*FIGHTING GAMES* (for attention) So, I’m getting a lot of comments about some things I said related to fighting games. Firstly, in regards to what I said about preferring the analog stick for fighting games: It's mainly a thing to do with the d-pad of PlayStation controllers and pressing diagonal directions. The only way I can get games to consistently pull off special moves is with the smooth motion that you get on the analog stick. Now, with the Sega Genesis and Saturn's rounded d-pads, I don't have that issue. (I should also mention that I played these using a PS4 controller, which has a better analog stick and worse D-pad than the PS2 controller.) Secondly, my preference of DOA2 over Tekken Tag: I understand that Tekken Tag is the deeper and better game for hardcore fighting game fans, but I think DOA2 is the more approachable and fun experience for casual players of the genre. I actually grew up reading PSM and OPM, neither of which viewed DOA2 less favorably. PSM gave DOA2 a 9 out of 10 and called it the best fighting game of the PS2’s launch, while Tekken Tag received an 8. OPM gave both a score of 4.5 out of 5. The technical advantage of being on a DVD also led to DOA2 receiving more praise at the time (Tekken Tag was on a CD and loaded much slower. It’s also basically a PS1-era game with a next-gen coat of paint, so it’s in many ways less impressive. It was reported that way when the games came out, and it was just as obvious to me when I played the games back-to-back.) PSM’s review of Tekken Tag: drive.google.com/file/d/1nfdSH5IDvEoPSE2RX8yeXOCYgvTHiiUv/view?usp=share_link PSM’s review of DOA2: drive.google.com/file/d/1WVC-_4ug3ZuC5dWjESpU-q2kALX7AuxX/view?usp=share_link PSM comparing the CD and DVD usage of the two games: drive.google.com/file/d/14TEXdOAW-K8pvJ0LN33j1hKd-hi0m-xq/view?usp=sharing Because of all of this, I figured what I said was a safe opinion. I didn’t think Tekken Tag, of all games, was the one from that series people would care so much about. DOA2 is also one of my favorite fighting games. I love its whole countering system and have always had a blast playing it. If you want to comment about what PS2 games you got at launch, great. I love hearing that. If you like Tekken Tag too and that’s what you got, awesome. I’m happy to hear you had a good time with it. Just, I don’t need to constantly hear how I’m wrong about my preferences, and I hope you can understand my reasoning behind what I said. I’m not trying to be a serious fighting game player. The main focus of this video isn’t fighting games. If you still really need to complain, comment on this I guess.
No worries! It's just that Tekken Tag 1 is the holy grail for the boomers of that series' competitive scene, still to this day, so complaints are inevitable. tl;dr it's because movement (sidestepping/dashing/etc.) was stronger than it's been in any of the entries that followed, and that's seen as favoring more skilled players. On the other hand, DOA was always seen as a total joke by tournament players due to the way it was marketed (haha boob jiggel!!!) & certain aspects being broken in high-level play (e.g. counters dealing absurd damage, not being able to escape special throws). Even now, 5 is the only game in that series that's widely accepted as a quality competitive fighter. So the specific comparison you made here is going to hit hard for folks who were around in those days! Also i'm the guy who'd take EX3 over both combined, it's actually my favorite Street Fighter period. Very unique in the series as a sandbox that allows almost limitless creativity for combos & setups - the kind of stuff you'd expect more from a Marvel vs. Capcom or Arc System Works game!
I have those PSM and OPM issues, I disagreed with them then on DOA vs Tekken, and disagree with it until now more than 20 years later. Still, good video. Thanks for the flashbacks. :)
Tekken Tag Tournament was the perfect Game to play with your Friends at Weekends. You start with the fighting Part of the Game and end up bowling Hour after Hour in Tekken Bowl. :-D
was the only reason i was crazy upset i couldnt get a ps2 at launch. tbf, ive learned now that my parents were strugglin at the time but they STILL got it for me 4-5 months later. got this and ssx i believe
@@maxforce me too. I feel like the main thing the creator of this vid missed in was the way he described the fighting games. I played all the games he mentioned, and personally, I think tekken tag was by far the best. I think he focussed too much on extra features rather than the core fighting gameplay of the games.
@@atanda1219 it wasn’t just the features. I think the overall gameplay is much more fun as well. I love DOA’s whole countering system. That’s just my preference, though.
I remember being 12 when this came out and staying up late waiting for my dad to return home with it from Gamestop's midnight release! I got Armored Core 2 and he got Times Splitters. That was such a special time for me. No system, for me, will ever match the hype and excitement the PS2 gave!!
That is an awesome memory. Both of those games were very cool early games for the system. And for sure, I can still remember the huge hype for the system (myself being one who was extremely hyped.)
I've fallen in love with gaming retrospectives, reminiscing over classics and discovering new interests, looking forward to seeing more content from you! Keep up the great work
i remember playing midnight club and thinking “this looks so realistic”. I remember being able to glitch outside the barriers in New York, and driving through the world trade centre. times really have changed a lot.
@@markandisobel If these games came out today, yes, they may not look so great due to the lack of anti-aliasing. Were they bad at the time? No. Do you remember how amazing Metal Gear Solid 2 looked? No? It looked bad? Sure, whatever you say, man.
@@markandisobel On crt tv it wasn't jaggie, it was pretty decent graphic back then, if you try to connect ps2 on 16:9 hd screen it will look bad but on crt will look way better, ps2 just isn't compatible for 16:9 format and hd screen and those tv's or monitors operate very different, only way for ps2 games to look good on 16:9 hd tv or monitor is to use emulator and crank up graphic by decent amount.
@@markandisobel It's still the original models, textures, effects, etc. regardless of the resolution. Anyways PS2 games look solid if played on a CRT. It does depend on the game however. Some games have a flicker filter which gets rid of the slight flicker from 480i and acts like an AA that smooths over the graphics. But It's true that some games do look jaggy even on a CRT.
I don't need to imagine being a 9 year-old kid and seeing Dynasty Warriors 2 for the first time - I was a 20 year-old kid and loving how far games had come since I was playing Pac-Man and Frogger as a kid. God, I love being an Xennial.
Kessen was probably the first PS2 game I ever saw. The graphics blew 15 y/o me away. My cousin got a PS2 for his birthday around when the system launched in 2000 and this was one of the games he got with it.
I still remember seeing the gameplay of Kessen on a PlayStation Underground demo and being blown away as well. Definitely a good next-gen showcase at the time.
SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament were my first titles to the PS2. And man did I play the heck out of them! Definitely my top picks among the launch titles! I really miss the SSX series
Love the part where he says "The dvd player i suppose" The ps2 was the 1st dvd player for Me and other ppl I knew. The fact that the ps2 did multi things, dvd games cds, was part of what helped me sway my parents to buy me the ps2 at Xmas. They just presumed all game things where the same thing. Good Times.
Surprisingly, in my case when I first got a PS2 my dad only wanted me to use it to play PS2 games (no DVDs, CDs or PS1 games.) It was kind of expensive, so he didn’t want me to wear out the laser. Eventually, I didn’t care anymore and used it for all those things.
Tekken Tag is still so good. My college friend group became official when I started bringing my PS2 with Tekken Tag to campus. PS2 still remains my favorite console of all time.
Tekken Tag Tournament is the greatest game to ever accompany a console on release day. It's still my all time favorite fighter and will never be beaten.
I'm not much of a PlayStation gamer these days but launch titles are always rather interesting and your coverage of them here was fantastic; consistently concise and quality detailing of each one. Your summaries came across as fair, you had the odd witty joke sprinkled in, and both pros and cons were highlighted in each case. If I were getting a PS2 at launch, DOA2: Hardcore would be my definite pick-up; possibly along with Ever Grace (which I have played) and Dynasty Warriors 2.
@@tyranmcgrathmnkklkl Funny enough, that is how I picked up the original Ratchet & Clank. I almost got DOA2 myself last year, but hesitated because I couldn't remember if we had all the wires for the PS2. By the time I had located them, the game had sold.
Armored Core 2 may have lacked dual analog movement, but it also made me fall in love with the series. Tinkering with your mech was half the fun. DOA2 was a better pick up and play game, but Tekken Tag was way more rewarding long term. More and unique characters with varied styles, lots of great combos to learn, and fun alternate gameplay modes. Timesplitters is just an amazing franchise that only kept getting better with every title. The only downsides to them are that there are only the 3 PS2 titles and they will make all other FPS games feel like they seriously lack any creativity.
I definitely had fun with the Armored Core 2 demo as a kid, which I played so many times. Unfortunately, I could never find the game once I got my PS2 in 2002, so I never ended up getting it. I agree that Tekken Tag is better for serious fighting game fans, but I'm also glad that you seem to understand the whole pick up and play thing with DOA2. I think it's the better game for people who just wanna have fun beating each other up in a game. I definitely miss the TimeSplitters series, and the third one was my favorite multiplayer FPS on the PS2. For years I was holding out for a fourth, but eventually gave up on that after hearing about Free Radical becoming a Call of Duty developer. I'd love to see another shooter with the same vibe.
Thank;s for making this! I sprained my neck so I was in pain but watching this was really informative and entertaining so it has made my day better! :)
Orphen was my first game on PS2. I couldn't remember the name for years when trying to explain it to friends but thanks to this video you have cured a bad brain bug I had for ages haha.
Fantavision is something of a cult classic. Smuggler's Run was the first PS2 I ever wanted to play but somehow never got my hands on. This is also the first time I have seen any sort of gameplay! I am sure 23 years ago it must have been very exciting
We got our PS2 in the Launch window so the first three games we got were... ESPN Snowboarding- Brothers Choice Kessen- My Choice Dark Cloud- Bonus game from parent We found ESPN snowboarding pretty fun. Going down the mountains or competing in realistic downhill competitions with colored neon lights reflected on the snow at night was pretty cool! Kessen was interesting, I liked how you could just watch the battles as they transpired when you didn't have any tactics to employ. Dark Cloud was a roguelike before roguelikes and is still fun to this day. Best fishing minigame and crafting towns when outside dungeons was interesting.
I love Dark Cloud. That is a great game that I hope to cover in some form one of these days. And yeah, the battles in Kessen are very impressive for the time. I still remember watching the promo video for that game on a PlayStation Underground demo way back when and thinking it looked so cool.
I still remember when console launches were filled with console one could buy and actual video games...fast forward to now and no actual consoles to buy or exclusive games! Brilliant, how far have we come :)
Impressive video! The first games I bought were Madden 2001, DOA: Hardcore, and Tekken Tag Tournament. The graphics were so real looking back then that when friends came over, they thought I had the game on. It's a little funny when you look at today's graphics, but back then it was quite realistic. The fighting games were amazing and I spent MANY hours trying to unlock everything with all the various characters.
I loved summoner something fierce, great story and voice acting, solid combat fantastic soundtrack. Guess it was meant for an older audience when it dropped
It would’ve been a good game to get at launch. I really wanted it myself, but since I got a PS2 about two years after it came out it was impossible to find. I played the demo a ton of times, though.
Armored Core 2 and Timesplitters were definitely the best ps2 launch games. I loved Dynasty Warriors 2 as well. Eternal Ring was always interesting too.
I didn’t mention that for time reasons, but I definitely had a lot of fun making those as a kid (even if mine did probably suck.) Fun fact: I sent a memory card to the editor in chief of PSM for a TimeSplitters map contest, which he never returned to me.
@@LegendOfGamesI'm sorry for multiple comments, But this is going to be huge! TS4 never came out so this is the best TimeSplitters content we're going to ever get
I remember this launch. I bought Fantavision and ESPN snowboarding. I bought ESPN over SSX because I though it looked way more realistic and had real pro's in it. I remember thinking it was the best graphics I had ever seen!
I just the the HDD mod on my old PS2 now I am going back to play all the launch games since I didn't get a PS2 until 2002 and missed out on all the launch games.
For anyone wondering, I have another launch games episode in the works. With the way I’ve been progressing, it should be finished and out around the first or second week of March. *Edit: it’s about 85% done now, and will hopefully be finished and out this weekend or Monday (March 15th.)
Also, this is interesting to look at because at the time the PS2 launch was portrayed as a *disaster* in the gaming press. i think that may have been more due to the period right after launch having some flops; for example, i had always thought The Bouncer was a launch title and was shocked to learn here that it wasn't!
From Software were already my Heroes back then. Eternal Ring and Evergrace are super Awesome Games, and I still love their work today. Only developer who never disappointed me.
I loved Dynasty Warriors 2, that was also the first demo I played for the PS2, which ended up selling me on the system. So many pleasant memories of the thing.
Talking about Midnight Club, it's engine was used in GTA III so technically it's almost a tech demo of GTA III. Another fun fact is that Midtown Madness was made by Angel Studio which became Rockstar Dan Diego. So we can say that Midtown Madness and GTA 3 are related, thanks to Midnight Club !
The Dungeons and Dragons sketch? That video is definitely awesome. I can’t say the same for the game as a whole, though. Still, in hindsight I think I should’ve mentioned it.
Yeah, I know, I’m an idiot. I used to used the d-pad for fighting games growing up, but when I got into Street Fighter IV in college I couldn’t for the life of me get the game to consistently pull off special moves while using it. The smooth motion of the analog stick was the only way I could get it to work every time. In fact, I think it’s more to do with the way the d-pad on PlayStation controllers is, cause I don’t have this issue when playing on the Sega Genesis or Saturn with their rounded d-pads.
Madden NFL 2001 stood out the most for me. The game was a massive improvement over the PlayStation version that was released a few months before. The graphics, the atmosphere, the play-by-play, the animation, the physics, the gameplay, you name it, made Madden NFL 2001 the best generation jump in the Madden series.
That Frankie Munez clip is funny. Interesting guy now honestly. Recently got my PS2 rigged up with FreeMcboot, love playing the old classics that really stood the test of time, especially since ethe library is totally massive. On a VGA monitor, GBS Control from YPbPr Component it looks great still too. It's nice over just emulation.
I was 20 when the PS2 came out. What an age to get this console at. I say that because you're at an age where you understand more about games and the tech. This system was excellent. I personally loved the first Burnout game and Colin McRae Rally. Was a massive fan of Devil May Cry. Me and my mate were so impressed with MGS2: Sons of Liberty. The boss fight with the jet fighter was so impressive. The Getaway was pretty dope for trying to recreate London.
I actually just finished playing Devil May Cry last night, which I hadn’t beaten before. What an awesome game. And yeah, I remember being super amazed by MGS2’s graphics back in the day. It was probably the game that made me really want a PS2. It’s funny you bring up The Getaway too, cause I put out a fairly big video covering that series back in the summer. Those games do have some issues, but I can’t help but like them.
@@LegendOfGames Yes I remember it being quite frustrating to play. But it at the time was worth it. The controls are clunky and the camera indoors can be a bit problematic.
Since the release of this video I have put out several other videos covering system launches. PS1: th-cam.com/video/cj6maGfH0TA/w-d-xo.html Sega Saturn: th-cam.com/video/YMUyGJH9A6Y/w-d-xo.html Sega Genesis: th-cam.com/video/_TvwH1f77XE/w-d-xo.html PSP: th-cam.com/video/p3lawUcuhfU/w-d-xo.html
Thank you! I'm glad you like them. I have another one in the works that will hopefully come out next month. To diversify a bit I'll be giving a go at a non-Sony system.
It was a favorite game of one of my friends and his brothers, who convinced me to get it not long after I got my PS2. There weren't really RPGs of that style on consoles before, so I can understand why so many people latched onto it.
Back in the day when consoles were getting noticeable huge jumps in graphic capabilities they were churning out games and seeing what worked so you see quite a few early concepts and some massive duds!
the fact that just seeing the woman on the track, with a ton of wind, with that spicy music made me think of ridge racer, reminded me how much developers used to care about their customers. i do miss those days.
Definitely. I sometimes hear it referred to as a bad or weak lineup, which I always feel is kind of an odd sentiment. Anyway, glad you liked the video!
Ah timesplitters my favourite franchise. I live 45 minutes away from Nottingham where free radical was based. Rare which the guys at free radical split from, are just 20 minutes down the road from where I live
My grandmother, God bless her soul 🙏🏽, bought me my very own Panasonic CRT tv and a Grand Turismo 3 PS2 bundle. I remember hearing Lenny Kravitz "I'm gonna go my way" and look in awe at the opening cinematic ✨️✨️✨️
Thanks for the review video... yeah man these games bring back alot of memories and remember buying and playing all these games. Yes I know some of them had bad reviews or was not as popular. However, I still had a blast playing them. I remember always playing TT tournament with friends on friday nights and many times during the days back in school, would be playing the heck out of smugglers run and midnight club.
In the UK we had to fill a form out and submit it to Sony just to be approved for a day one launch console.Luckily I was approved.My first two games was timesplitters and SSX.SSX was a hell of a good game in fact I still own a PS3 just to play SSX
That's lucky, I didn't end up getting one for quite a while. And those definitely would've been good games to start with. When I got my PS2, TimeSplitters was one of the first games I got.
I can totally understand why you’d go with that one. Moto GP and Tekken Tag also looked very good, so I think Namco definitely knew what they were doing when it came to these early PS2 games.
Your take on dpad movement in fighting games is pretty surprising. I don't think ive ever used the analog stick to do a special move or really anything, especially not in Tekken. I think if you interviewed people who play on controller on tekken 7, the overwhelming majority would say they only use the dpad. I can't imagine doing electrics on an analog repeatedly, even in smash Ultimate it feels so imprecise compared to doing it in Tekken 7 with a dpad.
The d-pad digs into my thumb, and I’m just not a fan of it. I think it’s much easier to pull off special moves with the analog stick. I mean, it is closer to the arcade stick fighting game fans are so obsessed with, so I’m surprised they’d go with the d-pad.
@@LegendOfGames yeah but when it comes to using the tip of your thumb, a dpad is faster than an analog stick. The level of control isn't there with the size of an analog stick compared to an arcade stick. You should see mainmanswe's reaction when he found out you couldn't use Kazuya with a dpad in Ultimate.
@@onceyougozach2607 for me, the smooth motion required to pull off special moves doesn’t work with the d-pad and I always end up messing it up. No issue with it on the analog stick. Not everyone’s trying to be a top-ranked competitive fighting game player.
@@LegendOfGames I didn't say that. Don't be defensive. Most people who play tekken or street fighter on a controller aren't competitive. I'm just saying it was surprising to hear you focus on that as a negative considering most people use dpad for fighting games, especially tekken. The analog stick is a less precise and slower option so it feels natural to use the dpad, which has digital inputs that can be done faster.
@@onceyougozach2607 I think it’s fine that people want to use it. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just think to not have the option of using analog controls is odd.
So glad timesplitters is gettign love especially with the beta ps3 demo for 4 having been uncovered and timesplitters 1 releasing for the ps5 as a ps2 classic soon! Its already released in taiwan
Frankie munoz , carmen electra and the dude from american pie. Most late 90s/early 00s collection of people ever. Save for mark mcgrath. But that probably would have ripped a hole in the spacetime continuum.
![The Story of the Playstation (Complete Series) [feat. Drunk Metroid]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/53yK3giVO1Y/mqdefault.jpg)
*FIGHTING GAMES* (for attention)
So, I’m getting a lot of comments about some things I said related to fighting games.
Firstly, in regards to what I said about preferring the analog stick for fighting games:
It's mainly a thing to do with the d-pad of PlayStation controllers and pressing diagonal directions. The only way I can get games to consistently pull off special moves is with the smooth motion that you get on the analog stick. Now, with the Sega Genesis and Saturn's rounded d-pads, I don't have that issue.
(I should also mention that I played these using a PS4 controller, which has a better analog stick and worse D-pad than the PS2 controller.)
Secondly, my preference of DOA2 over Tekken Tag:
I understand that Tekken Tag is the deeper and better game for hardcore fighting game fans, but I think DOA2 is the more approachable and fun experience for casual players of the genre. I actually grew up reading PSM and OPM, neither of which viewed DOA2 less favorably. PSM gave DOA2 a 9 out of 10 and called it the best fighting game of the PS2’s launch, while Tekken Tag received an 8. OPM gave both a score of 4.5 out of 5. The technical advantage of being on a DVD also led to DOA2 receiving more praise at the time (Tekken Tag was on a CD and loaded much slower. It’s also basically a PS1-era game with a next-gen coat of paint, so it’s in many ways less impressive. It was reported that way when the games came out, and it was just as obvious to me when I played the games back-to-back.)
PSM’s review of Tekken Tag:
drive.google.com/file/d/1nfdSH5IDvEoPSE2RX8yeXOCYgvTHiiUv/view?usp=share_link
PSM’s review of DOA2:
drive.google.com/file/d/1WVC-_4ug3ZuC5dWjESpU-q2kALX7AuxX/view?usp=share_link
PSM comparing the CD and DVD usage of the two games:
drive.google.com/file/d/14TEXdOAW-K8pvJ0LN33j1hKd-hi0m-xq/view?usp=sharing
Because of all of this, I figured what I said was a safe opinion. I didn’t think Tekken Tag, of all games, was the one from that series people would care so much about. DOA2 is also one of my favorite fighting games. I love its whole countering system and have always had a blast playing it.
If you want to comment about what PS2 games you got at launch, great. I love hearing that. If you like Tekken Tag too and that’s what you got, awesome. I’m happy to hear you had a good time with it. Just, I don’t need to constantly hear how I’m wrong about my preferences, and I hope you can understand my reasoning behind what I said. I’m not trying to be a serious fighting game player. The main focus of this video isn’t fighting games.
If you still really need to complain, comment on this I guess.
No worries! It's just that Tekken Tag 1 is the holy grail for the boomers of that series' competitive scene, still to this day, so complaints are inevitable. tl;dr it's because movement (sidestepping/dashing/etc.) was stronger than it's been in any of the entries that followed, and that's seen as favoring more skilled players.
On the other hand, DOA was always seen as a total joke by tournament players due to the way it was marketed (haha boob jiggel!!!) & certain aspects being broken in high-level play (e.g. counters dealing absurd damage, not being able to escape special throws). Even now, 5 is the only game in that series that's widely accepted as a quality competitive fighter. So the specific comparison you made here is going to hit hard for folks who were around in those days!
Also i'm the guy who'd take EX3 over both combined, it's actually my favorite Street Fighter period. Very unique in the series as a sandbox that allows almost limitless creativity for combos & setups - the kind of stuff you'd expect more from a Marvel vs. Capcom or Arc System Works game!
I have those PSM and OPM issues, I disagreed with them then on DOA vs Tekken, and disagree with it until now more than 20 years later. Still, good video. Thanks for the flashbacks. :)
@@joshthefunkdoc ex2 better
Many people live to complain. But I think these are good videos so thank you for posting them.
You don't need to justify your choices every time some nerd cave warrior decides to complain.
Just keep doing what you're doing.
Not only did PS2 launch with its 29 games, it also came with the entire PS1 library because it had backwards capability.
That’s true. I myself probably spent more time playing PS1 games on the system than PS2 thanks to my love of PS1 JRPGs.
That’s one of the two smartest things Sony did with the PS2. The other being DVD Video support of course.
@@markusTegelane I tried a ps1 game on my ps3. Still work.
@@chairmanmeow8388 Yep, I found it weird that all ps3 models have backwards compatibility with ps1 games, but only a few models had ps2 compatibility
@@markusTegelane Yeah. In the year 2000, PS2 was a cheap DVD player :)
Tekken Tag Tournament was the perfect Game to play with your Friends at Weekends. You start with the fighting Part of the Game and end up bowling Hour after Hour in Tekken Bowl. :-D
was the only reason i was crazy upset i couldnt get a ps2 at launch. tbf, ive learned now that my parents were strugglin at the time but they STILL got it for me 4-5 months later. got this and ssx i believe
I had both DOA was just not as fun as Tekken.
@@maxforce me too. I feel like the main thing the creator of this vid missed in was the way he described the fighting games. I played all the games he mentioned, and personally, I think tekken tag was by far the best. I think he focussed too much on extra features rather than the core fighting gameplay of the games.
What are u all's thoughts on the Tekken games?...I enjoy playing t3,t4, a d tt1 vs the rest today
@@atanda1219 it wasn’t just the features. I think the overall gameplay is much more fun as well. I love DOA’s whole countering system. That’s just my preference, though.
I remember being 12 when this came out and staying up late waiting for my dad to return home with it from Gamestop's midnight release! I got Armored Core 2 and he got Times Splitters. That was such a special time for me. No system, for me, will ever match the hype and excitement the PS2 gave!!
That is an awesome memory. Both of those games were very cool early games for the system.
And for sure, I can still remember the huge hype for the system (myself being one who was extremely hyped.)
@@LegendOfGames Just to add to that story, we got Smugglers Run soon after. Thanks for that man!
Agreed, man. It was total magic.
I felt the same way when the Nintendo 64 came out in '96. I was 10.
You are lucky. I couldn't afford that shit and had the PS1. Next one I got was PS4 with my own money as a grown man
I've fallen in love with gaming retrospectives, reminiscing over classics and discovering new interests, looking forward to seeing more content from you! Keep up the great work
Thanks!
I plan on putting out a similar video to this soon.
i remember playing midnight club and thinking “this looks so realistic”. I remember being able to glitch outside the barriers in New York, and driving through the world trade centre. times really have changed a lot.
I know the trade centers just disappeared from New York
Ps2 graphics still look good. Man it blew me away when this came out.....it was like a real step into the future.
he is using emulation the real graphics were terrible and jaggie
@@markandisobel If these games came out today, yes, they may not look so great due to the lack of anti-aliasing. Were they bad at the time? No.
Do you remember how amazing Metal Gear Solid 2 looked? No? It looked bad? Sure, whatever you say, man.
@@markandisobel On crt tv it wasn't jaggie, it was pretty decent graphic back then, if you try to connect ps2 on 16:9 hd screen it will look bad but on crt will look way better, ps2 just isn't compatible for 16:9 format and hd screen and those tv's or monitors operate very different, only way for ps2 games to look good on 16:9 hd tv or monitor is to use emulator and crank up graphic by decent amount.
@@markandisobel It's still the original models, textures, effects, etc. regardless of the resolution.
Anyways PS2 games look solid if played on a CRT. It does depend on the game however. Some games have a flicker filter which gets rid of the slight flicker from 480i and acts like an AA that smooths over the graphics. But It's true that some games do look jaggy even on a CRT.
Why not admit that to mark&isobel?
Your response is empty
OH YEAH HERE WE GO, SPORTS TIME!
I say that in my head every time I watch a similar video
I've played a track and field game before.
But I've never watched track and field before,
so I'm going to give this everything I've got.
For real though the ps2 was when sports games were at their peak
It's actually insane how stacked this lineup was.
DoA2, ridge racer 5 and Timesplitters were literally masterpieces at the time, Imagine buying a ps2 with those 3 at launch 🤤
Those are three of my favorites from the launch.
My brother bought a PS2 on launch week.
He got Armored Core 2 and SSX.
Such a fun time bringing it back and playing with his friends in our room.
If we weren't playing SSX, we were playing the "Tekken Bowl" minigame in Tekken Tag Tournament. That was addictive as hell.
I don't need to imagine being a 9 year-old kid and seeing Dynasty Warriors 2 for the first time - I was a 20 year-old kid and loving how far games had come since I was playing Pac-Man and Frogger as a kid. God, I love being an Xennial.
Kessen was probably the first PS2 game I ever saw. The graphics blew 15 y/o me away. My cousin got a PS2 for his birthday around when the system launched in 2000 and this was one of the games he got with it.
I still remember seeing the gameplay of Kessen on a PlayStation Underground demo and being blown away as well. Definitely a good next-gen showcase at the time.
SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament were my first titles to the PS2. And man did I play the heck out of them! Definitely my top picks among the launch titles! I really miss the SSX series
Same here. I still play both of them every once in a while lol. So good!
DW2 was also my first experience with the PS2, instantly hooked, I also had AC2, smugglers run and time splitters
Love the part where he says
"The dvd player i suppose"
The ps2 was the 1st dvd player for Me and other ppl I knew. The fact that the ps2 did multi things, dvd games cds, was part of what helped me sway my parents to buy me the ps2 at Xmas. They just presumed all game things where the same thing.
Good Times.
Surprisingly, in my case when I first got a PS2 my dad only wanted me to use it to play PS2 games (no DVDs, CDs or PS1 games.) It was kind of expensive, so he didn’t want me to wear out the laser. Eventually, I didn’t care anymore and used it for all those things.
^ The irony being that the CD and DVD lasers were separate, and that some PS2 games were on CD anyway.
Tekken Tag is still so good. My college friend group became official when I started bringing my PS2 with Tekken Tag to campus. PS2 still remains my favorite console of all time.
It's a great game but has horrible character balance lol
@@NYG5 We had to ban playing as Devil/Angel or True Ogre because of that 🤣
@@aldromar9490 you dont think a 13f standing natural launcher that has good range and is safe makes for balance?
Summoner is a misunderstood and underappreciated masterpiece
Loved it as a kid.
No one talks about how motoGP also had Klonoa as an unlockable character!! But by the way, i really need you to keep this series up. I love it
Damn! DOA2 still looks fantastic.
This was done with emulators, so it had a bit of an unfair advantage. It does still look pretty great on original hardware, though.
Better on Dreamcast
Tekken Tag Tournament was much better
Also DOA2 was better on the xbox
@@BensyBens No, DoA2 is a much better game.
@@AthosJosue so play it on xbox
It’s backwards compatible
30min evenly keeled gaming retrospective w/ no ads = my sleep/relax aid. Thanks a lot!
Glad you liked it!
Nice! I can’t get enough PS2 documentaries and related videos.
Tekken Tag Tournament is the greatest game to ever accompany a console on release day. It's still my all time favorite fighter and will never be beaten.
Tekken Tag Tournament had the bowling mini-game.
Nuff said.
I'm not much of a PlayStation gamer these days but launch titles are always rather interesting and your coverage of them here was fantastic; consistently concise and quality detailing of each one. Your summaries came across as fair, you had the odd witty joke sprinkled in, and both pros and cons were highlighted in each case.
If I were getting a PS2 at launch, DOA2: Hardcore would be my definite pick-up; possibly along with Ever Grace (which I have played) and Dynasty Warriors 2.
Thanks!
Those three are all definitely ones I could recommend and had a good time with. DOA2 would be my top pick as well.
I love how much you people are willing to suck off the video creator for a heart comment. SUCK IT!
Loved DOA2, my best friend picked it up at a school gala for $2.00!!!
@@tyranmcgrathmnkklkl Funny enough, that is how I picked up the original Ratchet & Clank.
I almost got DOA2 myself last year, but hesitated because I couldn't remember if we had all the wires for the PS2. By the time I had located them, the game had sold.
The time I spent playing DoA2... Just hours upon hours. That gallery unlocker for 10 year old me was an eye opening experience, lmao.
Orphen was such an underrated gem glad me and my older brother had the pleasure of playing that game
That game was awful lol.
@@TheMagicStik yikes
Armored Core 2 may have lacked dual analog movement, but it also made me fall in love with the series. Tinkering with your mech was half the fun.
DOA2 was a better pick up and play game, but Tekken Tag was way more rewarding long term. More and unique characters with varied styles, lots of great combos to learn, and fun alternate gameplay modes.
Timesplitters is just an amazing franchise that only kept getting better with every title. The only downsides to them are that there are only the 3 PS2 titles and they will make all other FPS games feel like they seriously lack any creativity.
I definitely had fun with the Armored Core 2 demo as a kid, which I played so many times. Unfortunately, I could never find the game once I got my PS2 in 2002, so I never ended up getting it.
I agree that Tekken Tag is better for serious fighting game fans, but I'm also glad that you seem to understand the whole pick up and play thing with DOA2. I think it's the better game for people who just wanna have fun beating each other up in a game.
I definitely miss the TimeSplitters series, and the third one was my favorite multiplayer FPS on the PS2. For years I was holding out for a fourth, but eventually gave up on that after hearing about Free Radical becoming a Call of Duty developer. I'd love to see another shooter with the same vibe.
My favorite part of those games was the arena that you rose in rank fighting awesome named mechs
6:11 i thought you added in those extra shots as a gag, but it was the guy in the back shooting! the timing is perfect! lol
Fantastic video! Watched the whole thing and enjoyed all of it 👍
Thanks!
the fact that u played all just for this vid is amazing, and ofc how you covered it is amazing as well
Thank you!
TimeSplitters was my First game
Soo many memories :3
It's such a fun game. It was one of the first PS2 games I got.
Not a bad launch lineup for the cheapest dvd player available at that time
Thank;s for making this! I sprained my neck so I was in pain but watching this was really informative and entertaining so it has made my day better! :)
I’m glad I could help!
Orphen was my first game on PS2. I couldn't remember the name for years when trying to explain it to friends but thanks to this video you have cured a bad brain bug I had for ages haha.
Glad I could help you rediscover it!
Fantavision is something of a cult classic. Smuggler's Run was the first PS2 I ever wanted to play but somehow never got my hands on. This is also the first time I have seen any sort of gameplay! I am sure 23 years ago it must have been very exciting
We got our PS2 in the Launch window so the first three games we got were...
ESPN Snowboarding- Brothers Choice
Kessen- My Choice
Dark Cloud- Bonus game from parent
We found ESPN snowboarding pretty fun. Going down the mountains or competing in realistic downhill competitions with colored neon lights reflected on the snow at night was pretty cool!
Kessen was interesting, I liked how you could just watch the battles as they transpired when you didn't have any tactics to employ.
Dark Cloud was a roguelike before roguelikes and is still fun to this day. Best fishing minigame and crafting towns when outside dungeons was interesting.
I love Dark Cloud. That is a great game that I hope to cover in some form one of these days.
And yeah, the battles in Kessen are very impressive for the time. I still remember watching the promo video for that game on a PlayStation Underground demo way back when and thinking it looked so cool.
Dark cloud was the shit. The demo of that game was like 6 hours long too. You could play all the way to the second village where you fight the snake.
I still remember when console launches were filled with console one could buy and actual video games...fast forward to now and no actual consoles to buy or exclusive games! Brilliant, how far have we come :)
Wish I could go back in time to when the ps2 launched. Being 14 was a wonderful time in my life.
Impressive video! The first games I bought were Madden 2001, DOA: Hardcore, and Tekken Tag Tournament. The graphics were so real looking back then that when friends came over, they thought I had the game on. It's a little funny when you look at today's graphics, but back then it was quite realistic. The fighting games were amazing and I spent MANY hours trying to unlock everything with all the various characters.
Ps2 has definitely given me the most memories, love the shape of the console, and made it all the better it plays DVD’s.
Great video!
Thank you! I also am a fan of the way the PS2 looks. Possibly my favorite design for any console ever.
I loved summoner something fierce, great story and voice acting, solid combat fantastic soundtrack. Guess it was meant for an older audience when it dropped
"Armored Core 2" this is why I got a PS2, the AC franchise is my favorite mech-fighting game series.
It would’ve been a good game to get at launch. I really wanted it myself, but since I got a PS2 about two years after it came out it was impossible to find. I played the demo a ton of times, though.
Armored Core 2 and Timesplitters were definitely the best ps2 launch games. I loved Dynasty Warriors 2 as well. Eternal Ring was always interesting too.
Best thing about timesplitters. Creating maps
I didn’t mention that for time reasons, but I definitely had a lot of fun making those as a kid (even if mine did probably suck.)
Fun fact: I sent a memory card to the editor in chief of PSM for a TimeSplitters map contest, which he never returned to me.
@@LegendOfGamesI'm sorry for multiple comments, But this is going to be huge! TS4 never came out so this is the best TimeSplitters content we're going to ever get
I remember this launch. I bought Fantavision and ESPN snowboarding. I bought ESPN over SSX because I though it looked way more realistic and had real pro's in it. I remember thinking it was the best graphics I had ever seen!
So much nostalgia in this video! I spent so much time on SSX, timesplitters and Kessen. The PS2 was so amazing.
Armored Core 2 was my first PS2 game. Such good memories going to Big W with my grandfather and buying one for my birthday.
Dynasty warriors 2, kessen and orphen were all fantastic as a kid for me
Those were all ones I had fun with.
Yeah i remember playing kessen 3 and it was soooo much fun
I remember getting a PS2 and Tekken Tag Tournament on launch day. I saved up for a whole year to get them and was only 13 years old
@Matt Thornton what about parents? They didn't buy it or help?
I just the the HDD mod on my old PS2 now I am going back to play all the launch games since I didn't get a PS2 until 2002 and missed out on all the launch games.
For anyone wondering, I have another launch games episode in the works. With the way I’ve been progressing, it should be finished and out around the first or second week of March.
*Edit: it’s about 85% done now, and will hopefully be finished and out this weekend or Monday (March 15th.)
@The Legend of Games I use to play Japanese console for months before us release at a import store. I would beg him to sell me the console everyday.
PS2 will forever be my fav Christmas gift as a kid.
The amount of hours i spent playing tag with a friend on smugglers run was insane 😅
I had so many of these games when i was a kid and completely forgot about them, thankyou!
My favorite were and a few still are Kessen, Dynasty Warriors 2, Eternal Ring and Gungriffon Blaze.
I liked those as well. Gungriffon Blaze I especially thought was awesome.
I'm a huge hockey fan, so it was about NHL 2001 for me. The graphics were mind blowing.
amazing video, i love the ps2, you should do the same with other consoles!
Thanks! I appreciate the comment. I’ve been thinking of doing something similar after I finish my next video.
Also, this is interesting to look at because at the time the PS2 launch was portrayed as a *disaster* in the gaming press. i think that may have been more due to the period right after launch having some flops; for example, i had always thought The Bouncer was a launch title and was shocked to learn here that it wasn't!
From Software were already my Heroes back then. Eternal Ring and Evergrace are super Awesome Games, and I still love their work today. Only developer who never disappointed me.
I loved Dynasty Warriors 2, that was also the first demo I played for the PS2, which ended up selling me on the system. So many pleasant memories of the thing.
Talking about Midnight Club, it's engine was used in GTA III so technically it's almost a tech demo of GTA III. Another fun fact is that Midtown Madness was made by Angel Studio which became Rockstar Dan Diego. So we can say that Midtown Madness and GTA 3 are related, thanks to Midnight Club !
Orphen was the game I got I liked that after you beat the 2 paths and thought you were done you got a 3rd one
That game is pretty cool. I actually went back and played more of it after finishing the video.
Summoner has one of the best easter eggs ever though.
The Dungeons and Dragons sketch? That video is definitely awesome. I can’t say the same for the game as a whole, though.
Still, in hindsight I think I should’ve mentioned it.
@@LegendOfGames Yeah so great.
Interesting. I always thought "Dark Cloud" was a launch game. Cool video.
That was an early PS2 game, but it came out a bit after the launch in 2001. Great game, though.
You're crazy! Playing Street Fighter with an analog stick! I've heard it all now :D
Yeah, I know, I’m an idiot. I used to used the d-pad for fighting games growing up, but when I got into Street Fighter IV in college I couldn’t for the life of me get the game to consistently pull off special moves while using it. The smooth motion of the analog stick was the only way I could get it to work every time.
In fact, I think it’s more to do with the way the d-pad on PlayStation controllers is, cause I don’t have this issue when playing on the Sega Genesis or Saturn with their rounded d-pads.
I love your narration. I hope you made more videos. May the algorithm bless you with views and subs
Thank you!
Great video!! Now I want to play more of Eternal Ring. BTW there's a light gun for Silent Scope PS2 and Xbox :3
Man I miss all the games including Street Fighter Ex3 and Tekken Tag Tournament for the ps2 but I’m glad I get to see this vid!!!
Glad you liked it!
Oh man, I thought I was the only person to play Orphen. I loved that game.
I actually went back and played the game more after I made the video. I definitely find it enjoyable.
I still play tekken tag to this day, its one of the few games ill boot the ps2 up for these days
Madden NFL 2001 stood out the most for me. The game was a massive improvement over the PlayStation version that was released a few months before. The graphics, the atmosphere, the play-by-play, the animation, the physics, the gameplay, you name it, made Madden NFL 2001 the best generation jump in the Madden series.
That Frankie Munez clip is funny. Interesting guy now honestly. Recently got my PS2 rigged up with FreeMcboot, love playing the old classics that really stood the test of time, especially since ethe library is totally massive. On a VGA monitor, GBS Control from YPbPr Component it looks great still too. It's nice over just emulation.
I was there for this. Could've sworn Oni was on this list. That game bricked my Gen1 console...
Oni was a very early PS2 game, but its release date was a bit after the launch.
29 games at launch, the entire ps1 library AND it could play your CDs/DVDs.
I remember playing ready to rumble with my dad, it was pretty fun.
Such great memories with the ps2.
I was 20 when the PS2 came out. What an age to get this console at. I say that because you're at an age where you understand more about games and the tech. This system was excellent. I personally loved the first Burnout game and Colin McRae Rally. Was a massive fan of Devil May Cry. Me and my mate were so impressed with MGS2: Sons of Liberty. The boss fight with the jet fighter was so impressive. The Getaway was pretty dope for trying to recreate London.
I actually just finished playing Devil May Cry last night, which I hadn’t beaten before. What an awesome game.
And yeah, I remember being super amazed by MGS2’s graphics back in the day. It was probably the game that made me really want a PS2.
It’s funny you bring up The Getaway too, cause I put out a fairly big video covering that series back in the summer. Those games do have some issues, but I can’t help but like them.
@@LegendOfGames Yes I remember it being quite frustrating to play. But it at the time was worth it. The controls are clunky and the camera indoors can be a bit problematic.
Such a great system
Other PS2 game Is Rayman Revolution be launced on 22 december 2000!
I wonder what the current world would look like had the dreamcast used a dvd drive instead of cd...
Since the release of this video I have put out several other videos covering system launches.
PS1:
th-cam.com/video/cj6maGfH0TA/w-d-xo.html
Sega Saturn:
th-cam.com/video/YMUyGJH9A6Y/w-d-xo.html
Sega Genesis:
th-cam.com/video/_TvwH1f77XE/w-d-xo.html
PSP:
th-cam.com/video/p3lawUcuhfU/w-d-xo.html
19:50 Holy crap, Squeenix has some explaining to do. I legit thought that was X-2 Yuna for a second
Love your videos! I love watching about the launch titles for the playstation consoles.
Thank you! I'm glad you like them. I have another one in the works that will hopefully come out next month. To diversify a bit I'll be giving a go at a non-Sony system.
Tekken Tag was played to death by me and my buddies, it was the main reason my buddy Ryan picked one up near launch.
Summoner was my first game and Dynasty Warriors 2 was then my second game for my PS2. Great times.
Summoner was one of my first PS2 games as well.
I loved summoner.
I had never play a semy open world game like that before.
I finished it 3 times.
It was a favorite game of one of my friends and his brothers, who convinced me to get it not long after I got my PS2. There weren't really RPGs of that style on consoles before, so I can understand why so many people latched onto it.
I remember getting this for the first time and me and my dad playing Midnight Club and GTA3
Back in the day when consoles were getting noticeable huge jumps in graphic capabilities they were churning out games and seeing what worked so you see quite a few early concepts and some massive duds!
the fact that just seeing the woman on the track, with a ton of wind, with that spicy music made me think of ridge racer, reminded me how much developers used to care about their customers.
i do miss those days.
Thanks for the video! The launch library wasn’t bad at all.
Definitely. I sometimes hear it referred to as a bad or weak lineup, which I always feel is kind of an odd sentiment.
Anyway, glad you liked the video!
Summoner was the most underrated game ever. The fact it isn’t popular today is shocking.
Ah timesplitters my favourite franchise. I live 45 minutes away from Nottingham where free radical was based. Rare which the guys at free radical split from, are just 20 minutes down the road from where I live
My grandmother, God bless her soul 🙏🏽, bought me my very own Panasonic CRT tv and a Grand Turismo 3 PS2 bundle. I remember hearing Lenny Kravitz "I'm gonna go my way" and look in awe at the opening cinematic ✨️✨️✨️
Thanks for the review video... yeah man these games bring back alot of memories and remember buying and playing all these games. Yes I know some of them had bad reviews or was not as popular. However, I still had a blast playing them. I remember always playing TT tournament with friends on friday nights and many times during the days back in school, would be playing the heck out of smugglers run and midnight club.
In the UK we had to fill a form out and submit it to Sony just to be approved for a day one launch console.Luckily I was approved.My first two games was timesplitters and SSX.SSX was a hell of a good game in fact I still own a PS3 just to play SSX
That's lucky, I didn't end up getting one for quite a while. And those definitely would've been good games to start with. When I got my PS2, TimeSplitters was one of the first games I got.
Ridge Racer 5 was definitely the best looking of the bunch imo.
I can totally understand why you’d go with that one. Moto GP and Tekken Tag also looked very good, so I think Namco definitely knew what they were doing when it came to these early PS2 games.
Your take on dpad movement in fighting games is pretty surprising. I don't think ive ever used the analog stick to do a special move or really anything, especially not in Tekken. I think if you interviewed people who play on controller on tekken 7, the overwhelming majority would say they only use the dpad. I can't imagine doing electrics on an analog repeatedly, even in smash Ultimate it feels so imprecise compared to doing it in Tekken 7 with a dpad.
The d-pad digs into my thumb, and I’m just not a fan of it. I think it’s much easier to pull off special moves with the analog stick. I mean, it is closer to the arcade stick fighting game fans are so obsessed with, so I’m surprised they’d go with the d-pad.
@@LegendOfGames yeah but when it comes to using the tip of your thumb, a dpad is faster than an analog stick. The level of control isn't there with the size of an analog stick compared to an arcade stick. You should see mainmanswe's reaction when he found out you couldn't use Kazuya with a dpad in Ultimate.
@@onceyougozach2607 for me, the smooth motion required to pull off special moves doesn’t work with the d-pad and I always end up messing it up. No issue with it on the analog stick. Not everyone’s trying to be a top-ranked competitive fighting game player.
@@LegendOfGames I didn't say that. Don't be defensive. Most people who play tekken or street fighter on a controller aren't competitive. I'm just saying it was surprising to hear you focus on that as a negative considering most people use dpad for fighting games, especially tekken. The analog stick is a less precise and slower option so it feels natural to use the dpad, which has digital inputs that can be done faster.
@@onceyougozach2607 I think it’s fine that people want to use it. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just think to not have the option of using analog controls is odd.
So glad timesplitters is gettign love especially with the beta ps3 demo for 4 having been uncovered and timesplitters 1 releasing for the ps5 as a ps2 classic soon! Its already released in taiwan
Frankie munoz , carmen electra and the dude from american pie. Most late 90s/early 00s collection of people ever. Save for mark mcgrath. But that probably would have ripped a hole in the spacetime continuum.