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Grading the Sixth and Seventh Console Generations 93

Posted by Zonk from the stay-after-class-gamecube dept.
GameDaily has up an article grading the current and next-gen consoles on their past and (apparently) future performance. Ratings come with an explanation, which is good because some of them seem just a bid dodgey. Only a B+ for the PS2? Really? From the article: "Considering the competition, the PS2's $129.99 price tag seems downright diminutive. The slim PS2 comes sans fan (meaning potential overheating for long-winded players) but the compact design makes it a must-have for anyone with limited space in the entertainment center. The DualShock 2 is arguably one of the best game controllers of all time and extras can be snapped up for a mere $20 for head-to-head or online multiplayer action." The Aeropause blog has a follow up on the ratings, giving you another perspective on the same consoles.
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Grading the Sixth and Seventh Console Generations More

Grading the Sixth and Seventh Console Generations

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  • Fluff Piece. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Crasty ( 1019258 ) on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:02PM (#16739875)
    You can't grade something that hasn't been released. The Dreamcast was an awesome system before game support for it tanked. How would you have graded it before, and after?

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by grapeape ( 137008 )
      dreamcast i'd give an A even after its demise I would still give its first party game library an A.

      Skies of Arcadia, Grandia, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Dead or Alive 2, Soul Calibur, Phantasy Star Online, Super Magnetic Neo, Power Stone, Shenmue, ikaruga, virtua Tennis, Quake 3 Arena, Mr Driller, Chu Chu Rocket, HoD2, Gunbird 2, Jet Grind Radio, Samba de Amigo, the list goes on....

      I blame the fanboys that bought into Sony hype for cutting short what easily could have been the greatest console of all time, of cour

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Crasty ( 1019258 )
        Yeah, exactly how Sega allowed the Dreamcast to be thought of as 'last generation' when the PS2 arrived is beyond me. I'm proud to say though, I still own mine, and about 40 very fine titles.

  • PS2 definitely the best mix of cost & quality (Score:3, Interesting)

    by XxtraLarGe ( 551297 ) on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:08PM (#16739989) Journal
    For the number of quality games [playstation.com] and the low cost, the PS2 is what I'd tell anybody looking for a new console to buy at the moment.
  • From the article it appears that the different PS3 bundles will come without component or HDMI cables. Leaving out HDMI I can kind of understand, but even the premium 360 bundle comes with component cables.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ucklak ( 755284 )
      Does the PS3 come with composite cables? If so then what's the big deal?

      1st through 5th generation didn't come with cables either except for the A/B tuner switch.

      IIRC, Genesis and Super Nintendo required a proprietary connector that was $25+ to get composite.

      You can get component cables for under $10 and 10 feet of HDMI under $16.

      • According to IGN:

        The latest issue of Famitsu contains a first report on the cables that will be included with the Japanese version of the PS3. Purchasers of either the 60 Gig or 20 Gig models will get a power cord, USB cable, Ethernet cable, and standard composite AV cable.

        Unless something changes (article dated October 11, 2006), it looks like you only get the composite. :P

        The article quoted is found here [ign.com].

      • Re:No component cables for the PS3? (Score:4, Informative)

        by conigs ( 866121 ) on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:44PM (#16740659) Homepage

        I think the big deal is that it seems odd for a system to tout its HD capabilities and not come with cables to display an HD signal out of the box.

        Are cables cheap? Yes. But for a $500 system (and who's only standard a/v connections are HDMI and TOSLINK), I'd expect it to at least have component cables bundled.

      • Re:No component cables for the PS3? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by twistedsymphony ( 956982 ) on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:46PM (#16740699) Homepage
        The difference is none of those other consoles offered high definition graphics as a major feature. By comparison the PS3 will be the first console that doesn't supply cables that support it's own graphical standard for gaming. Also the component cables are proprietary, you might be able to buy $10 component cables for your DVD player but your subject to what the proprietary accessory will cost on the PS3. Hopefully it will accept the PS2 component cables (though those aren't very cheap either)

        The idea that you'd pay $600 for a premium version console and still have to buy accessories that it didn't include is some kind of sick joke where clowns steal my money.
      • Yeah, and the previous generations weren't being marketed based on their ability to do HDTV. The only console that might fit into your argument would be the Xbox - for which all but a couple titles had 480p ("Kung Fu Chaos" is the only non-480p Xbox game I can think of off hand, supposedly because the developer used graphical effects that relied on interlacing) - which didn't come with component cables.

        It's easy to see why someone would be irritated that a console whose primary marketing efforts seem to

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by shimage ( 954282 )

        Does the PS3 have actual RCA jacks on the back of it? Because if it doesn't (and I don't think it does), then those $10 component cables will be totally useless. My understanding was that it's backwards compatible with the component cables for the PS2, which means that if you don't have them already you'll have to spend another ~$30 or so on the proprietary Playstation component cables (or cobble together your own using the connector from the composite cables that came with it, provided you know what each o

      • 1st through 5th generation didn't come with cables either except for the A/B tuner switch. IIRC, Genesis and Super Nintendo required a proprietary connector that was $25+ to get composite.

        I bought my Sega Genesis used, so I can't comment on that one. But the US and European versions of the NES (Wikipedia's 3rd gen) came with an A/V cable, and the Super NES (WP's 4th gen) through GameCube (WP's 6th gen) came with a composite "MULTI OUT" cable. The PS1 and PS2 also came with Sony's variant of "MULTI OUT".

        • My PSX came with a standard set of composite cables. Too bad Sony dropped that with later models and went with the multi-out only. Being able to pick up a spare set of cables for $5 at Radio Shack was freaking sweet!

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by tepples ( 727027 )
            My PSX came with a standard set of composite cables. Too bad Sony dropped that with later models and went with the multi-out only.

            You can't do S-video, component, or RGB with a set of composite cables. Super NES, N64, and GameCube have all supported S-video.

            Being able to pick up a spare set of cables for $5 at Radio Shack was freaking sweet!

            RadioShack still sells a spare set of cables, though not exactly that cheap.

  • that they would get a ps2 now that they can fit one?!

  • Arguably? (Score:2, Informative)

    by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
    The DualShock 2 is arguably one of the best game controllers of all time

    I'd say there's very good reasons to argue against that. Split d-pad, for one. That's a real thumbwrecker. Nonsensical button names is another big issue. And who can forget putting the analog sticks into a secondary position on a console whose manufacturer openly hates 2d games that would be the only real reason to use the dpad as the primary input?
    • I'm glad someone agrees with me about that. I've never liked the playstation controllers. Back in the PS1 days I hated the split D-Pad because it was very difficult for diagonals. I think they had to keep it that way because of the pressure sensative nature of the Dualshock 2 (did any games actually use that besides MGS2?). And the symbols for the right thumb buttons made it extremely difficult because there was no cognative pattern for the layout (IE A, B, C; X, Y, Z). Games that require you to hit bu

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by macshit ( 157376 )
        Yeah, the dualshock is at best a highly mediocre controller, I find it kind of painful to use for long periods of time. Sony just doesn't seem to do much in the way of testing when they design controllers -- it's like they design based entirely on the way it looks, not how it feels (and it's true, the D.S. does look pretty good).

        As far as the article, I don't know what they were smoking, the grades they assigned seem almost completely random (and with little apparent connection to the accompanying text)!

        I
      • Most Racing games use it for acceleration, but since most people just jam the button down hard all the time you'd hardly notice. Mad Maestro uses it, depending on the colors on the screen you have to hit the button with a certain pressure (ruin's the game for me, I'm r/g color blind :( ). Ratchet and Clank used it somewhere iirc. You'd push harder to go faster when you used the rocket booster or something. My experience is it's just like the analog feature: it's too hard to work between the extremes (not pr

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Jackmn ( 895532 )

        think they had to keep it that way because of the pressure sensative nature of the Dualshock 2 (did any games actually use that besides MGS2?).

        I believe Sony had to configure their pad as they did because Nintendo has a patent [uspto.gov] on traditional 'plus' shaped d-pads.

        While I dislike the split d-pad, I feel the other aspects of the DS controller are far superior to that of the GCN controller. Every button can be hit in a split second, making it perfect for twitch games.

        • I like the DS Lite controller, but the original DS seemed to have a problem in that both my arms cramped up. I think it has to do with the Lite being so small you can grip it from the sides and just get used to it, but with the phat I try to grip from the bottom and sides like other controllers and carpal tunnel tries to set in... You know, like with Guitar Hero.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by miyako ( 632510 )
      I never had any trouble with the split D-Pad. I vastly prefer it to the 360's weird dpad- which is absolutely abysmal (to the point that I'm seriously considering waiting until I can get ahold of a PS3 to pick up Tony Hawk's Project 8, just so that I can actually have a controller with a decent D-Pad to play the game with- and the Tony Hawk series is one of my favorite game series of all time). There are a number of 3D games that benefit from having a D-Pad as opposed to analog controls.
      I also don't thin

      • I also don't think that the analog stick is in what I would call a secondary position. One of the great things about the Dual Shock design is that I can use either the D-Pad or the control stick on the left, and either the face buttons or the control stick on the right, as though it was the "primary" location. It's amazingly comfortable.

        I guess if you have huge hands. I find the control sticks awkward to reach. On the XBox or Gamecube the D-Pad and right stick aren't used enough to be an issue, but having

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by miyako ( 632510 )
          I guess it's just a matter of how you hold the controller. The GC controller is comfortable to me, but I could never comfortably hold an XBOX controller.
      • As for the nonsensical button names, I've never had an issue with that. Certainly they can be a little tricky to type if you want to use the symbols when writing a FAQ or something (I generally use X, O, [], Triangle) - but aside from that it's been a complete non-issue.

        I refer to them by their original SNES designations, which always gets funny looks from the young'uns that grew up with PSX or PS2. I tend to color-code them according to the SFC controller's button colors as well (also used on the very exce

      • I never had any trouble with the split D-Pad. I vastly prefer it to the 360's weird dpad- which is absolutely abysmal

        I think the canonical comparison would be to one of Nintendo's D-Pads. Not the one on the Cube controller, that one sucks. But compare the PS2's (or PSP's) D-Pad to the DS or N64's or SNES's D-Pad, and you'll notice the difference.

        I also don't think that the analog stick is in what I would call a secondary position.

        Except it very much is. For most games, you have the left thumb on the

    • Another voice here stating how bad the PS2 controller is. Split D-pad and buttons named triangle are the main reasons. Another think I don't like is the buttons under the analog sticks. You can't push that button without moving the stick, it's almost impossible. My favourite is the Gamecube controller. Buttons are very easy to find, A being the home button, and everything else being layed out logically around it. The color coding helps a little too. Look at the controller and tell me which one is the
    • I agree. I believe the dualshock is one of the worst controllers of all time. I much prefer the xbox controller (never played with the wavebird so I can't give my opinion on that).

      The ps2 controller for me is uncomfortable after about 20 minutes of play, especially if I am using the analog stick. I'm actually quite surprised that the ps3 hasn't moved the analog stick to the same position as the xbox controller. It just seems an unnatural position for the left analog stick.
    • Agreed. There is a reason that 3 other manufacturer's (MS, Nintendo, and Sega) all put their Analog sticks in the primary position. For 3D games, that's where they belong. I can understand how it happened though, the PS1 controller was only slightly modified from an SNES controller. Then they wanted to add analog support, and didn't know where to put it. Why they left it on the PS2/PS3 in this configuration I have no idea. To me this is a cap in the 360's favor as I would rather interface with that for hour

    • Split d-pad, for one. That's a real thumbwrecker.

      It's a workaround for the D-pad patent that Nintendo refused to license in 1995.

      Nonsensical button names is another big issue.

      I'll grant you the square, but the other three were letters: X (cross), O (circle), and D (triangle, in the form of Greek delta). In addition, you can spell the name of every Microsoft game console using just PS1 buttons: X (cross), Box (square), 360 (circle).

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by LKM ( 227954 )
        It's a workaround for the D-pad patent that Nintendo refused to license in 1995.

        Well, other console manufacturers found better workarounds (Neo Geo Pocket) or were magically able to license the D-Pad.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
        It's nice that the buttons have names but other controllers had button names that related to each other (e.g. X was next to Y). Never mind the "intelligent" decision to have X mean Yes and O mean No in the west (and that's not even consistently used, some games use /\ as No and I've even seen games released in the west that left in the Japanese standard of O=Yes, X=No).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by drewmca ( 611245 )
      Finally someone agrees with me on this. The fact that the analog sticks were thrown in there as an afterthought is easily forgotten. The only reason they're still there is because people are used to it. That doesn't mean it's good. You have to actively hold your thumbs in that position just to rest them on the sticks, before you even move them, and that's strain while doing nothing. It gets worse as you start moving them. Now that so many games take advantage of the analog sticks for 3d movement, it's becom

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bynary ( 827120 )
      I find it literally painful to try and press the R2 and L2 buttons. My fingers do not naturally rest on any of the shoulder buttons on that controller. I second anyone who is calling Sony out on the worst idea for button names/symbols.

      "Hit triangle, triangle, circle, square, circle" I don't know why, but A B X Y is much easier to remember. I personally find the GameCube controller to be the most comfortable controller I've used by a long shot. However, YMMV.

  • Wow, talk about weak articles. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by kinglink ( 195330 ) on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:19PM (#16740163)
    B+ for the Ps2, A for 360, A- for Wii, B+ for PS3, A for DS, B for PSP, C for Gamecube, D for Xbox????

    It seems like as long as it's next gen you get a B+ and if it's this gen if it's sony you get a B+?

    This isn't "Grading" This is "which should I buy for christmas" and the answer they give? any of them. Seriously this isn't a fluff piece, this is enuff piece. A article that is written with just "enuff" to count as an article. No one fails on it, no one wins. It's just "buy what ever you were going to buy in the first place". Personally I'd probably have graded it as follows, remember this is for a new system.

    B for PS2, A- for 360, B for Wii, D for PS3, F for Gamecube, D for Xbox, B for DS, B for PSP (only because it plays music)
    • I would have said

      B for PS2, A for 360, A- for Wii, D for PS3, C for Gamecube, C for Xbox*, A for DS, D for PSP
      *if you include modification potential, without I'd rate it a D-

      Really it seems these were graded on the quantity of recent and future game releases...
      The idea that the dual-shock is somehow one of the best controllers ever made is a joke in itself. It started as a SNES controller with handlebars and extra shoulder buttons. The extra shoulder buttons mean your fingers are either cramped (if
    • The XBox gets a D because it's overpriced. No reason on earth they should be charging $180 for it. The thing I'm curious about though is how either you or the story author could actually "grade" the PS3 since it's not out yet? I doubt I'd buy one because of the price (this has me leaning toward the Wii), but I don't think it it should be rated any worse than the 360...
      • The way I graded the PS3, is Price, availablity of games (emphasize on stuff you can't get on other system or games already out), and the future performance for the american market, as well as the controller.

        You claim the Xbox is over priced for 60 bucks more than the PS2, yet 200 more bucks for the PS3 is ok? So why are you telling me you would grade a 600 dollar item the same as a 400 dollar item assuming both do nearly the same thing?

        Btw to the other response to my post. The DS gets a B because it's a w
  • It's just a summary of the first article, not "another perspective" as the slashdot summary suggests. If you don't want to be bothered with as many pages (and ads) but want to get each grade and a short explanation, read the second article. It even says at the end, "That wraps it up. Total credit for this article goes to GameDaily."
  • they graded the wii below the 360, but the wii hasn't even been released yet. there's no way they can grade on the future of the console that doesn't even have a present yet. the unwashed masses haven't touched it yet.

  • Wrong (Score:4, Informative)

    by hawkbug ( 94280 ) <psxNO@SPAMfimble.com> on Monday November 06, 2006 @04:27PM (#16740309) Homepage
    "The slim PS2 comes sans fan (meaning potential overheating for long-winded players)"

    Wrong. If you take apart a slim PS2, you'll clearly see a fan on the inside of it. However, it's very quiet, which is a good thing. But yes, it does get warm - but the fan keeps the cpu/gpu from melting.
  • It isn't clear when you use grades, which are region specific, on consoles that are international. For exampe a D where I am from indicates a fail, where as I think at D in the US is a pass.
  • "the PS2's $129.99 price tag seems downright diminutive."
    The ps2 was $399 bro, that's what I paid for my 2!
    • Bro, unless you live outside the US then the PS2 was never priced higher (except on eBay, for suckers) than $300.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by muftak ( 636261 )
        it was £299 in the uk, that's $567, we love being ripped off.
        • Yah. I don't get why these companies hose y'all like that. Even the evil VAT and other taxes shouldn't cause a near-doubling of prices. It would be interesting to see an internally generated breakdown of how they (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) come up with their international pricing schemes. It can't be just the higher volume of sales in the US since, presumably, the volume of an internationally available product should be counted in total instead of per-country.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
            Price determined when the Euro was at its weakest and the dollar very strong, never adjusted afterwards since "Europeans are used to overpaying".
    • The ps2 was $399 bro, that's what I paid for my 2!


      Then you got ripped off, since it launched at 299.99! [wikipedia.org]
    • The PS2 may have been $399 in some regions 5 years ago, but today you can buy one for $130 in the United States. If you're trying to decide which console to buy in 2006, you do so based on their prices as of 2006.

  • This article is fluffy and full of crap, but it did illuminate a Sony statement quite well. I enjoy trying to understand why companies say what they say to new media. Obviously, everything they say is planned and has a purpose except for the rare slip (which contrasts slips that are purposely let out.) Because the intended statement is not always the same as the intended purpose of the statement, it creates a fun little mental exercise. Sony's not-to-recent claim that the PS3 is a 10 year cycle system was q

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Crasty ( 1019258 )
      Your comments make a good point.

      And when Sony says a 10 year life cycle, I don't buy it for a second. Even if they feel it could compete for 10 years, do you think they are going to allow themselves to be percieved as 'skipping' a console generation?
      Although it would give them remarkable clout in the future, chances of it happening are next to nothing.

      Hell, I'd pay $600 if they could promise me it wouldn't break within 10 years.
      • Me too. The first gen PS2 was rather infamous for it's flimsy DVD drive, it took a lawsuit to finally get Sony to warranty them.

        From what I understand the slim version is 'better', instead of DVDs it eats power supplies and overheats.

        Hell, I'd pay $600 if they could promise me it wouldn't break within 10 years.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
        10 year lifecycle means they'll keep making them and keep accepting games for it although it'll be like the PS1 was this gen, just a system for budget games or crappy license tie-ins that try to cover more of a market cheaper. Of course it'll also allow the PS2 to divert developer attention from the PS3 for much longer...
  • Two can play at this game. My grades, briefly and biased-ly:
    • Playstation 2: A couple of points docked for some truly sub-par graphics decisions made to pump up the polygon count, but otherwise, this is pretty much the model console. A.
    • 360, PS3, Wii: Way the fuck too early to grade. Everybody here knows where the pre-release hype stands.
    • DS: A+. You pretty much have to give out an A+ here because of the risk factor, and the fact that it paid off. The DS actually has fun games that can not be meaningfully port
    • I'd mostly agree with you but why do you say it's too early to grade the xbox360? It's out. It has a decent number of games. It has announced a bunch more. You said you're judging them all "for the time" when you talk about the dreamcast. Can't you consider the 360 for its time in its lifespan?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Jerf ( 17166 )
        You have a point.

        I actually can't because I have only seen them in the stores.

        And I have no problem admitting that to some degree my grading scale is relative. How the 360 gets graded will partially depend on how the other systems do.
    • I would say that Dreamcast would be more a B or B+, but I totally get the same feel for the DS and Dreamcast when you are talking about off-genre and niche games. Maybe it is just the color of my white DS Lite is a bit reminiscent of the Dreamcast.
      • I can't believe the cube was given such a high score. I always thought of it as a complete failure. Slightly more powerful than the ps2 with far fewer games. Even the traditional nintendo titles seemed to be lacking (Mario Sunshine, Zelda Windwaker or whatever, etc. It didn't play Dvd's and near the end of its lifespan certain games had to be released on two discs (Tiger Woods). Also the controller was just plain annoying with all sorts of weirdly shaped buttons all over the place. There are titles th
  • A few months ago, I joked that it was the PS2 that was going to doom Sony and the PS3 launch. Why spend hundreds of dollars on a new console and mediocre launch games, when you've got smash hits such as Final Fantasy XII and Guitar Hero II instead?

    But I realize now that it's actually the opposite. It's the PS2 that may end up saving Sony. Why?

    Well, the PS3 launch was already "doomed" in the first place, due to its high cost and low availability. Most of the gamers who are interested in one, just aren't goin
    • > It's certainly working for me. I'm currently addicted to FFXII (although I already have a 360 so it doesn't matter in that respect).

      Ha ha, wait until you want to play FFXIII and its only available on PS3. I own a 360 and have a pre-order for a Wii but I don't fool myself. By the time FFXIII is released I will have upgraded my PS2 to a PS3.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by jchenx ( 267053 )

        Ha ha, wait until you want to play FFXIII and its only available on PS3. I own a 360 and have a pre-order for a Wii but I don't fool myself. By the time FFXIII is released I will have upgraded my PS2 to a PS3.

        FFXIII is so far away (at least a year, if not more), that I find it silly to think about it now. I will probably have a PS3 by then, although it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Square drops the bombshell and announces some flavor of FFXIII becoming multi-platform. (Remember, they're not just Sony

      • Ha ha, wait until you want to play FFXIII and its only available on PS3.

        Every Final Fantasy game in the main series except III and XI runs on a slim PS2. Even XIII is for PS2 [wikipedia.org].

        • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward
          Um - Final Fantasy XIII (13) is for PS3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_fantasy_xiii). The link you have is for an entirely different game called XIII (Thirteen). FF13 Was originally slated for PS2 but Square later announced that it would be released on the Playstation 3.
    • A lot of people are addicted to FFXII even those with 360s, however at the same time that will last what? A month for a hard core gamer, two - three monthes for a "casual" gamer. Will sony have a good game then? The 360 has 11 monthes of lead and are reaching second generation games for their console, Sony has a lot of catch up, and people arn't going to pay 600 dollars for the FFXIII, especially with Mistwalker coming to the 360 with 2 unique Rpgs.

      Personally I'll be buying a PS3, when it drops to 3-400
      • Even though MS hasn't been able to sell in Japan, Sony's meager launch of 80,000 PS3 units will be crushed by the Wii The day it launches. With a healthy level of Wii's in the pipeline Nintendo will be the market leader in Japan through the holiday and likely the 1st 3-6 months of it's lifespan. Sony's only hope is to get their manufacturing issues fixed before Nintendo has "Too much of a lead" and developers "Follow to money to the larger userbase" as they did with the PS2.
      • people arn't going to pay 600 dollars for the FFXIII
        You underestimate Final Fantasy nuts.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by donaldm ( 919619 )
      Actually I think you are dead right on this. The PS2 will save Sony especially during the Holiday season, why?

      1) It's cheap.
      2) It has over 1000 game and can play PS1 games if you want and can find them.
      3) Most games can be got very cheap (except for new premium games).
      4) New games are still coming out for this machine so it still has at least 1 to 2 years life.

      Not everyone can afford a Wii or Xbox 360 or PS3 (If you can get one) in fact struggling parents looking for a present for their children would find
  • Tell me what I had to soder the connectors back on for after a botched "let's take apart and look see" That was NOT fun for a solder n00b like me. This was the silver Japanese version (the one with really crappy backwards compatability I hear now), maybe the North Am one's are different?
  • I hate what Sony's turned into with the PS3, but there can be no doubt that the PS2 is the console to beat. Sure, it's the least powerful console of the last generation (XBox, GameCube, PS2), but oh boy does it have the software library. If you had no gaming console and you were going to buy one, the PS2 would be the one to get.

    I personally love my XBox 360 but it certainly can't match the breadth and depth of the PS2 library. Sold off my original XBox and Gamecube because they were useless.

    Unless you want
  • "The DualShock 2 is arguably one of the best game controllers of all time." And that's where I stopped reading. Arguably indeed.
  • The Aeropause blog has a follow up on the ratings, giving you another perspective on the same consoles.
    Another perspective? It's the same perspective on the same consoles, only in condensed format.

  • DualShock 2 is arguably one of the best game controllers

    No, it's not. It is, however, probably the one you're most used to. Maybe it's even the first controller you've ever used. but that doesn't mean that it's a good controller. The shape is extremely awkward and non-ergonomic. You can't really hold the damn thing. The dual analog sticks are useful, but they're positioned all wrong. There are about, hm... well, there's Katamari Damacy which makes use of the dual sticks' position, but for every other ga

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