After about 6 years, the PS still lives!

Way back to about 3 years ago on Christmas Day 1999, I opened up my brand new Sony Playstation that my parents had gotten me for $100 at Wal-Mart. I was so happy with my new system, as I was so sick of my Saturn and Jaguar. With my Playstation I opened up such games as; Metal Gear Solid, The Need for Speed 3, Guardians Crusade, and Twisted Metal 3. At the time, I wasn't sure if the Playstation had had memory to save games in the system like the Saturn or if you had to buy a memory card. Well, I found out when I played an hour of Guardian's Crusade and it said I had no memory card. Soon after I went out and bought a memory card. Throughout the time I didn't have one, I would play hours and countless hours of Twisted Metal 3! I loved that game so damn much.

Now, 3 years later, the Playstation still remains a great system with new games coming out every so often. Though the Playstation is starting to die out, it can still be purchased for $50 new or lower if used. I'm expecting Playstation to be dead by this upcoming Christmas. Even when the system dies, I'll still be playing. The Sony Playstation was such a popular system and everyone I knew had one. With over 350 games, you'll find years of fun with the Playstation, unless your a fan-boy for the newer systems. Even with my Dreamcast and soon-to-get Xbox, I will still be buying and playing games on my Playstation!

Equipment

With the release of the newer PS1 portable Playstation just a little over 1 year ago, all advertisements for the Playstation will be calling it the PS1. There a few products even just for the PS1. I won't get into the difference just yet. Over the years, tons of accessories and stuff to enhance your play or hook it up have been released. Your standard RF Cable of course is being sold for about $10, which is needed to hook up the system if your not using a VCR to the or PS. Made for only the PS1, comes a small screen to attach on the back. It allows you to take your Playstation anywhere as a portable system! Great idea.......for $100, the price for a new Playstation. Eventually you will be able to find it for less. You can also purchase many kinds of memory cards, but I recommend the Sony 15-block brand only for about $15. Many kinds of controls can be bought as well, such as different colors and random fires, each for $10 - $20. You can also buy racing wheels for a somewhat realistic feel to your racing games. Step on the brakes, and spin the wheel left or right for a more exiting spin. Another product that can be used for few games is the light gun. It's used for shooting games, but I don't know what can use it on the PS.

The Difference

Some may ask; "What's the difference between the Playstation and the PS1?" The answer; not much. Basically the PS1 is white color while Playstation is gray, PS1 is smaller and can be used in your car, or anywhere, not quite sure of that one. You have to buy a screen for about $100 to attach to the back of your PS1 and then some kind of plug adapter for about $40 to plug into your lighter hole in the car. I'm not sure how it works for other places because I have the regular Playstation but I know a few people that have the PS1. Alot of accessories for the Playstation say PS1 on the package, but the controllers, memory cards, racing wheels and light guns can be used for both systems.

Some great games

WWF Smackdown! 1 and 2
The 2 top rated wrestling games for Playstation are now down to $20 new! Both released during 2000, these games are stilled talked about today. There known to be different for the N64 wrestling games because of the fast paced action. Both have create a wrestler modes with many match types. In Smackdown! 1 you can choose between 36 wrestlers and you can create 4, giving you a total of 40 characters! In Smackdown! 2 you start out with about 45 or 50 all the hidden characters plus your 10 created characters = 76 superstars! Each of these keeps me happy playing for hours, but they do get sickening.

Final Fantasy 7 and 9
Two of the best RPG's I have ever played! Each are over 40 hours and have so much to do, they are classics! I never played much of part 7 but it was one of the most high rated Playstation games ever. I did make it to the last part of FF9 and I have to say that I loved it more then just about any other game I have played. The story for both differs, as all FF's have different characters and stories. Both can be found for $20 new in some stores.

The Twisted Metal's
The most popular car battle series ever! Since the early days wehn Twisted Metal came out, to the recent release of Twisted Metal: Black for the PS2, Twisted Metal has gone a long way. Part 1 didn't have much in it but it was fun. I loved part two and would play it whenever I was at my uncles house. I had more levels, and better weapons. Most people stopped liking the series once part three came out. It was a fun game, but it had a new developer and they kinda screwed it up. Smaller levels and a little bit of a different feel. Well, the same developer released part four and Twisted Metal was saved. Part four made the bigger levels, more cars and weapons and the same old feel. However, most people still prefer part two to be the best. Each can be found for $20 or lower.

Metal Gear Solid
A game that was released a couple of years after the system, and still remains of the best. Move around a nuclear base taken over by enemy terrorists that are trying to activate a big nuke shooting machine/robot named Metal Gear Rex. Your objective was to rescue a few people, but on the way you'll find out that things are nothing like they appear and a deep story will unfold having things to do with previous Metal Gear games and will continue onto Metal Gear Solid 2 for the PS2. This -20 hour action games can be found for $20 new.

Games that scare me.......in other words, stay away from

2Xtreme
I never played the other Xtreme games, but this would stopped me from wanting to. It sucked so bad. It's a sports game where you can bike, skate, rollerblade, and snowboard. All of them control the same and have the same angle. I bought this game from my friend for a Pokemon card and got rid of it a few days later for free. There's a create a character mode which is hard and doesn't allow you to do much. Not much for tricks either. I'm not sure of the price but I think it's -$20.

Spec Ops Games
A few Rainbow Six like games that didn't cut it. I only own the first one and still can't get out of the first mission. Controls weren't to good and they were as hard as hell. There's a clock that just doesn't give you enough time. Never played it for long, because I was sick of trying the first mission. So much to do, so little time. Each game can be found for $10 new.

Graphics

The Playstation was released during the early ages of using polygons in games. Most titles used these blocks called polygons for characters or backgrounds. For the first few years the games weren't to great looking. Alot would be choppy, blocky, and filled with pixels. But that was the best they had at the time. In recent years it's gotten better and thing are more clean and play better. You don't find many choppy games or blocky games either. Pixels are still common, but graphics don't make a game. I have played many RPG's for Playstation and I have to say that full-motion video during some RPG's have been so damn clean and nice looking. Overall, the PS has pretty good graphics.

Sound & Music

A good quality of the Playstation. Alot of games use songs from bands. Some games you'll find the sound to be a little not clear and skips, but most games I have played have sounded good. The voice can sound real, unlike the Genesis days when it was hackie sounding. When I Playstation gets old, the sound might start to sound messed up a bit. That means it's time to get a new PS or send it to the shop for a bit of fixing. Overall, Playstation has good clean sounds and music.

Final Comments

Without a doubt, the Sony Playstation is one the best systems available now. If you can't afford the $300 PS2 or Xbox and want something cheaper, try a $50 Dreamcast or a $100 Playstation. The PS1 is not dead not!