PS2 game recommendations

Grievous Angel · Post by **Grievous Angel** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 12:25 pm

After getting a PS2 for Christmas, I can finally post here!

A couple questions for you experts. I'm currently in the early stages of Kingdom Hearts, and I'm really starting to enjoy it. It seems pretty similar to the Ratchet & Clank games, which I've played before and like a lot. What other games are along these lines? I've heard of Jak & Dexter, and I've heard of a game with a fox thief (I think it's a fox, at least), but I don't know if those games are similar or not.

My wife watched me played through Kingdom Hearts for about an hour or so and was intrigued. I'd like to get her a game she'd enjoy too. Her favorite game is the original Super Mario Brothers. I've thought of getting her a Gameboy just so she can play that game again, but are there any platform games along those lines for the PS2?

warning · Post by **warning** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 12:41 pm

The 3 best platforming series for the PS2 are the Ratchet & Clank games, the Jak & Daxter games and the Sly Cooper (the fox thief) games. All are superb.

My wife and I'd also recommend Beyond Good & Evil but it's not PS2 exclusive, Katamari Damacy, and the SSX games. And also Space Channel 5.

TheMissingLink · Post by **TheMissingLink** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 4:06 pm

if you like the early stages of Kingdom Hearts, you'll love it more and more as you go along. I enjoyed the beginning/middle of the game, but I LOVED the middle-end part of the game.

ChaoZ · Post by **ChaoZ** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 5:17 pm

Katamari Damacy
FFX
Ico

Depending on how active your wife is, she might like Dance Dance Revolution games.

Grievous Angel · Post by **Grievous Angel** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 6:03 pm

ChaoZ wrote: Depending on how active your wife is, she might like Dance Dance Revolution games.

Dancing games are probably bad for a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy. Katamari Damacy, though, looks interesting and probably wouldn't induce early labor. What's Ico?

ChaoZ · Post by **ChaoZ** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 6:33 pm

Ico is a beautiful game that is pretty much an adventure/puzzle game. There are some action elements, but they are relatively minor and simple. Gameplay is simple, and although I haven't finished it yet, the biggest element is probably the visuals, which are very nice. The game is pretty slow-paced, so I think it's appropriate for your wife.

Then you can get her DDR in a few months

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 7:14 pm

just another recommendation for Rez, as it is awesome, if you can find it. I've played the Dreamcast and PS2 versions.

also I second the Katamari Damacy recommendation.

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:15 am

I hear Beyond Good and Evil was good. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is also good.

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:33 am

warning wrote: Sly Cooper (the fox thief) games.

Not a Fox, a Raccoon. 8)

warning · Post by **warning** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:46 am

CSL wrote:
warning wrote: Sly Cooper (the fox thief) games.
Not a Fox, a Raccoon. 8)

I thought it was Sly Cooper and the Thievius Foxius. Oh well...

MHS · Post by **MHS** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:35 pm

Dark Cloud. I really liked the first one a lot better than the second, but YMMV. I'd bet your wife would really like it, too.

adumir · Post by **adumir** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:18 am

Automated Culdcept Pimping begins....now!

Check out some reviews of Culdcept to see if you and your wife would dig it. It's flat out my favourite PS2 game - one part card game, one part Monopoly, one part odd Japanese quirk.

It's a great two player game with enough complexity to keep you wanting to try out different strategies and each game rewards both winner and loser with more "cards" to increase your possibilities. Too much fun.

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:25 am

These are helping me too, because I want my wife to play PS2 with me. It's like she's scared of the damn thing. Space Channel 5 might be interesting.

MHS · Post by **MHS** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:08 pm

adumir wrote:Automated Culdcept Pimping begins....now!

Check out some reviews of Culdcept to see if you and your wife would dig it. It's flat out my favourite PS2 game - one part card game, one part Monopoly, one part odd Japanese quirk.

It's a great two player game with enough complexity to keep you wanting to try out different strategies and each game rewards both winner and loser with more "cards" to increase your possibilities. Too much fun.

Hey adumir... I had looked at picking this one up for me and my daughter to play but was a bit put off by how many reviewers said it's overly complicated, and that the AI is poor (cheats on dice rolls to aid the computer, etc.) What are your thoughts on appropriateness for a smart 12 year old?

Jancelot · Post by **Jancelot** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:47 pm

Rayman 2 if it can still be found anywhere.

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 4:22 pm

Jancelot wrote:Rayman 2 if it can still be found anywhere.

I had it for the N64. Is Rayman 3 good?

adumir · Post by **adumir** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:25 pm

MHS wrote:
adumir wrote:Automated Culdcept Pimping begins....now!

Check out some reviews of Culdcept to see if you and your wife would dig it. It's flat out my favourite PS2 game - one part card game, one part Monopoly, one part odd Japanese quirk.

It's a great two player game with enough complexity to keep you wanting to try out different strategies and each game rewards both winner and loser with more "cards" to increase your possibilities. Too much fun.
Hey adumir... I had looked at picking this one up for me and my daughter to play but was a bit put off by how many reviewers said it's overly complicated, and that the AI is poor (cheats on dice rolls to aid the computer, etc.) What are your thoughts on appropriateness for a smart 12 year old?

I think a smart 12 year old will have a blast - if she enjoys strategy and weighing some variables. There's just a bit of elementary math (40+30 bonus vs. 30+50 bonus) mixed with anticipation of if your opponent is bluffing you. Some of the game concepts are a tad overwhelming at first - not helped by The Most Confusing Manual Ever (tm) but after 2 or 3 games you really get into the rhythm. the cards you start out with are pretty straight-forward and they introduce more complex ones as you play more and more.

As for the AI, I rarely encountered it as my ex- and I purely played one another. The only reason to play against the machine is to unlock more playing boards in the asinine "story mode" so you can play them with humans. What we really enjoyed is that both the winners AND the loser swas rewarded for playing - the winners just rewarded more (more cards).

I'd say give it a shot and try not to be immediately turned off by that "one part Japanese quirk" i mentioned earlier - it should be pretty cheap now, at any rate. Lemmee know what you think if you decide to pick it up!

edited to add: I never get the feeling that the game is cheating when I play the AI. I get lucky sometimes, it gets very unlucky sometimes.

MHS · Post by **MHS** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:20 pm

Thanks for the reply. I may check it out. She likes strategy games, and she likes quirky Japanese stuff (although not anime or manga, thank goodness)

so she'd probably enjoy it a lot. Thanks!

ChrisGwinn · Post by **ChrisGwinn** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:00 am

Disgaea! It may be a little too complicated though.

Beyond Good and Evil is really stellar.

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:46 pm

Alot of EBGames stores were selling Culdcept for under $20. I never understood the draw of it myself. You just keep going around the map, again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.