Following up on the day after the Nintendo Switch celebrated its third year since release, another console is also celebrating its own significant anniversary. Turning 20 years old today is the PlayStation 2, a beloved system, and the most popular gaming console of all time. The PS2 was first released in Japan on March 4, 2000, with a launch lineup of games like Street Fighter EX3, Ridge Racer V, Kessen, and eight other titles. While the initial games available for release in Japan might seem underwhelming to some, the PlayStation 2 would go on to offer games that wowed audiences, and ones that defined the industry, such as Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, God of War, Devil May Cry, Kingdom Hearts, Shadow of the Colossus, Okami, Silent Hill 2, and so, so many more.

Retailing for ¥39,800, or $/£299.99 in the west, the PlayStation 2 drew attention for not only being a gaming system, but its ability to play DVDs, as well. Though it may not have been the most powerful console out of its sixth-generation rivals, it more than made up for it with its massive game library and media center capabilities. As was common at the time, in order to save your game progress, you'd need to have a memory card, and for those who wanted to be in on the cutting edge of online gaming at the time, you could pick up a network adapter, both sold separately.

So, happy 20th anniversary, PlayStation 2! What are your favorite memories with the console?

 

[James_]

playing GTA San Andreas on the PS2 was like sex.

and still is.

You had sex?

 

[Flame]

You had sex?

Son. is it time for that convo?

 

[James_]

Son. is it time for that convo?

Wait. I'm your son?

 

[riml0sth]

I'd put it in the top 3 or 5 best consoles of all time.

Actually I bought it brand new, only played Silent Hill 2 on it (which was great!) and then returned it back to the store. Couldn't stomach that price! Plus PC gaming was getting hot and doing things consoles wouldn't do for years yet.

Confession: Seeing all the great titles that were eventually released for it, I felt it was the console I hoped the PSX would be and I kinda regret not keeping it.

The PSX was kinda crap IMO (It killed my favorite RPG series with FF7 after all. FF3/FF6 on the SNES/SFC was a masterpiece. For the sake of avoiding a wrathful, overrought flamewar (with the FF7 remake soon to be released), that's all I'll say about that. :o) )

 

[DarkCoffe64]

Aaah, the ps2... I'd say those time were the golden age of videogames. You just buy the game, bam, all of it its yours, no dlc bs, no updates, you get everything that was made for it in a single (or multiple) cds/dvds, with the only waiting time being the loadings maybe.
The ps3 was alright, but I felt like 90% of the games made for it were all gritty/realistic fps, compared to the big variety of games that were on the ps2... and also the decline of videogames too imo.
Ever since consoles got able to connect online... some things gone better, but most... eh.

Welp, happy bday ps2.

 

[DANTENDO]

:

The PSX was kinda crap IMO (It killed my favorite RPG series with FF7 after all. FF3/FF6 on the SNES/SFC was a masterpiece. For the sake of avoiding a wrathful, overrought flamewar (with the FF7 remake soon to be released), that's all I'll say about that. :o) )

you can of course not like ff7 as every gamer has different tastes but to call to PSX crap oh dear lol and I really can't be arsed to argue over it as its PS2 celebration thread so thts all I'll say about tht

 

[matthi321]

and just today have i upraded my pc so i can finaly emulate ps2 games

 

[RedoLane]

The best game console ever. Got it as a present for my 10th birthday :3
The list of games I played on this bad boy is huge, and there are still a lot of PS2 games that i've yet to play!
I remember playing DVD discs on it, and let's not forget that cool splash screen that kept me thinking on every disc boot: "Please show logo. Please show logo. Please show logo. Please show logo. Please show logo."

It aged extremely well. :3

 

[Silent_Gunner]

@Chary, you should do something like this on April 29 with the front page news!

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[playstays_shun]

important to note the NA 20th birthday is October 26, 2000

 

[Mythical]

PS2 is timeless. A1 Titles out the ass on this console.
crazy how long it's been

 

[IndieDeveloper]

I am literally playing LEGO Star Wars on a PS2 right now, oh well. I do prefer the GameCube, but the PS2 is far from a bad system. It's really good. Like, really, really good.

Lego Star Wars on PS3 is very cool too

 

[Harsky]

How much older before the PS2 is really considered retro? For some reason I still think of the PS2 as something that's still fresh in my mind.

 

[DANTENDO]

How much older before the PS2 is really considered retro? For some reason I still think of the PS2 as something that's still fresh in my mind.

I'd say snes days so say 1993 thts 27 years ago - so say ps2 came at an end around 2006 add 27 years to tht equals 2033 tht wil be when ps2 is considered retro if done my maths right

 

[DinohScene]

I borrowed a PS2 off off a mate of mine just to play GTA SA, many a years later got a phatty PS2 gifted to me for reinstalling Windows.

 

[Deleted User]

Well, I've just been borrowing my friend's console for about half a year now, and damn, this library is so damn good. To be honest, this is now a contender for my favorite library of all time. So, here are a few of my favorites:

• Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (a contender for my absolute FGOAT)
• Kingdom Hearts
• Kingdom Hearts 2 (Final Mix English Patched) (a contender for my absolute FGOAT)
• Ratchet 2
• Ratchet Deadlocked
• GTA San Andreas
• The Sly Trilogy
• Sonic Mega Collection + (Great compilation!)

 

[teamlocust]

One of the best console ever if not the best, for me it's the best. Bought it again just for fmcb and harddrive with 1tb games and cheats

 

[pop13_13]

.

 

[Uiaad]

The 7th gen of consoles has ruined sooo many franchises

No shitty devs ruined so many franchises, not the consoles themselves

 

[tommasi]

I remember playing Tekken Tag on PS2 in 1999