PS2 PS2 Hidden Gems

[Ain_Gamer]

Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy.
It's considered a sister-series of Atelier, with a goofy anime plot, semi-difficult gameplay, and wonderful music. Solid all-around.
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The game is part of the Atelier series acording to Gust, I really like this game but I prefer the first Mana Khemia game more.

Post automatically merged: Feb 27, 2025

Without Warning, I do not know a single soul that has played this game, but what a trip! A chemical plant has been taking over by terrorists, and there is 6 playable characters... Three Special Forces operatives, a security guard, a secretary, and a cameraman.

Very interesting game, curious if anyone here played it?

This game is so obscure that it's not even in the repo , someone could add it there because I would love to play it.

 

[zacharinolongpants]

Probably “The Adventures of Cookie and Cream”? Had never heard of it until it showed up in a local used game store one day.

Turns out it’s not THAT obscure because it was made by FromSoft of all people. People know about it but never talked about it where I could hear it, so yeah.

This game is SO fun on multiplayer!

Post automatically merged: Feb 27, 2025

SUDA51 SAMURAI CHAMPLOO GAME?!

It's really damn fun. Just a stylish hack n slash with a cool gimmick where you cam swap out the music that's playing and it changes your fighting style.

 

[Deleted member 288390]

Probably the most niche PS2 game I played off the top of my head was Shadow of Memories, the time travelling murder mystery game with Mario as an evil time demon. Loved it, jank and all.

Not sure if it was niche or not, but I also loved Onimusha Dawn of Dreams, it was like a precursor to Nioh. Just saw they're releasing an Onimusha 2 remaster, so I have my fingers crossed Dawn of Dreams might eventually get the same treatment. I wanna play it again without having to dig out my PS2.

 

[spectresfrommercury]

crimson tears

 

[King Koopa's iconKing Koopa]

You guys gotta get down on Cel Damage. It's a car combat game with Looney Tunes stylization, with a Reality TV backdrop. Fun as hell.

I have the Switch port and enjoyed it. I actually forgot it was originally on PS2.

 

[Deleted member 7989]

I have the Switch port and enjoyed it. I actually forgot it was originally on PS2.

Technically, I think it was made for Gamecube first, then made it to PS2 and Xbox with an updated version, which is what Cel Damage HD is based on. Not correcting you just thought it'd be interesting.

 

[King Koopa's iconKing Koopa]

Technically, I think it was made for Gamecube first, then made it to PS2 and Xbox with an updated version, which is what Cel Damage HD is based on. Not correcting you just thought it'd be interesting.

Ah I guess I technically meant I forgot it was on older consoles like PS2.

 

[Deleted member 7989]

Ah I guess I technically meant I forgot it was on older consoles like PS2.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound pretentious. Just thought you'd find that interesting.

 

[King Koopa's iconKing Koopa]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound pretentious. Just thought you'd find that interesting.

I didn't see it that way no worries and it was.

 

[Anne Tagg]

Not sure if it was niche or not, but I also loved Onimusha Dawn of Dreams, it was like a precursor to Nioh. Just saw they're releasing an Onimusha 2 remaster, so I have my fingers crossed Dawn of Dreams might eventually get the same treatment. I wanna play it again without having to dig out my PS2.

Definitely the peak of the series. Super ambitious and absolutely massive compared to its predecessors. It always baffled me how Dawn of Dreams was such a banger and clearly had so much effort put into it, only for Capcom to abandon the series for, what, almost 20 years now?

It had a couple of codes you could enter on the title screen, one of them put characters into Street Fighter outfits, and the other enabled 2P co-op, which was clearly intended as a feature, given the mandatory partner character, though it's clear why it was scrapped. Very cool that they included it regardless.

My old roommate and I played through about 2/3 of the game in 2P. The problem was that the fixed camera angles follow player one, so player two would often wind up stuck off-screen and need to blindly navigate into the next screen. Super weird considering the game was using properly rendered 3D environments instead of prerendered backgrounds.

I hope that if Capcom ever gets to rereleasing Dawn of Dreams, we'll see a fixed version of the co-op mode, because it was a lot of fun, though I also worry that they'll just bury it entirely, like Genma Onimusha...

 

[Pjira]

I really feel like more people would notice MS Saga nowadays if it got a rerelease

 

[OkinawaPolice]

I remember playing games that were never on any lists of popular/best games on PS2. I enjoyed them a lot. There were a ton of sports/racing games but one of my favorites that stayed in my memory is Shrek: Carnival Craze.
Cousins and friends from my neighborhood would gather around and play them together, and had such a fun time. Shame I don't have that spark anymore for it, neither do I have the time to play as much. There were also other games but I can't seem to remember them as I am writing this, maybe only Hugo games.


What about you? Which games have you played that are not as popular with the majority of the population?

Downhill Domination on PS2.... think Road Rash meets downhill BMX racing

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

Not sure how niche it is, but Whiplash is a fun PS2 game about animals escaping a testing laboratory. Loads of really funny moments/dialogue throughout and a decent 3D platformer to boot if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[xX-Delirium-Xx]

playing a game called Twin Caliber surprisingly its not on this site. its sort of a rail shooter in which to travel through a prison during a zombie outbreak and you control two guns with left and right joysticks. it has two player co-op too

 

[GardeniaSky's icon GardeniaSky GardeniaSky]

Haunting Ground

 

[SonOfEnosh]

 

[lilizu]

I would say the .Hack series (particularly IMOQ), but that might not be considered niche among many people.

If not those, then the absolute mess of a game below. Some of the worst combat loading times I've ever experienced, and yet so fun for fans of the show. I enjoyed the original story since the player characters actually feel like they fit in well.

 

[DjQuick2008]

About to test this out

 

[merzbun]

Michigan: Report from Hell. Can't say I fully enjoy it's execution, but the concept of it is super enthralling to me. I wish it was better designed mechanically, because the combination of found footage aesthetics with video games is like exactly geared to activate my neurons. I like the ridiculous voice acting and all that, but the camera and recording elements don't feel as compelling and intricate as they should be. I think abt that game a fair amount.

also Gregory Horror Show is da best game ever

 

[Don Patch]

Tons!

Some absolute gold, there.

 

[chibimatty]

Chaos Legion - Really unique and pretty addictive in a more arcadey sort of way. Absolutely dreadful voice acting but in the best possible way, but it's definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing I think.



Bujingai is sort of in the vein of crossing DMC with Ninja Gaiden, and like NOBODY seems to have heard of it. It's really fun and pretty intense.


Darkwatch is a haunted wild west shooter that is loads of fun and just the essence of cool. It also has a really fun multiplayer mode... as long as you don't have a friend who gets a lot out of taking advantage of the friendly fire a little too much... >> Not me or anything, I totally didn't ruin the experience for @Mr. Daddy once I got my hands on the rocket launcher.

Man, classic! I have these three in my collection still.

I was actually at the Tokyo Game Show in 2002 when they introduced Bujingai and Chaos Legion and previewed them with early footage. Bujingai in particular was touted as a big deal from Sega as they had a pop star called "Gackt" in the lead role.

crimson tears

That game had such an awesome intro and theme, saw that at TGS 2002 also. Had the intro on a Capcom promotional DVD from the show also

 

[ShanaFlameHaze]

it not the most hidden game but all the ace combat games are fantastic

<-- *not from ace combat*

I played Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere recently and I had a blast!
It's anime meets fighter jets, right up my alley! Also loved the branching paths and the narrative.

Post automatically merged: Mar 16, 2025

I recommend Advanced VG 1 and 2 for PS1.
If you like fighting games and anime with an all-girls character roster you will love it!

One downside is that they are not translated yet, but since it's a fighting game, it's not a deal breaker, all the menus are in English.

 

[instalazy]

Herc's Adventure
Monkey Magic
and uhh Tomba 2 but its not really underrated i guess

 

[groundbeef]

Enthusia Professional Racing is perhaps my biggest to point out. If you enjoy slightly more sim related games this is definitely a great experience. I liked some of the shmups like Giga Wings Generations, Thunder Force V, Mushihimesama, Homura, Ibara and a few others. Blood Will Tell and Crimson Sea 2 were fun.

 

[GardeniaSky's icon GardeniaSky GardeniaSky]

Radiata Stories for sure.

It's pretty cartoony but I found it quite charming.