The Sony PlayStation 2 Thread

[TrekMD]

I noticed we don't have a thread for the Sony PS2, so I decided to start one.  It is one of the most long lived consoles and it has a huge library, so definitely a system worth having a thread about. 

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The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on March 4, 2000, in North America on October 26, 2000, in Europe on November 24, 2000, and Australia on November 24, 2000. It is the successor to the original PlayStation, as well as the second installment in the PlayStation console line-up. A sixth-generation console, it competed with Sega's Dreamcast, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's original Xbox.

Announced in 1999, the PS2 offered backward-compatibility for its predecessor's DualShock controller, as well as its games. The PS2 is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide. Over 3,800 game titles have been released for the PS2, with over 1.5 billion copies sold.[15] Sony later manufactured several smaller, lighter revisions of the console known as Slimline models in 2004.

Even with the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, the PS2 remained popular well into the seventh generation, and continued to be produced until 2013, when Sony finally announced it had been discontinued after over twelve years of productionâ€"one of the longest lifespans of a video game console. Despite the announcement, new games for the console continued to be produced until the end of 2013, including Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin for Japan, FIFA 13 for North America, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for Europe. Repair services for the system in Japan ended on September 7, 2018.

Source:  Wikipedia

Here are two videos about the system.  One from Game Sack from 2016 reviewing the system and one from John Hancock with games he recommends that are relatively inexpensive to get for the system.

https://youtu.be/QPP8Wah0sqk

https://youtu.be/Dh93Q99Z5d8

[DeadVoivod]

So far I added 649 PS2 games to my LaunchBox library, but lately I went through all the games and still have around 150 to test. I had fun playing some of the worst rated games on Metacritic, although some are actually quite fun to play.

The PS2 was a great console and like you mentioned, it has a huge game catalogue with some real gems, especially in the RPG department.

[TrekMD]

That's a TON of games!  I think the PS2 is the only console to have more games than the 2600!

[davyk]

I'm not a fan of the PS1. I just don't click with it. But I love the old PS2. A real workhorse with a huge library.

10 games I'd recommend that won't be expensive :-

Sky Odyssey - closest thing to Pilotwings on a non-Nintendo console. Arcade style controls. Different planes to fly with nice tightly defined missions.

Amplitude (or Frequency which came out first) - a really excellent music rhythm game that doesn't need extra bit of plastic to enjoy - has been designed for the Ps2 controller.

Bombastic - sequel to the PS1's Devil Dice with new modes (you can still play the original mode if you want)

Castle Shikigami 2 - classy 2D shmup with a pile of replay value. Great score chasing mechanics.

Contra: Shattered Soldier - proper Contra game with PS2 graphics. (This one might be more expensive)

Detonator - rock hard puzzle game. Quite abstract puzzles shoe horned into a weird building demolition theme.

Fantavision - original game that defies categorisation. Sort of a puzzle game - you link up firework explosions. Gets under your skin and has a really nice presentation.

Mercury Meltdown Remix - nice port of the PSP game.

RType Final and Gradius V - the 2 reasons why I got the PS2. Still easy to get and pay for. Superb games.

[TrekMD]

I have some of those you recommend but I do also have some PS1 games (mostly retro arcade collections) since they work with the PS2.

[davyk]

I have a few PS1 games that I like but it's one of my smaller collections.Have a few nice JP games I used to play with a boot disc but can play them on my JP-PS2 now.  Gradius Gaiden is a great PS1 game.

[TrekMD]

I'm the same, it is fairly few titles but I do enjoy the ones I have. 

[davyk]

Suppose I should list my PS1 favourites- only fair after slagging it off a bit!

The rhythm games are one of the reasons I got one - it's easy to forget these games were a whole new genre back then. So Parappa The Rapper and Vib Ribbon are 2 excellent games. Vib Ribbon is particularly good because you can put any CD in the drive and it will create levels from your favourite music!

PS1 also got the Namco Museum collection which was very good. It had TATE mode from some games too which was a new thing back then.

Power Diggerz is a JCB/digger simulator but in the arcade style. It's very Japanese. Great control scheme too - using all the buttons on the pad.

Bishi Bashi Special is a brilliant mini game compilation in the style of WarioWare. Far better in multi-player though.

RTypes is a great 2 game pack of the 1st 2 games pretty much perfectly recreated for the 1st time at home. RType Delta is a brilliant update.

Castlevania Chronicles is a port of a JP only entry in the series. Great old 2D linear game. The PS1 port has an arrange mode and an unlockable time trial mode too.

R4, Wipeout 2097 and Wipeout 3SE are 3 really nice race games.

Tempest X3 is Tempest 2000 for the PS1. Different enough to be worth a look. Nice version.

In The Hunt great port of this shooter which is like Metal slug in a submarine.

Puchi Carat is a Taito arcade game that's a cross between Bust a Move and Breakout. The PS1 port has a pile of new modes and the special edition even comes with a paddle controller.

[wyldephang]

Whereas I received a GameCube (one Christmas nearly 20 years ago), my brother got the PlayStation 2. This was largely a continuation of the loyalties we forged in the previous generation, as I was a staunch Nintendo 64 player and he a PlayStation gamer. Looking back, I'd say he made the more prescient decision with regard to the PS2; the library ended up being much more vast and diverse. (I don't regret owning a GameCube, though. It is amazing in its own right.) Only more recently did I start to collect for the PS2 and I realized I missed out on a lot of gem. To this day, I'm still collecting them with the hopes I'll someday play them all. Of note, the PS2 is in possession of one of the strongest Japanese RPG libraries on console. I started the Xenosaga series a little while back, but I have really been wanting to sit down and play Persona 4, as I have a lot of friends who recommend that game wholeheartedly.

[Shadowrunner]

I agree with you about the RPGs wyldephang. I'd say 80% of my time with the PS2 was spent playing Japanese RPGs. So many good ones! Nice to see you around by the way.

[davyk]

The PS2's library is huge. It's a great console for collectors when you think about it. There's something for everyone in its library. I don't really like the controller though; in particular the excuse for a dpad. And for the games I play on it which tend to be more arcade style that's a drawback. I have a mini Hori stick I can use with the PS1 and 2 and it's very nice if a little on the small side.

My heart is with Gamecube but my head is with PS2. I wouldn't be with either.

[DeadVoivod]

Here's a list of my PS2 RPGs. The list was done on April 2017, so it might have changed, but I think this is already an almost complete list.

There are indeed many. I have also a huge collection of guides for them, don't know how many, but many The guides are more a collecting thing, as they are so beautiful.

- .Hack Frägment (JAP)
- .Hack GU - Terminal Disc (NTSC)
- .Hack GU Vol 1 Rebirth (NTSC)
- .Hack GU Vol 2 Reminisce (NTSC)
- .Hack GU Vol 3 Redemption (NTSC)
- .Hack Infection (NTSC)
- .Hack Mutation (NTSC)
- .Hack Outbreak (NTSC)
- .Hack Quarantine (NTSC)
- Ar tonelico - Melody of Elemia (NTSC)
- Ar tonelico II - Melody of Metafalica (NTSC)
- Arc the Lad - End of Darkness (NTSC)
- Arc the Lad - Twilight of the Spirits (NTSC)
- Atelier Iris - Eternal Mana (NTSC)
- Atelier Iris 2 - The Azoth of Destiny (NTSC)
- Atelier Iris 3 - Grand Phantasm (NTSC)
- Baldur’s Gate - Dark Alliance (PAL)
- Baldur’s Gate - Dark Alliance II (PAL)
- Baroque (NTSC)
- Breath of Fire V - Dragon Quarter (NTSC)
- Champions - Return to Arms (PAL)
- Champions of Norrath - Realms of Everquest (NTSC)
- Chaos Wars (NTSC)
- Choro Q (NTSC)
- Choro Q HG2 (aka Road Trip Adventure) (PAL)
- Culdcept (NTSC)
- Dark Angel - Vampire Apocalypse (NTSC)
- Dark Cloud (PAL)
- Dark Cloud 2 (NTSC)
- Dawn of Mana (NTSC)
- Demon Stone - Forgotten Realms (NTSC)
- Digimon 4 (NTSC)
- Digimon World - Data Squad (NTSC)
- Dirge of Cerberus - FFVII (PAL)
- Disgaea - Hour of Darkness (NTSC)
- Disgaea 2 - Cursed Memories (NTSC)
- Dokapon Kingdom (NTSC)
- Dragon Quest V - Hand of the Heavenly Bride (JAP)
- Dragon Quest VIII - Journey of the Cursed King (NTSC)
- Drakan - The Ancients' Gates (PAL)
- Drakengard (NTSC)
- Drakengard 2 (NTSC)
- Dual Hearts (NTSC)
- Duel Masters (NTSC)
- Ephemeral Fantasia (NTSC)
- Eternal Poison (NTSC)
- Eternal Quest (PAL)
- Eternal Ring (PAL)
- Evergrace (PAL)
- Falling Stars (PAL)
- Fallout - Brotherhood of Steel (PAL)
- Final Fantasy X (NTSC)
- Final Fantasy X-2 (NTSC)
- Final Fantasy XII - International Zodiac Job System (JAP)
- Final Fantasy XII (NTSC)
- Front Mission 4 (NTSC)
- Front Mission 5 - Scars of War (JAP)
- Fullmetal Alchemist 2 - Curse of the Crimson Elixir (NTSC)
- Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel (NTSC)
- Future Tactics - The Uprising (NTSC)
- Gladius (NTSC)
- Graffiti Kingdom (NTSC)
- Grandia 2 (PAL)
- Grandia 3 (NTSC)
- Grandia Xtreme (NTSC)
- Grim Grimoire (PAL)
- Growlanser - Heritage of War (NTSC)
- Growlanser Generations (NTSC)
- Harvest Moon - A Wonderful Life (PAL)
- Harvest Moon - Save the Homeland (NTSC)
- Heroes of Might and Magic - Quest for the DragonBone Staff (PAL)
- Innocent Life - A Futuristic Harvest Moon (NTSC)
- Inuyasha - The Secret of the Cursed Mask (NTSC)
- Jade Cocoon 2 (PAL)
- Justice League Heroes (PAL)
- Kingdom Hearts (NTSC)
- Kingdom Hearts 2 (NTSC)
- Kingdom Hearts RE - Chain of Memories (NTSC)
- King's Field IV (PAL)
- La Pucelle Tactics (NTSC)
- Legaia 2 - Duel Saga (PAL)
- Legion - The Legend of Excalibur (PAL)
- Lord of the Rings - The Third Age (PAL)
- Magic Pengel (NTSC)
- Magna Carta - Tears of Blood (NTSC)
- Makai Kingdom - Chronicles of the Sacred Tome (NTSC)
- Mana Khemia - Alchemists of Al-Revis (NTSC)
- Mana Khemia 2 - Fall of Alchemy (NTSC)
- Marvel - Ultimate Alliance (PAL)
- Marvel - Ultimate Alliance 2 (PAL)
- Mega Man X - Command Mission (NTSC)
- Metal Saga (NTSC)
- Monster Rancher 3 (NTSC)
- Monster Rancher 4 (NTSC)
- Monster Rancher EVO (NTSC)
- MS Saga - A New Dawn (NTSC)
- Musashi Samurai Legend (NTSC)
- Namco X Capcom (JAP)
- Odin Sphere (NTSC)
- Okage - Shadow King (NTSC)
- Orphen - Scion of Sorcery (PAL)
- Phantasy Star Generation 2 (JAP)
- Phantasy Star Universe - Ambition of the Illuminus (NTSC)
- Phantasy Star Universe (NTSC)
- Phantom Brave (NTSC)
- Puzzle Quest - Challenge of the Warlords (PAL)
- Radiata Stories (NTSC)
- River King - A Wonderful Journey (NTSC)
- Rogue Galaxy (NTSC)
- Romancing SaGa - Ministrel Song (NTSC)
- RPG Maker 3 (NTSC)
- RPG Maker II (NTSC)
- Sakura Wars - So Long, My Love (NTSC)
- Sega Genesis Collection (NTSC)
- Shadow Hearts - Covenant (NTSC)
- Shadow Hearts - From the New World (NTSC)
- Shadow Hearts (PAL)
- Shaman King - Power of Spirit (PAL)
- Shepherd's Crossing (NTSC)
- Shifters (PAL)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner 2 (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Digital Devil Saga (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Digital Devil Saga 2 (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Nocturne (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Persona 3 (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Persona 3 FES (NTSC)
- Shin Megami Tensei - Persona 4 (NTSC)
- Shining Force EXA (NTSC)
- Shining Force Neo (NTSC)
- Shining Tears (NTSC)
- Soul Nomad & the World Eaters (NTSC)
- Star Ocean - Till the End of Time (NTSC)
- Steambot Chronicles (PAL)
- Stella Deus - The Gate of Eternity (NTSC)
- Suikoden III (NTSC)
- Suikoden IV (NTSC)
- Suikoden Tactics (NTSC)
- Suikoden V (NTSC)
- Summoner (NTSC)
- Summoner 2 (PAL)
- Swashbucklers - Blue Vs. Grey (NTSC)
- Tales of Destiny 2 (JAP)
- Tales of Legendia (NTSC)
- Tales of the Abyss (NTSC)
- The Bard's Tale (PAL)
- The Legend of Alon D'Ar (NTSC)
- The Nightmare of Druaga - Fushigino Dungeon (NTSC)
- Trapt (NTSC)
- Tsugunai - Atonement (NTSC)
- Unlimited Saga (NTSC)
- Valkyrie Profile 2 - Silmeria (NTSC)
- Warriors of Might and Magic (NTSC)
- Wild Arms - Alter Code F (NTSC)
- Wild Arms 3 (NTSC)
- Wild Arms 4 (NTSC)
- Wild Arms 5 (NTSC)
- Wizardry - Tale of the Forsaken Land (PAL)
- Xenosaga I - Der Wille zur Macht (NTSC)
- Xenosaga II - Jenseits von Gut und Böse (NTSC)
- Xenosaga III - Also sprach Zarathustra (NTSC)
- X-Men Legends (NTSC)
- X-Men Legends II - Rise of the Apocalypse (NTSC)
- Ys - Ark of Napishtim (NTSC)
- Yu-Gi-Oh - Capsule Monster Coliseum (NTSC)
- Yu-Gi-Oh - Duellist of the Roses (NTSC)

[Shadowrunner]

Wow, that is a nice collection! That would take a few years to get through lol.

[TrekMD]

That's quite the collection! 

[davyk]

My current PS2 collection because why not?

JP games are :  Castle Shikigami, Castle Shikigami 2, Espgaluda, Sega Ages:Fantasy Zone


JP game is Gradius III+IV






JP game is Sega Ages : Tetris Collection