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PlayStation 2 launched 25 years ago in North America
- Thread starter DryvBy
- Start date
Artistic
Member
BY far the best Tekken in the series.
TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Grew up with Nintendo consoles. Got a PS2 not long ago and I'm in awe at the sheer numeber of cool videogames I have to play.
One of the greats for sure. Not sold on the pressure-sensitive button thing tho, hope not many games use it.
One of the greats for sure. Not sold on the pressure-sensitive button thing tho, hope not many games use it.
RetroGamingUK
Banned
Being a Dreamcast owner I was very disappointed with the visuals, especially with Dead or Alive 2. So many games had jaggies (field rendering was used in many early games).
However I was impressed with SSX and, a few months later, the Gran Turismo 3 demo.
However I was impressed with SSX and, a few months later, the Gran Turismo 3 demo.
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DarkShadowXI
Gold Member
Picked up at launch. Seems like just yesterday…
Pasta la Vista
Member
Didnt get one at launch but I had a friend that was a rich kid (raised by his mexican housekeeper/nanny) that got one at launch. Played a shit ton of Armored Core 2.
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Seiryu21
Member
I ended up buying a Japanese slim Ps2 to play imports. Loved another century's episode 2.
p_xavier
Authorized Fister
You don't like Fantavision? The opening is GOAT. The PSVR2 version might be my most played VR game.remember how fantavision was getting a lot of praise in the mags?
CentralScrutinizer
Member
Didn't get one at launch but I loved my ps2.
DQ8
FF12
GT4
GTA
Phantasy Star Universe
EverQuest Online Adventures
Absolute GOATs.
DQ8
FF12
GT4
GTA
Phantasy Star Universe
EverQuest Online Adventures
Absolute GOATs.
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ShadyAcshuns
Member
Got mine at launch. People at Gamestop or EB games, can't remember which, kept telling me "it's going to be so much better than your DreamCast" and they were right.
Horseganador
Member
Seeing what was coming, we had to have it at launch, it was clear that it would be the console of the generation.
saintjules
Gold Member
My Brother and I were saving portions of our weekly allowance leading up to this day. We didn't pre-order at the time which was our mistake.
The night before launch we saw on the news lines of people camping outside. We never seen anything like it. I went to my Dad and said 'Dad look, there's people outside stores on a line for Playstation! Can I go?' My Dad said not to worry we'll be able to secure one.
We got to Target at 4AM with the line about maybe a quarter of a mile long outside. At 6AM the Manager of the store came out and said they have only 100 units and the first 100 would get them. Needless to say I didn't get one.
Went straight to school with $350 in my pocket. There's usually the opportunity to have breakfast before Homeroom begins (High School). Sat around the table and asked one of my friends if they got one. They said yeah.
A friend of mine across the street from my house also had one. He actually let me borrow his shortly after launch. At the time I actually bought 'Orphen' before launch in hopes to have my own PS2 to play it. So I played it on his.
It took 5 months to find one. Called Gamestop and they asked me how soon I could get to the store as they had one in the backroom. So I scrambled down there and finally secured it.
From then on I swore to pre-order these Consoles as soon you're able to.
The night before launch we saw on the news lines of people camping outside. We never seen anything like it. I went to my Dad and said 'Dad look, there's people outside stores on a line for Playstation! Can I go?' My Dad said not to worry we'll be able to secure one.
We got to Target at 4AM with the line about maybe a quarter of a mile long outside. At 6AM the Manager of the store came out and said they have only 100 units and the first 100 would get them. Needless to say I didn't get one.
Went straight to school with $350 in my pocket. There's usually the opportunity to have breakfast before Homeroom begins (High School). Sat around the table and asked one of my friends if they got one. They said yeah.
A friend of mine across the street from my house also had one. He actually let me borrow his shortly after launch. At the time I actually bought 'Orphen' before launch in hopes to have my own PS2 to play it. So I played it on his.
It took 5 months to find one. Called Gamestop and they asked me how soon I could get to the store as they had one in the backroom. So I scrambled down there and finally secured it.
From then on I swore to pre-order these Consoles as soon you're able to.
simpatico
Gold Member
Got mine within the year. Worked at the mall next door to EB Games, made friends with the guys and they put one back for me. Remember taking it home with A-Spec and I forget what else. But it was probably my first big impulse purchase as a quasi-adult with my own money. I'd saved up for cars and that kind of thing, but this was spontaneous. They just told me I could get one that day and I actually had the money to do it. Felt nice driving home that day.
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diffusionx
Gold Member
My birthday is the 29th so my parents hooked me up bigly. I had SSX and Kessen I think as well as RRV later, but let's be real that initial lineup wasn't great.
EverydayBeast
ChatShitGPT Alpha 0.001
"At launch" is a little cringe, why can't I get a console after launch?
Hawk The Slayer
Member
Still the best PS console of all times.
Didn't get it at launch cause it was too much so my parents bought me the N64 during the PS2 launch. I was also begging them to get me Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask and knew nothing about the PS side at the time since my other console was the SNES.
Didn't get it at launch cause it was too much so my parents bought me the N64 during the PS2 launch. I was also begging them to get me Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask and knew nothing about the PS side at the time since my other console was the SNES.
yogaflame
Member
Got one at launch. One of the best PS, due to so many exclusives & most of all nothing woke especially twisted gender ideology was force and push that era. That is why I hope ps5 and soon ps6 will be like that. Best games for me are Mgs 2, FFX, RE4, Shadow hearts, Radiata story, Dragon quest 8, Ratchet and Clank,Jax and Daxter, Devil May cry, God of war 2, Silent hill 2 and 3, Ace combat, Tekken 4.
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RoboFu
One of the green rats
I mean the ps2 still to this day has the best marketing profile of any console before or since. the logo, the box, the colors, the console itself. whomever was designing for Sony at that time I hope got a lot of credit.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
And still the best system ever.
I think it's hard for people who weren't into gaming at the time to understand just how much hype there was for this thing - just a different time. I remember hearing about the PS2 for years before it even came out, and this was hype based on precisely nothing. Then you got the actual announcements, had the tech demo of the old man's face or whatever it was, and... yeah. People wanted this thing. And hell, that was before everyone knew it was also the cheapest DVD player you could buy at the time.
The launch lineup was okay, but the system really picked up steam in early 2001 and just never let up. It's a system that I still go back to regularly today, both to replay favorites and to check out new games that I never had the chance to play at the time. The focused design and willingness to experiment that marked this era was absolutely incredible.
I think it's hard for people who weren't into gaming at the time to understand just how much hype there was for this thing - just a different time. I remember hearing about the PS2 for years before it even came out, and this was hype based on precisely nothing. Then you got the actual announcements, had the tech demo of the old man's face or whatever it was, and... yeah. People wanted this thing. And hell, that was before everyone knew it was also the cheapest DVD player you could buy at the time.
The launch lineup was okay, but the system really picked up steam in early 2001 and just never let up. It's a system that I still go back to regularly today, both to replay favorites and to check out new games that I never had the chance to play at the time. The focused design and willingness to experiment that marked this era was absolutely incredible.
ShirAhava
Plays with kids toys, in the adult gaming world
PS2 came out the day after I turned 13 parents got me one at launch. I grew up in a big crime ridden city I remember covering the obvious blue box with a black garbage bag before we stepped into the parking lot of the local mall.
I had a PSX and N64 at the time and this 1980s Japanese super computer looking thing was like hooking up the Starship Enterprise to my RF only 19" half woodgrain half black plastic 1990 Magnavox. Playing SSX for the first time might have been the most satisfied I've ever been as a gamer.
TTT/SSX/Armored Core 2 was all I wanted or needed between those three and freaking PSX BC (I had a PSX since 1996 but My backlog was insane back then I just didn't have the free time) that first year until the OG XBOX took over my life for a year (I even won a local Halo CE tournament) until around late 2002 with Vice City when I went back to the PS2 and enjoyed the amazing 2001/2002 game lineup big shoutout to ONI and THE BOUNCER!!!
Bungie used to be cool
I had a PSX and N64 at the time and this 1980s Japanese super computer looking thing was like hooking up the Starship Enterprise to my RF only 19" half woodgrain half black plastic 1990 Magnavox. Playing SSX for the first time might have been the most satisfied I've ever been as a gamer.
TTT/SSX/Armored Core 2 was all I wanted or needed between those three and freaking PSX BC (I had a PSX since 1996 but My backlog was insane back then I just didn't have the free time) that first year until the OG XBOX took over my life for a year (I even won a local Halo CE tournament) until around late 2002 with Vice City when I went back to the PS2 and enjoyed the amazing 2001/2002 game lineup big shoutout to ONI and THE BOUNCER!!!
Bungie used to be cool
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Steve Holt
Member
Truly the GOAT
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Didn't get one at launch, was a wee-lad back then. But got one a few years later courtesy of my older bro.
Agent X
Member
I wasn't impressed by the PS2's game lineup at launch, so I didn't get the system until a little over a year later. By that time the game library had improved considerably, with an impressive wave of "must-have" games.
Well said.
Well said.
nial
Member
I'm pretty sure that things like that still happen. My father used to be excited over the PS5 in 2017 based on literally nothing.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
It's a matter of degree. The PS2 was positioned as this life-changing video game box from the future, and a lot of people subscribed to that. And the actual leap in visual quality vs the PS1 actually was mind-blowing. The PS5 was an iterative improvement and pretty much everyone knew it. That's not to say people weren't excited for it, but there was no notion of it being some sort of revolution.
spookyfish
Gold Member
Took the day off, walked past all the people standing in line to pick up my pre-ordered system from Electronics Boutique or Babbage's or one of those. SSX, DOA 2 and Tekken Tag were my launch games.
Whst about dinner?
PeteBull
Gold Member
Got one at launch, in europe, back then i was poor highschooler but luckily grandma took mercy over my pitiful soul and bought it for me, pretty sure it was first ps2 in my whole smalltown so respect meter among my buddies skyrocketed bigtime, played only TTT for many months and it was glorious 
Hypereides
Member
The 00's were generally brimming with so much creative energy. Particularly around this time. Recall fanatically reading pamphlets about the lineup and its features. Played some games at a demokiosk. Didn't get on the PS2 wagon till late, right before the PS3 launched though.
The PS brand was generally positioned as a "lifestyle" brand and a centerpiece of the culture. Now? Not so much, I'd argue. They/Sony kind of let that go.
Many legacy game studios from that era, and the 7th, used to be cool. Somewhere along the way, they all collectively lost their mojo once they got carved out through corporate interests. They've been overcompensating for that "lack of" with pretty graphics ever since.
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Erebus
Member
Those were truly special times. I was at the perfect age to experience the PS2 era in all its carefree glory, and I'm genuinely thankful for it. That generation of gaming was a true golden age, when developers still made games out of pure passion and curiosity, unburdened by monetization schemes or endless sequels. Creativity thrived because the medium still felt new and full of possibilities.
Every release brought something fresh and unexpected. You had the haunting, emotional depth of Silent Hill 2, the hypnotic atmosphere and quiet beauty of ICO, and the awe-inspiring scale of Shadow of the Colossus, which felt almost sacred in its simplicity. Then there were the pure bursts of energy like the fast, arcadey joy of Burnout and SSX, games that captured the spirit of fun without taking themselves too seriously. And when Gran Turismo 3 arrived, its lifelike graphics and smooth performance felt like a glimpse into the future.
Even big action games had artistry. God of War wasn't just brutal and cinematic — it was mythic. It blended gameplay, storytelling, and spectacle in a way that made you realize games could be epic and emotional at the same time.
Looking back, that era had a perfect balance: technical limitations sparked innovation, and studios weren't afraid to be bold, weird, or heartfelt. Every game felt distinct, memorable, and made with soul. It was the peak of video game creativity, a time when imagination ruled, and the people making games were just as passionate as the ones playing them.
Every release brought something fresh and unexpected. You had the haunting, emotional depth of Silent Hill 2, the hypnotic atmosphere and quiet beauty of ICO, and the awe-inspiring scale of Shadow of the Colossus, which felt almost sacred in its simplicity. Then there were the pure bursts of energy like the fast, arcadey joy of Burnout and SSX, games that captured the spirit of fun without taking themselves too seriously. And when Gran Turismo 3 arrived, its lifelike graphics and smooth performance felt like a glimpse into the future.
Even big action games had artistry. God of War wasn't just brutal and cinematic — it was mythic. It blended gameplay, storytelling, and spectacle in a way that made you realize games could be epic and emotional at the same time.
Looking back, that era had a perfect balance: technical limitations sparked innovation, and studios weren't afraid to be bold, weird, or heartfelt. Every game felt distinct, memorable, and made with soul. It was the peak of video game creativity, a time when imagination ruled, and the people making games were just as passionate as the ones playing them.
JimmyRustler
Member
With how things are going today and where this industry seems to be moving to I something think it would have been better for my parents to make me use my time more productively. But then I am reminded just how awesome it was to be part of it back then. Having the chance to go back I'd the same things all over again. Being younger now however... I'd probably ditch gaming all together.
RoboFu
One of the green rats
Team Skoda
Member
Had an import PS2 before US launch, just to play Onimusha, Bouncer and GT3. No regrets. Traded it in for a US one eventually. Did the same for a Dreamcast.. Also no regrets.