[ MAUKA-MAKAI ]
BLAME it on a stupid computer chip. When the Great PlayStation 2 Shortage of 2000 was announced by Sony last October, I was sure it was a ploy on the part of the entertainment giant to create more holiday hype. As the Christmas season neared, however, it became obvious that this was no hoax. Due to an unforseen scarcity of necessary components, Sony fell well short of its projections and would be forced to release PS2s incrementally over the next few months. This barely made a dent in demand. Securing Sony’s
Playstation 2 is a
game in itselfVIDEO GAMES
'NBA Live 2001' has
fans in their seats
Shawn 'Speedy' Lopes
Star-BulletinMy roommate finally procured one and judging by the whoops and howls that bounded across the hallway every few minutes, it appeared to be everything it was said to be. Recently inspired to get one for myself, I picked up the phone and made a call to Toys & Joys' Aiea store.
"Toys N Joys," came the voice on the other end.
"Do you have any PlayStation 2 consoles available?" I asked.
"Yeah," he deadpanned.
"OK . . . so how much is it?"
"$400," he answered.
"That's a weird number. $400 exactly?"
"Plus tax."
"So how much would that be, exactly?"
"I don't know. Whatever $400 plus tax is, I guess."
Gee, thanks. Yeah, whatever.
That sent me rolling into Toys 'R' Us, their colossal corporate rivals across the way. Even before I pulled out my keys though, I spied a large sign hanging above the store's entrance which told me all I needed to know: They were clean out of PS2s but would be receiving a shipment soon.Determined not to let my quest end there, I drove across Pali Momi Street to KB Toys in Pearlridge. They, too, were wiped out. A call to their Ala Moana location revealed units available, but I'd have to wait for one to be transferred to the Pearlridge store. No, it's cool, I said. I'll just drive back into town and pick it up there.
THE PROBLEM at the Ala Moana store was that KB won't simply sell you a PS2. You must purchase a package deal which includes various combinations of games and accessories. Figures for these deals ran between $400 and $500.
Half a grand for a video game console, was all I could hear echoing through my skull. Did I really want one that badly? No . . . well, yeah, I guess so. I decided to get to an ATM and take the plunge before I changed my mind. This threw me head-on into my next unforseen obstacle. Some ATM's don't allow users to withdraw more than $400 per day.
Now I was forced to rethink my plan. The Sega Dreamcast, which is every bit as capable as the PlayStation 2, sells for $99.99. Not a bad deal when considering what's being charged for the new PlayStation. Additionally, few who bought the Dreamcast when it first debuted in 1999 had anything negative to say about it, even at its original base price of $299.
But facing a competitive market and the impending arrival of Microsoft's vaunted X-Box and Nintendo's GameCube, Sega decided several months ago that it would be abandoning its hardware division to concentrate solely on producing games. This leaves prospective buyers wondering whether the Dreamcast is a sound long-term choice.
One crucial factor here is the PlayStation 2's ability to play DVDs. I had long balked at buying a DVD player for the simple fact that I'd always intended to purchase a PS2 at some point. By my calculations, if I were to buy a DVD player separately, it would set me back $150 or $200. Add that to the cost of a Dreamcast system plus accessories and I'd be up to the $400 to $450 range and back to square one, minus the PS2.
Though it was an agonizing decision, I resolved to live with my outmoded 32-bit original PlayStation for the time being. Hopefully, prices will fall back to Earth soon. I returned home dejected, discouraged and utterly envious of my roommate, and admitted as much to him when I walked through the door.
"Why don't you just buy mine from me?" he asked, offering to part with the highly coveted console and a new video game for $300. Three bills? That was the best offer I'd heard all day. "It's a cool toy," he admitted. "But I don't even play it anymore. I think I'm over it already."
Since the heyday of the Sega Genesis system, "NBA Live 2001" has been one of the top -- if not THE top -- pro basketball titles on the market. Now, with the PlayStation 2's arrival, fans are expecting "Live 2001" to be the b-ball game to end all b-ball games. ‘NBA Live 2001’ has
"NBA Live 2001"
fans in their seats
PlayStation 2 (EA Sports)
Shawn 'Speedy' Lopes
Star-BulletinKeep waiting, folks.
This is not to say "Live 2001" is not a good title; it does deliver in several departments. With the expanded possibilities of the PS2, "Live 2001" has improved its graphics to some degree (facial expressions and faint reflections off the court are as detailed as ever), but playability concerns which plagued earlier titles persist.
As with earlier versions, your computer oppponent makes up for its defensive liabilities by having "gliding" players stick to you wherever you turn. Perhaps to keep things "even," rebounds and steals also favor the computer, while human-controlled players still opt for jump shots when a dunking opportunity presents itself.
"NBA Live 2001's" one-on-one outdoor court option remains, not much improved from its PS1 version, while noticeably absent is the three-point contest which made earlier incarnations of the game a lot of fun. Fans familiar with the "NBA Live" series may put up with a simple updated version of their favorite basketball title this year, but knowing the inherent possibilities of the PS2, we're already looking forward to next year.
Make shot from anywhere: During a game, press L1, L2, R1, R2, then press start and shoot. CHEATS AND CODES
Create Michael Jordan: Go to "create player" option, type "M.J." for first name, then type "IS BACK" for last name.
-- Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
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