Swap Magic - Play Playstation 2 Import And Backup Games - Without a Mod Chip!

I have to admit. I had no idea what swapping discs meant, and certainly no idea what the heck a Swap Magic meant. I have been a proud owner of a Playstation 2 for quite some time now. I bought it the day it was release (yes, I stood in line - like everyone else) and haven't looked back since. I love Playstation 2 games. Even with my Xbox 360 sitting proudly on my entertainment unit shelf, I still get excited about getting the latest PS2 game and playing it from start to finish... though often not in just one sitting. My wife and kids would commit me if I did. So there I was, playing GOD OF WAR with my cousin, when he started talking to me about a friend who also had a Playstation 2 system - and had loads of Japanese games. Weird, wacky, intense, and graphically superior Japanese Playstation 2 games. In fact, a number of the games my cousing talked about were soon to be released in the USA, but they had not gone through the conversion stage yet. I was instantly captivated by what he was saying.

I had no idea that the USA version (North American version) of the Playstation 2, could actually play Japanese Playstation 2 games. I have to be honest that I had tried this once before. I went on a trip to Japan and bought myself 3 games that I had tried in the local video game store. Sadly none of the worked. I figured I had been ripped off, or that perhaps they has sold me games they knew didn't work. I had no idea that the Playstation 2 actually had something called REGION PROTECTION which made it impossible for me to play any games that were not made for the North American market. I instantly had to know more. Not just because of the option of being able to have the latest games FASTER than I could get them here Stateside, but also because he explained that I could actually play my own legally backed up games (copies of my original games) on my Playstation 2. I don't know how many times I have scratched a disc only to find that it is now unuseable on my PS2 console. And those discs that are scratched and no longer work? Well, to add insult to injury, many titles sell out quickly or go out of print, responsible law abiding PS2 players once again find themselves in a bind. Swap Magic solves these problems.

The Swap Magic comes with 2 individual discs as well as a slide card for your Playstation 2. The 2 discs are a DVD version of the disc as well as a CD version of the disc, for DVD games and CD games repsectively. I want to be clear what I mean by import games. By import games I mean games that were say, made for Japan, but are filled with English, but not playable on your USA PS2. Imported game titles include both foreign translations of US titles or games published by foreign publishers. Backed-up games are Playstation 2 games legally copied by individual game disc owners for back up or archival purposes. If you have ever been the proud owner of any CD based video game system, it goes without saying that you NEED to backup your original games. Discs get scratched and become useless, and your money will have been spent on playing a game once or twice, only to scratch it up, and never to be able to play it again. Legal disc owners usually back up their libraries to protect against accidents or damage to the original discs they normally use. Swap Magic poses a major advance for PS2 gamers. Not only does it allow once to play archived and imported copies, it is extremely easy to use. You only need to boot your PS2 with the disc. After boot up, you swap it with imported or backed-up game discs. The Swap Magic comes with a Swap Tool which is included with every package, to enable you to swap your games effortlessly.

Just why would a gamer be interested in import games? That's a very good question, and one I just love to talk about. Some of the best and rarest games often come out for the Japanese market or the Asian and European markets. If you're looking for the coolest puzzle game, you've got to have a Japanese PS2 to play it. The best rally and other racing games often come out only in Europe, which means you would need a European PS2 to play the games. With the Swap Magic, your USA PS2 will be able to play all of the hottest game titles that will probably never make it this side of the Ocean. And for European gamers that just can't get enough of the US games, Swap Magic comes in your version too, with a USA, PAL and JAPANESE version of the discs available.

While the Swap Magic allows legal PS2 game owners to play backed-up/archive copies of their legally acquired discs, the Swap Magic disc set also prevents users from making illegal or anuthorized copies of their games. The Swap Magic discs retain the same copy protection systems that the PS2 uses. While there are many versions of Swap Magic on the market, Swap Magic's terms clearly prohibit the illegal copying and use of PS2 game titles. Used responsibly, Swap Magic enables PS2 game owners an extra measure of peace of mind. Swap Magic users can rest assured that when they back up rare or discontinued game titles, the back ups will work as expected.

By investing in the Swap Magic Combo, you'll be able to grow your software library and increase the potential amount of games available for your Playstation 2 by hundreds, if not thousands, of games. I would sincerely urge any Playstation 2 owner to take a look at the Swap Magic as a way to both protect their investment in their current library of games, as well as expand their selection of games available.

About the Author

Find out more about playing import games and import Playstation 2 games in general by using the Swap Magic by visiting http://www.ps2cover.com