Horrible Gelatinous Blob wrote:

This is exactly right. I have a HD Loader in a vanilla PS2, and after exhausting the local Blockbuster's crappy selection of games, I find myself exclusively downloading games, taking the hard drive out of the PS2 and installing it into the computer, installing the games onto the PS2 hard drive via this program, and putting the hard drive back into the PS2. A bit unwieldy, true, but the games are indeed free. Downside: no online for the vast majority of games due to DNAS authentication check. But since the PS2 online scene pretty much blows, it's not a big loss.

Import games work fine, as long as you realize the only way to get them onto the hard drive without a mod chip or swap trick is using the method described above. In short, the PS2 checks the disc to make sure it's a valid US NTSC pressed game every time you open the tray, even when the HD Loader program is running. But once the game is on the hard drive, there are no further region checks and it'll play. I've got the Japanese release of Suikoden IV on my HD Loader right now, just to get an idea if Konami managed to fix the problems that marred III.

I know the HD Loader is no longer being produced or sold, but last I heard there was a copycat product named HD Advance on the market. No idea if they've been sued out of existence yet. Since these are factory pressed discs, they'll boot up with no mod chip or swap trick.