Should I Get Playstation 2 Slim Console?

So, I live in Australia, and my EBGames store sells a PlayStation 2 Slim Console for 59 Australian dollars, which is 53 American dollars. This console is also backwards compatible with PS1 games. Note that I've got a PS4, PS3 and a Gaming PC, but I would also like to be able to play previous PS1-PS2 titles. My PS3 doesn't have Backwards compatibility, so I guess that isn't an option. And please, don't be jerks. Don't say 'Move on, start playing modern games' because I do. I've got a next gen console.

Also, should I get an XBOX original? Thanks guys.

I've always wanted to buy another PS2 to play PS2 games I might've missed out on and were never re-released on the PS3 or PSN but I only have a handful that I really would want to play so there's no point. If you have PS1/PS2 games you want to play, I say why not. Same thing applies to the Xbox.

@probablytuna:

Not sure I have some PS2 games here with me, but I'm looking to buy Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins and The Original Spider-Man. Thanks for the input.

I recently surpassed 100 PS2 games in my collection and there are still a ton I'd like to try. I think $53 is a good price, just be prepared for it to look pretty bad on an HDTV, if you have an old SDTV on hand I'd use it. Also be prepared for a lot of the games to hace aged poorly, but that's always the case with old-school gaming, plenty of them are still great.

For original Xbox, that's a tough one, it can look better in HD and the multiplatform titles will look better but are usually a little harder to find. I bought one for the first time myself a couple years ago and didn't find it very necessary since 360 can play a lot of the games anyway, and many I was looking forward to got next-gen re-releases, like Doom 3 and Far Cry: Instincts.

@razkazz:

Thanks for the help!

Yeah, I guess some of them have aged poorly, but I've played some PS2 games and found them fine. As for PS1 games... yeah, they might be a pain.

Go for it. I'd recommend buying Disgaea 1/2 and Persona 4 for it. Also, mad props if you can get Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for PS1 cheap.

yes!

Sure. Why not? There's plenty of awesome games for the console. So much fun to be had there still.

hmmmm, I'd consider emulation instead.

But sure, pick one up, and may I recommend PS2 Shinobi that's such an under rated game.

@mikelemmer:

Thanks for the suggests.

Any idea where I can find those games?

Sure, $60 is decent, it was an incredible system and the slim is so small, it takes up no space. I don't think the system comes with a memory card though, so you'd probably have to buy one of those too.

Emulation is a good option too, if your PC is decent. I still have my PS2, but emulating can really enhance some games, so I choose that option sometimes anyway. For example, Persona 3 and 4, when rendered internally at a much higher resolution, everything looks so smooth and crisp in comparison to playing it on a console.

I dunno about the PS4, but every PS3 does actually play PS1 games.

As for the original xbox, that's harder to say. If you had a PS2, you'd already have multiplatform stuff from that generation covered, so I guess it comes down to the xbox exclusives. Obviously, Halo is a stand-out, but the xbox stuff that I really enjoyed were mostly a lot of not terribly well known games like Galleon and Otogi.

Also, Spider-Man 2 is actually a surprisingly good game. The actual missions and stuff aren't so hot, but just swinging around New York is really fun.

@damodar:

I know right? Spider-Man 2 brings up TOO MANY memories for me to remember. It makes me Nostalgic. Anyways, about the PS3 playing PS1 games, I just remembered that. I heard it sometime before, but u just reminded me now, so thanks for that.

@miko1222: if there are games you missed out on then yea pick one up. Your bound to be able to get lots of classics used for cheap. I still use my ps2 once in awhile, but be prepared some games have aged compared to there newer sequels on the more current systems.

@agentboolen:

So true. My EB Games store sells PS2 games for 2 dollars (1.81 USA), but I think they took them off the shelves. :( Any place I can buy PS1 games.

Absolutely, it's tied with the SNES for best console of all time. However, since you have a gaming PC, you might want to consider emulation.

PS2 emulation has come a long way. Any decent gaming computer can run PS2 games at a really high resolution, plus you get access to save states and turbo/frame-skipping if you want it. I just booted up Xenosaga:

It doesn't look amazing by any stretch of the word, but it's a lot better than what it'd look like on the PS2.

I'd also recommend the PS2 emulation route but with the caveat that some games don't work great on it still. For instance, any game that uses the Snowblind Engine just don't work period, which really sucks as I love a lot of those games. I also recenttly tried DMC1 and has issues making it pretty much unplayable. So if you're looking to really get all up in the PS2's library, the system would be a good idea. Plus, it's such a cool looking little thing.

As for Xbox, I honestly don't think there's much there worth going back to. The main games I play are the two Halos and Fable, two of which have more current means of replaying and the third being rumored for the XB1. Maybe if you could get one super cheap, I guess?

The PS2 slim is fantastic, and there's still a large number of good games that you can get for cheap. It might be the most attractive console ever aesthetically; in addition to having by far the most games.

@miko1222: No idea; they're RPG cult classics, which means they'll be tough-to-find and expensive. There's remakes of them, but I think those are just on the 3DS & Vita. Well worth it if you can find them at a decent price, though. (I'd try one of the PS3 Disgaea games first, though, just to make sure you enjoy that type of game.)

The question is more "can I find copies of the games I want". I have no idea what retro/indie game shops are like in Australia. Or what the availability/prices are like online there. (I know shipping from the US/EU is kind of nuts).

For Xbox, not much worth going back for. Halo 1 is completely superseded by the Anniversary disc on 360 - unless you REALLY want to play some system link multiplayer, and if that's the case, you've got a lot of like minded friends anyway. Halo 2 would be worth going back to if only to play the entire series if it weren't also recieving an updated version later this year. Halo 2's ending is much less painful when you can just pop in the Halo 3 disc and keep going. The other games from the Xbox mostly have PC versions, the notable exception being Panzer Dragoon Orta (and it's fully compatible with Xbox 360)

@fredchuckdave: Yeah, the PS1 and 2 slims are probably the two best looking consoles ever. It's a shame we're not likely to get redesigns like that anymore.

I agree with @corvak, You should go and make a list of the game you want, see if you can actually buy them somewhere, otherwise you wont get much use out of PS2 if you cant find any games you want to play for it. If it is easy and cheap enough to get the games you want for it then definitely get one, it has one of the best library of games you could think of.

Personally I would look for a backwards compatible PS3.

I'd wait to see how Sony's Cloud Gaming Service Is PlayStation Now [UPDATED] turns out, it may take some time for every game you are looking for to come out, but having access to a huge digital back catalog is going to be great when it's ready, there is supposed to be some news about it at GDC next week.

You are better off using a PS2 emulator to play your legal games since they can be played in any resolution you want and you can quick save and quick load anywhere and at any time. Barring that, the cloud service looks cool if you don't already have a library.

@mikelemmer:

Oh, yeah.

I'll look up some GP on Youtube.

Ps2 emulator

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion-30/giant-bomb-forum-rules-557966/#1

I keep considering getting an original Xbox. Go for it!