The PS2 was and still is the best-selling home console of all time. It’s hard to believe compared to other success stories like the DS and Wii but it is true. Part of why it became so successful in its generation was because it came out a year before its competition. It beat the original Xbox and the GameCube by a year.
RELATED:PlayStation 2 Games Everyone Forgot About
Sony signed deals with some of the biggest names in the gaming industry to produce exclusives for the console as well. ThePS2’s library is massive and, slowly but surely, some of the system’s best titles are getting ports or HD remasters. There are still a lot of forgotten gems out there too though and a lot of the best are co-op enabled.
8Alien Hominid
Alien Hominidbegan as a flash game before it was built into a more fully-fledged console experience. It’s still a short game that can be easily beaten in one sitting, especially if players take advantage of the four-player co-op mode.
It’s still a fun goofy take on the run and gun genre, akin totheContraseries, even though it is short. It stars an alien on the run from the government along with some other nefarious foes. There’s supposed to be a new version coming out soon but details have been scarce about it.
7Champions Of Norrath
Champions of Norrathwas one of thebest action RPGson the PS2 and it was exclusive. It received one sequel,Champions: Return to Arms, which is also a good game, although not quite as good as the original. The greatest thing about it was the ability to play with four people either on the couch or online.
The game was very accommodating to different play styles which made it easy to pop in for quick gameplay sessions. Surprisingly, Sony has never made a remastered collection nor even made an effort to port them to a digital store like so many other PS2 classics.
6Metal Slug Anthology
Metal Slug Anthologyis a great collection for any fan of run and gun shooters or games with prestige animation. The pixel artin this serieshas always been one of the best things about it. The art can be charming at times and grotesque as well in ways that are hard to describe without spoiling things.
RELATED:PS2 Classics That Only Came To The PS3 In Japan
This collection has almost every game in the series. The only main game missing isMetal Slug 7which wasn’t out yet. It would be nice to see an updated collection in HD with all games up to current, including spinoffs. For now, however, this PS2 collection remains worthwhile and it can even be purchased on modern consoles thanks to the PS4’s direct digital port of it.
5Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreamsis the last main entry the series has received in almost two decades. This was likethe samurai answertoResident Evil, although there is a lot more to it than that. This was a reboot to the series in a way, introducing new characters and gameplay mechanics.
The main character, Soki, could be accompanied by a few different allies that came and went with the narrative. These allies could be taken over by a friend via a second controller option. Maybe this series can one day get rebooted once again, after Capcom remakes all of theirResident Evilgames.
4Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlockedwas the first spinoff of the series to include a couch co-op option. Clank was in the backseat as Ratchet had to fight his way through gladiator-like arenas to get him back. Ratchet wasn’t alone in this fight, though, as he had two other robots by his side.
They were controlled by AI during single-player, but if a friend plugged in another controller, they could take over for thenew robot characters. It’s not the most robust co-op action the series would see but it is fun enough for a side game.
3Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefrontas a series might not be the most forgotten. The two reboot games are not that old plusStar Wars Battlefront 2is still getting updates. However, there is a big difference between this original game, its sequel, andthe two reboots.
RELATED:Underrated Square Enix Games On PS2 You Forgot Existed
The DNA is technically similar as players take on random troops to get as many kills or bases as possible. The newer games had a smaller scope though, whereas the originals were packed full of content and modes. The campaigns could be played in co-op, for example, and they were lengthy too.
2Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesis not a great name for a game since it could refer to many things in this ever-expanding franchise.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswas based on the new 2000s cartoon and was a cel-shaded action game. This first game only offered a two-player co-op mode whereas both sequels in this trilogy accommodated four players.
It may not reach the heights ofTurtles in Time, but, for a mindless brawler, these games were great for a party. They still look good today too thanks to the cel-shaded art style. Even though the first game has less co-op, it’s the best of the three.
1X-Men Legends
There are a lot of great Marvel-based action RPGs on the PS2. Besides the twoX-Mengames, there were also twoMarvel Ultimate Alliancetitles. Of the two series,X-Men Legendsis perhaps the more forgotten one. BothMarvel Ultimate Alliancegames received ports of their HD versions to the previous console generation. The series also got a third Switch-exclusive game after fans had been itching for one for decades.
X-Men Legendsdoes not have either luxury which might be changing soon since that Wolverine game is coming. Who knows what the future will hold. For now, though, co-op fans should attempt to track down these two games as they offer some of the very best four-player couch co-op action that the PS2 has to offer.
MORE:PlayStation 2: The Must-Own And Skippable Exclusives
