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Ishmael
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"PS2 Hit List" , posted Wed 22 Nov 23:52post reply

As the year winds down I get in a reflective mood which makes me want to catagorize things. The question currently on my mind is this: What are my favorite games that have come out on the PS2? Yes, I know that there are plenty of other consoles that have come and gone in this generation and that the PS2 still has life in it. But since the PS3 is currently slouching towards Bethlehem to be born I figured now would be as good a time as any to look over the PS2 library.

So what games on the system did you have the most fun with?






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Arngrim
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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 01:03post reply

In terms of fun and originality, definetely one highlight for me has been Katamari Damacy and, of course, We Love Katamari, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest games this system has.

And a must in this list that I think everybody will agree is ICO, and it's pseudo-sequel Shadow of the Colossus.

In fighting games Soul Calibur 3 and Tekken 5 pretty much resume the evolution of the genre in the 128 bits system.

Even though it has arrived a little late, Ôkami is a really interesting game to take into account.

Despite being highly commercial RPG titles, Kingdom Hearts (and its sequel) and Final Fantasy X (and X-2), are emblematic.

And now, on my personal opinion, I think one of the most interesting titles for PS2 is Killer7. You can find a first-time copy it in Spain for 12€, though. Extremely unpopular here.






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kofoguz
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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 01:18post reply

Well most of all King of fighters games and Kingdom Hearts.But there are still titles I missed and want to play like Crash series and Viewtiful Joe's.
Resident evil 4 and Onimusha 4 gave me good times too.





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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 01:31post reply

It's been not a long time since I got my PS2 but, as I got access to the best games available along those years, I think I can fairly contribute to this thread. My current Top 10 is :

1- Shadow of the Colossus
2- Okami
3- Valkyrie Profile : Silmeria
4- God of War
5- Kingdom Hearts
6- Katamari Damacy
7- Sengoku Basara 2
8- Dinasty Warriors 5 - Xtreme Legends
9- GioGio's Bizarre Adventure - Ougon no Kaze
10- Street Fighter III 3rd Impact

I haven't played neither ICO nor Final Fantasy XII yet, so I bet this list'll change in a near future (mainly due to ICO). I'm looking forward to the new Mana and God of War 2 as well...





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"Re(2):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 01:54post reply

Let's see...

I really enjoyed God Of War, but never got into Devil May Cry.

Final Fantasy X made me sleep, but I laughed a lot with Shadows Hearts 2.

I spent over 100 hours on Disgaea. I should be ashamed.

I'm currently addicted to Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria battle system. I forgot about the story long ago (something about an orb, I think)

Memorable experiences on games that I'll never touch again in order to keep those experiences untainted were Metal Gear: Snake Eater and Shadow Of The Colossus.





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"Re(2):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 06:54post reply

quote:

7- Sengoku Basara 2



I'm SO glad someone else played this! I thought about making a toic about it, but I doubted anyone would care. Then God Hand came along, and I thought SB2 was too simplistic, but man, it's a great game! The level design is so good this time around and the dialogue shouted on the battlefield is really hilarious.

Of course, they still have the issue of poor balance between the characters, but since money carries over, I see the game as a sort of "group experience" where it's not that one character is BETTER than another, just that they're all different pieces of the puzzle. Yukimura's piece is the piece that makes money. ^_^

But MAN that game made me laugh. I'd like a new system for the sequel (assuming there is one), because I think they took it as far as it can go this time (and that's a good thing).





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"Re(3):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 07:24post reply

Hmm, it was only after I posted this question that I realized I had hobbled myself by limiting the discussion to the PS2. Should I mention Killer 7 and RE4 -both of which I quite liked- even though I played them on the GC? Should I stop inventing arbitrary rules for myself? Eh, whatever. Now that I've had time to ponder my own question here are a few games that I thought of.

The Katamari games: In the future when people complain that the games being produced for the PS6 and XBox720 can't compare to "the good old days" the Katamari games are going to be two of the revered titles mentioned.

DMC1: This is a title that is not aging well. With its silly digressions into first person or isometric shooting and ridiculously repeating bosses the game now feels more like a wild first attempt than a polished, well constructed product. That debut album feeling is charming however and DMC1 was the game that convinced me that it was possible to pull off a fluid, good looking action game in 3D.

Way of the Samurai games: It's surprising how few samurai games there are that don't have you shooting lasers out of your sword, fighting monsters or other crap like that. These were two games that created a sense of place that really clicked for me. Through the WotS games I finally found a way to live out the Toshiro Mifune lifestyle I've always wanted. Of special note is that not only do both games allow you to kick babies but WotS1 lets you throw a baby at your enemies and then rewards you for that behavior. Both games would make the list for that alone.

Yakuza/Ryuu ga Gotoku: Much like the WotS games, Yakuza gave me a world that I became far more interested in meandering through than I was in progressing through the game's rather goofy plot. I'm going to play through the game again soon and this time I'm going to make sure that my guy not only has a drinking problem but a gambling problem as well. Of course I'll also make sure he eats lots of ramen. Lots and lots of ramen.

Everblue 2: Become insanely rich and make everyone on an island love you by looking at fish and salvaging junk out of the ocean. I adored every second of the many, many hours I put into this game.

Hmm, considering how successful and influential a game it is, I wonder when someone is going to mention GTA3?





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"Re(4):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 07:56post reply

My favorites PS2 exclusives are:

- Katamari Damacy = simple, original, and fun without the frustrations of modern gaming

- God of War = great looking, great playing, and great extras (I actually watched and enjoyed the 'making of' stuff)

- SMT: Nocturne = one the best RPG experiences I've ever had. Challenging gameplay, powers that are actually useful (up yours Final Fantasy..), stylish depiction, and fantastic boss battles.

- Twisted Metal Black = I'm probably the only one here who likes this series but Black was nearly perfect. With it's combos and skill based weapons it's almost like a fighting game. Tons of replay value (for me, at least)





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Maou
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"Re(5):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 10:27post reply

Wander and the Colossus - Most original game I have played in years, stellar direction, beautiful and haunting. THIS is a game people by all rights should remember forever, and the PS2 being host to such interesting creative efforts like this has made it as strong a system as the Super Famicom back in the day for me.

Katamari Damashii - Speaking of which... Same deal, in a totally different way. This one'll go down in history for its genius, too.

Final Fantasy X - Very good story, stellar soundtrack, good different system, really set a high bar for new RPG's in terms of story and presentation. Not very enjoyable in English as I remember, though. The US voice "acting" sure won't age well.

Final Fantasy XII - Most unique system in Final Fantasy since VIII, fun change of pace in the story with a different production team, and apparently very playable in English.

Soul Calibur 2 (TWO) - Superb balance and near-perfect engine, unlike whatever it was that happened with the prettier yet mechanically broken 3. Soul Calibur 1 is probably just as good or better, but it's still about the best 3D fighter that Playsation 2 or anything else has ever had.

Gran Turismo 3 - Remember back then? When most PS2 games were still really dumb and you realized that DOA2 and Kessen weren't cool like you thought they would be? And then there was this incredibly fun driving game where, especially with the wheel and pedal device, it really felt like you were racing, and it was awesome even though you didn't like racing games much? Yeah. All those you's are me's, actually.


Having four or five of the finest games ever made makes me glad I have this ol' PS2. These are what I remember in retrospect, anyhow.





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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 11:00post reply

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is perhaps the one game that I got the most play out of my entire collection. The amount of time I put into it rivals that of the time I put into World of Warcraft.

Dynasty Warriors 5 was the one game I saw as a worthy successor to the series after that crapfest that was DW4 and Samurai Warriors the first. It was the first in a long time that was truly fun and didn't falter on something as stupid or innane as the Archers in DW3 being able to slaughter you in 30 seconds.

Megaman X8 similarly was the first game in the series for a long time to recapture what made the first two games so special in the first place, and it was actually difficult without being cheap X6-style.


...

I actually don't have too much else to add. I would be waving kudos at Valkyrie Profile 2, but there's something about this game that doesn't sit right to me, and it's probably the fact that it's not nearly as replayable as SO3 was.





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Maese Spt
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""No Zabi, no life!!"" , posted Thu 23 Nov 15:03:post reply

quote:

7- Sengoku Basara 2


I'm SO glad someone else played this! I thought about making a toic about it, but I doubted anyone would care. Then God Hand came along, and I thought SB2 was too simplistic, but man, it's a great game! The level design is so good this time around and the dialogue shouted on the battlefield is really hilarious.



I find that Sengoku Basara 2 is, by far, the funniest game on PS2 whole catalogue. Well, I admit that I have a weird fetish for japanese History so I can't possibly resist to the perspective of butchering the whole Takeda army at Kawanakajima with Nobunaga's wife, who by the way is portrayed as a butterfly-tattooed gunslinger girl, dressed with a haute couture kimono which would make any chick on Pistol Opera blush in shame, and whose secondary abilty consists on fighting her way with the help of a vulcan machinegun. Priceless.

But other than that, I also think Sengoku Basara 2 is the pinnacle of hack´n slash games (a genre that has evolved greatly, precisely, thanks to the PS2 graphic potential).

It has many great details (such as half-beaten enemies begging for mercy on he ground); the replay value is pretty high due to the fairly large amount of options, scenarios and characters; graphics are pretty good (although it pisses me off seeing that characters speak without opening the mouth!); and, most important, IS FUN AS HELL.

Keiji's "kenka matsuri" in Kyoto, with that horde of pink dancin' matsukens, is one of the most memorable moments I have lived with my PS2. Hmmm, someone should really open a topic about SB2 indeed...

About the most significant on PS2 History.... hmm, I have not payed PS2 that much yet, but I think I won't be very original with my (veeeery personal) selection:

- Ico
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Ôkami
- FFX
- Suikoden 3
- Sengoku Basara 2
- Soul Calibur 2
- Tekken 5 (perhaps)
- Katamari

That's what I can remember right now. On the RPG side I have yet to play Silmeria, Shadow Hearts saga, the whole Megaten/Persona/etc. bunch, and many more, so I can´t really make an accurate estimation. Heck, in fact I have to play a lot of games yet to judge properly!! I kinda have a delay of 3 or 4 years on PS2.

But I kinda liked Kessen 1. Oh well.


P.S.
I'm surpised nobody mentioned any Metal Gear yet, though. I'm not crazy for the saga, but I guess they could be counted amongst the most prominent pearls of PS2 catalogue.
EDIT: whooops, my bad, Makondo mentioned Snake!






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[this message was edited by Maese Spt on Thu 23 Nov 16:21]

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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 16:04post reply

Tales of the Abyss just came out recently, but it may be the best in the series and I can't think of any other RPG for the PS2 I enjoyed more.

Also, I played more of KOF: MI 2 than I would have thought possible.





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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Thu 23 Nov 19:41post reply

Let's see, in no particular order:

Final Fantasy XII: Near perfect, but still has some noticeable flaws. The gameplay is excellent, diverse and well thought, and the graphics are great -specially from a artistic and design perspective-. The music fits the game perfectly and the story is at least not stupid. The characters are all great. Yes, even Penello.

Devil May Cry 3: As an action game, I can't ask for more. Variety of attacks, difficult, and great weapons and bosses. Also, Dante is so over the top that he has become a (good) parody of himself.

Shadow of the Colossus: Beautiful, magical, very well thought. Each colossus is a great experience by itself.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Apart from offering a story that is not totally ridiculous like MGS2, great bosses and characters in general, they did the best thing they could do: Removing the radar! Now, when playing, you can actually look at the entire screen, not just to the upper right corner.

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution: Maybe it's because I'm new to the series, but finding a so perfectly designed fighting game is not exactly common. The fighting engine is nearly flawless, the characters varied and deep, and the console exclusive options are great. The quest mode is amazingly addictive.

Super Dragon Ball Z: Okay, maybe it isn't in the same league as the others, but making a solid figher fully using the Dragon Ball franchise, and making it so good deserves a mention. For an old fan of the series like me who doesn't need to swallow the whole story again in a boring story mode, this is the best DBZ game I could have. Specially having friends that also love the game.


RE4 should be there, but for me it's a GC game. ;)





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"Re(1):PS2 Hit List" , posted Tue 28 Nov 06:17post reply

A number of ones I could mention. Though Killer7, Viewtiful Joe, and RE4 were GC titles as well, they were still three of the best games I've played this generation. Though I'm in the minority, while I loved MGS3, I liked MGS2 better. Time Crisis II and 3 were great fun, and Ace Combat 04 and 5 were the best flight combat games I've ever played (looking forward to picking up Zero soon enough). The Shadow Hearts series was a very nice surprise, though I could care less about bothering with From the New World. I haven't enjoyed a Sega title as much as Yakuza for a long time. Devil May Cry 1 and 3 (regular and Special Edition) gave me new hope for the action genre as a whole. And ZOE2 is still my choice for best game ever released on the system.

Hmm, since this is getting rather long, I'll just list some more games from here:

-FFXII
-Onimusha 1-3 and Dawn of Dreams
-Gungrave and Gungrave: Overdose
-Xenosaga Episode III
-Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2
-Tales of the Abyss
-Wild Arms 3
-Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (though it still wasted far too much potential storywise)