Gaming Buying Guide: The PlayStation 2.

By Sam Coles:

This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while whether the console is new old. I wanted to do some buying guides how this works is that I will go through different models, accessories and games that I recommend to play on said system. First I’m going through one of my favourite consoles of all time the PlayStation 2.

Hardware

PlayStation 2 Fat:

This was originally released in Japan in the year 2000 and this model is very common and you’ll find it in retro stores, charity shops and car boot sales a lot. It’s not very expensive and it’s very common. The problem with this model is that it’s very bulky and not the most attractive looking piece of hardware on the market. Another con about this model is that the lasers that read disc will go out in a sneaky way, what I mean by this is that it will read most discs, but it won’t read the blue and duel layer discs and eventually it won’t read anything. This model is also very loud because it has a huge fan which is a dust collector so you’ll need to clean it regularly.

PlayStation 2 Slim:

This is the model I would highly recommend because for starters it’s a smaller console which doesn’t take up too much room. This model is very quiet as well so it doesn’t drown out the sound of the game that you’re playing. This is also common and you can find it for around £10-£15 so it won’t break the bank. If you want to save on space and don’t want a PS2 that makes too much noise get this one, plus this last longer because the lasers and lens are sturdier.

Accessories

Memory Cards:

Remember this was a time before hard drives were a thing in consoles (except of the original Xbox) so you’ll need a memory card. These are extremely cheap and would recommend buying a stack of them because they generally cost about 50p in retro stores depending on the size, they can range from 8MB to the third party ones that are 128MB. Also remember the PlayStation 2 is backwards compatibly with PS1 games, but you will need a PS1 memory card to save games because the system is booted in that operating system of the original PlayStation.

Controllers:

Well if you’re familiar with the PS2 you know about the Dualshock 2 which are very common and are great, however test the controllers before you buy them because the connectors have a habit of wearing down over time and sometimes it will disconnect when you move it in a certain way. There is an alternative with a third party controller which is the Logitech wireless which is great if you don’t want to faff about with wires.

Multitap:

The thing you have to remember the PlayStation 2 still stuck to the tradition two controller ports which is very odd considering the GameCube and Xbox have four ports. There is a solution for this and that is in the form of the multitap if you want to play games like Time Splitters four players on the system. You’ll need to buy different versions of it because they are not universal for both models of the PS2 so keep that in mind when you’re buying one.

Recommended Games

Grand Theft Auto III-San Andreas:

If you have this system you’ll need this trilogy, what can I say that hasn’t already been said they set the standard of how open world games are made even to this day. It’s great to see the evolution of the GTA games from the humble beginning in 3D with GTA III to the massive open world of San Andreas.

Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3:

Metal Gear Solid set the standard of cinematic story telling in video games along with great stealth action. If you know me personally or on Twitter you know that I’m a huge fan of the Metal Gear Solid series and it’s in my top 3 in terms of favourite game series. These two games are great with over the top characters and a plot that will completely mess with your mind. So if you want an emotional rollercoaster of a ride of a plot then pick up these games.

Resident Evil 4:

This game was originally a GameCube exclusive part of the Capcom five where they released five games on the GameCube exclusively. That deal fell through and now you can get it on every system under the sun, I prefer the PS2 version because I just like the controls more. This was a radical change from the Resident Evil formula because it deviated from the fixed camera angles and went with a third person over the shoulder perspective which influenced games like Gears of War.

Mortal Kombat - Shaolin Monks:

This game came out of nowhere because it wasn’t a fighting game it’s was an adventure game in the same vein of God of War, but set in the Mortal Kombat Universe. You’ll travel through the dark and morbid world of Outworld killing enemies in a brutal fashion. It’s more fun when you get a friend to play because you can perform some devastating combos.

Medal of Honour – Frontline:

This was the console’s answer to the fantastic Medal of Honour Allied Assault on the PC and Frontline is just as good. The sound design has to be complemented because the guns and explosions have grunt and meat to them and sound like they do damage especially the sniper rifle and shotgun. The animations still hold up today because the enemies react were they get shot so they will hold their hip or hop on one toe when they’re shot in the foot.

Well there is my buying guide for the PS2 I don’t know how often I’m going to do these but let me know what you think and go out and get a PS2 and relive some memories.