PS2 Questions

I have been considering getting a PS2 and here is why. At the beginning of this year I bought a Xbox from Gamestop with a gift card I had received for Christmas. I have really enjoyed it and picking up many of the Xbox exclusive titles(Fable, Halo, ect.). Now I have never owned a Sony console before but I have though about doing the same thing but had some questions.

1. Slimline or Fat? I am looking for good reliablity so I don't care which model, just the one with the best.

2. Is the PS2 completely backward compatible with the PS1? That would be a major buying point since I never had one.

3. Online free or do you have to pay? So is it like Xbox Live or the Whole Nintendo free thing?

4. Are the Graphics that bad on the PS2? Like I own a Gamecube, Xbox and Wii so will I see major difference between them? I heard the PS2 was the least powerfull of the last gen consoles so that is why I am asking.

5. Anything else major I should know?

Thanks For Any Help

The graphics are not bad. See God of War, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil 4 and many others with good graphics.

1) buy the slimline model, they are far more reliable then the original models (which tended to break down quite alot)

2)the online is free, but the majority of games dont support online anymore

3)the PS2 is backwards compatible with 99% of PS1 games, I think only a small handful of games wont work

4)the PS2 wasnt the weakest console last gen (the dreamcast was), and as far as the graphics go, its gonna be on a similar level, though not quite as good as the gamecube, make of that what you want.

hope this helps

1. Slimline or Fat? I am looking for good reliablity so I don't care which model, just the one with the best.

2. Is the PS2 completely backward compatible with the PS1? That would be a major buying point since I never had one.

3. Online free or do you have to pay? So is it like Xbox Live or the Whole Nintendo free thing?

4. Are the Graphics that bad on the PS2? Like I own a Gamecube, Xbox and Wii so will I see major difference between them? I heard the PS2 was the least powerfull of the last gen consoles so that is why I am asking.

5. Anything else major I should know?

Thanks For Any Help

TheColbert

1. Most people are going to say the Slim since they supposedly have less moving parts to wear out. Slims have what may be a rumor that they overheat since their more compact.
I still have my fat one from 05, it hasn't given me any problems. I never actually did any maintenance stuff for it either like cleaning it until a couple of years ago, and that was just cause I had some free time.

2. It's not completely BC, but no actual system with BC really is. The are some lists that people have put together in FAQS about what games they and others have had trouble playing.

3. Online is free, except for the games that have an actual fee like Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Universe. The slim has a built in network adapter so all you really need is a cable and your good to go. With the fat you'll have to hunt around for one.

4. Graphics just depend on the games. There are some games that look like they should be on the Xbox or GC, like the God of War's, Devil May Cry's and Silent Hill's. Most multiplatform games released now are like a Beta Wii version without motion controls and muddier graphics. I know it got the short end of the stick before but it seems developers felt they could make it shorter.

5. Other than the fat PS2 needing a network adapter to go online. The laser on the PS2 can wear down where it can't read the CD type games, but any device that uses a laser for reading is going to suffer from that. Some say it is caused by using it as a DVD player, which is debated since most games are on DVD's as well.

the slim,its mostly free and its 100% compatible and dont believe everything u read. the ps2 has a very large catalog so you cant go wrong

Was in the same boat you are in last December - had a Gamecube, deciding whether to get a PS3 or something else. Opted for a PS2 and bought a bunch of games I never got to play. For me, it was worth it. Games are cheap and there are a lot of them. Not sure about you, but I'm not interested in paying $70.00 for a game for a new system that will be marked down to $20.00 in a year's time. Patience has its rewards.

As for your questions:

1. Slimline. You will get a one year warranty with a new slimline.

2. Some games don't work but most do. Before you buy a PS1 game, look it up online to see if it works on the PS2. Don't forget you'll need a PS1 memory card if you want to save your PS1 game on your PS2.

3. Can't help you - I imagine the PS2 online community is pretty small right about now.

4. Nothing wrong with the graphics - what you might lose to the Gamecube, you more than make up for with a better controller - more buttons helps sometimes.

The only real problem with the Slim is that finding a multi-tap is difficult. When you look for multi-taps make sure it works with your PS2 model.

What I would recommend is that you don't go nutzo when you start buying PS2 games - just buy good games and play the piss out of them. There are a lot of PS2 games and a lot of them are just blah - they may just cost $5.00 but that's money you can use towards better games.

A couple games I wanted but where not available on the Gamecube that I got right away and did not regret getting are:

FlatOut 1 & 2 - great racing game, great mini games, best demolition derby ever made.

Katamacy Damacy & We Love Katamari - short but oh so sweet and fun.

Mister Mosquito - you play as a mosquito, again short but pretty unique and fun.

Activision Anthology - with this one disc, you've got an Atari 2600 and most of its best games.

There are plenty of other great PS2 games and for the price of a PS3, extra controller and just one game, you can probaby get yourself a PS2, extra controller and about 25 great games.