Almost 4000
titles have been released for the PlayStation 2 and, as you can imagine,
there’s hundreds of hidden gems out there.
These are
my 5 underated PS2 games that must belong on the shelves of every game
collector.
Splashdown was one of the first games that I’ve played on
a PlayStation 2. Back then, I was really impressed with what they’ve
accomplished. The water effects and player’s animations are marvelous and
superbly done.
Released for
the PS2 and Xbox in November 2001, it was published by Atari and developed by
Rainbow Studios, the same guys that, a year earlier, released the fabulous
Motocross Madness 2 exclusively for the PC.
It was the
second Rainbow Studio’s game for the PlayStation 2, after ATV Offroad Fury, and
they’ve managed to create a similar Wave Race kind of game, that was exclusive
for Nintendo machines, and bring this awesome water mayhem for the Sony and
Microsoft fans.
It has a
superb and exciting split screen 2 player mode, and there’s 18 exotic locations,
from Hawaii to Bali. We can choose to start a career, do some free riding or
play the arcade mode of the game. Obviously, career mode is the way to go.
Besides all this, there’s an extensive number of tricks that you can pull off
while in the air, just like in Motocross Madness and ATV Offroad Fury, but way
more realistic, and a freakin awesome soundtrack to keep the player motivated.
Check it
out! You won’t regret it!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, by Konami, brings the memories of
the arcade saloons of the eighties.
The game
features a single or 2-player co-operative mode in which you can play has
Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo or Michelangelo and each has his own unique set of
levels to complete. There’s also a versus mode where two players can fight head
to head. We’re given the option to choose one of the turtles and, as well,
Splinter, Casey Jones, Hamato Yoshi, The Turtlebot, Hun, Oroku Saki and
Shredder.
It’s a
basic button slash type of game, just like its old brother from 1989, and was
criticized for that simple fact. The music, sounds and animations are great and
faithful to the series. It keeps the player hunger for action, and there’s
plenty of it!
If you’re a
fan of beat-em-up games, this one is a must have! And with co-op mode, there’s
no excuse!
Finest Hour was the first console installment of the Call of Duty franchise, and was a PS2,
Xbox and Gamecube exclusive.
Developed
in 2004 by Spark Unlimited and published by Activision, it has a completely
different storyline from the original PC game, the very first Call of Duty from
late 2003. It’s based in real events from World War 2 and we get to experience
the action from the US, British and Soviet point of view.
If featured
an online multiplayer mode for up to 16 players simultaneously.
The audio
is of exceptional quality, from de sound effects to the music itself. It looks
like we’re watching an interactive movie. The voice of Sergeant Starkey, one of
the British commandos, was provided by AC/DC singer Brian Johnson.
Playing
first person shooters on a console maybe awkward, but Call of Duty: Finest Hour
is an essential add-on for all the fans of the franchise.
True Crime New York City follows the footsteps of its
predecessor, True Crime Streets of LA. But, sadly, critics gave it average and
poor reviews.
For me,
though, the vast depiction of Manhattan and its many landmarks, the innovative
transportation options, like using the New York City subway system, and the
simple fact that many buildings are accessible to the player, are extreme good
qualities that sets this game apart from previous open world titles.
Ok, maybe
there’s some bad frame rates from time to time and minor technical issues here
and there that seemed to have resulted from a rushed release. It became
available before Christmas of 2005 and was published by Activision.
In this
game, you’re the cop. You need to avenge the murder of your mentor and take
control of the streets. You can arrest, interrogate, use informants, extort,
frisk, and more. But, at the end, your fate will be tested: your actions may
turn you into a Bad Cop.
Due to its
bad reception, a planned sequel named True Crime: Hong Kong was canceled.
Luxoflux, the team behind the development of the True Crime franchise, was even
shut down in 2010.
I enjoy
sandbox/open world type of games and I’ve had a blast with True Crime New York
City.
Rainbow
Studios returns to their heritage with MX
Unleashed, the next generation leap from its older brother, Motocross
Madness 2.
For the
despair of PC gamers all over the world and devoted followers of the Motocross
Madness series, this title was only available for the Playstation 2 and Xbox.
But, for the record, if Rainbow Studios hadn’t been acquired by THQ, MX
Unleashed would have been called, with no doubt, Motocross Madness 3 and also
available for the PC.
Published
by THQ in the beginning of 2004, MX Unleashed is one big off-road playground.
There’s Supercross and outdoor Nationals series to participate, just like in
Motocross Madness. But, newer stuff was obviously included, like taking a
monster truck, a helicopter or a bi-plane out for a ride in the massive
freeworld environments. But be aware! There’s a limit for your exploration!
MX
Unleashed features an accurate physics engine. The bike and rider react to the
surface in a natural way and your speed, the angle of the bike and how you’re
balancing the weight, all of this affects how your bike responds to the
terrain. The controls are sharp and accurate and the trick system is simple and
fairly basic to execute. To be honest, everything feels right in this game.
It also has
an awesome soundtrack, but, in game, I prefer to listen only to bike’s engine
and all other sound effects.
The PS2 has
a great library of games. I’ll be covering much more titles from the
best-selling video game console in history.
If you're into retro and not so retro video gaming related stuff, please subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePixelTHING and visit http://www.facebook.com/PixelThing & http://twitter.com/Pixel_THING
Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/PixelTHING
Comments
Post a Comment