Ordered 8 PS2 Essentials

[alienjesus]

I've been expanding my PS2 collection a little lately too,mainly with exceptionally cheap games I've picked up. In the last 2 weeks I've added Bombastic for £1.50, Zone of the Enders for £1 and Metal Gear Solid 2 for 75p.

I still only have a small collection on PS2 though, although I think it's generally all really good or interesting and quirky.

I have:

Bombastic
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy XII
Freak out
Ico
Metal Gear Solid 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Tekken Tag Tournament
Zone of the Enders

You know what? Considering we've all played it and have an opinion on it, I'd say God of War definitely defined the PS2 and should be picked up, even if not all of us like it.

Anyway, I agree with your decisions to pick up Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Yakuza, and Kingdom Hearts. Okami and Beyond Good and Evil are also wonderful, and I prefer them on PS2. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness however...I own it, I've beaten it, and I just don't know if I can consider it essential. It's not bad, but in my opinion Lament of Innocence is a much better choice. That said, it's still a worthy pursuit for a Castlevania fan, and I am glad to have it in my collection.

I've owned my PS2 for 2 years now and I still only have 10 games

I haven't played God of War, although I've played the demo on PSP (It was a prize you sent me iirc). I wasn't impressed at all, I have to say.

I adore Ico and SotC too, and Kingdom Hearts has seemed fun from the little bit I've played of it. I have Beyond Good and Evil on Gamecube and it's pretty good, and unlike you I prefer it there (the Gamecube controller is just much comfier). I have Okami on Wii, which I hear is generally considered inferior, but it works fine for me.

I think I'm the only person out there who really dislikes the PS2 controller though. The sticks are in the wrong place and are too close together, the grips are too short, the buttons feel a bit smooshy and the controller just feels generally a bit uncomfy. It's still a mile ahead of the oXBox controller though, that thing is just about the worst of all time.

[Fragems]

Here are some games which really defined my PS2 experience along with my estimated play times:

Exclusives:
Dark Cloud(80+ hours)
Final Fantasy X(80+ hours)
.Hack//infection(50+ hours)
Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater(30+ Hours)
Shadow of the Colossus(30+ Hours)
Armored Core 2(40+ Hours)


Cross Platform:
Gun(100+ hours)
Prince of Persia(SoT and WW mainly)(Probably 150+ hours did 5+ playthroughs of each game)
Star Wars Battlefront(500+ Hours went through about 3 discs )
GTA Vice City(200+ hours)
GTA San Andreas(150+ hours)
Time Splitters 2(20+ Hours SP 200+ hours MP bots)
Turok Evolution(100+ Hours)
Medal of Honor Rising Sun(50+ Hours)
Soul Calibur 2(50+ Hours)

Aside from that I spent a lot of time playing through the PS1 library FFVII-FFIX, Digimon Rumble Arena, Twisted Metal 4, etc.

[AppleQueso]

I think I'm the only person out there who really dislikes the PS2 controller though. The sticks are in the wrong place and are too close together, the grips are too short, the buttons feel a bit smooshy and the controller just feels generally a bit uncomfy. It's still a mile ahead of the oXBox controller though, that thing is just about the worst of all time.

You are absolutely not. I've seen so many people post pretty much the exact same thing.

Also I'm assuming you're talking about the Duke with that Xbox controller comment. The S is a big step up from that one, but it's still kinda awkward.

[alienjesus]

I think I'm the only person out there who really dislikes the PS2 controller though. The sticks are in the wrong place and are too close together, the grips are too short, the buttons feel a bit smooshy and the controller just feels generally a bit uncomfy. It's still a mile ahead of the oXBox controller though, that thing is just about the worst of all time.

You are absolutely not. I've seen so many people post pretty much the exact same thing.

Also I'm assuming you're talking about the Duke with that Xbox controller comment. The S is a big step up from that one, but it's still kinda awkward.

Actually, my Xbox controller is the S, and its still tragic. The fucking start and select buttons are under the analogue stick. Who thought that was a good idea? The controller is still incredibly fat and heavy, the convex buttons feel awful and the black and white buttons are atrocious to hit.

[Jmustang1968]

I have never been a big dual shock fan either. I find it difficult to use the analog sticks with as much precision as I do on an xbox or 360 controller.

I also hated the Duke controller but loved the S.

I guess I am the one of the few who likes playing as Kratos. I think it can be fun to play an anti hero or asshole. Definitely something different than the white knight or brooding reluctant heroes that are all over.

[AppleQueso]

I think I'm the only person out there who really dislikes the PS2 controller though. The sticks are in the wrong place and are too close together, the grips are too short, the buttons feel a bit smooshy and the controller just feels generally a bit uncomfy. It's still a mile ahead of the oXBox controller though, that thing is just about the worst of all time.

You are absolutely not. I've seen so many people post pretty much the exact same thing.

Also I'm assuming you're talking about the Duke with that Xbox controller comment. The S is a big step up from that one, but it's still kinda awkward.

Actually, my Xbox controller is the S, and its still tragic. The fucking start and select buttons are under the analogue stick. Who thought that was a good idea? The controller is still incredibly fat and heavy, the convex buttons feel awful and the black and white buttons are atrocious to hit.

Oh man, you gotta try out the Duke sometime then. You're gonna be blown away.

[Ack]

Ugh, the Duke. I don't care for the layout of the S, but the Duke is large enough to beach a whale on.

Personally I like the Dual Shock way more than a lot of other controllers. I never cared for the Gamecube pad's awkard button sizes and C-stick, and the Xbox controller is a beast summoned from a most foul nether world to torment my gameplay. The 360 controller has a D-pad that feels terrible, and the bumpers feel out of the way, though the triggers work well and its analog sticks aren't bad.

The Dreamcast controller is good though.

Anyway, I'd like to point out something alienjesus mentioned:

Zone of the Enders

YES! I really wish I had this in my collection. I have 101 PS2 games, and this is a title I'd gladly make more room for.

[Jmustang1968]

Yeah the 360 dpad is rough, but I do like that redesigned model with adjustable dpad. Best overall controller.

Not a fan of the Dreamcast controller. Too narrow and tall if that makes sense.

I do kind of like the classic pro controllers for wii and wii u.

[samsonlonghair]

I'll play devil's advocate again.

I love the Duke controller. It's perfect for long fingers and man hands. The S is disappointing by comparison.

I never liked the DualShock controller very much. It seems like Sony has been using the same controller since 1998. In all that time, the DualShock has always struck me as "good enough," but far from perfect. The analog sticks are in an awkward place, and the D-pad has been awful ever since the original Playstation controller in 1994. When is Sony going to fix that D-pad?

[brunoafh]

The PS2 controller is my favorite controller ever (Saturn controller coming in second). I use that style of controller for everything I possibly can. It just fits my hands perfectly and I guess my brain likes the button layout. Controllers just seem like a personal preference thing to me. It wouldn't surprise me to hear there were people that like the original Xbox controller, and I know for a fact there are some whackjobs that like the Dreamcast controller.