Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Hope for the Incurably Middle-Aged
For a very long time now I have sneered at the lowly Playstation from the Olympian heights of whatever PC I happen to be flying at the time. Of course, those were the days when there was a regular supply of the type of games I like to play (adventure and RPG) available on my platform of choice. Lately the supply has dried up, and a steady flow of interesting titles has been appearing for the game machines that I have refused to consider 'the real thing.' Of course, it was only a matter of time before a period of boredom would drive me to ignore my scruples and join the fun.And so, one rainy day, I found myself joining countless people a fifth of my age, each accompanied by a bewildered parent one half my age, each of us waiting for the opportunity to make the great leap into game-controller land. Why a Playstation - primarily the number and type of games that are already available for it or continue to appear for it. I believe that by the time I had exhausted that supply, a whole new generation of game machines would have come available. These machines are wonderfully inexpensive compared to my unending PC upgrades. Thanks to patient people of all ages who didn't laugh in my face when I explained what I wanted, and took the trouble to be reassuring when I kept worrying about how to set it up and whether I would ever understand the controller, I made it through the experience. My initial purchase was the PS2 and a memory card - which are the essential minimum requirements for game play. Much to my surprise the only problems I had setting it up were figuring out how to shuffle around my other video accessories to that I had a clear place to hook up it's accessories. I popped in my first game ever, was promptly amazed at the quality, and overwhelmed by the complexity, of the game (that is another story, entirely). To my amazement, I coped. You will want to accessorize a bit to get the maximum benefit from the machne and get things working comfortably. But, unlike PC's, there is no sticker shock associated with the add-on gadgets. Right now I am inordinately pleased with what is really a moderately priced entertainment wonder. The manufacturers of these game machines have finally figured out what it takes to provide a broad spectrum of entertainment without complicated giga-everything machines. Hoorah for modern technology! Now I'm off to face an attack of deadly Blade Rabbits.
Rating: - Sony's money making machine still kicks
First off I want to say what is with all the PS2 bashing? It seems a lot of XBox owners and Microsoft fanboys have been writing reviews for the PS2. Now that thats out of the way, of all the game systems out now, you can't go wrong with the PS2. So the XBox has better graphics and hardware capabilities, so what? Last time I checked we all played video game systems for the games, not the extras. The PS2 has the largest game library out of the big three home systems, and continues to get the most third party support despite the hardware limitations. Where else can you play Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City? Or how about Twisted Metal Black, The Getaway, Gran Turismo 3, Shinobi, or The Sims? The sports library is incredible, and the RPG selection is growing faster and faster with upcoming games like Final Fantasy X-2 and Xenosaga (did I mention both of those are PS2 exclusive?) and the online play of SOCOM: US Navy Seals has to be played to be believed. And lets not forget, all those original "XBox exclusive" games like Dead to Rights and Splinter Cell are all coming to the PS2, so which system is superior? All in all, the PS2 is a great choice for a next gen video game system, and between the XBox and Gamecube, I'd take my PS2 anyday.
Rating:  - part 1
The comparison of XBoX vs Playstation 2 vs Gamecube is ultimately a personal one. Many people say that the XBoX is just a graphically souped-up PC in a squarey box, and technically this is not completely wrong. Others say that Nintendo's Gamecube, like previous video game consoles from Nintendo, is still targeted mostly at pre-teens and does not have many games for more mature players. Fact is, there are games for more mature players, and Nintendo tries to get a piece of the more mature gamers market. This market has been historically captured with Sony's original Playstation and is now very much the main target in the battle of XBoX vs Playstation 2.
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