Customer Reviews

SharkPort

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

When i first ordered this item i wasnt sure if it was gonna work very good, but it is actually really easy to use and does exactly what i wanted it too. I got it to save games on my computer so i wouldnt have to buy a bunch of memory cards and it works great. I havent actually needed to use it yet, but i tested it out a few times with saves i already have on my memory card. It worked great with transfering saves back and forth from my computer to my memory card and memory card to PC. It also comes with saves for a bunch of other games too, if you want to cheat. And you can also download a bunch of saves from the internet as well.

The only thing i didnt like about it is that the cable was too short. It is 6', but 6' is shorter than i thought it would be. You get 2 three foot USB cables, which means your PS2 has to be fairly close to your computer. But i'm just gonna buy a longer USB cable, so its all good.

Ok here goes...

1st this is a really good purchase. You can move saves to and from your memory card to your computer for storage or for protection from accidental deletion or corruption. True the install disk for this is bogus so you need to download the 2.0 version to connection to Gamesharks website to download codes and/or saves. You can also type your codes manually using your computer into the actual game listing your have and put them into your memory card and upload them to the Gameshark. So it's useful to have and use.

Here's the problem. The Sharkport 2 does NOT work with newer versions of the Playstation 2. I know. I have one of the first PS2's to come out here in the states and a newer one bought in March of 2003. Sharkport 2 isn't compatible with Gameshark 2 Version 3 and doesn't look like it will be for a long time since the company that made the Sharkport 2 got bought out and the new owners don't appear to be interested in releasing a newer version.

So if you want to use this Sharkport 2 you have to have an older version of the PS2 and can't be using the newer versions of the Gameshark 2. If you are... well then you are hosed. Sorry.

I basically only play sports games, so I wanted the Sharkport to download updated rosters and maybe backup some games onto my pc to free up space on my memory cards.

I don't understand all complaints about setting up, it took me about 2 minutes to install, 3 minutes to figure out the layout and another 5 to download onto my memory card rosters for 4 games. I was also able to transfer data for High Heat Baseball onto my PC for the spring when I start playing again.

This product is great and worked seamlessly. One negative is that you need the PS2 within a few feet of the PC, but all I did was unplug it and carry into my computer room. You don't need a TV or the conroller.

Highly recommended.

The Sharkport won't work with any PS2 models made after March 2003; the last model # it will work with is 390001 or something like that.

To top it off, InterAct, the company that originally made it, went out of business and MadCatz took over but apparently don't support it. You can't find anything for it on their website.

Get an AR Max instead.

Works great now, but had a tough time getting to run on my PC. The software CD that comes with Sharkport2 is obsolete, so you have to download a 5 MB file from Interact. (Don't try that on a 28.8 modem)! After installing that file, Sharkport STILL wouldn't load. Two calls into customer support - still nothing. After researching their website myself, I found the missing file (.dll), downloaded it into my System folder, and viola! Sharkport booted, working well. You can then download saved games with trillions of dollars, unlocked vehicles, team rosters, etc. Overall, a 3 out of 5.

I am a computer geek. I admit it. I read all the other reviews about how the disk was not read. I had the same exact problem. The solution is quite simple. Place your playstation into the vertical position. I can't explain it, but cd's with the blue bottom surface can only be read in the vertical position. After I installed the drivers for the computer with ease, I enjoyed uploading tons of saves to the sharkport. [...]

Supporting myself, I don't have a lot of money to spend on PS2 memory cards. Even so, I like gaming and rent games from time to time, and buy ones that I like. I bought the SharkPort so that I would be able to backup saved games on my computer, and it performs this task... but that's about it.
The team that wrote the software put most of its effort into making the interface 'cute' and put minimal effort into exploiting the capabilities of the SharkPort. For example, the SharkPort will overwrite all saved game icons with the sharkport logo. Though this is an aesthetic change, it makes managing saved game files more tedious and depreciates the authenticity of the saved game file. It also does not recognize the Dex Drive format (which I was hoping it would since my Dex Drive recently gave out and new ones are becoming harder to come by).
The website for the SharkPort is also lacking, dominated primarily by those who are proud to be cheating at games (which kinda defeats the purpose of gaming, imho).
Anyway, if you're just looking for a way to backup your saved game files on your computer or share 'em with a friend, then the sharkport is an adequate solution. Just don't expect anything more out of it and be ready to put up with the "you must be a cheater if you use our product" mentality.

i'll agree with everybody on here that if you install the PC disk that comes with the Sharkport onto your computer, prepare to get ticked off. go straight to interact-acc.com for the newest update. You'll still need the Playstation2 disk though.

For anybody whose skeptical, your files will never get corrupted. Trust me, between Madden 2002, NCAA Football 2002, and NCAA Football 2003, and a huge DVD file for the PS2 remote, nothing has gone wrong. Not even once.

I read a previous customer review and read about the Playstation 2 Disc not being read by the newest model PS2, 3001R.... well, I don't know anything about that and I can't say that person is doing something wrong, but I can't say its true either. I'm using the 3001 model, and have no problems at all.

I've owed the Sharkport since last year. I've used it on every Windows operating system (win98se thru xp)except Windows 95 and NT (i dont own it).

This is an excellent device. Read a lot of reviews here where it didn't work, but I've never had a problem. I bought my SP in '02 and mainly use it for d/ling roster files to my memory card. I usually have to read the manual to make sure I connect and insert everything in the right sequence, but I never have any problem.

I did notice one time that my PS2 didn't read the SharkPort disc when the PS2 was sitting a little crooked (on a cable or something). I move the cable, made sure the PS2 was sitting straight up and down (vertical position), and it recognized the disc right away.

Save you manual, follow it everytime, and store it, the disc (both PS2 and Computer), and the USB cable back in the original box for safe keeping until you need it again, and you'll get many years of good use from this little device.

I hear many people complaining about techinical problems, but I haven't seen one at all. I am running Windows XP, and have yet to see any problems at all.

It works wonders for me. Also, there is someone who said that you cannot copy and paste codes manually. But you can! You can enter codes very well with this wonderful gadget. I can trade game saves with people over the internet. It's great.

Definate buy. Get it.