It was just after two in the morning. It would've been Sunday, except it was so early Sunday was still sleeping. But that's not important. What's important is that I was playing the PlayStation 2 for the first time in my life.

The unit seemed innocent enough initially, but it soon became a major challenge to turn on. When nothing happened at first, I bravely looked behind the entertainment system and strained to see through the cobweb of cables. Unable to make sense of the tangled mess, I declared everything plugged in and ready to go.

To play my old Nintendo (the only game machine I ever owned), I would simply turn the TV's power knob on, turn the channel knob to 3 and press the power button. We would be playing Tetris 2 within a matter of seconds. For the PS2, the process involved three remotes, fiddling with a VCR, adjusting an A/V receiver, perhaps taking a shot of tequila and almost forgetting to change the TV to channel 3.

If the main unit looked deceptively innocent, the controller looked outright evil. Unlike the primitive Nintendo controller, this one had more than a handful of buttons. It was as if the buttons had conquered a palm-sized piece of plastic and had settled every square inch of its surface. A finger couldn't move without pressing something.

Soul Calibur II was my introduction to the PlayStation universe. I had played the arcade versions of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II (saw the movie, too) a lifetime ago, but they were nothing like this game. Not only could you choose which hot character you wanted, but you could also select what he or she wore. Being inexperienced, I expected my finely fashioned fighter to be quickly dispatched, but by using my panic-induced secret strategy of pressing every button simultaneously, she rocked. Powerful combinations are beautiful to watch, unless they're happening to you.

At some point, as I sank further into the couch and my fingers went numb, I briefly entertained the idea of buying a PS2. Goodness knows how much time I would spend on it, which is why I don't have one. It's hard enough finding time to fit in my Sims and SimCity 4 fix.