Geek Addicts - Episode 33: Discussing Our Favorite PS2 Games!

[00:00:00] The following is a Gen C podcast production. Welcome to Geek Addicts, the Pop Culture Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome back to Geek Addicts, the Pop Culture Podcast where your host me Matt and the cars that like to come by every five minutes. How you doing Matt? Unfortunately.

[00:00:50] I'm doing all right. Unfortunately, the cars might be a little bit more of a presence in this recording and to be honest probably through the summer because it gets really hot in here and there's no AC in this room.

[00:01:01] So I have to open the window since little rubble. That one might have been a motorcycle. Oh boy, how you been? Oh I can't complain, you know, it's been a week. I feel like the week just dragged on forever.

[00:01:21] Like, I know I say that just about every week but like this week especially. I think part of that is because my in laws came down to visit part we through the week and whatever they come down we always end up like, that's really crazy.

[00:01:33] We end up doing something like a little shindig, a little cookout, whatever we'll invite a couple people over. We did that on Wednesday and just the general vibe of it, checking me and the thinking Wednesday was Friday.

[00:01:47] So the rest of the week just dragged forever because every day, but like Friday from that day off. Yeah, I know that feeling now this this whole week's been like. I haven't had any time to actually like catch up on anything. So I've just been like,

[00:02:04] I'd get home, I sleep or record a podcast. I tried catching up on some manga this week because that's been my, I spent something that got I've been falling behind on like I finally read the latest

[00:02:17] Sock of motor dades is cool, especially because that's getting an anime pretty soon. That was it? Yeah, they just announced it. Spive family season three just got announced which I'm looking forward to.

[00:02:30] Excited for that, especially like I don't know how far they're going to go with the coverage, but I'm I think I'm only behind like a chapter and like one of those little short chapters that they have.

[00:02:41] But aside from that, I'm caught up and I'm really liking where the story is going. So I'm really interested to see where that goes and how far they're going to like it's probably just going to be another 12 or

[00:02:52] Honestly, because there's not like a ton of material but there's definitely enough for another 12 or Yeah, as long as they adapt a certain arc and volume 11, I'm going to be very excited. I want to split it for people who haven't read, but yeah,

[00:03:07] there's some really exciting stuff that's coming up and this is just one of those series that I really enjoy. I personally really hope that they adapt the arc that takes place right afterwards. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

[00:03:20] Also when volume 12 finally comes out so I can read some more because I'm a physical only guy with the longer at the moment. Understandable. I mean, I'm still going to be by the physicals and probably rereading them whenever they come out,

[00:03:33] but I couldn't wait. I had to just read for I already have shown a jump and I was like, I can utilize it, you know. True. Very true. But yeah, as I've met, I mostly, for a game in the gaming sphere,

[00:03:50] but there's taken a persona this week, made some progress. Actually right before I came over here, I beat the buckets of the name. I forgot his name right there. The fucking void quest guy, the guy who's supposed to be killed.

[00:04:06] Oh, the, uh, like, I, it's Shua, I think his name is, um, Yes, that's it. Yeah, and it's a lot of it. Yeah, he claims he's the killer and I definitely get this serial killer vibe from him. But I'm only 40 hours into this 100 hour game.

[00:04:27] So either he's not the killer. There's another killer, or he's going to get out of for a jail. I don't know what, but something's going to happen because I'll snap right through the game.

[00:04:39] I won't say much too much because I want to avoid spoilers, but I will say he is a killer. And I'll leave it to the camera. Fair enough. Yeah, because that was kind of weird because his, uh, his little shadow self just kind of vanished at the end.

[00:04:53] It didn't like do what all the other ones have done. So I'm interested to see where that goes. My favorite, I love his dungeon, like void quest is like my favorite dungeon in the, yeah, but I'm super cool.

[00:05:06] I love it. So they didn't, this wasn't in the original version, but I love in golden that they, they changed the boss and seemed themed to an eighth bit version of, um, all face face myself.

[00:05:17] Yeah, I literally just did that battle and as soon as I like realize that that's what they were doing. I thought that was fucking awesome. I love when games do that. I think the sound, I think in the soundtrack that track is named like Shin Meetsu Tense,

[00:05:31] or something like that, as a reference to the, uh, Shimming of a Tense series. Mm-hmm. But yeah, void, void quest is a fun one. Yeah, but I literally finished like the cutscene where we're like called the cops on and everything.

[00:05:46] Like right before I came over here. So that's where I'm at in the game currently. And as I've mentioned on the, uh, the super pod discord, I'm pretty much come to the conclusion that I'm just going to romance everybody possible just because bucket.

[00:06:02] You ready to be a, you ready to feel like a jerk leader on? That's all say. Well, you know what? Like I pretty much came to, well, alright. So I had already like in the game started dating Chey-A before I even met like any of the other girls.

[00:06:19] So I already locked myself in at that point. And by the time I got to that, like started meeting everybody else and, um, I don't know, I just came to the conclusion that I'm not doing my first run right if I don't,

[00:06:34] uh, burn some potential romances. So I mean, for so much better, like, Persona 5, the, the player root is just, the payoff to the player root is just fucking hilarious. In a person of four golden, you just feel like a jerk.

[00:06:52] Yeah, it's fair. I mean, the payoff is not only fun. The payoff and which are three is pretty great if you romance everybody. Oh, fuck. I always boil it for when you actually get to that game, but it's pretty hilarious.

[00:07:08] I'm assuming you're going to play Persona 5 eventually. So I won't spoil what happens in five, but they, they make an entire joke out of the whole idea of romanceing everybody. And I mean, everybody, not just the party members.

[00:07:20] Fair enough. Yeah, I, I will end up playing five royal at some point, but it's probably going to be spaced out at these and I'm out from this one because

[00:07:31] this is, this game already has been a pretty taller. I've enjoyed every second of it. So, you know, don't get the wrong, but There's a lot of games out there that I haven't played yet and

[00:07:42] uh, if I start putting all of my time into these long JRPGs, which I've already committed myself to playing the final fantasies and driving quests. So I'm already, I already said into that. I don't need to add Persona to the list.

[00:07:56] Yeah, and honestly you'll likely play Persona 4 again before you move to another Persona. Because you're going to get the once one playthrough isn't enough, like a, you need a second playthrough to actually experience everything. Yeah, for sure.

[00:08:11] I'm definitely going to do a new game plus after I finish it, but yeah, yeah, I'm definitely significantly enjoying it. Actually, I was cutting it kind of close. I didn't realize until today. Because apparently you only happen till August 12 to do the void quest dungeon.

[00:08:30] It's August 8 in the game right now. It took me a while to figure out how to get the information on them. Yeah. So by the time I was like, oh shit, I should just go ask the shitty cop who just constantly gives me information that he's supposed to.

[00:08:48] Oh, no, I've said too much. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, I've been enjoying that. That's been fun. Obviously, I know you're not going to tell me, but like that hospital nurse is weird.

[00:09:05] I want to start a game with the janitor, the janitor quest line or whatever the janitor job and yeah, it's bizarre. It's so I won't spoil it, but it goes places you wouldn't expect. Okay. It's a very good. It's already. It's already kind of. Given some major hints.

[00:09:32] It fades to black. It's in very opportune moments. Yes, it does. I will say it kind of leads you to think one thing, but the the later parts of that social link will shock you. It's actually pretty it's one of the more interesting ones in the game.

[00:09:51] Fair enough. Yeah, I ended up doing that one specifically just because I when I was looking at all the different jobs of that one increases courage the most and courage is usually the.

[00:10:03] The skill you need to do certain dialogue options. So that's that's what I can probably or tell although most of mine are only like a takeaway from being maxed out.

[00:10:14] Oh, you've done pretty good. A lot of play through is like you'll it well here's a little hint that I'm not sure if you noticed or not but.

[00:10:22] You'll notice when you're doing like certain actions throughout the game or like dialogue options, you don't just like the little like musical notes that it will appear above players heads when you make an option. If there is one note you made the war the wrong choice.

[00:10:39] If there's two notes, you made a semi good choice if there's three notes, you made the perfect choice and you're going to get the most points for that. There's a similar. As a similar mechanic in the sort of online games that I have played before.

[00:10:55] Because a lot of those have like like dating side quests stuff not quests, but like dating Sims built into those two. Yeah, you know, in five they stylized it a lot more so it's much more noticeable, but it's it's president three and four as well. They got you.

[00:11:16] But yeah, so I've been that let's see I did another little mini arc of one piece this week which means I literally only have one oh left to catch up with the doubt. Let's see I finished bouquet. Which was interesting.

[00:11:40] I'm going to say like there's a lot of things in a guy that like especially bouquet like the final chapters.

[00:11:47] I don't know this is a lot of things that I feel like I liked better in the original dub, even though like I know this is like the more accurate script and everything else like there's just certain things that I liked better in the original. The original.

[00:12:05] So I like definitely moves it a bit at a better pace, but the original had so many like little mini things that were just charming. For sure. Honestly like little things in the story in the original Z dub that I feel like was really clever writing.

[00:12:24] For example, there's a scene while gohan is fighting. Boo with go tanks absorbed. And he says a line in in the original Z dub.

[00:12:40] He's pretty much quoting piccolo from the sand saga saying something on the lines of like oh that hurts but facing your fears would have hurt a lot less.

[00:12:47] And it's pretty much like word for word quoting something the piccolo said in the sand saga when he you know would go on chicken doubt and stuff and I feel like that line works so much better as like a mental like like a mind game kind of thing.

[00:13:02] And that's that's not in the the kind of and I don't know I just feel like that makes it kind of miss something.

[00:13:08] And I feel like on top of the fact that that boo is just overpower and gohan I feel like the mental aspect like the head games that he's playing with him just works so well with the scene.

[00:13:20] Well, I always still think like the original like one of the biggest shifts between the two for me is like the the sand saga when piccolo's training gohan in the original dub you get all this like training stuff and then like in a in kites like and then suddenly piccolo cared.

[00:13:38] Yeah, right. I mean to be fair that is how it happens the manga to and that's kind of the point of guys can more manga accurate but true. No, I definitely feel like those that kind of filler is the kind of filler that I'm totally down for.

[00:13:54] I mean like when I think about Dragon Ball Z there isn't a ton of filler that's really bad. I mean like the gohan playing with his dragon stuff that was kind of pointless but.

[00:14:09] Yeah, but that's that there's not as much of that as a lot of people tend to think I know people miss remember whatever like I'm grasping it straws to actually find filler that's.

[00:14:19] really bad in dragon balls he is the really isn't that much I mean this stuff to generally people tend to. To point to is like garlic junior and then like the other world tournament, but I honestly like both of those are.

[00:14:33] I mean other world tournament gives us like one of the best characters that only appears in like a filler. Yeah, and. On top of that like garlic junior is like the only arc in Z that doesn't involve Goku at all. And it was really cool seeing like.

[00:14:52] Like we didn't get another gohan piccolo story until superhero that's how long it took for it to happen again. So I mean it was worth very.

[00:15:03] Yeah, it was a very significant thing and for a very long time because it was the only time that happened and coming in. Hope we're doing stuff like there was a really fun like. You know pretty much turned the entire world into like zombie vampire creatures like it.

[00:15:18] It was a really interesting arc I feel like confusing as a kid watching it because we didn't have the dead zone movie at the time or if we did it was hard to find but. But still it was you know is a very interesting. Very interesting the dark.

[00:15:34] I feel like a lot of the hatred for like those like particular arcs comes from like a lot of internet personalities who have just like they have this like pure mentality and they just kind of like crap on it and. The freaking uh, like curious like.

[00:15:49] And you need opinions of like fans kind of just grow off of that and they don't actually experience it themselves. Yeah, for sure.

[00:15:57] That and I think like a lot of modern anime like Narado and like Legion stuff have just kind of like hated like people when it comes to filler. Yeah, yeah, Narado and bleach really yeah. Really shut the bed on that one.

[00:16:12] I think like because like I mean I grew up with a new yashin and any yashin has some of the best filler and anime mostly because you're even really is it's filler until you read the manga.

[00:16:21] Yeah, I what I watched in the yashin I didn't know any of it was filler honestly like I completely went over my head. Yes, I've never rewatched the last. Still good movie.

[00:16:40] Yeah, I don't only seen it the one time before so I figured it was time for you watch this but she said, you know we did those episodes of the narjo and I've a watching or gene aratow of my wife so it's like you know what they want to throw that on.

[00:16:54] See I did that I watched your name for the first time with great movie. It was a fantastic story that the art direction in that movie. Top notch fucking loved the art in that movie.

[00:17:07] Shinkai makes really great films and I I still gonna watch Susame like apparently she's missing really good. Yeah, I definitely want to check out more more anime movies like that.

[00:17:22] I'd highly recommend is the movie he did after your name was a weathering with you that's another really good one. Okay, yeah, I had a lot of stuff to check out. Let's see what else. Oh, and I finally watched the sequels to um,

[00:17:40] The line that we're in the wardrobe finally got around to that and I was got to say I feel like the line that we're in the wardrobe is the weakest of the three.

[00:17:49] Maybe it's just because I've seen it too many times but like going all the way back when it first came out in 2005 but I honestly think that friends cast being a boy to the dawn trader especially are very good. Okay, I remember liking them.

[00:18:04] I think the the line which in the wardrobe is just the one we've remembered the most it's also the most iconic books so I feel like people kind of have expectations for it.

[00:18:14] That's true but I don't know I just feel like people hold that one on a pedestal and it's honestly like my least favorite out of the boys. No, maybe second. Secondly, it's favorite. I didn't I didn't care much for the last book.

[00:18:31] Did they ever adapt better than they just ended up finished now? No, they only did the three movies when Disney had it now I think Netflix is working on a series. Let's do it again.

[00:18:46] I think the Narnia Netflix was announced at the same time as the Netflix Avatar. So it's been in the works for a while. What's the one that really wants? That's not what's left to give me great. That's what happens. Yeah, well, that's the thing is Netflix.

[00:19:08] Netflix is pretty 50. They need to have the original for what we've learned they need to have the original creators somewhat involved because One piece worked. Avatar did not and yeah, well, unfortunately they're going to be hard for us to get the creator on board for Narnia. True.

[00:19:28] You said right he's been dead for like 50 years true. I mean, the thing with Narnia that's going to be tough on them too is there's already like multiple adaptions. Yeah, but at the same time there are some books that were never adapted like um,

[00:19:44] magician's nephew which is one of my favorites. The horse and his boy. That's one of the other ones. Silver chair. That one's really good. I like that one. Would have been this sequel to Voyage of the Dawn Trader if Disney had continued.

[00:20:01] I have my anthology book over there somewhere. I have a big ass like book that has all like all the stories in one. Yeah, it's got like the big as land on the front. Yeah, I got the same one. I've had that for years.

[00:20:15] I still I still love the it's cheesy as hell but I love the BBC original version of which in the wardrobe. But I want to rewatch that now. I just love the stone table just like. Just like just breaks into half.

[00:20:27] So I literally have a watch that since I was like seven so I'd be interested to go back to it now. That's that's the one scene I always remember. It's always like the damn table just falls apart.

[00:20:39] Just to put it in your perspective the last time I watched it was on a blockbuster BHS so. I watched it and last time I watched it was in fourth grade on one of those TVs that was mounted to the fucking ceiling.

[00:20:52] So you had to watch the whole thing like this. That's. Yeah, that was a time for real. Well, 20 minutes in which you probably start touching on our topic. All right, it changes. Speaking of things that are old and 20 minutes 20 years old were old PS2. Yes.

[00:21:18] Yeah, that's one of that I just kind of throughout there because like I have so many memories of. I mean, just this particular era of gaming in general like the era of PS2 Game Boy Advance Gamecube original Xbox like to me personally.

[00:21:34] I feel like that was like the golden age of game in terms of games coming out I degree. In terms of actual like. Competition this generation to me is legitimately one of the biggest curb stops in like gaming history.

[00:21:53] That's fair because it's no secret the PlayStation 2 is the most successful video game platform ever created like. The gap between PS2 and Xbox, which was the second place console is like mile long like it is like.

[00:22:12] It wasn't even close and then there's an even bigger gap the game cube because as much as Nintendo fans don't like to admit it the game cube was not that successful.

[00:22:25] But just ironic because like there was a lot of PS2 games that ended up on the game cube so it's like they had everything there plus than it had no stuff for the most part. It's funny better. It's funny too because a lot of people don't realize the.

[00:22:41] The PlayStation 2 was actually the weakest console of the three in terms of a. Hardware because it obviously it came out first. Well, technically this generations a little weird technically the dreamcast started the generation. But the dreamcast was like.

[00:23:03] The dreamcast was meant to compete with like the N64 in the original PlayStation so when PS2 came out and it the hype will not shouldn't say PS2 that when the hype train for PS2 came out it killed the dreamcast before it even had a chance.

[00:23:18] Which is a game because the dreamcast is a great little system even if it's even if it's struggled a little bit. But yeah PS2 comes in and the DVD player alone is what made that console.

[00:23:37] Oh for sure I mean the vast majority of people that I knew that owned PS2's literally just used it as a DVD player. Oh yeah so but at the same time every PS2 that I have ever owned personally.

[00:23:50] For some reason there was already a code set for like the rating system whatever the rating blocker and I never knew it was ever and every single PS2 I've ever owned. I don't know why I can never figure out how to reset it.

[00:24:05] Mine was zero zero zero zero that was our code that's what everyone always told me it was never worth though.

[00:24:10] Well, so here's here's the key when you first started up the PS2 and it gave you the option to create the code most people mash through it and it was always zero zero zero zero.

[00:24:20] You probably just got unlucky and the people those PS2s had codes previously installed I mean nowadays if you're using a PS2 as a DVD player why is he getting the app there's got no point nothing. At this point even getting a DVD player.

[00:24:36] It's cheaper to get a blue right player at this point. Sure.

[00:24:41] But yeah at the time the reason why the PS2 is such a smash success was DVD players were expensive back in the day oh yeah and the PS2 was by far the cheapest DVD player because they sold the PS2 at a loss.

[00:24:55] And it worked in the long run because here's a little numbers for you. Released in 2000 the PS2 as of today as sold and estimated 155 million units. I've put in perspective the it's second place console that generation the Xbox which released in 2001 sold. 24 million. Jesus. Further further.

[00:25:27] perspective the game cube only sold 21.74 million. Yeah, so. You can kind of see see what a lot of people like why I jokingly refer to this generation as the biggest curb stop and gaming. Mm hmm. Yeah, I wasn't even close.

[00:25:50] No and the PS2 to to me I think is an untouchable record because for a lot so the closest system to touch your. is the DS which sold 154.02 million. That's.

[00:26:05] Um then after that is the switch which I thought was going to surpass it but the switch has finally kind of hit its. Papering off period because the switch to is coming. Yeah and the switch right now kind of sits around 141 million so.

[00:26:24] It still has time because I'm sure there's going to be plenty of people who are going to go and buy switches. Which is what the switch to comes out like people who've been waiting. The switch to comes out.

[00:26:34] I'm sure prices for OGs which are going to go down. It's possible. I think the thing with this is that. The PS so the thing the difference I see here is the fact that a lot of PS2s that were sold. Never played games in their entire existence.

[00:26:52] The switch is strictly a gaming system. Sure it doesn't have that same I mean it had a it got damn close so I'll say that. Um the switch though just never had that like market power.

[00:27:11] He has to did because there were so many like back in the day like I always tell this story. Despite like the PS2 being like far and along like the biggest system I was in a very Nintendo heavy neighborhood.

[00:27:25] And we were like the one family that actually had a PS2 as a PS2.

[00:27:30] As I would go to front houses and they'd have their PS2 on the shelf and I always be like, oh can we play some PS2 and they'd be like, oh we don't have any games. That's just our DVD player and I don't it's be like great.

[00:27:44] So I'm convinced a lot of that number is for system sold that didn't actually ever play a game in its entire existence. Yeah, yeah that makes sense which is a lot of kind of few friends I had a few friends like that.

[00:28:02] That's just it's a wild thing is that I don't think that'll ever happen again in like gaming where like a console gets bought and never actually fulfills its intended purpose.

[00:28:16] Well, I mean to be fair I feel like a lot of weas just collect the dust but that's different than all together true but I mean the we only could play weekends so. Yeah, well, not a true if like gamecube games. Well video games I should say.

[00:28:40] Yeah, fair and Netflix it did have Netflix kind of. Didn't you need a disk? Yeah, not a lot of people used to use Netflix on the week.

[00:28:50] I didn't even know that that was a thing like that that at the beginning of like Netflix streaming you needed to get an Netflix disk. Yeah, those are collectors. That's wild. But how far streaming is coming such a short amount of time.

[00:29:07] You know what was funny about the PS2 though like as a DVD player? Was that it was an awful DVD player like it really was. Well, you know what's funny is my buddy Matt so he.

[00:29:22] He got a new place like I don't know if you like a year ago or whatever. And he hasn't had Wi-Fi a whole time. So he's just been living up to DVDs. So he's got a 360 and a PS2 and believe it or not.

[00:29:40] More of his DVDs work on the PS2 than the Xbox 360. That's interesting. So I see his a copy of. I think it's either Rikio or Black Dynamite. I think it's Rikio but Rikio won't work on the 360 and it'll only work on the PS2.

[00:30:00] What should you've never seen that you should definitely check out it's a fucking hilarious movie. It's kind of funny like the overusing DVDs in a PS2 actually there's no concrete evidence to this but I've noticed a trend where.

[00:30:16] If you had a PS2 that used a lot of DVDs like back in the day, I would eventually write Rikio point where it would stop reading regular CDs. Because I have two PS2s right now. I have a original original fat model I've had forever.

[00:30:33] And then I bought a slim line a few years back. The fat one can no longer place compact discs or the blue discs. It can only play DVDs. And I think it's because we played a lot of DVDs and it as a memory kids. So bizarre.

[00:30:55] It's a thing that like I've seen multiple people have this issue where it will just stop reading the blue discs and stuff. I've only ever had a couple of games that were blue discs. What is even like, I still don't understand what that was.

[00:31:10] I just don't understand what that was. If you look on the back of the case, I should have brought a couple as a reference but my copy of Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets with the blue disc game.

[00:31:24] So if you look close on the back, you'll notice on most games it will say DVD ROM. The blue discs are actually compact discs like original playstation games. Okay. Before they really figured out that DVDs were going to be the way of the future.

[00:31:41] There was a lot of games that were made early on on compact discs because it was cheaper. So that's those are actually the blue disc and you'll notice if you look on the back of the case, it will say compact disc interactive. Basically that's the only difference.

[00:31:57] It's a CD rather than a DVD. Okay. Yeah, I guess I never really thought about the difference. I didn't really either until I really started like researching this stuff and it makes a lot of sense. I got you.

[00:32:15] So what, um, so when you got your PS2, what was the first, aside from ATV offered Fury 2, so this had pretty sure every PS2 came with that game. Mine did not believe it or not. Oh, what did you just come with? Nothing. Oh, well, well that.

[00:32:34] So early, early PS2s you got jack and shit. Yeah, I got a little bit later. It's kind of sad but you want to know the first game I played in my PS2 was. Was it a PS1 game? It was Final Fantasy 8.

[00:32:53] Because I was like, PS2 yay, and it's like we have no games. And I was just like, like it. I think he has one works Final Fantasy.

[00:33:03] Actually, I think the first thing we used it for was a DVD because I think Alex watched some barbeque movie in it. Oh, god. Yeah. The first PS2 game I owned though was, um, Yu-Gi-O-Dulis of the Rose. Wow, nice. It was on sale.

[00:33:25] And it was on sale at Walmart for 20 bucks. That was the only thing I could afford. Wow, it was on, it was about 20 bucks that early, huh? Yeah, yeah, it was, it was on sale pretty quick. Yeah, that's a wild game. I figured just for the sake of,

[00:33:45] for the sake of not boring our listeners. We'll skip over that, that talking about that game and Dragon Ball games since we've already, yeah, we've covered those already. I mean, we can bring up, if we bring up any Dragon Ball game,

[00:34:00] I want to bring up the fact that 10 Kaiichi 3 is fucking almost $200. Like, I'll never understand why. Well, I mean, you, oh, thanks, Bill. You're kind of a hater for that game. That game is fun as fun. I don't understand what I just don't understand why it's fucking $200.

[00:34:19] I mean, that, I don't understand because I feel like there was plenty of copies to go around. So I don't understand why. I mean, maybe it's because it was towards the end of the PS2's life cycle, but That's not our death.

[00:34:33] I'm convinced that's a game that you had to have been there to enjoy because me and me and Schneekerman played that at Richard World, when he was so fucking confused the entire time. Well, I was definitely there.

[00:34:44] I don't think I, I think it was a little bit after it originally come out that I bought it and played it, but it was like PS3. It only just been out for like a year or two at the point where I played it.

[00:34:57] So, at least to my memory, I could be getting my ears mixed up about it tracking time. But I mean, it was still pretty early. It was still at a point where I was pretty consistently still playing the PS2.

[00:35:09] So, you know, that game stop still had a shit ton of PS2 games. That's that's a longer to go with. Yeah. I still wish I utilized that because a lot of good PS2 games that were very cheap

[00:35:23] that game stopped at the time and I wouldn't really wish I had taken advantage. When you come up here, like eventually come to visit, I'll take you to one of the retro stores because they have PS2 games go lower.

[00:35:34] Well, unfortunately I'd have to get a new PS2 because my shit the bad. Does every game's anymore? Yeah. Fortunately, I tried setting it up in Zandas Room a few months ago and yeah, I wouldn't read anything.

[00:35:50] Super bummed about because I like, I don't know where those things like I don't feel right on those I have a PS2. Like that I could just fucking plug in and jump into something like that. So many games for my childhood.

[00:36:03] Like, well, we won't go to detail obviously for obvious reasons but my first PS2 game was the first boot of guy, which I played religiously until I came out of the list. Still a classic, even though it's Janky's book.

[00:36:24] I was still championed this, like I won over all the others, but the story of the day. But yeah, aside from that, trying to think of one of the other early ones I had. There's need for speed, hop or suit to. I'm a replaying that one a lot.

[00:36:41] Great racer. I played a lot of crash bandicoot the wrath of cortex, which was the at the time I didn't know it. Think of it any differently, but it was notably the first crash game not made by Naughty Dog, the original creators.

[00:36:57] I don't think it's a bad game, like a lot of people do, but it is definitely you can tell that there was a drop in quality. Yeah. I didn't play into the PS2 crash games, so I don't know how many there were.

[00:37:12] I did play one or two of the Spiro ones though and I don't know a lot of people talk shit about the PS2 ones, but I enjoyed by time with them, I didn't think they were particularly bad.

[00:37:22] The only one that gets really shit on is enter the Dragonfly, but that's because it's a glitchy miss. That's fair. There's a lot of games in the PS2 that were glitchy misses. Yeah, I mean, heroes tale, the second Spiro game is.

[00:37:38] At worst, it's considered unremarkable, but most people think it's fine. And then there's the legend of Spiro games, that's like it's an entirely different series. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:37:55] I don't know, I figured we could just kind of take it in turns and just talk about, you know, each talk about a different game. Go back and forth. Sure. You want to start?

[00:38:09] Yeah, I guess I'll start. The first one I want to bring up is a game that I put a ton of time into is a gun. I feel like everybody had this game. Like, this is like, I can't save a certain. I don't even know who made it.

[00:38:24] Yeah, the Tony Hawk team. Okay. That makes sense. One of the rare times, Activision, let them out of their cage and it's to make something else. But I feel like this game in a lot of ways was like the precursor to what became red dead.

[00:38:42] I feel like the guys who made red dead played gun, or like this, but bigger. So red dead also started on PS2 with red dead revolver.

[00:38:53] You know, did you know that that Capcom originally had the rights to that and they dropped it because they didn't think it would do well? Really? Yeah. And then rock star picked it up and rest is history.

[00:39:07] I had no idea that revolver was the first one because I could be mistaken. Wasn't there a red dead revolver for the PSP? There's a gun from the other way. Really? Yeah, it's some... I don't know if I have actually played it. I own it.

[00:39:27] It's like, I don't know if it's a quarter original game but there's a gun on PSP. Oh, look into that. But yeah, gun was just a insanely fun game.

[00:39:39] It was big enough to be able to explore, but it wasn't so big that it was overwhelming or extremely time consuming. I was actually talking about my father-in-law about it earlier, but it's one of those games that like...

[00:39:49] Like, enough to do like to feel like a big game but you could still beat it in a reasonable amount of time, like complete out of percent. Like you've maxed out everything, you don't have a quest like...

[00:40:01] And like some of the missions can be pretty hard, but it's not like, you know, through your controller, again, is the wall hard either. So I don't know, it's just one of those like really perfect right down the middle.

[00:40:12] You're not going to have a shitty time. It's also not going to be outrageously easy. You're just, you know, it's going to be a fun game. It's going to be just a right amount of challenge. There's all sorts of fun things you could do.

[00:40:27] You could go into the saloon and play poker for a while when someone, you could go and hunt down criminals. And the fun thing about that was some of them were dead or alive, some of them, you had to catch a live, some of them,

[00:40:40] you just had to kill, it depended on the guy. Like there were all sorts of different like mini games and different stuff like that. And the story itself was really good too. I really enjoyed that.

[00:40:51] It was solid. It's funny because like that game is pretty iconic and it's very well made. Like that's my favorite part about it. Like it doesn't feel broken at all or rushed. I think it just unfortunately had the unfortunate, it unfortunately was made by a developer who was

[00:41:13] Ball and chained to making skateboarding games. So a sequel never really happened. Yeah, it's super bummer skateboarding games and then they were proceeded to be ball and chained to make nothing but guitar hero.

[00:41:26] Yeah, yeah. But that game is very well done and it's really we kind of, and gently mentioned it but I figured it'd be good to transfer from here. We mentioned a red dead revolver rock star rock star games during this era where I'm like a fucking another level.

[00:41:46] Like you'd forget nowadays that rock star makes games because they've only made one game in like the last decade but it's Yeah, and worked on a game from 2003 in the meantime since then, but I mean, I'm 2013.

[00:42:05] But yeah, rock star was like on top of the world during the PS2 era. Like he had Obviously the grant that dot-o games like three of them plus two PSP games that were ported over. You had red dead revolver, you had the midnight club series, three midnight clubs.

[00:42:27] There was a smugglers run. That was what I'm ever playing a lot of the kid. That was not one's a very fun game. Billy, will he was another one? Pete that first time in the this past year.

[00:42:42] Well, he was really good at the warrior's game based off of the film. That's a really underrated gem. They were on like a back when like rock star really cared.

[00:42:56] Yeah, for sure. I don't know. I just feel like, I feel like um, I feel like people were a lot more committed to making like cohesive and and fun games back then. I mean, I just all about graphics and you know who can make the prettiest game.

[00:43:15] Like, well, they also finished their games back in the day. Like now it is they rush them out and they're just yeah. That's another one. I consider that era to be like the golden ages because you put the game in and then you play the game.

[00:43:29] There's no downloading. There's no, oh, you need to have this many fucking gigabytes to play this now. You just put, look at in. You just plug it in. You're sticking you memory card and you go, that's it memory memory cards to like that's a that's a forgotten art.

[00:43:46] I mean, I guess SD cards kind of thought the same thing but.

[00:43:52] Extra hard drives to I mean, it's just a bulkier version of it, but it's essentially the same thing see they they lose the charm though because like to me like my favorite part about PS2 was you plug in a memory card.

[00:44:06] And there'd be all the little unique graphics for like every game saved game. Yep, that's just something fun that they like game cube kind of had something similar. It wasn't nearly as entertaining but it was also fun Xbox at our drive so it wasn't that fun.

[00:44:23] But yeah, PS2 like they made little 3D models for every game and it was always like you'd save a game and then you go to the memory card to see what the icon was. Yeah, yeah, that's one time.

[00:44:39] I'm sorry, you named it bunch of games where we mentioned it when a particular for your turn or. Um, no, I kind of just transition there into rock star if I'm going to take a good.

[00:44:51] If I'm going to pick an actual game game, I want to bring up one of my favorites on the system.

[00:44:57] Apescape 3 or the AP escape series in general. Yeah, you've been given to an AP escape for a while now on a jean see I'm one of the champions of that series like I will take any moment I can do bring it up because.

[00:45:12] It is amazing like so AP escape for people don't know is AP escape is like one of it's made by Sony's former Japan in house studio they closed it down recently, but.

[00:45:25] It was essentially it was made as like a tech demo for the original game was like it was designed to be kind of a tech demo for the dual shock controller.

[00:45:34] And the entire game was based around having two analog sticks like you actually use the analog sticks for most of the gameplay which was really good.

[00:45:42] And the entire game is essentially based around it's a platformer where you go through all these levels in it's kind of like Mario 64 only rather than collecting stars you have to capture monkeys. Okay, and the monkeys will fight back sometimes they have machine guns sometimes they have boxing.

[00:46:02] Some of them have fucking RPGs and rocket launchers it is a whack it is the most Japanese game you'll ever play it's wacky is fuck and they are just incredibly fun apiscape 3 is fun to because it's like movie based so like all the levels are like, you pair it is.

[00:46:19] That's funny is part.

[00:46:22] That's the other thing it's like games with so wacky and goofy back then like I feel like there's not a thing anymore like people just don't go buck wild with it anymore like what I was playing bully earlier this year like that was just a fun.

[00:46:35] Like like it is go wild with like the goofy jokes and everything like I just feel like they don't do that anymore see they they do it's not as prevalent anymore like I mean like I'm a huge supporter of the Ecosis series say it puts out nowadays because those games are straight up comedy so I don't care what anyone says.

[00:46:56] But they're so few and far between games that are just like downright funny like that nowadays. Yeah, that's a game series and I haven't touched yet but I especially over the past like few months.

[00:47:12] I just hear people talk about and like build up so much that I just at some point I'm going to have to crack down play one of them but.

[00:47:21] If you're going to play I'd say if you're going to play any play zero zero is the best place to start it's it's a prequel to the first game so it is actually current chronological the first game in the series.

[00:47:36] And if you like that one you can jump into your Cusah Colami which is a remake of one and then they remade they remade two is Kwame to the only downside is once you get the three it feel you go kind of go back into time machine because three is very much PS 3 game.

[00:47:52] Okay, but um. Great series I fucking love you Cusah. Yeah, I've heard nothing but good thing about it so I mean at some point I'll have to I'll have to jump in there but I got so many on the dock at right now that it's just not feasible.

[00:48:08] Yeah, I got to understand that. But yeah, I'm just keep breaking. For me. Again well I guess I'll just say one end two for this one.

[00:48:24] But I put a crap to the time into the draw humans games those are fun games like you know talk about like you know goofy humor like the.

[00:48:37] The kind of story they went with like you you were the villain in this story and you just go on it right probing everybody you know you can. You know mind control people you could adopt ducked people.

[00:48:52] You could literally just pick people up with your mind and just toss them for like a mile like it.

[00:48:57] They just so many goofy like that was one of the games that like yes I did play through the stories but I had the most fun with those games just fucking around like just running around.

[00:49:08] I just pick up a car with telekinesis and throw it in another car watch the both explode like whatever it. It's just a fun as game.

[00:49:15] I just love the nonsense that happens in those games like the fact that the humans never seem to catch on with like the this fucking aliens. And the alien and the mother ship is just to bathe them. Yeah it's original or if it's it's very clear.

[00:49:30] Just just fucking in bathe them. I love how you're player your player character crypto is he just doesn't give a flying fuck about anything.

[00:49:38] Yeah he's just like a dude he's just a regular ass fucking dude but from his base and he just yeah just run around probing people, hating brains or whatever. And he can't even be bothered he's like fine I'll go fucking mess with the humans I guess.

[00:49:54] And this game was like this game is so iconic that like the the design for crypto and like his ship and everything has been used for so many other things. Like have you ever seen the movie Paul yeah.

[00:50:08] Yeah that's literally just crypto and the ship believes in it's just crypto ship. I mean it's like it's like the most common like it's like a refined version of the stereotypical alien look but it just it works so well. Mm-hmm.

[00:50:24] Yeah it's just it's so so I actually started playing this drawing human is to remake with Zander not that long ago and. And god like the goofy shit like what in the second one where they just really go and like.

[00:50:37] Going crazy with like the the peace movement stuff and that's just but what was the guy's name was like something bomb water was the dude name that you were like getting information from.

[00:50:51] It's like it's not subtle at all it's not a very subtle game no it wasn't at all. I just I'm so bummed that the sequels ended up sucking so hard like after a. And I'm stopping making them.

[00:51:04] Yeah the second one was really I didn't play any of the one of that second one two is good the one on weed big William leash was. And then path of the fur on on PS3 and 360 was just.

[00:51:18] And that's disappointing but it always makes me happy that it never even bother with them. Just I have nothing but good memories about those games just so much fun. Not pandemic made really great things and honestly we bring up pandemic.

[00:51:35] We should honestly transition over to the Star Wars Battlefront games. Oh for sure I mean that one would have come up anyway. Yeah. We're talking pandemic we should talk about the other two games that made them famous battlefront one and two.

[00:51:52] I'm not even a massive Star Wars guy anymore these days but battlefront one and two are just such great games. Yeah well I mean I had my Star Wars phases. I'm not a Star Wars like it be wrong but.

[00:52:06] I was definitely way bigger in the Star Wars and I was a kid and. Yeah I'm going to specifically I didn't play the first one but two.

[00:52:16] I put so much time into and I played just about every version of it at this point except for like the PC version. I had it on PSP for the longest time and that was interesting because it was basically the same game just missing some content.

[00:52:30] I still have it on PSP I think it's like pretty much just the PS2 version. It's like the PS2 version is more simple more simplified. Yeah it's missing a few maps to because of space limitations.

[00:52:42] Yeah well the Xbox version was the best one that had all the maps. The canteen level is just like you just go to the canteen and battle royale essentially heroes versus villains. Yeah here is a villains that's the best way to play.

[00:52:56] I just wanted to because when I was a kid like I generally tended to favor like you know being like a Jedi or a Sith or you know one of the villains with a light saber but.

[00:53:07] Now whatever I play and I just want to be like the regular Astroopers or the droids or whatever like I just I have so much fun just running around this night and people on author.

[00:53:17] Or you can you can be a cheating you could be a cheating asshole play as you know to. Yeah no kidding. I got a little tiny bastard in the kitchen. Yeah I'm as well play his odd job while you're at it. Yeah, you go old and I flashbacks.

[00:53:38] But yeah I had so much time with so much fun with the battlefront games and I love the space base. Oh yeah I especially like I don't know I was really I had a lot of fun with the space battles when I used to play on PSP.

[00:53:52] Because because of like the simplified version of it it was a lot easier to shoot down other ships in the PSP version. So I had a lot of fun doing that. Yeah this space but like having the space battles be a part of the game was really.

[00:54:12] Really interesting and like I don't know I don't know what the right word is like innovative for the time. Well I was on the switch between like ground troops and having space battles at the same time like.

[00:54:25] Well I was always kind of bummed because like the PSP is the PS2 didn't get the roguest water games which were like the flight ones over on GameCube.

[00:54:33] And those games are so freaking good and I was always bummed like that we never got those so it was kind of cool we kind of got space battles with. With Battlefront 2 even though if they weren't exactly as awesome as roguest water but. Yeah that was fair.

[00:54:50] Yeah I don't know Battlefront 2 is fantastic. I can't speak for the first one because I haven't played it but it had better map when you get things it had better maps but I think to it better game play overall.

[00:55:02] And while I haven't played it pretty much since it came out I am really happy that it was released for switch ironically. I think it's like the biggest game I happen to switch. Oh size wise.

[00:55:19] Yeah so like for like the amount of gigabytes it takes up Battlefront 1 and 2 is like either the first or second biggest game I'm always which is wild to me. I think that's more poor optimization than anything but a wrong way.

[00:55:34] Because there's RPGs that are smaller than it and I'm just like how. Like I just seen you're going like out of the sort of poor golden significantly short significantly smaller. Yeah that's just poor optimization. What what's your next game?

[00:55:56] What what is the game I played a little was that. The first. Oh no, the second. Two a lot. Those were actually really good. And honestly I've been getting stations for what becoming Hogwarts Legacy which I haven't. Much of personally but my team I played bunch of. So.

[00:56:33] I like that kind of like exploration to like you know your your Hogwarts it's through the story of like the big the books. But you know there's a lot added aspects to it like he classes you learning different else like.

[00:56:49] Be a little value go into the class and then kind of like oh, you're passing to say okay go in here with new spell and solve the puzzles you know.

[00:56:57] So it's like honestly you don't run to me a lot of like the the shrines in Breath of the Wild. Yeah, where you only go into like a little dungeon and yet to solve a puzzle with the new spell you get.

[00:57:08] Yeah the only Harry Potter game I really had. Any experience with during that era was the chamber secrets game on the as to. Yeah that's one of the ones I played a lot. I loved chamber secrets and a president of basketball and bullet break games.

[00:57:24] Games that I really wish we'd get. Remakes. I mean, I don't know how much legacy they were able to do that so I mean. Obviously that company has the rights to to the games.

[00:57:35] The problem is the studio that made the games I believe is your or come and they no longer exist. So. To us just in the ether. I probably have a lot of things to do with the game.

[00:57:47] I think it's a lot of things to do with the game. I think it's a lot of things to do with the game. I think it's a lot of things to do with the game. I think it's a lot of things to do with the game.

[00:57:57] I probably like who published those. Wasn't it EA? Yeah yeah it was EA game. Yeah that's probably what it was holding it up EA probably like just doesn't care and they're just like me. You know what's weird though?

[00:58:12] It always bugged me when I played it all the way through like beaten chamber secrets. I spent years but I didn't long time ago.

[00:58:21] You remember the part where you're fighting the Basil's get the end and you have to sort of grip in door but you're literally waving it like a wand. You're not using it as a sword at all. Yeah that's what the fuck out of me.

[00:58:32] I was like let's do a point. Yeah why am I even using a sword at this point? I'm still using spells. Yeah it was never a massive Harry Potter fan. I don't know why I had that game but it was probably a gift.

[00:58:46] I think it's a solid game it's really fun. Yeah it's well made. It's just one of those worlds I don't have any interest in but that's a personal thing when anything. I thought it was that one. I ironically I feel like.

[00:59:01] No not to side track too much but I feel like you tend to like fantasy games but like I come to like fantasy like. Books and movies and shows and stuff like you don't generally tend to like those. It's from what I've gotten personally.

[00:59:19] It might just be I'm not a huge fan of European like fantasy. That makes sense because I like Japanese fantasy even that's a very different thing. That's fair.

[00:59:33] Yeah I don't know it's just never been one of the one of the things I've been into but I think I was just in other things at the time they were big. Makes sense I mean you'd definitely seem more like sci-fi guy anyway.

[00:59:46] sci-fi um yeah to a degree it's a. That's my that's my pick that time is very far. Yeah the Harry Potter games were good. I guess going back to some more early games that were pretty iconic on the system we should talk about.

[01:00:08] So Sony had the big three early on of platformers with the. Jack and Dax dare, Reggie and Clank and Sly Cooper. I. I like all three of them but I am a huge fan of the Sly Cooper's trilogy.

[01:00:27] Yeah yeah like so that that was made by sucker punch productions and like sucker punches like one of my favorite developers who. have never made a bad game so that's already a plus but also um they just make really solid stuff like the Sly games are cool particularly.

[01:00:45] Sly too where it's like. It's a plot it's a really good platformer but they're also like stealth based and like mission based so you're like all these different stuff things like you have to like sneak around the giant.

[01:00:56] Hub worlds to get to the different mission points stuff the stories are just fun the characters are really witty. It's they're just fun they're very fun series their comic book inspired to so they have kind of like this. Very stylized art style. That's cool.

[01:01:15] Yeah yeah out of those three the only one that I really did my toes into was the Jack's Jack and Dax series and I as a kid at least I only played Jack three. Which was definitely confusing jumping into that.

[01:01:27] Yeah especially because Jack and Dax had the most in depth story out of the three of them. Um yeah I just jumping in and being like you know.

[01:01:37] You're just getting released from like jail or something and just kind of got the one of the desert like it was a really weird beginning to a game was very confused. Well ironically two starts with you getting at a prison as well.

[01:01:49] Yes that's the only one I haven't played any of. So also I mean Jack and Dax there's an interesting series because the first one was just a straight up maras 64 clone.

[01:02:01] A really good maras 64 clone but it was very simple and everyone can play and that it was too easy so then not he died decided to make Jack to hardest fuck for no reason. And darker and a lot easier.

[01:02:17] That's still a good game but it is very much a 2000s game and then three was kind of like the best of both worlds where it was like. Not super hard but it was still kind of darker. Yeah.

[01:02:29] I mean I actually like though was probably the most successful out of those three because it's still going to this day. I need to agree I mean we had that one game a couple years ago. I mean rift upon everything since.

[01:02:43] Well they're busy making marvel games right now. That's fair. I'm sure they'll make another one at some point. Why mean after the movie and everything will be pretty stupid as I'm not to. Oh yeah I mean.

[01:02:57] Ratchet spin consistently getting games the last time sligh out of game was 2012 11 I think. On the PS3 and then Jack hasn't got a game since 2009. Wow.

[01:03:19] And that game he got in 2009 wasn't very good so the raising game or the PSP game the PSP lost front to your game. Gotcha. Wait was there more than one PSP game then? There was just a daxter.

[01:03:36] Yeah there was daxter and then there was the loss front to your which was also released on PS2. Okay. Yeah that one's not very good at all but um daxter is a fun little game. Hmm. See a next.

[01:03:54] Another game that I played a lot of both single player and multiplayer is a double S7 nightfire. Nice fire. That's another game that I really wish it be released. I will die on this hill that a nightfire and.

[01:04:12] Not a PS2 game or well not even from the generation but the world is not enough on a 64. I'm just a bit more than I think. I will die on that hill. I mean it ain't for being totally honest here for the world here.

[01:04:27] Golden eyes kind of horrible. I mean I like it. It's not. I like golden eye and it definitely set the stage for what FPS is where to become. On glasses and. By today's standards it's a terrible game.

[01:04:45] I actually I'm in that the minority who actually prefers the single player over the multiplayer. For Golden eye or for Golden eye yeah Golden eye had a great single player campaign that no one played because everyone was playing the multiplayer. Hmm. Yeah, which is really wrong.

[01:05:03] I'm very fond of golden eye but that doesn't make it a good game. There's plenty of other games that aren't good games that I like to so that doesn't mean much. Now the world is not enough on a 64. Nightfire especially are just fucking great fucking FPS games.

[01:05:17] Yeah, if we could just get like I it isn't even need like a full on like remake treatment right like that just give it a little bit of polish nightfire would be perfect.

[01:05:27] So you just make it a little bit less like a PS2 game if that makes sense.

[01:05:32] Unfortunately ironically enough this is another case of licensing where this was also a game made by eurocom who don't exist anymore and it was published by eat and it was published by EA. Jesus and the 007 license is currently being held by AO interactive the hitman team so.

[01:05:54] Fair enough. I mean I look forward to the new James Bond game that so AO or is making a yeah. Biggest AO the the hitman studio they're making the next James Bond game and I am looking super excited for that because they they are quality studio.

[01:06:14] I'm going to be a new James Bond game. I'm definitely up for it because. I've enjoyed everyone I played and like I say nightfire like because I played the story mode and I enjoyed the story mode immensely.

[01:06:26] And if I could even begin to quantify how many hours I put into multiplayer playing with friends and family who member all see even up to like just a few years ago.

[01:06:37] You know playing using a multi tap on a PS2 and out of friends house that we could play for player nightfire with all the bots and everything like they the the like cabin levels. It was like the the one level with the cabins and. God.

[01:06:56] I think those were like there's like a pit it was like a big room a big circular room with a pit in the middle.

[01:07:03] Yeah, it was just kind of I love that game so much and that's so that's one of those games that like once I get a PS2 again because I will eventually. That's one of those games that I've definitely got a priority has replaying.

[01:07:18] That nightfire is great another level of seven game that I fucking love is from Russia with love that's the one that they actually got a conry back to do a play James Bond.

[01:07:29] Yeah, it's like a third person shooter it's not amazing but it is just the start because it's based off of Sean Connery like games bond and they got Connery to do the voice it just. It is just a fun little nostalgia game. I got you.

[01:07:49] I think it was actually made by a. Yeah, redwood shores who are better known as a visceral games unfortunately another dead studio but. They made good stuff. Speaking of games like that I'm trying to transfer on and can't think of a good segue.

[01:08:16] I think it's a really good game. I'm not really. I played around with them it depended on like who will hang it out with I got in generally play racing games on my own unless it was like Mario card on like DS for something but aside.

[01:08:32] It was pretty much like if I was hanging out with people we had a racing game we played racing game. I feel like we should I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up grandtruths. I think it was a really good game.

[01:08:45] I feel like I did my toes and those games a little bit but I was definitely more of a neat piece of beat. More into the arcade style racers not the simulations. Yeah, grandtruths mode 2 and 3 and 4 for me like.

[01:09:00] I prefer arcade racers personally but I do enjoy a good sim every now and then. And like grandtruths mode has always been like a favorite of mine like there's just something funny about like there's just something fun about a realist.

[01:09:11] I think it's a game where you have to actually like design your car and like to need to perfection to actually race and you actually have to earn the money to buy better cars it's just one of those fun series that.

[01:09:22] It takes a very you have to be in the right mindset to truly enjoy but when you get really didn't they're so fun. Especially in four where you can unlock the door in. Really? Yeah, there's a door in there that you can unlock. That's awesome.

[01:09:40] Now you can't go back to the future but um. Oh whatever. That's cool though. I don't know how it came. It's always good to have a racing game on hand especially if you're going to have people over and you're going to hang out with games and stuff like.

[01:09:57] Um, because they had to have been commenting my my copy of Mario Kart for the switch so. I've met up with a play that when I ever got the hate going. But.

[01:10:10] Which unfortunately is why I wasn't able to join you guys when you guys were doing all the Mario Kart games and stuff but because he has to take a with him. Yeah. But I know all. Let's see.

[01:10:28] Well since you mentioned it, I know it wasn't technically a PlayStation exclusive but hitman blood money. That's was one of my favorite games with the play on play station. It's not the game I played a lot actually. This is the last time we hang out in person.

[01:10:46] I was playing that game wasn't I? Um, I don't think it was in person because I think you were still in the trailer at that point.

[01:10:55] No, because I had the X I was playing on an Xbox at the time but fairly certain I think I feel like I was playing hitman and you were playing um you were playing in Final Fantasy on your Vita.

[01:11:11] I might have been I can't remember honestly but I do remember it's been a bit. I don't know if it was the last time we hung out enough but I do remember that. Um, yeah those games are fun. They're just very.

[01:11:26] You have to be in the right mindset to play you man. Yeah, I mean it's also a very like you know it's a sandboxy kind of game like you jump in and you have all these things that you're disposal that you can do whatever with.

[01:11:39] Um, while I have played the newer hitman what the first of the new hitman as I should say. I feel like those sandboxes so to speak are a little bit too big.

[01:11:52] Um, I feel like the ones that we had in hitman like blood money was like just the right size.

[01:12:01] Like some of them were on the smaller side some of them were were bigger but like you could it was that perfect middle ground where you could kind of do whatever you wanted to do like you could do this stealth route.

[01:12:14] Or you could just go in guns blazing and kill everybody and you know depending on what difficulty you were playing on obviously you know you'd have. Mix results from but um yeah.

[01:12:26] Just you know having that kind of freedom of gameplay and being able to kind of play the way you want. Um, was very appealing. I definitely enjoyed that game a lot growing up.

[01:12:38] That was a game that I think as a kid I would be more frustrated by but as an adult you want to kind of get it more. Um, so kind of jumping around now a genre we haven't really covered much is the fighting game genre.

[01:12:54] Um, the Mortal Kombat games on PS2 in particular were really good like deadly alliance deception Armageddon, Shalon monks. Did you ever play any of those? Unfortunately I did not. My, I pretty much the first Mortal Kombat I played was on PS1.

[01:13:15] Um, and then I didn't play another one until they rebooted it for the 360. Gotcha. Yeah, I missed that whole chunk of Mortal Kombat.

[01:13:27] Okay. Yeah, the the PS2 era was interesting because they were like full 3D like they had gone into that like 3D style fighting territory for a while now.

[01:13:38] Um, the stories were just wacky like there was like this old conquest mode that you could do there's also chess combat which was hilarious where it's like, like chess and fight.

[01:13:48] Um, and the brutal the brutality and just violence of the games was just so like over the top at the time like I always think of like, John Cage just fucking obliterating people's fucking junk. That's kind of just go to move isn't it?

[01:14:03] Yeah, they they just got more and more over the top with it as they went on. Um, I love I love those games the particularly deadly alliance and deception in particular were who are my favorites.

[01:14:16] Showing mugs too because that one wasn't really a fighting game that was more like a side scrolling beat him up but it was just a really good side scrolling beat him up. Yeah, that's cool Mortal Kombat's always good.

[01:14:31] Doesn't matter what platform we're playing it on or whatever it just it's always. It's always a good time. Yeah, like I prefer tech in personally like that's my fighting game of choice but um Mortal Kombat's probably my other go to.

[01:14:46] I played a little bit of tech and back in the day. Although I remember watching the tech and animated movie back in the day that was. There's the experience. It's been a long time but I've never watching it and that was.

[01:15:01] You ever watched the street fighter anime anime movie. I don't think so. It is also an experience. Yeah, I see a street fighter I never really got into. I play. Because street fighters Capcom, right? Yes.

[01:15:22] So I played a little bit of like Marvelous Capcom so I guess I played a bat that aspect to Street fighter but aside from that and playing a little bit in the arcade. That's pretty much my extent for Street fighter.

[01:15:36] Street fighter is one of those series that's kind of like you had to have been there. I feel like to really truly enjoy the PS2 era wasn't the kindest to Street fighter because there wasn't a lot of.

[01:15:47] I think the only original Street fighter on PS2 was Street fighter EX3 which was the 3D1. I mean, that game's fine. But yeah, Street fighter like to me if I think like me and Thrak had said it on 3D1 when we covered 3D1 port of Street fighter 2.

[01:16:08] It is a great game but it's just one of those games that you either like it or you're not, you don't like it. It's not like a very easy to decipher kind of series. I got you.

[01:16:24] Yeah, I found like tech in or like Mortal Kombat or like Soul Calibre just much easier to get into. Hey, sounds. So let's see. Well, don't go back to Star Wars for a minute.

[01:16:42] The start of it all really for like this whole series of this whole genre of games really is like a Star Wars. Like I start was the original the video game. That was and. I forget just how old that game is that came out in 2000.

[01:17:04] Or I want to say. Yeah, it was it was a bit ago for sure. It was right after episode three came out because I remember the game came up before 3 came out physically.

[01:17:18] So like it was just one of those it was a weird timing it was interesting that they did episode the the sequels. Well, no, they did the prequel trilogy before they did the original trilogy I thought that was fascinating.

[01:17:32] Yeah, because the prequels was Lego Star Wars one and then Lego Star Wars 2 was the original trilogy and then they did like a completed version that had both games. Yes, yes, the one the definitive game is the complete saga which was. So it's one through six.

[01:17:49] I'm not in the lobby of valetitel. I mean, you don't have to eat everything after doesn't really matter true true. But now like Lego Star Wars with one of those games that just like it was just endless amounts of fun like it was definitely a lot more.

[01:18:08] Linear than like games have become since I'm fine. So I mean, too, honestly, I like that like I would discuss this before while the skywalker saga like again is. I mean, objectively it's a good game it's just a solid adventure game to play all my life.

[01:18:31] I did not have fun playing that at all see that's the thing is. We have a you and I being of the generation we're in have a very distinct idea of what a Lego game should be. And that is not what this new one once.

[01:18:49] This new generation is going to look at this game and say this is the most fantastic Lego game I've ever seen in my life. And that's what they're going to take forward with them. Well, I don't personally agree with that. I'm with you on that.

[01:19:01] But I can also look at it and say this is a well made game. I understand why this is this is what it is see to me what highlights the skywalker saga like perfectly is when you were playing it with that time I came down to visit it was me and Cindy sitting on the coach.

[01:19:20] And we got stuck in genosis and we were there for half an hour and I buy that like after while we all all three of us started falling asleep. That's how bored we were.

[01:19:29] Like the next thing I know Cindy's completely out you're nodding off. I'm nodding off and we're still on that goddamn conveyor belt. I was like, I was like, yes.

[01:19:41] Yeah, I'll get that to you. It's a little ridiculous with it that but I'm also like, I don't know it's just.

[01:19:49] What were you there at the beginning of the life cycle of legograms and you see where legograms have gone like you you understand why they went in the direction that they've gone. But it doesn't mean you have to like it.

[01:20:05] See, I don't know if I'm in the minority here, but I. To me, I think the biggest mistake that franchise made was making the characters talk. Agreed for 100% 100% Comedy of those games was what are the biggest draws for me?

[01:20:24] Like I adore the pantomime and like just like the. Like the part we're like the in episode one where like the ship gets destroyed when they land on the.

[01:20:35] The Federation ship for the meeting and the two legot that the pilots look at each other and just fall and just die and it's like.

[01:20:43] Yeah, stuff like that or even not even just like a star was but like the first legot Batman had so much visual and like. Like it had so much like physical humor that was just something that like you don't get with voice acting. Yeah, I'm 100% with you there.

[01:21:03] That was definitely one of the big draws and just like the, I don't know it just legot games had a charm then that they just don't seem to have anymore. That's why I just like I just not super like Xander plays um. What's it the.

[01:21:20] Like the Lego Marvel universe, whatever it is, it's not like Avengers, but it's like this big and cooperation of all things Marvel. I don't remember what the hell it's called, but like there's like full voice acting in that and it just. It doesn't feel right to me like.

[01:21:39] I understand why kids nowadays like these new Lego games because if I was a kid right now, I'd probably love them too.

[01:21:47] But there's just that I feel a separation between our generation and their generation where we have a very specific idea of what a Lego game should be and they are more open to the new than we are.

[01:22:02] Yeah, like the last one that I played before I just lost interest was Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. Hmm and they still weren't talking by that point, but. That was around the point where they started changing how multiplayer work where you could actually like separate on screen.

[01:22:24] That like while I understand because it was super annoying playing to player and like. Hacking the state together because you know, the screen wouldn't move if you weren't moving in the same direction. But the way that they. Chosed to deal with that. Is. Just got off. Oh, hi.

[01:22:49] Pirates of the Caribbean was horrendous because not only did the screen cut in half when you got separated, but it also like. Yeah, did this wavy shit and I was like, we not. I'm like, please, they still, they still do that. It still does that. It's it wild.

[01:23:06] I'd rather just drag. I'd rather drag player to a log with me. Agreed 100%. I will say. Let's go start wars like the, you're the first to end the complete saga. Some of the most entertaining speedruns you'll ever look up.

[01:23:25] Oh, I'm sure I see I don't look up a whole lot of speedruns.

[01:23:29] I don't really don't know why I guess I just don't I don't really like watch a whole lot of gameplay videos unless it's like for a game that's yet to come out and I just want to see what the gameplay is like, but that's not it.

[01:23:42] I don't really not. I don't really talk with that.

[01:23:45] So I don't really watch speedruns themselves. I watch a lot of like, I'm a big fan of those YouTube channel called summoning salt and he does like documentaries on the history of speedruns for certain games and he did a whole history of the speedrunning for like, of stars they complete saga and it was it.

[01:24:02] It's mental some of the shit that the runners do for those games. That's kind of on. That was actually another thing about the complete saga version at least is that you could make your own LEGO character and that was really fun.

[01:24:16] You could do that in the original trilogy as well. I think that's for the game they introduced me. Yeah, like a Star Wars 2. Yeah, yeah, two. Okay. I didn't think there was a thing in the original LEGO Star Wars.

[01:24:31] No, not the first. The original LEGO Star Wars is very bare bones in hindsight.

[01:24:35] But at the same time, it's just so much fun. I don't know why it's just like and you get through you get through the game, you get all the collectibles, you get all the red bricks and all out of the shit.

[01:24:48] And then you just restart to play do it all over again. It was so much fun. And you'd unlock you'd unlock the mystery door, which was episode four, because it was only like one episode. Yeah, it was like one chapter of it. Which was fun. I enjoyed that.

[01:25:05] My favorite part about this video on the speedrunning, though, was like it was like, it was like the reason why speedrunning for LEGO Star Wars, the complete saga is so entertaining

[01:25:15] is because these games are broken as fuck and I was like, yeah, they are. They're not well programmed, but that's kind of why we like them. For sure.

[01:25:24] You could do a lot of shit that you're not supposed to do, because they're so, those games are made on the cheap and they just humble them out to make money and it works and I respect it. I'll never talk to Mac about it.

[01:25:39] They're broken but they're playable, so that's all that matters. Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to think of another iconic game and so we're talking license games because PS2 era was like, to me, like the last true era of great license games. Oh, so many so many.

[01:26:03] Another one that I have to bring up is Simpsons Hidden Run. Oh, thank you, start on that. That's another one they, I would love it if they ported. I got, I would put that place that game so much if they put it out again.

[01:26:18] Yeah, that's another licensing kind of snappu is, I don't know who owns the Simpsons license at this point but, um, Disney, right? Well, Disney, Disney owns the, the rights of the Simpsons, but I don't know who owns the game rights.

[01:26:37] Hmm, because Disney doesn't have a game studio anymore. But, um, yeah, Hidden Run is just like, it's just great, it's just great to have thought of but it's just, it's funny. Yeah, what was it with characters?

[01:26:55] And it's just a fun game, like the story is goofy, like there's so many references to the Simpsons. Yeah, I actually played this story. I just fucked, I pre-mustrated that game like a, a grand-theta game as I would have played it back then and just fucked around.

[01:27:14] Well, you had to play the story to get to get to other parts of the map, but, um, yeah, well. I guess I just had a completed file unless this all of them from somebody.

[01:27:29] Or as just playing it, or as playing as somebody else's house, I don't remember. I just know that I played it a lot as a kid. Now, I was just a fun, fun game exploring around Springfield and just doing all sorts of wacky shit.

[01:27:41] Hmm, which is funny too, because like even though as much as I played that game as a kid and enjoyed the hell out of it, I don't remember watching a whole lot of Simpsons when I was at that age.

[01:27:53] See, when that game came out, that was right around the point where I had first discovered the Simpsons and I was really watching like the Golden Age of the Simpsons, like seasons, re-through eight. So I think that game came out at the perfect time for me. Hmm.

[01:28:11] Yeah, because I played the hell out of that back in the day. Not believe it. I mean, it's such an enjoyable game. Like, like, that particular kind of game, like, you know, when you look at it, Simpsons hit Ron or South Park,

[01:28:26] you know, just take a true, or, you know, like those kinds of games where they just kind of take a pre-established world and just kind of say, go adventure, go enjoy, go discover. Like those are fantastic.

[01:28:41] Yeah, that one was really fun. Another license came to that is incredibly iconic was a sponge ball battle for bikini bottom.

[01:28:52] Yeah, I know what played that. I definitely have played it. I just don't remember what's on the bottom. I do have the re-hydrated remake game, whatever, technically I bought it for Zander, but I intend to play it soon.

[01:29:10] It's one of those games that I just see, I have so many games on my tip playlist. That is just kind of ridiculous. Yeah. No, I know. I hear you.

[01:29:22] And I don't even have like anywhere near the amount of games is like, all y'all collectors have like, I kind of just have what I happen to have picked up over the years. You know, I don't have a collection, so to speak. You know, it's just kind of what I have.

[01:29:38] And even just put that alone. I have so many games that I need to play. No, it's understandable. So what's another game? Yeah, I figure you want to hit like one more each and then we'll close it out.

[01:29:59] Yeah, it's interesting we've been avoiding RPGs. I feel like that's a whole, we can honestly do a part two with this at some point. Oh, easily. For sure. The thing is though, is I didn't really play RPGs on the PS2. There.

[01:30:20] I mean, I mean, I least not like what we consider. Like I didn't play like drag Quest Final Fantasy or something like that until very recently.

[01:30:32] I can't even think of any others that would be as high as I've been like persona but obviously considering my first run right now, I didn't play it back then. That's for sure.

[01:30:42] Gotcha. We could make the argument that's a little bit of persona talk that we had at the beginning of this episode could have been a precursor. True, I mean my last pick is going to be an RPG so I've saved it for the last but um, fair enough.

[01:30:57] So my last one for this episode is spider red too. I like to speak it all ice in games. Spider-Man 2 is just, I don't know. Again, an example for what I would consider to be a precursor for what we considered for what spider-Man games had become.

[01:31:19] Because I've still the best web slinging I think in a video game. I would definitely agree with that.

[01:31:27] Because I've played the current spider-Man 2 personally but I've seen my son play it a bunch and like I, I, I blew my mind how much in that game was literally just like, I've got to straight from the PS2 spider-Man 2.

[01:31:45] The modern and somniac spider-Man games are like literally a mixture of Traiarchs spider-Man 2 that we're talking about now and a bit of that man Arkham. They took essentially the best elements of both of those and just made it also great game. But yeah, spider-Man 2 on PS2 360 game cube.

[01:32:07] You don't even have to realize it's based off of a movie. Like it is that well-made. Yeah, and it goes much, much further beyond what the actual movie that it's based on was like,

[01:32:20] Because yeah, like the basic idea of the story of it is you got, you know, Doc Oca whole story but then there's also like, you know, Mysterio shows up at one point, you know, you got, I think reptile shows up at one of reptile with the hell's name.

[01:32:37] I think the real reason Mortal Kombat. Yeah, the lizard. I think the reptile's model's on that show. Yeah, yeah, everything you're trying to shit. Yeah, this isn't Mortal Kombat for STC. What's going on here? Don't mind me. I got a few drinks. But, no, it was just,

[01:33:02] It was just one of those games where there's always something to do. You know, like, you, it wasn't an argument. I lost my talent. The fuck the fuck that kid and fuck his balloon. Like,

[01:33:16] How many fucking times have I tried to get that balloon and just could not do it? I don't understand what the hell was wrong with that. Just, I don't know, you just triggered me. Because it will happen. Everybody who's played their game notes that will happen. I'll hug.

[01:33:33] I was. God, but no, like, I don't really just, I mean, But as I've said many times, I don't know if I'm saying it out in this, but, um, Spider-Man growing up was like the Marvel hero to me.

[01:33:49] Like, I was generally a DC kid growing up and still tend to generally tend to lean DC. Um, What's Spider-Man was the, the one exception to the rule that I, I, I love Spider-Man. I watched the 90s cartoon. Um, I played the games.

[01:34:05] I loved my first PG-thera team movie was Spider-Man. That I wasn't saying saw it in theaters. That was PG-thera team. Well, yeah, that would totally be PG-thera. For sure, for sure. But no, like, It was just such a well-made game for the time.

[01:34:25] And I did play the first one a little bit like before the second one came out. But the second one just completely changed the game. For like, you know, the freedom, because I don't know if you remember but the first one,

[01:34:37] like had a very distinct separation between this living. Yeah, it was a very linear. Like, you couldn't just swing around the city because, in the first game, if you fall past a certain point while you're swinging, you just die. The second game, like you always have,

[01:34:56] like you could be like this close to the fucking ground and you could swing and save yourself. And it was just like so many little things. Like there was upgrades and stuff. It wasn't technically an RPG but you could, you know, buy upgrades.

[01:35:11] You know, there was always different, like, you know, properties or villains or whatever running around. You could just go and save people or stop a bank, like, you know, a high-yster or whatever the fuck. And somebody like random spider-mobile and so just get thrown into it.

[01:35:27] Yeah, because they wanted to pay the head off the gameplay. But it didn't feel forced either. Like it was such, it's such an enjoyable experience. I think I've met a single person who has had a negative thing to say about that game.

[01:35:41] I'm pretty sure it was considered the best superhero video game. Up until Batman Ark of the Silent came out. His bearer. That's another game I need to actually check out. I've played like any of the newer Batman games.

[01:35:56] The Ark of the Silent games is probably the peak of superhero video games. To me, who is one that I really want to play the Batman Telltale game? I've heard good things about that. A telltale. That's a company that imploded real fast.

[01:36:13] I actually, um, the walking dead telltale games have been on sale for like super super cheap. So I've finally picked up two, three and four for this switch.

[01:36:24] So at some point in the future, I've got to be running through all those games because I need to know how that story ends. Like, I played the first one years and years ago when a first came out. Or Cindy had it. Climber time. Climber time.

[01:36:41] I need to find the battery generator. I'm sorry Cindy. Oh, that was too funny. I need to get her to play that. It's been a while. Oh, man. I love watching her play those games. It's so much fun because she gets so freaked out.

[01:37:02] Like she loves bookies stuff. Like that's like her thing. She loves bookieship. But like playing that game. Like, and we made it a point to only play it a night and we'd always show the lights off.

[01:37:13] And she would play the walking dead game and she would play because this is like jumpscares. There's like the build up, the way that the music swells and stuff. It's like playing a horror movie. It's, it's such a fun game. Yeah. Climber time. Climber time. Oh, man.

[01:37:38] Yeah. So I guess for my last game for the, for the episode, I was going to talk probably my favorite PS2 game ever and that is Tales of the Abyss. I'm assuming you've never played Tales of the Abyss.

[01:37:54] I never played any of the Tales games. So I've earned nothing but good things. Yeah. Tales of the Abyss is somewhat polarizing entry in the series because it mostly hurts main character who is very,

[01:38:08] he's got a very, he's character arc is very distinct but he starts off as one of the most unlikable for a tag. Next up video game you'll ever play. Yeah.

[01:38:17] Oh, yeah. Like you, I always say when you play persona an opportunity tells the Abyss, you will hate the main character for the first third of the game.

[01:38:25] And then he goes through one of the biggest character development arcs in an RPG and he becomes a great character by the end, but that first third is rough. Yeah.

[01:38:37] It wasn't for the fact that the rest of the party was so fucking awesome. Like I would have never finished it. But the Tales series to me is one of my favorite RPGs just because it's super unique like there technically multiplayer RPGs where you can,

[01:38:53] the gameplay itself is a single player but when you go into battle, you can actually have a buddy join you and you can play like co-op like have one person control one party member, that's pretty cool. Because the way the combat works is,

[01:39:09] the game is structured like a traditional turn based RPG where you go across the world and then you'll run into like an enemy on the screen and the battle transition will start.

[01:39:18] But once you get into the battle screen, it becomes an action RPG where you control the character and you like do like hack and slash style combat combos. So it's kind of like um, like the way crisis core is set up.

[01:39:33] It's kind of only it's a bit more um, a bit more like stylized like is like okay. He doesn't be just introduced like free running or like you can run around the battlefield. You're not stuck on a singular plane.

[01:39:49] It's just a cool. The whole series is it's one of those that's fun and epistemy. I love the story. I love the gameplay. I love the soundtrack like everything about it. They're super anime like.

[01:40:01] One of the big criticisms of the series is that they're super cliche. They're just full of anime and RPG cliches, which is a fair is a fair point, but I fucking love that shit. So like it's like me like that stuff's amazing.

[01:40:15] They super anime graphics style, like they have anime cutscenes, they have fucking anime intros for every game. Just amazing.

[01:40:23] Can I argue with that? Oh yeah. And the stories are super fun, they're charming like there's a gimmick in the games called the skit system where um, you'll be playing game along the game and occasionally you'll see like a little prompt in the bottom that will feel like you'll press like the select but I believe.

[01:40:40] And the characters portraits will pop up on screen and they'll just have a little like conversation about either something that's going on in game or to be completely random. And it's just fun little character development and stuff and like sometimes it's plot this specific other times like.

[01:40:56] It's just completely comedic relief. It's just it's super fun fun stuff like that. Like. It's the best is great it's been only released twice it's on PS2 and then you got to port 3ds years later.

[01:41:12] Which is a solid for it as well. Both are unfortunately really hard expensive though nowadays. But yeah, I think that's just about it.

[01:41:26] All right. That's just a solid first PS2 episode. I'm sure there will be others or maybe we'll even do episodes on specific games in more detail in the future.

[01:41:40] Yeah, maybe we'll try bringing in guests a guest to for another part like talk more PS2 games with other people. Yeah, I'd be down for that. Yeah. All right. So that was a good episode almost two hours. Unfortunately, I have a hard cut off because of work but.

[01:41:57] Yeah, once again guys. Thanks for joining us on geek addicts. So you can find geek addicts on all the major podcast and platforms, particularly Apple podcasts Spotify. You can also find all of our links at link tree slash the Barbara games.

[01:42:08] And you can find both audio and video versions of the podcast on YouTube. And recently we actually have joined the super pod network of podcast creators featuring such shows as super pod saga retro retro rehab super ghost radio, a novel console, fine time gaming together along with you.

[01:42:34] Yeah, along with all the G and C shows in one fun little community than we're growing pretty pretty fast. And you can find all of those shows at super pod network.com.

[01:42:47] And I'm looking forward to more potential collaborations with all the guests over there look stay to that. And until next time, guests, we will see you all later. Have a good one.