PS 2 is 20 years old - GOAT?

[Brickman | 3,978]

The PS2 turns 20 this year at various dates depending where you live.

I’d probably strongly argue this is the GOAT console so far. 

Reasons:

- Killer library no matter what genre you like. 

- 3D still holds up for the majority of the games.

- Great controller compared to rivals at the time.

- Once you’re done with the US/PAL library, just move on to the great Japanese library.

- Despite the huge library a lot isn’t shovelware.

- Backwards compatibility with PS1

It is already happening, but I can only see PS2 games increasing over the years.

I think there will be more curated collections then complete set collecting. Although I’m sure there are already a few crazy people out there with full sets.

Thoughts?

Edit: remembered another great benefit. Backwards compatibility with PS1 which the GC and Dreamcast didn’t have.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Shmup

[Gloves | 11,759]

Of course PS2 is the best, there's no question.

[Hammerfestus | 3,820]

No.

[Skorp | 383]

I do agree with that. PS2's library is truly amazing and just insanely huge. The RPGs are endless pretty much and all are so great. PS2 is the only system I collect for that isn't Nintendo too. However, the one thing is the actual console itself isn't so great. The amount of PS2s I had to go through over the years lol. They don't hold up too well.

[Brickman | 3,978]

1 minute ago, Skorp said:

I do agree with that. PS2's library is truly amazing and just insanely huge. The RPGs are endless pretty much and all are so great. PS2 is the only system I collect for that isn't Nintendo too. However, the one thing is the actual console itself isn't so great. The amount of PS2s I had to go through over the years lol. They don't hold up too well.

I have been lucky, none have died for me so far. Didn’t the slim improve over the fat? Or did you have issues with both?

[3rdStrongestMole | 430]

I remember my buddy getting a brand new PS2 just after I got my DreamCast... (Oops...) And I always thought it had some solid releases (graphics and controllers were fine, too). 

However, the 64 was the most ground-breaking console in my eyes. (And yes, the controller is trash)

The PS2 library is just too much. It always seemed like they were just throwing shit out there, trying to see what would stick, whereas Nintendo seemed to know what had staying power.

One thing I'll give you is the RPGs

 

[Brickman | 3,978]

14 minutes ago, 3rdStrongestMole said:

The PS2 library is just too much. It always seemed like they were just throwing shit out there, trying to see what would stick, whereas Nintendo seemed to know what had staying power.

I find the GC library boring. A Mario that couldn’t live up to 64, a decent Zelda but nothing compared to OoT and Majora’s Mask before it. Smash and Metroid were great though. They also missed out on so many third party games.

I feel the PS2 took the approach of let’s be great at all genres.

Want to just play RPGs? We have those. Remember those great Rare 3D platformers? Well we went further and give you Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper and Ratchet and Clank. Like more “adult” games? Got that covered with GTA, Manhunt and MGS. Horror, got it. Dungeon crawlers? Yep. Action games, so many great ones.

I think the PS2 library looks overwhelming at first, but once you break it down by genre it makes it easier to work with.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Copy and paste every post I made in the SNES/GBA thread, but change some of the words to "PS2"

In other words, someone go through the whole library, and then curate a top x games list.  And then we'll know 

I suspect the PS2 certainly has a strong claim though.

...until you think about how many of it's games got reissued onto the PS3.  Which starts that whole debate again.

[Californication | 1,477]

If someone asked me which playstation console would you pick between PS1-PS3 and the other two would dissapear, I'd go with PS1. 

And the main reason would be the shmups and platformers.

And graphically I think the best of the best PS1 games have held up better than the best of the best PS2 games. I like the PS2, but there is something about PS2 were almost all of the games have a foggy unclear look to them. There were stand outs like Gradius 3/4, Contra Shattered Soldier, Maximo that are clean, but that style was barely used on the PS2.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Californication

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Fuck it, I have a huge spreadsheet for collecting purposes.  Maybe I'll start compiling what I think are the top games for every system, which I can then use to track how many I own

[Gloves | 11,759]

25 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Copy and paste every post I made in the SNES/GBA thread, but change some of the words to "PS2"

In other words, someone go through the whole library, and then curate a top x games list.  And then we'll know 

I suspect the PS2 certainly has a strong claim though.

...until you think about how many of it's games got reissued onto the PS3.  Which starts that whole debate again.

PS3 does the PS2 games dirty by and large, speaking from experience.

[Gloves | 11,759]

24 minutes ago, Californication said:

If someone asked me which playstation console would you pick between PS1-PS3 and the other two would dissapear, I'd go with PS1. 

And the main reason would be the shmups and platformers.

And graphically I think the best of the best PS1 games have held up better than the best of the best PS2 games. I like the PS2, but there is something about PS2 were almost all of the games have a foggy unclear look to them. There were stand outs like Gradius 3/4, Contra Shattered Soldier, Maximo that are clean, but that style was barely used on the PS2.

Bro have you not played shmups on the PS2? Are you insane?

[Brickman | 3,978]

28 minutes ago, Californication said:

If someone asked me which playstation console would you pick between PS1-PS3 and the other two would dissapear, I'd go with PS1. 

And the main reason would be the shmups and platformers.

And graphically I think the best of the best PS1 games have held up better than the best of the best PS2 games. I like the PS2, but there is something about PS2 were almost all of the games have a foggy unclear look to them. There were stand outs like Gradius 3/4, Contra Shattered Soldier, Maximo that are clean, but that style was barely used on the PS2.

Some valid points.

The PS2 does have great SHMUPS, they were just released in Japan only. PS2 slims are cheap so they’re easy to grab although obviously expensive games.

Platformers are probably where they do lack, but that was unfortunately the industry at the time.

Fair point on the foggy look but I don’t think this was the case for the majority of the games. Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus are the stand outs, although Silent Hill cleverly hid it as part of their story. What other games did you notice it in?

Also, shouldn’t you still pick the PS2 so you can play the PS1 games with its backwards compatibility  haha.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Shmup

[Californication | 1,477]

10 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Bro have you not played shmups on the PS2? Are you insane?

I have a few on the PS2. For the most part the PS2 has bullet hell/Cave Shmups. The shmup library on the PS1 is way more diverse. What does the PS2 have that gets close to Sexy Parodius, Zanac x Zanac, Einhander, R-Type Delta?

The PS2 has a small offering of stuff like Do Donpachi maybe Gradius Gaiden.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Californication

[Californication | 1,477]

8 minutes ago, Shmup said:

Some valid points.

The PS2 does have great SHMUPS, they were just released in Japan only. PS2 slims are cheap so they’re easy to grab although obviously expensive games.

Platformers are probably where they do lack, but that was unfortunately the industry at the time.

Fair point on the foggy look but I don’t think this was the case for the majority of the games. Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus are the stand outs, although Silent Hill cleverly hid it as part of their story. What other games did you notice it in?

Also, shouldn’t you still pick the PS2 so you can play the PS1 games with its backwards compatibility  haha.

The foggyness ia def. a plus on Silent Hill. But look at Max Payne, Prince of Persia SoT, Tenchu, GTA series, Beyond Good and Evil, Yakuza.

[Splain | 2,560]

I pretty much missed/skipped this generation, so I'm taking notes furiously. You know, for that magical future date when I have time to dive into a whole new console library.

[Makar | 1,946]

No way. All my favorite franchises are on nintendo consoles. For that reason, sony systems will never be better than Nintendo for me. I see why others would enjoy PS2 though.

[Brickman | 3,978]

11 minutes ago, Splain said:

I pretty much missed/skipped this generation, so I'm taking notes furiously. You know, for that magical future date when I have time to dive into a whole new console library.

You will not be disappointed

[Brickman | 3,978]

14 minutes ago, Californication said:

The foggyness ia def. a plus on Silent Hill. But look at Max Payne, Prince of Persia SoT, Tenchu, GTA series, Beyond Good and Evil, Yakuza.

I’ll have to revisit some of those, I don’t remember them being too foggy. But yes definitely a down point compared to GC.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

SNES is GOAT for me, although the PS2 is definitely solid as well. I'm with Splain in that I essentially skipped the whole sixth generation of consoles barring a couple Gamecube games. Just never really piqued my interest for whatever reason.

[DarkTone | 984]

Probably top 3. 

[Strange | 1,700]

“Greatest of all time” will always be a subjective thing. I do think PS2 has enough merit to be in the conversation every time it’s discussed, though. It’s the highest selling console of all time. Media format that was cheap and easy to produce. An absolutely immense library with a seemingly better gold to shovelware ratio than other libraries. Every genre is covered, with multiple top tier entries in each. 

In terms of comparisons, it’s tough. I think the N64 makes a stronger case vs. the PS1 than the GameCube does vs. the PS2. The N64 had groundbreaking and incredibly important titles, Mario 64 and Ocarina to name just two. Whereas I don’t see much, exclusive wise, that the GameCube can put up against the PS2 and sell itself with. The Metroid Prime series and Smash? But as already mentioned in this thread, I think the N64 did Mario and Zelda better in terms of impact. Not knocking the GameCube, it would be tough for any console to compete with the PS2.

I had both as a kid. Loved my GameCube games, and I still have them all. But I remember walking into game stores as a kid and feeling much more variety with the PS2 offerings.

That said, PS2 will always have the stigma of not being a Nintendo console. And that’s enough to delegitimize it in some peoples’ eyes no matter how quality the library is. Nintendo’s got that Disney-style marketing locked down.
 

[phart010 | 1,705]

2 hours ago, Shmup said:

Edit: remembered another great benefit. Backwards compatibility with PS1 which the GC and Dreamcast didn’t have.

What about Bleemcast!

[Brickman | 3,978]

38 minutes ago, The Strangest said:

That said, PS2 will always have the stigma of not being a Nintendo console. And that’s enough to delegitimize it in some peoples’ eyes no matter how quality the library is. Nintendo’s got that Disney-style marketing locked down.

This is true, but I do think this is slowly changing and a lot of early 20's prefer Sony over Nintendo. It is possible that Sony will be just as nostalgic as Nintendo going forward.

[Brickman | 3,978]

31 minutes ago, phart010 said:

What about Bleemcast!

I had never heard of this before. I did really mean backwards compatible with its previous generation though haha.