PS2 and PSP, worth owning both?

[Kotatsu Neko]

Hmm, Kotatsu Neko, it sounds like either conciously or subconciously, you've decided to discredit anything remotely 'mainstream' for no reason other than it's mainstream-ness.

There are over 2000 games for the PS2, and you only like ONE!! And you say the PSP has very few games, whereas it already outnumbers the DS catalogue despite it's later launch.

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but it's ok to enjoy mainstream stuff you know

Not really. Half Life 2 is mainstream and I loved that. There is nothing un-mainstream about a Zelda game, or a Halo game. But I love those too.

Perhaps I would like other games on PS2, but the format has just never interested me. Too much EA, I don't like the pad, and I know visuals aren't the most important aspect... but I do find PS2 graphics hard to watch after Gamecube, Xbox, and PC. To each his own, I have my reasons!

But I am looking forward to Wanda and the Collosus, come to think of it the only game I am looking forward to more than that is the new Gamecube Zelda game.

[dataDave]

Gradius 5 is nice, but not a patch on Radiant Silvergun or Ikaruga.

That's really funny, no wait, it is.

Ikaruga + RsG are totally 'on-the-rails'. If you like following the same path repeatedly like a memory test then fine, I like some open-ended creativity within my game which means all risks aren't always punished yet rewarded.

A PS2 must be owned for VF4.

Seriously - You're missing out on a lot of class on the PS2.

Too much EA

It's the same EVERYWHERE you look!! Not just on the PS2!

[Concept]

Each console from this generation has something to offer. The PS2 arguably has more **** filling its software library, but to counter that point, in my opinion, it's diversity is unrivalled. But as you say, many of the PS2's best games could have easily appeared on the GameCube or Xbox, just as their cream could have arrived in return.

I suppose it just depends where your preferences lie. The reason the PS2 has always appealled to me is simply due to the expansiveness in terms of choice that its software library offers.

[Kotatsu Neko]

There's also stuff like the Taiko games, Kamatari, Mojib and wordimagesoundplay that I'd love to play if my PS2 was modded.

Obviously they may not be to his tastes, but I'd wager the majority wouldn't look out of place on a Nintendo machine if circumstances were different.

Katamari Damaci is one I was going to pick up come to think of it, but never got round to it. It's coming to DS apparently so that will do nicely.

[Concept]

Like yourself, I am truly excited about the prospects of the coming year (which definately seems to be Year of the Handheld). I've just come out of an 18 month stint of Final Fantasy XI Online and it feels like I've reappeared at just the right moment to be excited about gaming again.

Similarly, I've felt jaded on the whole for the past few months (if you disregard my anticipation for Half-Life 2 before release), and it's been the handheld market that has also got me shock, horror, excited again.

The PSP and DS look amazing with what they can offer. That, coupled with the PS2 and GameCube dying with potentially their most imaginative games (Wanda and Colossus, Killer 7) and it could be some year.

E3 for example, is going to be vast when you think of everything that's likely to be on the table.

[Kotatsu Neko]

That's really funny, no wait, it is.

Ikaruga + RsG are totally 'on-the-rails'. If you like following the same path repeatedly like a memory test then fine, I like some open-ended creativity within my game which means all risks aren't always punished yet rewarded.

A PS2 must be owned for VF4.

Seriously - You're missing out on a lot of class on the PS2.

It's the same EVERYWHERE you look!! Not just on the PS2!

Nothing wrong with rails, the Panzer Dragoon games are amongst my all time favs! I did like Gradius 5 a lot, but it never grabbed me like Ikaruga or RS did. Opinions you know, we can like different things.

VF4 I have played a fair bit in the arcades. It's good, but I never really felt the need to own it at home.

EA is PS2. Just because they port their wares over to other platforms doesn't change the way they are designed, look, and play.

Maybe I am missing out on good PS2 games, but I have so much to play on other platforms I'm happy enough. I am currently loving Meteos and Pac Pix!

[bowser123]

You tried Ape Escape or Klonoa yet, Kotatsu?
They're the next best thing to a Nintendo made game and really, really good. So bright and colourful graphically, yet deceptively tough if you want to get 100%.

And in one of them you catch mad monkeys with a dirty big net. What's better, or more exciting, than that?

[dataDave]

I'm sort of looking forward to things in a way. I crave for more originality on all fronts however, I feel E3 will just be a showcase of next gen sequels which I can't be arsed with to be honest.

As long as there are at least three or four games over the next 12 months to get properly 'stuck in to' I'll be alright I suppose (Taito PLEASE bring Raiden III home!!). I certainly need to cut back on all the average stuff I've been playing, I could spend my precious time elsewhere doing better things rather than collecting kinstone pieces or countless cars I'll never use thanks.

Things seem to be drying up as a whole I find, which is good for me in a way.

[Concept]

EA is PS2. Just because they port their wares over to other platforms doesn't change the way they are designed, look, and play.

EA is EA. They don't care about PS2. They'll support whatever console is the most successful. If the GameCube had been the most popular system this generation and EA had been staunch supporters, would you be attaching the same label?

[Tom Salter]

HATING SYSTEMS IS COOL!!!!

[Concept]

I'm sort of looking forward to things in a way. I crave for more originality on all fronts however, I feel E3 will just be a showcase of next gen sequels which I can't be arsed with to be honest.

I think with three new systems and two new handhelds there could potentially be a heck of a lot of fresh ideas thrown about at this year's E3. Although I do agree we'll be blitzed by the usual tired nearing-double-figure sequels.

[C']

The one area that the PS2 truly excels over the competition is in 'arcade' games. Obviously if the DC was still a player, the PS2 would be second best in this area, but after it's sad departure it seemed that developers (well the majority of Japanese devcos anyway) took their arcade wares to Sony's platform. PS2 is the console of choice when it comes to top class fighters (Virtua Fighter 4 Evo and Tekken 5 being the current premier titles), no console can match the sheer range of arcade perfect bemani titles. The Xbox is making some serious attempts to encroach on this area though and in time the balance could shift.

However the GC wins hands down when it comes to 'experience' games. The kind where you sit down, joypad in hand, engraossed in the events that unfold on screen, reappearing after an hour's play to realise that 5 hours are passed and everyone in your house has long retired to bed Metroid Prime 1 and 2, Zelda, Mario etc. all have done this to me in the past.

The Xbox on the other hand simply cannot be touched for online implementation in titles. At a time when Nintendo seemingly stuck their hand in the sand regarding online and Sony chucked out rudimentary support at best, Microsoft showed how it should be done and how it could be a success.

That's not to say the consoles don't cover each other's areas. Clearly their are 'arcade' titles on the Xbox and GC whilst their are some exquisite experience games on PS2 and XB. That means that if you can only have one machine all areas will still be covered.

However, to truly get the full picture you have to own every console and that is why Concept's statement earlier

No gamer should be without a PS2

says it all. And in the end, isn't that what the thread was about?

[Kubrick]

Why should it matter which console has the EA games? You obviously hate them so you won't buy them anyway, and they're outnumbered 50 to 1 by games from Capcom, Konami, Sega, Taito, SNK, Namco etc etc...

[C']

Oh and going back to the PSP port issue that was mentioned in the very first post. I would have thought that this would be something that Sony would actively discourage if they want the PSP to be a success.

Think about it, why would Sony want the machines to compete with each other because they both have the same games. They need to keep the lineups distinct.

Going back to Ridge Racers, would I have bought the PSP version if an identical PS2 version was available. Probably not. The play anywhere aspect would be appealing but would probably lose out in the end. But, it didn't come out on both formats. It was a PSP exclusive and I wanted to play it enough that I bought a PSP.

It's the exclusives that make or break a system and Sony need as many as they can get. I would think they are aware of how things operate now to realise that release after release of PS2 port won't make their handheld a success.

[dataDave]

Nothing wrong with rails, the Panzer Dragoon games are amongst my all time favs!

When I mean on the rails I mean your gameplay technique is on the rails, obviously most shooters are on the rails in a HotD sort of way, I'm talking about your path through the game, to the pixel, and when you fire. Too much 'follow previous path, die here, do it again, get further, die here instead, repeat, repeat, slight increase in score, repeat, mint, repeat, repeat, you're getting there, repeat, repeat, dead good this innit?, repeat, repeat, get pissed off, repeat, repeat, die at the start for the 1st time in ages, repeat, repeat, lose patience, never play again'.

EA is PS2. Just because they port their wares over to other platforms doesn't change the way they are designed, look, and play.

The last time I checked all EA releases were released multi-platform at the same time.