Emulating PS2 for my Steam Deck, would love any recommendations!
Emulating PS2 for my Steam Deck, would love any recommendations!
I've been sinking further and further into the RetroDECK time-sink of setting up my emulators just so, and having the most fun doing so. The PS2 is a largely unknown system to me, I neither had one nor spent much time before now playing through some titles.
So...this is what I have so far! Most have either HD texture packs (Rule of Rose for example, and also Silent Hill 2 has a incredibly big 29GB of HD textures, I added after taking this screenshot), or mods applied (Gran Turismo is Spec II)
I haven't got MGS3 there, as I'm waiting for the remake to arrive, but...
Can anyone suggest any titles which are 'must adds' for me? I'd appreciate it!
-Dark Cloud (1 and 2)
-Time Splitters 2
-Red Faction
-Grandia 2
-ICO and Shadow of the Colossus
-Shinobi
-Twisted Metal Black
-Ape Escape (2 and 3)
-Armored Core 2
-Dead or Alive 2
-Gran Turismo 3
-Final Fantasy X
-Grand Theft Auto III / Vice City / San Andreas
-Midnight Club Street Racing
-Soul Calibur 2
Shadow of the Collossus
Definitely play the AC games. Which series am I talking about? Both.
Armored Core and Ace Combat are really good games. For the PS2 continuity of Armored Core it is arguable that the PSP versions are better due to the extra content, but otherwise it's not too big of a deal.
Beyond Good & Evil. Legendary, Ubisoft firing on all cylinders. Weird and French and beautiful. HD remaster is also a fine option but I like it on PS2.
Ace Combat 4, 5, and Zero are great. The music in zero is legendary.
SSX tricky
Timesplitters
Final Fantasy X unless you want to do the HD remaster, which is a great way to play tbh.
Devil May Cry holds up incredibly well and IMO is a must-play.
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
LOTR games are good fun.
Armored Core 3 is pretty great if you’re into the series as a whole.
GTA Vice City/San Andreas. 3 is fine but VC is better.
Shadow of the Colossus obviously
Not a game I've seen mentioned much, but I would recommend Whiplash if you like dark humor and 3D platformer action games.
I haven't seen anyone mention Dark Cloud. Love that game.
Star Wars: Racer Revenge is probably the best racing game I've played to-date. It's very similar to, and often confused with, the N64 podracing game, but it's way more polished, and the driving physics are chef's-kiss perfect. Like, the N64 game, the pod and two engines all move together as one unit; basically a car racing game with a pod racer skin. The PS2's Racer Revenge actually feels like you're in a pod that's being pulled by two distinct engines.
Try playing in 1st-person view and set the controls (if you have a PS2 controller) so the left joystick controls the left pod and right joystick controls the right pod - so to turn left for example, you'd pull back on the left stick to brake the left pod, and push forward on the right to accelerate the right pod; since they're tethered together, the right one arches around the left a bit, and it pulls the pod to the left. It's harder to play that way vs the usual 'press X to accelerate' mechanic, but after the first couple laps you'll have the hang of it, and it feels so satisfying.
Unfortunately, the last time I tried to run a rom of this game, it did NOT emulate well, to the point of being unplayable. That was probably at least 10 years ago though, so hopefully advancements since then mean it won't be an issue for you; but heads up.
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2, Champions of Norrath, Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2, Burnout 3, Jak and Daxter, Rachet and Clank, SSX3, Twisted Metal Black, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3. I am sure I forgetting some other amazing games.
Okami is native on PC, so I'm curious, why not run that? This is coming from someone who does a lot of emulation but I've never seen the need to emulate when a native port was the option. Even bad ports I find are often better because of community made mods that fix a lot of issues. Its possible I havent found the worst port though.
It's a little cringe in retrospect, but I really liked my time with Makai Kingdom. Avoid if anime stuff isn't your bag.
Ico had some interesting ideas that are worth a look.
Rogue Galaxy was pretty okay.
Psychonauts deserves a mention, though it's kind of obvious.
Red Faction had cool political leanings for a game of that era.
You've got heaps of great suggestions already so I'll leave it at that.
Crazy Taxi, GTA Vice City, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, Gran Turismo 4, ICO, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Midnight Club, Midnight Club II, Odin Sphere, Shadow of the Colossus, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, Shinobi, SSX, Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Time Splitters 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.
That's my PS2 collection sitting on my shelf. Some of these have been remade into arguably better versions on later consoles, but the originals are still good.
Def Jam: Fight for NY, dot hack series (originals and G.U.), King's Field 4, Monster Rancher 4, Midnight Club 3 DUB Edition, and quite a few more. I can't look at the games I have installed just yet, but I could always recommend more if anyone is interested. :)
Try Dynasty Warriors. It's a genre I don't see much anymore, but you take control of a general and blast through tons of minions in a big battlefield, aiming for enemy generals to turn the tide of battle (reflected in overall 'morale').
All the games tell the same story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Obviously just play the last one available, because it has all the quality of life improvements, but I'll only play 3, because it's the only one that has Gan Ning with his super-pimp sword resting on top of his super-pimped no shirt tats.
Fatal Frame II
Mister Mosquito
Gitaroo Man
Armored Core: Nexus
Dark Cloud 2 (aka Dark Chronicle). That and MGS3 are basically the only PS2 games I actively think about still.
Dark Cloud 1 is also worth playing, but I'd play 2 first. It smoothes out a lot of issues with the first and adds so much more to it.
I’m just gonna say that KH2 on the PS2 isn’t even the best one. The HD remake was better bc it was the English release of the final mix. And you can play that natively through steam. Even with mods on the steam deck.
Play Need For Speed: Most Wanted for the PS2. It’s such a great cops vs racers game. It’s perfect for emulation bc shop should save state before selecting the winning card since there is one with a pink slip every time. Back in the day, we would just need to reset the whole system and make sure we saved before 3 full races, and just redo them. Emulation is the way to play this game! I’m surprised no one has recommended this since it’s the most popular need for speed game.
Some good ones that are not yet mentioned
- Ribbit King is Golf game with frogs for balls which get strategically shot around a map littered with bonuses and obstacles. Players alternate shots and try to have the most points after both players reach the hole. It's extremely cute and great local multi-player fodder
- Stuntman is tough as nails. You are a Hollywood stuntman pulling off increasingly complex stunts for movies being filmed. At the end of each shoot you get to see the movie trailer filled with clips of your own driving.
- Black is a big dumb loud shooter, and it has zero reservations or shame in that. That's what makes it so much fun to play
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is excellent 3D brawling. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is excellent 3D brawling with co-op
- Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is a 3rd person shooter where you have guns and psychic powers you use in and out of combat.
The Star Wars Battlefront games. With how horribly the liver service EA version that came out in 2015 was and how dead it apparently is, the PS2 games are the only ones I'll ever acknowledge as existing.
Also, one of my personal favorites that I'd consider a must have is Dokopon Kingdom. Yes the remake/remaster exists, but I don't normally go for remasters in most situations. Gameplay is just roll a spinner, move on board, and adventure around the world while trying to do quests if you are in the story mode.
Both games have a lot of content and replayability in my eyes, which makes a game more of a must have for me.
Edit:
Hot Wheels: Beat That! Looked it up because I couldn't remember the name, but that's a racing game with a good amount of replayability and isn't as short as something like Cartoon Network Racing. Didn't realize it came out on various other consoles and PC, but can definitely recommend on at least PS2 (how I ended up playing it).
I don't have a steam deck but I bet Ape Escape would be the perfect series to play on it!
The first three Ratchet and Clank games (R&C, Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal) were phenomenal. The first feels dated by today’s standards, but 2 and 3 are peak. Deadlocked is a divisive entry; Some players loved it, others hated it. Try it first yourself and see. It’s definitely different than the first 3 games.
Final Fantasy X has already been mentioned in the thread, but I’d suggest trying the PC HD remaster instead. It adds a lot of quality of life improvements.
Final Fantasy XII wasn’t well received at launch, and I initially agreed. But that was largely because it didn’t fit into my idea of what a Final Fantasy game should be. I gave it another try a few years ago with a more open mind, and ended up loving it. The gambit system seems basic at first, but eventually opens up into a very versatile system once you start unlocking new gambit combos for it. The Zodiac version is the definitive version, (it enforces a rigid job system, where each character is locked into a specific ability tree) but the original is still alright too.
If you enjoy the Castlevania series, Curse of Darkness is an interesting entry. It features Hector, who has the ability to summon creatures to fight alongside him. They level up based on which weapons you use in combat, so it encourages you to diversify your play style to level up your creatures in specific ways. The gameplay can initially feel clunky by today’s standards, but that’s true of most 3D hack-n-slash games from that era.
Speaking of clunky hack-n-slash games, I see you already have Kingdom Hearts 2. Do yourself a favor, and play the other games (KH1, then KH Re:Chain of Memories) first. CoM has some radically different gameplay, which many players hated. It seems like one you can skip… You can’t. You will be horribly confused for the rest of the series without it. At the very least, go watch the cutscenes on YouTube. In terms of gameplay, KH1 feels janky by today’s standards. CoM is very different. KH2 is where the series really hit its peak.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. It’s a prequel, so you don’t need to play 1 or 2 first.
Metal Gear Solid. Play 3 (Snake Eater), 1, and 2 (Sons of Liberty) in that order. Snake Eater is an early prequel. Then 1 is on the PS1. Sons of Liberty is the direct sequel to 1.
GTA: San Andreas.
My entire childhood was Tony Hawk's Underground 2 on the PS2.
There are two amazing super hero games that I would recommend: Spider-Man 2 and Hulk: Ultimate destruction.
Spider-Man 2 was easily one of my favorite games of all time. This game essentially set the bar for what a Spider-Man game should be.
Hulk: Ultimate Destruction was an open world game where you were the Hulk and did all the Hulk things. I can't think of a recent game where you play as the green giant.
GOD HAND- the granddaddy of Platinum Games's combo based "beat em ups", made by Clover Studios before they went bankrupt and reopened as Platinum. So think Devil May Cry and Bayonetta but hand to hand 🎵"or fist to fist. Kick your nuts or twist your wrist. God power keeps my pimp hand strong so trust me or you won't last very long."🎵 Yeah, it also has quite possibly the best theme song ever too.
Zone of the Enders the Second Runner drops you into the midpoint of a fairly generic mecha anime plot, but as overseen by Hideo Kojima. It has a lot of "Dynasty Warriors" style "tear through hundreds of fodder with ease" gameplay, but also a very fast paced "attack/dodge/parry" system for fights against beefier enemies that ends up as this fast paced sort of rock paper scissors as you have to adapt to use the right technique to counter the enemy. You fly and can manuever very fast, attacks can come from any angle, and it's just flat out fun to control. There is a PC port/remaster of questionable quality (and no steam deck support), and a xbox 360 port of good quality, but it's mostly just uprezzed graphics that you'll get by emulation anyway.
The Simpsons Hit and Run is a solid GTA style game and is considered to be one of the best Simpsons games ever. The Simpsons Road Rage is a rip-off of Crazy Taxi but is still a solid game. The Simpsons Game is also a good game that kinda does it's own thing. Don't bother with the Simpsons Skateboarding, that one sucks.
Chrono trigger and cross are both good on the SD.
Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle in EU) and Legaia 2:Duel Saga are my go to ps2 games.
Another one for Jak & Daxter. I've got OpenGOAL and PCSX2, and between them both I have the full Jak series. I was playing Jak 3 when I had a crash, but then I had been playing it like all day.
I've also been making my way through the first three Sly Cooper games (loved the series as a kid, but only ever got to play the third one for myself) and they've been running flawlessly.
My plan is to play through the Ratchet & Clank PS2 games as I never really got a chance to play them when they were fresh or otherwise. I'm excited for those.
Then I might go and play through the Spyro PS2 era games, minus the original trilogy as I have Reignited already.
Aside from those I have a bunch of other classics I've played and loved/wanted to play like the Tak games, Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Batman: Vengeance, and others.
I would also be open to suggestions. I'm very into 3D platformers and action RPGs.
Silent Hill 2
Try Steambot Chronicles! It's my favorite game of all time by a wide margin, but it's been forgotten by time. It's a really cool adventure game with a ton of different things to do, from piloting a giant robot to playing different musical instruments in a band, to decorating your own little apartment, and a bunch of other stuff! There's a lot of dialogue choices to make too that can affect how people treat you, and lead to a few different endings, including being a hero vs a villain. The graphics and soundtrack are great, too! I can't recommend it enough!
One of the weirdest games I've ever played: Okage: Shadow King.
Think Final Fantasy gameplay + Zelda: Majora's Mask level of being genuinely bizarre as all hell.
Fair warning, the music will be stuck in your head for the rest of your life.
Need for speed underground 2, this is my favourite racing game of all time. I sunk so much time into it.
Ratchet and Clank games
My personal favorites on PS2, as someone who did not own a PS2 while it was still being manufactured and sold as new. This does not include remakes/remasters or games that have better ports on other platforms (for example, Soul Calibur 2 on GameCube, Dead or Alive 2 on Xbox, Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 Another Cases on PSP, or Need for Speed Underground 2 on PC).
- Haunting Ground
- Kuon
- CyGirls (Both discs are fun but I prefer disc 1)
- Drakengard 1 & 2
- Ico
- Lifeline (requires microphone, very underrated)
ICO.
Dance Dance Revolution!
I’m with the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus stans, but I’d be curious how your emulation handles the light effects. PCSX2 struggles in my experience.
Jak 3
Arc the lad 2 twilight of spirits is a cult classic
Id look up the GT4 spec II mod. it adds a bunch of features to the game and even the Valencia track from Tourist Trophy
All the GTA games (GTA III, GTA VC, GTA SA, GTA LCS, GTA VCS). There are some good Need for Speed games too, and a bunch of great Tony Hawk games. TimeSplitters, SOCOM, and Red Faction are great too.
Try out Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2. It's one of those JRPG games with a lot of mysteries and loose threads and every single one of them end up solved by the end.
Downhill Domination is... honestly stupid as all hell, but by design: it's a lot of fun :P
It's a downhill mountain bike racing game with a combat system, and it's ridiculous. You start being able to punch the bicyclists next to you; once you knock enough of them off their bikes you upgrade to being able to kick; then iirc you eventually get a stick or something lol. Otherwise, it's just another get-from-point-A-to-B-as-fast-as-possible game that doesn't require a lot of thought.
...so grain of salt, cuz the name of this one doesn't sound right, but the screenshots look correct: Gradius V?
Side scroller arcade-y jet fighter - I remember it being good.
I just don't remember it being called Gradius >_<
I absolutely loved KH1/2 FM
The Simpsons: hit & run, Shinobido, GoW, Destroy all humans.
I spent a ton of time playing the two towers, bit I don't know if it has aged well.
Also, war of the monsters was campy and fun.
Manhunt 1 & 2, God of War
The Soul Reaver / Blood Omen games have not been recommended yet. Though, as a warning, last time I tried to do the Soul Reaver 2, there was a strange bug with the sound that made it so that you couldn't pass a certain puzzle.
Ace Combat Zero! Or 4, 5, and Zero (in that order) if you want a lot of it.
Just throwing out a fun game from my childhood, Lego Racers 2. I'll have to read through later for ideas because I'm in a similar boat in having never really been in console circles and never owned a PS2
Crash Nitro Kart and some of the PS2 Crash platformers are pretty good. The Kart one has a boosting system that I like better than mario kart (and better items and vibes tbh)
Primal.
Not exactly a suggestion, but why emulate Okami instead of just running the PC version?
Edit: If you get the PC version, you should be able to use the touch screen to draw the brush techniques directly thanks to mouse support rather than having to fuck with the sticks. You also don't get the input lag from emulation.
Klonoa 2
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
Beatmania IIDX (if you don't mind connecting a keyboard to play)
Def Jam 2: Fight for NY. It's basically like some of the older WWF wresling games where there can be 4 fighters at a time, but you can only be targetting one at a time. But all the fighters are rappers. The finishing moves are awesome!
Shining Force NEO and Shining Force EXA are both great underrated action RPGs.
Road Trip Adventure
Future Tactics: The Uprising
its a turn based shooter.
summoner
Colosseum: Road to Freedom
I don't know how "must add" they are, but the Shadow Hearts series was fun for me. I really liked that it was a turn based RPG where skill mattered a little more than others. It had a wheel that spun, and depending on the move, items, etc, your attack would be stronger or weaker depending on where in that wheel you stopped the pointer.
