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Railroader · Jan 27, 2008, 01:24 AM

I am not a big game player, but most of the teenagers in the group home I work in are. We were just given a PS2 and I already have a 720p HDTV. So, a few questions:

1. I assume I need a cable to connect to the HDTV. What do I need?

2. Is there much advantage to hooking the PS2 to a HD input?

3. What level of HD does the PS2 display?

4. What am I forgetting.

We also were given a couple wireless controllers and a wired one. How many people can play at once.

On a personal note: The only video games I really enjoy are driving games. I played a Colin Mcrae Rally game a while back, what is the best WRC/Rally type game to get?

sek929 · Jan 27, 2008, 02:01 AM

Several PS2 games I'm familiar with support 480p output via component video.

The component-out cable doesn't come with the PS2 AFAIK, but I'm sure you can get one online for cheap.

Edit: Also, when it comes to rally-racing, Gran Turismo 4 has an excellent rally portion of the game, and the rest of the game isn't half-bad either. This is one of the games that supports 480p BTW.

Aegis · Jan 27, 2008, 03:19 PM

Actually, there's some PS2 games that support 720p and one (Gran Turismo 4) that supports 1080i. Here's the list: List of HD Enhanced PS2 games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remember that 480i and 480p games aren't going to look spectacular on an HDTV since it has to stretch it to match your tv's native resolution.

sek929 · 05:45 PM

GT4 and 1080i? I'll be damned.

I've never had anything better than a 480p set, even then GT4 looks amazing.

Railroader · Jan 27, 2008, 09:53 PM

Excellent, thanks for your help guys. I figured I need a different cable.

Originally Posted by Aegis

Actually, there's some PS2 games that support 720p and one (Gran Turismo 4) that supports 1080i. Here's the list: List of HD Enhanced PS2 games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remember that 480i and 480p games aren't going to look spectacular on an HDTV since it has to stretch it to match your tv's native resolution.

Nice link.

OK, so the PS2 does not support 16x9 resolution? How can it be in 1080i if not 16x9? We'll only be playin a few hours a week, so I imagine putting the cropping black bars up on the side won't hurt the LCD Projection HDTV

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 09:21 AM

GT4 supports 16x9.

Dakar the Fourth · 02:30 PM

I'm gonna be honest,I tried playing my PS2 on my HD TV before I got my 360 and it looked like ass. REALLY bad. And to top it off, games the supported widescreen, were horrible, because the image wouldn't stretch to the very ends of the screen -- it still pillarboxed, only less so.

Railroader · Jan 28, 2008, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth

I'm gonna be honest,I tried playing my PS2 on my HD TV before I got my 360 and it looked like ass. REALLY bad. And to top it off, games the supported widescreen, were horrible, because the image would stretch to the very ends of the screen -- it still pillarboxed, only less so.

This is not good news.

Aegis · Jan 28, 2008, 03:27 PM

Also, if I remember correctly, the official PS3 component cables should work just fine on the PS2. So if that's the case it should be easy to find in any electronics store.

Yeah don't have high expectations for a non-HD PS2 game. It's pretty blurry. I'm still considering putting the PS2 back with the old TV.

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 03:37 PM

Yeah, it should be noted I was running composite. Component should make a big difference.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

This is not good news.

At least the best racing game ever made supports 1080i which should look pretty nice on that TV.

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 03:48 PM

Do you measure greatness in amount of laps per race? I gave up after GT3. Boring.

Railroader · Jan 28, 2008, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth

Yeah, it should be noted I was running composite. Component should make a big difference.

Well... that changes everything. I didn't know anyone under 50 used composite anymore. You been hanging with glasses wearin', cane sporting, old man Jawbone54321?

Railroader · Jan 28, 2008, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth

Do you measure greatness in amount of laps per race? I gave up after GT3. Boring.

I have yet to play GT1, 2, 3, or 4. So it will be all new to me!

Railroader · Jan 28, 2008, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

At least the best racing game ever made supports 1080i which should look pretty nice on that TV.

Yeah, that elderly gent Dakar the 4th has lost a lot of credibility. I am looking forward to getting this bad boy and hooking it up to do a few laps

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

Well... that changes everything. I didn't know anyone under 50 used composite anymore. You been hanging with glasses wearin', cane sporting, old man Jawbone54321?

I will stab you in the face. I'm wasn't buying the over-priced component cables for a system I'd be using for less than a month. Whose majority of games are not HD.

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

I have yet to play GT1, 2, 3, or 4. So it will be all new to me!

It won't be new to you after lap 50.

It's a little tedious. But the mechanical options are nice, the tracks are well designed, and the graphics are top notch.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:18 PM

Physics are spot-on in GT4. I DESPISE stupid racing games where all you do it hit the gas all the time, like the NFS series.

Braking, taking a great line through a turn and then powering out is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Most do not have the patience. (one of my friends was heard to remark "Oh, you have to brake in this game" and I was like "Duh, just like ACTUAL racing")

The rally portion kicks ass too, nothing like power sliding around 180º turns while in full control.

GT5 is going to kick even more ass. IMO Forza 2 has only come to the level of GT3 overall. It has a waaay better interface and options than the often-confusing GT4, and I bet the graphics are way better too, but GT5 is really going to blow the Forza series out the window.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

I have yet to play GT1, 2, 3, or 4. So it will be all new to me!

Don't listen to old-man dakar, the Gran Turismo series is the pinnacle of racing simulators*

*Don't dare call it a racing GAME....

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Physics are spot-on in GT4. I DESPISE stupid racing games where all you do it hit the gas all the time, like the NFS series.

It's called an arcade racer. They're great.
(Actually I haven't enjoyed NFS since Hot Pursuit 2, and NFS III was still the best. When they toned down the wrecks and los the clever track design, they lost it)

Originally Posted by sek929

Braking, taking a great line through a turn and then powering out is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Most do not have the patience. (one of my friends was heard to remark "Oh, you have to brake in this game" and I was like "Duh, just like ACTUAL racing")

I'm not the best racer, but too often I found that just wasn't enough. The AI was too perfect, I needed to get cars that overpowered them.

Originally Posted by sek929

The rally portion kicks ass too, nothing like power sliding around 180º turns while in full control.

I had forgotten, but yeah its great. Of course, nothing like getting the Pikes Peak Escudo after you've beaten all the tracks...

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:29 PM

Hehe. Which, after some clever mods, can go over 1000MPH on the oval test track.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth

It's called an arcade racer. They're great.
(Actually I haven't enjoyed NFS since Hot Pursuit 2, and NFS III was still the best. When they toned down the wrecks and los the clever track design, they lost it)

I used to love the old NFS games. It's only recently when some godawful street racing NFS came out that I completely lost interest.

There was something about winning different outfits for the floozies in your ghetto-entourage that made me wonder when they lost the racing part of that game.

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 28, 2008, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Hehe. Which, after some clever mods, can go over 1000MPH on the oval test track.

You could make it fly, as well.

Originally Posted by sek929

I used to love the old NFS games. It's only recently when some godawful street racing NFS came out that I completely lost interest.

There was something about winning different outfits for the floozies in your ghetto-entourage that made me wonder when they lost the racing part of that game.

Yep, the customization aspect is wasted on me. NFS stood for racing exotic cars in exotic locales. Now its stands for ricing out cars in some city. Booooooring.

I miss Lost Vegas and Empire City.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:36 PM

"You won a new thong for your girlfriend!"

What about the racing slicks I keep melting through?

sek929 · Jan 28, 2008, 04:37 PM

One aspect of Forza 2 that is unmatched is when you pit and replace your tires you are actually charged for them....just like real racing.

In GT4 you could buy a set of $40,000 tires and never have to buy another set again....even after 20 laps at the 'Ring.

pyrite · Jan 31, 2008, 12:34 AM

The GT games won't class as true simulators until they introduce damage IMO. No practical penalty for riding barriers and hitting opponents is laughable.
Forza gameplay with GT5 graphics would make me one happy, happy man

Dakar the Fourth · Jan 31, 2008, 09:22 AM

THat is true. I used to laugh in GT1 and 2 when my car would bounce onto its side then unexplainably bounce right back onto its wheels.

And I bluffed my way through GT3 putting opponents into walls to help me hit the turns.

sek929 · Jan 31, 2008, 01:06 PM

Forza 2 definitely upped the ante with crashes. You can't even skim the walls without your car biting into them for some serious damage.

A few weeks back I got 6 laps into an enduro race on the Ring (which is like, almost 45 minutes of racing) and then plowed into a wall

Railroader · Feb 14, 2008, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Physics are spot-on in GT4. I DESPISE stupid racing games where all you do it hit the gas all the time, like the NFS series.

Braking, taking a great line through a turn and then powering out is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Most do not have the patience. (one of my friends was heard to remark "Oh, you have to brake in this game" and I was like "Duh, just like ACTUAL racing")

The rally portion kicks ass too, nothing like power sliding around 180º turns while in full control.

GT5 is going to kick even more ass. IMO Forza 2 has only come to the level of GT3 overall. It has a waaay better interface and options than the often-confusing GT4, and I bet the graphics are way better too, but GT5 is really going to blow the Forza series out the window.

Alright, I picked up GT4... YOOWZA! You not only have to brake, but you have to brake perfectly and hit the line perfectly.

I decided that this game was not complete without the Logitech Driving Force Pro steering wheel. And I was right. Simply amazing.

And now that HD-DVD has died and I'll be able to convince the Railroader Family Finance Chairperson otherwise known as SWMBO that we NEED a PS3 to play Blu-Ray movies from Netflix.

sek929 · Feb 14, 2008, 09:52 PM

Not to mention GT5.

I'm glad that you enjoy GT4, took me many months to complete.