Bullets McDeath:
1.) I make it a rule that any console must have 5 games I want before I will buy it. If the Xenosaga series delivers on it's promises, that's 6 games right there. Plus, any number of other great games for the PS2, depending on your tastes. So, in this soldier's opinon, yes! Buy American! Err, wait.

Googleshng:
I say if you're trying to decide whether a game is worth buying a system over, particularly an expensive one, you should wait until some reviews get written.

Bullets McDeath:
2.) As long as people keep buying PS2's for the ridiculous asking price (and they do), there will not be a price cut. I cannot emphasize this enough. So I will not try. But, in the magical candy-coated dream land you seem to think we live in, I think 50 bucks could be realistically shaved off this year.

Googleshng:
Console price drops tend to go in 50s and 20s, so yeah, if everyone believes in fairies and clap their hands, hopefully the PS2 will be $250 by then... which is STILL too expensive for me.

Bullets McDeath:
3.) What do you know about driving a tank, sissy-boy? Huh? I was fightings armies of Abrams Tanks with my BARE AMERICAN, FREEDOM LOVING HANDS before you were an itch in your daddy's pants, so don't talk to me about tanks, hippie.

Googleshng:
I doubt such a game will occur. 3 GBAs and 4 people is a rather steep requirement to play a game. It has some nice potential though.

Bullets McDeath:
4.) Screw you.

Googleshng:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's just SMW, isn't it?

Bullets McDeath:
Though fighting international crime is a full-time job, I did take some time off with the European version of Shen Mue II for the Dreamcast. The thing to remember about Shen Mue is that it's very much a time sink, even more than most RPG's. To be fully appreciated, you'll want to slowly explore the world, and all it's nooks and crannies. If you liked the first one alot, you'll appreciate some of the improvements and new additions, as well as the continuation of the plot. If you weren't so hot on the first one, you are brain damaged, but might also want to check the sequel out for it's brikser pace; there's certainly alot more to be done in the latest installment, and much greater sense of accomplishment when you "complete" it. Also, as far as I know, the X-Box version is identical, right down to the sucky controller.

Googleshng:
Shenmue 2 makes vast improvements everywhere I thought the first was lacking. The plot actually gets somewhere, you NEVER have to wander the streets talking to everyone looking for where to go (well, you do, but the first person you ask will generally actually KNOW and might even take you there), the pacing is just fine, and there's a good deal more gameplay of all kinds than in the first. Definitely worth it if you enjoyed the first. Plus you get a free boot disc, so if you ever feel like importing the Sakura Wars series or something, you can play'em.

Bullets McDeath:
As for digital TV's, you can buy Monster cables (or other brands) if it has an S-Video jack, and the difference is night and day, and several Gamecube games are already taking advantage of this.

Googleshng:
... My TV only has an RF port. It's a big improvement over the one I had 2 years ago. It just had screws.

Bullets McDeath:
Like many people, I am wary of FFXI. I'm not a big fan of MMORPG's, both because of the unweildy acronym and their complete lack of fun. It's like playing Dungeons and Dragons with a bunch of people you hate, and they are really bad spellers. However, if you're psyched, I'd suggest buying it on PC, unless you want a network adapter *and* a hard drive for your PS2, since they're both required. Thanks, Sony.

Googleshng:
Wow... that's pretty darn close to what I was going to say, so I'll just use this space to play with a piece of string... wait, don't have any. So let's just move on.

Bullets McDeath:
1.) The official FFVI party of the US Armed Forces is Terra, Celes, Edgar and Sabin. Of course, when everyone can cast Ultima, who really cares?

Googleshng:
Nice to know I'm not the only one who made every character learn every spell. As far as out and out usefulness, I think the best bet is probably Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, and Terra/Celes depending on whose special power is more useful at the moment. Want some fun though? Try Mog Gau Umaro and Gogo. The No Input Required Party!

Bullets McDeath:
2.) The Sphere Grid still haunts my dreams. "One...more...fortune...sphere...."

Googleshng:
That's a tough call. I'd probably say something different if you asked me tomorrow, but for now I'll go with the Exchange All Materia option in FF7. Imagine how much more playable Chrono Cross would be with that sort of thing. Fun fact though: It wasn't in the original Japanese version.

Bullets McDeath:
3.) Though it was a brutal battle between Junctioning and Tetra Master, I'd have to say Tetra Master wins. Junctioning wasn't a bad idea...much like communism, I'm sure it worked well on paper. Tetra Master, however, was inherently Un-American.

Googleshng:
FF7's normal fight music.

Bullets McDeath:
I can't say I have any "feelings" about Wild Arms 3, but if you're a fan of the series (which i'm not), it looks worth picking up. It has the same visual style and flair of the previous games (nice, colorful, reminscent of "The SNES Days"), and appears to advance the series nicely from what I've heard of it. As far as the Limited Edition, I'd rather Sony release the squadron of american soldiers they took hostage during the secret war with the space vampires. Them's muh boys.

Googleshng:
The original Wild ARMs came as a pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting an FF7 clone, and got a Lufia 2 clone. Lufia 2 needs more clones. I can't stress that enough. WA2 was poisoned quite a bit by Sony's wretched localization department. So, when it comes to WA3, all I ask is that someone else get the translation rights, or it gets off lucky like the first one did. Unless they mysteriously ditch all the puzzles though, I'll get it when I can.

Bullets McDeath:
1) People who do not own GBA's confuse me. In this soldier's opinion, not owning a Game Boy Advance is like not having a bomb shelter in your house. How the hell do you expect to protect your family from the space vampires, you filthy hippie? And while you're down there hiding like a little wuss-girl, you can play your GBA. Just make sure you buy a light.

Googleshng:
A GBA is decidedly worth owning. It's the most popular system for development at the moment believe it or not, particularly for RPGs, AND it's backwards compatible with the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color. On top of that, there AREN'T any competing handheld systems with enough backing to matter, most likely never will be, and the price just dropped a bit.

Bullets McDeath:
2) The best buys on the market right now, if you ask me (which you did), are Golden Sun, Street Fighter II, and Advance Wars. If you don't like Golden Sun, then apparently the space vampires already have you in their clutches. God save us all.

Googleshng:
Golden Sun is a very nice RPG indeed. It makes me nostalgic for the pre-FF7 32/64 bit era of RPGs. Very few such RPGs existed, but they had a pretty neat style to them honestly. Plus it has very solid gameplay and all that too. So why do I keep forgetting I own it? Other games of note include Advance Wars, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, and uh... oh wait, the rest of these are all the GBC games I didn't get because I didn't have a Game Boy for a couple years. Still, those 3 should keep you plenty busy, and if not, there's a ton more I'd probably recomend if I'd played'em.

Bullets McDeath:
You should just ration your kupo nuts, so that you don't eat too little, or too many. Then you'll be able to spread your wings and fly, and attract some females. But what do I know? I ordered my wife from a catalog. She can't cook for #$%&.

Googleshng:
This is a question I answered long before I ever worked here.