PS2 PS2 exclusives

[Xevious]

I was late to the party with the PS2 - I went from the PS1 to the Gamecube, then Xbox, then got a PS2 around the time of the Xbox 360 launch. I feel I may have overlooked some of its great games, as many have said it was one of the best consoles ever and yet I'm not massively fussed about setting it up again.

Pulling from my database, my list of games is:

24: The Game

Ape Escape 2

Bombastic

Canis Canem Edit

EyeToy: Play

Global Defence Force

Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec

Gregory Horror Show

Ico

Katamari Damancy

Kuri Kuri Mix

Monster Attack

Ōkami

Pro Evolution Soccer

Pro Evolution Soccer 2

Shadow of the Colossus

SingStar

SingStar '80s

SingStar '90s

SingStar Boybands vs Girlbands

SingStar Legends

SingStar Party

SingStar Pop

SingStar Singalong with Disney

Space Channel 5

The Getaway

The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning

Tomb Raider Anniversary

WipEout Fusion

Some rubbish there which i pricked up cheap, indeed. What games am I missing, great RLLMUK? I've just noticed that I never got R-Type Final, so have bid for that on eBay.

Bear in mind that most great games I will already have had on the Xbox or Gamecube, and if things are available there then I'd prefer to play them on a different controller. I wouldn't pick up games that have been rereleased on HD collections either unless there's a good reason why the PS2 version is better.

[Oh, and the Katamari I have is the Japanese version, but my console can't play Japanese games. Oops.]

[Wiper]

Persona 3 and 4 are excellent, but both have superior handheld versions, so it depends on whether you have a PSP/Vita to play them on whether they'd be worth getting. They're apparently fantastic JRPGs though, and I can vouch for the Vita version of Persona 4 being absolutely incredible. As in, so good that I enjoyed it and finished it over the course of 80 hours, despite generally completely disliking JRPGs.

Other than that, Gitaroo Man is an absolute must (though again, there is a handheld version - I think I preferred the PS2 version to the PSP version though, thanks to the ability to play on a big screen with lots of sound, and not having to use the PSP nub).

Unfortunately, most the other games I can think to suggest are import-only

Er, Zone of the Enders 2 might be worth considering I guess, what with the HD conversion actually running slower than the PS2 original.

[Yewone]

Oh man where to start.. There are LOADS of quality exclusives (granted the majority are RPG's though) a couple of essentials off the top of my head.

Frequency

Amplitude

Gitaroo Man

Rogue Galaxy (Pavey is/was selling a copy for a fiver)

Dragon Quest VIII

FFXII

Champions of Norath

Maximo

God Hand

[Wiper]

Man, how did I forget Frequency and Amplitude?

He might as well get God Hand on PS3 though, a lot easier just to buy it through PSN than mess around trying to get a physical copy.

[Yewone]

Easily done.. There most be dozens of others I just can't think of (that haven't been re-release etc)... I need to consult my list later

Totally forgot God Hand is on PSN.

[Xevious]

Given the state of my broadband connection, it may be easier for me to get a disc version ... it's on the list.

I'm sure I bought Gitaroo Man years ago but can't remember playing it and it's not in the database. I do have a PSP but not a Vita (yet), and though I don't really get on with JRPGs I spend enough time travelling to make a handheld version of these better than a TV-based one.

Thanks all - and keep them coming!

[Aloha Snackbar]

SOS: The Final Escape is a gem.

[Camel]

Watch out for lag issues if you're buying any rhythm games and aren't running your PS2 through a CRT.

[Wiper]

I do have a PSP but not a Vita (yet), and though I don't really get on with JRPGs I spend enough time travelling to make a handheld version of these better than a TV-based one.

Yeah, in that case I'd say hold off on the Personas (Personae?) unless/until you get a Vita. At which point Persona 4 Golden is essential - as I say, I really don't get on with JRPGs, but Persona 4 Golden is something special, as I and a good few others have found. The portability helps a lot, combined with the fact the game doesn't force you to grind, there are no random battles, and the majority of the game is spent outside of dungeons, instead just choosing what to have your character spend their day doing, and is a perfect fit for short sessions of gameplay, unlike a lot of JRPGs.

[super_quincy]

Odins Sphere and Gradius 5, off the top of my head

[Yasawas]

Shadow of Memories, Klonoa 2, Sky Odyssey, Disgaea 2.

[smac]

Ico and SoTC have an HD remake - I don't know if there are any problems with those, or not.

[Plopboy]

Some random games that I liked on the PS2 that haven't been mentioned yet

Dynasty Tactics

Kessen

Ring of Red

Kill Switch

Maximo

Drakengard

Steambot Chronicles

Valkyria Profile 2

Yakuza

[son of solo]

REZ

Yeah it's on the Dreamcast but you didn't list that as a console you had owned.

PS2 has the vibrator pack too.

[Vimster]

Downhill Domination

Global Defence Force

Global Defence Force Tactics

Raiden III - PAL version is rare as hen's teeth though

Neo Contra

Some PSP racers that got ported to/from the PS2 and which are better on a big screen:

Motorstorm Arctic Edge

Burnout Dominator

Wipeout Pulse

[Wiper]

REZ

Yeah it's on the Dreamcast but you didn't list that as a console you had owned.

PS2 has the vibrator pack too.

Mmm, but there is an HD version on 360 (possibly also PS3? I can't recall). Download only though, I think.

[smac]

Some random games that I liked on the PS2 that haven't been mentioned yet

I'll throw in The Red Star, if you can find it. Nice little arcade brawler/shooter/bullet hell mashup, mixes a whole bunch of different elements in together.

Yeah, here's a flavour:

Combine Gauntlet, Freedom Force, Ikaruga and Robotron and you've got something that feels a little like The Red Star...

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-04-lost-and-found-the-red-star

[Xevious]

Watch out for lag issues if you're buying any rhythm games and aren't running your PS2 through a CRT.

My TV has a good game mode, which gets rid of any noticeable lag. With rhythm games I'll be far more concerned about the impact of 50Hz ...

the game doesn't force you to grind, there are no random battles

Excellent!

Ico and SoTC have an HD remake - I don't know if there are any problems with those, or not.

I already have those (the art card versions, no less).

Yakuza

Did the first game come out in the UK?

REZ

Yeah it's on the Dreamcast but you didn't list that as a console you had owned.

PS2 has the vibrator pack too.

I have this both for the Dreamcast and for the Xbox 360! Good recommendation though.

Global Defence Force

Global Defence Force Tactics

I hadn't heard of GDFT - is it a tower defence type game?

Some PSP racers that got ported to/from the PS2 and which are better on a big screen:

Motorstorm Arctic Edge

Burnout Dominator

Wipeout Pulse

Are any of these better than the PS3 versions in the same series? I have all of these for the PSP already; if they are much better on the big screen then I may consider them, but if they're not as good as the PS3 games in the series (or the 360, for that matter), then my gaming time is limited as it is ...

I'll throw in The Red Star, if you can find it. Nice little arcade brawler/shooter/bullet hell mashup, mixes a whole bunch of different elements in together.

Lovely, thanks!

[Vimster]

Global Defence Force Tactics is a turn-based strategy game based on that universe.

I'd say no, they wouldn't be as good as the PS3, but as far as PS2 racers go they're superb.

[Camel]

My TV has a good game mode, which gets rid of any noticeable lag.

Rhythm games do a very good job of making lag that you wouldn't notice in other games very noticeable indeed so I hope you're right.

[Mr.Jeff]

The Shadow Hearts series might be worth a look. It's an RPG series which sadly I've only got round to playing the first game of but I rather enjoyed at the time. Bit darker than what you'd expect for the genre as I recall and had a brilliant soundtrack.

i almost want to recommend Drakengard but......well it's a bad game in theory - mindless hacking and slashing over and over with some occasional dragon burning fun - but damn if it wasn't worth it for the utterly batshit story.

[Xevious]

Rhythm games do a very good job of making lag that you wouldn't notice in other games very noticeable indeed so I hope you're right.

Space Channel 5 on the DC and Samba de Amigo on the Wii work fine, so hopefully it'll be OK.

[spatular]

"[Oh, and the Katamari I have is the Japanese version, but my console can't play Japanese games. Oops.]"

^ if you ever get that sorted, and if you like 2d shooters (as your name suggests!) then Espgaluda is great. (and Ibara is pretty good too).

[Plopboy]

Did the first game come out in the UK?

Yep, both Yakuza 1 and 2 came out in the UK

[Unofficial Who]

The Shadow Hearts series might be worth a look. It's an RPG series which sadly I've only got round to playing the first game of but I rather enjoyed at the time. Bit darker than what you'd expect for the genre as I recall and had a brilliant soundtrack.

The second Shadow Hearts game was insane.

It had

-the biggest pussy ever

-gay trading cards

-a creepy puppeteer with a puppet modelled after his dead daughter. Creepy. As. Fuck.

-A talking wolf. (Who can only talk to other wolves.)

but best of all it had....THE MAN FESTIVAL

The Man Festival is so bizarre I've had to show it to other people to prove I didn't dream it up.

[Jazz Glands]

Gregory Horror Show. Charm by the bucket load.

[mushashi]

The Adventures of Cookie & Cream is great in co-op, though some dexterous sorts can manage to control both characters at once.

Seek and Destroy - Edge gave this a recommend as a great budget gem, accurately modeled SD WW2 tanks, it's actually a spin off from the Choro Q series of SD Japanese racers. Not played anything else like it since.

[Soulstar]

i almost want to recommend Drakengard but......well it's a bad game in theory - mindless hacking and slashing over and over with some occasional dragon burning fun - but damn if it wasn't worth it for the utterly batshit story.

I really enjoyed Drakengard and this was surprising to me because I always disliked the idea of playing those Dynasty Warriors games due to the same reason. I hadn't played any of them and didn't know anything about Drakengard before buying it, so I went in the experience completely blind. At first I thought I might not get into it enough but there was something satisfying about the combat I suppose. I also really liked the way it combined two entirely different styles of game play over the course of the story where one was Dynasty Warriors style and the other was Panzer Dragoon like. The story and dark twisted nature of the game kept it quite interesting too, as did the out right crazyness at times like the huge baby and huge girl you fight as a boss.

The bit that REALLY made me enjoy it though was how it contained 5 endings, but not in such a way that youd have to piss about starting it all over again, but instead it adds in hidden chapters and parts the suddenly become accessible, which then give you options to repeat certain levels you played before which unlock yet more hidden stages if you do them a certain way, much like Mario World in some ways without a world map. It then opens up entirely additional story elements and entirely new characters for each path to reach the next ending which become a key part in that new story but also form part of a new special power that you didn't have before where you get to call upon those people for aid in battle.

The only tedious ending is the last one which makes you unlock every weapon, and as I'd done all the others, I decided to finish it all off and the ending for that was probably the most bonkers one of them all as far as last bosses go. Some of those flying stages are rock hard though, really utter bollox hard. In the end I loved the game as a whole. The only thing stopping me from having played the sequal is the fact I worry it's gonna have that hard difficulty of some flying sections, but I will try it one day. I also heard there's a third one being made.

[smac]

Gregory Horror Show. Charm by the bucket load.

And, indeed, horror. Or at least, unsettling weirdness. That syringe...

[Xevious]

The Adventures of Cookie & Cream is great in co-op, though some dexterous sorts can manage to control both characters at once.

I just spent ages looking for this on eBay and other sites, only to find out from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Cookie_%26_Cream that in Europe it was called Kuri Kuri Mix - and I already own it!

Gregory Horror Show. Charm by the bucket load.

And already owned!

I have many eBay packages on the way now. I shall update when I get around to playing any of them!