During much of the month of July, PS2 Gamers have a bit of a draught, with only five games scheduled to be released. Well, we here at GamingWorld X know that the best way to beat a game drought is by looking into the past. So, to make it easy, the staff of Sony GamingWorld has put together a genre-by-genre list going through some of the best titles in each genre, all of which are worth checking out. Spend some time dwelling in the past, because once the online system kicks off next month, all your time will be spent in the present.
Today - Fighting
Kengo: Master of Bushido
by Adam Matlock
It's fair to say that the last thing you want in a fighting game is something devoid of originality - although, if it's executed well enough, that doesn't matter. (See the sales of just about every game in the Tekken and Street Fighter series for reference.) But when an original idea just happens to be well executed to boot, there's good cause for celebration - or, at very least, the game deserves to be played. On the PS2, this game was Kengo: Master of Bushido, for a great premise and solid execution that really made the game a great deal of fun.
Taking the premise of feudal Japan, in which honor was everything, you became part of a kendojou, a sword school, and there you learned different techniques with different swords, challenging members of both your school and other schools in order to become a true master of Bushido. What made it original is that, despite the great sword-fighting engine, there were additional challenges that you needed to complete in order to become the most well rounded fighter; from keeping your balance during meditation to not passing out under the pressure (or tempuratures) of a waterfall - and this variation helped keep the game interesting.
Add to that an enormous cast of characters, one of the coolest blood spraying effects I've ever seen, and sword techniques that kept the game from button-mashing monotony, and therein lies Kengo: Master of Bushido. Developed by Lightweight, the folks who made the Bushido Blade games on the PSone, Kengo was a true sucessor in originality to those games' legacy, and since I'm too chicken to meditate under a waterfall, this was a great opportunity to try it out.
Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore
by Brian Williams
After a couple of quality fighting titles from Tecmo on both PSone and Dreamcast, critics raved the DOA franchise for brilliant visuals, spectacular reversals, and a solid game engine itself. Dead or Alive 2 on Dreamcast was one of the most gorgeous games for its time, and still holds the spot as the best looking game on Sega's swansong system. When DOA2: Hardcore was announced for PlayStation 2, fans of the series and newcomers alike rejoiced as a popular fighting game was coming to their new console.
What makes the Hardcore edition so special is not just the awe-inspiring graphics, but also the high amount of characters and moves, as well as multi-tiered arenas. You could throw an opponent through a plate glass window, hit them through a wall, or even knock them off of a cliff onto the ground below. The aforementioned reversal system allowed you to press the block button and the direction of the attack, and perform some spectacular counter-attacks, surprising your friend or AI opponent.
One of the reasons DOA2: HC was applauded was because of the "bouncing breasts" that could be made even "bouncier" by changing the age in the options department. So for those of you gutter-minded gamers, this game may be for you. So, with incredible graphics, a well-executed reversal and fighting system, and all around great sound made for one of the best fighting titles on any console, even with titles like Virtua Fighter 4. Any gamer should have this in their personal library for pick-up-and-play action, and a fun time all together.
Virtua Fighter 4
by Bill Kerr
When Sega announced its retreat from the hardware business, Sega gamers all around the world wept. However, for PS2 owners, this was a dream come true. So, when Sega announced Virtua Fighter 4 for PS2, there was a cause for celebration. The first incarnation of the Virtua Fighter series on the PS2 was great. Not only did it bring some of the best graphical capabilities of the PS2 out of its box, but it also redefined what a fighting game can and should be.
The almost absurd amount of my life that went into this game is not regretted. I still am playing this game like mad. While this game is a port from the arcade, a few new features are instilled in it to assure longevity. One of these is the excellent ranking system. You go from opponent to opponent and when you win enough matches to be promoted, you fight harder characters. Thus, when you've achieved the highest rank (which is basically impossible) you have mastered Virtua Fighter. The characters are of utmost importance in fighting games, and Virtua Fighter 4 comes up nowhere near short in that department. Each character has their own strengths/weaknesses and must be used with expertise. Virtua Fighter 4 is, and probably will be for quite awhile, the best fighting game on the Playstation 2.
Next Time-> Platformers
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