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"Greetings Fellow Gamers"

Hi there!

I've avoided buying a games machine for a long time due to various commitments, but I'm now in a position to join the gaming community. I'm going to get myself a PS2 and was wondering if anyone had any advice?

There seem to be many deals out there, but where's the best place for me to buy my console? Also, what do I need to get myself started? And finally, what games do people recommend for a beginner? I'm into football in a big way and I've been told PES3 is the best one to go for - do you agree? Also can anyone recommend good sports and driving games as these have been the kind of games I've enjoyed playing on my freind's consoles. Oh, and any good shoot-em-up games?

Any advice would be much appreciated
Cheers
El Horno

Hi there!

I've avoided buying a games machine for a long time due to various commitments, but I'm now in a position to join the gaming community. I'm going to get myself a PS2 and was wondering if anyone had any advice?

There seem to be many deals out there, but where's the best place for me to buy my console? Also, what do I need to get myself started? And finally, what games do people recommend for a beginner? I'm into football in a big way and I've been told PES3 is the best one to go for - do you agree? Also can anyone recommend good sports and driving games as these have been the kind of games I've enjoyed playing on my freind's consoles. Oh, and any good shoot-em-up games?

Any advice would be much appreciated
Cheers
El Horno

For a start, don't get a PS2, get an Xbox. Any game that is great on PS2 is better on Xbox.

Are you planning on taking your console online? If so, Xbox has the best and easiest online service on any console.

Before you decide your definitly going to buy a PS2, have you thought about the alternatives. The PS2 is the most well know console and is heavily backed by developers, but it also the most expensive, and least powerful console.

Your other options are the X-Box and the GameCube. The GameCube is the cheapest console, at about £80, and the X-Box comes in second most expensive.

If you particularly like Sports and Shooting games then I would suggest that the GameCube would not be for you, but the XBox might be a console worth considering.

I can't tell you where the best places to buy them from are, as Special Reserve don't look favourably on advertising their competators on their chat forums. However, when ,my PS2 recently needed replacing, I didn't order a new one from the internet.

I'm not a big sports or driving fan myself, but Grand Theft Auto seems an obvious game to point you in the direction of. Also you might consider Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo....

actually there are loads of games you might like

I'd not really thought about the alternatives, although you put forward a very good arguement. Probably the biggest reason for wanting a PS2 over the other is that my mates have a PS2 and so I have access to some games already. Also, I don't yet have a DVD player, so I'd be killing two birds with one stone.

If you can't tell where to get a console from on here, could you e-mail me instead?

Thanks for the advice
El Horno

I hadn't thought about on-line gaming to be honest(a bit too advance for me at this stage I think), but you put forward a very good arguement for the X-Box. What else does the X-Box offer? DVD? CD? Do games come on all formats? I remember back in the good ol' days, the games I had on my Spectrum were a lot difefrent from the one's for my mate's C64.

Cheers
El Horno

X-Box also plays DVD...

as an owner of both PS2 and X-Box I've found the X-Box to be a more reliable DVD player. Although you do have to pay extra for a DVD remote in order to use it.

In the PS2s favour you can buy a DVD regionX which allows you to play any region DVDs on it. Good for me, I'm a big Anime fan.

Do you have MSN messanger?

Well, SR do some decent packs on this here site. You could also try places like GAME and Amazon although I've never bought consoles from any of those places so couldn't tell you what they're like.

The DVD functionality of the PS2 is a good point, but the Xbox does the same thing, only you have to buy the remote control for it.

BUT, don't forget, you'd have to buy a memory card for the PS2 whereas you don't need a memory card for the Xbox...

At the end of the day it's all down to your own decision. But I'd recommend Xbox. Games like Splinter Cell 2, GTA Double Pack, TOCA 2, Project Gotham 2, Halo, Rainbow Six 3 and a whole host of great in-house sports games really make this the console of choice.

Plus, PES is coming to Xbox soon...

> I'm into football in a big way and I've been told PES3 is the best one to go for - do you agree?

Nope, get TIF 2004 a network adaptor and a multi-tap, that way you can have you and 3 mates playing against up to 4 other people online too.

> Also can anyone recommend good sports and driving games

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is the daddy of driving sims
Need For Speed: Underground is the daddy of street-racers

Other good racers include:

Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Colin McRae 04
MX Unleashed
Anything with 'TOCA' in it if you like Touring Car Racing

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 is the best sports game out there

Other good sports games include:

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Pro Evolution Soccer 3
SSX Tricky
Anything with 'Madden' in it if you like NFL

Also coming up later this year are:

World Championship Snooker 2004 (including online play)
IndyCar Series 500 (online again)
Burnout 3 (yep, online)

Plus Killzone which, whilst not being sports of driving genre, is probably on every PS2 owners' wishlist.

FAO Rosalind

Ah, so the X-Box does play DVDs!
Right, well, I'm not so sure now - as I thought it was just the PS2.

Erm, no I can't run Messenger as I'm in work - you could e-mail me:
[email protected]

Thanks again for your advice,
El Horno

It's the only reason I'm keeping my PS2 at the moment :D

EDIT - ^ = aimed at FM's mention of Killzone...