While we often debate current hardware sales from the moment of the inception, we often forget the previous generation in the process. Despite Sony launching the PlayStation 3 in 2006, the slim PlayStation 2 was still pulling in millions of sales until last year. As of 2013, the system is officially dead. Sony Japan announced the last PS2 has rolled off production lines.
Launched in 2000, the PS2 stands as the most successful gaming console ever released, battering even the heavies like the Atari 2600 and venerable NES. The PlayStation 2’s official lifespan is also a record setter, just behind the Neo Geo AES which barely survived into 2004. The PS2 continued to see oddball software in Japan consistently and a sports game or two in the US up until Sony pulled the plug.
The PlayStation 2’s library is almost unequaled in scope and variety. Games from every genre, style, and design are available, with most still holding up against more technically adept modern efforts. The console birthed Killzone, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, God of War, Sly Cooper, and other essential Sony properties. It’s a treasure trove of games waiting to be discovered and remembered.
