PlayStation 2's and Al Gore
Longest rant yet, folks. This one, I'm going to get political, and since I am, I'll leave it at the end and warn you when I do. So, consider yourself warned here, and I'll warn you when I get to my political commentary.
The actual part of this story is my experience with the PlayStation 2, which was released to riots last Friday. Since I have no particular urge to go into a mass of homicidal people that were interested only in getting this game system, I stayed home and watched TV. Fortunately, a friend of mine (whom, by threats of massive physical violence, shall remain unnamed) had managed to get their hands on a PS2 and invited me over to play with them. This person got one of every game that was shipped with the first PS2 bunches, and we spent the good part of the weekend playing them. And, how does the PS2 rate?
Poorly. This is not a slam on the graphics (which were excellent), or the sound (which was good). The GAME PLAY, however.....was poor. The problems with the game play, I will sum up in the titles that demonstrate this the best-
Armored Core 2-It looks awesome. But, this game has NO analog joystick support, when FROM knew that the PS2 was going to ship with Dual Stick controllers.
DOA2 Hardcore-Looks better than the Dreamcast version if only because there is more T&A action (as in the tits and the ass bounce more). Otherwise.....the import version of DOA2 Hardcore has a lot more options to it.
Madden 2001-EA Sports was well known for being VERY good with sports games. However Madden 2001 seems to be all flash and no play.
To see what else could be done with the PS2, we got a few of the more graphics-intense games of the PlayStation line (Tekken and Tekken 2, Vagrant Story, Ridge Racer 4, Grand Turismo 3) and put them on the system. The results? I'd have to say that load times were about three or four seconds faster, and the graphics did look a little more polished and a bit less blocky-but, you couldn't tell the difference, really, in terms of gameplay or graphics.
So, what is my opinion for everyone wanting to get a PS2? Wait. I don't recommend the following-
Going on E-Bay and buying a PS2 for $1200+ dollars.
Getting in a fist fight/sword duel/running gun battle at any stores for a PS2.
Selling your soul to get a PS2 from the devil.
Offering up your first born to the store owners for a PS2.
If you HAVE to get a PS2 now, go to your local store and try to get there early when shipments come in. When they do, and if you're early enough and if they've got the pre-orders done, you can get your PS2 and games too. If you can wait, wait until after the end of the year, when all the games that were being saved for Christmas are released. If you're REALLY desperate for a gaming fix, get a Dreamcast or the new PSOne and some of the great games already out there for the two systems. I've traded in my old PS for a PSOne and I like a system that loads a tad bit faster and takes up less space on the counter.
Okay, here's where I make my political statements. If you want to get out now, you can check out last week's rant or head to the home page. Remember, past this point, I make political commentary, you have BEEN WARNED.
Next week is the election, and it is probably the most important election of the 21st Century. And, the question is-how and what do you want the country to go for and to stand for what?
The problem is, the Democratic candidate, Vice President Albert Gore Jr. stands for nothing. Or, more accurately, he stands for nothing except the groups that he is in front of want him to stand for. Oh, he does have some beliefs-but, some of them are so far to the left that to go any farther, we'd have to re-animate the corpse of Mao. He hasn't been known for any big political policies or ideals, his one major book (Earth In The Balance) describes how he would literally wreck the American economy due to a belief in global warming that even reputable scientists disagree upon how severe it is, and he so continually "reinvents" himself that you have to wonder if even Al Gore knows whom he is when he wakes up in the morning. In a campaign that has become a contest of both character and policies, Al Gore is known for a lack of both-from selling his Gulf War vote for air time to a "targeted tax cut" policy that makes arcane look like a children's book, he's suspect in all regards.
And, as you watch the Big Four media outlets (CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC), you can hear panic and the ideas bandied around that Al Gore might not win this one. He's becoming more and more a long-shot candidate, as states that he thought were his for the taking (California, Oregon, Washington) are now contested, and everything about him-from his various agents out in the press to his own body language indicate that Al Gore is going gently into that good night. In comparison, George W. Bush is confident without being overconfident. He jokes with the press, keeps a good sense of humor, and is even going to states that were normally Democratic strongholds with enthusiasm and �lan, cheerfully going there and campaigning for the candidates in various state races, remaining on message, and being in good cheer. Bush looks like a man confident that he's gotten done all but the last few steps in a long and complicated piece of work, and that the end result will be a masterpiece. Al Gore looks like a college student two days away from his thesis dissertation that has neither prepared nor studied-he knows he's going to fail, but is lashing out at anyone so that he has an excuse for his failure.
Keep an eye on the ads and the words of the pundits as the election draws closer to the end. The Democratic National Committee knows that the odds are serious that they'll lose control of the House and Senate this election cycle. If they think that Al Gore won't make it-that he's fallen too far behind and too far down the hole, that he won't win the popular vote or the electoral college vote-they'll start pulling the ads for him and push hard for Congressional candidates in an effort to keep the Congress divided with a Bush win. And, after eight years of the Clinton/Gore Administration that has given sleaze a bad name, that might not be a bad thing.
Tho, when George W. Bush moves in, I suggest he disinfects everything in the Oval Office-you'd be surprised how long things like Hepatitis B and C live in sperm when it's kept reasonable dark and cool.
New rant, next week. I promise it will be jam-packed full of all my thoughts.
PS-If anyone has a legal copy of the PlayStation Ghost In The Shell game, I'd be very glad to negotiate out a reasonable price for a copy. Thank you.
You want to come here and hear my opinion, you're welcome to come by. If not, you can Go Away, and let other people in.
Check out the Previous Rant.
This page was created on 11/01/00.
Created by Jonathan Souza on Front Page 2000.
