We've reached a point now where the current contenders for chief consoles are soaring down in price, but still have a few years before their replacements arrive. Yet which one should you, the consumer, decide to get? That is up to you t decide, but in order to help you I've decided to review the current contenders in a way to show who would like what, because they each have their own advantages, depending on what you're looking for.

The PSone is not a contender though, it's ancient, a grandad, among consoles. Though it still does it's job, especially if you have young children.

Space Saver?
The Psone is a smaller version of Sony's playstation, in fact I believe it's the smallest none hand held console ever. It's around the size of a personal CD player, making it perfectly suitable for leaving out, and easy to find space for it, or even storing it away. 5/5

Ease Of Use?
Whoever came up with the playstation Joypad is a genius. Coming in at just the right size, it fits neatly in your hands, featuring 2 analogue, pressure sensitive, sticks in the optimal thumb positions, plus it has 4 perfectly placed analogue buttons on the back of the pad. 5/5

Power?
Meh! The PS1 is very much old school, 32 bit gaming. We are currently into the 128 bit era, so the PS1 has a quarter of the power of the weakest current console. There are even handheld consoles with the same power now. 2/5

Variety?
This is where the PS1 comes into it's own. Over 5 years were spent producing Playstation games, many of which are fantastically playable despite the dated graphics. Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid still remain 2 of my favorite games to date. Other games suitable for younger children are still being produced, occasionally. 5/5

Price?
Amazon prices, $49.99 / £47.99 brand new or $30 / £17 used says it all. A brand new console costs just a little more than a game on the other consoles, and second hand is even cheaper. Games can cost as little as a few $'s/£'s (Whatever you currency) and will never cost more than $26 / £15. 5/5

Overall?
The PS1 is not the most powerful tool available but it still does the job. The perfect choice for gamers on a budget, and/or parents who are not afraid to lay down the law.

This has been my entry into the Lean-N-Mean write-off.

The competition
Playstation 2
Gamecube
Dreamcast
X-Box

Recommended: Yes