Sony PlayStation 2 Console

Well, well, well.....Having been determined to hold off buying one until the hype and the price had dropped to a sensible level, I finally bit the bullet last week (oh the joys of store credit!) and bought my PS2. Having been a Dreamcast owner for the last year (and very happy with it too) I was saddened by the decision to stop making them and even more irked by the amount of games by 3rd party publishers that are now being dropped and so it is nice to have a system with some real backing again. The fist generation PS2 games, on the whole are very impressive (on par if not better technically than the 1st generation dreamcast games) though perhaps not the most original titles in the world. I own Timesplitters, Fifa and Tekken and have enjoyed all of them. As far as I can see, the console can only go from strength to strength over the next few years and I am looking forward to all the upcoming 2nd gen titles. I have been fortunate to have so far had no technical problems with my box (waiting 4 months after launch to buy one obviously did the trick) though I know others were not so fortunate. Still, most new systems have some teething problems (anyone remember the problem plagued PS 1 when it was released 6 or so years ago!?) As for the DVD....well I know it is not as good as my mates £250 dedicated player but, considering it is a secondary function of the console, I am very pleased - it is considerably better than my.. video recorder and that is enough for me. So, should you buy one?.....To be quite honest I would recommend to most that it may be worth waiting a few months - a price drop and a few more top quality games would improve the packages appeal no end, but on the whole I am very pleased with my new system.

It's worth the money. It's worth the wait. It deserves the hype (for once) PS2 is without doubt the best home console ever. The number of games available at launch was admittedly limited, but now developers are getting to grips with PS2's hardware in the same way that they did in '95 with PS1.

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.

Needed a PS2 for use at a holiday home. Didn't see the point in buying new as it would only be used a few weeks of the year. Used Amazon for the first time and not only was it delivered in no time at all but everything describing the PS2 purchased was spot on. It was in good condition, in original box and functions perfectly. I would rate this product very highly.