Finally hopped on next-gen bandwagon. Chap: nyah-nyah! PS2!!

[Grall]

Got myself three games initially. MGS2, Ico, Shadow Man 2, S-video cable and a memory card.

Initial impressions of the thing is a bit too early as I've logged no more than like an hour and a half of playtime so far. Of course, build quality is excellent (Sony after all), and the controller is nice.

Intro to MGS2 HAS to be a MPEG2 movie, right? It looks far too complex to be realtime with all the fades and wipes and stuff.

Played the game a little bit. Took the elevator upstairs, but did not manage to get down again (!), switched to Ico. Ran around for a bit, saved the girl, then promptly died. Wasn't offered to save after choosing to end play (pissed me off). Looked a little at Shadow Man, graphics mediocre, but so was the first game. It was the gameplay that captivated me that time 'round. Damn game kept spinning the CDROM at near full speed. Pissed me off, so I took a break. Now I'm writing... Gonna try my hand at MGS2 again in a bit.

Damn, I'm coming down with a flu here I think... Good excuse to play a bit more during the weekend.

What's the current price of the linux kit in euroland by the way? Wouldn't mind a second computer in the house.


YES, there's jaggies. YES, there's shimmering and blur. Who the funk cares? Important bit is, are the games fun? Then if they look good too, that's just a bonus. And yes, they do look good in my opinion. Maybe not as good as XBox, but if I wanted one of those bulky monstrosities with it's redheaded stepchild of a CPU I'd bought one. (Not knocking redheads or stepchildren of course.)

This is a nice machine in my opinion. Being the leading format on the market, things can only get better for PS2...!

It plays DVDs just fine too, heh heh!


*G*

 

[marconelly!]

Intro to MGS2 HAS to be a MPEG2 movie, right? It looks far too complex to be realtime with all the fades and wipes and stuff.

First video you see when you pop the disc in is an MPEG2 movie basically comprised of scenes that are real time rendered in the game and some additional visuals to spice it up.

Intro with the Snake jumping off the bridge is realtime rendered as is every other cut scene in the game.

MGS2, in my opinion, is pretty much free of all the image quality problems, and is one of the best looking games I ever had chance playing. ICO is using an odd video mode: basically, it's being rendered in 2x lower vertical resolution, with every other line being skipped. It has FSAA, though. Overall, it's one of the best choices you could made as far as PS2 library goes. It's a wonderful game, and I hope it will 'click' with you.

Suggestion - get a component video cable. Picture will look much better than with composite that is included with the console.

 

[zurich]

Intro to MGS2 is real time with a pre-recorded DD5.1 audio track. Press R1

 

[Grall]

There's shimmering and stuff in MGS2, not that I care. Game looks lovely and runs silky smooth.

Awesome that the intro is realtime, just awesome! Gotta try the button trick once I reset the thing. I'm stuck on the bloody roof though, dammit, can't get anywhere. LOL!

It's like 5 seconds into the game if one skips all the talk, how depressing!

I like my new baby, she's purdy and doesn't take up much deskspace.

Can't use component, euro TVs generally don't have that available. I know mine doesn't, it only features scart RGB and composite...

*G*

 

[marconelly!]

Yeah, there are some minor image artifacts here and there, but I think there aren't too many games that are better in that regard on consoles right now :\ Actually, I can't speak for PAL version as I've never seen it...

Btw, while the cut scenes are running (any of them!) you can press R1 button to 'zoom in' into the animation, and while holding R1 you can move right thumb stick to pan the camera around. Try it out, you don't have to reset the game, just wait until the next cut scene comes up

It's like 5 seconds into the game if one skips all the talk, how depressing!

Hmm, the roof of the outside of the ship? You shouldn't be there if you want to progress. Go down and walk around the ship, and answer the codec when it starts ringing.

Can't use component, euro TVs generally don't have that available. I know mine doesn't, it only features scart RGB and composite...

Use RGB scart, that's pretty much the same thing!

 

[Grall]

I thought someone meant the main intro with the title credits was realtime... Well, it isn't, I tried all the shoulder buttons and nothing happens.

I checked for the rumored tearing too, and that doesn't seem to be present in the PAL version of the game. Maybe a bug they fixed?

And I actually got stuck on the roof of the SHELL. I took the cargo elevators topside, but all the doors are locked up there. Maybe I should try to swing over the rail and go around on the outside or something, haven't tried that yet.

RGB and component, that can't be the same thing! Right...? I don't have the RGB connector though, and I can't really use it either since I use a custom-modified Nintendo composite plug to turn the audio-in jacks into audio-out so I can get my TVs sound to my stereo... Was going to try to use S-video with my TV tuner card, but it didn't want to play ball with me, sigh! S-video button is blanked out in the interface, and I'm like, WTF?!


*G*

PS: Feeling sick as a dog, four hours of sleep tonight... Sigh!

 

[zurich]

Oh, no the intro to the tanker is real time. Into to the menu screen is MPEG

Dunno where you're stuck, in the very beginning of the Shell, just go down the elevator and you come across 2 soliders you have to take out. Have you beat the tanker yet?

 

[Guest]

Xbox with MGS2:S, Halo and Splinter Cell would be a better bet.
Shadowman 2? ICO?
Good for your new purchase anyway.

 

[marconelly!]

I thought someone meant the main intro with the title credits was realtime... Well, it isn't, I tried all the shoulder buttons and nothing happens.

No, that particular animation is comprised of scenes that you will see rendered in realtime during the game, but it's actually an MPEG2.

I checked for the rumored tearing too, and that doesn't seem to be present in the PAL version of the game. Maybe a bug they fixed?

In US version it really occurs once in a blue moon, so I wouldn't be suprised if you missed it, even if it was there.

And I actually got stuck on the roof of the SHELL. I took the cargo elevators topside, but all the doors are locked up there.

Whenever you are stuck, call Colonel or someone else on a codec. They will give you an advice.

RGB and component, that can't be the same thing! Right...?

It basically is the same thing. Component is comprised of YUV components which are nothing else but transformed RGB. Picture quality is the same, so it's too bad you can use it :\[/quote]

Shadowman 2? ICO?

ICO alone was worth purchasing the PS2 as far as I'm concerned. I actually consider it the best game I've ever played (been playing for the last 20 years, btw), and it's the first thing I would recommend to a new PS2 owner.

 

[Guest]

SCART cables are able to transfer composite, s-video and component, provided you have the right cables.

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

Shadowman 2? ICO?

ICO alone was worth purchasing the PS2 as far as I'm concerned. I actually consider it the best game I've ever played (been playing for the last 20 years, btw), and it's the first thing I would recommend to a new PS2 owner.

And he an't some lunatic for saying that since I did BUY ICO months before owning any console. The art cards kept me on life support unti the real thing came.

 

[Grall]

Isn't MGS supposed to start with the tanker level? Why then does my copy start on the shell? Is that the way it's supposed to be?!?

There's lots of tutorial shit in the beginning, but hey, it still feels weird. And, I read a FAQ too, found the way ahead. Damn game, I thought I'd run all over the place but there was ONE LITTLE SPOT that I somehow missed.

Is there a plain sidescrolling shoot-em-up or something available for the PS2? Like with big guns and massive explosions, millions of enemies to mow down and stuff?

*G*

 

[Thowllly]

Isn't MGS supposed to start with the tanker level? Why then does my copy start on the shell? Is that the way it's supposed to be?!?

When you start a new game, the game ask you if you have played the previous game, or something like that. If you answer yes, you get to play the tanker level first.

 

[marconelly!]

Isn't MGS supposed to start with the tanker level? Why then does my copy start on the shell? Is that the way it's supposed to be?!?

Ouch... You are WAAAAY ahead and probably have no clue what the hell you are doing there. My suggestion - make a clean start. Reboot the machine now and when asked for what level to play, select "TANKER-PLANT" Than you will play tanker scenario first and planet scenario immediately after, as you should be. I don't even know why is it allowing you to select plant only - in the US version you had to complete the game once for that option to become enabled.

Is there a plain sidescrolling shoot-em-up or something available for the PS2? Like with big guns and massive explosions, millions of enemies to mow down and stuff?

I would wholeheartedly suggest new "Contra-Shattered Soldier". Absolutely awesome game for an old school shooter fan

As for space shooting games, unfortunatelly the best game available for PS2 right now is released in Japan only (Psyvariar). I would suggest you to hunt down R-Type Delta for PS1 which is one of the best games of it's kind.

 

[TTP]

Isn't MGS supposed to start with the tanker level? Why then does my copy start on the shell? Is that the way it's supposed to be?!?

Ouch... You are WAAAAY ahead and probably have no clue what the hell you are doing there. My suggestion - make a clean start. Reboot the machine now and when asked for what level to play, select "TANKER-PLANT" Than you will play tanker scenario first and planet scenario immediately after, as you should be. I don't even know why is it allowing you to select plant only - in the US version you had to complete the game once for that option to become enabled.

He is probably playing the European version. Before the game begins there are some "questions" to be answered and the game difficulty level/starting point depend on the answers.

Reboot and retry with different choises. Just act like you have never heard about MGS in your life.

 

[mech]

I think if you act like you didn't play the first one it skips the tanker level.

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

That's right, new players are meant to play the plant/oil-rig level first, then the tanker level.