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So, I just bought a PS2...
Raakam
Too many years...CanadalandRegistered User regular
Too many years...CanadalandRegistered User regular
Yes, yes, I know, welcome to 35 years ago. I never had the money back then, and I already had a Gamecube, so I never felt the need to get a PS2.
However, this week, Target had them at $99, and I finally found the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, so I went ahead and bought the stuff. Thing is, with such a huge library of games, I have no idea what games I should be getting. I went to a Play n Trade and picked up Kingdom Hearts, Grandia 2 and Wild Arms 3, since I haven't played an RPG in a long time. If I like them enough, I'll look around for KH2, the whole Grandia and WA series. I was looking for God of War (1 or 2) and they didn't have it in stock...
So, G&T, what are absolutely must-haves for the PS2? Games that will still be good now, despite the "next gen" already being out. I'll try and compile a top10 and go out and get 'em whenever possible.
However, this week, Target had them at $99, and I finally found the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, so I went ahead and bought the stuff. Thing is, with such a huge library of games, I have no idea what games I should be getting. I went to a Play n Trade and picked up Kingdom Hearts, Grandia 2 and Wild Arms 3, since I haven't played an RPG in a long time. If I like them enough, I'll look around for KH2, the whole Grandia and WA series. I was looking for God of War (1 or 2) and they didn't have it in stock...
So, G&T, what are absolutely must-haves for the PS2? Games that will still be good now, despite the "next gen" already being out. I'll try and compile a top10 and go out and get 'em whenever possible.
My padherder
they don't it be like it is but it do
they don't it be like it is but it do
Raakam on
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Exclusives -
The Red Star, Gradius V, Gitaroo Man (a great Rhythm game from the makers of Elite Beat Agents/Oenden).
There is a Prince Of Persia Triple Pack, and if you haven't played these yet it's a must buy (although the individual games are probably better on Xbox/GC)
Multiplatform -
Beyond Good and Evil, Alien Hominid, Soul Calibur 2, Metal Arms - Glitch In The System, I-Ninja, Metal Slug Anthology, Rayman Revolution, Resident Evil 4 (although the Wii version is much better) Spider-Man 2, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Mercenaries - Playground of Destruction.
You to know your preferences to suggest anything that hasn't already been said.
Ace Combat 4
Ace Combat 5
Ape Escape 2
Ape Escape 3
Burnout 3: Takedown
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry 3
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns
Front Mission 4
God Hand
God of War
God of War 2
Gradius V
Gran Turismo 4
Hot Shots Golf Fore!
Ico
Jak & Dakter
Jak 2
Jak 3
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 2
Maximo Vs The Army Of Zin
Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 3
Odin Sphere
Onimusha
Onimusha 2
Onimusha 3
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast
Psychonauts
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank 2
Ratchet & Clank 3
Ridge Racer V
R-Type Final
Shadow of the Colossus
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 3
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Tales of the Abyss
Tekken 5
Tourist Trophy
We Love Katamari
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
Yakuza
Devil May Cry 3
Metal Gear Solid 3
Guitar Hero (1)
Silent Hill 2
I'm not gonna make a huge list of games I'd probably reccomend, just reccomend my absolute faves
Also Guitar Hero I and II if you don't have those yet.
Breath of Fire:Dragon Quarter - It can be had for under $10 these days and it's a very unique and well done game.
Final Fantasy X & XII - Both are great games although they have very different styles and probably appeal to different people. FFX is a great traditional RPG; FFXII is basically a well done single-player MMORPG.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES - Comes out in April for $30. It's an enhanced version of what was probably the best RPG of 2007. Note, Atlus RPGs tend to sell out quick so you might want to preorder this to ensure a copy.
Basically anything else that's in the Shin Megami Tensei series, although those are difficult to find these days (with the exception of Devil Summoner which is probably the weakest recent game in the series although it's still a good game).
Those are the big ones. Other less pressing but still good RPGs for the PS2 would include the later Wild Arms games (starting with 4, they use a really cool hexagon battle system), Suikoden V (average gameplay, but excellent story), the Shadow Hearts games, Grandia 3 (lowsy story, but great gameplay), and the Atelier Iris games (light RPGs with a fun item creation focus). For Strategy/RPGs, anything by NIS or Atlus is a decent bet. Odin Sphere is a good Action/RPG and Rogue Galaxy was pretty fun as well.
For non-RPG games...
shmups - Gradius V is definitely the best game in the genre on the PS2. Oh what I wouldn't give for an XBLA version with high resolution and online leaderboards. R-Type Final isn't bad either.
Shadow of the Colossus - It's only a pretty good game, but it's a fabulous experience. Well worth playing through once and it's a Greatest Hits game so it's cheap. If you like it, you may want to try to track down Ico as well (more expensive and harder to find).
Devil May Cry 3 - Excellent beat-em-up with minor RPG elements. Make sure to get the Special Edition since it adds some nice extras and is less frustrating.
On a side note, I found Gitaroo Man extremely disappointing. The music, visuals, and humor were decent enough, but the gameplay was a pain - trying to hit very precise 360 degree directions at high speeds on a PS2 controller is an exercise in frustration. Luckily it only cost me $20 and I was able to sell it for $21 a week later.
EDIT: I just remembered another one: Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is an excellent Action/RPG and comes highly recommended. And if you like horror games and don't mind a very high level of difficulty, Siren is an excellent exclusive game.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Unfortunately, it was an Atlus game, so, good luck finding it. Best action game on the system, in my opinion.
I think it still sells on the cheap if you see a used copy around.
no. really. NSFW: http://pikapuff.com/videos/graffitikingdomwangshot.wmv
and his earlier different moveset, nsfw: http://pikapuff.com/videos/graffitikingdomwang.wmv
I'm playing through SOTC again and my wife wants to watch. It helps that it looks GORGEOUS with the PS3 upscaling, though.
XBL - Follow Freeman
Hahahaha
*buys*
EDIT: No way. That is the sequel to Magic Pengel! I traded that in like two years ago.
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[3DS] 3394-3901-4002 | [Xbox/Steam] Redfield85
I'd also suggest Gradius V, and any of the Capcom/Taito/Namco/ collections. Sonic and Megaman are good ones too.
Also, I think this forum unanimously agrees: Shadow of the Colossus is an absolute necessity.
Jak II
Jak III
Socom U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault
Onimusha
Onimusha II
Onimusha III
Also, you might want to try Radiata Stories. It's an action RPG that doesn't get talked about very much but it's a great game. There's 2 different story paths for you to choose to follow towards the middle of the game and the game has 2 endings because of it so there's very good replay value.
I don't know if The Silent Hill Collection has been released in the US, but you'll definitely want to pick up those games. They are terrifying.
I'd also recommend Worms Blast, if you can find a copy. A wonderful twist on the Bust-a-Move/Puzzle Bobble style gameplay that I found to be quite delicious.
Formula for good sequel:
1) Give main character generic rage and gunz
2) Add floaty vehicles
3) Create fucking huge and empty hub that doesn't add anything to game, and is pain in the ass to navigate
4) Add annoying music that starts to play everytime you bump on anything else on the hub.
5) Remove half of the checkpoints
6) When starting from the checkpoint, don't give player back ammunition that he used after passing the point. This makes boss battles extremely fun.
I really enjoyed Rogue Galaxy despite a fairly weak story. The no load times, excellent music, and genuinely fun gameplay more than makes up for the uninspired story. I especially enjoyed the move suggestion system your allies use in battle. Basically when they want to heal you or themselves, buff, or just use a magic attack the options will show up on the bottom of the screen and you simply hit R3 to confirm it. Happens real time, very cool.
I can't say enough about the soundtrack and VA is decent if not good in most places.
It can get a bit difficult, but never frustratingly so.
(Note these aren't in any sort of order, just the order I pick them up out of the pile next to me)
Jak and Daxter -Awesome action/platformer with cute funny characters/story
Jak II Does everything Jak & Daxter did, adds GTA elements, changes the setting to Star Wars, ups the ante on production values and continues to deliver FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC voicework. The storyline appeals to me greatly, and the insanely hard (but fun!) platforming/combat make this game a real keeper.
Jak 3 Takes everything that made Jak II great, does it even better here, then gets rid of everything that made Jak II not great, then replaces it with MORE new and great stuff. Finishes off the storyline of the trilogy, and makes you CRAVE more.
Jak X: Combat Racing -I just could not get into this on any level. I've only played a few races, and I don' think this entry in the series is for me. However I'll likely finish it someday just cause of my love for the characters.
Soul Calibur 3 -Not as good as 1 or 2, but some decent graphics and an awesome create-a-charater mode
Ape Escape 2 -AWESOME but simple action platformer. Really nice graphics and simple arcadey gameplay. One of my favorite franchises.
Viewtiful Joe -Has more slowdown in some places than the GCN version, but an awesome brawler, with new unlockables not seen on the Gamecube version.
Disgaea -AWESOME Turnbased Strategy JRPG, mediocore music, but awesome 2D graphics, sweet story, hilarious dialogue, and some of the best turnbased combat EVER. LOOOOOONG as well. It's nearly neverending. From what I hear though the PSP remake is better.
Devil May Cry -A Decent 3D Action/Adventure an annoying checkpoint system, but otherwise an oldschool blast
Devil May Cry 2 -Haven't played yet.
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition -Haven't played yet.
Megaman X Collection -Megaman X 1 through 6. One two and three are fairly awesome, I'm not a fan of the ones after that, but this collection is totally awesome if you don't have the individual games themselves.
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams -Definitely the best Onimusha title I've played (I haven't played 3, or the original for PS2, I played the Xbox version of the original though and loved it) It's got seriously the most balanced leveling system I have EVER seen in an Action-RPG.
Capcom Classics Collection: Volume 1 -22 Arcade games, arcade perfect ports with full multiplayer, and Super Ghouls & Ghosts from the SNES
Capcom Classics Collection: Volume 2 -20 arcade perfect ports with full multiplayer.
Radiata Stories -GREAT Action RPG. The graphics/story/voicework/music are ALL terrific here. The gameplay is very very fun, but the combat starts to feel a little limited once you've learned all the techniques, also the AI on your party/enemies side isn't the brightest so the game is kind of a breeze. However, it's the good sort of easy, where you're just having so much fun it doesn't matter.
Dual Hearts -A Fairly interesting Action/RPG that plays like a Zelda clone and has a storyline that reminds me of Alundra for the PS1. Good stuff overall, but some gameplay flaws and lack of direction make this game feel very 16 bit, in a negative way. Crisp Dreamcast-y graphics though. Everything looks really simple, but really nice.
Monster Rancher Evo -Haven't played yet.
Okage: Shadow King -Boring, HARD battles in this JRPG. The dungeons are bland and HARD. The storyline however? Completely charming and hilarious. This game reminds me of gems such as Earthbound and Startropics. It's got a great feel to it, and despite the lackluster polygon count, the game's visual style really shines through. Not for everyone, but a great time none the less.
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter -BEST. Battlesystem. In a JRPG. Ever. It's a 3D turnbased strategy RPG where the battles take place on the overworld and enemies walk around on it before you engage them and you can set traps/lures to try and get them away from each other and set the battles up to your advantage. Seriously. One of the best RPGs I have ever played. The storyline/graphics/setting/characters/gameplay are all AWESOME. Buy now.
Katamari Damacy -One of the best/weirdest games I've ever played. You've read the hype, now see why it's 100% deserved. This one's hard to describe, but is a must experience.
Stretch Panic -A treasure game, a simple game, and a great game. Don't pay over ten dollars for this action/fighting game of several bossfights and some boob-popping. For under 10 dollars though, this game is a must own.
God of War -FANTASTIC action/adventure game. Oldschool beat 'em up revived, with the flashiest graphics and most intense fighting moves you'll ever see. This is seriously one of the best action games I've ever played. The story isn't fantastic, but you'll love every second of it thanks to the AMAZING production values.
Sylpheed: The Lost Planet -A decent 2.5d shooter by Treasure. Not one of their best efforts, but if found in a bargain bin, a fun enough time. Would have benefitted from a co-op mode. Doesn't have one, so the shmupness fun suffers.
The Adventures of Cookie & Cream -Haven't played yet
Parappa The Rapper 2 -Gameplay wise much more balanced than the original, and some of these songs are just as catchy as the original's. The characters and humor are all at their best, and if you played the original you owe it to yourself to give this one a try. No previous knowledge of the series is needed though, if you haven't.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty -Can't get into this. Tried so many times. I loved the original and the remake of the original on Gamecube (The Twin Snakes) but for some reason, MGS2 doesn't appeal to me.
Guitar Hero II -One of Harmonix's best games. It's truly fantastic here, but if you own an Xbox 360, that version has more songs out of the box, and DLC So out of the two versions, I'd go with that one.
Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of The Future -Haven't played yet.
Guitar Hero ENCORE: Rocks The 80's -Haven't played yet.
Guitar Hero -Harmonix made this, and if you like Rhythm games you need it. Should be noted though, all songs are available as DLC for the 360 version of GHII but that'll cost you a lot more money.
God Hand -I hate to follow the crowd, but I'm gonna have to agree with all the God Hand love. Definitely the best Clover game on PS2 (or any platform!) It's pure Beat 'Em Up glory. You'll feel like you're trapped in the 80's dialogs wise, and visually you'll feel like you're playing a very fancy N64 game, but that's half the charm. The other half is FIERCE combat and awesome super moves. Seriously, this game is hard as boners, and the fun and depth of the combat will likely induce one for you.
Odin Sphere -A fantastic RPG, with AMAZING graphics. This game I'd suggest buying just to see. The combat and level design can be kind of dull, the but the inventory system, storyline, and visuals are enough to keep you playing till the finish.
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria -Haven't played yet.
Amplitude -Ah. My NUMBER ONE MOST PLAYED GAME on the PS2 system. A great arcade/rhythm game that requires no peripherals, has a great soundtrack, awesome graphics, is addictive as heroin, and brought to you by our lords and saviors Harmonix.
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny -Definitely the black sheep of the series, and the weakest of them. I wouldn't say avoid it, but don't play it first.
Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus -Great platformer, feels like a much faster paced Banjo Kazooie. Much better than the Rare games for the N64, graphics look like a sharper kind of cel-shading than seen on the PS2 most of the time. The graphic style really shines through, and the voicework/music is great. I don't have the other entries in the series, but I certainly want them.
Space Channel 5: Special Edition -Both Dreamcast games from the series in one package originally retailing at 15 dollars new? Unbelievable. SC5p2 never even got a release in the states previous to this. Must buy if you're a fan of rhythm games or Simon.
Dragon Quest VIII -My favorite JRPG on the system. THE BEST production values in a JRPG in my opinion. From the soundtrack, to the voicework. You'll love these characters, you'll love the humor, and you'll be UBER-disappointed with the final boss. Don't come in expecting Final Fantasy. This is an entirely different beast.
Zone of The Enders -From the maker of Metal Gear Solid comes the best Mech Action game I've seen in years. The storyline is great, but you'll hate the protagonist. The game ends abruptly at the 5 hour mark, when things are JUST starting to get good. What? Still. Definitely worth a playthrough.
The Bouncer -A fantastic Oldschool Beat 'Em Up with great graphics and awesome storyline, that only takes 2 hours to beat! The only drawback here is this game is DYING for CO-OP but none exists.
We
Rayman 2: Revolution -Probably the best overall version of this game (the dreamcast one is great too though..) it's the first 3D Rayman and probably the best game in the series. Oldschool 3D platforming with some of the best level design the genre has seen.
Kingdom Hearts -Beautiful graphics (some if the best on the system), beautiful music, amazingly high budget voice cast, all your favorite disney heroes/villians and some of the creepiest and greatest writing I've seen in JRPGs. This is definitely Squenix's best series and they need to keep doing more with it.
Kingdom Hearts II -Easier than the original, but only because THE CAMERA was your greatest enemy in Kingdom Hearts I, only two negatives about this must buy, one: You need to have played the original and (some would argue) the GBA game in the series before you'll know what's going on here. Two: The first 5 hours are a longass tutorial that doesn't feel necessary.
Megaman Anniversary Collection -DO NOT BUY THE GAMECUBE VERSION. The PS2 version is the better of the two. It's the first 8 Megaman Games with all their controls in tact. Great unlockables and slick add-ons and remixes to the originals. Must Purchase.
Ape Escape 3 -Best of the Ape Escape series so far. With beautiful graphics, decent voicework/music and some of the most undeniably fun gameplay this side of Super Mario.
Monster Rancher 3 -Decent sequel to MR2 on PS1. New graphics and tweaks are fun. You can even make a mask for your monsters with your face on it!
Okami -Decent Zelda clone with BEAUTIFUL graphics. The artsyle is just sooooo good here. The combat is WAY too easy, to the point of boredom, and the puzzles are nonsensical rather than logical.
Sega Genesis Collection -30 Sega Genesis games, some that are PAINFULLY rare and some that were never released in the states. The entire run of Genesis Phantasy Star games are all present and accounted for. INCLUDING IV!
Skygunner -A decent 3D flight simulator/shooter. For fans of Ace Combat rather than fans of Starfox. Lot's of silliness and fun to be had in this title.
Primal -Feels like what you would have imagined a 3D Oddworld game would feel like before Much's Odyssey or Stranger's Wrath came out. Slow in sections, but fantastic graphics and really interesting storyline make this game playable, if not a joyride.
Frequency The prequel to Harmonix's AMPLITUDE it does some things worse, some things better, but shares the awesome soundtrack and awesome graphics. Did I mention it was Harmonix's first game?
Gitarooman -One of the best Rhythm games I have ever played. Plot, Graphics, Music, and most of all GAMEPLAY are all the strongest they could possibly be here. More Parappa than Guitar Hero I should mention.
Final Fantasy XII:Collector's Edition -Great JRPG with the most user-friendly combat experience ever. Throw in some beautiful graphics, an epic score, and a pretty decent storyline, and you're left with a fantastic game. Collector's Edition only comes with a making of DVD not necessary for the game, so don't bother, unless you really love metal cases. I don't even think I've watched that DVD yet.
edit: um Ys VI game also...
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Gradius V
Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2
Marvel vs Capcom 2
Odin Sphere
Okami
Rogue Galaxy (and Dark Cloud 2 if you like RG)
SSX3
Tales of the Abyss
Xenosaga
I'll keep my list of suggestions short:
Shadow of the Colossus. It's not a long game, and it's the most unique experience avalible on the console.
Both the Metal Gear Solid games. 3 is particularly good.
Okami if you like Zelda games.
Grand theft Auto: San Andreas
Aand, if you never had a playstation, Bushido Blade 2 and Castlevania: SotN are must own games.
skate, halo 3
If you explore the massive world of DQ8 thoroughly and don't run away from random encounters, there's very little grinding. I think I only spent about a couple of hours of straight grinding for the whole game (some right at the beginning and some for a couple of the major bosses later on) and for a game that's as long as Dragon Quest 8, that's pretty mild.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Shadow of the Colossus
Metal Gear Solid 3
Guitar Hero 2
Black
I'm hesitant to recommend Global Defence Force, but the frame rate is a killer. Considering its only US$15 or something its still probably worth picking up.
I never asked for this!
I think there's less than a dozen people who know how awesome Samurai Western is.
No, you're right - Samurai Western is pretty awesome. I love how you can zip between your targets and tear 'em limb from limb.
Anyway, here's my top games for PS2 (a system rife with masterpeices):
Virtua Fighter 4: Evo (VF is the best fighting game and the others are just flashy colors)
Metal Gear Solid 3 (Essentials Collection coming out in less than a months for 30 bucks).
Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Hulk smash)
Persona 3 (with the FES bundle coming out in about six weeks, if you're going to play an RPG, make it the best one)
Prince of Persia 1-3 (Warrior Within has the best level designs, Two Thrones has best graphics and combat, they all have the best platforming out there)
Tenchu: Fatal Shadows (tight controls, great art direction, gorgeous one-hit kills - the best stealth gameplay that can actually be called gameplay)
Hitman: Blood Money (the peak of Hitman evolution is also available in a trilogy pack for 30 bucks!)
Fatal Frame 2 (will scare the holy shit out of you)
God of War 1-2 (highest production values of pretty much any game, anywhere. Notice what you didn't notice between those two levels? A loading screen)
Ratchet & Clank 2 (they're all great, but this is best)
Devil May Cry 1 and 3 but not 2 (also available in a trilogy pack for 30 bucks).
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (I don't care what anyone says - it's a masterpiece).
Okami (see: San Andreas comment)
Ico (is very good, but doesn't hold a candle to...)
Shadow of the Colossus (which will still be regarded as a holy grail of gaming in ten years' time)
I also really liked
GUN but I seem to be alone on that one. It's like a poor man's GTA in the wild west with some of the best VOs and casting this side of San Andreas.