The 36 Best PS2 Games
- September 19, 2008 11:20 AM PST
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#22: Bully
Year: 2006
Why It's Great:
"Jimmy Hopkins-you're quite the nastiest little boy I've ever seen!" These words lead you into the shoes of
Bully's red-headed, trouble-making protagonist, as well as life at Bulworth Academy. Rockstar took its
spectacular open-world engine from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and applied it to a private school run by cliques
and bullies. As Hopkins, you had the freedom to skateboard around town, play pranks on the faculty, and even
participate in mini-games that acted as Jimmy's school "classes". With a stellar storyline and Rockstar's
trademark voice acting, Bully was a fantastic sandbox experience with a lot of heart.
Also Try: The Warriors
Click here for more screens of Bully.
#21: Burnout 3: Takedown
Year: 2004
Why It's Great:
Burnout is still driving strong, but the series really hit top speed with its third PS2 iteration. In addition to
the great racing and crash modes showcased in earlier titles, Burnout 3 added a much deeper championship mode and
a cool little feature called the "Aftertouch," which allows you to control your car, post-crash, in order to take
out other racers. Burnout 3 was also the last game in the series based in some semblance of reality, as future
titles allowed you to ram into the back of cars going the same direction as you without punishment, which took a
lot of the intensity out of the race.
Also Try: Burnout Revenge
Click here for more screens of Burnout 3: Takedown.
#20: Twisted Metal Black
Year: 2001
Why It's Great:
After its two previous less-than-stellar incarnations from 989 Studios, Incognito went back to the drawing board
for the franchise's PS2 debut. Luckily for PS2 owners, they created the darkest, most brutal vehicular combat
experience to date! Set in its own continuity, Twisted Metal Black was able to revamp the stories behind
fan-favorites such as Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm and Axel, giving them darker, more disturbing origins. With
stunning, fast-placed gameplay that was sure to get your adrenaline pumping, there was no way you could stand
idly by and watch a Twisted Metal deathmatch: it was drive or die.
Also Try: Mashed
Click here for more screens of Twisted Metal Black.
#19: Devil May Cry
Year: 2001
Why It's Great:
Before Devil May Cry, the action genre was filled with slow, klodgy shooters. Capcom changed all that with the
debut of this classic PS2 action game. Devil May Cry made action stylish and cool, with leather-clad Dante using
his devastating sword to send enemies airborne and a variety of firearms to keep them up there. Devil May Cry is
almost as fun to watch as it is to play, and it's still the best in the overall Devil May Cry series.
Also Try: Max Payne
Click here for more screens of Devil May Cry.
#18: Tekken 5
Year: 2005
Why It's Great:
Whereas every PS1 Tekken game was a bona-fide hit, the series didn't fare as well on the PS2. Tekken Tag
Tournament, a launch title, felt less like a true sequel and more like Tekken 3.5, and Tekken 4 was an aberration
in the series that threw away many of the features of the past by including slower gameplay and environments that
were walled and tiered. Tekken 5 brought the series back to its roots and nearly perfected the gameplay. With
lush matching graphics to boot (the game managed to impress on the PS3, too!), Tekken 5 is one of the best
fighting games of all time.
Also Try: Soul Calibur II
Click here for more screens of Tekken 5.
#17: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Year: 2001
Why It's Great:
Jak II was arguably more fun (cue guns and vehicles), but the foundation of the excellent Jak and Daxter series
was built on the Precursor Legacy. Naughty Dog -- the studio behind Crash Bandicoot -- launched its first
free-roaming 3D action game with Jak and Daxter, and the game's stellar graphics and fun platforming gameplay set
the stage for an excellent trilogy. Alongside Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter is one of the best original series
for the PS2.
Also Try: Jak II
Click here for more screens of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
#16: Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Year: 2004
Why It's Great:
Choosing between three stellar Ratchet games is a tough task, but we chose the third game, Up Your Arsenal, for
its near-perfect blend of action, platforming, and humor. A graphical feat on the PS2, Up Your Arsenal was one of
the best-looking games on the console, and its implementation of old-school game elements (we LOVE the 2D Qwark
mini-games) make it the complete Ratchet package.
Also Try: Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Click here for more screens of Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal.
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- Jul 25 2008 at 02:01:21:PM PST
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I probably don't wanna know what's going on in that Psi-Ops screenshot.
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lol i thought they were only doing one game per series on the list...i got pissed when i saw GOW only at number 7
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good list. and i agree with Zexion_VI_OrgXIII. no FFX? i actually would of prefered that one instead of XII, though i like XII.
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umm take away FF12 and and GOW2 and replace them with FF10 and move RE4 up to #1 then you have yourself a good list. =D
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Strange list, just a lot of random choices, Escape from Monkey Island? The worst in the series, not bad by any means though. Psychonauts should go on it over that, at least it is legit Schafer. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2? It has nothing on Guilty Gear and the best iteration of MvC2 is the DC version, I'm not saying that as a fanboy either. Black was straight up bad, if you have ports on the list, Half-Life should have made it hands down. Timesplitters: Future Perfect, another worst of the series, TS2 is a much better balanced game. Hitman: Blood Money ahead of Ico? Lame. Agree on SSX3 being better than THPS3 though. No Virtua Fighter 4? Whatever. Sly and Klonoa 2 remain overlooked as platformers. Overall an interesting list worth the look.
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