What games are you playing now?

I'm going to ask, Jemy: What's a good PS2 emulator w/ settings, etc?

I've been out of the emulation scene for a while, other then me converting my PS1 games to ISOs to run on my PSP if I get bored, or getting copies of my old SNES/NES/Genesis games.

Originally Posted by Rithrandil
I'm going to ask, Jemy: What's a good PS2 emulator w/ settings, etc?

I've been out of the emulation scene for a while, other then me converting my PS1 games to ISOs to run on my PSP if I get bored, or getting copies of my old SNES/NES/Genesis games.

There's only PCSX2.
You want GDSX as graphics plugin, Lilypad as control plugin and ZeroSPU2 as audio plugin.

Most games are unplayable and you even the fast computers aren't fast enough to play games at 60fps, except the games that are optimized the most such as FFX and FFXII. Check the forum screenshot/video thread for information on what works and not.

Personally I did what JDR13 suggested a few years back, bought a PS2 and played the games I wanted. The games I finished on PS2 works in PCSX2 now, but there are a couple of games I prefer to play with savestates that is almost working now.

Ah, still not running perfectly? I mean, I have an original model PS3 so I have hardware compatibility with PS2 games still, I just do enjoy the convenience of save states.

I hate console 'save point' style saving. It's dumb and annoying. If I'm playing a game and need to leave the apartment for some reason I don't want to leave my PS3 or 360 running all day sucking up power like some sort of evil demonic vacuum that needs electricity to live.

It really depends a lot they have a compability list on their website, check there first before you make an effort…. there are many games you can play through from beginning to end with better graphics and save states support etc etc, but it requires you have a very good computer with DX 10 and vista. However there are also a lot of games which will not start at all…..

Originally Posted by Rithrandil
Ah, still not running perfectly?

Some games run if not perfect, then near perfect. Others won't even start.

Originally Posted by Rithrandil
I mean, I have an original model PS3 so I have hardware compatibility with PS2 games still, I just do enjoy the convenience of save states. I hate console 'save point' style saving. It's dumb and annoying. If I'm playing a game and need to leave the apartment for some reason I don't want to leave my PS3 or 360 running all day sucking up power like some sort of evil demonic vacuum that needs electricity to live.

If I am going to take an old game seriously I better have the ability to soften up the experience. The emulators capacity to save anywhere save me a lot of frustration.

Originally Posted by JemyM
There's only PCSX2.
You want GDSX as graphics plugin, Lilypad as control plugin and ZeroSPU2 as audio plugin.

In my case, this is my setup generally, but I have to change the audio plugin frequently as ZeroSPU2 is pretty finnicky at times with some games. Anything Zero-related doesn't work well at all with FFXII, for example, so I need to use SPUX2 for audio with that.

Emulating the PS2 can be a straightup pain in the ass at times, but once you get a game running well, you're usually good for the remainder of it. One exception was FFXII - at a point in the story you go into this underground area that has the lights going on and off due to monsters sucking up the energy. The way in which they simulate darkness in that specific level causes graphical glitches. You can just push through and get past it, but it was borked for me no matter what I did.

Dragon Quest VIII is a huge CPU hog. Unfortunately, PCSX2 doesn't take advantage of more than two cores. I have a quad core, each at 2.4GHz, so I'm really missing out on about half the speed. I even overclocked my cores to 3.0 and DQ8 still has rough spots where FPS will get low.

In short I'd say to get a real PS2. All the messing with settings and technical headaches really isn't worth just being able to have anti-aliasing or save states in my opinion. When you don't have one/can't get one, it's a decent alternative.

Isn't the PS3 backwards compatible?

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Isn't the PS3 backwards compatible?

I think only the early 60GB models had compatibility for PS2 but Sony removed it from the later models.

Originally Posted by Kostaz
I think only the early 60GB models had compatibility for PS2 but Sony removed it from the later models.

That's correct. It was apparently costing them too much money, and they were already losing money on the hardware itself, even without the extra semi conductors.

*Edit* The original 20GB model was also backwards compatible.

Originally Posted by Rithrandil
Ah, still not running perfectly? I mean, I have an original model PS3 so I have hardware compatibility with PS2 games still, I just do enjoy the convenience of save states.

If I was in your case, I'd never ever sell it. It has become quite a rarity, imho.

I might be wrong, because I don't know too much about the playstations, but considering that this was kind of a one-time release, I'd say this playstation is as good as gold … Or at least a *lot* of money.

Originally Posted by JDR13
That's correct. It was apparently costing them too much money, and they were already losing money on the hardware itself, even without the extra semi conductors.

*Edit* The original 20GB model was also backwards compatible.

Someone did an article on how much it really saved them compared to the standard efficiency and shrink improvements … and what it came down to was that it was 'added cost they could easily toss since the PR effect was done'. Also, since neither the PS3 nor its games were selling well, once they got the 'PS2 BC' out there, they could sell systems and then more or less force people to buy PS3 games.

Sounds cynical … but as a loyal PSP owner for 4 years, I can sadly really believe it …

I gave up on PS2 emulation. Too many problems for my liking. I'll probably wait until I can get some money and then buy a used/refurbed one for like $40. Not so bad. I've moved onto PSX emulation and am currently running through Tales of Destiny II. Pretty awesome game. I remember very little about it since I haven't played it nearly since its release.

My kids are thinking of saving together to buy one … for $100, it is pretty easy decision

Originally Posted by Kostaz
I think only the early 60GB models had compatibility for PS2 but Sony removed it from the later models.

Hmm, pretty sad

I've been considering a PS3 for a while now, but this is not exactly motivating information.

I finished Rise of the Argonauts a few days ago, and am now embarassingly obsessively playing the SP campaign in Discples 2 Dark Prophesy.
I keep telling myself that I'm now bored with it, and am going to start playing something else rather, but it's sticking to me like glue.

At night I fall asleep over my keyboard, mumbling in my sleep: "just -one- more turn..just ..zzzz… ONE more… ZZZZ.."

Since there's been so much talk re the remake of MI 1, and a new MI out, etc; and I had never even played one of them, I thought I'd quickly play MI2, which I have in a ScummVM collection, to see if I like it, and I did have a few laughs so far. Only, I can't progress with it, since I cannot remove myself from my crazy obsession with Disciples..


Regarding the PS: Yeah, a friend of mine has one of the later PS3 models that is not backwards compatible at all, so he uses the PS2 emulator for PC. Not all PS2 games run well on it though, as the requirements are pretty steep.

Me , I'm just hanging on to my old PS2. I never got the PS3 or even a 360, as I find the games to be danged expensive. I might cave in soon to a 360, but I'm not too fond of M$…

Originally Posted by RivianWitch
Me , I'm just hanging on to my old PS2. I never got the PS3 or even a 360, as I find the games to be danged expensive. I might cave in soon to a 360, but I'm not too fond of M$…

Same here, it seems that most of the best titles are ported anyways.

I'm doing a first playthrough of the Forgotten Realmns Goldbox games from the silver box collection.

It took quite a while to get used to the UI, but now it's passable. Intially it was irritating.

Finished Pool of Radiance over the week, and started Curse of the Azure Bonds.

Loved the turn based combat. Superb! Only bested by ToEE in my experience.While the blob style phased comabat of WIzardry 8 was great, it lacked the tactical fun of positioning the part members on a 2-D grid. You couldn't seprate your ranged combatants from you melee combatants, for example.

The inventory management and control, well, I'm just glad that that Goldbox tradition hasn't been continued…

Originally Posted by Thrasher
The inventory management and control, well, I'm just glad that that Goldbox tradition hasn't been continued…

hehe … that is so true - there are many great things about the oldies, but some things better left 'forgotten' in those realms …

LOL! Well said.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
If I was in your case, I'd never ever sell it. It has become quite a rarity, imho.

I might be wrong, because I don't know too much about the playstations, but considering that this was kind of a one-time release, I'd say this playstation is as good as gold … Or at least a *lot* of money.

Yup. I plan on keeping it until there is a PS4 With PS1-3 backwards compatibility.

Although, I am worried about my 60gig hard drive getting filled at some point, so I may need to look into additional storage…