I’ve been sinking further and further into the RetroDECK time-sink of setting up my emulators just so, and having the most fun doing so. The PS2 is a largely unknown system to me, I neither had one nor spent much time before now playing through some titles.
So…this is what I have so far! Most have either HD texture packs (Rule of Rose for example, and also Silent Hill 2 has a incredibly big 29GB of HD textures, I added after taking this screenshot), or mods applied (Gran Turismo is Spec II)
I haven’t got MGS3 there, as I’m waiting for the remake to arrive, but…
Can anyone suggest any titles which are ‘must adds’ for me? I’d appreciate it!
It’s Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time It’s Tricky…it’s Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky)
SSX. All of them.
…from what I’ve read and seen in the past, that game can be rather risky on one’s thumbsticks due to all the efforts in making yourself look as amazing as possible.
(sounds worth it, tbh, thanks!)
Luckily since you have a Deck, you can realistically change your thumbsticks should they get damaged.
Shadow of the Collossus
No one mentioned the Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank games. Those were my childhood growing up and in my opinion hold up gameplay-wise to this day.
Plus the Jak series have a native launcher called OpenGOAL.
While I never played them myself, I have heard good things about the Sly Cooper series.
Second the ratchet and clank suggestion. Such a great series overall! I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I own or owned every single game in the series at some point (with the exception of the app which I didn’t find out about until far too late)
I am not ashamed to admit it either. I even made the effort to get the PS2 ports of the two games that released on PSP, however I still need to play those.
It is a goal of mine to have every single R&C game playable on my PC. The only one I’m still waiting on is the PS4 version, and it’s only a matter of time with ShadPS4.
Some racing recommendations:
Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition
Enthusia
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 (the PS2 version is the best one)
Burnout 3 Takedown AND Revenge, both are stellar
Tokyo Extreme Racer 3 and Drift 2
This person knows what they are talking about.
I love Midnight Club 3 so much. That and Black just seemed (to me) to just push the envelope of what the PS2 could do. They’re gorgeous. Black can output 480p, and even with all the crazy physics and detailed textures, it never seems to experience slowdown.
Most of the good stuff’s been mentioned, so some B-Sides:
If you like JRPGs, the Xenosaga series
NBA Street 2
Don’t think I saw Jak and Daxter mentioned, they’re great
Freedom Fighters is flawed but so fun
Edit: forgot Zone of the Enders
Star Wars: Racer Revenge is probably the best racing game I’ve played to-date. It’s very similar to, and often confused with, the N64 podracing game, but it’s way more polished, and the driving physics are chef’s-kiss perfect. Like, the N64 game, the pod and two engines all move together as one unit; basically a car racing game with a pod racer skin. The PS2’s Racer Revenge actually feels like you’re in a pod that’s being pulled by two distinct engines.
Try playing in 1st-person view and set the controls (if you have a PS2 controller) so the left joystick controls the left pod and right joystick controls the right pod - so to turn left for example, you’d pull back on the left stick to brake the left pod, and push forward on the right to accelerate the right pod; since they’re tethered together, the right one arches around the left a bit, and it pulls the pod to the left. It’s harder to play that way vs the usual ‘press X to accelerate’ mechanic, but after the first couple laps you’ll have the hang of it, and it feels so satisfying.
Unfortunately, the last time I tried to run a rom of this game, it did NOT emulate well, to the point of being unplayable. That was probably at least 10 years ago though, so hopefully advancements since then mean it won’t be an issue for you; but heads up.
Okami is native on PC, so I’m curious, why not run that? This is coming from someone who does a lot of emulation but I’ve never seen the need to emulate when a native port was the option. Even bad ports I find are often better because of community made mods that fix a lot of issues. Its possible I havent found the worst port though.
Crazy Taxi, GTA Vice City, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, Gran Turismo 4, ICO, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Midnight Club, Midnight Club II, Odin Sphere, Shadow of the Colossus, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, Shinobi, SSX, Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Time Splitters 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.
That’s my PS2 collection sitting on my shelf. Some of these have been remade into arguably better versions on later consoles, but the originals are still good.
Thank you!!!
I’d be pretty tempted by Tony Hawk’s, but the recent news that 3+4 will finally be getting remade makes me hesitate to play. Since the experience will probably be better there!
The Simpsons Hit and Run is a solid GTA style game and is considered to be one of the best Simpsons games ever. The Simpsons Road Rage is a rip-off of Crazy Taxi but is still a solid game. The Simpsons Game is also a good game that kinda does it’s own thing. Don’t bother with the Simpsons Skateboarding, that one sucks.
Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2, Champions of Norrath, Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2, Burnout 3, Jak and Daxter, Rachet and Clank, SSX3, Twisted Metal Black, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3. I am sure I forgetting some other amazing games.
Some good ones that are not yet mentioned
- Ribbit King is Golf game with frogs for balls which get strategically shot around a map littered with bonuses and obstacles. Players alternate shots and try to have the most points after both players reach the hole. It’s extremely cute and great local multi-player fodder
- Stuntman is tough as nails. You are a Hollywood stuntman pulling off increasingly complex stunts for movies being filmed. At the end of each shoot you get to see the movie trailer filled with clips of your own driving.
- Black is a big dumb loud shooter, and it has zero reservations or shame in that. That’s what makes it so much fun to play
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is excellent 3D brawling. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is excellent 3D brawling with co-op
- Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is a 3rd person shooter where you have guns and psychic powers you use in and out of combat.
The only issue with Stuntman on emulators is it’s one the last remaining games not playable on PCSX2. There’s been consistent issues with the AI pathing on one of the levels and they haven’t been able to patch it after all these years.
I’m not saying it won’t ever be, but it may continue to be unplayable on non-native hardware for a while longer.Actually did not know this. Truly sad to hear it. Guess I can’t get rid of my dusty PS2 just yet
Chrono trigger and cross are both good on the SD.
Another one for Jak & Daxter. I’ve got OpenGOAL and PCSX2, and between them both I have the full Jak series. I was playing Jak 3 when I had a crash, but then I had been playing it like all day.
I’ve also been making my way through the first three Sly Cooper games (loved the series as a kid, but only ever got to play the third one for myself) and they’ve been running flawlessly.
My plan is to play through the Ratchet & Clank PS2 games as I never really got a chance to play them when they were fresh or otherwise. I’m excited for those.
Then I might go and play through the Spyro PS2 era games, minus the original trilogy as I have Reignited already.
Aside from those I have a bunch of other classics I’ve played and loved/wanted to play like the Tak games, Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Batman: Vengeance, and others.
I would also be open to suggestions. I’m very into 3D platformers and action RPGs.
If you’ve tried the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane trilogy, there are a few sequels of differing quality on PS2. I don’t think any of them are particularly bad, but none are as good as the original PS1 trilogy (or the N-Sane remakes).
My personal favorites on PS2, as someone who did not own a PS2 while it was still being manufactured and sold as new. This does not include remakes/remasters or games that have better ports on other platforms (for example, Soul Calibur 2 on GameCube, Dead or Alive 2 on Xbox, Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 Another Cases on PSP, or Need for Speed Underground 2 on PC).
- Haunting Ground
- Kuon
- CyGirls (Both discs are fun but I prefer disc 1)
- Drakengard 1 & 2
- Ico
- Lifeline (requires microphone, very underrated)
The first three Ratchet and Clank games (R&C, Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal) were phenomenal. The first feels dated by today’s standards, but 2 and 3 are peak. Deadlocked is a divisive entry; Some players loved it, others hated it. Try it first yourself and see. It’s definitely different than the first 3 games.
Final Fantasy X has already been mentioned in the thread, but I’d suggest trying the PC HD remaster instead. It adds a lot of quality of life improvements.
Final Fantasy XII wasn’t well received at launch, and I initially agreed. But that was largely because it didn’t fit into my idea of what a Final Fantasy game should be. I gave it another try a few years ago with a more open mind, and ended up loving it. The gambit system seems basic at first, but eventually opens up into a very versatile system once you start unlocking new gambit combos for it. The Zodiac version is the definitive version, (it enforces a rigid job system, where each character is locked into a specific ability tree) but the original is still alright too.
If you enjoy the Castlevania series, Curse of Darkness is an interesting entry. It features Hector, who has the ability to summon creatures to fight alongside him. They level up based on which weapons you use in combat, so it encourages you to diversify your play style to level up your creatures in specific ways. The gameplay can initially feel clunky by today’s standards, but that’s true of most 3D hack-n-slash games from that era.
Speaking of clunky hack-n-slash games, I see you already have Kingdom Hearts 2. Do yourself a favor, and play the other games (KH1, then KH Re:Chain of Memories) first. CoM has some radically different gameplay, which many players hated. It seems like one you can skip… You can’t. You will be horribly confused for the rest of the series without it. At the very least, go watch the cutscenes on YouTube. In terms of gameplay, KH1 feels janky by today’s standards. CoM is very different. KH2 is where the series really hit its peak.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. It’s a prequel, so you don’t need to play 1 or 2 first.
Metal Gear Solid. Play 3 (Snake Eater), 1, and 2 (Sons of Liberty) in that order. Snake Eater is an early prequel. Then 1 is on the PS1. Sons of Liberty is the direct sequel to 1.
GTA: San Andreas.
