The 1990's began with Nintendo on top of the gaming world, and ended with Sony in said position. The year 1998 saw the release of the first Sixth Generation console: the Sega Dreamcast. But it can be argued the Seventh Generation did not TRULY begin until the day the PS2 was released.
The PS2 started strong, thanks in no small part to its brand recognition. The name of the system itself said everything you needed to know, really: it's the second Playstation, the heir to that fantastic system you loved for five years.
The PS2 was released in the year 2000, when the Dreamcast was still going strong, and the PS1 was still on its last legs. Gamers were looking forward to the system, and many publications of the time were excited for it. In fact, defunct magazine GamePro did a spread on the PS2, and even claimed the game Tekken Tag Tournament looked BETTER on the PS2 than in the original arcade! At the time, this was a HUGE claim.
It would not be until the year 2001 that the PS2 would see the release of its killer apps. Perhaps the earliest might be Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, one of the best games released in 2001. Another game released that year, Dark Cloud, would prove to be one of the best reasons to buy a PS2 over any other console, as it was one of the best looking and most unique RPG's on the market at the time. Jak and Daxter was also released this year, providing the PS2 with the first of its unofficial mascots. Grand Theft Auto 3 would go on to create its own subgenre: the wide open sandbox. But when Final Fantasy X was released, that was when the PS2 truly began to identify itself as THE machine to buy.
If 2001 was the year the PS2 began to grow its identity, 2002 was the year it truly came to its own and made it clear that it was going to win this console war. Two games were released this year that would go on to define the PS2: GTA Vice City and Kingdom Hearts. The commercials for these games were played on nearly every channel; particularly, Disney Channel would promote Kingdom Hearts almost every hour. At the time, Disney Channel was one of the most popular kid's channels, so that's a lot of hype for one game.
Then came 2003. Final Fantasy X-2 was hyped as hell, being the first (playable) sequel in the legendary Final Fantasy series. It didn't hurt that it was the sequel to Final Fantasy X, which was one of the most popular entries in the series.
And then....2004. Five words, one game: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. The game that DEFINED the Playstation 2, the system's best seller, and quite possibly one of the best games ever made. This was THE game to buy a PS2 for; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. In 2004, if you owned a PS2, you had a copy of San Andreas. THAT is how hyped the game was!
Then came 2005, with a little game called God of War. A best seller, an instant classic, and Kratos became the NEW face of the Playstation line.
When 2006 rolled out, Kingdom Hearts 2 was released. The long awaited sequel to the original (though not the first sequel) the game would go on to become a huge success.
The year 2007 saw what I believe to be the last GREAT PS2 game: God of War 2. Better than the original in almost every way, with more bosses, more action, and more weapons.
Although the PS2 would go on for another six years before getting discontinued, the Golden Age of the PS2 was certainly from 2001 to 2007. All the greats of the system, the games that defined it, were released during this era. This was one hell of a time to be a gamer, I'll be honest.
What made the PS2 so legendary was, of course, the games for it. There were so damn many games for it; over 1.22 BILLION PS2 games have been sold overall! With a library of 3,877 games, and having sold a staggering 155 million units, the financial success of the PS2 speaks for itself.
A factor that may have helped the PS2's success was the controller: simply put, it was almost exactly like a PS1 controller, with no superficial differences. In fact, were one to look at the controllers for EVERY Playstation system, one would find very minimal differences, if any.
The PS2 was the system that helped make gaming more mainstream. The days of video game systems being sold in toy stores were in the past; gaming stores were back, stronger than ever before. This was now the Golden Age of stores like GameStop and EB Games.
Why couldn't the PS2 keep the same steam it did post 2007? Because Sony was focusing on the PS3 instead, trying to turn that system into a financial success. But that's for next week.
I compare the PS2 to the PS1, and one word comes to mind: legacy. In many ways, the PS2 not only continued the legacy of the PS1, but it improved on it as well. The PS2 took little time to differentiate itself from the PS1, but at the same time, it brought the Playstation line forward as well, keeping the brand name alive and vibrant.
While many PS1 franchises moved forward in the PS2 (Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid) others did not, such as Spyro or Crash Bandicoot. Indeed, the Crash and Spyro franchises began to fluctuate during the PS2 era, going from gaming darlings to budget titles to be overshadowed by new franchises. Crash and Spyro, like it or not, were soon overshadowed by Jak and Daxter, as well as Ratchet and Clank.
That said, the PS2 kept on impressing players the world over with its WIDE variety of games. There was literally something for everybody: sports games, RPG's, dating sims, visual novels, racing games, platformers, hack and slash, etc! Like I said, a library of well over three THOUSAND games!
Next week, we're looking into the PS3.
Best Selling games: GTA San Andreas, Gran Turismo 3, Gran Turismo 4, GTA Vice City, Final Fantasy X
Games that Defined the console: Final Fantasy X, GTA Vice City, Kingdom Hearts, GTA San Andreas, God of War
Best Franchises: GTA, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Turismo, God of War, Kingdom Hearts
My personal top 5: GTA San Andreas, GTA Vice City, Final Fantasy X, God of War 2, Metal Gear Solid 3
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