[atsonicpark]

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.

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

I've always wanted to play Pepsiman.

EDIT: Thanks.

[atsonicpark]

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.

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

I fucking love this forum.

[atsonicpark]

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.

[atsonicpark]

Oh, and look

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

whee!

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

I mean, honestly -- unbiasedly -- every system has good games... if you're a lover of video games.. even Virtual Boy...

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.

[Murmer99]

 

[Count Mecha]

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.

Originally Posted by Murmer99

 

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.

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

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.

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.

[finding nobody]

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

[noisereductions]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eugene Felikson

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.

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

[EVOLghost]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

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

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.

[atsonicpark]

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.

[TheFoxBen]

Originally Posted by Murmer99

 

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

[EVOLghost]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

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.

yer high. 9 easy.

[EVOLghost]

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...

[atsonicpark]

Originally Posted by EVOLghost

yer high. 9 easy.

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..

[Murmer99]

Originally Posted by Count Mecha

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.

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.

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

 

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.