That MGS4 trailer looks hot... hot!!!!  Kojima is great at leading his flock of fans on, but he always delivers.  If a single game could make me purchase a system, it would definitely be MGS4. 

Final Fantasy XIII also sounds incredible, but that's not surprising either since the series is always going outside of the box with gameplay. 

I've read other stuff here and there, but the 2 games above have just got me floored and giddy.  If they are good enough; I mean if these games metaphorically blast you in the head and say, "HEY THIS IS WHAT NEXT GEN IS!"  It could be worth the moola. 

I waited over a year for a PS2.  Let's be honest, during it's first year it was pretty damned weak.  Sure there was Gran Turismo 3, but after a few license exams I want to shoot myself.  I was lucky enough to get one for my wedding in Sept 01. 

And in November, I bought Metal Gear Solid 2.  I kept it unwrapped until I beat the first one.  I bought the first one when it came out, after reading several impressions of it.  I popped it in, but I never proceeded past the first level.  I just didn't get it.

Well, after lurking around GS and reading about MGS2 in other magazines I couldn't pass it up.  I made myself play MGS, and wow I was hooked.  I couldn't put it down once I started, and 12 hours later I beat it! 

Once I did I opened MGS2 and popped it in, just to see how it was. OMG!!!!  It was a complete level above the first one.  Once I started it, I played it every night for a week.  I didn't get much sleep for work that week, but it was one of my favorite weeks in gaming.  The tanker scene, well that's gone down as some of the best stealth in gaming.  I also loved the Raiden part. (call me crazy).

That year also released Final Fantasy X, which has got to be the best Final Fantasy ever released, bar none.  I love all of them, but you have to give props to FFX.  It took well over 100 hours to complete, it raised the bar in every area, and there is yet to be an RPG to top it.  Really, there is nothing that comes close, and that's actually pretty sad considering it came out almost 5 years ago.

BY THE WAY FINAL FANTASY XII COMES OUT IN 38 DAYS!!!!

Back on point, that year also saw the release of Devil May Cry, which I never really got into but played a couple times and it is fun as hell.

Ace Combat 4 -- that game totally brought Air combat into next gen.  Incredible.

GTA 3 --wow, where the hell did that come from?  I thought VC was better, but GTA 3 did it first.

Bottomline, there were other good release years when Vice City, or MGS3 came out, but 2001 was definitely the peak for the PS2 in terms of the amount of triple A titles that were released.  It just felt like every one of those games was a classic.

This year is also a very good year.  We have a new Final Fantasy, a new Zelda, a new Castlevania 2-d adventure and some other hot titles like Okami.  And the release of the Wii and PS3!! 

I usually don't buy systems at release, but I love reading about all the buzz and playing them if my friends pick up one.  Every new release promises completely new never before seen technology, and every release gets me giddy.  This time it's different though.  This time I'm actually not sure if I'm going to purchase one of the systems becuase of a crazy ass price tag.  Hopefully PS3 is worth it, but even if it is I doubt I'm going to drop that much coin.  Ah well, there was always 2001.