I’ve owned the Playstation 2 for almost a year. I bought it once the Dreamcast started to die. Now all you DC fan-boys better not get all angry about the last statement, I meant it in the kindest manner possible. The DC is still a great system, don’t get me wrong, I just wanted something newer. This review is long overdue, but oh well. I try not to get involved in stupid arguments about which system is better. That’s fan-boy stuff. I don’t own the X-Box or the Gamecube. I’m sure they have their strong points. I just don’t see the point in spending $200 or $300 for another system, that’s 4 or 6 PS2 games. It’s all about the games isn’t it? If you want games, the PS2 has the widest selection currently available.

The graphics for the Playstation 2 are pretty good. They’re a step above the Dreamcast, but I don’t notice huge differences between the two. It wasn’t like the switch between the SNES and the N64. I really don’t think graphics are going to get much better than what we are seeing with the current consoles. The sound is very good. Nothing to really complain about in the whole raw power category. I really don’t care what’s goin on with the hardware, the software’s what’s important.

The PS2 was a very broad selection of games. I think this is why it’s going to rein supreme in the gaming market. You want sports: there’s a solid title for every major sport out there. Racing? There’s Grand Turismo 3. RPGs? There’s Final Fantasy X, and a gaggle of other pretty solid RPGs. Fighting? There’s Capcom Vs SNK 2, Tekken Tag Tournament, Dead Or Alive, and a few others. Extreme Sports? There’s Tony Hawk 3, SSX, SSX Tricky, Dave Mirra 2, and a bunch of others. Every genre has a few solid tittles. Unless you’re a really hard-core gamer, you won’t even get around to playing every good game on the PS2. There’s also my favorite game in a long time Grand Theft Auto 3. I usually only buy 15-20 tittles for every console I own.

With the controller Sony went with the old “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” policy. The controller is almost identical to the first Playstation dual shock controller. The two joysticks can be pushed in as buttons, this is the only major change. I had no complaints about the controller the first time around, and I have none now. I have pretty small hands because I’m a pretty small guy and everything on me is proportional (yes, everything) and I find the controller quite comfortable.

The Playstation plays DVDs, but I could care less, I already have a DVD player. The picture quality of the PS2’s DVD playback isn’t as good as my cheap Apex DVD player. I’d rather they knock a few bucks off the pricetag and just scrap the whole DVD thing.

At $300, the PS2 is pretty darn expensive. Games are $50, extra controllers/memory cards are $35 if you want to go officially licensed. So buying the PS2, a few games, a memory card, and a extra controllers is quite an investment. If you’re broke go with the Dreamcast. You can get a whole Dreamcast rig for about $100. I sh*t you not.

If you have the scrilla, the PS2 is very safe bet. I guarantee you’ll be able to find a few games you like no matter what your bag is. How else are you going to play Grand Theft Auto 3?

Recommended: Yes