The Playstation2 is amazing. The graphics capabilities of this system are so impressive that my 9-year-old daughter would rather watch me play a game than watch television.

Of course, with Squaresoft's 'Bouncer' spinning on a PS2, she's looking at the absolute top-of-the-line in graphic interactive gaming. Her first steps into the world of video games have been on the PS2. I can tell you right now that she has no interest whatsoever in arcade games. The graphics at home are far better.

I am also relatively new to the video game world. I've owned a PS1 for about a year now, and can give you a basic comparison.

The Playstation1 makes its initial load more quickly. The Playstation2 loads more slowly at first, but is faster with saving and menu functions.

The controllers look and feel the same, however you should be aware that they are not identical. Some PS2 games will only work with a PS2 controller. One example of this is 'Bouncer'. You must use a PS2 controller to play the game. I'm not sure what the difference is, but I tried my older controllers (even Sony brand), and they won't work. I can play Tekken Tag Tourney with any controller, though.

If you put a CD or DVD in a PS1, it won't do anything. If you put one in a PS2, it will play it merrily. It seems to work just as well as the DVD player I got for Christmas, and takes up far less space. The only downside is that the PS2 doesn't come packaged with a remote control; if you're as lazy as I am on a movie night, you'll have to spend $20-25 extra to get a PS2 remote.

Of course, I can't say enough about the graphics. You have to look pretty hard at this point to find software that fully utilizes the PS2's potential. I think Squaresoft's 'Bouncer' is as close as anyone has come to the quality possible with the system. It is absolutely amazing how clear the digital images are. We've tried several other games, and this one is by far the most impressive. I recommend it as a good first purchase.

In the nuts and bolts of the thing, the PS2 was extremely simple to set up and plug in. The PS2 can sit either horizontally or vertically, which made it very easy to cram into our overstuffed entertainment center. You can hook it up to your television in a number of ways; either with A/V cables (red/yellow/white), an S-Video cable, or through an RFU unit. It took me under a minute to plug ours in and turn it on. The hardest part was opening the packaging!

One thing to note is that the PS2 'runs' a bit more loudly than the old PS1. I imagine that this is the result of a much faster and busier processor under there; but at first I was worried about the 'whirring' from the console. Apparently this is normal, though, and no cause for concern.

This system is a dream come true for those of us who are trying very hard to become responsible adults, and still hang on to our childhood toys. It's a CD player and a DVD player. It just so happens to also have some other really neat capabilities, but you don't have to mention that to your visiting future in-laws! It's very low-profile, and as long as you keep the pizza box stack to a minimum, it won't make your home look like an after-hours arcade.


Recommended: Yes