PlayStation 2: Perhaps the best gaming portal available to buyers right now, maybe.
Written: Aug 07 '03 (Updated Aug 07 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Largest Game library
Proven System
Fantastic Build Quality
Comfortable Controllers
Well supported by gaming community
Cons: Memory sticks vs hard-drive
Weakest graphics of the three
DVD player
Weak online support
The Bottom Line: It comes down to what you want in a system. If it's game selection, the PS2 wins hands down. Go with your gaming instinct though!
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| mykel8's Full Review: Sony PlayStation 2 Slimline Console |
Let me begin my review by saying that I am a newcomer to the “PlayStation phenomenon”. I basically bypassed the original PlayStation back in 1995, instead going from Sega Genesis to Nintendo 64 and then Sega Dreamcast. Recently, I have re-surfaced in the console gaming world by purchasing the all-mighty Xbox as my main gaming rig. While the Xbox has the most beautiful graphics and the most power of all the next-generation consoles (Halo comes to mind), I am an eclectic gamer so I wanted to be able to enjoy a wider range of games than the Xbox offers. Xbox has some fine games, but being the newcomer that it is, you will be hard pressed to find an oddball game like Mister Mosquito (PS2) on Xbox. With 10 games happily invested into my Xbox library, I came upon PS2. Already established and nearing three years old, I immediately realized that the PS2 would satisfy my craving for the “odder, wackier” games that Xbox lacked as well as Sony-exclusives like Final Fantasy. Unlike most gamers, the PS2 in my situation would become the system where I would not sweat shelling out 20 bucks for a three year old game. My Xbox would remain as the $49.95 game machine. Additionally, I would only buy games for PS2 that did not have an Xbox version, since Xbox has the stronger graphics. For $180, it was not a drastic investment, on top of the fact that many of the games that intrigued me were mainstays that had already dropped to $19.99, allowing me to keep a PS2 around as my “secondary/budget/anything goes” console. Coupled with the DVD player which would come in handy, the PS2 looked like a fantastic purchase. Let us examine the PlayStation 2 in detail.
Sleek and futuristic looking, the PlayStation 2 will fit nicely into your home theatre system or your dorm room. It is not the Godzilla-sized Xbox, nor is it the cute, childish Nintendo Gamecube. In a class all its own, the system is handsomely encased in a black plastic, split-level shell. The console can be mounted horizontally or vertically, I am not pressed on space so the horizontal option worked out fine. Sony has given us only two controller ports, which is a shame because both Xbox and Gamecube have four ports. For those gamers with a pack of friends, a Multi-tap adapter can be implemented to allow for more players. There are also two memory card slots which accept proprietary 8 megabyte Sony cards that save game data. In my opinion, the hard drive the Xbox relies on is a much more efficient way to handle saving game data, but hard drives were prohibitively expensive when PlayStation 2 first went on the market. A promise to include a hard drive expansion kit was scrapped; sadly, PlayStation fans will not see a hard drive on a Sony system until PlayStation 3, which is coming no sooner than late 2005. Additional ports include two USB ports for peripherals like keyboards and mice, a Firewire port and the standard A/V and power ports in the rear of the system. Sony’s Dual Shock controllers are very nice, with two 3D sticks, they fit my larger hands comfortably and have force feedback, still, I believe Gamecube has the most ergonomic controllers. In any case, the controllers feel good and they seem like they are built to withstand some abuse. The console’s DVD player is a bit of an after-thought, while it plays a DVD just fine, the menus and interface is fairly awful- a $15 Sony remote control helps alleviate the situation. Overall, there is a lot of value from the PS2 for $180, and soon the price will fall to $150.
For most buyers, the games that the console will play matters most. Sony knew this fact well when they ordered the specifications for the PlayStation 2. In a masterful move, Sony decided to let the PS2 play original PlayStation games, good move! Likely hoping to please parents and tight-wad gamers alike, Sony touted the fact that those old PlayStation games would not have to be thrown away, they could be played- and enjoy the greater processing and rendering ability from the new PS2 hardware set. Naturally, this made migration to the PS2 a no-brainer for previous PlayStation owners. Additionally, this crafty decision gave the PlayStation 2 a game library of well over 800 games its first day on the shelves, a situation that neither Xbox nor Gamecube would enjoy. Personally, I bought my PlayStation 2 for games. I wanted to have the option of owning games that had no hope of ever seeing the Microsoft console, important series like Twisted Metal X, Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto (which after many years is finally coming to the Xbox). Additionally, I am a fan of oddball games, being the newcomer that it is in console gaming, Microsoft cannot easily sit back and approve titles that will have limited appeal- Sony can. I knew that with almost 2,000 games around for PS and PS2, I would find the obscure but addictive games that eluded all but the most established systems. Even so, for those gamers who plan on only having PlayStation 2, the console gets all the great million-plus sellers too. Franchises like Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider can only be found on Sony hardware, so fans of Lara Croft should heavily consider the PlayStation 2. Unfortunately, not all is perfectly tailored for the PS2. Being the oldest member of the trio, the PS2 has the oldest graphics chip- a flaw that generally makes games with an Xbox version be more visually splendid. It is no matter though, surprisingly, I find that the quality of a game can mask any shortcoming in hardware throughput. Still, for those who have the intense need to boast about having the latest graphics card in their console, Xbox is the main event. Besides slightly older hardware, the online/multiplayer aspect has never been the PS2’s forte. Shipping with no standard connectivity options, owners who hope to connect to the web and battle opponents from all over the country will have to spree for a network adapter, while the Xbox comes with a built-in Fast Ethernet port. One decent move Sony did make was to allow dial-up users to enjoy online gaming, Xbox users with dial-up are out of luck, Xbox Live requires high speed internet access such as cable or DSL. One piece of information worth mentioning is that there is a critical shortage of online-multiplayer titles currently available for the PS2, though some are coming. For internet multi-playing, no console touches Microsoft's Xbox-Live services.
PlayStation 2 remains to this day the console market leader, with the most games available and the most gamers utilizing the system. It will be interesting to see how the future unfolds, while I do not consider Nintendo’s Gamecube any threat to PS2, Microsoft’s Xbox is a definite presence. The truth is, both the PS2 and the Xbox are fine consoles (coming from a gamer who owns both and loves both). It depends on what you will demand out of your system. For games who want sheer game selection, PlayStation 2 is the best option. Yet for those who demand the most amazing graphics in the industry and the latest technological innovation, well, the Xbox fits the bill. I hope that my ideas have led you in the right direction, but should you still be confused, do what I did and buy both systems!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mykel8
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Location: Miami, FL, USA
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 3 members
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