The SSX series (particularly Tricky) is one I have very fond memories of. They still play well today, and have a cool art style.

I remember the first SSX being the game that blew me away when I saw it on ps2. Truly next-gen, in 2001.

The Way of the Samurai games are pretty fun.

>>19441
I got FreeMcboot on a memory card using a Memor32. Have fallen out of the loop with the scene though.
Managed to hard mod it eventually with a twist tie all it allowed me to do additionally was swap discs which meant I could play PSX backups.

>>19451

I tried googling around to see what the craic is with PS2 modding, but I didn't come up with much helpful. As I understand it you can load games from a hard drive if you have the network adapter and a suitable drive (think I still have an IDE disk knocking around somewhere), but it still requires a pressed disc to get going. Is there no way around this? It'd be nice to do for those harder to find games, and given that this console is so old now I don't think I'll feel too guilty about the whole piracy issue.

I see you have Dynasty Warriors 3. The Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi games are fun too. They're all very similar, but Samurai Warriors has a slightly deeper combat system and is obviously set in Feudal Japan; and Warriors Orochi is a mash up of Dynasty and Samurai Warriors where some stupid time portal shit happens and the warlords of Three Kingdoms era China and the warlords of the Sengoku period of Japan fight each other/work together to fight demons.

Bit off topic, but as most of the characters in the Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors/Sengoku Basara games are actual historical figures, I wonder what they'd think of their portrayals. Like Zhang He was a good general by all accounts, but in Dynasty Warriors he's portrayed as a flamboyant homosexual because his name sounds similar to the word for butterfly in Japanese. Or Honda Tadakatsu was one of the most respected warriors of his era in Japan, so in Sengoku Basara he's portrayed as an 8 foot tall robot with rocket boots. It's weird to think that real historical entities have been turned into cartoon characters. It's like a World War II FPS having Hitler as a moustache twirling villain tying Jewish women to train tracks and flying around in a helicopter with a swastika propeller.

>>19453

I'd play that.

Capcom's Sengoku Basara is so clearly a rip off of Koi Techmo's IPs if I were them I'd have sued.

On the subject, did anyone see they lawsuit Capcom filed against KT for infringing a patent they have for Disk based DLC and Rumble functions? I was honestly shocked, as this could signify desperation on Capcom's part.

>>19453

You were saying?

>>19454
Sengoku Basara has just enough differences to not be sued for, I reckon. It has the one-vs-thousands gameplay of Koei's Warriors games, and a very similar setting to Samurai Warriors (incredibly exaggerated depictions of fictional characters and historical figures from the Sengoku period, though Sengoku Basara's depictions are way more over the top and ultimately all that stuff is public domain I'd imagine), but the combat system is distinct enough for them to be able to claim it's not a rip off. Only just though.

Capcom look to be pretty desperate filing that lawsuit. One patent is for disc based console expansions, that import data and features from the base game into the expansion. This was filed back in 2002, which was the same year that the first (as far as I'm aware) Koei game expansion to use an import feature was released. They've released shitloads of games since using that feature, but apparently it's taken Capcom 12 years to sue them. And before 2002, GTA London for the PS1 and even the Sonic games on Mega-Drive used expansions. The rumble thing is fucking hilarious though. The patent is for controller vibration that signifies enemies being nearby. That feature was in Ocarina Of Time back in 1998, and countless games since. Waiting over a decade to sue companies for infringement suggests Capcom aren't in the best place right now. Not sure why they only targeted Koei though - possibly because Koei Tecmo aren't too huge a company, so they're less likely to be able to put up a big fight like Nintendo could; or possibly because KT have some fairly high profile releases this quarter and they want to throw a spanner in the works. Hyrule Warriors, Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate and Samurai Warriors 4 all have Western releases in the next two months. Capcom have claimed 50 Koei Tecmo games infringe copyright, and wants to stop the sales of some titles. Not inconceivable they want to fuck up what will likely be a very successful period for KT.

>>19455
Unfortunately Wolfenstein 3D is one of the only games to do that. Even later Wolfenstein games put less focus on Hitler and more on Deathshead.

>>19452
>it still requires a pressed disc to get going. Is there no way around this?
You used to be able to buy HD Loader or HD Advance (both pressed discs, and usable without a modchip) from dubious internet retailers, if you do a bit of digging you might find copies still for sale.

There are other more convoluted methods, the following should give you a rough appraisal:
http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=9575

Timesplitters: Future Perfect is still the best FPS ever and I refuse to believe otherwise. The multiplayer is still the most fun I've had with a game.

Fuck it, I need a new PS2.

>>19464
Ts2 was better.

>>19465
I preferred 2 as well.

>>19463

Seems like a bit ofa ballache. Think I'll stick to buying them considering the rarest tend to be a few quid at most. I've just been spoiled by my years as a PC gamer and forogot how much of a ballache it is to have to get up and physically change the disc every time I want to play something else. The actual console is at least three feet away, and I have to move my mug of tea so that the CD tray doesn't knock it over.

>>19466
That makes all three of then.

Rather than start another thread, while we're here does anyone have any similar recommendations for the Gamecube?

>>19475
I probably have plenty (I had a chipped one in uni and played it loads), but could do with some indication of what kind of games you like first.

>>19475

Super Mario Sunshine and REmake for a start.

>>19475
Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Pikmin 2, The Wind Waker (unless you have a Wii U, then you can get the HD version), Twilight Princess (costs way more than on Wii, but Gamecube controls are much better), Metroid Prime 1 & 2 (available as a trilogy with the third one on Wii, but rare/costs loads/worse controls), Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, Resident Evil Remake (though hold off if you own a 360/PS3/PS4/Xbox One as a HD remake is out in a few months), Resident Evil Zero, Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes (unless you're a MGS purist as they tend to hate the minor changes made in this), Killer 7 (later released on PS2 though), Viewtiful Joe (later released on PS2 with an additional character too), F-Zero GX, Eternal Darkness, Mario Kart Double Dash, Tales Of Symphonia (unless you have a PS3 as they made a HD re-release with its sequel included), Fire Emblem Path Of Radiance, Baten Kaitos. I think that's all the essential Gamecube exclusives/games that were initially Gamecube exclusives before being ported.

Super Mario Sunshine, Pikmin 2, The Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Paper Mario, REmake and MGS Twin Snakes are probably the best of the best. I know I listed a lot of games, but the Gamecube was similar to the N64 where there are only a handful of great games, compared to the PS1/PS2 which had way more games on them so had loads of hidden gems.

>>19478
I reckon Twilight Princess was better than WindWaker.

>>19479
Wind Waker was a lot shorter, but I enjoyed it more.

>Super Mario Sunshine
Chronically underrated amongst the Mario games. It does have one peculiarity which is that it has invert look on the right stick and there's no option to change it. I think Wind Waker is the same. Easily fixed if you're emulating, but you're pretty much stuck with it on the real thing.

>Eternal Darkness
This one is peculiarly over-hyped IMO. I thought it was merely ok at the time, played it again recently and it seemed kind of shit. It's quite ugly and I didn't like the way it played.

If you've not got Resident Evil 4 somewhere else then the Gamecube version is still great.

I enjoyed Rogue Leader, and it's popular with the Star Wars crowd, but I do remember it getting brutally difficult pretty quickly. If you liked Rogue Squadron then it's an easy recommendation.

I think the game I had the most fun with was Mario Kart: Double Dash.

>>19479
I like the dungeons in Twilight Princess, and the fact that there are a lot more of them than in Wind Waker, but the overworld bits left a lot to be desired, particularly the terrible wolf sequences where you collect light bugs. Also because it tried so much to recapture the essence of Ocarina Of Time, it ended up feeling quite tired. Wind Waker's dungeons were mostly a let down, and you can tell the latter half of the game was rushed, but the exploration appealed to me more, and the visuals were just so beautiful. I prefer Wind Waker, but it is definitely deeply flawed.

>>19480
Sunshine is great, and probably the hardest 3D Mario game. Main reason it got so much flak was because it was based around the FLUDD, and people expected just another Mario 64 I think.

I never actually played Eternal Darkness, and looking at LP's of it it does look very clunky and not very fun. Only recommended it because everyone says it's one of the best Lovecraftian horror games with the insanity system, and because it's a significant GC exclusive.

>>19476

To be honest I don't really have a preference on kinds of games. I've played a lot of sim city / civ / xcom /c&c type games, racing games, sports and fighting, platformers, fps, tps. I suppose I'm less into RPG style games because I don't really have the time to invest in them (that said, don't get me started on the days I've lost to Civ games).

>>19479
>>19480
>>19481

Thanks lads. You guys are all stars.

>>19482
>fighting
Super Smash Bros Melee has an absolutely rabid fan base but it never stuck for me. Soul Calibur 2 I enjoyed, but it's not an exclusive, obviously.

I don't remember any RTS or sim-type games for the GC. Maybe the Pikmin games count?

>>19481
I did enjoy Windwaker, and I did complete it, but I preferred the less cartoony style in Twilight Princess. Plus I liked the other word part of it where you're a wolf. I've always been a fan of the horse riding in Zelda games too, and I can't even remember if there was any in WW. The sea thing was cool, but ended up feeling pretty sparse after a while.

>>19484

Never attempt to play Twilight Princess on a HD screen. I don't know how it goes from fine on a CRT to an endless sea of brown, but it does.

>>19485
I played through it on an emulator a few years back. Gamecube is about the last era my PC can handle emulation wise.

>>19485
A component cable would probably make a noticeable difference.

>>19482
Remembered a couple more.

Geist is an FPS where you're a ghost that possesses shit. Not sure how good it is, but I read a lot about it and it seems like a neat exclusive.

Wario World is (I think) the only 3D Wario game ever, and it's neat. Part platformer, part beat 'em up, worth a play.

Chibi-Robo is a very cute platformer/adventure game. You're a little tiny robot in a Japanese house, and it's your job at first to do chores. Plenty of exploration and upgrades, gets kind of weird, feels like a distinctly Japanese Toy Story.

If you can get hold of the bongo peripheral, the Donkey Konga games and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat are gimmicky but fun. Donkey Konga is a rhythm game using the bongos, so if you ever wanted to simulate being a gorilla playing the percussion for Tubthumping then now you can. Jungle Beat is a platformer using the bongos for controls. It's pretty dicky, but gimmicks can be fun I guess.

>>19488
Geist was a pretty flawed game. It's one of those ones where it feels like it was made by four different companies and nobody quite knew what the game was supposed to be. I do remember possessing some dog food and scaring a dog at some point, though. It's not often you get to do that in a videogame.

Wario World, if it's the one I'm thinking of, was developed by Treasure (of Gunstar Heroes/Radiant Silvergun/Ikaruga fame) and was great, but criminally short - a few hours or so if you're really blasting through it. There was a Wario Ware game as well, a vaguely tarted-up port of the GBA original, and that was great fun too, especially multiplayer.

I found Chibi Robo terminally dull. I was playing through the Japanese version with a gamefaqs guide, which probably didn't help, but language aside it was just a numbingly repetitive game.

Just completed Burnout 3: Takedown.

Still as great as it was at launch.

>>19685
The removal of the combo mechanic renders Burnout 3 casual pish. It's the desecration of a formerly great series. And to think they retained the notion of a 'perfect lap'. Don't make me sick. It's not nearly as bad as what followed; I'll give it that.

This is how it's done.

https://www.youtube.com/v/wWwuNCWEepA
A glorious masterpiece where the AI traffic is entirely deterministic and predictable. Get out RNG scrub.

I've been running Final Fantasy XII on an emulator pretty well recently.

I'm shocked there's no mention of Devil May Cry here. DMC3 is great, the original is a trend setter and DMC2 is the second one.

Gitaroo Man is a fantastic rhythym game, one of the best on the console.

Also Zone of the Enders 2 is rare but worth finding. I thought the graphics were amazing at the time, and it's a great mecha game to boot.

>>19686

Ah Burnout 2... Got it for Xmas in 2002 - it was a great game, but it ridiculously difficult at one point and I never finished it...

If you any interest in retro, I rate both taito legend games, lots of fun to be had. If your not a serious collector, there is a good chance you won't have played many of the games on there. A good mix from puzzle (Cleopatra fortune, Puchi Carat) to all kinds of shmups (phoenix, G Dairus and a load of quirky space invaders sequels) to some pretty crazy action games like elevator action returns :) plus the classics like bubble bobble, rainbow islands and new zealand story.
By far the best retro compilations I have ever played personally.

>>19685
I never did beat 3, I found it quite tough. I did play the hell out of revenge though.

>>19686
>actually using the terms "casual pish" and "RNG scrub"
Grow up.

>>19691

>actually using the meme arrow on le britfa

Oh, the irony.

(A good day to you Sir!)

>>19692
>the arrow meme

>actually using the "sage" meme on .gs

(A good day to you Sir!)

>>19475

Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2 are all kinds of awesome. Massive party game selection on them too..

>>19693
>>19692

I knew it would end this way. You got the wrong fella, guv! I swear!

>>19694
They were pretty fun. Got fucking nails hard though, as I recall.

Seems a good time to bump this thread- I'm on a bit of a retro binge as of late, since there seems to be fuck all going on with the mainstream gaming market right now, at least until the new Metal Gear comes out.

Do you lads remember any good RPGs from the PS1/2 era that weren't quite so... J? I can remember fucking dozens of those glorified visual novels, but I'm struggling to remember many of the more hack'n'slash or western types, although I know there were quite a few.

I have the urge to loot things and micromanage gear, but I want to do it in front of the comforting glow of my old CRT instead of just reinstalling Morrowind or something. Dark Cloud comes to mind, stuff like that- Anyone have any recommendations?

>>20613
Although it is J as fuck, Vagrant Story is one of the Square Enix games that tries to be more western. The combat system is inventive, you can pull gear apart and put it back together to make new gear, it's quite expansive on that front even though the story itself is just like one long dungeon. I'd highly recommend it to pass the time while you think of something more what you're after, anyway.

>>20613

I can't think of a PS2 RPG that isn't J. Maybe that isn't the case with the PS1.

So, if you can accept some Japanese quirks, I recommend Dragon Quest VIII. It's a huge game with a linear plot and lots of side content. Better than any contemporary Final Fantasy.

>>20613
I never thought the Summoner games got their due. Might be a case of rose tinted glasses, but I remember them being pretty great.

>>20614
>>20627

Well, I don't so much mind games that are Japanese, the haircuts can be big and daft and what have you. What I dislike are the rigid conventions of turn based combat, and heavily predefined characters. I generally look for something with a bit more depth of player choice and involvement.

>>20613
The Kingdom Hearts games are pretty solid hack'n'slash RPGs if you can stomach the Final Fantasy/Disney crossover universe.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, despite its very J sounding name, has good action RPG combat and fairly novel exploration - more investigation based than just wandering around a big map looking for the next cutscenes. Lot of flexibility in party structure, as it has a Pokemon style mechanic of capturing demons that can be used to aid your interactions with the world when investigating and also when in combat. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne (Lucifer's Call in Europe) has a pretty traditional turn based system, but it's more lethal than most games, and there's a lot of flexibility in the development of your own character's skills and abilities, plus the demon capture/summoning to make up your party, as well have a branching plot where choices actually matter.

>>20629

RPGs without job systems are always arse, but ones that let every character be every class are also arse.

It's finding a balance, which I think Bravely Default got down well, but I digress

Dragon Quest VIII is a masterpiece though. It's the only turn-based RPG I still enjoy as much as when I first played it, so I would recommend it.

>>20631

Being able to choose from different weapons that changed how each character played made that game immense. Also, Beast Wars: Japanese Social Club edition. The 3 brickmen were invincible.

On the back of this JRPG discussion, I've always been really taken with the Digimon World games, for some reason.

>>20631
For decent job systems, Final Fantasy Tactics will always be my favourite. It does a better job of being a D&D-style game than most of the D&D games do. War of the Lions and Tactics Advance are games that I would consider unmissable (NB: neither are PS1/PS2, though WotL is a remake of the original Tactics on PS1).

Then again, if you're after an incredible solid RPG from an older and better time that isn't big silly hairstyles and the power of love ultimately saving the day, you can't really go too far wrong with the D&D games. Character design is basically the only point in playing them, because the stories are inexpertly told and not exactly riveting, but if you have an affinity for the D&D rulesets then you'll have a blast. Neverwinter is my go-to, I'm probably going to install it on my Surface so that I can play it on trains.

Battleship Gunner.