SEE HERE
The EyeToy just seems to get better and better. If it's not taking your photo for Singstar Party, it's allowing you to serve virtual burgers in Play2 or helping you have a PS2-to-PS2 video chat over the net. Expect every games maker and his dog to add some sort of EyeToy compatibility during the coming year.
CAN'T SING SINGERS
Who needs reality TV to make a fool of themselves? Armed with a copy of Singstar Party and this bundled pair of microphones, you can become a laughing stock among family and friends. Unlike most karaoke games, this one assesses how good your singing is – and tells you bluntly.
FULLY CONNECTED
The PS2 must have spread some good karma in its old life because this incarnation has been born online-ready. Via its built-in ethernet socket, you can blast your friends as a stormtrooper in Star Wars: Battlefront or a Navy Seal in SOCOM. You also get a digital audio output – something Xbox owners have to pay for – as standard.
MINI ME DESIGN
While the essential look of the new PS2 still reminds us of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's now 75 per cent smaller and half the weight of the original. That's tiny enough to pop in a daypack and bring joy to the abode of your PS2-less mates. The only real disappointment is that you still have to buy an adaptor to play with more than two controllers.
THE CANDIDATES
PLAYSTATION 2 &nbs
p; &nb
sp; vs &nb
sp; &n
bsp; XBOX
DESIGN
In most respects, the Xbox and PS2 are well-matched adversaries. In the "World Cup of Aesthetics", however, it's like Arsenal versus Accrington Stanley – the PS2 is Arsenal. It's much smaller, far slimmer and quieter, too.
So the PlayStation's smaller; well, it does have a toilet lid DVD drive you can't put in the middle of your AV stack. Besides, the crystal edition Xbox rocks harder than Van Halen on a rocky beach.
GAMES
The PS2 has a whopping games catalogue of around 1320 titles, from action horror like Silent Hill and platform action jinks in Jak 3 to the tremendous San Andreas and every sports game ever. The PS2 edges it out for sheer diversity.
Sure, Sony wins the numbers game. But the Xbox scores highly in the majority of genres, and Microsoft Game Studios are turning out some really cracking games that you'll never see on a PlayStation (we refer you to Halo).
ONLINE SKILL
Though the original PS2 might have been a bit slow jumping on the online bus, the new slimline PS2 has an ethernet port actually built in, so you don't need to screw on a massive chunk of plastic to get online.
Every PS2 game requires different user names and connection procedures to play online; Xbox Live needs just one gamertag. There is also a tonne of top games with extra levels and content available for download.
EXTRAS
Sony hit gold with the very large stroke of genius that is the EyeToy, but there is also the party fun of Singstar's karaoke mics, a host of dancemats, light guns and other add-on tat. DVD playback also works out-of-the-box.
Who wants a living room full of toys you'll play with only once? The Xbox has a 20GB hard drive, so you can rip CDs, store game saves and never faff around with memory cards. And can your PS2 network to your PC?
OVERALL
If you're not bothered about playing online, the PS2 is the best console out there. It's untouchable for gaming, the EyeToy just keeps getting better and the actual hardware's now skinnier than a skinny-dipping party.
Despite being in need of a trip to the fat farm, the Xbox more than holds its own. Halo 2 justifies its asking price and the online gaming experience is far slicker than on a PS2.
ESSENTIAL POWER-UPS
Wireless controller: Because, let's be honest, wires just don't look good with flatscreen tellies and varnished floorboards. Logitech does a good one called the Cordless Action, which even has a rumble pack.
Proper video cables: For the cheapest and most effective way to improve your PS2 gaming, upgrade your video connection. Monster sells a very good RGB Scart one, as well as a component one if you have oneo f the latest and most upmarket TVs.
Remote control: Unlike the Xbox, the PS2 can play DVDs straight from the box. Buy one of Sony's neat official remotes rather than buggering around with a controller.
WE STAYED UP ALL NIGHT
GRAND THEFT AUTO : SAN ANDREAS
Forget pretenders to the throne, such as The Getaway and Driv3r – Grand Theft Auto is still the only game to get the whole carjacking, hookers and shooting thing spot on. As well as having a massive map, this new version looks better and is far slicker when you're on foot (you can now swim instead of drowning pathetically).
KILLZONE
OK, so Xboxers get Master Chief and a galaxy of aliens to blow away. But PlayStation fans now have their very own first-person shooter to be proud of, and it's called Killzone. Unlike Halo 2's slightly cartoonish feel, this is all about harsh realism and being scared by sinister men in masks. It's a bit like watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – tense and harrowing.
RATCHET & CLANK 3
You want traditional gaming? You got it. There's very little that's original in this 3D platformer-cum-shooter, but it's simply very, very playable. Just one more level, you think, as late night television drones on in the background. Just one more 4am finish, more like. It's pretty funny, too.
NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2
A classic arcade-style racer that competes on an even footing with the likes of Burnout 3 and Outrun. The visuals are handsome, the handling feels right and you can also play your mates online over broadband. Particularly good if The Fast And The Furious gets you all hot under the collar.
