Playstation 2 Launched 25 Years Ago

[Ferik]

Hate it when people use the PS2 as a scapegoat for the death of the Dreamcast. When it wasn’t the main reason why it died. It was because of the toxic workplace drama between Sega of Japan and Sega of America and because of the piracy scene. Also, why don’t people blame the death of the Dreamcast on the OG Xbox and GameCube as well? Surely, Microsoft and Nintendo had a part in it.

Probably because the Dreamcast was already discontinued by the time the Gamecube and Xbox launched. Also I agree, I don't blame the PS2 for the Dreamcast's death, there were many many factors at play, and in fact the PS2 being so difficult to develop for probably helped the Dreamcast. The PS2's launch lineup largely looks comparable to the Dreamcast and tends to run worse, it wasn't until around a year and half in or so in that devs really started getting a handle on the hardware, roughly the time the Gamecube and Xbox were launching.

I was just saying I don't like the design of the PS2. I think it's the worst looking of the four.

I also think it has the worst looking games of the four on average nowadays, but that's mostly because of the lack of 480p support across the vast majority of the library whereas the other three all supported it far more often than not.

 

[ThunderBoy]

 

[Bakuma1997]

*Me trying to process the fall of Constantinople after reading this thread*

 

[DanCalibur]

It feels like yesterday that I left my parents house to work and live by myself in a place with only a bed, a stove and a fridge (that last one probably made in the USSR). With my first paycheck I got a sofa and a TV, with my second paycheck I got a PS2 with GTA: San Andreas and FFX and that place started to feel like home.

 

[DjQuick2008]

ya what a console i regret being so blinkered when i had one first mostly GTA 3 and Gran Tourismo 3 A spec had burnout 3 as well then i got PES 6 which was amazing with a usb stick and the option file with real teams but now im older and realise what the library is
im like wooooooooooooow

Post automatically merged: Oct 26, 2025

 

[Frickinfrik]

Heh, I guess to sort of celebrate the occasion, I picked up a couple ps2 games from an Antique Mall.

 

[Boo Man]

man i was so hyped for PS2
i got one asap but forgot to buy a $100 memory card
then my puppy chewed the cords off my controllers before i could even start working on my PlayStation tan

 

[Burzuru]

there's so many good games on the ps2.

 

[Eric555]

I still have one that's working. Wowzers, 25 years already. Legendary console, it had the best library until Steam came online.

 

[semyaza]

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

My PS2 is probably the piece of retro hardware I still play the most regularly.

No matter how I've grown to feel about Sony now, I'll always be a huge fan of what they achieved in their first two console generations on the scene.

Honestly, they could release a cheap, hdmi-compatible PS2 with a cheap line of their own games today and I still think people would buy it and play them.

 

[MajesticSiN]

I still remember the launch.
I don't think I ever met anyone of that generation that didn't have one.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

I still enjoyed playing my Sega Dreamcast at the time, although I did own PlayStation 2 the second year of NA release 2001 (playing DVDs was part of the incentive). The Adventures of Cookie & Cream was the first game I bought, along side Fur Fighters: Viggo's Revenge. Zone of the Enders was the first game I rented.

Ended up playing (owning & renting) many great games from .Hack//Infection, Ys: The Ark of Napishtim, Spy Fiction, Guilty Gear X2, Katamari Damacy, Mega Man X8, Silent Hill 2, Galerians:ASH, Castle Shikigami 2 playing online on a console for the second time (first time was on Dreamcast) S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International, Tribes: Aerial Assault, Frequency, Amplitude.

Also had Dance Dance Revolution Extreme with mat. Some more of my best memories are playing Okage: Shadow King, R.A.D.: Robot Alchemic Drive, Trapt, Heavenly Guardian, The King of Fighters XI, Bombastic, GunGrave: Overdose. Years later would play import games Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse, Mushihime-Sama, Espgaluda, Ibara, and today I'm currently playing Namco × Capcom, Baroque, Bomberman Kart.

I still have a few games on my backlog I plan to eventually get around to playing (hopefully completing) Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, Crimson Tears, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, D.N.A.: Dark Native Apostle, Dual Hearts, Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut.

 

[Eric555]

I still enjoyed playing my Sega Dreamcast at the time, although I did own PlayStation 2 the second year of NA release 2001 (playing DVDs was part of the incentive). The Adventures of Cookie & Cream was the first game I bought, along side Fur Fighters: Viggo's Revenge. Zone of the Enders was the first game I rented.

Ended up playing (owning & renting) many great games from .Hack//Infection, Ys: The Ark of Napishtim, Spy Fiction, Guilty Gear X2, Katamari Damacy, Mega Man X8, Silent Hill 2, Galerians:ASH, Castle Shikigami 2 playing online on a console for the second time (first time was on Dreamcast) S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International, Tribes: Aerial Assault, Frequency, Amplitude.

Also had Dance Dance Revolution Extreme with mat. Some more of my best memories are playing Okage: Shadow King, R.A.D.: Robot Alchemic Drive, Trapt, Heavenly Guardian, The King of Fighters XI, Bombastic, GunGrave: Overdose. Years later would play import games Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse, Mushihime-Sama, Espgaluda, Ibara, and today I'm currently playing Namco × Capcom, Baroque, Bomberman Kart.

I still have a few games on my backlog I plan to eventually get around to playing (hopefully completing) Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, Crimson Tears, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, D.N.A.: Dark Native Apostle, Dual Hearts, Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut.

No Sonic? A friend of mine had a Sega and every time I visited him we played Sonic. Lot's of fun!

 

[Deleted member 58254]

the best console ever made in my opinion

 

[Kamomedan]

I was really young when the PS2 launched, but I got one thanks to my grandpa back in the day. Definitely some of the best gaming memories of mine. MGS2s graphics are a testament to this

 

[shadowcat]

It is still the apex of gaming IMO.

 

[Mopeybloke]

Digital Foundry's main retro guy, John Linneman, has dedicated the first episode of their new retro gaming focused podcast on the PS2 and covering all launch games.