Amazon.com: PlayStation 3 160 GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Pack: Video Games

83 Reviews

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

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4.2 out of 5 stars (83 customer reviews)

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383 of 398 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid bundle, not the best choice if you are planning a disk upgrade, November 6, 2008

By	A. Dent "Aragorn" (Minas Anor, GD) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars

Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model but do I own the 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB. I am also very familiar with the latest 80GB model (which is basically this one with a larger disk) because one of my neighbors has one and I am the neighborhood's unofficial and unpaid 'computer' consultant :). I did some research in anticipation of us purchasing a second unit because I promised the kids "their own" if their grades were going to meet a certain standard.

As compared to the 60GB model (see this model's pluses and minuses and what all PS3s have in common):
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+ Less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)
+ 266% more storage
+ Improved power efficiency
+ Dual shock controller (rumble)
+ Bundled Drake's Fortune and Pain voucher for a PSN download
+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections
= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.
= Controllers charged via USB wires
= Free, unlimited access to the PSN network, including online play
= Full PSOne compatibility
= Blu-ray player
= DVD player
= CD player
= HDMI, component video (component wire included but no HDMI cable)
= Surround sound
= Internet browser
= Allows for installation of third-party operating systems such as Linux
= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty
= Quiet operation

- No memory card interfaces
- 2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB
- No PS2 compatibility
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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:
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This model comes with an 160GB drive. This is nice because, based on my own experience, 160GB should be sufficient for a few years of use for as long as you don't plan to purchase lots of movies from the PSN store or download to many full games - if you are thiking about storing movies on your PS3 disk, consider upgrading to larger storage. However, unless you believe that Uncharted + Pain are worth the extra $100, you may be slightly better off buying the 80GB model for $100 less and then upgrading.

To give you an idea of the amount of storage you may need on your PS3, I recently checked the status of my 320GB disk and I found that I had 198GB free. That means that, one year after purchasing my (then) 60GB box I was using 122GB already. The space is taken by family pictures, a little music, lots of demos, many 'disk' games that dump gigabytes of data to the disk to improve performance, many videos the kids are making with the 'Eye' camera, game saves. I suspect that 'Home', when it becomes available, may require a few more GB's for its own use so 320GB may be what you need if you don't want to constantly worry about deleting old stuff before you run out of space.

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop's 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:
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The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and... problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It's somewhat inconvenient but it's no big deal.

USB PORTS:
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My old 60GB model has 4 USB ports and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Of course, you can and you WILL be able to live with 2 slots but it is likely that you will be doing some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. One way around it is to get a USB port multiplexer. Another solution is seek Bluetooth peripherals (wireless) if you can find them. Bluetooth keyboards, for example, are available.

PS2 COMPATIBILITY:
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This model does not support PS2 software. Since the original PS2-compatible PS3's are hard to get, this has to be accepted as reality. I assume that Sony, after polling existing and future PS3 users, found that most users don't need PS2 compatibility. Soon after we upgraded to a PS3 my kids were playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans but I haven't seen them doing so in quite a while. It is nice to have PS2 compatibility but its lacking would not stop me from buying a PS3.

PSOne GAMES:
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The PS3 has full PSOne compatilibity. Lots of them are available for download at the PSN store. They are quite inexpensive and some of them are still fun to play.

SUMMARY:
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- If you like Drake's and you do not consider upgrading, buy THIS model. In fact, you should buy this model regardless of Drake's because you are likely to be unhappy with an unupgraded 80GB model - like I mentioned above, I am already using over 120GB and this is BEFORE Home.
- If you are planning to upgrade, you're better off with an 80GB model selling for $100 less because you can use the $100 you save to buy yourself Drake's for about $40 and use the balance to help pay for your disk upgrade.
- Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports
- Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces
- Or or, even better, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader
- Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.
- Enjoy your new PS3.

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Note: I am not taking off one star for the lack of PS2 compatibility. I understand that Sony must compete on price and make a profit and times are tough. However, I simply can't see why Sony cut the number of USB ports from 4 down to 2 and this explains why this unit gets 4 stars instead of 5. This is a relatively significant inconvenience and I can't see how it would cost Sony more than a dollar or 2 if it provided 4 ports instead of 2.

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40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncharted is Unbelievable, December 9, 2008

By	T. Williams "BlogWalker" (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

When I was looking for Blu Ray DVD players, the PlayStation came out on top of every review I read. So I started looking at games available for the system and saw the review for the Uncharted game over on Gamespot. Uncharted looked like the best game for me, and considering the other bundles available, this seemed like a good deal, with a larger hard drive, (we all need more space) Uncharted, and PAIN all included.

First of all the SIXAXIS controller is fantastic. Easy to hold, easy to use, bluetooth wireless, and it has motion sensing capabilities like the Wii. In Uncharted you have to use that feature to toss grenades and balance as you cross some objects.

Second, the DVD player is wonderful. Since the wireless features are bluetooth there is another remote available to play DVDs. But, I don't think you need it. You can use the game controller easy enough. Anyone familiar with the interface on a PC or MAC DVD player will instantly get it.

The menu system on the PlayStation has been criticized in some reviews, but I don't get that at all. It is very easy, and the same interface is used on their Bravia TVs. I wish more electronics had menus like this. I have used FrontRow on the Macs, and I like this better.

The wireless feature configured on the first try with my network, which has two layers of security. I have more trouble getting some of my Macs on my network, than the PlayStation.

Finally, Uncharted is nothing short of amazing. Imagine you are part of an Indy Jones or National Treasure movie. That is the experience. Period. The music track gives clues to when you are heading in the right direction, and Nate Drake has awesome moves once you get used to the controller.

PAIN is ok, more funny than a real challenge. I suppose you could take it seriously, but it is best to just fling the character at everything in site and then use the controls to bounce and hit as much as possible. The physics is very realistic, and there is no blood. Great game when you just relieve some stress by smashing something.

If you are looking for a BluRay player or a game system, this is really the best value. I compared to the Xbox and with that system you have to keep buying extras to build up to the capabilities of this single purchase. In other words, don't just focus on the lowest price, consider the total value. For example, many of the games you can download from the PlayStation store are about $10, and the PlayStation network is free. Not to mention all the free demo games, movie trailers, movie and tv show downloads that are free or just a few bucks.

I could probably find enough free demos to play all year, but I made the mistake of visiting the Prince of Persia web site and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Uncharted alone would make this a deal, but add 160GB hard drive, and a BluRay player--don't think, do. Get this system.

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36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So far, so good, January 21, 2009

By	C. Johnson (Lawrenceville, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I have never really been a PlayStation fan since purchasing the very first PlayStation nearly 10 years ago. As a result most of my console gaming was on Nintendo's and Microsoft's consoles. However, between my XBOX Pro and Elite consoles, I have had to send them back them to Microsoft seven times in less than two years. Even the "more reliable" Elite console had to be returned twice last year. I decided that I spent too much money for that kind of unreliability so I reluctantly contemplated a PS3 purchase. Now before all of you Microsoft fan boys start calling this a fan boy review, think again; I call them as I see them and I never really understood why someone just can't have two or all three of the gaming systems anyway. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my XBOX 360 console, have around 25 XBOX 360 games, and still play it regularly. However when I spend nearly a grand on two Microsoft consoles, I expect them to last longer than a few months. I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money, paying for all my things out of my own pocket and I refuse to spend another dime on Microsoft's money pit of faulty consoles.

The main reason I purchased a PS3 was because I was in the market for a Blu-Ray player. However during extensive research I discovered that the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is one of the best on the market, and while I'm not a big fan of multipurpose gaming consoles, I decided on the PS3 opposed to a standalone due to my countless issues with the XBOX 360. I may end up getting a standalone Blu-Ray player eventually, but for now the PS3 will suffice. The Blu-Ray player does not disappoint; however since this is my first experience with a Blu-Ray player, I don't have anything to compare it to other than DVD players. That said I never experienced any issue with the playback on the PS3. The first movie I purchased was The Dark Knight and comparing the video quality to my DVD player I do see a big difference. While DVD's certainly look good, the Blu-Ray does in fact show a noticeable difference. Honestly I don't notice much difference in audio, but this could be because I have a very old A/V receiver. The Blu-Ray player on the PS3 also up converts regular DVD's (with an HDMI cable). To me, the up-converting is ok, but I prefer using my standalone for watching regular DVD's.

One huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is that Sony doesn't nickel and dime you on accessories like Microsoft does. An example of this is that the PS3 has built in wireless internet capability instead of making you spend a hundred bucks on an "adapter". Additionally, all A/V connections in the back of the console are spaced out so you can use multiple A/V outputs (i.e. using HDMI video with optical sound) without having to spend an additional fifty bucks on yet ANOTHER adapter. Also, the PS3 controller can be charged with the included USB cable and you are not forced to purchase a battery pack and a separate charger. Finally, all memberships to the Sony PlayStation network (the equivalent to XBOX Live) are absolutely free. Meaning it's free to play games online without having to pay ANOTHER fifty/year for a "Gold membership"; granted while it is not that much, free is always better. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for some downloads, but you aren't charged just to be member.

One small complaint I had right off the bat is that unlike the 360 I am unable to output optical sound to my receiver and HDMI sound to my television simultaneously. I found the ability to do this on the 360 to be quite convenient since when everyone is in the bed I can play games with the receiver volume turned all the way down and just use the sound on the TV. However with the PS3 you can only choose one or the other at a given time. So before I start playing games, I have to choose in the Audio Settings screen if I want to use HDMI sound through the TV or optical sound through my receiver every time. My receiver does not have HDMI capability so I do not know if this limitation applies if both the TV and Receiver have HDMI capability.

This PS3 package comes bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune which is a very good game to start off with. Once you are done with this game you can easily download demos from the PlayStation network to check out other titles you are curious about.

Keep in mind that to cut costs, Sony decided to do away with backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Neither of the current versions of the PS3 can play PS2 games. Because I have no PS2 games, this is not a concern for me and since I'm one to keep my old consoles, backwards compatibility has NEVER been a concern for me. However, if you are one that wishes to play PS2 games, then I suggest getting one of the older model PS3's or just purchase a PS2 separately since they are inexpensive now.
So far the PS3 seems like a good console. Available titles are limited for me since I have most of the good cross platform games on the 360 already. Drake's Fortune is a good start, but I am hoping for more worthy PS3 titles in the near future. Reliability wise, I have experienced a couple of game freezes, but restarting the system seemed to clear the problem. Only time will tell it it's more reliable than the 360. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt I will go through 3 - 4 per year as I have with the 360.