Expert: Terry Pritchard - 9/5/2003

Question
Hello,
I am interested in purchasing either a Playstation, Nintendo, or Sega for my 10 yr old daughter...she loves to play games on the computer so I thought buying her a system for her own on her own tv would be "cool". I really do not know anything about these systems and I want one that would have arcade/girl games also a system that allows more than 1 player because my 8 yr old daughter will also like to play games with her...Any information you can give me will make my purchase a lot easier...
Thanks so much!
Jackie  

Answer
Hey!

I recommend getting a Sony Playstation. There are two versions available. There is the original Playstation  (sometimes called the PSone)and the Playstation 2 (or PS2).

I suggest going for a PSone. It is alot cheaper than the PS2 (you should be able to pick up a new PSone for about £79.99 with games, and a second hand PSone for about £25). The games are also very cheap too. Brand new games are available for between £5 and £30 with second hand games available for around £10 on average.

Since the release of the Playstation 2, the games being released for the PSone have become more aimed at younger children (because all the 'older' gamers bought PS2's), so it should be ideal for your needs.

There is a wide selection of Disney games available, Hercules, Aladdin, Monsters Inc. etc. and many other games aimed at the younger game player.

The PSone comes with one controller, but there is space for another so two people can play against eachother. You will need to buy another controller seperatley, any good game store like GAME, GamePlay, GameStation and Toys'R'Us will stock them. Just ask them for a PSone controller. Try to buy official Sony controllers too, they are a little more expensive, but are far more reliable and sturdy. I have used unofficial pads that literally fell apart during a game.

I don't recommend a Nintendo or SEGA because they are both more expensive than the Playstation, the games are aimed at an older audience, and in the case of SEGA, they don't make new games anymore and old games are becoming increasingly harder to find.

So, to summarise, I recommend a Sony Playstation (PSone) with an extra controller. As for games, just check the shelves of your local game store or Toys'R'Us for the PSone games (ask a member of staff if you can't find them) and I am confident you will find a few games that your kids will enjoy.

If you have any other trouble or need some advice or game recommendations, just drop me a line and I will be happy to help!

Happy gaming!