PlayStation

"Worth $100. Not much more, though."

Let's face it. When Sony announced way back when that they would be making a home console, everyone thought certain doom. Granted, Sony is the top brand when it comes to things like televisions and stereos and cd players, but video games? That was Nintendo's turf. The launch wasn't overly impressive, either. However, the Playstation has turned out to be one of the most popular home consoles of all time.

Graphical Capability
The Playstation is a 32-bit console. So, you are not going to get Dreamcast-quality graphics. However, many games may surprise you. Due to the cd-rom format, you can get some of the best CG sequences ever seen. If you don't believe me, just check out games like Final Fantasy 8. The in-game graphics in most games are good, but usually choppy. Plus, as you can guess, the Nintendo 64 really outshines the Playstation when it comes to in-game graphics in most games. The graphics are usually pretty good, and they definitely push the Playstation to its limit.

Sound Capability
As one could easily guess, the sound capability is simply outstanding. The main reason for this is because the games are put on cds. We all know that the best sound quality comes from cds. So you will definitely get a great sound experience with the Playstation. It really enhances RPGs and Star Wars games, where sound effects play a major role in the mood of the game.

Controller
The contoller resembles the old Super Nintendo controller. It consists of a directional pad, four buttons (laid out like a SNES controller), start and select buttons, and four shoulder buttons, as compared to the SNES's two. It also has two mini-handles to grasp on to. It is very slick and responsive. The main key, however, is comfort. Comfort is something that the PSX controller provides.

Various
This is not the best system of all time, regardless of what people say. The reason why this is currently the dominate console is not because it has high-quality games. It is successful because its competition, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast, have put out extremely low-quality games. Plus, the PSX does have a lot of, well, awful games out there. But the main reason why the PSX is a success is because of one third-party company: Sqauresoft. Squaresoft is the genius behind the Final Fantasy games. Without the Final Fantasy franchise, one could safely say that the PSX would have failed. If Square would have stayed with Nintendo, the N64 would probably be dominating the market.

Overall
You can buy this system for $100. It really is worth it, considering you get great games like Final Fantasy 7, Grand Turismo, Tekken 3, and the Smackdown games. They also have tons of great games for the sports fanatic. So, I would buy this console. But, I prefer the SNES.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/18/01, Updated 03/18/01