Well, when we finally managed to wrangle one of these badboys into our office, it was a joyous moment. This black machine has a huge amount of potential. On the front are USB ports and a ILink port, plus there's an expansion bay port on the back. This means that the box has potential to add an external harddrive and connect to Digital Video and Cameras. It's obvious that Sony's put some thought into the potential of theire brand new toy.

Out of the Box
Grade: B+

The real drawback to the PS2 is that it comes with nothing. No memory card, no demo disc. So, unless you shell out some extra cash for a game and a PS2 8mb memory card, you won't even begin to touch what the black box can do. The good thing, though, is that it'll play your Playstation One games and double as a DVD player. If you already own a DVD player, then this is no big deal, but for those of us who don't, this is nice addition. It's like buying a Sega Genesis and finding out that it plays VHS tapes.

Games - Initially
Grade: C+

Let's be honest, the launch games and then ones that followed were mostly lackluster. They were either unispired or just didn't bother to harness the potential. Of the first batch, only SSX, Armored Core 2 and Tekken Tag Tournament were worth a good look at. Of course, if you like sports, there's already a great selection going, but just make sure to play before you pay.

8mb Memory Card
Grade: B+

The only reasons this piece of hardware didn't get an A were as follows:

1) The price. YIKES! $35 is a bit steep for anything that isn't a game.
2) It's basically required on all PS2 games to have this, making this extra expense a necessity.

Other than these reasons, this is a great tool. It saves faster, loads faster and holds a lot more saves. Instead of 15 blocks of memory, this cards saves just like a regular computer, in "k" bites. The only drawback is that now gamers have to figure out how many "k"s are in a megabyte. This techmath skill might force some kids to get a calculator out to see if they can save a game on their card.

Games 2001
Grade: A

The PS2 has some great games coming down the pike. Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, Silent Hill 2, Soul Reaver 2... the list goes on. Let's just say that if you haven't found what you want, yet, stick around.

System Potential
Grade: A

Don't believe the detractors. The PS2 has some great potential, hardware and software-wise. Even straight out of the box, this is a nice addition to any home. With the purchase of a few games and DVD movies, this bad-boy will liven up anyone's home.

Enjoy.

- - Kinderfeld