Problem Running Timesplitters 2 On Modded X-box Options

[skriptkiddie]

Hello everyone,

I tried running an original copy of TimeSplitters 2 on a X-Box (V1.0) with XChanger and UnleashX installed. Both the game and the X-Box were bought in Germany (PAL).
When starting the game sound and controls work fine but the screen just turns black. I figured it could be a problem with the PAL/NTSC standard so I set it to PAL and normal (not widescreen) output in the XChanger BIOS. Then I did the same in the UnleashX system configuration. After rebooting the setting in UnleashX always is "NTSC M". However it seems to accept the setting "Normal" instead of "Widescreen". I played around with different settings but couldn't find a way to make that highly underrated classic work. Anyone got an idea?

Greets from Germany!
skriptkiddie

[NoFace]

Forgive me if I ask you questions that are too obvious.

1. What is the condition of the disk you are using? Do other games run off your drive?
2. Have you tried copying the game to the hard drive and running it?

[skriptkiddie]

Hello NoFace,

thanks for your reply.
The disc is used of course but a few scratches shouldn't be that bad. Other discs work fine. Only Return of the Kings doesn't run either. With this I don't even have sound.
Copying the disc to the hdd didn't help. It's just the same problem as before.

skriptkiddie

[fallenangle]

Sorry I couldn't reply to this earlier but I can help. I still play TS2 regularly and have experienced exactly the problem you've had when I first tried to play it on a modded console.

The reason is Timesplitters 2 is one of a handful of PAL games which don't support NTSC display. There's no point in fiddling with the NTSC/PAL UnleashX settings they can't help in these cases. Similarly ripping the game to the HDD won't help either.

You need to use the Enigmah region changer app to swap the console back to PAL.

Also, maybe of interest, there are some games: Panzer Dragoon Orta and Gun Valkeryie which previously I'd assumed were in the same PAL only category. But I was wrong these are in a unique class of their own in not being playable on a v1.6 Xbox in 480p. I'm not sure if this applies to US NTSC game versions.

What this means is that if you have a modded PAL v1.6 console region changed to NTSC with 480p ticked using the MS or UnleashX dash and Component cables those games will not display properly. Change the setting to 480i and they will.

Aparently this is down to the Xcalibur video encoder used for v1.6 machines. Earlier Xboxes which used a different encoder can play the PAL versions perfectly in 480p.

[skriptkiddie]

Thanks dude! Now it works. Although only in a strange screen format. Nevertheless thanks for your help!

[fallenangle]

So how did you get it to work? If the v.1 console was region changed back to PAL there should have been no problem at all so do you mean you did that or actually managed to get it running on a NTSC set machine.

If so what resolution, 480i or 480p?

[Q3A-TaNK]

I remembered that Rolling, Robot Wars, and SCAR Alfa Romeo Racing, all 3 PAL exclusives wont load in NTSC. Rolling and Robot Wars has PAL to NTSC fixes but SCAR never had one.