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PS2 Appreciation & Celebration Thread, long live the King!

Hubbl3

Unconfirmed Member
I'm looking for some recommendations.

I've been in a beat'em up mood recently, but I'm not sure what's available for the PS2.

I already have the Capcom Classics collections, SNK anthology, and others. I also just ordered a copy of Sega Ages: Dynamite Deka (I both both a US and JPN PS2)

Are there any other 2D beat'em ups I should check out? The more affordable the better.

It's not 2D, but Urban Reign is a fucking phenomenal 3D beat'em up game:

urban-reign-20050911005116816-000.jpg


Urban1.jpg


urban_reign_image25.jpg


Here's some gameplay:
https://youtu.be/lqC3tyJSC00?t=7m47s
 
There's Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2 if you haven't played those already.

Got to at least mention the Yakuza series. Rise to Honor looks cool as well, never gotten around to playing it yet though.
 
Went with a used Logitech. Here's hoping it's legit and actually works.

Edit: controller needed a recalibration for the sticks and works great now!
 

MattyH

Member
big big big milestone for my collection hit now finally got a copy of rule of rose well not the full english version but the french release also picked up Echo Night: Beyond
 

squarealex

Member
Well, I try 576p on PS3 in RGB (with Sync Strike) and that works on my monitor ! (But saddly 576p max).
So, I've tested on PS2 and works fine with RGB Color (480p/720p/1080i), even VGA Mode (640x480@60hz, 800x600, 1024x768 and 1280x1024), only interlaced resolution won't work on my monitor (because 15khz signal)
 

oldmario

Member
managed to get a network adapter for £1 from a charity shop yesterday after asking if they had had any recent donations of ps2 games, saved it from being binned too because one of the people checking donations thought it was a useless accessory with the ps2 network being old and most likely shutdown which he isn't wrong on
 

jsnepo

Member
Anyone got an idea where to get PS2 game manuals online without watermarks? I've got two games without manuals here. What paper is recommended to print on?
 

Slythe

Member
I never owned a PS2 in my younger days, but I picked one up cheap from a buddy last month and picked up Ace Combat 4 and 5 from a used game store. Hooked this thing up to an old tube TV and have been having a blast. I find myself wanting to buy up some more games. There are a ton of exclusives I've never played.

Side note: I had no idea the Ace Combat series was so good. That trailer for 7 interested me, and I'm so glad I pursued these older games - they're so unique. Is Zero worth hunting down?
 

Glowsquid

Member
Is Zero worth hunting down?

As far as I'm concerned it's the best one. The battle against other Ace squadrons were brilliant and the way they framed the storyline was super clever.

Incidentally, the PS2 has plenty of great, unknown air combat games beside AC.
 

Slythe

Member
As far as I'm concerned it's the best one. The battle against other Ace squadrons were brilliant and the way they framed the storyline was super clever.

Incidentally, the PS2 has plenty of great, unknown air combat games beside AC.

Definitely let me know any other air combat games you'd recommend. It's a genre I haven't played much of outside of a couple Star Wars games and Star Fox as a kid, but I really enjoy it.
 

Glowsquid

Member
Definitely let me know any other air combat games you'd recommend. It's a genre I haven't played much of outside of a couple Star Wars games and Star Fox as a kid, but I really enjoy it.

I'm a big fan of Lethal Skies and Lethal Skies II despite their so-so review.

The games are broadly similar to Ace Combat (console-firendly controls and a lot of “boss battles” against huge vehicles) but have more “realistic” features like the fact your plane's missile capacity is more limited, damage on individual components of the plane having effects on the plane's performance, and the option to enable black outs/red outs (they're more "realistic" than Ace Combat, but all that said, they're still "arcade" games more than they're simulations). Rather than taking the Ace Combat of having you and useless wingmans take on a large number of stupid enemies in long missions, Lethal Skies has you and a number of competent allies fight in short missions against enemies who are small in number, but stronger and smarter than your average flight game enemy. You can also customize your loadout with different types of missiles (with each airplane having different number and type of pilons to mount weapons on), Indeed, figuring out your favourite weapon loadout for a given mission is part of the fun. Also while the plane roster is comparatively small (13 in the first, 19 in the sequel), they feel much more differentiated than other console air combat games, where planes are mostly a succession of “bigger sticks”.

Lethal Skies 2 is largely more of the same, but better. The “boss battle” aspect has taken a backseat (though it’s still there) but the regular missions have gotten more scenarized and creative. One early in the game puts a twist on the cliché canyon run mission by having you land in the middle of an enemy base to pick up a secret agent. Another has you destroy defenses around a castle and then make use of the plane’s VTOL capabilities to land inside a small courtyard and blow open a gate.

Also one of the plane unlockable in LSII is a VTOL version of the SU-47, which is hilarious and awesome.

Another good cheapie is Airforce Delta Strike. That game is more similar to Ace Combat and it's all excess - wheter it's the insane number of planes and missions, the ridiculously anime story, the hammy voice acting by 4Kids actors, or the craziness of the mission themselves. In one mission, you must dive into the vortex of tornados to destroy weather control machines. In another, you fly your jet inside a metro. The campaign lets you choose between multiple characters, including a crazy old man who only flies WWII-era planes. It's kind of insane, is what I'm saying.

The gameplay itself isn't as good as Ace Combat, because of the lower framerate, padding, often rough graphics and difficulty spikes. But it's worth playing, and like all the games I mention in this post, it's cheap on the secondary market.

Aero Elite: Combat Academy is a great attempt to do a proper (but still approachable) simulation on consoles.

Though not about flying, Sub-Rebellion hits some of the same beats, albeit with a more relaxed pacing and more exploration elements.

I've yet to play them, but Skygunner (a bit pricy that one, though), Dropship: United Peace Force and Sky Odyssey are all flight games on the PS2 with cult following.

I also like the two Star Wars Starfighters, Defender and Battlestar Galactica, but they'Re much better played on original Xbox if you have that.
 

Slythe

Member
I'm a big fan of Lethal Skies and Lethal Skies II despite their so-so review.

The games are broadly similar to Ace Combat (console-firendly controls and a lot of “boss battles” against huge vehicles) but have more “realistic” features like the fact your plane's missile capacity is more limited, damage on individual components of the plane having effects on the plane's performance, and the option to enable black outs/red outs (they're more "realistic" than Ace Combat, but all that said, they're still "arcade" games more than they're simulations). Rather than taking the Ace Combat of having you and useless wingmans take on a large number of stupid enemies in long missions, Lethal Skies has you and a number of competent allies fight in short missions against enemies who are small in number, but stronger and smarter than your average flight game enemy. You can also customize your loadout with different types of missiles (with each airplane having different number and type of pilons to mount weapons on), Indeed, figuring out your favourite weapon loadout for a given mission is part of the fun. Also while the plane roster is comparatively small (13 in the first, 19 in the sequel), they feel much more differentiated than other console air combat games, where planes are mostly a succession of “bigger sticks”.

Lethal Skies 2 is largely more of the same, but better. The “boss battle” aspect has taken a backseat (though it’s still there) but the regular missions have gotten more scenarized and creative. One early in the game puts a twist on the cliché canyon run mission by having you land in the middle of an enemy base to pick up a secret agent. Another has you destroy defenses around a castle and then make use of the plane’s VTOL capabilities to land inside a small courtyard and blow open a gate.

Also one of the plane unlockable in LSII is a VTOL version of the SU-47, which is hilarious and awesome.

Another good cheapie is Airforce Delta Strike. That game is more similar to Ace Combat and it's all excess - wheter it's the insane number of planes and missions, the ridiculously anime story, the hammy voice acting by 4Kids actors, or the craziness of the mission themselves. In one mission, you must dive into the vortex of tornados to destroy weather control machines. In another, you fly your jet inside a metro. The campaign lets you choose between multiple characters, including a crazy old man who only flies WWII-era planes. It's kind of insane, is what I'm saying.

The gameplay itself isn't as good as Ace Combat, because of the lower framerate, padding, often rough graphics and difficulty spikes. But it's worth playing, and like all the games I mention in this post, it's cheap on the secondary market.

Aero Elite: Combat Academy is a great attempt to do a proper (but still approachable) simulation on consoles.

Though not about flying, Sub-Rebellion hits some of the same beats, albeit with a more relaxed pacing and more exploration elements.

I've yet to play them, but Skygunner (a bit pricy that one, though), Dropship: United Peace Force and Sky Odyssey are all flight games on the PS2 with cult following.

I also like the two Star Wars Starfighters and Battlestar Galactica, but they'Re much better played on original Xbox if you have that.

My goodness, this is a gold mine of a post. Thank you for taking the time. Lethal Skies sounds awesome, smart enemies and deeper combat would be great. Also, Airforce Delta Strike sound like a crazy goofy time, I'm so down for that.

I'm really excited to explore this genre and the titles you mentioned. The Star Wars flight game I played when I was younger is called The Clone Wars. Although it was quite fun it seems like that is actually a lower quality game in the grand scheme of things. I am gonna check out Starfighter and Crimson Skies for my OG Xbox.
 

Glowsquid

Member
The Star Wars flight game I played when I was younger is called The Clone Wars. Although it was quite fun it seems like that is actually a lower quality game in the grand scheme of things. I am gonna check out Starfighter and Crimson Skies for my OG Xbox.

I loved Clone Wars, still do actually. I can't deny some of it is due to nostalgia but I did a complete playthrough last years and still had ton of fun. Of the two Starfighter games, i thought Jedi Starfighter was the better one due to its more complex and creative missions(one of the later mission is a game of Tug of War in space, it's hilarious) but they're both so cheap they're worth picking up I feel.


Also I forgot to mention them because I didn't play them either but Secret Weapons over Normandy and Heroes of the Pacific are also cult flight games for the OG xbox and ps2.
 

Slythe

Member
I loved Clone Wars, still do actually. I can't deny some of it is due to nostalgia but I did a complete playthrough last years and still had ton of fun. Of the two Starfighter games, i thought Jedi Starfighter was the better one due to its more complex and creative missions(one of the later mission is a game of Tug of War in space, it's hilarious) but they're both so cheap they're worth picking up I feel.


Also I forgot to mention them because I didn't play them either but Secret Weapons over Normandy and Heroes of the Pacific are also cult flight games for the OG xbox and ps2.

Seems like air combat games have evaporated from the market in recent years. Crazy how many games there were in this genre for the 6th gen consoles.
 

Rizzi

Member
I've got a slim PS2 and when I play anything on it the disc seems like it stops spinning randomly and then starts up again? Any thoughts on how I could possibly figure out what's happening?
 

jsnepo

Member
Started collecting games since two months ago. Just completed the Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter games. I'm still missing Sly 2 and 3.
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
While it seems kind of doubtful, I'm wondering if I got a bootleg copy of Persona 3 FES recently. Bought it new off Amazon. There's something about the case that seems "off" to me, but it has been so long since I purchased a PS2 game and this was one of the later releases, so maybe things changed?

Is it normal for a late PS2 release case to seem "cheaper" (slightly flimsier) than older cases and not have a memory card holder?

The insert and manual certainly seem high quality, but even the disc seems a little "off" to me. However, it has the PS2 logos visible when I hold it up to the light. This game was only about $12 new, so it would seem odd for someone to go through all the trouble to print up fake inserts and manuals for such a cheap price.
 
While it seems kind of doubtful, I'm wondering if I got a bootleg copy of Persona 3 FES recently. Bought it new off Amazon. There's something about the case that seems "off" to me, but it has been so long since I purchased a PS2 game and this was one of the later releases, so maybe things changed?

Is it normal for a late PS2 release case to seem "cheaper" (slightly flimsier) than older cases and not have a memory card holder?

The insert and manual certainly seem high quality, but even the disc seems a little "off" to me. However, it has the PS2 logos visible when I hold it up to the light. This game was only about $12 new, so it would seem odd for someone to go through all the trouble to print up fake inserts and manuals for such a cheap price.
That's normal, especially for late reprinted Atlus titles.

Reprints of Nocturne and both of the Raidou games come in the same variant case.

It's all official and I think they were reprinted by gamequestdirect
 
While it seems kind of doubtful, I'm wondering if I got a bootleg copy of Persona 3 FES recently. Bought it new off Amazon. There's something about the case that seems "off" to me, but it has been so long since I purchased a PS2 game and this was one of the later releases, so maybe things changed?

Is it normal for a late PS2 release case to seem "cheaper" (slightly flimsier) than older cases and not have a memory card holder?

The insert and manual certainly seem high quality, but even the disc seems a little "off" to me. However, it has the PS2 logos visible when I hold it up to the light. This game was only about $12 new, so it would seem odd for someone to go through all the trouble to print up fake inserts and manuals for such a cheap price.

I think most budget late-reprints are like that. I recently bought new copies of GTA3 and Vice City and they really do feel kinda fake.
 
The case's plastic and cover art are lower quality. I think the disc is slightly different as well. I swapped the late prints I have with older junk games' cases.
 
Replaying Kingdom Hearts 1 now with my brother. (KH2 will be started hopefully by july)

Really love this game to death. Only big gripe is the camera. I hope they had fixed that for the rereleases. The graphics still hold up!

Just ordered The Bouncer. Another of my favorites. Can't wait to beat that again!
 

dubc35

Member
So I impulse bought a NTSC-J SCPH-90006 ps2 on the cheap. It's a slim version with the power supply inside. The back calls for 220-240v @ 50Hz. I'm in the US so I've got 120v @ 60Hz. I'm thinking I need a transformer. I've searched around and some places say it's a 110-240v psu but I don't wan to risk it. Anyone running this model on 120v?
 
Replaying Kingdom Hearts 1 now with my brother. (KH2 will be started hopefully by july)

Really love this game to death. Only big gripe is the camera. I hope they had fixed that for the rereleases. The graphics still hold up!

Just ordered The Bouncer. Another of my favorites. Can't wait to beat that again!
The camera is better in the rereleases, but they're all basically the same as the camera in final mix which is still pretty rotten

It's astonishing to me how well that game holds up graphically
 
So I impulse bought a NTSC-J SCPH-90006 ps2 on the cheap. It's a slim version with the power supply inside. The back calls for 220-240v @ 50Hz. I'm in the US so I've got 120v @ 60Hz. I'm thinking I need a transformer. I've searched around and some places say it's a 110-240v psu but I don't wan to risk it. Anyone running this model on 120v?
I dont understand how an NTSC-J unit would be 220-240v. If it's internal it should be the normal 100-120v required, in which case you just use a normal cord.
 

meppi

Member
I dont understand how an NTSC-J unit would be 220-240v. If it's internal it should be the normal 100-120v required, in which case you just use a normal cord.

That has to be a Japanese model for sale in an Asian country that uses different power sockets.
 

Rizzi

Member
So, I bought a replacement PS2, and it's an SCPH 90002 model.
What way do I have to get this thing to play imported games? Want to import the Raidou Kuzunoha games.
 

meppi

Member
Yeah a JP PS2 from Japan would be like this:

Yep, that's what mine looks like.

And like I said in the other topic, I accidentally plugged it straight into a European 220v 50Hz socket last week and the thing just worked, even though all the documentation states it only takes 100v... :-/

Even looking online, every board you come across have people stating that you need a step-down for a 90000 model but that the 70000 models adapters are universal. (which they are).
So weird to have so much misinformation out there.
 
Yep, that's what mine looks like.

And like I said in the other topic, I accidentally plugged it straight into a European 220v 50Hz socket last week and the thing just worked, even though all the documentation states it only takes 100v... :-/

Even looking online, every board you come across have people stating that you need a step-down for a 90000 model but that the 70000 models adapters are universal. (which they are).
So weird to have so much misinformation out there.

Doesn't really surprise me, many modernish AC->DC converters are universal. It would certainly be nice to have that info documented better.
 

meppi

Member
Doesn't really surprise me, many modernish AC->DC converters are universal. It would certainly be nice to have that info documented better.

Indeed.
Still, I got lucky with that one.
I grabbed the wrong box and inserted a PAL game into the system that was hooked up straight to the wall socket. Got the message that this game was not compatible or something like that.
A second or two later I realised my mistake. Grabbed a Japanese Strikers 1945 1&2 disc and put it in, which immediately booted up.

It was only a bit later that I realised just how lucky I was that the system had a universal power adapter built in.
 

notaskwid

Member
Driveby in appreciation to the King.
Shadow Hearts 2
Project Zero 3
Silent Hill 3
Are in my top 10 only one game per series.
Rides away.
 

dubc35

Member
Is it from China/Asia?
Yes, I believe so.
That has to be a Japanese model for sale in an Asian country that uses different power sockets.
Yes, based on some googling, I think so.
Yep, that's what mine looks like.

And like I said in the other topic, I accidentally plugged it straight into a European 220v 50Hz socket last week and the thing just worked, even though all the documentation states it only takes 100v... :-/

Even looking online, every board you come across have people stating that you need a step-down for a 90000 model but that the 70000 models adapters are universal. (which they are).
So weird to have so much misinformation out there.
Hmm, ok. I may roll the dice and try it out. It could only blow up so what's the big deal, right? ...
 

Glowsquid

Member
ok so I bought Dropship United Peace Force 2 weeks ago from a professional seller I have no issue with. I get the game, it looks fine but it freezes at the initial loading screen. On closer inspection,the discs does have a small number of specs - those never gave me problem but I figure that could be it.

I tell the guy the game is DOA and he ships a replacement for free. I get it today, the disc is pristine... aaaaand it freeze at the exact same spot. What do lol
 
Are we allowed to talk about modding PS2s here?

My 2000 Launch PS2's laser still works great in 2017 (i have no clue why but im not complaining) but i don't want to press my luck

i'm interested in some sort of way to rip my games and play them from a harddrive


heres what i have


- a launch fat PS2


and thats pretty much it, launch versions didn't come with network adapters or anything or that sort so if anyone is feeling helpful please link me to a list of things and instructions i'd need to make this a reality
 

MattyH

Member
Are we allowed to talk about modding PS2s here?

My 2000 Launch PS2's laser still works great in 2017 (i have no clue why but im not complaining) but i don't want to press my luck

i'm interested in some sort of way to rip my games and play them from a harddrive


heres what i have


- a launch fat PS2


and thats pretty much it, launch versions didn't come with network adapters or anything or that sort so if anyone is feeling helpful please link me to a list of things and instructions i'd need to make this a reality

just a network adapter and a hard drive and FreeMC boot
 
Besides getting a fat PS3 or emulating, whats the best way to play PS2 games on an HDTV/Monitor? I have a huge collection and I wouldn't mind modding my PS2 or getting an upscaler that doesn't add too much lag.
 
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