Well, I’ve wanted a Playstation 2 for a while now. I can’t say I’ve wanted one since it came out, but definitely since Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec hit the market. I had enjoyed the two previous Gran Turismo installments on my Playstation, and I really, really wanted to play the new and improved installment on the PS2.

But was it worth the price asked for a system that really only had that one game that appealed to me? Not really. So I waited. And then November came along. I figured that Sony would reduce the price of the PS2 when the Xbox and GameCube hit the market. November passed, and the PS2’s price was still holding up. I wasn’t sure if I should just skip the PS2 and go for a GameCube, since I knew I’d eventually be buying one anyways. But then the clincher occurred, and it was called Final Fantaxy X. I’ve been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for a long, long time, and I wasn’t about to miss this one. Not to mention that it had been released ahead of schedule. So I dragged my stashed console budget to Wal-Mart and bought a PS2/GT3 bundle. The next day, I got FFX as a gift. So there I was with a new console and what had to be the best two games of the year. And a whole week where I cannot remember doing anything else but playing video games.

For this text, I’ll concentrate on the Playstation 2 hardware itself rather than on any specific games.

My first thought when I unpacked it was how oddly-shaped this thing was. I’d seen some, but I had never held one up close. Kudos goes out to Sony for not putting any buttons or ventilation slots on top of the PS2, which allows me to stack something else on top (my Sega Dreamcast, for example). All the usual connectors are there, and most are compatible with original Playstation connectors. The power cord is the same, the A/V out cable is the same. Original Playstation controllers will work in the PS2 also. The disc loading mechanism is tray-based rather that the generally well-accepted flip-cover type. This might be more delicate for families with young gamers. It should also be noted that the Playstation 2 also has a cooling fan that does make a noticeable sound when playing in a quiet environment (such as playing FFX at 2AM).

I also have to give credit to Sony for not changing the design on the original Playstation controller. That design was acclaimed as being the best controller design seen on a console to date, and if something isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it. So all Sony did is make every button on the controller pressure-sensitive. Whether this justifies the high price of the controllers is another debate however.

The Playstation 2 also plays all original Playstation games, and reads Playstation memory cards (these will only work with original Playstation games though). So you can pass on that old Playstation to friend or sibling, so that they’ll stop bothering you while you’re enjoying your PS2. Just kidding...!

So interacting with the PS2 will not be anything new for long-time PS1 players (and I suspect that most people that buy a PS2 have had a PS1 at one time or another). But how about gaming experience potential?

Well, the Playstation 2 certainly packs a greater punch than its predecessor. While games have the potential of being graphically magnificent (take a look at Final Fantasy X), not all PS2 games are equally impressive. Gran Turismo 3 did not look that impressive to me graphically during gameplay (the shots in the ads are those of replay scenes, and they look better than in-game graphics). The game does make up in depth and realism though, but that’s not for this Epinion text. The bottom line is that the PS2 can really handle stunning graphics, but the game developers have to take the time to actually design and implement the games correctly for the PS2’s complex hardware.

One area where the PS2 shows its age relative to the newcomers that are the GameCube and Xbox is its lack of antialiasing capabilities. This causes the appearance of some jagged edges in diagonal lines, especially with contrasting surfaces.

One strange shortcoming of the PS2 is its lack of progressive-scan output when used with the optinal component video connector. While both Xbox and Gamecube offer native 480p output, this is not available on the PS2. This is especially odd considering that a computer-generated image in inherently progressive. So to be used with a new progressive scan TV, the internal progressive-scan is automatically converted to interlaced (480i), then has to be run through a line doubler and then displayed on a progressive-scan TV. This induces some inherent loss of quality that could have been avoided. This is a feature I would have expected considering the PS2’s price tag.

This shortcoming is even more flagrant when you consider that the PS2 can be configured for use on both regular 4:3 aspect televisions as well as new 16:9 televisions. Since virtually all 16:9 televisions are progressive-scan, there should be an option for a progressive output.

In-game sound supports the Dolby Pro-Logic standard, but most games feature stereo sound only. There is an optical output to feed to your receiver, which supports the transmission of Dolby Digital for playing back DVD movies.

I’d also like to mention that peripherals like controllers and memory cards for the Playstation 2 are really expensive compared to those for the original Playstation. So not only is the system quite expensive, but the memory cards cost almost three times as much as they did with the original Playstation.

But all of those technical features and drawbacks don’t mean much unless there are some good quality games to take advantage of them. Having been out on the market for a little over a year, the PS2 now has a good selection of games to choose from, with something for everyone. Right now, the Xbox and GameCube have not reached that point yet, and they have a very limited selection of games available. While I will most probably buy a GameCube when the next Metroid or Zelda title appears, I think that the PS2 currently offers me the most value in a system.


Here’s a summary of my thoughts on the Playstation 2:

THE REALLY GOOD:

-The established game collection. The PS2 has matured enough that it now offers games to satisfy pretty much all types of game players. This is not the case for new next-gen systems.

-The excellent controller. Sony took the best controller on the market and improved on it. It’s still the best.


THE GOOD:

-Excellent graphical capabilities. While the newest consoles can do better, the PS2 is not to be left behind, and surpasses them with some games such as Final Fantasy X.

-Backwards compatibility with original Playstation games and peripherals.


THE NOT-SO-GOOD:

-No progressive-scan game output. This is particularly puzzling for a system that offers a 16:9 aspect ratio setting.

-It’s still quite expensive. This unfortunately puts it out of reach of some would-be gamers. Peripherals are also very expensive.


The REALLY BAD:

-Nothing to report here.






Recommended: Yes