Problem with PS2

[Final_metroid]

I bought Shadow Hearts Covenant used, and just started playing it today. The gameplay works fine, but whenever there is a cutscene the game may or may not freeze for about 15-20 seconds and then continue. I was annoyed but still pleased that the game worked. During one cutscene however, 2 minutes went by and the game did not unfreeze. I got thoroughly irked and turned the game off. From researching, the game has some capatability issues with PS3 (although i am using a slimline PS2, i don't know if that would make a different). Essentially what I am asking is, has anyone else had the same problem? Will it eventually get worse as the complexity of the game progresses? Or is it not a problem?

(Its already passed the 30 day period btw, so i don't think gamestop will give me an 'equivalent working product' for this)

[Doulifée]

Various solutions possible:

play the problematic area:

1- on another PS2

2- on a ps3

3- try to flip the ps2 (like we did with the ps1 many year ago)

it's hard to answer your question, because it's usually a problem linked to the DVD and the console. Game can work fine in a pS2 and not in another.

[Skummel Maske]

I've had that kind of problem with both Final Fantasy 8 and 10, both times it was because of scratched discs.

[K999]

When I was having these kind of problems it was because the lens had become dirty. Unless you are having problems only with this game and not any other game it might be your lens.

Shadow hearts covenant is an amazing game by the way. Definitely one of top five rpg's for ps2 in my eyes.

[Final_metroid]

Scratches arn't that bad, although it does look like someone "smeared" scratches onto the disc in some places. I've seen do-it-yourself CD buffing kits in some stores, are they reliable if it does come to that?

[Schwaltzvald]

Scratches arn't that bad, although it does look like someone "smeared" scratches onto the disc in some places. I've seen do-it-yourself CD buffing kits in some stores, are they reliable if it does come to that?

I actually bought one of those for about $15 and it worked wonders for my MMX collection disc when it had a bunch of scratches on it.

ps posting from the PS3 for once feels awesome lol

[Final_metroid]

When i rebooted the game it didn't freeze for awhile until i defeated this certain boss and now the cinematic won't play.

I'm gonna try to buff up the CD, but the only thing im worried about is that the problem may be the game itself somehow.

If i try to sell this back to gamestop and try to recover some of my money before hunting a new copy do you think they'll go for it?

(From guessing, its most probable that the disk is the problem, because the PS2 is fairly new and the disk scratches are extremely shallow at the worst...)

[relyanCe]

It's likely a problem with the reader, in which case you're probably just screwed. Try getting your CD resurfaced at a Play n Trade or somewhere like that if you think it's the disk. Also, take some compressed air, open the disk tray, turn off the PS2, and air out the disk area, as dust is the most common and easily fixed problem. If you try taking the console apart, be very careful as this can cause a short in the wiring, which would render your system completely useless.

[Gollgagh]

I've taken my PS2 apart a few times and I don't really see where a short would occur very easily, but I can say that things are packed in there somewhat intricately, (especially the ribbon cable connecting the power button)

so if you do take yours apart, just take it slow and you should be fine

[relyanCe]

(especially the ribbon cable connecting the power button)

This is the part that I'm pretty sure shorted. The electrical tape holding it down had rotted, among other things, and the thing was 8 years old, so yeah... Woulda been too much work to trial-and-error fix the short, so I just bought a new one.