My mom is 81 years old and she still play sly cooper. I bought her all three.its kinda funny because when I was a teen in the 80’s and playing the Commodore 64. I could not get my mom or dad to play games with me. It wasn’t till she hit her late 60’s that she started playing games. She started playing them on the Ps1.

My favorite console of all time. With its wildly diverse library I can't think of any console I would want to be stuck on a desert island with.

PS2 is such a nostalgic console for me. Lots of memories playing with my family. Crash Team Racing Nitro Kart, Guitar Hero, and Shrek 2 were our most played games. Wasn't until more recently that I dug it back out and started getting into more single player games like Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, etc. Such a phenomenal console with banger after banger.

I remember renting maximo when that was still a thing. Immediately decided i wanted to buy a copy for myself when my 3 days were up. Id really like to get that game again.

I’ll never forget all the nights me and my brother spent playing co-op Timesplitters 3! The ps2 was/is still the best.

I still love Gradius III and IV, Gradius V, Contra: Shattered Soldier, Neo-Contra, Extermination, Silpheed: The Lost Planet and R-Type Final. :)

Banana Man at 6:08 will live in my nightmares forever... the Jak and Daxter games got a lot of love, but not enough.

Red faction multi-player. Was one of the first games I remember that you and you friends could set up bots to fight, or not.

It's too bad we'll never get a Beyond Good and Evil sequel. It's definitely one of my favorites on the system.

Hey buddy I left you comment about a month or so ago about getting evicted from my apartment because of my dog supposedly crapping In front yard and it wasnt her. I got great news about the situation. We found a new place for rent its a whole house slightly cheaper than the apartment we had before got to keep all three of our dogs it's in a much better neighborhood and the best part is we are literally next door to my older brothers house. But thank you for making videos that really helped with the uncertainty we went through before living here. Thank you

I still remember how amazed I was at Final Fantasy X when I first saw it. But I must admit one of the biggest reasons I bought a PS2 way back when was for Castlevania Lament of Innocence. Also Jak 2 looked cool as hell to me and was a big reason. Also Ratchet and Clank games were some of the first I played as well... The PS2 just has so many... crazy how far PlayStation has fallen.

The original Sly Cooper is in my top 10 favorite games of all time. I just adore the very Nintendo-esque level design and the super quick paced gameplay. The one-hit gimmick for both the player and the enemies is genius. The sequels never clicked with me the same way, but I replay Sly 1 every year and I have since I got the game (which was ironically near the tail end of the PS2 era, despite being my kindergarten console I didn't get Sly until I was nearly in middle school).

This video is perfect for me. I've had a PS2 for years now but had a bad start with it and games like Kingdom Hearts didn't click for me, but videos like yours talking about it's diverse library I just knew millions of people couldn't be wrong about a console. Then a few weeks ago I found a copy of Sly Cooper for cheap, really enjoyed it and now I want to collect more for the system.

Zone of the Enders was always a treasure. Remember struggling with it but when it came to Xbox 360 it didn’t feel as difficult.

I absolutely adore the Sly Cooper games! Along with the Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter games, I’ve enjoyed the series ever since I was a kid. Also really enjoy the Gran Turismo games, Need for Speed Underground 2 and Most Wanted, the Star Wars Battlefront and Lego Star Wars games, GTA III, and tons more. Definitely my most favorite console of all time!

Great console. I loved Capcom vs. SNK 2, the Timesplitters series, and so many others.

I hope you get a lot more subscribers. I recognize the effort you put into all your videos. Entertaining stuff to be sure. Cheers.

Your videos really make my day, they are so fun, entertaining and also informative, keep up the good work :)

Your videos are really enjoyable man! Thanks for making these. And I can see you're very passionate as well.

Agreed. I’d probably go sly, ratchet, and jak in that order. Just beat sly3 this year with my 3D glasses and crt it was awesome couldn’t recommend it more

Sly cooper is peak retro games

I've known about Maximo since it first came out but never tried it. After looking into it a little right now, I didn't know there was a sequel. I also heard that there was a remake/remaster coming but maybe that was just a former co-worker mentioning many times he wanted one. Either way, I think I'm finally going to give it a try.

Gotta mention Contra: Shattered Soldier - very tough game for newcomers but well worth the replayability. Gradius V is another great recommendation - fantastic space shooter and you can't go wrong with Treasure!

Ape Escape on PS1 may be popular, but I never hear people mention Ape Escape 2 on PS2. I love that game.

Very nice video Bird!! Thank you! We always appreciate anything that's got to do with PS2

I had never heard of Espgaluda, I agree that slowdown mechanic is really clever! Love these little nuggets of great design you find in old games.

Omg, I literally just finished Okami 5 minutes before watching this video. It was way longer than I thought it would be. Great game, but took me 38 hours play time.

Road Trip Everywhere is one of picks for fun PS2 games that do not get mentioned these days. Great topic. Great video. Thanks Retro Bird.

Some great choices here to be sure. I love the Time Crisis and Sly Cooper games also. I wish I was a bit better at the bullet hell games so maybe that one you showed would be good for me. Also, so hilarious and true about making our friends play with the crappy MadCatz controllers lol 😂. So many fond memories of that. Thanks for the great video!

We still have a PS 2 and the only games we have are Guitar Hero and Rock Band, all PS2 variations of them.

I really hope we see a motion game & peripheral renaissance in the near future. The Wii was great, and I'm shocked that light gun and Guitar Hero-type games have been dormant for so long...they might not be the future of gaming the way some people thought years ago, but there's definitely still a place for them!

I love the way this video is made. It's feels so nostalgic watching something like it's made 10 yrs ago.

Yay the PS2, the first console I ever owned along with the GBA. The one I use is the same one I had since I was a kid. Aside from Budokai 3, and Kingdom Hearts 2. I also loved the Jak and Daxter/Sly Cooper games and Persona 3 and 4.

I watched a lot of your videos but I never commented on your videos. Now there has to be a comment to give you special props for including Espgaluda - this game is a masterpiece. I also highly recommand on the PS2 Ibara, Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou, Mushihime Sama, Gradius V and Homura.

Cool thing about owning a PS2 is the mold of the console as it was ATARI that wanted to make a come back, but for whatever reason it backed down. The molds were all ready made in bulk & Sony bought the mold design. So the PS2 has the greatness of Sony with an outer shell of an ATARI design. Like a Wolf in Sheep Clothing. A must own console in my opinion for any Retro Fan! Did not know Maximo was a Ghost n Goblins Video Game! What? I will have to check that game out for sure! Underwear power before Captain Underpants!

Kya Dark Lineage, The Red Star, Ape Escape 2 &3 and Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks are some of my favorites

Thanks for the recommendations! Your channel is really entertaining and informative.

Here are some PS2 games that I think will always be good: 007 everything or nothing, Ape Escape 2, Burnout 3, ESPN NFL 2K5, Katamari Damacy, Midnight Club 3, Need for Speed Underground, Time Splitters 2, Tony Hawk 3, and Star Wars Battlefront.

A lot of great choices sir! Some I've heard of and some I've never heard of. 😁👍

Great picks! I really need to try the Klonoa series and import some of those ps2 japan shmups. I have the original Time crisis but really need to try the PS2 ones. I’m big into Horror games and Rpgs. 5 I own that I enjoy playing are Wild Arms 5, Obscure, Haunting Ground, Rule of Rose, and Kuon. Not the most popular by any means but I enjoy them quite a bit.

Virtua Peek a boo was my favorite however they didn't perfect the peek a boo technology till later. Here you were always peek a booing. But honestly the peek a boo is the best part.

I love your humor! Very authentic :)

dude, I really enjoy your videos. I also love playing my old games on a crt tv, I have 5 of them! besaides that you´re absolutely hilarious, I laughed really hard with this one, keep up the good work and that unique sense of humor, today I subscribed to your channel.

I always enjoy the endless RPG games for PS2. My wife enjoys the nostalgia games like Surfs Up (Madagascar) and Bratz. The PS2 has so many nostalgic titles.

The times they are a changin.... I now have a fold 5 and backbone setup with a full front-end with ps2, psx, ngc, sdc, 3ds, ds, gba, gbc, psp.... 200+ games at the touch of my fingers, and playable in a way that feels DANGEROUSLY close to a nostalgic Sega Game Gear session!! Just less time glued to a plug..

My stomach sank when I saw Maximo hahaha. I gave it an honest attempt in October. Beat the first area boss which was a lifetime PR. That game is BRUTAL the fixed camera makes you eat some unnecessary damage. Great game indeed. I'll be playing that game for a VERY LONG TIME.

A few of my favorite games for the PS2 are Drakan: The Ancients' Gates, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Soul Reaver 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty, DBZ Budokai 3, The Mark of Kri, Sly Cooper, 24: The Game, and Medal of Honor Frontline. **edited for typos!

Thanks for the shoutout to Maximo! It's a great game.

Cool vid, I've honestly never given the PS2 a lot thought I guess. It definitely has a solid library, and the games on your list are definitely all great. I spent most of my PS2 time on Guitar Hero and God of War, so both of those would be on my list. Arcana Heart, Okami, Odin Sphere, and Shadow of the Colossus would round things out for me.

Playing and finishing Haunting Ground with my brother and our shared friend will forever be a treasured memory.

WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain

I love seeing coverage of games like Espgaluda from folks who one might otherwise think have no knowledge of it. I'll be playing a bunch of the sequel next year for my podcast, so I'll be familiarizing myself with the kakusei mechanic soon enough.

The funny thing is I had a ton of mad cats stuff and never had a problem with them but I always had problems with official controllers.

These sorts of videos always make me stop and think about which games I actually go back to and play time and again, and it sadly shows that I'm not a big fan of the PS2 (or that generation, really). There are a handful that I do really enjoy going back and playing, but when I take compilations of old arcade games put of the equation, it shrinks down dramatically. I do love the shooters, and ESPGaluda there is aces. I liked Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou as well, and Homura, Ibara, and Gradius V all get a little bit of love. I had a lot of fun with Twinkle Star Sprites: The Petite Princess. The Sega Ages 2500 versions of Gain Ground and Alien Syndrome call me back once in awhile, and Quartet as well. I think that the domestic games I think of most fondly were The Red Star and Chulip. Chulip is just endearing, and The Red Star may be the best "hidden gem" type of game on the system. There are other games I like, but not that I go back to regularly enough to count them as all-time favorites. That generation just isn't my favorite all around (Dreamcast aside), probably because I'm just old. When I think of the PS2 overall, my fondest memories are of the arcade compilations and calling in sick at work in my early 20s to play the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo packed with Zone of the Enders. I had more fun playing that demo over and over than the final game itself.

I love the PS2. Why not post a few of my favourites Gradius V - The great swansong for Konami's beloved shooter series, it's a treat. I'm not a big shoot 'em up guy, but something about Gradius really clicks with me. The old weapon upgrade system remains, but the rewards for holding onto a life is possibly at its best here. Over the top presentation, and wild cavernous environments throughout. God Hand - A divisive one, but I've got so much respect for it. It disregards every trope of action game design that wasn't to Shinji Mikami's personal interest, and just makes something riotously dumb and thrilling. The game's difficulty adapts to how well you're playing, constantly keeping you on edge, while encouraging you through its most intense sequences. The ability to completely customise your moveset means you can develop a playstyle that's entirely unique to you. I've never played anything quite like it. Mashed - I haven't played this in a long time, so perhaps I ought to be more careful about recommending it, but I feel it's fairly unique and underrated. A Micro Machines-style top down racer, only with more intricate racetracks. Rocky cliffs and branching paths. Accessible and thrilling 4-player stuff. Taito Legends 2 - A bit of a cheat, but I think it's worth noting how good the PS2 is for retro compilations. This is my personal favourite, containing a few PS1-era arcade titles on top of a heap of eighties and early nineties stuff. Great variety, a bunch of fantastic games, and a lot of funny, weird ones. A great thing to dig around and have fun with. SSX Tricky - This takes a little practice to figure out the quirks of its controls, but when you get there, there's little that can compete with it. A brilliant risk/reward dynamic, as you try to pull off the biggest moves you can to build a bigger boost meter. Wild, ridiculous courses throughout. Gloriously loud and obnoxious, with its Mix Master Mike soundtrack and iconic Run DMC title track. I still come back to it every now and then, and happily lose entire evenings to it.

Cracks me up whenever you mention finishing Okami because I actually did stop playing just shortly before the end of it thinking “gosh this game is long”. Good game tho 👍

My kids were laughing so hard at this video, especially the peek-a-boo part!

Dear R. Bird, Your excellent video led me to obtain Maximo which was entirely new to me. That is, I'd heard of it back in the day but never tried it. I have been playing happily for some hours now and can't believe how well it has aged. I'd like to thank you, the internet, and, yes, even baby Jesus, for the good work you do

Kill Switch was a good one that doesn't get talked about a lot. Not a ton of replay value but good for an afternoon or three.

Great plug for Okami at the end! I LOOOOOOVE Klonoa 2! (Along with Door to Phantomile on PS1). I know that most love Shadow of the Colossus (and I do too), but I absolutely ADORE Ico! Other greats: War of the Monsters Zone of the Enders: Second Runner Fatal Frame 1-3 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 1 & 2 Champions of Norrath 1 & 2 Gungrave 1 & 2 Dark Cloud 2 Devil May Cry 1 & 3 Beyond Good and Evil LOTR: The Two Towers Psychonauts Area 51

I was just playing Maximo the other day! Classic game

Kinetica. The tunes and the tracks and the racers make it a top tier time killer.

I'm sure there's a whole sea of Japanese PS2 exclusives like Espgaluda out there for me to enjoy. I'd like to nominate The Red Star for obscure PS2 game recommendations, solid bombastic twin-stick shooter, utterly ruined by very shaky release circumstances. Acclaim went bankrupt before it was released, and the game sat in limbo until 2007.

This is an insane line up! 🔥

Picked up Klanoa 2 recently, loving it so far. Another game that I would mention would be Ghosthunter.

Ridge Racer V, NFL Street, SSX 3, NFS Underground 2, Tony Hawk Underground, WWE 2007. The list is endless! I still play all these games regularly :)

I definitely do the time crisis controller on the ground thing. It feels wrong not using your foot playing time crisis. Good call with the socks

I love your vids. You are hilarious! Thanks for these awesome videos.

Road Trip Adventure is one of my favorite PS2 games. It's such a joyful game.

This was perfect timing as I just got a PS2 to add to my collection. Great video! I was wondering how you connect yours to your CRT?

Man Klonoa 2 is amazing… wish I had a copy of Klonoa on ps1

I vaguely recall having fun with the Dot Hack series of RPGs. Also I see you not trying to use the conventionally shortened form of raccoon. Nice. In my circles we've adopted 'racc' as a new shortened form.

Retro Bird back again soaring high above the competition

That madcatz controller joke made me literally laugh out loud. My kids looked at me weird, then remembered who I am and continued playing their PC games..

Second Sight! I just love that game!

Time crisis being the most intense game of peekaboo ever is the most brilliant thing I've ever heard of in my life.

For me the PS2 games which I still find enjoyable are Clock Tower III, Galarian's Ash, Sonic the Fighters and lastly FF7 Dirge of Cerberus (Japanese version - it's fun with KB&M.)

Set up my old CRT with my ps2 , Guncons and Xbox, Xbox’s graphics are great , has a certain clarity that Ps2 doesn’t have but man that Ps2 Library is untouchable. So many games and types of games. Still May be the greatest console all time.

I have Klonoa 2 and Sly Cooper in my backlog. Okami too 😂 Currently playing Spider-man 2018 for the first time.

Minus the Japanese shmup, I have and love all of those games :) great vid as always!!

Somehow, some WAY, NBA Street Vol. 2 ALWAYS finds its way back into my PS2 regularly. Best entry in the series and they caught lightning in a bottle with that one.

Good topic! I have been meaning to play Okami, I swear! 😅 I thought I knew most shmups, but had no idea about Espgaluda and now I really want to play it! Klonoa 2, Sly, and Maximo are some of my favorites, too. One of my absolute favorite PS2 games that I still play with friends is "Itadaki Street Special". It is basically a mash-up of Monopoly and RPG elements. You pick a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest character, pick a character class (mage, monk, fighter etc.), and try to collect as much Gil in a race to achieve real estate dominance. The catch is, that you have a special dice where you can equip special spells that range from simply gaining an extra dice roll to summoning Bahamut to completely demolish an opponent's properties! It sounds boring and stupid, but it is actually a pretty fun and intense game. There's also an English patch available so you don't need to learn Japanese to enjoy it!

My kids love Klonoa. We first got them into platformers on the SNES with Super Mario World. Then I picked up Klonoa Door to Phantomile and they are hooked (been playing with PS2 backwards compatibility). I am extremely lucky though, I picked up a copy at a fraction of the cost most go for, but it doesn't look great, as it was a old blockbuster copy. Klonoa 2 was much cheaper to purchase still, as I paid $40 for it. Great games you can play with your kids and hook them on retro gaming.

Mean girls is the GOAT.

Not only have I not finished Okami yet, I also stopped both of my Wii and PC playthroughs at the same spot - right before the final boss. Pretty sure I played those 10 and 15 years ago...

God of Wars, Godzilla Save The Earth, The Worriors, Def Jam Games, War Of The Monsters, Capcom classics collection vol 1+2, GTA games, Manhunt 1+2, and the list just goes on, far to many legendary games came out for this legendary console 👌👌

Always appreciate Sly Cooper getting a shout-out!!

To be fair, it's been 20 years. Any game that's stood the past of time up until now, will be fun forever

Nice video, I think Sly Cooper is a bit too well known if going for overlooked games though.

The Red Star and Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast

Shout out to Espgaluda. A PS2 game i go back to often is Gradius V from Traesure. They knocked it out of the park with that one.

You need to start asking people to subscribe. You’re the one of the best gaming channels and should have a bunch more subs!

Sly Cooper 1 is my top “nostalgic favorite” that for some reason I don’t currently own. The PS2 library is just full of amazing games…

I absolutely love the Maximo games!!

Sly Cooper was such a great game that I played it all the way through despite the fact that the y axis could not be inverted.

Quality channel Subbed!

Hoping to see a Maximo game coming soon. Sequel or remaster, anything.

The Ratchet and Clank trilogy, with Deadlocked as well. 4 of my favorite games of all time.

Love the Sly Cooper game!

"Peekaboo" guy must be the younger cousin of "Toasty" man from Mortal Kombat or something... 😄