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Having done a little research, read a few previews, watched a few promotional videos, and taking into account my gaming tastes, here's my list of ten games that I'm pretty certain will become part of my PS2 collection over the next few months. In no particular order:
TOCA Race Driver - Codemasters have the TOCA market sewn up, noone can come close to their bumper to bumper style Touring Car racing games. The first TOCA game on the PSX wowed gamers with its excellent damage physics, and most players will remember the first time they hit a barrier head on at 100mph and watched the windscreen explode and the bonnet pop, or the time at Oulton Park that they managed to clip Alain Menu from behind on a tight right-hander and watched gleefully as he span off the track. Then followed TOCA 2 and World Touring Cars, and the PS2 now gets the latest TOCA game, featuring not just improved damage, but improved AI, a challenging Career Mode and even a storyline that develops as you progress through each successive tier of the championship ladder. More info at http://www.codemasters.com/tocaracedriver/english/front.php
Downforce - I like to think of this one as a 'fun' Formula 1 game. F1 games never really appealed that much to me because they are always too 'technical', your car settings have to be perfect, your braking points have to be exact and so on. Downforce does away with this, allowing you to dive straight in, be a little imprecise with your overtaking manoevres, but at the same time allowing you to enjoy sweeping through bends at incredibly high speeds. Mix in a little of Burnout's 'instant crash replay mode' and a little of Wipeout Fusion's incredible sense of speed, and you've got a fun futuristic no-holds barred racer. Plus there's a kicking soundtrack, always a help :) More info at http://www.down-force.com
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 - The ultimate cops and robbers game. And you can play as either, so if you ever wanted to chase down a speeding Porsche in a Lambourghini Murciélago this is the game that will allow you to do so. It packs a host of interesting features that enhance the gameplay, e.g. you can freeze the action and zoom the camera down the track to checkout the police roadblock and look for ways around it, the tracks themselves aren't set in concrete, each one has alternative routes to watch out for, and should you pull off a particularly spectacular jump or stunt, the game pauses and does a Matrix-style shot around your vehicle allowing you to showboat a bit. More info at http://www.ea.com/eagames/official/nfs_hotpursuit2/home.jsp
Conflict: Desert Storm - Based around the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this is a 3rd person perspective tactical shooter, where you control a squad of elite troopers engaged in missions behind enemy lines. With huge areas to explore, multiple approaches to objectives, great gameplay and graphics, a host of weapons and even RPG elements (your squad's skills improve as they complete missions), this game should offer plenty of action to keep me playing into the small hours. Plus, any game where your troopers can shout with Cockney accents as they charge into battle has to have replay value. More info at http://www.conflict.com/conflictdesertstorm.html
World Rally Championship - Yes, I know it's out already, but it's just gone Platinum, so for £18.99 you get one of the best rally games out there. Most gamers will probably be holding out for Colin McRae 3, but when a title like WRC is available for a bargain price then buying it just has to be done. 108 tracks, Official endorsement by the WRC itself, and all the cars, drivers and co-pilots from the 2001 season. So there's plenty there to tide me over until CM3 makes an appearance. More info at http://www.bam4fun.com/ps2_wrc.html
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance - Developers DO listen to gamers, hence this title where you get to play as Snake ALL the time should you wish to, and also get to partake in over 200 VR missions, both these things were sadly missing from Sons of Liberty. So I'm looking forward to bringing Snake through the Oil Platform section and seeing how he gets on against Vamp, as well as setting some record times on the VR missions, which were probably the most played sections of any game when I had the original MGS on the PSX. More info at http://www.konamijpn.com/products /mgs2_sub/english/index.html
Kingdom Hearts - Is what you get when Disney and SquareSoft team up to produce an RPG. Previews have stated that every Disney character out there is included as a character in this game, and the trailers show stunning visuals and plenty of action to intrigue and tempt buyers. With SquareSofts recent success in Final Fantasy X, gamers young and old should flock to this title. I'll be getting it because I've always been a SquareSoft fan and because it's an RPG that appears as if it will play really well. More info at http://www.squaresoft.com/
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness - You don't really need me to explain why I'm getting this one do you? OK, I've bought all the previous titles and the movie on DVD, and I just love the free-roaming adventure style that Core developed for Lara. It has nothing to do with her cup-size or my crush on Angelina Jolie. More info at http://www.eidosinteractive.com/games/embed.html?gmid=126
Turok Evolution - Featuring 'Intelligent' dinosaurs, this prequel to the Turok series on the N64 has been completely overhauled with a new game engine, offers lots of new weapons, lots of new critters to blast, and even flying sections. Dino Crisis was a bit of a letdown when it was released, not enough non-stop blasting to satisfy the professional hunters out there with itchy trigger fingers. Turok Evolution looks like it's going to have prehistoric bloodbaths around every corner and behind every other tree, so for me it offers everything I'll need to satisfy my bloodlust. More info at http://www.turok.com/evolution/index.html
Gumball 3000 - Last but not least, racing with big boobies. Based on the real live event that takes place annually, where rich kids and superstars engage in a thrill-race on public highways covering 3000 miles in just 5 days, this game offers point to point racing in the fastest possible time with the added incentive of having to shake off the Gumball Police Squad and avoiding their roadblocks. And it promises to give the Ridge Racer girls a run for their money. More info at http://www.sci.co.uk/games/basic.asp?version_id=24
TOCA Race Driver - Codemasters have the TOCA market sewn up, noone can come close to their bumper to bumper style Touring Car racing games. The first TOCA game on the PSX wowed gamers with its excellent damage physics, and most players will remember the first time they hit a barrier head on at 100mph and watched the windscreen explode and the bonnet pop, or the time at Oulton Park that they managed to clip Alain Menu from behind on a tight right-hander and watched gleefully as he span off the track. Then followed TOCA 2 and World Touring Cars, and the PS2 now gets the latest TOCA game, featuring not just improved damage, but improved AI, a challenging Career Mode and even a storyline that develops as you progress through each successive tier of the championship ladder. More info at http://www.codemasters.com/tocaracedriver/english/front.php
Downforce - I like to think of this one as a 'fun' Formula 1 game. F1 games never really appealed that much to me because they are always too 'technical', your car settings have to be perfect, your braking points have to be exact and so on. Downforce does away with this, allowing you to dive straight in, be a little imprecise with your overtaking manoevres, but at the same time allowing you to enjoy sweeping through bends at incredibly high speeds. Mix in a little of Burnout's 'instant crash replay mode' and a little of Wipeout Fusion's incredible sense of speed, and you've got a fun futuristic no-holds barred racer. Plus there's a kicking soundtrack, always a help :) More info at http://www.down-force.com
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 - The ultimate cops and robbers game. And you can play as either, so if you ever wanted to chase down a speeding Porsche in a Lambourghini Murciélago this is the game that will allow you to do so. It packs a host of interesting features that enhance the gameplay, e.g. you can freeze the action and zoom the camera down the track to checkout the police roadblock and look for ways around it, the tracks themselves aren't set in concrete, each one has alternative routes to watch out for, and should you pull off a particularly spectacular jump or stunt, the game pauses and does a Matrix-style shot around your vehicle allowing you to showboat a bit. More info at http://www.ea.com/eagames/official/nfs_hotpursuit2/home.jsp
Conflict: Desert Storm - Based around the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this is a 3rd person perspective tactical shooter, where you control a squad of elite troopers engaged in missions behind enemy lines. With huge areas to explore, multiple approaches to objectives, great gameplay and graphics, a host of weapons and even RPG elements (your squad's skills improve as they complete missions), this game should offer plenty of action to keep me playing into the small hours. Plus, any game where your troopers can shout with Cockney accents as they charge into battle has to have replay value. More info at http://www.conflict.com/conflictdesertstorm.html
World Rally Championship - Yes, I know it's out already, but it's just gone Platinum, so for £18.99 you get one of the best rally games out there. Most gamers will probably be holding out for Colin McRae 3, but when a title like WRC is available for a bargain price then buying it just has to be done. 108 tracks, Official endorsement by the WRC itself, and all the cars, drivers and co-pilots from the 2001 season. So there's plenty there to tide me over until CM3 makes an appearance. More info at http://www.bam4fun.com/ps2_wrc.html
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance - Developers DO listen to gamers, hence this title where you get to play as Snake ALL the time should you wish to, and also get to partake in over 200 VR missions, both these things were sadly missing from Sons of Liberty. So I'm looking forward to bringing Snake through the Oil Platform section and seeing how he gets on against Vamp, as well as setting some record times on the VR missions, which were probably the most played sections of any game when I had the original MGS on the PSX. More info at http://www.konamijpn.com/products /mgs2_sub/english/index.html
Kingdom Hearts - Is what you get when Disney and SquareSoft team up to produce an RPG. Previews have stated that every Disney character out there is included as a character in this game, and the trailers show stunning visuals and plenty of action to intrigue and tempt buyers. With SquareSofts recent success in Final Fantasy X, gamers young and old should flock to this title. I'll be getting it because I've always been a SquareSoft fan and because it's an RPG that appears as if it will play really well. More info at http://www.squaresoft.com/
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness - You don't really need me to explain why I'm getting this one do you? OK, I've bought all the previous titles and the movie on DVD, and I just love the free-roaming adventure style that Core developed for Lara. It has nothing to do with her cup-size or my crush on Angelina Jolie. More info at http://www.eidosinteractive.com/games/embed.html?gmid=126
Turok Evolution - Featuring 'Intelligent' dinosaurs, this prequel to the Turok series on the N64 has been completely overhauled with a new game engine, offers lots of new weapons, lots of new critters to blast, and even flying sections. Dino Crisis was a bit of a letdown when it was released, not enough non-stop blasting to satisfy the professional hunters out there with itchy trigger fingers. Turok Evolution looks like it's going to have prehistoric bloodbaths around every corner and behind every other tree, so for me it offers everything I'll need to satisfy my bloodlust. More info at http://www.turok.com/evolution/index.html
Gumball 3000 - Last but not least, racing with big boobies. Based on the real live event that takes place annually, where rich kids and superstars engage in a thrill-race on public highways covering 3000 miles in just 5 days, this game offers point to point racing in the fastest possible time with the added incentive of having to shake off the Gumball Police Squad and avoiding their roadblocks. And it promises to give the Ridge Racer girls a run for their money. More info at http://www.sci.co.uk/games/basic.asp?version_id=24
Good post Fantasy, I also saw the Gumball on Jackass and can't wait to play it.
Toca - definately , just pre-ordered it.
The only other one in that list that I might consider would be Kingdom Hearts - being a self confessed Disney nut it looks like it could be quite entertaining.
The others I am looking forward to are Stuntman, Colin Mcrae 3 and Soul Calibur.
The only other one in that list that I might consider would be Kingdom Hearts - being a self confessed Disney nut it looks like it could be quite entertaining.
The others I am looking forward to are Stuntman, Colin Mcrae 3 and Soul Calibur.
Jackass made me want to play Gumball. Hope it has the humour that the programme's special showed. Also want TOCA so so so much. Hence the 50 ToCA posts I have done. Downforce was nice but not for me. And as for Hot Pursuit, I'll have to see. I wont get Kingdom Hearts even though I am a BIG Final Fantasy fan. Neat round-up anyway :)
Having done a little research, read a few previews, watched a few promotional videos, and taking into account my gaming tastes, here's my list of ten games that I'm pretty certain will become part of my PS2 collection over the next few months. In no particular order:
TOCA Race Driver - Codemasters have the TOCA market sewn up, noone can come close to their bumper to bumper style Touring Car racing games. The first TOCA game on the PSX wowed gamers with its excellent damage physics, and most players will remember the first time they hit a barrier head on at 100mph and watched the windscreen explode and the bonnet pop, or the time at Oulton Park that they managed to clip Alain Menu from behind on a tight right-hander and watched gleefully as he span off the track. Then followed TOCA 2 and World Touring Cars, and the PS2 now gets the latest TOCA game, featuring not just improved damage, but improved AI, a challenging Career Mode and even a storyline that develops as you progress through each successive tier of the championship ladder. More info at http://www.codemasters.com/tocaracedriver/english/front.php
Downforce - I like to think of this one as a 'fun' Formula 1 game. F1 games never really appealed that much to me because they are always too 'technical', your car settings have to be perfect, your braking points have to be exact and so on. Downforce does away with this, allowing you to dive straight in, be a little imprecise with your overtaking manoevres, but at the same time allowing you to enjoy sweeping through bends at incredibly high speeds. Mix in a little of Burnout's 'instant crash replay mode' and a little of Wipeout Fusion's incredible sense of speed, and you've got a fun futuristic no-holds barred racer. Plus there's a kicking soundtrack, always a help :) More info at http://www.down-force.com
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 - The ultimate cops and robbers game. And you can play as either, so if you ever wanted to chase down a speeding Porsche in a Lambourghini Murciélago this is the game that will allow you to do so. It packs a host of interesting features that enhance the gameplay, e.g. you can freeze the action and zoom the camera down the track to checkout the police roadblock and look for ways around it, the tracks themselves aren't set in concrete, each one has alternative routes to watch out for, and should you pull off a particularly spectacular jump or stunt, the game pauses and does a Matrix-style shot around your vehicle allowing you to showboat a bit. More info at http://www.ea.com/eagames/official/nfs_hotpursuit2/home.jsp
Conflict: Desert Storm - Based around the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this is a 3rd person perspective tactical shooter, where you control a squad of elite troopers engaged in missions behind enemy lines. With huge areas to explore, multiple approaches to objectives, great gameplay and graphics, a host of weapons and even RPG elements (your squad's skills improve as they complete missions), this game should offer plenty of action to keep me playing into the small hours. Plus, any game where your troopers can shout with Cockney accents as they charge into battle has to have replay value. More info at http://www.conflict.com/conflictdesertstorm.html
World Rally Championship - Yes, I know it's out already, but it's just gone Platinum, so for £18.99 you get one of the best rally games out there. Most gamers will probably be holding out for Colin McRae 3, but when a title like WRC is available for a bargain price then buying it just has to be done. 108 tracks, Official endorsement by the WRC itself, and all the cars, drivers and co-pilots from the 2001 season. So there's plenty there to tide me over until CM3 makes an appearance. More info at http://www.bam4fun.com/ps2_wrc.html
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance - Developers DO listen to gamers, hence this title where you get to play as Snake ALL the time should you wish to, and also get to partake in over 200 VR missions, both these things were sadly missing from Sons of Liberty. So I'm looking forward to bringing Snake through the Oil Platform section and seeing how he gets on against Vamp, as well as setting some record times on the VR missions, which were probably the most played sections of any game when I had the original MGS on the PSX. More info at http://www.konamijpn.com/products /mgs2_sub/english/index.html
Kingdom Hearts - Is what you get when Disney and SquareSoft team up to produce an RPG. Previews have stated that every Disney character out there is included as a character in this game, and the trailers show stunning visuals and plenty of action to intrigue and tempt buyers. With SquareSofts recent success in Final Fantasy X, gamers young and old should flock to this title. I'll be getting it because I've always been a SquareSoft fan and because it's an RPG that appears as if it will play really well. More info at http://www.squaresoft.com/
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness - You don't really need me to explain why I'm getting this one do you? OK, I've bought all the previous titles and the movie on DVD, and I just love the free-roaming adventure style that Core developed for Lara. It has nothing to do with her cup-size or my crush on Angelina Jolie. More info at http://www.eidosinteractive.com/games/embed.html?gmid=126
Turok Evolution - Featuring 'Intelligent' dinosaurs, this prequel to the Turok series on the N64 has been completely overhauled with a new game engine, offers lots of new weapons, lots of new critters to blast, and even flying sections. Dino Crisis was a bit of a letdown when it was released, not enough non-stop blasting to satisfy the professional hunters out there with itchy trigger fingers. Turok Evolution looks like it's going to have prehistoric bloodbaths around every corner and behind every other tree, so for me it offers everything I'll need to satisfy my bloodlust. More info at http://www.turok.com/evolution/index.html
Gumball 3000 - Last but not least, racing with big boobies. Based on the real live event that takes place annually, where rich kids and superstars engage in a thrill-race on public highways covering 3000 miles in just 5 days, this game offers point to point racing in the fastest possible time with the added incentive of having to shake off the Gumball Police Squad and avoiding their roadblocks. And it promises to give the Ridge Racer girls a run for their money. More info at http://www.sci.co.uk/games/basic.asp?version_id=24
TOCA Race Driver - Codemasters have the TOCA market sewn up, noone can come close to their bumper to bumper style Touring Car racing games. The first TOCA game on the PSX wowed gamers with its excellent damage physics, and most players will remember the first time they hit a barrier head on at 100mph and watched the windscreen explode and the bonnet pop, or the time at Oulton Park that they managed to clip Alain Menu from behind on a tight right-hander and watched gleefully as he span off the track. Then followed TOCA 2 and World Touring Cars, and the PS2 now gets the latest TOCA game, featuring not just improved damage, but improved AI, a challenging Career Mode and even a storyline that develops as you progress through each successive tier of the championship ladder. More info at http://www.codemasters.com/tocaracedriver/english/front.php
Downforce - I like to think of this one as a 'fun' Formula 1 game. F1 games never really appealed that much to me because they are always too 'technical', your car settings have to be perfect, your braking points have to be exact and so on. Downforce does away with this, allowing you to dive straight in, be a little imprecise with your overtaking manoevres, but at the same time allowing you to enjoy sweeping through bends at incredibly high speeds. Mix in a little of Burnout's 'instant crash replay mode' and a little of Wipeout Fusion's incredible sense of speed, and you've got a fun futuristic no-holds barred racer. Plus there's a kicking soundtrack, always a help :) More info at http://www.down-force.com
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 - The ultimate cops and robbers game. And you can play as either, so if you ever wanted to chase down a speeding Porsche in a Lambourghini Murciélago this is the game that will allow you to do so. It packs a host of interesting features that enhance the gameplay, e.g. you can freeze the action and zoom the camera down the track to checkout the police roadblock and look for ways around it, the tracks themselves aren't set in concrete, each one has alternative routes to watch out for, and should you pull off a particularly spectacular jump or stunt, the game pauses and does a Matrix-style shot around your vehicle allowing you to showboat a bit. More info at http://www.ea.com/eagames/official/nfs_hotpursuit2/home.jsp
Conflict: Desert Storm - Based around the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this is a 3rd person perspective tactical shooter, where you control a squad of elite troopers engaged in missions behind enemy lines. With huge areas to explore, multiple approaches to objectives, great gameplay and graphics, a host of weapons and even RPG elements (your squad's skills improve as they complete missions), this game should offer plenty of action to keep me playing into the small hours. Plus, any game where your troopers can shout with Cockney accents as they charge into battle has to have replay value. More info at http://www.conflict.com/conflictdesertstorm.html
World Rally Championship - Yes, I know it's out already, but it's just gone Platinum, so for £18.99 you get one of the best rally games out there. Most gamers will probably be holding out for Colin McRae 3, but when a title like WRC is available for a bargain price then buying it just has to be done. 108 tracks, Official endorsement by the WRC itself, and all the cars, drivers and co-pilots from the 2001 season. So there's plenty there to tide me over until CM3 makes an appearance. More info at http://www.bam4fun.com/ps2_wrc.html
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance - Developers DO listen to gamers, hence this title where you get to play as Snake ALL the time should you wish to, and also get to partake in over 200 VR missions, both these things were sadly missing from Sons of Liberty. So I'm looking forward to bringing Snake through the Oil Platform section and seeing how he gets on against Vamp, as well as setting some record times on the VR missions, which were probably the most played sections of any game when I had the original MGS on the PSX. More info at http://www.konamijpn.com/products /mgs2_sub/english/index.html
Kingdom Hearts - Is what you get when Disney and SquareSoft team up to produce an RPG. Previews have stated that every Disney character out there is included as a character in this game, and the trailers show stunning visuals and plenty of action to intrigue and tempt buyers. With SquareSofts recent success in Final Fantasy X, gamers young and old should flock to this title. I'll be getting it because I've always been a SquareSoft fan and because it's an RPG that appears as if it will play really well. More info at http://www.squaresoft.com/
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness - You don't really need me to explain why I'm getting this one do you? OK, I've bought all the previous titles and the movie on DVD, and I just love the free-roaming adventure style that Core developed for Lara. It has nothing to do with her cup-size or my crush on Angelina Jolie. More info at http://www.eidosinteractive.com/games/embed.html?gmid=126
Turok Evolution - Featuring 'Intelligent' dinosaurs, this prequel to the Turok series on the N64 has been completely overhauled with a new game engine, offers lots of new weapons, lots of new critters to blast, and even flying sections. Dino Crisis was a bit of a letdown when it was released, not enough non-stop blasting to satisfy the professional hunters out there with itchy trigger fingers. Turok Evolution looks like it's going to have prehistoric bloodbaths around every corner and behind every other tree, so for me it offers everything I'll need to satisfy my bloodlust. More info at http://www.turok.com/evolution/index.html
Gumball 3000 - Last but not least, racing with big boobies. Based on the real live event that takes place annually, where rich kids and superstars engage in a thrill-race on public highways covering 3000 miles in just 5 days, this game offers point to point racing in the fastest possible time with the added incentive of having to shake off the Gumball Police Squad and avoiding their roadblocks. And it promises to give the Ridge Racer girls a run for their money. More info at http://www.sci.co.uk/games/basic.asp?version_id=24