301: Playing for Pennies

[zerobudgetgamer]

My PS2 has been a loyal and cherished friend these last few years. I've found literally dozens of games for it in bargain bins and indie game stores over the years, and still haven't tapped into everything the system offers. There are still dozens of games I'd love to play, series I'd love to get in on, so many that I seriously wonder if I'd ever be able to catch up with the current gen.

 

[Okysho]

There are some games in today's world that will just never die. The PS2 had the biggest library of (what I call) the second generation (of the "gaming war", starting with N64, PS1 and dreamcast, then Xbox PS2 and gamecube etc).

At any rate: There's some good and bad things about picking out the gems from a past age for the cheap. Games like Shadow of the colossus, ICO, God of War 1, FFX, even the Orange Box.
These are games that will never be remade (most likely) and are the games that will (have, kinda) go down in history.

While what I say now might not be directly related to the article, I think it's something important that we as people who play games should remember:

Not only is gaming a past time, and having fun, but like a good movie, we have to remember the classics and the roots. People will always remember star wars, just like people (at least in the gaming world) will always remember games like Portal or other big milestones.

The fact that we can get these games cheaper now (some of them at least, Halo for the mac is now around $130 on amazon) is a good thing, since these classics can reach a wider audience at a lower price.
As someone who can only afford one system per generation, I stuck with a gamecube and missed out on most of the titles I mentioned above.

Since my girlfriend has a PS2 I can now play and enjoy these titles that I hear so many great things about. Unlike movies, system exclusives are proprietary so in order to experience all the great gems, you have to have all the systems. (I.E. I don't own a 360 and there are more good games for PS3/360 than... the Wii I own)

Point: The fact that gems can be found cheaper is a good thing, just gotta know which ones you're buying, and if they never come out as DLC, better grab 'em quick or else you'll never get your hands on it.

 

[octafish]

So aparently The Operative: No One Lives Forever was available on the PS2, as was Half Life, there you go, I didn't know that, I'd still recommend you get them on PC though. I was hopping for an article about how NOLF was better than Half Life, because you know, it was. I guess the PS2 is pretty cool if it has Half Life and NOLF, it also had Rainbow Six: Raven Shield which is awesome, however Lockdown was released on PS2 so that voids any good they may have done.

 

[Darth_Dude]

I can't help but feel vaguely cheated by this article - I mean, I see Cate Archer, protagonist from the sublime and frequently overlooked No One Lives Forever games sitting there in the artwork for the monthly issue, and I think "Awesome, an article about No One Lives Forever (or one that at least mentions it), just the thing to get some kid somewhere to give those games a look!".

But no, it turns out she's just part of a somewhat amusing illustration along with other "iconic" characters that I'm willing to bet are all far more well known and instantly recognizable than her, and not mentioned at all anywhere. Obviously if the audience is going to include folks like me, the illustration served its purpose just fine - knowing what I do about the demographics of the Escapist forum community though, I can't help but wonder how many other people read this and then wondered who the hell the woman in that picture was [small](just the protagonist of one of the most awesome (and hilarious!) FPS games ever made, not that the Call of Duty obsessed adolescents would recognize that)[/small]. And then of course I get a hankering to fire up my copy of a game that came out when most of the people on these forums were still in elementary school (and the youngest in the crowd (that are actually allowed to be here) would have been 2 years old).

All of which only serves to remind me that I am old, and I certainly can't get enough reminders of that!

You know, I played that game when I was in year 3/4, I must have been around 8 years old. Sure, I didn't get most of it, and I can only vaguely remember a night-club level and some sort of German hotel, it was a great game none the less.

 

[Rune342]

This article came out at the exact time I've become PS2 active. A few months ago my grandpa was given a ps2, which was then given to me. Add one memory card donated by a friend, plus the Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Xenosaga I and II I bought(all for less than $20 total) and I have a low budget gaming experience.
PS. Anyone near the Longview, Washington area who wants to get rid of Xenosaga III?
PSS. Captcha: "please overeci"

 

[Killerbunny001]

As somebody else mentioned above : What`s with all the Sony fanboysm? It`s cheaper to have an older PC and play free online games, plus you can hunt for special offers on Steam for old games and such. Besides lets be honest here, the graphics in most PS2 games are not quite pretty..

 

[Cornish]

This article amuses me, especially because it paints (my beloved) playstation 2 console as a great budget console. I would get in to how it's so much more than a budget console (DVD player, woohoo! -$30,- to 60,- for buying a separate one.)... but really, I can just agree; and like to add a game to the list; Persona 4; I mean, come-on... that's like enough reason to buy a playstation 2 if you like good games... (Note, I play on a tight budget; mostly on that playstation 2, but I might get a second hand playstation 3 this summer.)

PS; for all the PC this, PC that, you can be cheaper of with just a PC, if you have a decent enough PC that is and if you want to play on a PC. (I do not.)

 

[EmeraldGreen]

It`s cheaper to have an older PC and play free online games, plus you can hunt for special offers on Steam for old games and such.

Sure, but some people prefer the console experience. Couch multiplayer. The ease of just putting a disc in the machine and playing. And the PC ports of some games are just rubbish. (I'm looking at you, Beyond Good and Evil...)

I'm a PC fangirl myself, but I completely agree with this article. As a matter, of fact, I've told various family members and friends much the same thing, several times. If you want a console on a budget, the PS2 is perfect. I was given one a couple of years ago, and I still haven't bothered to buy myself a current-gen console. The PS1 and PS2 game libraries are terrific. There's any number of classic PS1/2 games that I have yet to play. The games and controllers cost very little now, and you can still walk into a brick-and-mortar shop and buy them hassle-free (important for people not comfortable with online shopping).

Now would someone please make my sisters buy their own PS2 and give mine back to me? I want to finish playing Beyond Good and Evil.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

And then of course I get a hankering to fire up my copy of a game that came out when most of the people on these forums were still in elementary school (and the youngest in the crowd (that are actually allowed to be here) would have been 2 years old).

All of which only serves to remind me that I am old, and I certainly can't get enough reminders of that!

You know, I played that game when I was in year 3/4, I must have been around 8 years old. Sure, I didn't get most of it, and I can only vaguely remember a night-club level and some sort of German hotel, it was a great game none the less.

You are not helping me feel younger at all!

Seriously though, you should really go back and replay that game now that you're older - the humor and a lot of the storyline/setting, as you rightly suspect, would have gone right over your head (like the German night club overrun by beatniks who think the terrible caterwauling of its would-be opera star owner are avant garde and experimental). No One Lives Forever is what the Austin Powers films tried and failed miserably to be: a good 60s spy spoof - knowledge of what the games are spoofing isn't strictly required to enjoy the very solid gameplay, but the jokes aren't going to resonate as much if you aren't already familiar with say... the more ridiculous aspects of Bond films set in that era.

 

[Carl Watkins]

As somebody else mentioned above : What`s with all the Sony fanboysm? It`s cheaper to have an older PC and play free online games, plus you can hunt for special offers on Steam for old games and such. Besides lets be honest here, the graphics in most PS2 games are not quite pretty..

I want to know where I can find this magical PC you can buy that is under $100 that will play these free games online that are apparently better than the ones on the PS2. You're looking at a couple hundred just for a barebone systems and that's not including a monitor, which most PCs still require these days. It's not being a fanboy, it's being competent at math. Nothing more.

 

[masticina]

I now own an PS2, Xbox and Gamecube [also Nintendo 64, Playstation etc...etc..]

Cheap games, that if look past the limitations of the hardware generation are great. Not to mention some of the best games are indeed sold so many times they are dirt cheap. I even bought a second PS2, a pink one, yeah.. just because it was pink.

I say it every console has its strong points. If you wait long enough the best games are cheap and you don't pay to much. .. some games don't go down quick enough though sigh

And yes I also own a PS3, and yes I also buy games for that.. but as pointed out. With a PS2 you have great games out of so many genres. And some games actually did get worse as the generation grew..

Ah games Such joy to just relax and play them.

 

[Carcenomy]

I agree with this article but do hold some reservations. Essentially what is being suggested here is that because you don't have a huge expendable budget, you should forego modern technology and go slap your hard earned cash monies down on technology from eleven years ago clocked at 300MHz with positively the worst controllers ever made.

There could be a point here, it IS a cheap way into gaming, but back when the PS2 was released, so was buying a new Sega Genesis. It's not exactly what I would call a 'forward thinking' way of doing things... especially when concerning a console that's design EOL was six years ago.

 

[Carl Watkins]

There could be a point here, it IS a cheap way into gaming, but back when the PS2 was released, so was buying a new Sega Genesis. It's not exactly what I would call a 'forward thinking' way of doing things... especially when concerning a console that's design EOL was six years ago.

But for some people, this isn't a serious hobby and they don't need to be "forward thinking." Or on the very opposite end of the spectrum, some people find living without gaming a dull and hollow existence. If that person can't afford current/next-gen pricing, they really have a rough road ahead of them. That's when you have to make the choice "Do I want Call of Duty Black Ops or six decent PS2 games?"

By no means do I personally think the PS2 is the best option out there for gaming, but I do think it's a preferred choice for frugal gaming.

 

[Grond Strong]

Oooh, agreed. We used to have an original Playstation and put it through its paces everyday. Switching from the Playstation to an Xbox was hard and almost brought tears to our eyes as we watched all our favorite videogames that we had beaten countless times over being traded for ONE Xbox game (Lego Star Wars) which was all our measly games could scrabble for. But those measly games held memories that couldn't be replaced by technology. I remember Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot. That crazy wombat we raced, spun, flipped, and smashed through hundreds of hours of gameplay. It was weaved into a part of our childhood, as nerdy as that sounds, and it was liking loosing a friend... Ok, well, maybe not THAT bad. But almost!

We have since upgraded the Xbox to a 360 a while ago but still hold onto the original massive X. There's something irreplaceable about an old videogame console and makes one want to return to it for nostalgic purposes. It's a weird feeling when we power on an old console and begin to enjoy the games of our past and realize that we haven't really grown up at all.

 

[Killerbunny001]

As somebody else mentioned above : What`s with all the Sony fanboysm? It`s cheaper to have an older PC and play free online games, plus you can hunt for special offers on Steam for old games and such. Besides lets be honest here, the graphics in most PS2 games are not quite pretty..

I want to know where I can find this magical PC you can buy that is under $100 that will play these free games online that are apparently better than the ones on the PS2. You're looking at a couple hundred just for a barebone systems and that's not including a monitor, which most PCs still require these days. It's not being a fanboy, it's being competent at math. Nothing more.

I started doing the math to demonstrate my point but then I stopped. Possibly you are right and the PS2 may be slightly cheaper but I for one can`t digest the PS2 graphics anymore. I guess that was the subconscious thought that drove me to place the PC first.

Just to be on the same page, I am talking about PC and not Mac here.

 

[UtopiaV1]

Great article, and very true to life. I've only recently bought a PS2 just for the exclusive games it had, like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, GT4, Killzone and others.

Even though I do most of my gaming on my PC, the PS2 was a great purchase for when my girlfriend is playing Sims on my pc and I need to shoot something, and all for less than £100

 

[InvisibleMan]

Couldn't you say the same thing about any of the consoles of the PS2 generation, though? GameCube and the original Xbox games are just as cheap, but usually the graphics were better in those systems...

 

[Zerai]

I still have my PS2 because I just can't sell it.
It was my console from 10-15 years of age, which is pretty important. And the experience of the trusty PS2 titles just doesn't come a across in the new, HD, online,$100 a game market.
There's a reason the PS2 was so good in it's day.

 

[frans909]

Why wouldn't a poor student just use the campus internet access and play the tons of free games out there? Or am I missing the point of this article with seems written by a Sony fanboi?

Yeah, Farmville is exactly like God of War, isn't it.

 

[Niccolo]

As consoles go, the PlayStation 2 is definitely the closest to a current-gen experience you're going to get for almost nothing. You have to wonder, though: Why would someone buy a console at all? Assuming they have a computer strong enough and connected enough to read The Escapist, I'm sure there's a plethora of older games for PC or Mac they could purchase and get just as much enjoyment out of for much less money.

There certainly is, yes. I just discovered gog.com (and am very happy). But and however, there are about five hundred really, really good reasons to buy a PS2 - and that's the hundreds of amazing games that are PS2 exclusive - and another few hundred from the PS1 back-catalogue. For the price of one (two year old) graphics card, I can get enough PS2 games to keep me happy for a month of sundays - and I live in Australia, the land that craps on gamers for fun.

Maybe I'm a tiny bit of a fan, but that's because I've been served faithfully by the same PS2 for nigh on ten years now - I got it when they were first released and it's still going strong. I can't say the same for my computer... not that I don't adore PC games either.

Why choose when it's not too hard to afford both?

Why wouldn't a poor student just use the campus internet access and play the tons of free games out there? Or am I missing the point of this article with seems written by a Sony fanboi?

Yes, you are. The point being made is that the PS2 is a console that has aged particularly well and has a collection of awesome games - and that since it's not that expensive to buy a PS2, you can experience several dozen of them for the same price as a new 360.