PS2 released in North America 20 years ago today

[The Praiseworthy]

It was truly equal to the greatness the PS1 offered when it came to the variety of excellent games library.

Such a legendary home console, deserves to be the best selling of all time.

 

[ThisThingIsUseful]

Original box:

Back of the box:

Slim box:

 

[HylianMaster2020]

Incredible moment for SONY DVD was too good of an opportunity to pass up on.

 

[vatstep]

This thread should have more replies, what the hell.

The legendary date October 26 is seared into my memory forever – I remember it every year.

 

[the-pi-guy]

I absolutely loved how we get fairly tiny consoles, and at a great price down the line.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Greatest console of all time. I couldn't afford one until I bought a slim with FF XII and God of War II in early 2007, I think. Still have it in working condition. The PS2 will be remembered as the King.

 

[joe1138]

Greatest home console of all time? Yeah, I'd say so.

Can't believe that same exact console I got for Christmas that year is still sitting in my entertainment console two decades later and STILL getting regular use.

 

[Mona]

the absolute GOAT, never to be topped

 

[Mona]

Fuck, I always hate this pic. =P

Not that there weren't a bunch of good games, but a lot of it was a stretch (GT3 was a summer game, GTA3/Baldur's Gate/Silent Hill 2 weren't exclusives, MGS2: Substance came to Xbox the following year).

Click to shrink...

i hate it cuz its missing Klonoa 2

 

[Wrapped in Black]

Happy 20th king

 

[bnx]

Loved my PS2. Godlike console.

 

[Diarrhea Day-Lewis]

I skipped out on gaming 2000-04, and got an Xbox in 2004 but there are so many ps2 classics in this time frame I really regret not getting it instead in 2004

the ps2 skin is the GOAT console redesign. Idc what anyone says I'd welcome a PS5 slim with an external psu any day if it meant the system would be small as ps2 slim

hell I'm getting an ps5 next month and I'd buy a PS4 super slim that was ps2 slim level small.

SotC, Ico, Ratchet, Persona, GOW, OG MonHun, Okami, DQ, FF, and prime Tony Hawk. The ps2 library is only challenged by DS IMO.

 

[skeezx]

the first "cadillac console" (in my mind at least)

even though it wasn't absurdly expensive anybody who had a ps2 it was like 'oh damn this dude has it made'

 

[Deleted member 10795]

The PS2 launch gets a mixed rep, but I had so much fun with Timesplitters and Tekken Tag (and then SSX shortly after).

Gran Turismo 3 and GTA3 were when that gen kicked off for me though, really.

 

[deafsnake]

Amazing console. When my older brother got PS2, I was like holy shit at the sight of GTA III and MGS2 (the opening of the Tanker stage with the rain on the bridge.) I eventually stopped being a Nintendo fanboy and got a PS2 Slim thanks to Street Fighter Anniversary Collection.

 

[VG Aficionado]

Me: *reads thread title*

Also me:

SSX and Ridge Racer V were fine at launch. However, we had to wait another year before PS2 became truly amazing.

Click to shrink...

Nothing has ever beaten this. Nothing.

 

[ConfusedOwl]

I was a Gamecube kid for a long time so I didn't get my own PS2 until...2007ish? My brother had one so I still got to experience some great games before I got my own. It was a beast for RPG fans.

Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII (Second favourite FF behind IX)
.Hack
.Hack//G.U
Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2
Star Ocean 3
Radiata Stories
Dragon Quest VIII
Rogue Galaxy
Dark Alliance 1 & 2
Champions of Norrath & Return to Arms

I could go on and on. I still have my slim in working order.

 

[Qwark]

I still debate whether it was better than the PS1 (nostalgia mostly) myself, but objectively PS2 was the king. So many great experiences.

I wasn't there at launch, I couldn't convince my parents to get a PS2 until the PS1 finally died. Even after that, I only played PS1 games on it until Christmas when I got Harry Potter: CoS... which was not great. But then my eyes were opened to Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts, Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter and so many more. What a glorious time.

 

[Pez]

I want a PS2 Classic! =)

Feel like we'd be lucky to get 10 games on a device like that. I'll have to think about what those could be. =)

 

[Ramirez]

I can remember my buddy in HS being the only kid who had one. Wal-Mart literally opened the doors at 6AM and let people full on sprint back to electronics to claim one, they only had like 4 total, lol. It took months for a restock here...the thought of them doing something like that now seems insane.

 

[Cruets]

i waited til the priced dropped to $199, then picked it up with FFX. good times

 

[RAWRferal]

Holy shit, my body is having nostalgia pangs looking through this thread - nice pics so far.

Obligatory "Wow, I am old!"

I owned all three consoles that gen (4 if you count Dreamcast). I loved them all.

The PS2 is the really special one looking back though, just an incredible success story. An amazing library of games.

 

[theSoularian]

PS2 was the first console where I was an early adopter. I have about 20 games still — among them are GT3, SSX trilogy, FFXII, Z.O.E 2nd Runner, Ace Combat 4 which are some of my favorite games on the system. Also Tekken Tag Tournament — I'm still mad my cousin stole my copy and sold it. Of course, like most people it was my first DVD player as well....that was definitely a big selling point.

 

[lunarworks]

I remember getting up at 4 am to drive to Future Shop with my brother. We were third and fourth in line. About an hour before opening some employees came out and handed out tickets to those of us waiting in line. I didn't take a ticket because I didn't want to be a scalping asshole. About half an hour before opening some rich private school fucks in a gold Mercedes showed up, expecting to be able to buy some, but all the tickets had already been given out. We had a good laugh about that as they drove off.

We got a PS2, a second controller, and SSX.

 

[KDash]

Happy 20th! Got mine in December of 2001, mainly because of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, as my younger brother and I were addicted to 1 and 2 on Dreamcast. We were tempted to get a GameCube instead, but I had read about that version having some extra slowdown on IGN, and thought that the Dual Shock 2 would probably be better for playing it (we got an Xbox and then GameCube not long afterwards). Not my favorite console that generation, but I still got a ton of playtime with it, and still use it today. I still have the box in my closet, but didn't want to get it out right now as it's under a bunch of other console boxes.

I think we got Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, SSX Tricky, NBA Street, Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Dead or Alive 2 with it. I also remember our car being rear-ended on the way home that night. Next game we got was Devil May Cry a few weeks later.

 

[perfectchaos007]

And 20 years ago, kids across America were desperately trying to convince their parents that the PS2 was the most economical choice as a DVD player for the family.

 

[BPK]

Loved the PS2! People complain a lot about the launch lineup, but my sixteen-year-old self was in heaven playing SSX and Timesplitters.

 

[Kadey]

I remember after getting one at Best Buy, I went to school since it was a school day and everybody was like OMG A PS2@!

One of the fondest memories is my guidance counselor talking about it launching missiles and stuff and don't sell it to anybody suspicious if I were to sell it.

 

[EggmaniMN]

I originally bought a PS2 with Sky Odyssey, Shadow of Destiny, Tekken Tag and Street Fighter EX3. Boy does that shape a person. Still the greatest console of all time with a bajillion games of all types and niches and genres and budgets. Just a wonderful time. I really miss hitting up the used game stores and just picking through the $5-10 shelf and coming home with a bunch of gold.

 

[Wulfric]

What a system it was. Tekken, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Jak, Okami. There was almost no genre the PS2 didn't have.

 

[BasilZero]

Fantastic system - this was my first Playstation and I got it back in 2003.


First two games I bought for it were Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X.

 

[ThisThingIsUseful]

Happy 20th! Got mine in December of 2001, mainly because of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, as my younger brother and I were addicted to 1 and 2 on Dreamcast. We were tempted to get a GameCube instead, but I had read about that version having some extra slowdown on IGN, and thought that the Dual Shock 2 would probably be better for playing it (we got an Xbox and then GameCube not long afterwards). Not my favorite console that generation, but I still got a ton of playtime with it, and still use it today. I still have the box in my closet, but didn't want to get it out right now as it's under a bunch of other console boxes.

I think we got Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, SSX Tricky, NBA Street, Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Dead or Alive 2 with it. I also remember our car being rear-ended on the way home that night. Next game we got was Devil May Cry a few weeks later.

Click to shrink...

Nice pics!

 

[chandoog]

Happy Birthday to the greatest console of my lifetime.

Also, which had the most beautiful console variant ever: