PS2 Appreciation Thread |OT| The Greatest Sequel Ever Made

spladam · Nov 1, 2017

God said "let there be a another one", and then he saw that it was good.

Sony Computer Entertainment's 6th generation console and successor to the PlayStation was released on March 4, 2000 in Japan, October 26, 2000 in North America, November 24, 2000 in Europe, and November 17, 2000 in Australia.

The Playstation 2 went on to become the best-selling video game console of all time, selling over 155 million units. It had an expansive library with more than 3,874 game titles released for the console since launch, and more than 1.5 billion copies sold.

Playstation 2 hardware specifications:

CPU: Custom designed Toshiba "Emotion Engine" RISC processor operating at 294 MHz (299 MHz in later consoles), with a floating point performance of 6.2 GFLOPS.

GPU: The custom-designed Graphics Synthesizer GPU, clocked at 147MHz, with 4MB video memory and a fillrate of 2.4 gigapixels/second, capable of rendering up to 75 million polygons per second.

Media: The PlayStation 2 software is distributed on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM. In addition, the console can play audio CDs and DVD movies, and is backwards compatible with original PlayStation games. This is accomplished through the inclusion of the original PlayStation's CPU which also serves as the PS2's I/O processor.

Controller: The Sony DualShock 2 controller is an upgraded version of the PlayStation's DualShock with analog face, shoulder and D-pad buttons replacing the digital buttons of the original. Like its predecessor, the DualShock 2 controller features force feedback technology. Considered to be one of the best controller designs in console history, the Dualshock and Dualshock 2 have massively influenced standard game pad design since it's conception.

The Dualshock 2

Playstation 2 Main Board

sony-playstation-2-scph-70002-ps2-slimline-pal-13-motherboard.JPG

The Playstation 2 is a console that many of us hold near and dear to our hearts. With an amazing library, a state of the art controller, and top notch design by Sony Computer Entertainment, many of us have hours of memorable experiences attached to this machine.

Let us join together in celebration of one of the greatest consoles of all time, the 6th generation marvel that was the PLAYSTATION 2

Playstation 2 Information Resources:
List of 60 Hz support in PAL PlayStation 2 games
List of widescreen patches for Playstation 2
(Credit Dwayne from Retro Game Boards for mentioning above resources)

Youtube creators My Life in Gaming comprehensive guide to displaying your PS2 on modern TV's.
Getting the Best Picture from your PlayStation 2

Other Retro-ERA threads
Nintendo Gamecube |OT| Appreciation and Collecting Thread
Sega Dreamcast |OT| Appreciation and Emulation Thread
Sega Saturn |OT| Appreciation and Emulation Thread
Sony Playstation (PS1) |OT| Appreciation Thread - Worse Image Quality than your Kid's First Drawing
Game Boy / Color / Advance Collecting |OT| Now you're playing with power; PORTABLE POWER!
Nintendo 64 |OT| Appreciation and Emulation Thread
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive |OT| Blast Processing with the GOAT
Sega CD/Mega CD Appreciation Thread of Welcome to the Next Level
RetroEra IOTI 40 years of Classic Backlog

spladam · Nov 1, 2017

This thread made by request for member Sieffre, enjoy guys. I already had this thread up at Retro Game Boards, so I just ported it over. Any RetroEra folks who haven't been there, stop by and say hi.

Sieffre said:
I was hoping someone could make a PS2 appreciation thread in the hangouts section for us PS2 fans to congregate and talk about games, the hardware, and hacking the system.

Sieffre · Nov 1, 2017

spladam said:
This thread made by request for member Sieffre, enjoy guys. I already had this thread up at Retro Game Boards, so I just ported it over. Any RetroEra folks who haven't been there, stop by and say hi.

Thanks a lot! Look forward to talking PS2 with everyone. I still play mine regularly.

In fact, I'm planning on playing through Tales of the Abyss again in the next week or two.

IwazaruK7 · Nov 1, 2017

Hi. 4 years ago I was researching PS2's library and came up with my own "image lists" of, perhaps, not "recommendations", but more like "games that deserve a look" from PS2. I didn't include some genres and made mistakes etc. So I'd like to remake those lists in the future. Any suggestions are welcomed ^_^

Here they are (hope thumbnails work):

IwazaruK7 · Nov 3, 2017

So, what were you playing lately? Recently I returned to Armored Core: Last Raven, so now I cleared 6 routes and TLB. Now I need to replay missions for better results and parts if I wanna get 136% completion. Though I think i'll go back to AC1 on PS1 and move chronologically from there, playing PS1 and PS2 entries of series, making a circle back to LR. Still, it's one of those games that leaves you with empty feeling after watching credits, and the only way to fill the void is play again.

Also i have some fun with Shinobi and Nightshade (love rhythm of those games; though i'm far from being good at them), and finally making (very) small progress with Psyvariar 2, which I totally misunderstood at first. Ah, and revisited Darkwatch - very fun horror-themed FPS. Despite preferring PC FPS overall, I have sweet spot for some console-only entries, and Darkwatch is one of them. I must add that melee in it is one of things that help it to be such satisfying. It's simplistic, but doesn't get old for me every time I come back.

Rand a. Thor · Nov 3, 2017

Last played the first 3 Harry Potter Games, the best games in the franchise and some of the most unique games out there. Was kinda cathartic finally beating em on PS2 when I have the PS1 and PC versions, and I love how silly developers got when making games for different platforms. HP:PoA wasn't too different from PC, but SS and CoS changed a whole bunch between platforms. We really need to go back to that gameplay style or aesthetic one day.

Besides those, I was trying to get into black. Again. I don't fare well with FPS games, but this game breaks me every single time I try.

IwazaruK7 · Nov 3, 2017

Mitchman said:
Last played the first 3 Harry Potter Games, the best games in the franchise and some of the most unique games out there.

Always loved level design in them, especially those greenhouse/glasshouse levels.

Rand a. Thor · Nov 3, 2017

IwazaruK7 said:
Always loved level design in them, especially those greenhouse/glasshouse levels.

I dunno if we should be grateful or sad that the PC/Gen 5 versions were a bit more grounded in that department then the first two PS1 versions. GBC was realistic and faithful to the books, but PS1 Hogwarts was straight up video game territory in those two games. Sorcerer's Stone was dark, atmospheric and twisted, with tight hallways, a slimey sewer system, floating tables, secret bookcase nooks and crannies, it got downright bizzare. PC SS wasn't too far behind, but it still was a bit grounded. Chamber of Secrets kept the same atmosphere on PS1, but it had a better castle with a smallish hub vibe to it, and some of the best level design. I only really enjoyed Prisoner of Azkaban in that wave on PC/Gen 5 and saw the other two as study cases.

Deleted member 1162 · Nov 3, 2017

ps2 is dope

spladam · Nov 3, 2017

davidwhangchoi said:
ps2 is dope

This should have been the thread title.
We're done here,

Sieffre · Nov 4, 2017

I just updated OPL on my PS2 and noticed that it now supports DualShock 4 controllers. I couldn't get it to work over Bluetooth (not sure if it's just my adapter or not), but it works fine via USB.

Deleted member 1162 · Nov 5, 2017

i just bought a ps1 gameshark. hope i can use it on my ps2 for ps1 games.

Sinople · Nov 5, 2017

Great console and library (greatest ever if we add the PS1's one too). I bought no less than 5 of those for various reasons.

super moustique · Nov 5, 2017

IwazaruK7 said:
Hi. 4 years ago I was researching PS2's library and came up with my own "image lists" of, perhaps, not "recommendations", but more like "games that deserve a look" from PS2. I didn't include some genres and made mistakes etc. So I'd like to remake those lists in the future. Any suggestions are welcomed ^_^

I remember liking Chaos Legion quite a lot back then. The gothic visuals were ace, and it had a crazy soundtrack !

IwazaruK7 · Nov 5, 2017

Oh, thanks :) Yeah i remember that... It also had cool enemies.

super moustique · Nov 8, 2017

IwazaruK7 said:
Oh, thanks :) Yeah i remember that... It also had cool enemies.

And summons !

Your list is missing the Onimusha series... Did you already play those games ?

IwazaruK7 · Nov 9, 2017

I haven't yet despite knowing about them for a long time. I know first three and last one are different in approach. And one of them had beautiful remake on OG Xbox.

Thanks for reminding (both for list candidate AND backlog)

Hilarious_Bearious · Nov 9, 2017

Great thread for the greatest console from the greatest generation.

I still have a working PS2 with the network adapter +HDD. It's the first console I bought for myself, and I love it.

super moustique · Nov 9, 2017

IwazaruK7 said:
I haven't yet despite knowing about them for a long time. I know first three and last one are different in approach. And one of them had beautiful remake on OG Xbox.

Thanks for reminding (both for list candidate AND backlog)

It was more of a deluxe edition than a remake but yeah, Genma Onimusha is the definitive version.

With that said, all games are different from each other... You should get those asap ! Not sure if you're located in Europe but don't bother with the EU version of the first game if you want to get it on PS2 (pretty sure the Xbox version has the same problems) : it's 50hz without the Japanese dub. And for Dawn of Dreams, get the JP version ;)

Mexen · Nov 26, 2017

Makes me want one again. I had a lot of fun on mine back in the day.

Eternalthree · Nov 27, 2017

YES! so glad this thread made it over from Where-it-shall-not-be-named!

Been on a sports game kick lately. Really enjoying NFL Street V3, NBA Street V3, and Madden 2012 on the ps2. Even better using a multitap and playing with friends. Played the dunk contest in NBA Street and thoroughly had no idea what my friends and i were doing, but it was still pretty fun.

Also cant wait to try the new opl and see how DS4 support is.

spladam · Nov 27, 2017

I've added some technical resources on wide screen patches, display format compatibility and learning to display your PS2 on modern TVs to the OP. That My Life in Gaming Video is a must watch if you game still game on your PS2.

Sieffre · Nov 28, 2017

Eternalthree said:
Also cant wait to try the new opl and see how DS4 support is.

I tried once before and couldn't get it to work with my Bluetooth adapter, but tried again tonight and got it working. (Just needed to unplug and plug back in the adapter.) It was glorious. I only wish the Options button wasn't such a pain in the ass to press. The only problem I've encountered is that it takes 10-15 seconds to synchronize the controller when the game starts. This makes it impossible to hold Triangle and X in time for games that need it for progressive scan. I'm hoping GSM can take care of that.

I've been playing Tales of the Abyss, which is one of my favorite games on the system. I've also been playing a little Outrun 2006 on the side here and there.

spladam said:
I've added some technical resources on wide screen patches, display format compatibility and learning to display your PS2 on modern TVs to the OP. That My Life in Gaming Video is a must watch if you game still game on your PS2.

One thing I noticed in the My Life in Gaming video that they glossed over was about GSM homebrew support. Coury mentions that forcing 480p causes an incorrect aspect ratio for some games. I found that instead, it just places the 512x448 image square in the middle of the 720x480 signal. If you stretch that to 16:9, it ends up displaying the game image at the correct 4:3 aspect ratio. I guess it doesn't help much for people playing on a CRT, but it made things a lot easier for me.

Oldmario · Dec 15, 2017

hooked my ps2 up tonight and tried playing some games only to get stuck with weird problems with the game and the controller, tried a bunch to see if the controller was screwy and i kinda got mixed results
Tony Hawks Underground 2 would only turn left in the air when going up a half pipe but could otherwise move around freely when moving around on the floor
Ape Escape 3 wouldn't let me use any of the d-pad or analog stick controls so i was stuck on the main menu
The Warriors would only let me move around freely when i sprinted otherwise it would just change the rotation of the character
castlevania (3D) wouldn't let me change the rotation of the character but would let me move around freely so it looked like he was more or less moon walking
burnout dominator worked perfectly fine

i couldn't find the model number but i was able to find a photo of the conroller

IwazaruK7 · Jan 9, 2018

Anyone played Sub Rebellion by Irem? Looks charming.

Deleted member 10629 · Jan 12, 2018

My local CeX has some PS2 for sale, they cost about $65 USD, should I? :p

Dr. Octagon · Jan 12, 2018

IwazaruK7 said:
Anyone played Sub Rebellion by Irem? Looks charming.

Just picked this up thanks to you. Reminds me of In the Hunt which was also made by Irem.

Etrian Oddity · Jan 12, 2018

That generation -- starting with Dreamcast and PS2, going through the Xbox's late arrival -- was such an amazing time to be alive as a gamer. :')

Deleted member 10629 · Jan 16, 2018

Do you think this disc is too damaged to play?

It is a copy of Splinter Cell, got it for 3 bucks at a local CeX, I didn't inspect the damage enough on the store.

Encephalon · Jan 20, 2018

I recently bought a "new" PS2 off of Yahoo auctions and I'm wondering if what I bought was actually new. The seller is pestering me for a review and asking me if I understand Japanese, but I don't want to jump and give them a "great" review if I've been had.

Normal scuff mark on the bottom of a new controller or evidence of use? Are the bubbles etc around the protective tape on the console normal for heat, time, and humidity or evidence that it had been used without the tape taken off (Japanese people often leave protective tape like that on electronics).

I'm pretty sure my original Japanese PS2 was the very same model and it came with a different controller that had a soft dpad, instead of this hard one (that newer PS2 controllers seem to come with).

I tested the console and even if it has been used it, I got the impression it hasn't been used much. I'm having trouble putting this into words, but when I put in a disc there was a certain level of resistance that made realize a well used PS2 (like my own) probably experiences wear after putting in and taking out discs dozens ~ hundreds of times. I bought the PS2 with the intention of storing it for the future when my current (2nd) PS2 stops being able to reliably load discs.

Edit: I also noticed that one of the bags was sealed with "yellow" tape, while the same yellow tape wasn't present on other bags. Hmmm.

spladam · Jan 22, 2018

Encephalon said:
I recently bought a "new" PS2 off of Yahoo auctions and I'm wondering if what I bought was actually new. The seller is pestering me for a review and asking me if I understand Japanese, but I don't want to jump and give them a "great" review if I've been had.

Normal scuff mark on the bottom of a new controller or evidence of use? Are the bubbles etc around the protective tape on the console normal for heat, time, and humidity or evidence that it had been used without the tape taken off (Japanese people often leave protective tape like that on electronics).

I'm pretty sure my original Japanese PS2 was the very same model and it came with a different controller that had a soft dpad, instead of this hard one (that newer PS2 controllers seem to come with).

I tested the console and even if it has been used it, I got the impression it hasn't been used much. I'm having trouble putting this into words, but when I put in a disc there was a certain level of resistance that made realize a well used PS2 (like my own) probably experiences wear after putting in and taking out discs dozens ~ hundreds of times. I bought the PS2 with the intention of storing it for the future when my current (2nd) PS2 stops being able to reliably load discs.

Edit: I also noticed that one of the bags was sealed with "yellow" tape, while the same yellow tape wasn't present on other bags. Hmmm.

Anything that old can't be completely "new", I think you might be looking a bit too close there. Congrats on the purchase though, did it have that new PS2 smell?

Encephalon, your avatar is so mysterious, every time I see it I'm compelled to ask where it is from, it's very intriguing. Who are those people? Why are they so somber looking? I need these questions answered.

Encephalon · Jan 23, 2018

spladam said:
Anything that old can't be completely "new", I think you might be looking a bit too close there. Congrats on the purchase though, did it have that new PS2 smell?

Encephalon, your avatar is so mysterious, every time I see it I'm compelled to ask where it is from, it's very intriguing. Who are those people? Why are they so somber looking? I need these questions answered.

Yeah, maybe I am. I'm not totally upset even if I am onto something, because it seems to be what I wanted (a PS2 in relatively great condition that will load discs for years to come). Not too sure about the smell. It's a definite maybe.

My avatar is from the French show Les Revenants, where a mom and her daughter discover a security camera in their home and stare up into it. I thought it would make a pretty distinct avatar and I can't seem to bring myself to change it.

spladam · Jan 26, 2018

Encephalon said:
Yeah, maybe I am. I'm not totally upset even if I am onto something, because it seems to be what I wanted (a PS2 in relatively great condition that will load discs for years to come). Not too sure about the smell. It's a definite maybe.

My avatar is from the French show Les Revenants, where a mom and her daughter discover a security camera in their home and stare up into it. I thought it would make a pretty distinct avatar and I can't seem to bring myself to change it.

Thanks for solving that mystery, I used to notice all the time at GAF and wonder where it was from. Eventually I did a google image search and it turned up nothing, which really made me curious. It's not often that google fails to know.

Cochese · Jan 31, 2018

A big impetus for buying a new house and getting my own office space is to hook up and play my old systems more. Right now they are spread out to other TVs that I don't get to use that often.

One of my favorite gaming experiences was buying FFXI with the hard drive. At some point I sold that system, but grabbed one from my parents and my kids use it occasionally. I think I sold my PS2 when I got my 60GB PS3, thinking I'd never need it again. Silly me.

Sieffre · Feb 1, 2018

Cochese said:
I think I sold my PS2 when I got my 60GB PS3, thinking I'd never need it again. Silly me.

Heh. I almost did the same thing. "I can just use this to play everything!" Luckily, I ran into Star Ocean 3 crashing often on PS3 early on, so I kept my PS2 for problem games like that. After my PS3 died, I hooked my PS2 back up and put Free McBoot on it, and have kept it hooked up since.

I've been thinking of getting one of those PS2 HDMI converters. Has anyone had issues with them? I haven't been satisfied with component cables. I've tried three different cables (generic, Monster Cable, and official Sony PS3 component cable), and all give me kind of a slight ghosting/shadow image. For example, white text on a black background looks like it has sort of a drop shadow effect.

Saoshyant · Feb 1, 2018

There's a game I've no idea if it's worth tracking down: ChoroQ, supposedly the fourth entry in the series. Reviews from the media gave it some really awful scores, whereas user reviews and comments online keep talking about it as something unique and fun. I don't think I've seen such a divisive game in a while. Does anyone have any familiarity with it?

Encephalon · Feb 5, 2018

All this time and I had no idea there was an external hard drive released for PS2.

SnakeyHips · Feb 5, 2018

The PS2 was just amazing. The design, marketing, games, how it was cheaper than most DVD players at the time and there being no real competition for it at the time (maybe Dreamcast) was just amazing. I remember first time playing Tekken Tag on it with my brothers for Christmas and it was the first time I've ever been blown away by graphics. You know its library is good when they're still making remasters of it to this day like SoTC.

Chackan · Feb 5, 2018

Nothing will ever beat the feeling having a PS2, ever.

Best console generation ever.

Encephalon · Feb 14, 2018

I should have checked the back of my PS2 instead of assuming that "oh, external harddrive? That must have been released for the slim PS2s!" No, there is no expansion port on the back to plug a cable into. Oops.

Oldmario · Feb 15, 2018

Encephalon said:
I should have checked the back of my PS2 instead of assuming that "oh, external harddrive? That must have been released for the slim PS2s!" No, there is no expansion port on the back to plug a cable into. Oops.

the first model of the PS2 in Japan has no network adapter slot like we're used to seeing on the PS2's released over here, it has a port instead

HPH · Feb 16, 2018

Awesome console, I really like how the PS2 slim looks. Pretty excited to collect more for this system, lots of great releases going for cheap prices online.

PGamer · Mar 24, 2018

The PlayStation 2 emulator Play! now has a Patreon.

IwazaruK7 · Apr 9, 2018

Too bad they never localized this game with voice control (similar to Lifeline). Looks like epic noire story - Deka Voice.

Space Fisherman with music by Ape Escape composer is also curious

PGamer · Apr 10, 2018

PCSX2 Q1 2018 Progress Report

Deleted member 21003 · Apr 10, 2018

My PS2 has started to randomly make my screen go black for a few seconds.
So that's fun, I guess.

PGamer · Apr 17, 2018

A new PlayStation 2 emulator named DobieStation has managed to boot its first game, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

Maximum Spider · May 27, 2018

Howdy!

So I just bought myself a PlayStation 2 so I could play somee PS2 games for the first time in 6ish years. I really wanna play some of the games I never got around to checking out the first go around.

Any deep-cut suggestions? Some of my favorites games are the lesser known titles.

mgtn · Jun 21, 2018

¿Anyone collect Ps2 Special edition memorycards?

Sieffre · Jun 30, 2018

I picked up a Brooks Super Converter PS4/PS3 to PS2 adapter, and I don't know if I just got a bad unit or if this thing is just generally a piece of crap. Really disappointed in this purchase and regret it, especially with it being $40.

I have a PS4 controller paired with it and sit about 8-10 feet away. There are times where the controller just freaks out. Like, I lose all control and the character just walks around on screen on its own for a few seconds. It happens often enough that it's really annoying. I tried a firmware update, and that didn't help any, either. I was previously using a USB Bluetooth adapter with PadEmu in OPL that worked without any issue; the only problem was that it used some system resources that caused slowdown in some games.

PS2 Appreciation Thread |OT| The Greatest Sequel Ever Made

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