Why should you get a PS2?

Each console has exclusive content, my preference tends to be toward Zelda, so I get anything with "Nintendo" emblazoned on it. I had thought that my “killer app” was surely to be Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts has both Square and Disney behind it, it's sure to be a winner (and may turn out to be so, once I get used to the crappy controls).

However, what I am finding is that another gem is truly reason enough to get the PS2 (at least for the price I paid), and that is Ico from SCEA:

Ico weaves the tale of a young boy trying to escape his imprisonment in a large, vacant castle. Along the way, he discovers another captive — a beautiful princess named Yorda. Players control Ico with the goal of escaping the castle with the princess safely in hand.

[ Buy Ico from Amazon ]

I encourage you to check out the homepage for Ico, which will give you a feel for the game. As disorienting as the site is, since all navigation needs to be discovered and unlocked, the game is more-so. It plays a bit like Prince of Persia, and is as beautiful a game as well, but a bit more spooky and more confusing.

The Amazon.com description lists one of the “cons” of the game is the short play time, but I for one would much rather have an A+ gaming experience in the 10-20 hour range than an average gaming experience in the 50-100 hour range, quality over quantity. And if you have an aversion to Japanese culture, this one is dripping with Japanese style, and (although subtitled) all speech is in the original Japanese.