PlayStation 2 - Ten Years Later

Skull2185 · March 2010

I got my PS2 in October of 2000. $300 bundle, console and three games but no memory card. It was about a week before I could get a memory card, so I played Unreal Tournement, Dynasty Warriors 2, and Summoner for a week straight without saving.

The whole reason I got a PS2 was for MGS2. I picked up GTA3 while placing a preorder for MGS2 and I was so incredibly blown away... One of the most fun games I've ever played.

Ring of Red was pretty awesome, as was Red Faction. Final Fantasy X made me like FF games again, and Madden 2005 was the apex of Football games.

Ah man... so many good PS2 memories (MGS3), then I jumped ship to Microsoft...

SteevL · March 2010

Oh man, I forgot about how much I loved Red Faction. I never did beat that one either. Made it to the last level and just gave up after dying too many times. At some point in my mind I decided I disliked the game, but I'm not sure why.

I didn't think I'd ever play a game with the Red Faction name on it, but then we got Red Faction: Guerrilla last year.

Darmak · March 2010

I actually hooked up my PS2 last night after not having used it for a couple years. It's connected to a 40" screen now and looks a lot better than it used to, though I don't think it was made for that resolution. Oh well, I doubt I'll notice after awhile.

mr-razzcocks · March 2010

My parents got me a PS2 for the Christmas after launch, and it was nothing but trouble for months. We didn't have a lot of money back then, and the only games we got were Timesplitters and Smugglers Run, but we didn't have a memory card, because fucking damn, £30 pounds extra just to save my shit? Also, it wouldn't play DVDs in colour if you had a proper SCART cable, instead playing them with all the colours turned down except for green. Not preferable.

One more thing that bugged me was that with the early heavy units, it was really easy to scratch your discs while they were playing and render them completely useless. All it took was the slightest knock.

Complaints aside, I still use it a hell of a lot, and still play a couple of the launch games pretty frequently, Timesplitters, Smugglers Run and Tekken Tag Tournament. They haven't aged as well as I'd like, but they're still a hell of a lot of fun.

Kelor · March 2010

I didn't get one of these immediately but my mate did and soon picked up Resident Evil: Code Veronica.

The drawback was we didn't have a memory card, so we spent the whole weekend with the thing on constantly while we tried to get through the game. Then died on a boss we hadn't seen before and had to start the entire game again from scratch.

I loved all the SRPGs that got released on there. And Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner, Shadow of the Colossus and Metal Gear Solid 3 were probably my favourites though. I've got two of the slims boxed away I got dirt cheap for when I retire and need to work through this giant fucking list of RPGs I've got sitting there.

Edit: Oh shit Kingdom Hearts as well.

Who would have thought a game that involved summoning Bambi to help defeat your enemies would be so good?

Edit 2: PoP: Sands of Time too.

joshofalltrades · March 2010

I waited for months and months for one of the stores in Dallas to get one of these

Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I bought a way overpriced one on eBay

It's still with me today and I'm glad I bought it, because I have a bunch of games for it that I might have overlooked if I had waited

EDIT:

Oh and for those of you saying, "man I feel old because I was 12 when this came out"

I was 18

Snipperwhappers

Henroid · March 2010

*party poppers* Wooooo happy birthday Playstaion 2!

I just realized, the PS2 has the fewest Final Fantasy releases out of any console that has been a home for that series.

UnbreakableVow · March 2010

If you're talking main series, it's tied with the PS1

Henroid · March 2010

FF11 doesn't count on the grounds of I said so.

Axon · March 2010

The best system of the aughuts...

The hours I put into GTA 3 (and VC - was in law school by the time SA came out), FFX, Kingdom Hearts I and II, Street Fighter Alpha 3...so many amazing titles. And then somehow it just kept going with God of War, Devil May Cry, Guitar Hero, etc.

Henroid · March 2010

Oh man, GTA3. My brother got me the game for my birthday and I was stoked as a motherfuck (at the time, I had only started playing GTA2 at a friend's house). My mistake was allowing the sister of one of my brother's friends to borrow it. Her grades in school dipped, so her parents took her games away which included mine. When I went to claim my game back, they refused because they thought I was just going to give it back to her. Since that time, the father threw it away because he's a silly goose.

That family has come up in recent history too, on account of my brother's friend recommending him a roomie who turned out to be a meth-making child-porn-viewing goose, who finally got busted yesterday when the cops raided their apartment.

urahonky · March 2010

Hmm. Maybe getting a PS2 didn't have nearly as big of an impact on my life as it did for many of you. I don't even remember what games I got when I got my PS2.

I do, however, remember getting my Gamecube along with Luigi's Mansion. Man I enjoyed that game.

Renzo · March 2010

I think I'll start my PS2 10 Year Reminiscence Tour with Ace Combat 4.

bficky · March 2010

urahonky wrote: »

Hmm. Maybe getting a PS2 didn't have nearly as big of an impact on my life as it did for many of you. I don't even remember what games I got when I got my PS2.

The PS2 is what got me back into console gaming. I had most of the major consoles (NES, SNES, Genesis, N64) growing up, but only played the hits and didn't spend that much time with any specific game. When I went to college in '99, I left all of those at home. I occasionally played PC games freshman and sophomore year (Counter-Strike, Sims, RollerCoaster Tycoon), but once I got my PS2, console gaming became my #1 hobby.

Kitsuna · March 2010

I forget precisely when I picked up my PS2, but I was fairly late in doing so. I'm fairly sure it was sometime during Spring/Summer in 2004. I brought it mostly for Soulcalibur II and I remember that I also went out and got a proper 26" TV to go with it rather than trying to play on the temperamental and miniscule portable TV I owned at the time.

When I retired my PS2 about three months ago, I definitely remember thinking to myself that it had proven itself as a solid gaming system. A load of excellent games were released on it - the SMT series is one I'm particularly glad I stumbled across - and the hardware certainly held up well. My brother still has that first PS2 I brought all those years ago - a couple of years back I sold the first PS2 to him and picked up a new one - and it was still going strong a week ago when he finally retired it and picked up an Xbox 360.

A truly fantastic gaming system with a number of games that will remain fondly in my memories for years to come.

hatedinamerica · March 2010

oh god. The Nostalgia.

I was 13 when the PS2 came out and I spent an entire birthday/christmas check that my grandparents sent me on it. I only had enough for the system so my mom bought me my first game, which was Wild Arms 3. I never did finish that game, despite getting to the end several times on different playthroughs. Fantastic game, though; I'd love to see a (non-sucky) sequel someday.

Sadly, my PS2 finally gave up the ghost on me, about two years ago. Poor thing.

Hahnsoo1 · March 2010

joshofalltrades wrote: »

I waited for months and months for one of the stores in Dallas to get one of these

Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I bought a way overpriced one on eBay

It's still with me today and I'm glad I bought it, because I have a bunch of games for it that I might have overlooked if I had waited

EDIT:

Oh and for those of you saying, "man I feel old because I was 12 when this came out"

I was 18

Snipperwhappers

Pfft. I had already graduated from undergrad by the time I got mine at launch. *raps walker against porch* And one of my friends, who is a full 9 years older than I am, got a PS2 at a similar time.

Feygor · March 2010

I just got a ps2 two years ago for 10 bucks with 3 games so I am a little late to the show. Got it for SOTC, Devil May Cry series and God of War. Infact I just beat SOTC on it today which was one of the best games I ever played. The kid in that game though, biggest bad ass ever? Falls off a 300 foot tall monster to grab the last ledge before the ground and doesnt break a sweat.

Clint Eastwood · March 2010

four words

war of the monsters

Synthesis · March 2010

Three dead PS2s and a PS3 later, and I'm going to be picking up Sakura Taisen 5.

Quite surprising. Still, if that's the one they decide to bring over, I'll take it.

Magitek · March 2010

Still on my first ps2, I'm hoping my ps2 will last another ten years. It's seen some pretty serious use. Godhand, Disgaea 1 and 2, etc etc.

I'm so glad I found a Harddrive adapter for my fat ps2, I wouldn't want to count on that laser for a moment longer.

Still looking forward to any new PS2 titles

Even though I have a PS3 now, it's hardly time for my ps2 to retire.

Synthesis · March 2010

I guess I just had bad luck with PS2s. I wasn't the only one I knew who did, though I think I edged them out (3 PS2s in about four years).

Glad my PS3 has worked well thusfar.

Lord Of The Pants · March 2010

My problem was Memory cards. Mine died, and they are still annoyingly priced for what you get.

I need to finish God Of War 2, Kingdom Hearts 2 and GTA:SA for the third time before I quit.

Needless to say, all my progress was lost. Oh wail. My fail.

Synthesis · March 2010

I guess I'm lucky in that regard. I only owned 1 memory card, and it worked fine long enough for me to copy everything off it onto my PS3's hard drive.

Least I never lost any saves. A couple PS2s, sure, but not any saves.

Gilder · March 2010

It should've been a law that no PS2 game was allowed to have saves take up over 1MB of room. Seriously, the cards are 8MB. That's really small, and then you get shit like Fatal Frame that takes up like 1.5MB or something. Really? You're going to use up almost 1/4 of my memory card? Could you not compress that photo album at all? Or games like PSU that had system files that took up around 2.4MB. What are you saving that needs that much room?! That's not even my character data, my character was stored online!

UnbreakableVow · March 2010

Gilder wrote: »

It should've been a law that no PS2 game was allowed to have saves take up over 1MB of room. Seriously, the cards are 8MB. That's really small, and then you get shit like Fatal Frame that takes up like 1.5MB or something. Really? You're going to use up almost 1/4 of my memory card? Could you not compress that photo album at all? Or games like PSU that had system files that took up around 2.4MB. What are you saving that needs that much room?! That's not even my character data, my character was stored online!

Good luck playing a Madden game!

Or certain wrestling games

One of the Madden games (I forget which) took up half of the 8MB memory card

Mmmm... Cocks... · March 2010

Magitek wrote: »

I'm so glad I found a Harddrive adapter for my fat ps2, I wouldn't want to count on that laser for a moment longer.

You couldn't find the network adapter?

Gilder · March 2010

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

Gilder wrote: »

It should've been a law that no PS2 game was allowed to have saves take up over 1MB of room. Seriously, the cards are 8MB. That's really small, and then you get shit like Fatal Frame that takes up like 1.5MB or something. Really? You're going to use up almost 1/4 of my memory card? Could you not compress that photo album at all? Or games like PSU that had system files that took up around 2.4MB. What are you saving that needs that much room?! That's not even my character data, my character was stored online!

Good luck playing a Madden game!

Or certain wrestling games

One of the Madden games (I forget which) took up half of the 8MB memory card

And of course god forbid Sony just make a bigger memory card. We were raised on 8MB and we'll die with 8MB! The best they did was just package two memory cards together. Now I have even more memory cards to keep track of!

Magitek · March 2010

Mmmm... Cocks... wrote: »

Magitek wrote: »

I'm so glad I found a Harddrive adapter for my fat ps2, I wouldn't want to count on that laser for a moment longer.

You couldn't find the network adapter?

Not in my country atleast..

Delinator · March 2010

I only had an X-Box and the Gamecube last gen. But I finally bought a PS2 Slim when Guitar Hero 2 was released. I could no longer resist the urge. The only PS2 games I was interested in and bought soon afterward were Ico, SotC, MGS 2+3, GH 1+2+3 and Okami.

Arrath · March 2010

Never owned a PS2 myself, but man did I have a lot of fun with Kessen on my friend's ps2. Lots of time spent killing dudes with cavalry charges and cannonades.

And obligatory GTA3 time.

Kelor · March 2010

Renzo wrote: »

I think I'll start my PS2 10 Year Reminiscence Tour with Ace Combat 4.

An excellent choice.

Still my favourite Ace Combat game.

Mmmm... Cocks... · March 2010

Kelor wrote: »

Renzo wrote: »

I think I'll start my PS2 10 Year Reminiscence Tour with Ace Combat 4.

An excellent choice.

Still my favourite Ace Combat game.

That last mission? The build up as it starts? Epic.

I use that song as my alarm clock sometimes.

SteevL · March 2010

I just remembered another important game I obtained in the early days of the PS2: Twisted Metal Black. I had a lot of fun with that one, and it also allowed 4 players! Looking back, though, I think my brother and I enjoyed Twisted Metal 2 a lot more.

Renzo · March 2010

Mmmm... Cocks... wrote: »

Kelor wrote: »

Renzo wrote: »

I think I'll start my PS2 10 Year Reminiscence Tour with Ace Combat 4.

An excellent choice.

Still my favourite Ace Combat game.

That last mission? The build up as it starts? Epic.

I use that song as my alarm clock sometimes.

That must set lofty expectations for the rest of your day.

Penny Arcade

PlayStation 2 - Ten Years Later

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