Magic 3 Test Report
 

I was kindly provided with a Magic 3 for review by Console24.com.

Here is the game test result for the original, genuine MAGIC 3 tested on a US v7, GH-019.

My overall impression is that the Magic 3 does function as intended, eventually after making due allowance for DVD9 direct boot. However in my subjective opinion, the Magic 2 was a better chip. booting games first time more often.

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Xenosaga DVD9 NTSC-J Direct Boot NO - Would not boot
Xenosaga DVD9 NTSC-J Booted
behind AR2/GS2 OK - every time

FF X NTSC-U DVD original OK
GTA3 PAL DVD original OK
DOA2 NTSC-J DVD Original OK

Tony Hawks 3 PAL DVD-R* OK
Headhunter PAL DVD-R** OK

EA NBA Street NTSC-U CD-R OK
Twisted MB Kalisto Rip OK

FF IX NTSC-J PS1 Original OK
FF IX NTSC-U PS1 CD-R OK
Rockman NTSC-J PS1 CD-R OK

AR2/GS2 GTA3 Orig. With Codes OK
AR2/GS2 GTA3 DVD-R With Codes*** OK - every time

Toystory NTSC-U Movie OK - PS1 boot process
PAL Movie (using AR2/GS2) OK - PS1 boot process

* Tony Hawks 3 on Datasafe Media. A borderline copy.
** Headhunter on Infiniti media. No problem.
*** GTA3 on Princo media. No problem
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I regard the Messiah 2 as the benchmark modchip. So when I couldn't boot Tony Hawks 3 DVD-R with the magic 3, I switched to the Messiah 2 on the same PS2. The game booted immediately and failed to boot as soon as I switched back to Magic 3. After cleaning the lens on the PS2, the game booted 100% every time with Magic 3. from this I have concluded that the Magic 3 booting strategy is geared to events occuring within a specified time frame or number of cycles, which is fine for good media but not for borderline or poorer media. Just a point worth noting.

Console24 will be sending me a Magic 3.1 next week and I am hopeful of an even better result.

Why is Magic 2 better? I too have heard this but none have given reasons.


Also Charles, you may want to get a hold of Vice City and Kingdom Hearts. Both are known to give problems to ps2's modded with Magics. It doesnt matter if you use originals or backups of the above mentioned games.




Tyler!

for the magic 3, i think u should try backups of those games cause it may freeze. i've got original kingdom hearts and a friend who has vice city with a magic 3 chip (we got it chipped together0 says his one works fine as well and they both haven't frozen, but i haven;t been able to get copied ones to try. so i reckon u try fake copies first if you can

I have witnessed gta3:vice city (pal) and kingdom hearts (pal) on pal ps2 with genuine magic 3 both freeze. on both original(brand new clean disks and on dvdr.)

Charlie_ps2 > If you need them I can send you dvdrs of the above games on pal but unfortunatly not my originals. pm me if you want them. But please destroy after testing. (maybe a trip to blockbusters for the originals?)

Whether all clones have the same problem i'm not sure. But the problem is definatly out there as china_magic have already announced.

Yeah I got GTA VC and it needs full checking out on the Magic 3 with my famous 37 pin socket for swapping modchips!

I gave a full explanation of what I thought was happening in PS2Newz. Of course it's only a theory.

Why is Magic 2 better? Totall subjective but it felt like booting everything without having to do it a couple of times like youe sometimes have to do with Magic 3. Magic 3 doesn't do anything over and above Magic 2.

i just paid for a magic 3.5....should i try to send it back and grab a magic 2? f it works better?

For a Magic 2 I wouldn't but for a Messiah 2, yes.