Note: This review is based on this reviewer's experience with one of the earliest manufacturing runs of the new, slim design PS2. It is possible that Sony has addressed some of the issues I refer to in newer runs; though with their track record I seriously doubt it in some cases.

In all honesty, to say the PS2 (and the original PS) was/is not a great gaming system would be a complete, bald-face lie. Considering their systems have beaten back competition despite never being the most technologically advanced competitor in the running speaks volumes, but to make such a statement is ultimately misleading. In reality, the PS2's success (and Sony's success for that matter) really has comes from the plethora of great titles from a handful of solid developers, not from the hardware.

Playstation's biggest failing (other than the PS2 Hard Drive and any kind of quaility online play) has been overall quality. When I talk overall quality, I don't mean how many polygons the machine can push at any given second as that's relatively unimportant in the vast scheme of things, but rather the machine's overall durability and structural integrity. One might think this re-design might solve some of these issues from the original PSX and PS2. Well, in short, it doesn't.

It may be true Sony is not the only company that has had hardware problems cast a shadow over their console (the original Nintendo would be a prime example), but Sony seems defiant in learning lessons from it's own past considering hardware problems have been a consistent factor throughout their history. Here are a few examples concerning the slim PS2:

#1: Never buy a slim PS2 and think your going to kill two birds with one stone with a game/DVD combo. This is the biggest misconception people have; over time the PS2 will eventually have trouble running about half of anyone's DVD collection, especially anything that runs off a dual-layer DVD. The fact my Family Guy and Futurama DVD box sets won't run on the machine after having it for a year and a half proves this to me. The PS2 is no substitute for an actual DVD player, so don't be cheap and save yourself a headache and buy a DVD player to boot.

#2: The situation with dual-layer DVD's also applies with many games that use the format as well. I can literally spend hours trying to get my Wild ARMS Alter Code:F and God of War to work, yet when I insert the same games into my friends old-model PS2 that is twice as old they work right off the bat. That's not right, especially considering those games where brand new.

#3: The fact you can NEVER fully shut the machine off (less you unplug it) like one would with the switch in back of the older PS2's raises too many questions. Anyone familiar with the original PSX knows even when the power was shut off, that it still drew in a minimal amount of electricity. This was probably one of the main factors that attributed to the original PSX's problems. Why would you bring back such a potentially damaging feature? When I turn the machine off, I want it COMPLETELY off. That's what OFF means Sony!

#4. Anyone who purchased one of the newer slim model PS2 shortly after it was introduced probably found it nice when there was a voluntary recall on the power pack. Yeah, that just makes me trust in Sony's products even more. The risk of fire and burns always goes well with any gaming experience.

Despite everything I have said above, if you like the games the PS2 contains in its gaming library, you're going to buy it anyway (hell, I did). However, as with any system, I would definitely advise against buying any kind of Playstation hardware the minute it comes out (outside of the initial price).
Note: This review is based on this reviewer's experience with one of the earliest manufacturing runs of the new, slim design PS2. It is possible that Sony has addressed some of the issues I refer to in newer runs; though with their track record I seriously doubt it in some cases. In all honesty, to say the PS2 (and the original PS) was/is not a great gaming system would be a complete, bald-face lie. Considering their systems have beaten back competition despite never being the most technologically advanced competitor in the running speaks volumes, but to make such a statement is ultimately misleading. In reality, the PS2's success (and Sony's success for that matter) really has comes from the plethora of great titles from a handful of solid developers, not from the hardware. Playstation's biggest failing (other than the PS2 Hard Drive and any kind of quaility online play) has been overall quality. When I talk overall quality, I don't mean how many polygons the machine can push at any given second as that's relatively unimportant in the vast scheme of things, but rather the machine's overall durability and structural integrity. One might think this re-design might solve some of these issues from the original PSX and PS2. Well, in short, it doesn't. It may be true Sony is not the only company that has had hardware problems cast a shadow over their console (the original Nintendo would be a prime example), but Sony seems defiant in learning lessons from it's own past considering hardware problems have been a consistent factor throughout their history. Here are a few examples concerning the slim PS2:

#1: Never buy a slim PS2 and think your going to kill two birds with one stone with a game/DVD combo. This is the biggest misconception people have; over time the PS2 will eventually have trouble running about half of anyone's DVD collection, especially anything that runs off a dual-layer DVD. The fact my Family Guy and Futurama DVD box sets won't run on the machine after having it for a year and a half proves this to me. The PS2 is no substitute for an actual DVD player, so don't be cheap and save yourself a headache and buy a DVD player to boot. #2: The situation with dual-layer DVD's also applies with many games that use the format as well. I can literally spend hours trying to get my Wild ARMS Alter Code:F and God of War to work, yet when I insert the same games into my friends old-model PS2 that is twice as old they work right off the bat. That's not right, especially considering those games where brand new. #3: The fact you can NEVER fully shut the machine off (less you unplug it) like one would with the switch in back of the older PS2's raises too many questions. Anyone familiar with the original PSX knows even when the power was shut off, that it still drew in a minimal amount of electricity. This was probably one of the main factors that attributed to the original PSX's problems. Why would you bring back such a potentially damaging feature? When I turn the machine off, I want it COMPLETELY off. That's what OFF means Sony! #4. Anyone who purchased one of the newer slim model PS2 shortly after it was introduced probably found it nice when there was a voluntary recall on the power pack. Yeah, that just makes me trust in Sony's products even more. The risk of fire and burns always goes well with any gaming experience. Despite everything I have said above, if you like the games the PS2 contains in its gaming library, you're going to buy it anyway (hell, I did). However, as with any system, I would definitely advise against buying any kind of Playstation hardware the minute it comes out (outside of the initial price).