Gaming Freeloader Is FINALLY Released

[Semjaza]

I know several people have asked me personally about this. I'm sure nearly any person in the UK should be interested as well, as the NoE's release schedule is pure hell for anyone that likes the GC.

Freeloader should be instock at stores and online places by the 11th. Apparently some places have it now.

The below is worth skimming over to see what you have to do to use it.

[url]http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=2805[/url]

[quote]GameCube Freeloader Review and Screenshots - play import games on your GameCube
Tue Feb 4 2003 21:11:29 Hong Kong Time - GameCube

[img]http://media.lik-sang.com/images//large/gc-freeloader.jpg[/img]

Ian Osborne, editor of G-Force, took time out from putting together the GameCube's best magazine to write this special web-only review! It?s been a long time in the making, but now Datel?s near-legendary region enabler is ready to roll. So what can it do for GameCube owners? Read on...

After all the waiting, missed release dates and false starts, It?s finally arrived. FreeLoader is out now, and GameCube gaming will never be the same again.

FreeLoader allows you to play any GameCube game on any GameCube, regardless of region encoding. UK gamers with PAL GameCubes can order the latest games from America and Japan, getting to play the really great blockbusters without waiting for their European release.

Why wait for Resident Evil Zero, Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and more, when you can order from abroad and play them months ahead of their PAL release? And because ANY FreeLoader works on ANY Cube, you can also use it to play PAL games on an NTSC machine. That?s right ? if you imported your Cube to take advantage of the earlier release dates enjoyed overseas, you can use FreeLoader to play PAL games on it. At last you can take advantage of the great second hand deals at your local high street independent.

It's straightforward to use too. Just boot up your GameCube with the FreeLoader disc inserted and when prompted, open the lid and swap your FreeLoader disc for the game you want to play. It couldn't be simpler. As FreeLoader is a software-only tool, no hardware modifications are needed. You won't invalidate your warranty and you don't run the risk of ruining your console by fitting a mod chip.

FreeLoader works with any imported game, even two-disc titles like Resident Evil. NTSC games will still be output at 60Hz as opposed to the slower 50Hz, though, so if you're playing your GameCube on a very old television through an RF lead, you won't be able to use it. However, any TV bought in the last decade is more than capable of handling 60Hz signals; if you're playing through the composite cable supplied with your Cube, with or without the SCART adapter, you're fine.

If you?re interested in enhancing games as well as busting open the region coding, check out Action Replay. Due to hit the shelves a week after FreeLoader, Action Replay offers all the functionality of FreeLoader but also allows you to cheat and train games using an updatable codes database. At $36.95 it?s well worth the extra $12 but if you really don't need the extra functions, then FreeLoader is the kit for you.

[b]FreeLoader in action...[/b]
FreeLoader is incredibly easy to use. Just follow these simple steps...
[img]http://media.lik-sang.com/content/freeloader_screens/fl1.gif[/img]

Load your FreeLoader disc in the usual way ? you see this screen.
[img]http://media.lik-sang.com/content/freeloader_screens/fl2.gif[/img]

Open the lid for this prompt. Insert your game disc and close the lid again and you?re away!

[img]http://media.lik-sang.com/content/freeloader_screens/fl3.gif[/img]

FreeLoader detects the region of most games automatically, but if you have any problems, press ?Z? at the FreeLoader screen for this menu.

[img]http://media.lik-sang.com/content/freeloader_screens/fl4.gif[/img]

Choose the region of the game you want to play. When the region?s flag appears, open the Cube and swap discs![/quote]

Now as you can see, unlike a mod... This lets you play PAL games on NSTC TVs, and NSTC games (US and Japan) on PAL TVs. So you can finally import whatever the hell you want.

[url]www.ebgames.com[/url] is also selling it. Expect it to be around $20 to $25 wherever you go.

[b]Important:[/b] If you get this, please keep in mind that you need a seperate card for US and Japanese games. You simply cannot save a Japanese game and a US game on the same card. The GC won't allow it and will reformat the card - basically meaning you lose ALL your saves and you're SOL. The same goes with standard mods (although apparently there is a new mod that fixes that, don't know much about that).

So yeah, get a couple memory cards heh.

[James]

[color=#507AAC]Ahh, you said "Afterburner" in the thread title. I'll fix that for you. ~_^

I read this today at Lik-Sang. It's great news! Hopefully I'll be able to import one within the next few days.

[/color]

[Turkey]

Since I have been waiting for the Freeloader since July, and I've had an import PSO since the day it came out; I just have one thing to say:

YIPEEWOOHOOYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHTHISROCKSMANMANMANMANAMIHAPPYORWHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111

*Dies of hyperventilation*

[Guest Musahi]

Well, while this looks really interesting I have a few questions. So, it will still be in the original Japanese version. How the hell am I supposed to know whats going on in the story? Also does anybody know a good store to import games?

[Semjaza]

I already talked about the above with you.

I feel Lik-Sang is a decent import site though.

Anyway, there are complaints with the product from users. Apparently the Freeloader has problems with anything heavy on FMV as it shares a cache in the system with it. So basically RE and RE:Zero have major problems...

It can be fixed I imagine with future patches and such, but I don't know for sure.