Mod/Game backup help

[WookieWill]

I am installing a mod chip for my friends ps2(I have a gamecube, I know, I know)
He has ver4 ps2

1)Will a Messiah or a Magic2 work with this version?
2)Which modchip do you recommend?
3)Which store do you recommend?
4)I read in another post a user wanted to identify his bios, I thought bios was irrelevant when modding your ps2?
5)Neither of us have a dvd burner, how many games are on dvd media - 10% of games or 90%?
6)When I play backup games on my pc, 99% of the time I need to download a patch/fix for the game, do you normally download patches/fixes for ps2 games too, or do you burn the games straight?

Sorry for all the questions, but you guys give really good answers in these forums!! :D

[lufcfan]

OK, you feel you ask a lot of questions but they are ones you need to know so I don't blame you. I asked the same when I planned to get my PS2 modded. Anyway to your questions...

1)Will a Messiah or a Magic2 work with this version?:
ANSWER = YES! Your friends console WILL support a Messiah or Magic2. The choice is yours. I have a Messiah in my V4 console.

2)Which modchip do you recommend?:
ANSWER = Your Call! They are essentially the same chip. The Messiah and Magic2 both have the same amount of wires to solder onto the board and they both have the same specs. So as I said, Messiah or Magic2 it's your choice. However, whatever you do DO NOT get a crappy little NEO chip or anything which requires swapping. (Swapping is where you have to put in an original game or a Boot Disc or sometimes even BOTH to boot a backup - far too much hassle!).

3)Which store do you recommend?:
ANSWER = It all depends where you live. If you live in America then you may want to go with Bill @ Freedom Lives. (I hear he comes very highly recommended) or if you live in England then you could send it to Charlie PS2 or Dust2Dust. Argo installs Charlies chips. (By the way Argo if you're reading this, Thanks for your time!).

4)I read in another post a user wanted to identify his bios, I thought bios was irrelevant when modding your ps2?:
ANSWER = YES it is RELEVANT! But don't worry about this too much. Ask one of the guys who mod consoles e.g.: Charlie or Dust and give them your mates console serial and format i.e.: PAL NTSC etc... Also tell him that the console is a V4 and his serial number (whatever that is). They will then be able to tell you what type of bios it is or you could open up the console and take a look yourself. Just get your chips install instructions and take a look on the board. It should be simple enough to tell from there. Otherwise don't worry about the bios type.

5)Neither of us have a dvd burner, how many games are on dvd media - 10% of games or 90%?:
ANSWER = A LOT of games are on DVD. At least 95% I would say. You could get a rip kit for the game. These basically remove the DVD checks and all the other techie stuff and at the end you are left with a BIN or ISO file ready to burn to a blank CD. Most rip kits are One Button kits which as the name suggests, just push start and away you go! However, DVD ripping is starting to show it's age and as more people can now afford DVD ReWriters then DVD ripping is starting to die its death so I would suggest to get a DVD burner. Go to EBAY or somewhere like that. Im sure that you will pick one up there cheap enough. You will need a DVD ROM drive at least though otherwise you won't burning any DVD based games at all!

6)When I play backup games on my pc, 99% of the time I need to download a patch/fix for the game, do you normally download patches/fixes for ps2 games too, or do you burn the games straight?
ANSWER = Well, if you do purchase a Messiah or Magic2 then you will not have to worry about patching or fixing at all. Just use CloneCD to backup your CD based games. DVD's don't have this problem so just use Prassi PrimoDVD or Nero and burn away. But really you do need a DVD-RW otherwise you may run into problems later on...

Hope this helps you... ;)

[BG]

Now since the Messiah 2 is coming out, the good thing is, you don't have to worry about if it has the gap bios or not... Just get the Messiah 2 Pro and it will configure itself for either..... Contact Charlie_PS2 and pre-order yours today...:cool:

[Serpent]

Originally posted by BG
Now since the Messiah 2 is coming out, the good thing is, you don't have to worry about if it has the gap bios or not... Just get the Messiah 2 Pro and it will configure itself for either..... Contact Charlie_PS2 and pre-order yours today...:cool:

hey BG: is there any advantage to buying M2 Pro over the regular M2?

[BG]

The M2 Pro works in all versions of the PS2..

The standard Messiah 2 (which I'm unsure when will be released) is supposed to be a less expensive option because it is PS2 version specific...
Charlie_PS2 can explain this better than I can...
You can't go wrong with the M2 Pro...

[Serpent]

Hmm.. but most likely people will be buying PS2s locally.. US people in the US, Europeans in Europe.

What good would it do someone to buy a M2 PRo which could be installed in a japanese ps2?

Not trying to be a pain, just trying to understand this :)

[BG]

It basically makes it EASIER on the suppliers (ie Charlie_PS2)...

Instead of having to carry 4-5 different chips, he only has to carry 1...:cool:

If I was going to guess, I wouldn't think there would be much of a price difference between the two....

And there is no questions about if it will work in a certain version, and you don't have to make sure which version you have...

Just order the Messiah 2 Pro and you set...