Sony - PlayStation 2 console Review

While the "next-gen" systems (PS3 and XBox 360) are going for big dollar amounts, the Playstation 2 console remains the best value in video gaming today.

I bought my PS2 in the fall of 2003.  This put me a bit behind the people who ran out and bought it when it first came out (as is usually the case), but it brought me up to date.  While the system didn't boast the graphics that XBox did, I was familiar with the Sony product since I had owned a PS1, and I liked what I saw.

As with any system, there are positives and negatives with the PS2.  With hundreds and hundreds of titles available, your gaming options cannot be beat.  In addition, PS2 is still having new games manufactured for it, unlike the original XBox.  This means you can get your latest Madden fix for PS2.  Because of the high number of titles, a lot of the older ones can be had for virtually nothing bought used.  I've always been one (except for an occasional splurge) to be about 1-2 years behind whatever the hot game of the moment is.  This allows me to play high quality games while not spending an exorbitant amount of money on games.

The biggest negative for the PS2 is that it is really hard to hook up to play online, at least if you own one of the older models, and not one of the new "slim" models.  In addition, until recently, there were no restrictions on how fast one's connection had to be, resulting in lag times and slow connections.  While this has been rectified, I think it's ridiculous that if I want to play online, I would need to go out and buy a "slim" PS2 to be able to do it simply.

I see myself getting at least another 2 years out of my PS2, possibly 3.  As I'm a sports gamer, I can normally hold out for about a year after they make the last sports titles available.  Considering my investment, and how well the machine has held up mechanically, I'm very happy.  I can't recommend the PS2 highly enough.