Fighting Def Jam: Fight for NY #1 all-time game for sheer brutality. The pain dished out in this game is simply unmatched... you'll never see these kinda beatdowns anywhere else, plus the interactivity with the crowds is fantastic. And surprisingly, the mixed-styles fighting system is incredibly deep. There are 5 styles: Martial Arts, Kickboxing, Streetfighting, Wrestling, and Submissions. When you create a fighter you can mix and match the types of fighting styles... you can go with a pure kickboxer, but you could also add wrestling and martial arts as secondary styles, and his moveset will change. And the order you add the styles in DOES matter. You pull this off in a story mode that is actually amazingly compelling... best story I've ever seen in a fighting game, bar none. Never gets old. Pick this up even if you don't like fighting games. Trust me. Capcom vs. SNK 2 Like Street Fighter and/or King of Fighters? This is bar-none the best collection of fighters from both camps, and to top it off the fighting system is totally customizable: want air blocking? Add it in! Don't like the dodge mechanic? Take it out! Absolutely my definitive 2D fighting game. Guilty Gear X2 Easily the best 2D fighting game that's not made by Capcom or SNK. Very, very pretty, startlingly deep, very kooky, and lots and lots of extras. And a one-attempt-per-bout instant-death move for every character means the fight is rarely in hand. Tekken 5 My favorite 3D fighter, easily. Tekken 4 sucked, Tekken 5 makes amends. It's accessible and fun to new players, while being deep enough to keep you occupied for a very long time.
Racing SSX 3 If I were stranded on a desert island with just one game, this might just be the one. And I don't even like snowboarding. You absolutely must buy this game. Please see "Okami" for what will happen to you if you don't. Awesome sense of speed, great presentation, the way they remove and add in elements of music depending on how you're doing is groundbreaking, it's pretty, endlessly replayable... Burnout 3: Takedown As a rule, I don't like racing games. But no racing game gives you a better sense of speed than Burnout, nor does any other racing game let you take out other cars in such a supremely satisfying way. The crash mode where you get to careen into busy intersections and try to cause maximum destruction doesn't hurt, either. Crazy Taxi Okay, so it's not really "racing." You're a cabbie, and you have to get people to their destinations as fast as possible. Get someone there fast, you get a time bonus, and you can keep on going. Simple? Yes. And that doesn't keep it from being absurdly fun. Not in the least. Role-Playing Final Fantasy X I'm sure I'll get knocked for saying this, but to me this is easily the best RPG on the PS2. Great graphics, great story, good battle system, TONS of extra stuff to do. Though I guarantee the main character will annoy you. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits It has the most fun battle system I've ever encountered. This is the only game I ever looked forward to leveling up for. Plus, you play two different parties throughout the game, and then when they meet at the end you get to choose a side and beat down the one you didn't choose. Sweet. Admittedly the story is a little ho-hum, but trust me, it's greater than the sum of its parts. Sports Tiger Woods 2004 Why 2004, you ask? Because these games passed the "irritatingly easy" line after 2004. This edition has plenty of courses, graphics are fine, blah blah blah. Much like snowboarding, I don't like golf at all, but I've been playing the Tiger Woods games since 2001 because they're just fun. This is the one to get, until the next-gens offer up a better one sans needless tweaks. Victorious Boxers 2: Fighting Spirit You'll have a hard time finding this one, but it's worth-it. Is Fight Night more intuitive and innovative and pretty? Sure. But Victorious Boxers has got STYLE. And you can't help but fall in love with the characters during the myriad of uber-cheesy cutscenes. Seriously... you'll love the story. This game is more fun than it has a right to be. Strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII You're gonna hate me for this recommendation if you wanna have a life. Many times I found myself at midnight saying "I just need to take over one more city" or "I just need to recruit one more good officer" or "I just need to butter up some political allies a bit more"... and then it was light outside, and I had played straight through 'til work in the morning once again. Stupid game. Car Combat Twisted Metal: Black Pick a car, and then go around blowing other cars up. And yes, it's definitely as fun as it sounds. For extra fun, the storylines for most of the characters are ludicrously dark and over-the-top.
The Devil May Cry Box Set(hours of fun) Shadow of Colossus The Mark of Kri & Rise of Kasai Soul Caliber Fight for NY Rise to Honor(Jet Li) Enchanted Arms
i still play this game. as a matter of fact, i played it last night. unfortunately, i don't know how to update rosters. so i'm still playing with 2004 roster. ok, i also have madden 2005. can someone tell me how to update the rosters? i have an internet connection. i plugged in the ethernet cable, but i don't see any options for downloading rosters.
Drexlerfan22, awesome post bro! I have no doubt my work will suffer, my girlfriend will leave me, I will become fat, lazy, and build incredible callouses on my fingers because of your dedication. THANKS!
I wish I bought a PS2 instead of an Xbox. There seem to be far more appealing games on the PS2. I didn't get much use out of my Xbox. There was especially a lack of good rpg's. It's all for the best I suppose, I could easily lose days playing video games if I let myself go.
No problem. If you want some PS1 recommendations, since the PS2 is backwards compatible, I can do a similar post on that later. Just let me know if you're interested.
LOL, I played it last night too. I wish they would make a new one, but I heard something about the rights were bought off... or something like that. I just play the owner with a fantasy drafted team, don't really care for updated rosters.
I've got to second you on your posts. Great job. I wouldn't mind a list from you re: PS1 games, though it would be mostly plan ol' curiosity on my part. Another note on Shadow of the Colossus: I've been trying to sell my friend on this game. He bought the game (used for about $10 or something cheap), but can't seem to get into it, and why this is baffles me. Then again, perhaps I tend to get a little too involved in the characters involved and the emotions that are conveyed so well in this game. Here it is as best as I can explain it: [I'm about to sound like a super-dork here, but I don't care] For me, there is a terrible sense of sadness, despair, loneliness, and ultimately a fleeting sense of hope in this game that is conveyed to the player in a sense I've never before experienced in a video game. I felt bad almost, in killing the collossi, but I was driven on by that same need to complete the quest as the character in the game. I know it sounds silly, but I've never experienced a game on an emotional level like I did with this one.[/super-dork] And yes, I have real friends and a real social life. Bottom line: this is easily one of my favorite games of all time, on any system.
SotC is one of my all-time favorite games as well, but at the same time it's easy to see why it's such a polarizing 'love or hate it' type of game to gamers who don't really like quietly exploring a big land, then the game can certainly be boring to those types...there's not any action whatsoever in between <edit> btw, the music in SotC is probably the best I've heard in any video game...better than even FFs
I think Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner (great action game), Disgaea and the first Devil May Cry should be up there.
Yes, Take Two owns the rights to the MLB license right now. Well, technically they only own the 3rd party rights to the license, 1st party teams can still make MLB games (like Sony does with the MLB The Show games). Seemed to be a move done in retaliation to EA buying the rights to the NFL license. Great post(s) by Drexlerfan22. Most of the great games I can think of have already been mentioned, but I would like to recommend Beyond Good & Evil. Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a great RPG as well, although it might be better if you played the original Shadow Hearts...which isn't nearly as good unfortunately.
No, I do understand it. There are power-ups, both during the game and after you've finished the game, thus increasing the replay value substantially. IMO.
I was trying to think where I saw Shadow of the Colossus before and then I realized. Its in that movie Reign Over Me. Adam Sandler's character was addicted to that game. Looks like I found my next game.
Like KePow said, it seems to be a 'love it or hate it' type of game. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Google it if you haven't already....there are a ton of websites devoted to it. Edit: Here's a good website: http://www.shadowofthecolossus.com/
