Will a PS1 Gameshark disc work on PS2 as a PS2 boot disc?

[Segata]

So I have my first PS2 import coming in in a couple weeks but I don't own a Gameshark or Action Replay for PS2. Will a PS1 Gameshark still work as a boot disc for PS2?

[CRTGAMER]

No, the PS1 Gameshark is only for PS1 games.

A better option: HDAdvance/HDLoader with flip top allows direct install and running of imports WITHOUT a mod chip. Newer hard drive utilities such as FreeMCBoot can also run the imports installed without the mod chip.

[nullPointer]

A better option: HDAdvance/HDLoader with flip top allows direct install and running of imports WITHOUT a mod chip. Newer hard drive utilities such as FreeMCBoot can also run the imports installed without the mod chip.

Yep I think CRT is right on the money with this one (Open PS2 Loader is another really good (and slightly more up to date) option - I run both HDL & OPL on my PS2 through Free McBoot). In this case the only tricky part is getting Free McBoot on to your PS2 memory card, but if you know someone running CFW on PS2 they can copy the necessary files on to the card for you, or alternatively I think you can do it directly from your PC via the PS2 memcard USB adapter (though I don't have experience with this method and at this point those adapters are stupid expensive). Alternatively you can also use a PS2 GameShark disc as a boot disc and then initiate the file copy operation from there, but yeah it needs to be for PS2 and in this particular case I think it even needs to be a specific version of GameShark. PSX Scene is a great resource for all of this info (though at my current location I'm unable link to any specific threads).

At any rate, the upshot of all of this is that once you get HDL/OPL running on your PS2 it will allow you to run your disc images from hard drive which is of course a great boon for all those aging PS2 lasers/disc mechanisms.

[Segata]

I think I will just buy a PS2 Gameshark because I have no idea what y'all are talking about lol. I never owned a modded system. I just play imports with a boot disc/cart.

[nullPointer]

I think I will just buy a PS2 Gameshark because I have no idea what y'all are talking about lol. I never owned a modded system. I just play imports with a boot disc/cart.

Haha, roger that man. Yeah sometimes the CFW rabbit hole gets deep to the point where you spend more time screwing around with your CFW setup than actually playing games on the system. Kinda misses the point dunnit? Good luck in your quest and I look forward to hearing about that import game!

(BTW - if you do happen to see a particular PS2 GameShark disc that's outrageously more expensive than others - at least on Amazon/eBay - chances are that's the version that can be used to load up Free McBoot if one felt so inclined. )

[stickem]

Do you still have to use an ide hdd with the ps2? I did the freemcboot thing years ago but never really could find any of those drives without it being an eBay gamble.

[nullPointer]

Do you still have to use an ide hdd with the ps2? I did the freemcboot thing years ago but never really could find any of those drives without it being an eBay gamble.

Not sure on HDLoader (where I think the IDE restriction may still hold true?), but OPL allows you to load games from a powered USB drive (at slightly diminished speeds as compared to IDE) and even over LAN if you have the PS2 network adapter (at presumably even more diminished speeds). Jagosaurus has a pretty great dive deep thread detailing his particular experiences with all of this.

[ElkinFencer10]

Free McBoot will not play imports without a modchip. It'll play burnt pirated games backups or ISOs from a hard drive, but it will NOT play retail imports.

[CRTGAMER]

Free McBoot will not play imports without a modchip. It'll play burnt pirated games backups or ISOs from a hard drive, but it will NOT play retail imports.

Interesting though if a burned game can be played, why not an already installed import? Both have the protection boot sequence circumvented after installed to hard drive. I never moved up past HDAdvance/HDLoader due to direct install with flip top allowing retail imports. NO MOD CHIP needed for all the imports I installed and run this way.

I think I will just buy a PS2 Gameshark because I have no idea what y'all are talking about lol. I never owned a modded system. I just play imports with a boot disc/cart.

You are really missing out on the best way to play PS2 games. Convenient menu, installed games load so much faster. Nothing to mod, just plug IDE hard drive to PS2 Network Adapter and plug into Fat PS2. For imports simple change the top cover to a replacement flip top cover with phillips screws.

Do you still have to use an ide hdd with the ps2? I did the freemcboot thing years ago but never really could find any of those drives without it being an eBay gamble.

PATA IDE Drives are inexpensive and very common online. Just buy from a high rated seller, chances are good the hard drive will be fine. There is a conversion mod for SATA drives to PS2 Fat, but no speed difference to the PS2 bus. External USB drives on the other hand are too slow compared to the internal drive on a Fat PS2.

[ElkinFencer10]

Free McBoot will not play imports without a modchip. It'll play burnt pirated games backups or ISOs from a hard drive, but it will NOT play retail imports.

Interesting though if a burned game can be played, why not an already installed import? Both have the protection boot sequence circumvented after installed to hard drive. I never moved up past HDAdvance/HDLoader due to direct install with flip top allowing retail imports. NO MOD CHIP needed for all the imports I installed and run this way.

Like I said, if you have it installed on a hard drive or similar storage device, it will play it. What FMCB won't do it play retail import discs. Have PAL Global Defence Force installed on a hard drive attached to an NTSC-U PS2? You're good to go. Put a PAL Global Defence Force disc into a NTSC-U PS2? That game's not going to boot.