Ps2?

[DMBand0026]

Pretty self explanatory. The slim PS2 is $129 brand new, that's a good deal. I'm not a hardcore gamer but I do like to play occasionally and there are a few games that I really enjoy (GTA series, GT series, Need for Speed Underground.)

Is it worth the $129? Should I look at the GameCube? I don't really care for the Xbox much, so that's kind of out of the question. I know the PS3, 360, and Wii just came out, but not really being that into gaming, I'm not interested in dropping that kind of cash on those machines. I know the amount of games produced for the PS2 will slowly start to dwindle and die, but I really enjoy the titles that are out now and I like quite a few PS1 games too.

Should I go for it? Should I look at used? I've read that some of the used and or refurbished systems aren't in top shape and would hinder playing some of the more graphic intensive games. Also, most of the used systems aren't the slim ones so they're much bigger and don't have the network adapter. They're also only about $20 less than a brand new one

[Wyatt]

If you're dead set on buying one, yes, buy it new. It's not worth the $20 savings to end up with the bulky old one, IMO.

There are a ton of great games out there for the PS2, and if the $129 pricetag doesn't bother you, I'd say go for it. I certainly wouldn't go for a GameCube, just based on the types of games you said you like.

[alcimedes]

Gamecube is good for party games.

For RPG's and racing games a PS2 is a good bet for the money.

[Windowsrookie]

I just have to say, the Xbox, and Xbox 360 both have the BEST online play. And when there's nobody around to play it's always fun to hook up with your online buddies for a quick game of Halo 2. And you can get Refurbished Xboxes for $100 from Gamestop.

[Eugene]

The PS2 is also a DVD player, something the Wii and Gamecube aren't.

[Koodari]

If you can find a slim PS2 used, you could get that.

A worn out console does not run any slower, so "graphically intensive" games will run, or not run, just the same as any other game. There are two things to look out for. Number one is bad optical drive. That will make noise and stop you from playing anything. Number two is the controllers. Check the shoulder buttons for "play" or bad feel. Those are the parts that go bad first - actually, I've never had anything else break on a controller, but shoulder buttons in two.

I don't suppose you plan to use it as a DVD player, but if you do, I'd factor in the cost of a remote. DVD watching with the pads seem... painful.

I bought my (old style) PS2 used, have had it for about three years. No problems yet. Slim would be better for it would be smaller, look better and be very quiet whereas the old one has a faint hum. Not enough of a difference for me to pay for the switch, and even less because I have a modchip that cost very nearly the same as the console. (Before you ask, it's for the imports. Really. You guys in the US don't need to do that because you get all the best games and best versions, Europe gets shafted.)

The PS2 is the only choice for arcade and fighting games, period. And there are quite a bit of very stylish, unique games. My top recommendations: Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, Katamari Damacy, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus. I don't play RPG but I suppose Final Fantasy can't be bad. GT and GTA you are already familiar with.

GC and XBox are cool too. GC for the games, of course - there isn't as much selection as on the PS2 but the amount of insanely good exclusives is about the same. It might not be a good choice for you due to the lack of driving games. I wouldn't see much point in XBox otherwise, but there's the swap HD/mod/install XBMC angle. The generic driving and sports games that Electronic Arts excretes look best on the XBox because it's the most powerful machine.

[Dave]

If you're thinking about getting a Game Cube, go with the Wii instead. The Wii can play all the games for the NES, SNES, N64, and GC. (I think they said something like that.)

[jdcfsu]

If you're thinking about getting a Game Cube, go with the Wii instead. The Wii can play all the games for the NES, SNES, N64, and GC. (I think they said something like that.)

Yeah, you're correct. Everything pre GC has to be bought through virtual console though.

As for the PS2 I'd go for a slim one if, like you said, you're just a casual gamer. For $129 the price is still pretty good, and all the games you mentioned (GTA, GT, etc) can be bought at a EB/GameStop used for a few dollars. The other side of the coin --if you're looking "next-gen"-- would be, IMO, to pony up for a 360. The style of games you are into aren't really Nintendo's bag and, well, the PS3 isn't really an option so that would leave the 360.

[Luca]

I would NOT recommend getting a used PS2 of any kind. I've just heard too many laser horror stories. It's not worth the minor savings. Just go for a new one for $129 - it's a good deal.

Get that, a Sony 8 MB memory card (your only option, really, since third-party memory cards aren't very reliable), and a few games, and you're set. I have a large PS2 library that I've gotten for a pretty good price because I stuck to pre-owned games from EBgames.com (you can get an additional 15% off used games with the coupon code CAG15, or if you want to stick to new games, you can get free shipping with the SAVER code).

If you like racing games, there are a few options. The variety actually isn't as good as on XBOX, but the PS2 has the all-important Gran Turismo 4, along with the underrated Enthusia Professional Racing. The latter is good if you want something REALLY realistic. Enthusia is a tremendous challenge, but it's the most realistic driving game you can get. Unlike most games, which reward you for getting a car that grossly overpowers your opponents and lets you buy any upgrades you want, Enthusia rewards you for skillful, clean driving, avoiding hitting other cars or going off course. Your cars become more powerful as you race them more, and there's a bit of strategy involved in which cars you want to use... the less powerful your car relative to the others, the faster you advance through the game (assuming you win, that is). Gran Turismo is not entirely unrealistic, but it's nothing compared to Enthusia, and it feels kind of "dumbed down" after playing it. I have gotten tons of replay value out of GT4, but I've pretty much shelved it now that I found Enthusia.

There are some street racing games as well, if you're into totally unrealistic but fun arcade racing. Midnight Club 3 Remix is pretty fun, and so is the Need For Speed series, but you have to have a high tolerance for extreme visual car mods and cheesy wannabe "thug lyfe" dialog. I can look past both of those things and just enjoy the fun of the game.

God Of War is an absolute must-buy. It's now a Greatest Hits title priced at $20 so there's no excuse not to get it. It's one of the best games I've played, and by far the best third-person action game I've ever experienced. God Of War 2 will be coming out next year and I can't wait.

If you like fighting games I would recommend getting either Soul Calibur 2 or Soul Calibur 3. I am of the opinion that SC2 is actually better than 3, but I've played so much of 2 that I prefer 3 anyway (my girlfriend prefers it too, so of course I'm willing to accommodate her). There are other good ones I'm sure, like Guilty Gear which is totally wild and silly, and Tekken which I haven't played, but Soul Calibur is one of the most approachable ones because it's more about timing and learning a few basic moves than it is about memorizing long combos.

Finally, if you get a PS2, you owe it to yourself to get Katamari Damacy or We <3 Katamari. Either one will do.

[World Leader Pretend]

Bond 007 Nightfire

I spend way too much time playing that stupid game. :D

[scratt]

Don't forget Resident Evil 4.... :) (Honourable mentions for Burnout 3, or Need for Speed...)

[Luca]

A word of warning - Resident Evil 4 has a mean control setup. It's very confusing. It's a little better than the previous Resident Evil games, which I would go so far as to label as "unplayable" based on the controls. The controls in RE4 are actually the same, but they changed the camera angle, which pretty much fixes the problem.

Basically, unlike any other third-person game where you simply push the analog stick in the direction you want to go, Resident Evil has a "tank" control scheme - you push up on the stick to move forward, and pressing left or right will turn you left or right. You can't sidestep and you can't aim or shoot while moving.

I got RE4 just a few days ago and I've only played it once, and I got so frustrated I put it down and went back to games that were more fun. Some people say that difficult controls just add to the scary factor, but in my opinion they only subtract from the fun factor. But I might take another crack at RE4 - everyone else says it's awesome. Then again, people said that about the earlier RE games as well, and they really did suck.

Oh yeah, Burnout 3 and 4 are awesome games. I'd get one of those two if you want a good game to play with a friend. Metal Gear Solid 3 is also fun.

[scratt]

Interesting comments on RE4 Luca. It was the first of the series I ever played and I took to it like a duck to water.. I am a big FPS fan, so play them a lot, and didn't even notice a problem with the control system.. Strange.

Do please persevere with it.. It is probably one of the best games I have played in many years. I was hooked, put my life on hold for the duration, and felt like a friend had died when I completed it!! The only other game that has come close to that for me is Halo on the Mac!

I am so hanging out for RE5!

[Koodari]

God Of War is an absolute must-buy. It's now a Greatest Hits title priced at $20 so there's no excuse not to get it. It's one of the best games I've played, and by far the best third-person action game I've ever experienced. God Of War 2 will be coming out next year and I can't wait.Hmm.. gotta buy this for Christmas I suppose. :)If you like fighting games I would recommend getting either Soul Calibur 2 or Soul Calibur 3. I am of the opinion that SC2 is actually better than 3, but I've played so much of 2 that I prefer 3 anyway (my girlfriend prefers it too, so of course I'm willing to accommodate her). There are other good ones I'm sure, like Guilty Gear which is totally wild and silly, and Tekken which I haven't played, but Soul Calibur is one of the most approachable ones because it's more about timing and learning a few basic moves than it is about memorizing long combos.SC2 felt dumbed down for poor players... the characters' range and speed and damage were equalized a lot. In SC1 the characters were well balanced for skilled players. Long range characters destroyed short range characters at long range, and vice versa. It was supposed to be hard for you if you don't fight to hold the correct range. SC3 is better, the characters again have a little more speed/dmg/range variance.

Guilty Gear is on my to-play list for sure, but it really is wacky and probably not interesting for everyone.

Tekken I haven't really played, but I know it is the most combo centric of all the "big" fighters. For interesting gameplay, Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution offers the very best IMO, but takes time to learn, it's not exactly "pick up and play". SC(3) is more accessible.

[Luca]

The biggest thing I miss from Soul Calibur 2, that they did away with in SC3, was VS Team Battle mode. That was the ONLY way to play back when I played SC2 constantly with my friends. We'd each pick 8 random characters and have a big long slug-fest lasting maybe three times as long as a standard VS match in SC3. SC3 does have a lot going for it, though. The graphics are better, the number of characters is staggering, and it feels like a truly revitalized game rather than a minor update (SC2 used a lot of the same animations, costumes, and moves as previous games in the series).

Oh yeah, even though there's a lot of hype around them, I'm not sure I'd recommend going for anything in the Final Fantasy series. I have FFX, but I've gotten a couple hours in and so far all I've really done is press X a few times to kill weak enemies, and run four or five feet to go from one cutscene to the next. The voice acting is atrocious and the story isn't very compelling either, so there's not much point in playing.

I did, however, really like Kingdom Hearts 2, which is pretty much the same style (lots of cutscenes, stupidly easy gameplay). The difference is that KH2 has reasonably exciting real-time combat paired with SUPERB voice acting. Even though the story is pretty vague and leaves something to be desired, it didn't bother me because of all the fun Disney cameos. I'm not a even a Disney fan, but I got a kick out of participating in the worlds of Aladdin, The Lion King, Winnie The Pooh, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beauty And The Beast, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Tron, and so on. Many of the characters even have their original voice actors (sadly, Robin Williams does not voice the Genie). Mickey is a borderline badass in the game, and your two main allies Donald Duck and Goofy aren't too bad either.

KH2 is a good time-killer. It's very easy, but that was okay by me. I never actually played the original Kingdom Hearts, but I didn't have trouble getting into 2.

[scratt]

The one game I didn't see the point of was Shadow do the Collossus.

It seemed like a game where they had left the bosses in and forgotten about all the other NPCs.

I have never been a fan of level bosses, so perhaps that is why I didn't really get excited about it...

[DMBand0026]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'm going to go pick up a PS2 after work tomorrow (as well as a handful of games.) I know it's two weeks before Christmas, but no one is going to buy me one of these anyway, so I might as well reward myself for working a ridiculous amount of overtime last month.