The Greatest Console Ever

[TrekMD]

I have to admit that I've been very tempted to get a PS2 for some time.  There seem to be some nice lots on ebay with the slim version.  Any comments about the various models?  Is the Slim a good version?

[AmigaJay]

In terms of games then yes the PS2 is up there, in terms of hardware the original Xbox has it beat in all departments,  gfx, 5.1 sound, 480p output, build quality of the PS2 is a cheap creeky piece of plastic that has a awful disc tray that is prone to break, Xbox had built in hdd and lan,  PS2 had to buy addons for these, alot less online games because of it.

But for me has to be Megadrive or Snes for the sheer number of quality games for both these systems and instant loading cartridges, Megadrive for me being an avid Sega arcade fan.

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

I have to admit that I've been very tempted to get a PS2 for some time.  There seem to be some nice lots on ebay with the slim version.  Any comments about the various models?  Is the Slim a good version?

There's a minority of games for PSOne/PS2 that don't work with the slim versions, check wiki for a list.

I was and still am a Xbox Classic fan, but despite it being technically better the fact its little more than a dedicated PC for games rather than a bona FIDE console prevents me from rating it above the PS2.

[TrekMD]

That's interesting that there are games that are not compatible with the slim.  I'll have to check into that.  Is it a hardware or firmware issue?

[bogstandard]

"Great" can have many different contexts.  As far as real world use (for me) the custom firmware PSP 2000 beats them all.  When Sony stopped taking interest in killing homebrew it became the ultimate emulation machine, pocket organizer and multimedia station. 

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

That's interesting that there are games that are not compatible with the slim.  I'll have to check into that.  Is it a hardware or firmware issue?

I dont know TBH I came accross this page a while back but it just lists the games and not why....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_games_incompatible_with_PlayStation_2

[bogstandard]

The US version of Xenogears will crash at a later boss.  Basically, I fought the boss on a real PS1 then transferred the save back to a PS2.

Gotta love those gotchas!

[TrekMD]

That's interesting that there are games that are not compatible with the slim.  I'll have to check into that.  Is it a hardware or firmware issue?

I dont know TBH I came accross this page a while back but it just lists the games and not why....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_games_incompatible_with_PlayStation_2

Interesting.  I wonder what causes the incompatility.

[Cryptic33]

Naturally, I would vote for the Jaguar but such competitions are always biased towards the biggest selling machines rather than those that were innovative and full of potential. Not to say consoles like the PS1 are not darn fine machines but unless proportional representation is applied alongside greater choice, the outcome will always come down to those that were marketed best. Example in case is the C64. Yes, a computer but, a fabulous games machine also which has proved itself. More contemporary would be consoles like the SuperGrafx.

Ok, I'll stop moaning now. I just don't like loaded competitions but that's life I guess

[AmigaJay]

That is indeed life, same for any competitions of this nature i.e greatest book in history a- harry potter b- harry potter 2 c- the moomins visit a treehosue d-stig of the dump..... i mean its not hard to see who's gonna win, as you say its catered for new gamers hence why 4 playstation models are there in the 1/4 finals....ps4 really?

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

Marketed best? Jaguar was a console by a bona fide games industry legend vs the PSone which came from a company best known for selling cassette players. On paper the jaguar should have established itself well in the years head start it had on the PSone and Saturn but it simply wasn't good enough. It may have had 'potential' but as a console it failed.

[Cryptic33]

Marketed best? Jaguar was a console by a bona fide games industry legend vs the PSone which came from a company best known for selling cassette players. On paper the jaguar should have established itself well in the years head start it had on the PSone and Saturn but it simply wasn't good enough. It may have had 'potential' but as a console it failed.

Hmm, we will agree to disagree here as I believe the Jaguar was good enough but was handled badly/under-financed. Sony on the other hand had bags of money and bought their way into the market albeit with a very good console.

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

Good enough for what though? To be a good console yes I agree it is a good console albeit with a small library. But good enough to beat the PlayStation, Saturn or (and this I think is its closest rival in terms of similarities) the N64 no it's not good enough.

[AmigaJay]

Good enough for what though? To be a good console yes I agree it is a good console albeit with a small library. But good enough to beat the PlayStation, Saturn or (and this I think is its closest rival in terms of similarities) the N64 no it's not good enough.

I agree with Cryptic, the console was good enough, but Atari killed it with lack of games and deals.
Don't forget the 90's was the fastest moving (and most exciting imo, too stagnant nowadays) console market since the beginning of videogames, EVERY year there was new hardware being released, 10 years nowadays is like 2 years back then.
1993 the Jag had 2 years head start (over the PS1 and Saturn) which was plenty enough had it the software support, the N64 doesn't even enter the equation really as it took Nintendo until 1997 to release that.....4 years was nearly two generation cycles back then!

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

Again good enough for what? To be a good console sure. But to be the greatest ever? No chance because of the reasons that keep getting raised - lack of software and poor handling of the console by Atari.

N64 was a 64bit cartridge based console from a successful and respected games company. Same as the Jaguar was, that's why I say they are good to compare.

Pace of change and differences in generation doesn't come into play here - I nearly nominated the 2600 as greatest ever but eventually plumped for the PS2.