Back In Black (Sony Playstation 2)

Member Name: sam@manutd

Product:	Sony Playstation 2
Date:	21/10/05 (327 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Graphics, Loads of games, Decent DVD player

Disadvantages: Tray's a little flimsy, controller could be improved

Right this is my first ever attempt at writing an opinion on this site. So please be gentle, I hope I don’t disappoint!

The Sony Playstation 2 has been one of the premier games consoles on the market for a number of years now. In fact I’m amazed at how old the thing actually is, I must have had mine for several years now. I’m quite surprised it’s yet to be replaced but the Playstation 3 is not far from release so maybe it’s something worth waiting for.

I have the original design of the console that has more depth than the slim line model currently available. It’s still a pretty small lightweight unit that will sit nicely underneath any TV. The console itself has in all these years never given me any trouble despite constant use. This just shows that the build quality is pretty reliable.

Style wise the console looks sleek in black with some blue trimming. The disc tray is probably the most disappointing feature. It just feels flimsy in comparison to the rest of the console.

When playing games you want to feel comfortable if you’re sitting down to a long session. I’m not the biggest fan of the controllers that accompany the console. They just feel a little bit too small and after a while your hands feel a bit cramped. They also take a bit of getting used to with the wealth of buttons. The shaking option on the controllers that react to things in the game is a bit of a letdown. In fact it’s a bit of a novelty and doesn’t really add a great deal to the gameplay. To get the real in-game feeling you really need to be sitting in one of those gaming chairs but for that you need to spend the big money.

Anyone looking to buy one of these can pick them up online for around the £100 pound mark. You will also find good deals in all dedicated high street shops. It’s best to shop around to get a deal that will suit you. Straight out of the box the console is pretty easy to set-up with simple instructions taking you through what goes where.

The console also acts as a DVD player and it does a good job. The menu system for playing dvd’s isn’t the best but you can buy a remote control as an extra to help things. I’ve always found the picture quality pretty decent, in comparison to a stand-alone DVD player it’s not as good but anyone just looking to watch a movie on their small TV will get along just fine.

Of course a console is only good if you can get some good software for it. Support for the Playstation is immense and the selection of games available range from things for the kids up to the smart thinkers in the older generation. Of course for every San Adreas there are several clunkers on the market. I would always advise looking around for opinions on games before buying them. Big new releases can be picked up for around £30 online upon release, there’s also a lot more budget titles available now compared to when the console first came out. You can generally pick up good games that have been around a while for a tenner.

The graphics and sound reproduction on the console have always been highly recommended. Of course there has been other consoles since which have improved and I’m sure the Playstation 3 will have all those things and more. But when you have games like San Adreas you forget about all the whistles and bells.
My Playstation 2 has given me good service, one day I’ll have to let it go when bigger and better things come around. But I will always think of the good times we’ve shared at 2 o’clock in the morning as we hotwheeled it around the streets of LA.

Summary: One of the best consoles on the market and loved by all who own one