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[Mr Swine]

I remember buying à PS2 on launch day and I was disappointed by it and the dual shock controller. It got good games after it's releease but I sold it after 1.5 years and bought a GameCube and Xbox instead

Edit: I had fun with smugglers run on it

 

[Wollan]

SSX, Time Splitters and Tekken Tag was cool at launch, Smugglers Run technically impressive, but overall one of the more lacking console debuts. It turned into an absolute monster in 2001 however.

My favorite launch game was Summoner but I actually didn't play if before six months after.

 

[Gurish]

The launch was pretty shit, as with most PS consoles, Sony always starts slow but explodes as the gen progresses, (they are also supporting their consoles with some very high quality AAAs until the last moment so a weak launch is a reasonable price to pay I guess), but it was still alright for me and my buddies as all we needed was Tekken Tag and Timespilitters to keep us happy for a long time until the big games started to come out.

So objectively speaking, it was weak, even visually it wasn't impressive at all at launch. Luckily the console had more than redeemed itself afterwards, still the best console of all time and probably forever will be. MGS2 also gave me the "next gen punch" I was looking for and till this day that game is the biggest wow factor I had ever experienced in gaming technically speaking.

 

[Ceallach]

I played a lot of fighters, DOA, SF, TTT. But my time was being spent mostly on DC at the time, with some PSOne there as well as it was still getting some classics.

 

[Baconmonk]

A damn solid launch lineup, tons of games and variety. The PS1/PS2 era really felt like a constant zeitgeist of game releases, but that might be age talking.

As a hardcore Dreamcast fanboy at the time, I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the PS2 launch. I was more concerned with SegaNet and convincing all my friends to buy a Dreamcast instead and play PSO. It worked for a bunch of them. That next summer I caved, bought a PS2 and developed a severe Tekken Tag addiction.


I'm sure I saw this in EGM at the time, Sega threw shade until the bitter end:

 

[KdotIX]

I think I got mine about 2/3 years after EU launch. I remember I couldn't open it until my birthday and would come back from school and try to peak into the package when nobody was home. That monolith design man, still the best designed console,imo, and thats when Sony was at it's peak. My birthday was a glorious day, the wait was so worth it - probably played on the thing for about 5-6 hours straight. I got Tekken 4 and Burnout 2 with the PS2 console.

I remember being blown away by Tekken 4 and spent many hours playing the game. It took me a while to warm up to Burnout but once I understood the game, I loved that too.

Simply put: The PS2 was, for me, GOAT. from the hardware to the games that came out on it. Simply the best.

 

[Theslammer]

A damn solid launch lineup, tons of games and variety. The PS1/PS2 era really felt like a constant zeitgeist of game releases, but that might be age talking.

As a hardcore Dreamcast fanboy at the time, I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the PS2 launch. I was more concerned with SegaNet and convincing all my friends to buy a Dreamcast instead and play PSO. It worked for a bunch of them. That next summer I caved, bought a PS2 and developed a severe Tekken Tag addiction.


I'm sure I saw this in EGM at the time, Sega threw shade until the bitter end:

Oh man, I remember that!

EDIT: My saddest memories -- really loving Dynasty Warriors 2 but not being able to play it due to its CD blue back (Disc Read Error). The agony.

Same with Contra: Shattered Soldier. Got it for Christmas, excitement through the roof, long wait.... Disc Read Error.

 

[Ceallach]

Disc Read Errors. Fucking doing PS2 magic, realigning and rejiggering the laser over and over until the motherfucker finally worked or died, lol.

Praise be PS2 +

 

[Chittagong]

GOAT launch ads for PS2 in Europe directed by David Lynch

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=msMehuZo3x8

 

[Theslammer]

Disc Read Errors. Fucking doing PS2 magic, realigning and rejiggering the laser over and over until the motherfucker finally worked or died, lol.

Praise be PS2 +

I remember when my friends and I took apart the PS2 and turned that little knob to adjust the laser. All of a sudden it worked, so we didn't have to pay $100 or whatever it was to send it to Sony for them to fix it. And my friend said, "I'm just imagining at Sony's warehouse, they have a long line of open PS2s, and some guy's just going to each one, turning that knob once and going, "*click* There's another $100."

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

I was only 8 when the PS2 came in the EU, so I have next to no memory of it since we didn't buy one either, but that launch line up is lame, was it considered good?

 

[evanswolves]

Got my PS2 on launch day along with Timeplitters, Ridge Racer, and a copy of Gladiator on DVD from Dixons. It was an Xmas pressie so i couldnt actually play it (though parents did let me try it out for 15ish minutes haha

I Still have all the mail Sony sent out to the people that preordered, the booklet thy sent was great, the letters about your pre order status, the one saying itll be ready to pickup on launch, the 1 year anniversary bday card/badge they sent out

 

[spad3]

I had a bean and cheese burrito and a chicken quesadil--oh...LAUNCHES. got it. yeah the PS2 had a pretty decent launch line-up for its time. I remember playing the crap out of Armored Core, SSX, and Midnight Club.

Spoiler

SSX remake plz thanks.

 

[malboroking]

I got one for xmas '01 with THPS3, and Wrath of Cortex. MGS2 not long after that.

Unbelievable lineup at the time.

Same here except with FF X and GTA3. Holiday 2001 was epic.

 

[xxracerxx]

SSX was such a glorious launch title...then they went and made Tricky and it blew my mind.

 

[Theslammer]

I was only 8 when the PS2 came in the EU, so I have next to no memory of it since we didn't buy one either, but that launch line up is lame, was it considered good?

Nope. I thought (and still think) it's better than many give it credit for, but it was definitely attacked because many thought it was weak compared to the Dreamcast's library and incorporating the hype behind the PS2.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

My clearest memory is how underwhelming it was compared to the dreamcast.

Had a killer year two though.

 

[NekoFever]

I was only 8 when the PS2 came in the EU, so I have next to no memory of it since we didn't buy one either, but that launch line up is lame, was it considered good?

No, there were a lot of jokes about it at the time. Particularly with all the aliasing problems in early PS2 games.

 

[Theslammer]

No, there were a lot of jokes about it at the time. Particularly with all the aliasing problems in early PS2 games.

The terms jaggies and anti-aliasing were repeated over and over,

DOA2: Hardcore was "the same game except with more jaggies," MGS2 had, "Horrible, horrible anti-aliasing problems." I do remember noticing it more once it was pointed out. Then I couldn't help but notice it all the time in Smackdown! Just Bring It, and then Cid's head was filled with jaggies in FFX. Damn me for looking at message boards. >_>

 

[DKPOWPOW]

SSX, Tekken Tag, TimeSplitters. Those were fun, it had a very solid launch but it was missing that super special game (Mario 64, Soul Calibur) that the more recent launches had.

 

[ScaryShark]

In 2000 I remember being completely smitten by Dreamcast and even though I was excited about PS2, I thought it was kind of a joke in comparison. A year later and I had done a complete 180 on that opinion. The momentum PS2 generated in 2001 was absolutely incredible.

 

[SoundLad]

SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament blew my mind at release. so good!

 

[ban25]

They were extremely tough to get ahold of around launch day and through the holiday. I ended up getting mine online, ordered direct from Sony in early January as part of a batch that sold out in a few minutes!

Great launch lineup...I still play TTT to this day! The first post launch game I bought that was truly great was Dark Cloud:

I played over 100 hours to get through the game and the demon shaft.

 

[Theslammer]

They were extremely tough to get ahold of around launch day and through the holiday. I ended up getting mine online, ordered direct from Sony in early January as part of a batch that sold out in a few minutes!

Great launch lineup...I still play TTT to this day! The first post launch game I bought that was truly great was Dark Cloud:

I played over 100 hours to get through the game and the demon shaft.

The one thing I didn't like when I played it was my new character in the party being under-leveled. I think I recall that character being the level my main guy started out as.

I loved creating the towns. There's a sense of agency in that which I really, really enjoyed.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I think the only launch games I own are Tekken Tag and Ridge V. Both are great Namco titles but kinda ugly nowadays due to interlacing.

 

[Vyrance]

Summoner is one of my all-time favorite games, so it was a great launch for me

 

[Crazymoogle]

Ridge V and SSX were glorious. Typical old Sony launch where stock was so limited people were making me offers for my preorder on the way out.

Best of all: Horizontal stand. Still have it. Glorious

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

I remember picking up my preorder and being offered double the money as I walked out the store with it. Really should have taken the guy up on his offer!

 

[LizardKing]

Bought the PS2 on launch day, like many other systems, but this was honestly one of the worst launches of all for me. There was almost nothing to play until about a year later when boom the floodgates opened. Which was also a pretty long wait compared to other systems for some good games to hit. Not even one game I got really into. Just some sparing Madden and Timesplitters to have something to play. Timesplitters was decent.

 

[Melchiah]

The PS2 cost ~500€ at launch in Finland, and despite of the hefty price tag the few thousand units available couldn't meet the demand. I managed to reserve one and buy it with tax returns, but I didn't have enough money for a memory card. So, I had to play the first few tracks of SSX for a week, until I could buy the damn card. I consider SSX one of the best launch games I've ever played, and it's still among my top five racers of all time. I had the drive to get gold medals on all race and trick courses, eventhough there weren't trophies at the time.

I had rented Dreamcast for a couple of weeks before the PS2 launch, with Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Soul Calibur, Zombie Revenge and Quake 3 Arena, but none if its games were as jaw-dropping as SSX. Friends who came over to play it, were also very much impressed by it. It became the game to play when we gathered and had a few beers.


EDIT: 2001 was also one of the best years in gaming, with such quality titles like Shadow of Memories, Silent Hill 2, and Soul Reaver 2.


EDIT.2:

Disc Read Errors. Fucking doing PS2 magic, realigning and rejiggering the laser over and over until the motherfucker finally worked or died, lol.

Praise be PS2 +

I used my launch unit until the end of 2007, and had only disc read errors during its last months, which is when I bought the PS3.

 

[Kurita]

Got the system for Christmas 2001 with Airblade, NBA 2001 and NHL 2001 (I guess 2002 editions were out but whatever, I was 7 lol).
Airblade wasn't the best game out there, it was hard as shit to actually pull out tricks and navigate but still had fun with it.
Following year I got a used copy of SSX which blew my goddamn mind even though the game was kinda old at this point. Then came Pro Evolution Soccer which changed everything for football fans. Spent hours playing it with my big brother. And then of course all the Tony Hawk games.

 

[GLAMr]

I got mine in May 2002 with the FFX bundle (I think it coincided with a price drop too, so it was like AU$499 maybe). I traded in my N64 with Perfect Dark and Smash Bros, and my Pokemon edition GBC (I know, kick me) along with a bunch of games for $200 off. I also picked up Medal of Honor: Frontline (which I have since lost).

I was in grade 12 at the time,and had a part time job at Woolworths. On the day I got my PS2 I was working midday to 9pm on a Saturday. My dad came in with me to purchase the console, then took it home for me while I went to work. Dad picked me up from work at 9, and I choked down some dinner then setup the console on the HUUUGE 80cm CRT (lol) in the lounge room. My dad and I took turns paying levels of Medal of Honor for a couple of hours (I think we each had a turn of the D-Day landing though; that was EPIC at the time). At around midnight I handed my dad the controller for his turn, and with a smile he said:

"No thanks son, I'm off to bed. I'm sure you want to have a go of your queer Final Fantasy shit."

Frank from 'F is for Family' is so much like my dad that it unnerves me.

I eventually got an ethernet adapter and hard drive, along with one of those loader discs that allow you to copy and boot games from the hard drive (I was a povo uni student at the time, bite me). Final Fantasy X/X-2, Kingdom Hearts 1/2, MGS2/3, GTA3, Fifa, Gran Tourismo 3, Tekken 4 and Guitar Hero 1/2 all rocked my world. Hard. Eventually I got into World of Warcraft though, and I lost interest in console gaming for like... 10 years.

PS2 is my favourite console of all time, and I still have mine safely stashed away.

 

[Phediuk]

SSX and Tekken Tag were the games to get.

 

[Ceallach]

I started getting Disc Read Errors in 2002, and adjusting the laser stopped working around 2003. Bought a revision that has served me well for years since. Thank you based Free McBoot.

Also, I still have my original JDM PS2, which has a fucking PCMCIA slot. Was this ever used for anything?

 

[paragonpro]

I got mine around 2002. First games were harry potter and the chamber of secrets, spyro enter the dragonfly, and monopoly. I remember getting jak and daxter
Not long after and it becoming one of my favorite series. Though, all this being said, i think i definitely have way fonder memories of the gamecube.

 

[Heavy Iron Industries]

Took the bus to a mall in Hyattsville MD w/ my buddy to make sure we didnt get robbed of the PS2. Went to EB Games in PG Plaza and waited in line. First time ever i pre-ordered a console. Man that sweet blue box...

I got Ridge Racer V and DOA plus the vertical stand. Great line up of games.

 

[Theslammer]

I started getting Disc Read Errors in 2002, and adjusting the laser stopped working around 2003. Bought a revision that has served me well for years since. Thank you based Free McBoot.

Also, I still have my original JDM PS2, which has a fucking PCMCIA slot. Was this ever used for anything?

By revision, do you mean the Slim? The Slim never gave me problems, thankfully. Disc Read Errors were safely a thing of the past.

Until I got a 360 and started getting a Red Ring of Death the day I bought Rock Band. ='(

 

[Breakage]

SSX was just incredible.

 

[NekoFever]

Also, I still have my original JDM PS2, which has a fucking PCMCIA slot. Was this ever used for anything?

There was a Linux kit that had a PCMCIA ethernet port and IDE interface, but as you suggest it was only an early Japanese model thing that got replaced with the expansion bay.

 

[Glowsquid]

I was too young to experience the PS2 launch but there's a lot of games I like in there. Ridge Racer V, Armored Core 2, Silent Scope, Gungriffon Blaze (so underrated!), Tekken Tag, all great stuff.

 

[Lé Blade Runner]

Oh man, those were the days! I got a console on launch day, and by golly it was a small miracle. I didn't pre-order and every store was out, except one, which had a single cancellation. And I happened to call at just the right time. I got Tekken Tag as my first game, and it was magnificent. The next purchases were TimeSplitters and SSX. And I was set for about a year. Great times!

 

[adamsapple]

Not much comments on the launch itself as I picked a PS2 a year or two down the line. The PS2's year-1 library was what really impressed me.

 

[kunonabi]

Ex3 and tekken were the only worthwhile releases for me so i skipped the launch. I ended up buying a cheap ps2 for 40$ of ebay when Silent Hill 2 and Xenosaga episode 1 were both available.

The early models my friends owned all had trouble reading discs so it never seemed worth the hassle to jump in early.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It was more of an important launch than a good one... mostly because the system was so absurdly hyped up. I thought Tekken Tag was amazing, but as far as launch titles go... that was kinda it. I mean, SSX was okay-ish, I guess... and I did get super into Ridge Racer V after the fact, but compared to what the Dreamcast launched with a year earlier? It was weak.

Obviously, the system turned things around pretty quickly.

 

[AngelOFDeath]

I don't recall when I got PS2 but definitely remember playing Summoner and the Bouncer. Had this mom & pop rental place that I abused the hell out of.

As PS2 was my first DVD player, DVD movie was The Watcher with Keanu Reeves, it was god awful.

Live in your world, play in ours was the bomb

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I saved months for the PS2. It was the second launch after the N64 I actively remember.
I still remember how my father went to work and before work went to a local mart to get the PS2.
In his words he dashed through the store when it opened and was one of the first to get it. He took the PS2 to work and at the end of the day I got my PS2 with Ridge Racer V.
I played hours of RRV, which still holds a special place in my heart, and the included demo with SSX etc.
It was also the first DVD-player in our family and that transfer from VHS- to DVD-quality was crazy back then.

 

[Ceallach]

By revision, do you mean the Slim? The Slim never gave me problems, thankfully. Disc Read Errors were safely a thing of the past.

Until I got a 360 and started getting a Red Ring of Death the day I bought Rock Band. ='(

It's one of the phat revisions, a v7. Identifiable by the box having a yellow mark with a plus.

 

[Theslammer]

It's one of the phat revisions, a v7. Identifiable by the box having a yellow mark with a plus.

All this time and I never knew about this. O_O

 

[Ceallach]

Yeah, v5-v11 have that iirc. The ones with the improved laser. v12 was the first slim.

 

[Melchiah]

It was more of an important launch than a good one... mostly because the system was so absurdly hyped up. I thought Tekken Tag was amazing, but as far as launch titles go... that was kinda it. I mean, SSX was okay-ish, I guess... and I did get super into Ridge Racer V after the fact, but compared to what the Dreamcast launched with a year earlier? It was weak.

Obviously, the system turned things around pretty quickly.

Huh?