I totally adored (okay, worshipped) my PSX, but was hesitant to buy the Sony PlayStation 2 for several reasons. The launch games, despite a few good titles, didn’t exactly have me hot and bothered. As anyone would tell you, what makes a console worthy is the GAMES and at that point, I wasn’t impressed enough to camp out at Toys R’ Us to get one. However, I’m avidly loyal to the Final Fantasy franchise and because Final Fantasy X was going to be released on the PS2, I dutifully went and spent $300 on the system just to play the game. (It’s a bad habit; I got the GameCube because Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is going to be released as a Nintendo exclusive.) Since then, the games have gotten better, the price dropped to $200USD, and the PS2 now dominates the console market with worldwide sales of over 40 million units. It’s popular, for sure, but it’s not perfect – just close enough to make it my choice console.

-| The Physical Design |-

The PS2’s exterior is basically a black rectangular box with a very cool logo in psychedelic blue… Granted, it’s not much to look at, but I think it’s an attractive console: slim, sleek and practical. The fact that it can sit vertically and still function (using the vertical stand) is a space-saver. On the front is the ‘reset’ and ‘eject’ buttons, a DVD-ROM drive, two memory card slots, two controller ports, one I.Link port, two USB ports (for upcoming peripherals), and an expansion bay in the back for whatever else the future has in store for the PS2. One negative: the power switch is located at the back corner of the console, which may make it a hassle for anyone who’d have to clear things out of the way in order to play. (Or, as Tom [pearl-drum-man] suggests, you can just put the PS2 in sleep mode by pressing the ‘reset’ buttons for a few seconds and press it again when you want to activate it.)

-| Hardware & Performance |-

The PS2, supporting both DVD-ROM and CD-ROM formats, is backward compatible, meaning it will play PSX as well as PS2 games. It also has the ability to play DVDs and audio CDs. While the latter is a bonus feature, the launch price of $300USD hardly makes it seem like so. At its current price, though, it’s a good deal if you don’t already own a DVD player. The system’s backward compatibility immediately expands its game library to include almost all PSX games and can even clean up their graphics a bit, as well as speed up loading times. This works for some games and I don’t really see a significant difference in others.

Among the three next-gen consoles in the market including the Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox, some claim the PS2’s hardware to be the weakest. (Looking at numbers itself, the PS2 looks downright substandard.) Personally, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch when it comes down to performance since all three systems have their weak and strong technical points. The PS2’s processor is a highly touted Sony/Toshiba-made 128-bit “Emotion Engine,” the heart of the console, which serves the primary purpose of running one type of application: 3D games with real-time environments. (Also named such as it was designed to simulate emotions and facial expressions with lifelike realness.) The system runs at a clock speed of a little less than 300MHz, not quite measuring up to the GameCube’s 485MHz and the Xbox’s 733MHz – but then again, the Emotion Engine boasts a entire 128-bit data structure – the first of its kind – which, simply put, translates to faster handling of multimedia data. (Even the Sega Dreamcast’s processor didn’t have true 128-bit components.) The system’s I/O processor, which assists the Emotion Engine, is the same CPU used on the PSX, albeit this is a better-built version (making the PS2 two systems in one.) The main memory is 32MB of Direct DRAM, with a bandwidth of 3.2 GB per second, allowing it to simultaneously store and transfer a large amount of data, further speeding the processor’s performance. What the heck does this all mean anyway? Let’s just say the power of a PS2 is comparative to that of a generic PC – and in some areas, even exceeding it.

The only downside? No internal hard drive.

The graphics rendered on the PS2 is a bit less pretty than those of the GameCube or Xbox. (As you can probably tell – commercials for multi-platform games usually feature Xbox screens.) Judging it on its own, it’s still very visually pleasing and many games have been able to push the console to its limits, graphics-wise. (Examples: Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Final Fantasy X, Onimusha 2) At a maximum polygon rate of 75 million polygons per second on screen, you can expect crispness and a great amount of detail. One complaint in this regard is the lack of anti-aliasing to smooth out textures (aliasing is jaggedness or distortion caused by limited resolution) but I don’t experience this problem too often. A bit of coding can usually get rid of jaggies in a game, so it takes a little work from both the developer and the PS2's Graphics Synthesizer. Still, graphics is generally not a huge deal to me, which is why I’m not making an immense point of where the PS2 falls short in comparison to the GameCube or Xbox.

To bring some conclusion to the aspect of console performance, yes, the PS2 is a little behind the colossal size and power of the Xbox or even the tiny, speedy GameCube. But let me reiterate: there isn’t a big enough difference that would make the PS2 look like a deadbeat. Besides, if developers could thoroughly accomplish the curious programming for the PS2 hardware and maximize its capabilities, there’d be very little to compare.

-| The Games Selection |-

Partly due to its popularity, many developers choose to make games for the PS2 – sometimes, it seems, just to make a quick buck (and it shows.) Hundreds of games have been released since the console launched and the game library truly has no equal. As for the quality of the lineup, it is overall favorable with some of the best games in the market. The drawback is that for every obvious hit like Grand Theft Auto 3, there are at least 3 titles lining up for the clearance bin. The only real problem to me is that some genres, like role-playing, are lacking somewhat while sports titles are put out daily (or so it seems). Still, the selection is large and you’re bound to find something you like. The PS2 supports a wide range of games that cater to every audience, young and old, with everything from puzzlers to shooters. The games selection also include a Greatest Hits library – games that are certified hits with 400,000 units or more sold. They have a retail price of $19.99, most definitely a steal considering nearly all of these games are top-rated. On another positive note, multi-platform games are usually released on the PS2 before they are available for other consoles. Get this one if you want variety in your gaming entertainment. Here’s a quick rundown of some titles and links to my reviews where applicable:

- The Good -

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | http://www.epinions.com/content_79860043396
Grand Theft Auto 3 | http://www.epinions.com/content_70140726916
Devil May Cry | http://www.epinions.com/content_70394547844
Final Fantasy X | http://www.epinions.com/content_72738246276
Kingdom Hearts | http://www.epinions.com/content_76370448004
Shadow Hearts | http://www.epinions.com/content_69560733316
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | amazing; your car looks perfect after you crash a million times!
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin | stealth, strategy, calculated murder and oh yeah, gameplay
Sega Sports NBA 2K3 | a fun game for fans, if not exactly my taste
Dead Or Alive 2: Hardcore | I love the violence and the brutal beatings
SOCOM: U.S Navy SEALs | the first PS2 game to go online
Ratchet & Clank | highly rated, highly recommended

- The Criminally Bad -

Orphen: Scion of Sorcery
State of Emergency | shonen_red’s kickbutt review: http://www.epinions.com/content_71725518468
The Bouncer (Square??! *a long wail*)
Driving Emotion Type-S (*blub* Another Square flop)
Hooters Road Trip (PSX dud)

-| Accessories & Necessities |-

DualShock 2 Controller – The PSX’s beloved DualShock controller is reincarnated for the PS2. It still has the same size, the same buttons, the vibration function and the original design. The only change is that all buttons except Select and Start are now analog (pressure-sensitive.) The controller’s grip is comfortable, all buttons are easily accessible and the design is top-notch. Retail: $24.99 (one comes in the package w/console)

8MB Memory Card – This is completely essential for saving your progress in a game. Small, light and portable and it now comes in other colors besides basic black. I’ve experienced some glitches with third party memory cards, so I’d advise you to buy official Sony PS2 products since they’ve never failed me (so far.) Retail: $24.99

Network Adapter – When this ugly little thing was released, the number of units shipped wasn’t able to meet the demand, which drove prices upwards of $70 wherever they are available. Trust me, I wanted to kill the guy at the game store. It seems like everybody wants their PS2 to have online capabilities and if you do, you need to get one of these. It supports narrowband (56K) and broadband (cable/DSL) connectivity and it’s actually pretty easy to set up. Don’t let retailers charge you over $50 for one because they’re still a hot item. Retail: $39.99

DVD Remote – To me, this thing is completely useless since I hardly watch DVDs, but I bought one anyway because my needs are limitless when it comes to my PS2. This is a good buy if you use your system as a full-feature DVD player. It comes with a small receiver, which you connect to a controller port and the remote is then good to use. Retail: $19.99

Multitap – For multiplayer games between more than two people, you’ll need the multitap to link up to 4 controllers. I haven’t found too many games currently out with a 4-player mode, but I’m sure this would come in handy… one day. Retail: $34.99

Vertical Stand – As I mentioned earlier, the PS2 can be stored vertically to save space. Without this vertical stand, I wouldn’t suggest you try to do that. How ingenious of Sony to make this fine, secure piece of plastic… and sell it for ten dollars. Retail: $9.99 (So I fibbed…)

-| Recommendation |-

The future of the PS2 looks certain, with strong support from third party developers and a lot of anticipated titles to be released in forthcoming months. Some include Xenosaga, The Sims, Final Fantasy X-2 (the sequel to FFX), Final Fantasy 11 (a MMORPG), Devil May Cry 2, Dark Cloud 2, The Getaway as well as titles exclusive to the PS2. The console is definitely worth its price for its large game library, innovative hardware and online capabilities. For the entertainment value, it’s priceless. Get one and love it.


Recommended: Yes