wtb: game console -- narrowing in on a PS3 [we bought a PS2]

[Dragonsbrethren]

They have some PS1 (and I think PS2) games up for download. Not sure how the selection is, I don't really follow them since I don't own a PS3.

[Vaporizer]

.

[Enjay]

Hellbent said:

Are all PS3s backwards compatible to PS1 and PS2 games?

If you pick up one of the really old first edition "fat" PS3s then it will play most PS and PS2 games. Otherwise see Gez's answer.

Also, if you do get one of those old PS3s then, sooner or later, it will probably get an "amber light of death" and stop working. In saying that, I got mine in early 2007 and it's only just happened. It can be repaired but most places only guarantee the repair to last 3 months.

[Hellbent]

BloodyAcid said:

WiiU supports old Wii games, but not GC games :P

Not sure why'd you want to play a 480p game on a 1080p console though~

Because Need For Speed High Stakes is still the best racing game. NFS:HS is to Doom what modern racing games are to modern FPSes. The more realistic racing games don't feel as fast and crazy-fun as NFS:HS.
EDIT:

Mattfrie1 said:

If you get him a PS3 then I recommend Gran Turismo 5, it's probably the most realistic racing game out there today.

yeah, but is it FUN? We've done the realism vs arcade debate over FPS ad nauseum and it seems we all agree the arcade speed of Doom is a major contributing factor to it trumping every modern realistic FPS out there. Same goes for racing games--that is why we love the NFS:HS!

[Hellbent]

I'm thinking the guy won't take less than $220 for this. What should I offer him? EDIT: my friend doesn't want such an old system, so disregard.

Up for sale I have a mint condition PS3. It is an 80 gig reverse compatible unit. I don't believe the firmware has ever been updated which is a great thing as far as allowing you more options. The system has had an intercooler ( $40 value ) on it since day 1. It is the original model with memory card slots on the front along with USB ports for 4 controllers and built in wifi., and can play PS2 or PS1 games also. I am also including a 2nd dual shock wireless controller ($55 value ) and 22 games. The games included are listed below. Looking for best reasonable offer. Please do your homework first cause I know what this package is worth and will not respond to lowball offers. Either email me or text me at (508) 663-9297 [a bunch of games]

[DuckReconMajor]

I'm pretty sure all PS3s can play almost all original PlayStation games.

The original PS3 had hardware PS2 emulation. Later editions went to software emulation. The slim PS3s can't play any PS2 games at all.

In any case, if you care about input lag (which if you're playing racing games you might, especially if you're using a racing wheel), plasma TVs are usually not too bad on lag. Just make sure you put it in game mode if it has one.

[Mattfrie1]

Hellbent said:

yeah, but is it FUN? We've done the realism vs arcade debate over FPS ad nauseum and it seems we all agree the arcade speed of Doom is a major contributing factor to it trumping every modern realistic FPS out there. Same goes for racing games--that is why we love the NFS:HS!

I thought it was fun, but my brother and his girlfriend had a hard time adjusting to the controls at first. It depends on how diehard of a racing game fan he is I guess.

Sadly, they don't really make a lot of racing games like NFS:HS (AKA arcade style racing games) for current gen consoles anymore (at least the ones that I've come across). Most racing games nowadays try to shove a career mode down your throat, with Arcade like modes thrown in as an afterthought. I wanted to throw my copy of Midnight Club: Los Angeles out a window after I found out it didn't even have a basic time trial or free run mode.

After doing some searching, maybe these games might be what you are looking for, I haven't played them though, so I can't make any personal recommendations. I still recommend GT5 because it does have simple local multiplayer options as well as some classic Arcade modes. As others have pointed out to me, It might not be the MOST realistic racing game currently out, but it looks pretty damn good for a console that is pushing at least 6 years on the market.

Along with that, I'm pretty sure they have HD remakes of Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship up for sale on the Playstation Store, which is the closest you'll probably come to getting a full on Arcade racing experience on a new console.

As for the PS3's software emulation, It obviously plays PSX games, but newer models have dropped PS2 support because software devs were saving money by simply making PS2 games instead of big, expensive PS3 games. The Playstation Store does have a nice collection of PS One/PS2 Classics to download though for pretty cheap prices ($5.99 for PS One Classics and $9.99 for PS2 Classics).

[Dragonsbrethren]

Hellbent said:

yeah, but is it FUN?

Never played it, but the Forza series (ignoring Horizon because the demo sucked) is much more fun than any arcade racing game I've played. GT5 would probably be the same way for me. Racing sims are a completely different thing from "modern" FPS game design, and if you appreciate cars (based on your post about the F1, you do) and real world physics, they're better.

[Phobus]

Mattfrie1 said:

I wanted to throw my copy of Midnight Club: Los Angeles out a window after I found out it didn't even have a basic time trial or free run mode.

I was similarly annoyed when I discovered the game also lacked split-screen multiplayer arcade mode, which was by far and a way where my brother and I got the most mileage (ha...) out of Midnight Club 2 and 3 on the PS2. Equally disappointed to see that one of the latest NFS games (Shift, I think) also had no split-screen multiplayer. At least Forza 3 and 4 still have it, albeit limited to 2 players.

[Hellbent]

@Mattfrie1:
I like the career mode in NFS:HS. But the main thing about that game was the fun physics and feeling of blistering speed as you twisted your way through cool locales, the different game modes, the nice art design and sound and music. One game I'd like to get is Golden Axe. :) I did see a review of Ridge Racer 7; that game looks pretty fun, as does Blur, although hopefully not too over the top--design looks real nice. Thanks for the links. Oddly enough, one of the most important options for a racing game for me is bumper cam.

[Bucket]

Fun racing games for the PS3:

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Burnout Paradise
DIRT
ModNation Racers

There's also GT5, as said before, but I would take advantage of the PS1 emulation and get the original from eBay. (As well as Need 4 Speed 3 and Road Rash.)

[The Lag]

ps3 for Demon's Souls (and Dark Souls, although that is on 360 and PC now also.)

2 of the best games made this generation.

[Hellbent]

I got a $50 gift certificate to Gamestop from my friend. Apparently Gamestop has a good selection of used games. So we will hopefully be buying the PS3 this week. I'm going to do some research on used games to buy. Any suggestions?

EDIT: Halo 4 is released today:

I recommend jumping to 3:12 in the video.

Should I get an Xbox 360 instead? hmmmmmm :D

[Hellbent]

looks like we're getting a PS2. Thanks for playing.

[Reisal]

If you're getting a PS2 and like survival horror, get Silent Hill 2 and 3. Origins is OK and 4: The Room is mehish.

[hex11]

DoomUK said:

They would make for a much cheaper gift, but between us what would be the point of buying any one of these when you can play most of the games available for them on your PC? ;)

PC suxx. And I vote for Amiga CD32 (or even an Amiga 1200), though Sega Genesis/Megadrive is pretty badass too.

M68000, bitchez!

[Hellbent]

We picked up the PS2 today and played some NFS:Underground 2 that came with it. The game was pretty fun but the graphics are terrible. We went into video options but there was nowhere to change the resolution or graphics detail. The text is hardly legible in the game. Is this just the way PS2 is or ... are we missing something? We were both surprised by how small the PS2 unit is.

We also played GT4 and it was slightly better in game graphics and really really really nice intro graphics. Still, in game graphics were worse than what we were expecting. I think I read online the graphics for the game are 1080i. If that's true, they should look a lot better than they do.

Any info/advice is greatly appreciated!

EDIT: the game is hooked up to my friend's 42" LG PLasma tv.

Edit: we feel like we are playing on a system from 1996.

Model number: SCPH-79001, which apparently is the newer, better version of the system. Surely something is amiss. Also, we found a year printed on the back of the system that says 2007, so at it's at least manufactured in 2007.

[Bucket]

The PS2 came out in 2000 - years before HD or even widescreen were standard for households. There are a handful of games that support progressive scan. Gran Turismo 4 is a rarity, supporting 1080i output (with component cables).
What the hell were you expecting?
Did you know what the PS2 was before last week?

[Hellbent]

Bucket said:

The PS2 came out in 2000 - years before HD or even widescreen were standard for households. There are a handful of games that support progressive scan. Gran Turismo 4 is a rarity, supporting 1080i output (with component cables).
What the hell were you expecting?

legible text. I can read the text just fine in NFS:HS from 1999 on my PC.

[Bucket]

Legible text on an HD plasma screen, and legible text on a CRT TV are different things. And again, HDTV was just a fancy idea back when the PS2 came out.

[Hellbent]

Bucket said:

Legible text on an HD plasma screen, and legible text on a CRT TV are different things. And again, HDTV was just a fancy idea back when the PS2 came out.

so what are you saying? because we are displaying old tech on an HD screen it's looking worse than it would on a different screen? Is it not interfacing with the HD screen properly? Also, I updated my post.

[Hellbent]

Hellbent said:

so what are you saying? because we are displaying old tech on an HD screen it's looking worse than it would on a different screen? Is it not interfacing with the HD screen properly? Also, I updated my post.

Correct.

PS2 = Low definition

No matter what you do, you'll get low definition video. A TV won't change the video quality of a video game/system. It's just that simple.

If the image being processed on the PS2 is doing so at a resolution of (for example) 640x480, and the resolution of your television is 1280x720 (720p), the PS2's 640x480 (480p) image isn't going to magically be 1280x720 just because the TV wants it to. You'll simply have a 480p image on a 720p screen, which will look terrible.

The only reason you didn't notice the terrible graphics of consoles before was because you used a SDTV, or a CRT. Those clunky, heavy boxes we all use to have. (and some still do) Which give blurry, fuzzy picture quality that make those imperfections less obvious.

If you're stuck using a PS2 console, your best bet is going to be an S-Video cable. That's the highest visual quality you can get out of a direct connection with the PS2. I got an S-Video for my PS2 a few months before my PS3. Was playing Conflict Globat Terror at the time (good game, contends with the last PS2 Socom game). Once I switched to S video the added definition really stood out. Sharpens up game text quite a bit, and also defines lines much better. It'll definitely look a bit better on an HDTV. Not the best, and still a bit fugly, but better.

www.neoseeker.com/forums/ ... ps2-games-look-like-crap-on-new-hdtv/

We didn't find an S-Video port on the PS2 system.

EDIT: and it's for sale! yaayyyy! (My friend is selling what we just bought. :D)
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/vgm/3396814691.html

[Bucket]

Actually, as I said before, the best quality is component video (RBG cables). And the low quality of 480i isn't the whole picture, so to speak; there are some clever tricks you can utilize to make a tube TV image more detailed than it is. I imagine it involves subpixels. The PS2, as with most consoles, has a custom "multi-out" port for audio and video.

But anyway... you're talking about a console that came out over a decade ago. If you want better graphics, an original XBox might be a good bet. HD graphics were a bit more common on that machine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_games_with_HD_support
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_2_games_with_HD_support

[Phobus]

Hellbent said:

We picked up the PS2 today and played some NFS:Underground 2 that came with it. The game was pretty fun but the graphics are terrible. We went into video options but there was nowhere to change the resolution or graphics detail. The text is hardly legible in the game. Is this just the way PS2 is or ... are we missing something? We were both surprised by how small the PS2 unit is.

Any info/advice is greatly appreciated!

EDIT: the game is hooked up to my friend's 42" LG PLasma tv.

Edit: we feel like we are playing on a system from 1996.

Model number: SCPH-79001, which apparently is the newer, better version of the system. Surely something is amiss. Also, we found a year printed on the back of the system that says 2007, so at it's at least manufactured in 2007.

Size- and date-wise it sounds like you've got a slim PS2, which was near the end of the consoles production life and taking advantage of technology advances of the 7 years or so the PS2 had been in production without giving it any more power.

As far as the video is concerned... 42" TV, game from 2002, on a console that has hardware dating from 2000. As Bucket has said, you're trying to stretch a 2000 standard TV display over a gigantic TV. Also, of course the game isn't going to have display options to change resolution or graphics, it's on a console. They've already made the best of the hardware they can at the time and left the game optimised for that.

If you want to have the graphics look better, get a smaller TV for the console, or a reasonably sized CRT if such things are even available these days.


Also, if you want fun racing games on the PS2, most definitely get Midnight Club 2 or 3. You'll need to get through the career in both to unlock the cars (much like in NFS:U2) but you get much more arcade-y physics, a much greater sense of speed and open world racing in the form of checkpoint races. Obviously 3 has better graphics, more recent cars (a better range of cars as well, plus customisation) but I think 2 has the more interesting cities to race in and explore and probably balances the sense of speed against control better. NFS:U2 was basically Need For Speed's answer to Midnight Club 2 popularising open-world racing games, but it stuck to the NFS:U formula as that was very popular at the time too.

[DoomUK]

Phobus said:

Also, of course the game isn't going to have display options to change resolution or graphics, it's on a console.

IIRC the original Xbox360 had an option to change the output resolution. I don't know if the option is there any more, but in 2005/2006 HDTV wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today.

Perhaps that was what he was thinking of, anyway.

[Phobus]

Yeah, XBox360 does change between HD and non-HD output, because it's realistic that you can have a non-HD TV even though the console is designed for HD TVs. To expect the console to be able to perform better than it is designed to do (I dunno... some sort of 2160p output option for the 360, as a completely made-up example) is ridiculous though, much like hoping for a higher-than-standard-TV output on a previous gen console.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Hellbent said:

EDIT: Halo 4 is released today:

-vid-

I recommend jumping to 3:12 in the video.

Should I get an Xbox 360 instead? hmmmmmm :D

Don't buy it for the campaign. Probably the shortest in a Halo game yet (although I never played Halo 3's campaign). I'm not sold on the Modern Warthog 4 multiplayer yet either, even though I actually like a lot of the changes. The maps just aren't doing it for me like Halo 2 and Reach's did and I miss having the basic weapons and powerups placed on the map in addition to the power weapons.

(By the way, Halo 4 is the reason your birthday map isn't done yet. My buddies want to play in every bit of free time we have.)

[DuckReconMajor]

Xbox (even the new ones) let you set to any TV resolution you want. If you're using a VGA cable you get even more resolutions. My Xbox puts out 1680x1050 to my monitor.

It's all scaling, though. Most console games are sub 720p and I've never heard of a console game putting out native 1080p.

I used a CRT TV when the 360 first came out. Games looked fine until I got Ace Combat 6 and couldn't see a damn thing so I had to get an HDTV.

[Bucket]

You can Google lists of PS3/360 games and their actual resolutions. There are a handful of 1080p games out there, mostly downloadable games and early lifecycle releases that don't have cutting-edge graphics. Really, the same kind of tradeoff you get on the PC.

Also, the Wii is strictly 480i/p. Pretty awful, if you ask me.