the third party cards, even those licensed by Sony, are of far lower quality than the Sony cards and their connectors wear much faster. If it was some huge difference in cost between the two then it would be understandable but it's only $5 - $7 more for the first party memory cards and far fewer headaches in the future.

[Skyway_Recreation]

if your connections begin to be severly poor, take apart your ps2, and lift the prongs that make contact with the mem card just lightly, to put a little more spring into them and use alcohol to clean it up too. i had to do this after using some ps1 memory card that had a freakishly thick PCB. after i did what was described above, my ps2 mem cards worked perfectly every time (all my ps2 cards are first party)