Joe, ys is one of the most fun games serieses, well, ever.. Think Zelda, but with a bit more action, a bit less equipment/puzzles, and overall -- honestly -- more fun. Imagine an RPG series with ONLY the fun elements and nothing else. Games like Landstalker and Beyond Oasis owe a lot to Ys.

Tons of info (this is also my favorite website on the internet, you can read the articles all day):
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ys/ys.htm

Until 2005, only the first 3 were out in America, but # 3 -- which is EXCELLENT -- was on the SNES, at least, and is cheap/easy to find.

Xseed is localing YS I/II, III, and the amazing VII for the PSP, in North america. And is honestly probably the only reason to buy a PSP... I and II are the Wii virtual console, too. And you can get the first 2 on the DS, as well..

But fuck all those, just get the PS2 game, YS VI: Ark of Napishtim. It was seriously one of the best games for the PS2, and I got it off of amazon for $8. You slash things and level up and go into dungeons and kill more things and level up. Imagine Zelda, again, but every time you kill things, you get more powerful. Simple concept but addictive as hell. Diablo-ish, I guess.

Look at these screens:





It is so fucking fun. I played it non-stop, straight through, and beat it in 2 days. I think I beat it in 9 hours, so it's perhaps a bit short (then again, so are most games that people worship -- I beat Devil May Cry 1-3 -- yes all 3 -- in a few days, each one taking 2 hours max... Viewtiful Joe can be beaten in an hour and a half... so yeah), but it's seriously the most fun you'll have, for one playthrough at least, on the PS2.

I've always wanted to play Pepsiman.

EDIT: Thanks.

So, be on the lookout for this:



More fun, overlooked games I HIGHLY RECCOMEND if you just like superfun games, for the PS2:


the insanely fun valkyrie profile 2

and


Okay, okay, Odin Sphere was pretty damn overrated, but it was fun as hell while it lasted, and the graphics are the best, PERIOD, on the PS2.

I fucking love this forum.

Me too, this forum rocks. Congrats on nearly 3700 posts. The older I get, the more I just love fun, addicting games. You know? Everyone is always looking for the most innovative games ever. Like, people got boners over the aforementioned Vagrant Story because it had "Breakable weapons" and all these ridiculous innovations, but the games just weren't fun. As much as I like Metal Gear Solid 1, I thought the next 3 were honestly quite bad, with about 90 minutes of actual gameplay in each one.. they just flat-out weren't fun. No matter how clever they were, and genuinely "Revolutionary", they were just lacking fun gameplay elements for the most part. Not awful games by any means, but not even half as good as most PS2 games.

The game I put the most hours into last gen was Disgaea. It took me 39 hours to beat the regular game, but all the post game quests and shit took another 65. It's one of those games you can beat and just pick up randomly and play at your leisure.




So badass.

I also put tons and tons of hours into Rez (beat the regular game in an hour -- an HOUR! -- but replayed it so many times, I bet I put 50 hours into it) and Katamari games.

All in all, though, my favorite game for the PS2 -- next to Killer7 - was ICO!




It was the one game that really took you to another place. It made you feel true expanse. True depth. It gave that Zelda feeling... but it simplified the experience even more, while making it more genuinely fun. I think a lot of games attempted to do the Ico thing -- God of War, Prince of Persia, etc.. but all of them missed out on what made Ico so brilliant. I remember when the game came out, it got pretty shitty reviews. "Too short, just a bunch of puzzles, boring combat." Then they went on to praise GARBAGE like Silent Hill, which is nothing but shitty puzzles and horrible combat... with a cool atmosphere and not much more.

...well, ICO has the best puzzles ever in an adventure game. Nothing is ever frustrating. Nothing is ever stupid, no "find a horse head to put in the horse hole in the door". There's some box stuff, there are some lever stuff, but there's stuff way more clever than that. It's never daunting. The princess handholding mechanic was nothing short of beautiful. You know how Resident Evil 4 had that "protect Ashley" thing? ICO had "protect the princess", but I think it was better integrated.. you're swinging around on ropes, climbing walls, trying to make a path for the princess. Suddenly, you find out that a gate you opened for her has black shadow demons comign out now, trying to take her to the underworld. You must jump off a huge castle, which might break your legs, but there's no other way! You then hit them with clubs and knock them to their death, and take the princess and run away.

It's just so beautiful, exhilerating, and feels almost effortless in its simplicity and beauty. The soundtrack is beautiful... sometimes it sounds like Robe.! Haha. (I was very inspired by this game for Robe.'s "Hadramaut")... sometimes it sounds like Stars of the Lid. It's always ambient and floating around, but with a quiet darkness.. crumbling castles, destroyed bridges.. lots of swinging around.. just amazing.

I can't say it enough: ICO IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES EVER.

Now, Shadow on the Collossus, the "Sequel"? It was alright. The camera sucked. I liked how it was nothing but boss fights, and the bosses were like big puzzles. I liked just riding around the huge deserts and shit. But eh. It felt like a retread on one hand, while feeling really dull. It still had some amazing moments but...

If you want to play one truly life changing game, ICO is your game. It is to video games what Boredoms are to music, El Topo is to film, and Burroughs is to authors.

Oh, and look

http://kotaku.com/5638207/ico-shadow...n-3-re+release

whee!

I don't think I've ever enjoyed playing an Intellivision game. More than a few years back, I picked one up at a garage sale for $10 with a box full of titles. Each one of them was ridiculously painful to play. The controls were absolutely wretched, and the games were all so slow-paced.

I ended up selling the console w/ all the games for the exact same price that I paid for it, and haven't regretted it since. Although, I probably should've just held onto it for collector's sake.

On the other hand, I remember having tons of fun with my cousin's ColecoVision, growing up.

Aren't there only like 11 games for the Virtual Boy?

I'd like to play Ico someday. I'm still playing Shadow of the Colossus, which has been alot of fun, though I feel it's kind of longwinded. I'm on the twelfth colossi right now and I haven't played it in a while. Maybe if there was actually a little bit of a narrative to go with it I'd be into it more. But it's an extremely beautiful game though, one of the most beautiful on the ps2, and I'd presume Ico has a similar look.



How's that been? I'd really like to play both of those games, I always thought they looked slick. But I don't own a ps3 so I don't even think about playing them, haha but would still like to.

Are you sure you're not talking about Killer7?

All jokes aside, I've heard similar praise for ICO in the past, and have always wanted to check it out. It's just that from the gameplay footage I've seen has never looked too spectacular, or out of the ordinary.

Halo reach is pretty fire.. I don't have it, but my buds do, and I look forward to playing it more. I bought Super Smash Bros. Brawl used from a pal today for 20 dollars.. much cheaper than any store. I haven't played it yet. But, I know that I will spend countless hours whopping ass

Ico is awesome, but Shadow Of The Colossus is better.

:D


gettin' released on {PSN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sdjklfhdskjfhkldsjghlkdjfghlkjsdfhg so excited.

I'm gonna go to mah cousin's right now to set up my ps3. the chip wasn't working for me when I tried installing it.


Hopefully gonna get mah game on when I get back.

There's absolutely nothing better about Shadow of the Collosus, in comparison to ICO. Unless you just like doing less stuff, for longer. Both are works of art, but Collossus's camera, and focus on combat brings it down. It's clunky as hell, and quite boring at imes. ICO is a true work of art, and always has you doing something. It's such a perfected gameplay system. 7 beautiful hours instead of 15 long hours.

"It's just that from the gameplay footage I've seen has never looked too spectacular, or out of the ordinary."

Eh? What gameplay footage are you looking at? Everything is out of ordinary about the game. I honestly can't think of any games more "spectacular" looking than ICO. Maybe XIII or some cel-shaded game, but it sucked.

"Maybe if there was actually a little bit of a narrative to go with it I'd be into it more."

Just wait till the ending. Uh, I think SPOILERS the 13th collossi is the one that doesn't even attack you at all, which is interesting. It's this huge beautiful creature and it doesn't even bother hurting you. It really puts things into perspective. To be honest, Shadow... is like a 6/10 overall, but the ending makes it at least an 8, because it puts the whole game in a much darker light.

One of the best games on the PS3. The first one is nothing compared to this one.

yer high. 9 easy.

OH YEAH! so my fucking PS3 is shittin' on me. (mind you this is my 3rd PS3).

to install the chip you have to "reset" it by pressing the twp buttons. Mine doesn't. it goes crazy and the fan goes on high as if it is overheating. and bullshit occurs. It's not even suppose to happen. I have such bad luck with technology. hpoefully I can get this problem resolved...

I beat it 4 years ago and never want to play it again. It was an empty experience -- and interesting and, most importantly, DIFFERENT experience -- but there's nothing about it I want to relive, partake in again, etc.

Now, compare that to classics like a lot of the Mega Man games, Zelda games, the aforementioned Rez.. I can play those games 500 times in a row..

Uncharted 2 is great so far.. but i havent finished it yet. its really cinematic but in a good way, it doesnt just throw in a bunch of cut scenes like metal gear solid 4 does.. the level design is amazing. and yeah it could easily be one of the best ps3 games but like i said, havent finished it yet.

GunValkyrie (XBOX)

Here's what you're in for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVmjZ5kRYt0

CHALLENGING! OLD-SCHOOL! FUN! FUN! FUN!!!

I had to go out and repurchase this at a local shop after mentioning it when NR claimed that the XBOX had no fun games. I had sold most of my XBOX games when it randomly stopped working on me, but revived itself a few years later. To my surprise, the game was only $3.99!!

Some have bitched about the control scheme, which honestly bewilders me because if I've ever played a game that felt like it was destined to be played with an XBOX controller... it's this one. I actually just read that this game was originally in development for the Dreamcast, but I honestly couldn't see it working out well, despite the XBOX/DC controller similarities. The clickable dual analogue sticks are just too essential to the gameplay.

http://xbox.ign.com/objects/016/016255.html

IGN gave it a 9. Gamespot gave it a 6.2. I'm gonna say it's easily a solid 8.5. If you want a more in-depth review, I'd say the IGN one is incredibly accurate. This game is not compatible with a 360, but if you've ever wanted a reason to dust off your old XBOX again - this is it. It's made by Smilebit... you already know it rules.

I just got the red ring of death... :(

I seriously can't believe that my XBOX just died (overheated, I'm assuming) again. What a sack of balls.

I'm sorry.

that's what's brilliant... are you the bad guy?

It's funny, the only systems that I've ever had break down on me have been my XBOX, and my PS2. I've owned my NES for 17 years, and it still runs like a champ. My cousin accidentally dropped his SNES down the stairs once... it still runs. My Dreamcast crashed to the concrete of my driveway once...still runs fine.

Luckily XBOXs are so goddamn cheap to buy now.

it's made by smilebit...so you know it's good.

El-o Elle

PC-game or die.

pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fff

the breaks between yr ffffffffffff's make me think that you have poor sphincter control.

do you know how you get poor sphincter control??

yep.

console-gaming.

Keith Apacary said it best: "PC gaming is like your gay uncle."

finally getting my ps3 on. Got Valkryia CHronicles, Demon SOuls, and Silent HIll:Homecoming. gonna start Demon SOuls first.


I also played Halo Reach. I think I'm gonna buy it. THe online reminded me A LOT of Halo2...which was awesome on XBL.

I always think about that. Why are newer systems so touchy? I know three guys who own 360s. They have ALL died at one point. Two of them have had their 360's replaced once while the last guy has had to replace his twice. It's like that Jeff Foxworthy joke about tvs sitting ontop of other tvs whenever I go to his house. I just see a working xbox 360 sitting ontop of two non working ones.

Whereas like you said, I just had to clean my NES once in 17+ years and it works like a charm now. Even my PS2 has given me minimal problems. And my PS1 and N64 have never failed me.


I don't know why anyone would ever say that. That guy is pretty funny though.

I much prefer PC gaming to console gaming.

I don't really think it has to do with newer systems, my Gamecube has never given me any problems, and I've had it since the night of it's release. I also purchased a Wii the night of it's release, which I soon after sold to my cousin...long story. It's still alive, and well at his place - he's had to replace his 360.

Nintendo, and SEGA seem to consistently deliver quality machines that will likely outlive you. My NES, SNES, N64, GC, Wii (at my cousin's), Genesis and Dreamcast are all still alive to this day. I think the difference is that these are pure gaming machines (aside from possibly the Wii, and the CD-playing Dreamcast, if you wanna get technical)... while the other consoles have tried to incorporate so much into a singular product. It's no wonder they're overheating. The more features, the more things that can go awry. Are PS3s known to hold up well?

I really enjoy playing games on all of my consoles, but will put more faith in any Nintendo, or SEGA system, as far as product longevity is concerned.

Hmm, interesting I hadn't thought of that. But I believe it. The PS1/2 just covers minor things it seems, CD playing/DVD. And the latter doesn't play DVD's that well for me. I don't know what all the 360 covers but it seems like it has alot of stuff going on. I believe the PS3's have a vague failure rate, not to the level of 360's but who knows really. I know some guys who own a PS3. Two of them have had their PS3's die on them.

But I agree about the Wii, my sister's had her wii for a while now, runs like a dream.

Yeah, the Wii is often criticized for not having a DVD-drive, but who gives a flying fuck? IT'S A FUCKING VIDEO GAME SYSTEM! It doesn't need to do anything else! I never remember bitching about how my NES didn't have a VHS drive... although I do appreciate the DVD drive on my PS2, I wouldn't disown it if it only played games.

And what is with the 360 and it's partial backward compatibility?!?!? Why only give it the ability to play some older games, but not all? Imagine if Nintendo had pulled that kind of shit with the Gameboy series. Hell, even the DS was GBA compatible!

Haha, it's going to be ridiculous when ten years from now, we're going to be telling some kid about how we used to play Mario Bros. on our NES's and they'll ask us. "Cool, so what else did it do? What movies did you watch on it? What games did you download?"

I guess the age of pure game playing systems is over. I can't imagine it ever going back to being a pure gaming system. We're too spoiled these days with all of this other crap our hardware can do beyond just playing video games. I'm not complaining too much, it is neat, but I don't really need it either. Well with one amendment, the virtual console/xbox live arcade are both pretty good ideas.


Shiiiiit, it really does that?! Only some of them? How do you even know which ones are compatible and which ones aren't? That is crazy! How embarassing did that one have to be to announce? Better hang onto those original XBox's kids. Man, how do you fuck that one up. Backwards compatibality is one of the best features ever in these newer systems.

My 360 red ringed twice (still broke), my ps2 wouldn't read discs for a few years then a friend showed me how to clean it and it worked fine after that. Still have N64 and SNES. alive and well. Dreamcast sort of works. I think that was my fault though.

I can't help but think of that part with Wild Gunman in Back to the Future 2... "You mean you have to use your hands?, that's like a baby's toy!"










There's an official list on their site: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/back...ygameslist.htm

It seems to have covered the most popular titles, but I plan lugging around an original XBOX forever... even if it becomes soley my GunValkyrie machine, haha!

I still can't play my Metal Gear: Substance on my 360. This angers me.

At the moment I've finally got a steam account with the sole purpose of playing Team Fortress 2 with actual players and full rooms, unlike TF2 on 360. GAME on 360 = DEAD.

Never had a problem with any game system I've ever had. Still have the NES I've had damn near since I was born, works great, still play Batman and Journey to Silius on it sometimes.