PlayStation 2 System - Frequently Asked Questions (Page 01)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for PlayStation 2 System - Frequently Asked Questions (Page 01).
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Presents
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*****Sony PlayStation 2 FAQ v1.83****
***Written and Produced by TimiAzN***
****Last Update: February 5, 2004****
*************************************
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WARNING: This file was designed to display properly through a
Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. Other programs may not
display the diagrams properly.
NOTE: From now on, I will make weekly or biweekly updates only,
depending on how much information I have over e-mails and IMs.
Contents
--------
--->Contact Information<---
---->Revision History<----
Section 1. About this Guide
1-A. What is the PlayStation 2?
1-B. What do I get when I buy a PlayStation 2?
1-C. How do I hook up my PlayStation 2 to my TV?
Section 2. The History of the PlayStation
Section 3. The Specifications
3-A. 128-bit Emotion Engine
3-B. 150MHz Graphics Synthesizer
3-C. PlayStation CPU
3-D. Sound
3-E. Miscellaneous
Section 4. The Features
4-A. Backwards Compatibility
4-A-1. Games
4-A-2. Peripherals
4-A-3. Compatibility
4-B. Peripherals
4-B-1. Memory Card(8MB)
4-B-2. Dual Shock 2
4-B-3. Vertical/Horizontal Stand
4-B-4. Network Adaptor
4-B-5. Hard Drive(HDD Unit)
4-B-6. DVD Remote
4-B-7. Multitap
4-B-8. Sony USB Headset
4-C. PlayStation 2 Features
4-C-1. Different Ways to Hook up your system.
4-C-2. DVD Movies
4-C-3. Expansion Bay
4-C-4. USB ports
Section 5. The Games
5-A. PS1 games with PS2 enhancements
5-B. PS1 games that don't work at all on the PS2.
5-C. Must Have Games
5-C-1. Games of 2000
5-C-2. Games of 2001
5-C-3. Games of 2002
5-C-4. Games of 2003
5-C-5. Best Series on PlayStation 2
5-D. Sony Computer Entertainment-only developed games
Section 6. The Future
6-A. The Sony PSP
6-B. The Sony PlayStation 3
6-C. The Sony PSX
6-D. Upcoming Games in 2004
Section 7. Comparison to Nintendo Gamecube and Microsoft Xbox
7-A. Compared to Nintendo Gamecube
7-A-1. The Game Library
7-A-2. The Hardware
7-B. Compared to Microsoft Xbox
7-B-1. The Game Library
7-B-2. The Hardware
Section 8. PlayStation 2 Common Issues
8-A. Disc Read Errors
8-A-1. How to Fix Disc Read Errors
8-B. Other Issues
8-B-1. Controller
8-B-2. Memory Cards
8-C. Problems from Message Boards
Section 9. Frequently Asked Questions
9-A. Frequently Asked Questions
9-B. E-mails
Section 10. Miscellaneous Info**Under Construction**
10-A. PlayStation 2/Other Links
10-B. Secrets/Cool Stuff
10-C. Rumors
10-D. My Review
Section 11. Credits
11-A. Credits
11-B. Thank you E-mails
***********************************************************************************
--------------------------------->CONTACT INFORMATION<-----------------------------
***********************************************************************************
Real Name: Ask me by IM, ICQ, or find me in the forums. Or e-mail me.
CodeName: AzNTimi
B-Day: March 25, 1985
ICQ: 78129469(I'm barely on ICQ..)
AOL/AIM: AzNxxGrL4u, KimmyC1089
E-mail: AzNxxGrL4u@aol.com, KimmyC1089@aol.com
MSN Hotmail: None
Yahoo ID: None
Where you can find me: GameFAQs Forums(Username: TimiAzN).
***********************************************************************************
-------------------------------->REVISION HISTORY<---------------------------------
***********************************************************************************
1.83 - More Pressure Sensitive games added thanks to Kevin Simard. Fixed other
various information.(February 5, 2004)(81k)
1.81 - Fixed some mistakes, updated Section 9. 9-B. E-mails. Also updated Frequently
Asked Questions in Section 9-A. More information contributed by Ben Matthews on PS2
enhancements for PS1 games and color boxes info. Updated other various info. Added
a new section in the credits, titled Thank you e-mails.(January 29, 2004)(81k)
1.71 - More on Section 5. PS1 games on PS2, submitted from e-mail by Joseph
Manfredi, fixed some mistakes, and included a 'What I need list' under the
Revision History, other various updates, and updated Section 8. 8-C. Problems
from Message Boards. Also added a part in Section 1. 1-C about the main menu of
the PlayStation 2 system.(January 23, 2004)(76k)
1.59 - A new part in Section 8. 8-C. Problems from Message Boards., and other
information on Memory Card Troubleshooting. Reorganized diagrams and contents.
Updated Must-Have list, thanks to Josh!(January 20, 2004)(71k)
1.33 - Added a new Part in Section 5. Updated Section 5. PS1 games(from Ben
Matthews) on PS2 and 10. Frequently Asked Questions, and other minor updates.
(January 8, 2004)(67k)
1.26 - Fixed Some Mistakes, More Information in Section 11. Miscellaneous Info,
and added developer information to the Games 2000-2004 lists. Also updated Section
7 with the specifications of the other next-gen consoles, and various info!
Updated Section 8. PlayStation 2 Common Issues.(January 4, 2004)(65k)
1.19 - Added links in Section 11, included more information in the Contact
Information. Set up a E-mails List in Section 10.(January 3, 2004)(58k)
1.16 - Created Section 11: Miscellaneous with Some Info, Updated Various Other
Info, and fixed some errors. Changed Credits to Section 12. Included Review...
(January 2, 2004)(54k)
1.1 - Updated Section 4-C-2(DVD Movies) with Dual Shock controls, Updated
Frequently Asked Questions in Section 10, rearranged the games List from 2000-2004
in alphabetical order.(December 31-January 1, 2004), and various other info.(47k)
1.05 - More Information Added(December 31, 2003)(44k)
1.04 - Some Launch Information Added and Other Various Info. Guide first posted
in GameFAQs.(December 29, 2003)(42k)
1.03 - More information added(December 6, 2003)(32k)
1.02 - Added more info... on the future release by Sony.(December 5, 2003)(28k)
1.01 - Started FAQ, completed Sections 1-3.(December, 4, 2003)(18k)
___________________________________________________________________________________
***Future Updates***
If you can help me, I'll be extremely grateful!
- PlayStation 2 European Launch Games Information!
- Future Peripherals/Accessories for PS2!
- Any possible suggestions and questions!
*What I need! Please help about this as well!
- Any information on the HDD unit!
***********************************************************************************
--------------------------->SECTION 1. ABOUT THIS GUIDE<---------------------------
***********************************************************************************
This guide is for everything you need to know about the Sony PlayStation 2 Computer
Entertainment System. If you have any questions or suggestions, please e-mail me at
AzNxxGrL4u@aol.com.
Please do not copy this guide without my permission. Doing so will cause you to
commit plagiarism. Note that in mind.
This guide is found posted at the following sites:
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide and hopefully the updates will
occur every week or two, depending on how much information I receive during that
time.
-------------------------------
1-A. What is the PlayStation 2?
-------------------------------
The PlayStation 2 is one of the three next-gen consoles. it's in the market to compete
with the Nintendo Gamecube and the Microsoft Xbox. Sony promised us a system capable
of producing movie-like graphics when the developers are finished using the maximum
capabilities of the system.
----------------------------------------------
1-B. What do I get when I buy a PlayStation 2?
----------------------------------------------
Purchasing a PlayStation 2 system through retail stores will most likely give you the
full package inside. The package includes...
PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System
1 Dual Shock 2 Analog Controller(Black)
1 Composite A/V Cable(Red, White, and Yellow Plugs)
1 AV Power Cord
1 Printed Set(Instruction Manual, etc..)
------------------------------------------------
1-C. How do I hook up my PlayStation 2 to my TV?
------------------------------------------------
The System(Front End)
______________________
| |<-----(Reset and Eject buttons)
| |
| |
| |
| |<-----(Disc Tray)
| |
| PS2 |
| PlayStation 2 |
| |
| | (FRONT END)
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |<-----(Memory Card Slots x2, Top)
| |<-----(Controller Ports x2, Middle)
| |<-----(USB Ports x2 and S400 i-Link, Bottom)
|---------------------|
The System(Rear End)
______________________
| |
| |<---(Power Switch, Multi A/V Connector,
| | and AC IN Connector)
| |<--(Optical Digital Output)
| |
| |
| PS2 |
| PlayStation 2 |
| |
| | (REAR END)
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |<-----\
| |<----- ) The Expansion Bay(and PC Card slot)
| |<-----/
| |
|---------------------|
Step 1.
Don't worry about the Expansion Bay for now. Instead take out the AV Power Cord and
plug it in the back of the PlayStation 2 where there are two pins sticking out from
inside(AC IN Connector), and then plug the other end to a working electrical outlet.
Warning: There are voltage issues.
1. If you are using a NTSC/UC machine, then the voltage is 120V.
2. If you are using a NTSC/J machine, then the voltage is 100V.
3. If you are using a PAL machine, then the voltage is 220V.
4. If you live in USA/Japan, then a NTSC/UC and NTSC/J machine is
compatible with your outlet.
5. If you live anywhere outside the USA, then you need a Power
Converter which is available in any hardware store.
Step 2.
Now it depends on your TV now. If you see white and yellow inputs somewhere on your
TV, then you're in luck because the Composite A/V cable that was included in the
package supports it. You will not see the red input if your TV is monaural. See Section
4-C for more information on the other possible way to connect your PS2 to a TV.
Step 3.
Plug in the Dual Shock 2 controller in the front of the console. It might be hard
to see where the port is.
Step 4.
Once you are done completing Steps 1-3, turn on the Power Switch on. You will see
the "Sony Computer Entertainment" logo plus a nice blue background. Then, it will
take you to the Browser and System Configuration menu.
NOTE: Please see Section 4-C-1 for more information on possible connections.
---------
Main Menu
---------
This is where you see the Browser and System Configuration options. Pressing
Triangle on this screen will take you to the Driver Menu.
Console - SCPH-xxxxx
Browser - x.xx
CD Player - x.xx
PlayStation Driver - x.xx
DVD Player - x.xx
*Pressing Tiangle while hi-lighting 'Console' will take you to the Diagnosis
feature, which I will no idea on what it does. But Sony claims that turning this
on will give you the best possible disc playback.
*Pressing Triangle while hi-lighting 'PlayStation Driver' will take you to the
enhancements that you can turn on for better PlayStation game playback. Some
games work, some don't. See Section 6. The Games for more information. In this
menu you can turn on the following options..
Disc Speed - Toggle between Standard/Fast Loading
Texture Mapping - Toggle between Standard/Smooth
-------
Browser
-------
This is where you manage your save files from your memory cards or start a disc
that's already inside the PlayStation 2, if it's compatible.
--------------------
System Configuration
--------------------
This is where you change your system settings. If you have a memory card, then
you'll need 5KB of space to save the System Settings.
The following in the System Configuration options can be initially changed
regardless of your hookup.
- Time, Date, and Daylight Savings(This is where you change your time settings.)
- Language(NTSC/J version will only have English and Japanese, NTSC/UC and PAL
version don't have Japanese language.)
- Digital Optical Output: On/Off(If you have a speaker system hooked up at the
back, you can turn this on, and sound will come out of the Optical Digital
Output.
- Screen Size(Set your screen size to either a 4:3, 16:9, or Full Screen ratio)
- Component Video Out: Either "RGB" or "Y Cb/Pb Cr/Pr", depending on which hookup
you are using.
Consult your manual for more information.
***********************************************************************************
------------------------>SECTION 2. HISTORY OF PLAYSTATION<------------------------
***********************************************************************************
The PlayStation actually has a history behind it. Back then, when Sega released the Sega
CD(the one that attaches to the Megadrive/Genesis), Nintendo wanted to create a CD-ROM
peripheral for the Super Famicom(Super Nintendo). They hired Sony Corporation to develop
the console for them. Suddenly, at some time, Nintendo somehow rejected Sony while they
were in the final stages of development. Sony was stuck with a working model and the
SNES-CD was never released. So what did Sony do? Instead of trashing the hard work they
did, they enhanced it, designed new controllers, and renamed it to the PlayStation. It made
its debut in Japan on December 4, 1994. Sony then created three main markets to cover the
PlayStation sales in each region...(Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe, and Sony Computer Entertainment America).
Sony PlayStation Release Dates:
Japan: December 3, 1994
USA/Canada: Early September 1995
Europe: Q4 1995
Sony PlayStation One(PSOne) Release Dates
Japan: Summer 2000
USA/Canada: Fall 2000
Europe: Fall 2000
The Sony PlayStation 2 was its sequel system. Release dates are listed below..
Sony PlayStation 2 Release Dates
Japan: March 4, 2000
USA/Canada: October 26, 2000
Europe: November 24, 2000
PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(Japan)
----------------------------------
Artdink: A-Train 6
Ascii: Kakinoki Shoogi
Ask: Kanekyuu Billiard Master Q
Astrol: American Pinball(Miscellaneous)
From SofEternal Ring
Idea Factory: Sky Surfer
Jaleco: Stepping Stage
Koei: Kessen
Koei: Mahjong Taikai
Konami: Jikkyoo World Soccer 2000
Konami: Drum Mania
Namco: Ridge Racer V(Racing)
SCEI: Fantavision(Puzzle)
Square: Driving Emotion Type-S(Driving)
SunSoft: Street Mahjong Trance
T&E Software: Golf Paradise(Sports)
CAPCOM: Street Fighter EX 3(3-D Fighting)
PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(USA/Canada)
---------------------------------------
From IGN...
1. Madden NFL 2001 (EA, Sports)
2. SSX (EA, Sports)
3. NHL 2001 (EA, Sports)
4. FIFA 2001 MLS (EA, Sports)
5. Kessen (EA, Adventure)
6. X Squad (EA, Action)
7. Swing Away (Paradise Golf in Japan) (EA, Sports)
8. Sim Theme Park (to be renamed as Theme Park World) (EA, sim)
9. Street Fighter EX3 (Capcom, Fighting)
10. Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco, fighting)
11. Ridge Racer V (Namco, Racing)
12. Summoner (THQ, RPG)
13. Ready to Rumble (Midway, Boxing)
14. Star Wars: Starfighter (LucasArts, Action-Shooter)
15. Unreal Tournament (Infogrames, First-Person Shooter)
16. Evergrace (Agetec, RPG)
17. Armored Core 2 (Agetec, Action)
18. Eternal Ring (Agetec, RPG)
19. Timesplitters (Eidos, First-Person Shooter)
20. Fusion GT (Hresvelgr in Japan) (Crave, Racing)
21. Smuggler's Run (Rockstar, Racing-Adventure)
22. Midnight Club (Rockstar, Racing)
23. Silent Scope (Konami, Action)
PlayStation 2 Launch Titles(Europe)
-----------------------------------
(This part is currently under construction)
PlayStation 2 Supported Developers(USA)
---------------------------------------
From GameZone UK..
989 Studios
7 Studios
Acclaim Entertainment Inc
Activision Inc
Agetec Inc
American Softworks Corp
AndNow (Virtual Ocean, Nooks and Crannies)
Atlus USA Inc
Bungie Software
Capcom Entertainment
Cerny Games
Cube
Crave Entertainment
Digital Anvil
Dreamworks Interactive LLC
Eidos Interactive
Electronic Arts
Enix Corp
Flesh & Wire (Running With Scissors)
Fox Interactive
GT Interactive
Oddworld Inhabitants (Hand of Odd, Munch's Oddysee)
Hasbro Interactive
Humongous Entertainment
Incredible technologies
Infogrames Entertainment
Insomniac Games
Interplay Entertainment
Konami of America
LucasArts Entertainment
Midway Home Entertainment (Spy Hunter)
Mindscape
Namco Hometek
Naughty Dog
Neversoft
Psygnosis
Red Storm Entertainment
Rage Software
Shiny Entertainment
Sierra Online (Professional Bullrider)
Square Electronic Arts
Stormfront Studios
Sunsoft
Surreal
Take-Two Interactive/Rockstar
TerraGlyph Interactive
The 3DO Company
THQ
Titus
Ubi Soft
Universal Interactive
Working Designs
PlayStation 2 Supported Developers(European)
--------------------------------------------
3DO Europe Ltd
Acclaim Entertainment (Europe)
Activision UK Ltd
Argonaut Software
Criterion (Trickstyle 2)
Codemasters Software
Core Design
Disney Interactive
Eden Studios
Eidos Plc
Electronic Arts Ltd
Eurocom Developments Ltd
GTI Software Europe
Hasbro Interactive Ltd
Infrogrames Entertainment
Kalisto Entertainment
Konami of Europe
Lego Media International
Lionhead Studios
Rage Software (Untitled Game)
Reflections
Revolution
Square Europe Ltd
Take-2 Interactive Software Europe Ltd
THQ International
Travelers’ Takes UK
Ubi Soft Entertainment
Virgin Interactive Entertainment Europe
***********************************************************************************
----------------------------->SECTION 3. THE SPECIFICATIONS<-----------------------
***********************************************************************************
(Taken from nz.playstation.com/)
----------------------------------------------
3-A. The 128-Bit Emotion Engine Multimedia CPU
----------------------------------------------
Clock Speed: 294.913 MHz
Cache Memory: 16KB Instruction, Data 8KB + 16KB
Main Memory: 32MB Direct Rambus(RDRAM) running at 800Mhz, dual channel
Memory Bus Bandwidth: 3.2GB per second
Co-Processor: Two Parallel Vector Operational Units
Floating Point Performance: 6.2GFLOPS
Polygon Rate: 75 Million Polygons per second(no texture layer), 38 Million
polygons per second(one texture layer), and 20 Million polygons per
second(two texture layers)
Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG-2
------------------------------------
3-B. The 150MHz Graphics Synthesizer
------------------------------------
Clock Speed: ~150Mhz(147.456MHz)
On chip memory(VRAM): 4MB DRAM
Frame Buffer Bandwidth: 38.4Gigabytes per second
Pixel Write Speed: 2.4Gigapixels
DRAM Bus Bandwidth: 48GB per second
DRAM Bus width: 2560 bits
--------------------------------------
3-C. Integrated 32-bit PlayStation CPU
--------------------------------------
Clock Speed: 33.8MHz Regular, 37.5Mhz with Fast Loading enabled
IOP Memory: 2MB
--------------
3-D. The Sound
--------------
Number of Voices: 48 channels, with 3D surround sound
Sound Memory: 2MB
Output Frequency: 48Khz max(DAT quality)
Supports: Dolby Digital, AC-3, and DTS(Digital Theatre System)
------------------
3-E. Miscellaneous
------------------
Format: Can run PlayStation games(Black Bottom), Audio CDs(Original or CD-R/CD-RW),
PlayStation 2 CDs(Blue/Purplish Bottom), PlayStation 2 DVDs(Single Layer
Silver or Dual Layer Gold Bottom), and DVD Movies
Speed: DVD-ROM - 4X speed, CD-ROM - 24X speed
Expandibility: Controller Ports(x2), Memory Card slot(x2), USB(Universal Serial
Bus) ports(x2), Optical Digital Output, Expansion Bay, a S400 iLink
port(this was removed in the later models), and a Type III PCMCIA
slot above expansion bay(open the cover first)
Dimensions: 301mm(W) x 182mm(D) x 78mm(H), or 12" x 7.25" x 3.125"
Weight: 2.2kg(4 pounds and 14 ounces)
Disc Capacity
-------------
1. PlayStation CD(650MB)
2. Audio CDs(74/80min or 650/700MB)
3. PlayStation 2 CDs(650MB)
4. PlayStation 2 DVDs(One layer - 4.7GB, Dual Layered - 8.5GB)
5. DVD Movies(One Layer/Single Side - 4.7GB, Dual Layered/Single Side - 8.5GB)
(One Layer/Double Side - 9.4GB, Dual Layered/Double Side - 17GB)
***********************************************************************************
-------------------------------->SECTION 4. THE FEATURES<--------------------------
***********************************************************************************
****************************
4-A. BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
****************************
One good thing about the PlayStation 2 is that it can play back all your old
PlayStation games! Not only that, but you can also plug in your old
PlayStation-compatible peripherals, such as memory cards, controllers,
and multitaps. However, there are a few rules to this matter.
------------
4-A-1. Games
------------
There are some PlayStation games that don't seem to work at all on the PlayStation
2. They either crash, freeze, or cause graphical glitches when you turn Fast Loading
or Texture Mapping on in the PlayStation Driver menu. Please see Section 6. The Games
for more information on which games are compatible and non-compatible with the
PS1 options turned on.
------------------
4-A-2. Peripherals
------------------
Another thing about the backwards compatibility of PlayStation 2 is that it can detect
all your old equipment. All official PlayStation products will work with PlayStation 2.
Conditions:
1. You must have a PS1 memory card present in order to save PlayStation games.
2. You must have a PS1 multitap to play multitap-enabled PS1 games.
3. You must have a PS2 memory card to save PS2 games.
4. You must have a PS2 multitap to play multitap-enabled PS2 games.
5. You can copy your PS1 saves to the PS2 memory card for "storage" only. A PS1
saved games will take up 8kb per block. If you want to use your saves, you must
copy them back onto the PS1 memory card for it to work.
--------------------
4-A-3. Compatibility
--------------------
At the back of every game case in the bottom, there should be some wide rectangular
boxes that tell you which hardware is compatible with the game and how much space is
required on the memory card to save. I will list what they mean one by one, in no
particular order...
a. White Box - Shows how many players can play the game at once.
b. Light Blue Box(Memory Card(for PS2) - xxxkb) - The amount of space *minimum*
required to save a game on the memory card.
c. Pink Box(Analog Control) - Analog Control means you need to be using a controller
with two analog sticks. Dual Shock and Dual Shock 2 are prime examples.
d. Yellow Box(Vibration Function) - Only a Dual Shock type controller can have
Vibration Function.
e. Red Box(Pressure Sensitive) - A number of games does use this feature. A Dual
Shock 2 is required to play this game.
f. Purple Box(Multitap) - The multitap(sold separately) is supported.
g. Green Box(Digital Control) - Any Controller will work fine, as long as they are
compatible with PlayStation.
h. Blue Box(Network Adaptor) - Either requires or supports the Network Adaptor(sold
separately).
i. ??? Box(Progressive Scan) - Progressive Scan features are only in the SCPH-50000
or later models.
j. Red Box(iLink) - ????
****************
4-B. PERIPHERALS
****************
From here I will only list the official peripherals they have for PlayStation 2 at
this time being. This means no third-party stuff. I will also state the cost of
each peripheral at this point. I will only listed the cost in US currency. All other
currencies are different.
-----------------------------------------
4-B-1. Memory Card for PlayStation 2(8MB)
-----------------------------------------
Cost: $24.99 for one, $39.99 for two pack
Model: SCPH-10020 U
The original PlayStation's memory cards were saved by blocks. This time, games are
saved by bytes(like PC's). It's up to the developers how much space they want to use
on the memory card. Most games take between 16KB-450KB at most. Role-Playing Games
has those "save per file" systems where you can save as many files as long as there is
space on the memory card.
There is a two-pack available from Sony. Saves you ten dollars.
-------------------------------------
4-B-2. Dual Shock 2 Analog Controller
-------------------------------------
Cost: $24.99 each
Model: SCPH-10010 U
Yes, we all remember the original Dual Shock Analog Controllers. The only thing Analog
back then was the twin Analog Sticks. This time, everything button you see is analog
except for Start and Select. The d-pad this time makes is easier to do rotations in
2-D and 3-D fighting games.
------------------------------------
4-B-3. Vertical and Horizontal Stand
------------------------------------
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