10 Amazing PS2 Games Stuck On the Console

In an age where most video games tend to get ported or remastered at some point, there’s a dizzying array of PS2 games that still haven’t been released on modern platforms, even if they were released on other platforms at the time. In a couple of rare cases as well, they’ve been available on PC at some point but are now extremely difficult to find and make work, or have been delisted entirely. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at 10 PS2 games that are regrettably stuck on old hardware.

 

1. The Simpsons: Hit And Run

There are some games on the PS2 that you wonder how they’ve been left to rot on older platforms, but then there’s others that you think about and conclude “oh yeah, no, that makes complete sense”. The Simpsons: Hit And Run is one of those latter games, and that’s not because of a lack of quality either. As GTA clones go, Hit And Run is arguably the most charming, original and funny takes on the oft-imitated formula. However, The Simpsons: Hit And Run does include parts of the franchise that the creators of The Simpsons would seemingly rather leave in the past, including the character of Apu as one of the five playable characters. Considering Apu has been seemingly banished from all Simpsons content ever since Hank Azaria stepped down from the role, we’ll likely never see Hit And Run get a re-release.

Set across seven strange days in the world of Springfield, The Simpsons: Hit And Run follows Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Apu as they investigate the weird goings-on around town, and as with anything strange that seems to happen in Springfield, all the evidence points to Kang and Kodos. The game itself is split across three different areas of Springfield, from the Suburbs to Downtown and the Bay Area all featured, though unfortunately you can’t head over to Shelbyville and commit Grand Theft Lemon Tree, though the game does happen to look great on a TV shaped like Bart head (cheap plug, cheap plug). All three play areas are littered with references to the TV show though, making The Simpsons: Hit And Run the perfect game for anyone who saw the Golden Age of The Simpsons and made it their whole personality.

Say it with me now. Dental plan; Lisa needs braces.

 

2. Onimusha 2, 3 & Dawn Of Dreams

Capcom is a hard company to both predict and understand at times. They’re either making some of the best games on the market and earning the nickname CapGod, or they’re ignoring their most iconic properties. On the PS2, Onimusha felt like a real tentpole franchise for Capcom, but aside from a fairly barebones remaster of the first game, Onimusha: Warlords, for more modern platforms back in late 2018/early 2019, Capcom have been content to let the samurai demon slasher series stay in hibernation. That means that the rest of the Onimusha series, including Onimusha 2, 3 and Dawn Of Dreams have been left on old hardware. Onimusha 3 is a bit of an outlier, as it did receive a Steam release in 2007, but the PC port was then delisted a few years later, meaning it’s back in the PS2 prison.

In fairness to Capcom, there might be a reason why Onimusha never received any more releases after that HD re-release of the first game, as according to reports, it might have sold way below Capcom’s own “modest” expectations. Still, there’s a diehard fan base clamoring for Onimusha, and Capcom aren’t willing to let the franchise die completely, releasing an anime series for Netflix back in 2023. Perhaps Capcom shot themselves in the foot by not going all the way with the Onimusha remaster, as Capcom had proved they had the capability to re-release whole trilogies with the Devil May Cry HD Collection. Some kind of full bundle like that with the first three games, with Dawn of Dreams thrown in for good measure, could have sold way better. Is that just because of stupid sexy Jean Reno? Maybe.

 

3. Soulcalibur 3

The first Soulcalibur (technically the second one if we’re counting Soul Blade) is considered among the best games ever made according to Metacritic, while Soulcalibur 2 gained all the notoriety in the world with its multi platform release and platform specific guest characters. With all that acclaim for those first two games, where does that leave Soulcalibur 3? It even feels like Namco were content to leave the game stuck on the PS2, considering Soulcalibur 1 and 2 both received HD ports for more recent platforms, though those ports have since been delisted too. Can’t have shit on this digital bitch of an Earth it seems, and while many would love to see SC 2 back again, it’d be amazing to see Soulcalibur 3 finally released from its PS2-only confines.

Continuing the tale of souls and swords, eternally retold, Soulcalibur 3 refined the weapon-based combat even further while introducing new characters that have become mainstays in the franchise since, such as Tifa and Zasalamel. Soulcalibur 3 was also the first entry in the series to include character creation, which has become a huge and unique selling point for the Soulcalibur franchise compared to other fighters on the market. However, it’s the impressive array of modes that makes Soulcalibur 3 so special, such as the Tales Of Souls mode which improves on the traditional fighting game arcade ladder by adding more interactive choices and unique moments per character. Also, Chronicles of the Sword somehow blends fighting games and the RTS genre, and it works.

 

4. The Punisher

We’d just like to take this opportunity to say sorry. We’ve done quite a few lists on the PS2 recently, and yet none of them thought to mention the absolute whipper that is The Punisher. For that, we can only apologize, and hope that you can trust in us to do better in the future.

Outside of maybe The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Volition’s The Punisher from 2005 is arguably the most accurate comic book character portrayal in video games. Yes, that’s even despite the fact that Thomas Jane from the really cheesy movie returns to do the voice of Frank Castle. We still love that film, cheesiness and all though. Even though the game maintains some level of humor in its writing and situations that’s reminiscent of the movie, Volition’s The Punisher is a darker and more violent trip through the anti-hero’s (and Marvel’s) history. Spoilers: Frank puts about a thousand goons in caskets along the way.

Set in New York, like pretty much every Marvel property ever, The Punisher starts with Castle being arrested after storming the Yakuza HQ. Taken to Ryker’s Island, the plot plays out through a series of flashbacks detailing Castle’s clashes with the Gnucci Crime Family, the Russian Mafia and eventually the Yakuza, with characters from the comics popping in for a cup of coffee every now and then. It’s the gameplay that’s the real highlight though, with Punisher’s impressive arsenal of weapons that boast a satisfying punch, his close quarters finishers and ability to take human shields, his interrogation techniques and the “Slaughter Mode” that just lets you yeet knives at everyone in sight all combine to make Castle feel like the force of nature he’s always been depicted as.

 

5. Downhill Domination

The original version of this article did include the first TimeSplitters game, something that had been forgotten about compared to TS2 and Future Perfect, which are backwards compatible on Xbox. Then, THQ Nordic and Sony decided to make TS1 one of the PlayStation Plus games for August. Still, there’s no shortage of stuck PS2 games, so let’s talk about Downhill Domination instead. Compared to the various shooters and action games already mentioned on this list, a game about bolting it down the side of a mountain as fast as possible on a couple of barely held together metal bars and some tires is quite the change of pace, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of action to enjoy in Downhill Domination either. Racers can throw fists, bottle and planks of wood at each other while racing, making Downhill Domination a thrilling and enjoyable affair.

Essentially SSX with wheels, Downhill Domination allows players to pick from several larger the life characters and embark on a world-trotting career mode, competing in races and trick events across mountains both real and fictional. The speed and physics of Downhill Domination give the game a distinctly arcade feel, which should prevent you from becoming too annoyed if you keep slamming headfirst into a rock wall at 80mph. With wins comes money that you can use to unlock new upgrades for your bike, along with new characters, including a few real life pros. Perhaps the mix of pros and licenses have been the reason why Downhill Domination never made it off the PS2, or maybe it’s because of Incognito Entertainment’s dissolution before 2010, but the fact that Downhill Domination hasn’t been ported to modern platforms is disappointing.

 

6. Nightshade

These days, people like to bat around the idea that FromSoftware and Soulslike games in general have written the book on video game difficulty, but they’re just another chapter in a tome that’s been tattered and beaten relentlessly. Largely by us because we keep getting stuck on tough bosses. Anyway, the point is that games like Shinobi, specifically the ones from around the Master System/Mega Drive era, have been causing controllers to be spiked into the ground for years before people had to rest at bonfires to recover all their healing items. SEGA brought the Shinobi series to the PS2, converting it into 3D in the process and making it more like a hack and slash spectacle fighter, and one that still slaps today, but today we’re talking about the forgotten sequel, Nightshade. Yes, it’s mainly because Shinobi had a PS3 port at some point.

A follow-up to Shinobi (2002), Nightshade casts players as kunoichi Hibana, as she tries to stop the villainous Nakatomi Corporation after they’ve unleashed demonic hellspawn on a futuristic version of Tokyo. Clearly, Nakatomi was at loss for ideas of where to take the company next, after the 1988 Christmas Party in Los Angeles was interrupted by a group of European “eco terrorists”. Unfortunate shared corporation names aside, Hibana is also tasked with assembling the shards of the cursed blade Akujiku, battling her former mentor and his new cabal of Shinobi in the process. It’s a fairly linear character action experience, but one that’s worth your time if you’re looking for some underappreciated.

 

7. Champions Of Norrath

Don’t ever say that we don’t listen to the comments, as some of y’all have been hoping that we mention Champions Of Norrath: Realms Of EverQuest, along with its sequel, Champions: Return To Arms, for a while now. Well, here you go, we’ve mentioned it. Moving on.

In all seriousness, it’s not really surprising that Champions Of Norrath: Realms Of EverQuest became as successful and beloved as it did within the PS2 crowd, as developers Snowblind Entertainment created the game using the engine they made in their previous game, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. When the game’s selling point is that it’s an improved version of an already excellent game, it’s hard to turn an offer like that down. Sure, the character creation might have been limited, especially compared to the EverQuest MMO, but you still had options.

Players could pick from one of five pairs of races and classes, ranging from Barbarian Warriors to High Elf Clerics, with each offering their own skills and abilities. The main gameplay resembles Diablo, as you’re exploring areas, completing quests and diving into dungeons, all with the view of killing evil monsters and, crucially, earning better and better loot. Perhaps the biggest ace in the hole for Champions Of Norrath though was the fact that it was one of the few dozen games that were released on the PS2 which properly made use of online play. While up to four players could enjoy the game on a single console, you could also form adventuring bands online, taking the fight to the orcs, vampires and demons standing in your way.

 

8. Darkwatch

The Wild West is always a fun setting to explore, but making it supernatural is just the extra chef’s kiss push that makes the setting really sing. Dubbed the Weird West genre, thanks to DC’s Weird Western Tales and the Jonah Hex character from the 70s, seeing cowboys and bandits being forced to deal with threats and monsters that aren’t of our world is endlessly entertaining. High Moon Studios seemed to agree, developing Darkwatch for the PS2 for release in 2005, and while reviews and sales didn’t point to the greatest game ever made, fans of the game have been helping rehab Darkwatch’s reputation years later, to the point now where Darkwatch is definitely among the PS2’s many cult classics.

Dropping vampires into the Wild West, Darkwatch sees players controlling the very cool-named Jericho Cross, a jaded Civil War vet turned bandit turned half vampire, after he inadvertently released the most powerful vampire the west has ever seen. Recruited into Darkwatch as punishment for his crimes against them, Jericho begins to develop his vampiric powers alongside his impressive array of weapons, with various choices and options you encounter throughout the game leading to you unlocking different good or evil path powers. While Darkwatch never got a sequel, those who enjoyed the more recent Evil West might find a new gem here.

 

9. Graffiti Kingdom

Graffiti Kingdom is probably among the most unique platformers on the PS2, as you’re given the ability to sketch your own creatures using the in-game tools, allowing you to create some absolutely hideous monstrosities, or if you’re actually skilled with the tools, recreate iconic characters from other properties. These creatures can then be called upon to help you during the game, allowing you to directly control the monsters in combat and while exploring. On top of that, Graffiti Kingdom also utilizes RPG elements, allowing you to level up both your main character, Prince Pixel, unlocking new tools in the creature creation mode, and also the creatures you’ve created, increasing their health and attack power. All of this will help Pixel on his quest to reseal the Devil he accidentally unleashed upon the Kingdom.

Graffiti Kingdom is actually the second game in the series, with the first game, Magic Pengel; The Quest For Color playing like a Pokémon game with a create-a-creature function. It’s unfortunate that both games have been relegated to the PS2, as both games are uniquely innovative explorations of already established genres. In Magic Pengel’s case, the monster collecting RPG had only been around for a couple of years, so giving the player the ability to design their own monsters instead of trying to catch ones the developers have made added a new and interesting wrinkle to the experience. Meanwhile, Graffiti Kingdom’s use of creature creation gave the player more attachment to the abilities that they needed to utilize. Instead of just having a generic creature in your roster with better jumping, you can name him Hoppy McHopperstein, give him big old bug eyes and paint the lad in the colors of the rainbow. Now, you’re a little bit more attached to your goofy, bugboy son.

 

10. The Operative: No One Lives Forever

Jesus Christ, where do we begin with this one?

While it was originally released for PC, The Operative: No One Lives Forever, Monolith Productions and Sierra Entertainment ported the game to PS2 in 2002. Considered by reviewers at the time to be one of the best shooters since the original Half-Life, NOLF is set in the 1960s with players controlling a secret agent called Cate Archer. The whole game skewered both the general 1960s sense of style and fashion, along with many spy films and TV shows that launched around that time. Imagine a whole game based on The Avengers and you’re about there. You know, the old British TV series, and not the one with the superheroes. No One Lives Forever crams in plenty of cool gadgets, groovy outfits and overtly evil villains cackling in their secret bases, making it a pretty accurate parody. It’s also incredibly fun to play, blending stealth with its more action focused sections.

So what happened? The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a now infamous instance of abandonware, as not only did the follow up games skip the PS2 entirely, all three NOLF games were only available to buy physically, even on PC. How PC gaming existed before Steam, no one will ever know. Now that Steam has become the biggest storefront in all of gaming, many NOLF fans had been hoping that the game would receive a remaster of some kind, with Nightdive Studios even looking into it at one point. However, trying to figure out who owns the rights to the No One Lives Forever series has been a puzzle no one has been able to solve, leaving the franchise to rot for decades now.

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