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Written by Ian Johnston
Byline: Sony's latest PS2 peripheral succeeds on a number of fronts, but has unfulfilled potential.
In the twenty-five to thirty years that consoles have been around, quite a few odd peripherals have found their way to store shelves. There have been controller wielding robots, controller gloves, light guns, keyboard controllers, dance mats, and maraca controllers to name but a few. Up to this point Sony hasn't really released much more in the way of peripherals other than relatively standard controllers and multitaps, but that all changed with the release of the EyeToy.
The EyeToy is a small camera that sits on top of your television, PlayStation 2, or whatever else you'd like it to sit on. It plugs directly into the PS2's USB port. Its aim is simple: put the player in the game. Included with the camera is a disc containing twelve different simple, yet entertaining, mini-games. They are Beat Freak, Kung Foo, Wishi Washi, Mirror Time, Rocket Rumble, Slap Stream, Ghost Eliminator, Disco Stars, Plate Spinner, UFO Juggler, Boxing Chump, and Soccer Craze.
Most of the games are relatively fun, if a bit too simplistic. Wishi Washi, for example, involves you using your hands to clean the windshield of a car. All you really do is move your hands around as quickly as you can in attempt to cover every inch of the screen. Others, like Kung Foo, entail you punching assailants that fly at you from the left and right sides of the screen. These games were definitely meant to be multiplayer experiences as they are way too basic to have any lasting replay value with a single player.
If you decide you're bored with games, you can test out the video messaging feature. A brief message can be recorded via the EyeToy and saved to any PS2 memory card. The message can't be very long due to the space constraints of a memory card, but it's a nice feature nonetheless.
Unfortunately, the EyeToy can be rather picky about the conditions under which it will operate effectively. It needs plenty of light, proper positioning, and a decent amount of distance between itself and the player. The EyeToy manual states, "A single, central light of between 60 and 100 watts between you and your television should be sufficient." Even after employing multiple lamps and repositioning them several times, it can be difficult to get just the right amount of light. Some trial and error is a must, but nevertheless, once you've got your lighting correctly situated you're set.
On top of lighting adjustment it's also essential that you position the camera on top of or directly below your television. Once that's done, the camera can be tilted up or down as needed. Furthermore, around the eye of the camera is a ring that should be turned to get your on-screen image as focused as possible. If your image appears blurry at all it can affect the performance of the EyeToy.
Just about every function of the EyeToy can be adjusted or accessed with the player's hands. Big arrows on the left and right sides of the screen allow you to scroll through the various modes on the main menu screen. If you cover up the lens completely with your finger you will be taken back to the main menu. Even the volume can be adjusted at any time with a simple waving of the hand, which is pretty convenient.
Highs:
Solidly built, easy to use, simple - yet fun - mini games, an instant party with multiple people.
Lows:
Can be difficult to get working just right, the games are quite basic, limited functionality versus what the peripheral is potentially capable of.
Verdict:
All in all, the EyeToy is a lot of fun and a good investment, provided you've got friends that will use it with you. Hopefully Sony and other third parties will release additional games for the EyeToy, and perhaps even expand on its functionality. Video conferencing, for example, via the EyeToy and PS2 Network Adapter could be very, very cool indeed. Brisk sales in both Europe and North America should provide the incentive for EyeToy software development and make it more than just another quirky peripheral. It's got it flaws without a doubt, but it's also innovative, entertaining, and full of untapped potential.
80%
Copyright © 2004 Ian Johnston
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