Thinking About Making a Purchase...

Without a job right now, been at an all time low. Nothing to look forward to when I wake up in the morning. Even in 2009, I can say that I've never owned a PS2. As an RPG guy, I know there are a bunch of games that I've always wanted to play on the PS2. So, I come to you fellow CAG members for some much needed suggestions.

Without a car, I've been only looking at stores with an online branch. They only seem to have a $99.99 Slimline. So..

(1) Is there anything different between the regular model and the slimline (mainly along the lines of what games can be played)?

(2) If I go for a used regular PS2 on say...Craigslist or whatnot, what's a good starting price for just the console + parts?

(3) For the most part, I can't read or understand Japanese, but I'm a big fan of the Super Robot Taisen and SD Gundam games. From what I understand, PS2s are region locked (unlike the DSLite, which I wished the DSi was, but that's another thing). So for example... If there were US games, and then you have the European FFX-International, and then Japanese titles. Is there a one PS2 that can handle all regions?

1. The slimline model has some trouble playing certain PSX games. There's also minor hardware revisions but they shouldn't affect gameplay.

2. I would say $20-$40 for just the console and a controller, depending on model and condition.

3. I don't think there's a region free PS2 unless it's been modded, which we can't discuss on the forums.

Damn. It's like if I wanted to get English and Japanese games...I'd have to buy two consoles. Anybody know of any websites/stores that sell either regular PS2s or the Slimlines for less than their market prices?

[quote name='theOtherGuy']Damn. It's like if I wanted to get English and Japanese games...I'd have to buy two consoles. Anybody know of any websites/stores that sell either regular PS2s or the Slimlines for less than their market prices?[/QUOTE]

If only there was something you could buy that would let you swap games from different regions, yet they would all work on your US PS2 like magic.

Hmm.. Interesting, very interesting.