The PS2 is so much more simple than the Xbox to softmod.
Nothing can go wrong. Well, it could corrupt the memory card or something like that in rare cases. Nothing is done to the console it self.
Just keep the memory card dump in a safe spot if you care about it. I don't even keep them as these thing can be bought for just a couple dollar almost anywhere.
Its not bounded to the console, it sit on the memory card or the HDD. It can be used on another PS2 anytime.
If the PS2 goes kaputt, you just swap the memory card and your internal HDD or USB HDD with your games on it to another PS2 and you're good to go.
Yes, you can play games from a USB flash drive or an external USB HDD, the only downside from that is some video scene can be choppy. Game play is all good.
You can even play PS2 games from your LAN. (PS2 games stored on a PC /server)
The only thing you need to do is to ESR patch your
backups.
And you are WAY better with a Fat PS2 / internal HDD / network adaptor (required for the HDD)
Once you have a memory card with FMCB on it, you can prepare another memory card for another PS2 in a mater of a few seconds.
So basically, (I have not try it) you should be able to install the softmod on a memory card, put a NES emulator and 1 or 2 games..
Go at a friend house, put the memory card in, and play Mario Bros in a just the time it take to boot on his virgin PS2. Awesome no?!
Its important to understand that unlike the Xbox, softmod are almost good as an hardmod, if not better.
Only some of the very last PS2 model to come out cannot use FMCB.
The only advantage a modchip can offer is playing original PS1 and Japaneese game without patching straight from DVD's.
They are well known to kill DVD lasers much faster.
The PS2 is definitely one of the hardest console to hardmod anyways. 18 to 22 wires, all going on low pitch SMD chips or vias.
And there is like 15+ versions, lots of different diagrams. ^^
Tutorials:
http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials/fmcb/ (Personally I did
that long time ago)
A long thread of other games that can work for the PS2 game swap trick:
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/ps2-ga ... dex37.html
I also found another method that is not listed in the 1st link,
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/softmo ... 5D-116178/
But personally if I had to do that, after that I would install FMCB on a memory card, wipe the HDD then install FHDB correctly from the FMCB memory card.
Also, have a look to this post. There is people that install FMCB on memory card for free in different regions of the world.
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/%5Brea ... you-58851/
Open PS2 Launcher (OPL):
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f150/open-p ... 9-a-62141/
http://psx-scene.com/forums/ and
http://www.sksapps.com/ have pretty much all the info and stuff you will need.
If there is anyone who knows something I said is incorrect, feel free to correct me.. I'm a
newb at that PS2 thing.