Games The Defined The PS2 - Add Your Contribution!

[BogusMeatFactory]

I agree. Some multiplats just became known for being on a particular system. Soul Calibur II on Gamecube or MvC2 on Dreamcast are examples of this.

Is Soul Calibur II really that known for the Gamecube version? I bought it for X-Box when it came out, and it seemed like it was just more a matter of what system(s) people had or what bonus character they liked.

MvC2 was built for the DC/Naomi, and ported to other systems years later (2000 versus 2002-3), which certainly gives the DC version an edge.

Oh man was soul caliber 2 known for the gamecube. When asked who the exclusive characters are, how many people immediately say LINK! Then look at something like NBA street and do you immediately think MARIO AND LUIGI....no, even though they were exclusive characters.

[alienjesus]

I agree. Some multiplats just became known for being on a particular system. Soul Calibur II on Gamecube or MvC2 on Dreamcast are examples of this.

Is Soul Calibur II really that known for the Gamecube version? I bought it for X-Box when it came out, and it seemed like it was just more a matter of what system(s) people had or what bonus character they liked.

MvC2 was built for the DC/Naomi, and ported to other systems years later (2000 versus 2002-3), which certainly gives the DC version an edge.

A bit off topic, but Soul Calibur II had a much higher proportional attach rate on Gamecube, and I do remember that it also was the top selling version for quite a while after launch. Not sure if it stayed that way or not, but having Link as a playable character was a massive boost for the game. Also, Soul Calibur 2 was the definitive 3D fighting game for the Gamecube, as it was the best quality, best known fighting game on a system with very few. Most Gamecube owners of the time would tell you to pick up that game, guaranteed.

[isiolia]

A bit off topic, but Soul Calibur II had a much higher proportional attach rate on Gamecube, and I do remember that it also was the top selling version for quite a while after launch. Not sure if it stayed that way or not, but having Link as a playable character was a massive boost for the game. Also, Soul Calibur 2 was the definitive 3D fighting game for the Gamecube, as it was the best quality, best known fighting game on a system with very few. Most Gamecube owners of the time would tell you to pick up that game, guaranteed.

I could see that for sure - no DOA or Tekken or Virtua Fighter or whatnot to compete with (Smash though, obviously).

What I was more wondering is if there was an enduring popularity of the GC version for tournament play or something, but from what I see Evo used the PS2 version and disallowed the exclusive characters anyway.

[Ack]

So use Guitar Hero as an example. Do free association. So we already know that for a lot of you, when you think of the PS2 Guitar Hero comes to mind. But when you think of Guitar Hero, does the PS2 immediately come to mind, or do you also think of the other platforms it was on? Was Guitar Hero a simultaneous release or did it have any exclusivity on PS2? Was the PS2 version of Guitar Hero better or more Guitar-Hero-ish than other platform versions?

To answer this question, yes, I associate Guitar Hero with the PS2...and only the PS2 actually. Same with Rock Band, even though it was a generation later, for some reason, I still associate it with the PS2.

And Guitar Hero's series sales numbers are pretty huge, even with the big install base. Guitar Hero sold roughly 1.53 million copies in the US alone. Guitar Hero II sold 3.31 million in the US for the PS2, while GH3 sold 1.94 million on the console as of Dec. 2007 and possibly up to 2.95 million units.

[Jmustang1968]

I associate the original Guitar Hero with PS2, and the band games with 360/PS3

[Segata]

Not that well known but a cool game. Chain Dive.

[CRTGAMER]

So use Guitar Hero as an example. Do free association. So we already know that for a lot of you, when you think of the PS2 Guitar Hero comes to mind. But when you think of Guitar Hero, does the PS2 immediately come to mind, or do you also think of the other platforms it was on? Was Guitar Hero a simultaneous release or did it have any exclusivity on PS2? Was the PS2 version of Guitar Hero better or more Guitar-Hero-ish than other platform versions?

To answer this question, yes, I associate Guitar Hero with the PS2...and only the PS2 actually. Same with Rock Band, even though it was a generation later, for some reason, I still associate it with the PS2.

And Guitar Hero's series sales numbers are pretty huge, even with the big install base. Guitar Hero sold roughly 1.53 million copies in the US alone. Guitar Hero II sold 3.31 million in the US for the PS2, while GH3 sold 1.94 million on the console as of Dec. 2007 and possibly up to 2.95 million units.

The Guitar Hero series was huge, but got too big. I associate Guitar Hero with the PS2 as not a defining series, but as over saturation market on the shelf finalizing the death of the PS2 due to lack of other games towards the end of the console production. Perhaps almost an analogy of the Video Game Crash (partly caused by take over of first home computers); too much of the same style of games killing the market?

[retrosportsgamer]

I put Madden down below since it's so multiplatform and everlasting

A different angle on that is that Sony had EA Sports support in general, which was an important thing when it came to competing with the Dreamcast. Not that Sega's sports offerings were bad - not my genre, but far as I know, most were regarded as well or better than EA's. However, working in Software Etc at the time, a major factor with the PS2 was franchise entries - the next Metal Gear, the next Gran Turismo, the next Call of Duty, whatever. The PS2 had the next Madden (or FIFA, etc). The only other current hardware on the shelf when it launched...didn't.

Kind of a moot thing once the Gamecube and X-Box were on shelves too, but as for reasons people were standing in line for the system..definitely an argument for Madden actually being one.

Madden sold by far best on PS2. I knew people who only owned a PS2 to use as a DVD player and a Madden/NCAA football machine.

I'd say the series hit its peak with 2004 and Vick on the cover. Online multiplayer (we had a full custom league we tracked online) hit its stride here too.

[retrosportsgamer]

I associate the original Guitar Hero with PS2, and the band games with 360/PS3

Guitar hero II and then the 80s addon disc were the series at its peak.

III was excellent - had that for 360, but always felt like II was the pinnacle.

[BogusMeatFactory]

On the madden talk....is no one going to address the elephant in the room? The vastly superior and amazing deal of the nfl/ESPN 2k football games?