Playing Imported PS1 & 2 games!

Okay, having a bit of trouble here. First of all, the reason I want to buy some imported games, is because that they aren't being released here or keep getting delayed. (Xenosaga 3, Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories, etc.)

I am finding it extremely difficult to find someone who can install a mod chip in Melbourne (around the city).

I can work my way through computer hardware generally, but I have a feeling if I were to install it myself, something could easily go wrong (looking at the solder-less one).

Anyways, if anyone can help me out on whether I should give the installation a go myself, or knows of someone in Melbourne that can install, that'd be great.

Otherwise, I guess there is Swap Magic, how does that work? I've got the older PS2 (non-slim) but one of the newer versions.

I went with fliptop + swapmagic myself, installing the fliptop was straightforward and easy, just remove a few screws, change the lids around (I've got a slimline) and screw it all back together again :p With SwapMagic, you boot the console with the SwapMagic CD or DVD depending on the game's media, then when it asks to change disc (and the disc has stopped spinning), put in the actual game disc, opening the top cover instead of using the normal eject method so the console doesn't try to reset :p

Does that work on the older version? And does it work with DVD9's? I think they are used in games like Xenosaga and Rogue Galaxy (which is the main ones I want to import).

Swap Magic will work with DVD9s if the TOC is less than Swap Magic's (it was around 4.25Gb late last year, might have gone up though). That isn't the case with the Xenosaga series though. Generally, if the game requires a DVD9 it won't work well with Swap Magic. Some smaller games are burnt to DVD9 media, but have a smaller TOC than 4.25Gb and can be played.

For Xenosaga, I managed to split it over three discs (with the help of Afterdawn forums), but it was unreliable, messy and time consuming. There is no warning when a disc is about to end, it just freezes, so you have to play from your last save on the next disc, for example. The process involved extracting the files out of the ISO, rearranging them, rebuilding them into three ISOs and then burning them onto DVD5 at 1x speed. Even then you're lucky to get a working disc.

Here is a list of games "compatible" with Swap Magic. Be warned though, it has Xenosaga 3 NTSC on there, but it also used to have Xenosaga NTSC on it.

Out of curiosity, could a Japanese PS3 play a Japanese copy of a PS2 game? Specifically KoFXI, GGX2:AC, and various other 2d fighters that weren't released in the US?

I think PS3's are region free, but not for PS2 games. I could be wrong.

Swap Magic sounds like a big hassle to me. Should I just try installing a solder less chip myself? I have detailed instructions. That or I could try hard to find an installer...

[q=ZeZipster]Out of curiosity, could a Japanese PS3 play a Japanese copy of a PS2 game? Specifically KoFXI, GGX2:AC, and various other 2d fighters that weren't released in the US?[/q]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't. I haven't got very much experience with PS3s, but my understanding is that even though PS2 games are still region locked, they can still be played on a console of the same region. The only issue you'd need to watch out for is compatibility due to emulation/legacy hardware and you'd need to check that on a per-game kind of basis.

EDIT:
[q=Omecle]Swap Magic sounds like a big hassle to me. Should I just try installing a solder less chip myself? I have detailed instructions. That or I could try hard to find an installer...[/q]

Yeah, Swap Magic is a hassle. I used it for years before I got a mod chip, and now I don't know how I bothered with the swap disc. With a solderless modchip you are accountable for any damage to your console. Most chip installers will take liability for breaking a console, so while I'm sure I'm capable of installing the chip myself, I would definitely get the chip installed just in case I did something stupid.