Sony PlayStation 2 Console

First and foremost, the most startling thing about this new silver version (like, what's wrong with black??) is that it runs almost silently.
And when I say silent, I mean, if you change channel or turn off your tv and don't notice that the lights on the front of the console are still on, it's easy to go to bed and leave the PS2 switched on.
The original black boxed PS2 was notoriously noisy, howling like a banshee, especially when compared to the Xbox and even the Dreamcast (R.I.P.).
Apparently the DVD drive - and a few other things, all of which are imperceptable to me - have been improved (see below).
Personally, I hate the colour but love the improved cooling mechanism.

Speaking as a seriously disgruntled owner of an original black PS2 which went beserk, wouldn't always boot up and chewed up game discs* I have to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that the newer silver model is bringing back memories of why I bought the damned thing in the first place.
Although the Xbox has stolen some of the market and is winning over a lot of the hearts and minds of people who wouldn't have bothered with the PS2's back catalogue previosly, the Sony console is still an awesome bit of kit, or, should I say, it's still the best supported console on the market.
The box is only as good as the game you put in it and the PS2, whatever the colour (Japan has red, yellow, blue...) is still the best supported platform on the market.

On the downside is the fact that you still have to fork out an extra £20 for a memory card before you can even start using the thing.
It would surely make life easier for gamers if Sony were to bundle the consle with one memory card and raise the price by, say, £10-15? Oh well...
Oh, and another thing: everyone I know who has their PS2 stood vertically has problems with it. So, if space allows, lay it horizontally and save yourself a lot of hassle with skipping discs etc.

(*In the end I took a hammer to the black PS2 - literally - and just bought a new console. Of course Sony would not accept that the problems were endemic to the early build of the console even though hundreds of gamers suffered the same problems. Must do better, Sony.)

The minute you press the power button (PS2 has a power switch at the back and a standby button on the front) and those green and ice blue lights flicker on, you know you are on to something special. Gone is the diamond and BBC Sports tune and instead is a deep space graphic and single chord. The main screen is a series of revolving spheres, set to the sound of waves and wind and navigation is simple with easy to follow menus. If you want to play a disc (be it CD, DVD, PS1 or PS2) select Browser and pop your disc in the drive. Want to set the time? Click System Configuration. Spookily, my PS2 was already set at the correct date and time when I first switched it on. 24/11/00, 7:30am if you're interested(you're probably not!). The much heralded backwards compatability works well, although the texture smoothing option and faster disc speed is not as noticeable as I thought it would be. I played Tomb Raider: Chronicles with the texture smoothing option on and it looked slightly smoother, but there wasn't really much difference. I bought Tekken Tag, Ridge Racer V and FIFA and while these games are excellent in both graphics and playability, they are not as good as games like SSX(a must buy) and the recently released Zone of the Enders (Z.O.E). The latter title is especially good as it includes a playable demo of Metal Gear Solid 2. If there was any doubt that PS2 isn't the future, it is blown away by MGS2.

DVD playback is good and clear, with the control pad mechanism working better than expected. CD playback is also excellent.

Overall then, PS2 is the future of gaming and deservedly hyped to hilt. One of the reviewers called it 'all hype and no trousers'. I can see PS2 wearing the trousers in the console mark for a long time to come.

First and foremost, the most startling thing about this new silver version (like, what's wrong with black??) is that it runs almost silently.
And when I say silent, I mean, if you change channel or turn off your tv and don't notice that the lights on the front of the console are still on, it's easy to go to bed and leave the PS2 switched on.
The original black boxed PS2 was notoriously noisy, howling like a banshee, especially when compared to the Xbox and even the Dreamcast (R.I.P.).
Apparently the DVD drive - and a few other things, all of which are imperceptable to me - have been improved (see below).
Personally, I hate the colour but love the improved cooling mechanism.

Speaking as a seriously disgruntled owner of an original black PS2 which went beserk, wouldn't always boot up and chewed up game discs* I have to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that the newer silver model is bringing back memories of why I bought the damned thing in the first place.
Although the Xbox has stolen some of the market and is winning over a lot of the hearts and minds of people who wouldn't have bothered with the PS2's back catalogue previosly, the Sony console is still an awesome bit of kit, or, should I say, it's still the best supported console on the market.
The box is only as good as the game you put in it and the PS2, whatever the colour (Japan has red, yellow, blue...) is still the best supported platform on the market.

On the downside is the fact that you still have to fork out an extra £20 for a memory card before you can even start using the thing.
It would surely make life easier for gamers if Sony were to bundle the consle with one memory card and raise the price by, say, £10-15? Oh well...
Oh, and another thing: everyone I know who has their PS2 stood vertically has problems with it. So, if space allows, lay it horizontally and save yourself a lot of hassle with skipping discs etc.

(*In the end I took a hammer to the black PS2 - literally - and just bought a new console. Of course Sony would not accept that the problems were endemic to the early build of the console even though hundreds of gamers suffered the same problems. Must do better, Sony.)

However I'm on my 2nd PS2 coz my 1st ones DVD-ROM drive broke and now I'm having the same problem. To play Vice city I have to open the disc tray and close it about 6 attempts to get it working. Final Fantasy X Plays fine but the new Silent Hill game (SH4) doesn't play at all so it's going into the nearest SONY centre tomorrow. The worst thing about this console is the reliability. I've had the XBOX nearl 2 years with absolutly 0 problems. I love the PS2 but mine is the older version so has the slow reading disc drive. Now they have brought out a PS2 which is almost totaly silent plus reads more disc formats and reads discs in 2 seconds flat! Hope to get that one....

The catalogue of games available is amazing. With over 1000 games available for the system. However, don't be fooled into thinking each one is a masterpiece. Most of the games available are at best average. However I can guarrantee that there are hundreds of games which are worth splashing your hard earned cash on. I reccomend reading in depth, preofessional reviews on internet sites or magazines.

Playstations are not the most advanced hardware int he world. if you're looking for near-perfect graphics I reccomend an XBOX however PS2 games are occasionally of such high quality that they can easily compete with Xbox. A good example of this would be Grand Turismo 3, a racing game with photo realistic graphics.

If you do decide to purchase this great console, be warned, PS2's have a notorious reputation for not having a great life span. You're brand new PS2 will work perfectly from anywhere between 3 months and 4 years. After that it will start to have trouble reading games and Dvd's. You can get sony to repair it but it's proabably worth buying a whole new console.

Generally Playstion 2 is a fantastic perchase but not without it's flaws.

However I'm on my 2nd PS2 coz my 1st ones DVD-ROM drive broke and now I'm having the same problem. To play Vice city I have to open the disc tray and close it about 6 attempts to get it working. Final Fantasy X Plays fine but the new Silent Hill game (SH4) doesn't play at all so it's going into the nearest SONY centre tomorrow. The worst thing about this console is the reliability. I've had the XBOX nearl 2 years with absolutly 0 problems. I love the PS2 but mine is the older version so has the slow reading disc drive. Now they have brought out a PS2 which is almost totaly silent plus reads more disc formats and reads discs in 2 seconds flat! Hope to get that one....

1st, the Gamecube. A very nice quirky console with 'fun' games, with an innocent and playfull sort of effect and atmosphere. Though not what a console is for, the lack of a dvd/cd playing ability does put the other consoles at an advantage. Sometimes the console can become noisy as i have experienced and the games are of the same kind of genre with small variety, hence why i went back to the playstation 2. The graphics are quite impressive for what it is, matching the ps2 and the xbox. I have found that graphics also depend on the game and not just the system, this goes for all consoles.

The size and shape is very intruiging and practicle as are the joypads allowing for a carefree gaming experience.

2nd the Ps2. There are a vast amount of games with a variety of gaming styles and the graphics are quite acceptable, in my opinion as good as the Xbox. However, there is a widespread problem with a 'disk read error' rendering the console to only be able to read certain disks if any. Although the problem is incredibly simple to fix, I do agree that sony should not have released a faulty production line into the public. The Ps2 can become noisy especially as the 'disk read error' problem creaps up on you.

Although quite expensive, and i do beleive sony are trying to 'milk' the ps2 invention for all they can, there is just something about it that seems to grip some people to it including myself. The joypads are very simple and cumfortable to use allowing enjoyable game play.

One game series which hooked my to the ps2 is that of GTA, of which the new game (GTA San Andreas) is exculsive to the Ps2. I do not like the idea behind the game series, nor do i like the bad language. I despise drugs, theft, murder and most aspects of the game style, yet still highly enjoy and recommend the game, as the gameplay is non contendable, and in my opinion will be for many years to come.

Again a console with its high and low points.

3rd the XBOX. A very high spec console with the ability to read dvds and cd's (music) and play games with fast loading times. What really seperates it from the ps2 and gamecube is its hard drive, leaving no real need for a memory card unless you have a huge amount of data to store, including that of music cds. The games available are numerous and of wide variety. I have to be honest and say i have never heard of any problems with this console technically.

The downfalls are the fact that it is quite big (the size a vhs player) and so are the standared official contol pads (not the size of a VHS player but still large).

Although very few faults with this console, as mentioned earlier consoles give a certain 'feel' which some gamers may not like, affecting their decision when purchasing.

In summary each console is different and has its own little quirks that may attract or repulse some gamers. At the end of the day it is your own personnal choice and 'style' if you will.

In my opinion the Ps2 is a great console, yet so are both of the other two. My personal preference is to have the Ps2 AND the Xbox mainly due to the games - what consoles are all about.

My advice to you is to look around at the types of gaming you like and which console has those 'styles' of games as standared. Try to have a go on all three consoles of friends etc before making your decision. You will find one that appeals to you more than the others, not just due to the specs but how the console makes you feel while playing it.