In the early to mid-2000s, Sony Interactive Entertainment was a juggernaut, with its PlayStation 2 (PS2) console still holding the title of the best-selling console to date. Despite its enduring legacy, some of the PS2's hit games have faded into obscurity, overshadowed by more popular titles. These games, though successful at the time, have been largely forgotten, despite selling at least one million copies during the PS2's lifetime. Let's take a closer look at five of these overlooked gems and explore what makes them fascinating, even if they're no longer household names.
Dark Cloud: One of the earliest PS2 exclusives, 'Dark Cloud' is a third-person action RPG that draws inspiration from 'The Legend of Zelda'. It follows the fantasy hero Toan, who must recover elements known as Atla to restore his kingdom. What makes 'Dark Cloud' particularly intriguing is its procedurally generated dungeons and quick-time events during duels. Despite its innovative gameplay and stunning visuals for a first-year PS2 title, it was initially overlooked, overshadowed by more prominent early PS2 games. However, it's now available on the PlayStation 4 as part of their digital classics library, making it the perfect time to revisit this under-appreciated action RPG.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses: For those who weren't around in the late '90s and early 2000s, 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' was a huge deal, rivaling 'Pokémon' at the time. The first game in the franchise released for the PS2 is 'Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses', which draws inspiration from the English War of the Roses. The game features longtime rivals Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba facing off in a card-driven showdown on a grid map with varying terrain. While it's primarily enjoyed by 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' fans, it brings a unique blend of card-oriented combat and grid-based battlefields, offering a refreshing change from contemporaries like 'Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors'. Despite its success, no other 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' titles were released on the PS2, making 'The Duelists of the Roses' a unique distinction.
Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights: While the GameCube had 'Luigi's Mansion' and the original Xbox had 'Grabbed by the Ghoulies', the PS2's ghost-busting game was 'Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights'. The game follows Scooby-Doo as he searches for his friends in a haunted mansion, battling familiar enemies and collecting Scooby Snacks to unlock other portions of the property. Despite the popularity of the Scooby-Doo franchise, 'Night of 100 Frights' has largely been forgotten. The game takes a more conventional action-adventure approach, which, in my opinion, is a refreshing change from the puzzle-solving direction of 'Luigi's Mansion'. It's a shame that this animated series tie-in hasn't received a modern remaster, as it deserves a second chance with a wider audience.
The Getaway: One of the video games from 2001 that changed gaming forever was 'Grand Theft Auto III', a launch title for the PS2's North American debut. This led to countless imitators trying their hand at third-person crime action in open-world settings. Among these imitators was 'The Getaway', released for the PS2 in 2002. The game follows the dual narratives of hardened crook Mark Hammond and police detective Frank Carter as they delve into London's criminal underworld. 'The Getaway' is one of the PlayStation 2's hidden gems, offering its own open-world twist on the 'Grand Theft Auto' formula. Its success led to a direct sequel in 2004 and a spin-off, 'Gangs of London', for the PlayStation Portable. However, the series has remained largely dormant for 20 years, apart from adaptations in other media.
EyeToy: Play: Among the oddest peripherals for the PS2 was the EyeToy, essentially a webcam that used motion-tracking inputs for several games and applications. The peripheral was initially packaged with the game 'EyeToy: Play' when it was launched in 2003, complete with its own set of minigames. These activities include rhythm games touching on-screen discs, bouncing a soccer ball off the player's head, and the obligatory boxing game for these sorts of experiences. 'Play' was successful enough to receive two direct sequels on the PS2 and a number of spin-offs. However, as Sony moved into the subsequent PlayStation 3 era, the EyeToy died with the PS2 era, and the games tied to the peripheral have similarly since fallen into obscurity.
