Introduction

When the PS2 was first released in 2000, everyone knew that it was going to be practically awesome, but no one really knew how awesome until they had got one in to his or her own homes and sampled it for themselves. Along with the great host of games that were already available for it at the time of release. Once Grand Theft Auto 3 was stuck into the disc bay in the PS2, and the game was loaded up, the absolute excellence of the PS2’s graphics were shown, with minimal lagging and a revolutionary new look on how to see games. 2D was now a thing of the past. Pixelated 3D was now a thing of the past, say hello to smooth, fast, simply astounding graphics with most games. When the console was produced and released, it was obvious that there was nothing out in the world quite like it at that time, and it became obvious with its excellent specs that they did not want anything to touch it for a long time.

The PS2 definitely deserves a pat on the extension bay, for it has seen through a lot and is still going strong today. The graphics are awesome in every way, depending on the renderers, but still being able to handle the greatest of proximities ranging from the realism of MGS2, to the cartoon likeness of XIII.

The controllers are what everyone has become accustomed to, apart from the developers' keen interest in enforcing the analogue more than the PSone ever did. The idea of having a disc loader rather than just a hood is also a great accomplishment, encouraging practically all following consoles to do the same; other than the Gamecube. The memory cards, although slightly pricey, can hold great amounts of data (8MB) and one card is usually enough for the lifetime of your PS2, unless you’re a data junkie that uses one slot per save.

The PS2 can go online, for excellent gaming, as well as offline. This contends with the Xbox Live system, which proves Sony were obviously thinking about their future competition. The fact that PS2 can either lie down or stand up is also a great design aspect, though simple. It’s also space saving, and looks a lot better in my personal opinion. All in all, the PS2 is definitely a sleek looking, graphic busting, gaming giant sent out to destroy its fierce competition.

The clocked speed of the PS2 in comparison with that of a PSone is astounding. A difference of 200MHz in power difference. The PSone has a measly 53.2 MHz graphics processor, where the PS2 slams in with 300, this is what gives the console its amazing speed and "non-lag" capability. The sound that you hear when you switch the console on is the fans instantly acting to cool down that processor which kicks in from the instant the Power button is turned on. The fans give the console extra durability and a longer life. This idea was first introduced with Sega's Dreamcast.

What is that big slot at the back of the PS2 where I hide everything I don't want my mum to see? I hear you ask. Well, it's quite simple... ever heard of FFXI? Well, as an example, FFXI needs to be played online. To do that, you need to be able to connect your console to the internet, and that big slot, happens to be the extension bay for the Network Adapter that Sony will have you buy seperately for roughly around £40. In my opinion, it's not worth the money. Mainly because this adapter feeds off your already live internet line, sucking dry the speed of your broadband by taking it all for itself. For the price you pay for it, I personally don't think it's worth it... That is unless, you have a deep seeded desire to play SOCOM online, or wish to see what the rave about FFIX is all about; or you're just a regular multiplayer online gamer... Not for the gaming newbies. AK

Specifications

• CPU: 128 bit "Emotion Engine"
• Operating Clock: 300 MHz
• Memory: 32 MB Direct Rambus
• Co-processor: FPT
• 3D CG Geometric Transformation: 66 million polygons per second
• Sampling frequency: 44.1 KHz or 48 KHz (selectable) I/O processor
• Interface Types: IEEE394, Unversal Serial Bus (USB)
• Disc Media: DVD-ROM (CD-ROM compatible)