Cult Classics: PlayStation 2

Part 2: Klonoa, Mark of Kri and a dork with horns.

Did you enjoy part one? I thought so. Guards! Seize him!

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil

  • Developer: Namco
  • Publisher: Namco

From 2D shooters to 2D platformers, and one of the last great gasps of that once world-conquering genre. Klonoa is a cat. Sort of. He's got long ears that seem to have hands on the end. His primary method of attack against the cute enemies ranged against him is the dubiously titled Wind Ring, which sends out powerful gusts to inflate foes. These ballooned baddies can then be picked up and thrown, or used as a springboard for higher jumps. So, yes, it's a bit Yoshi and Kirby, but don't hold that lack of originality against him. That's because Lunatea's Veil is a rather excellent platformer in the classic mould. Although the genre has seen a revival of sorts on handheld platforms, the relative obscurity of a nifty game like this is sadly emblematic of the way gamers interest in horizontal leaping died off once 3D polygons kicked our doors down.Klonoa himself managed to eke out a few more appearances in Japan, notably the top-down GBA role-player Klonoa Heroes, but he's really yet another likable character that passed from favour all too soon.

What we said: Not reviewed.

Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5

ICO

  • Developer: Team Ico
  • Publisher: Sony
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot ico

The lovely and sublime ICO is one of those games that most gamers will have heard of, yet depressingly few have had a chance to play. It's the deceptively simple tale of a lad with horns on his head and his determination to rescue a princess from a creepy castle. You do this by holding her hand and guiding her through the crumbling keep, avoiding the shadowy creatures that are out to get you. It's a bit adventurey, and more than a little puzzley, and it's presented in a muted poetic fashion. Naturally, it bombed horribly in the US for being all gay and stuff and why doesn't he have a gun and why are her breasts so small? The European release, therefore, consisted of nine copies, which were hidden in a box in the backroom of a secret branch of Blockbuster, under some old posters for The Adventures of Pluto Nash. The good news in this case is that after many years of reviewers and gamers alike shrieking about what a masterpiece ICO was, and why did it get such a shafty release, Sony saw sense and re-released it in 2006 to coincide with semi-sequel Shadow of the Colossus, thus annoying all those people who were hoping to sell their original copy for GBP 70 on Ebay but making everyone else very happy indeed because they could actually buy one of the best games ever. Be one of those people.

What we said: "A beacon of light and a bastion of superb game design."

Ebay price guide: Between GBP 10 and 20

Katamari Damacy

  • Developer: Namco
  • Publisher: Namco
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot katamari

Much like ICO, Katamari is probably one of the best-known secrets in gaming. Yet, from within our bubble of gaming mania, it's easy to forget that its utter lack of sports cars, Wayne Rooney and drug dealers being shot in the face means that, for the vast majority of PS2 owners, this screwball series might as well be invisible. Maybe some of them have stumbled across this very feature. Maybe they'll go away a little wiser, and choose something interesting next time they're out shopping, rather than robotically plonking down the cash for Need for Speed: Tarmac Banger 2008. Anyway, the original Katamari earns a place on this list by being the quintessential cult title - even if the series has since become better known through its not-as-good latter sequels. It's endearingly loopy, for one thing. Roll a sticky ball around stylised Japanese towns and cities, picking up anything smaller than yourself. As you grow exponentially larger, you go from glomping up paper clips to rolling up people, cars, even buildings. It's also just the right sort of obscure, having never received a European release. Mostly, it's here because it's the sort of marriage between an appealing high concept, innovative execution and eye-catching design that we hope for in all games. Get an imported PS2, or prise the guts out of a PAL console and do illegal things to it. Whatever it takes, you should play this.

What we said: "It's the happiest game I've ever played, and the happiness is infectious."

Ebay price guide: Between GBP 15 and 30

Freak Out

  • Developer: Treasure
  • Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot freak

Although it sounds like one of those tediously wacky mini-game collections, possibly one where you have to throw sponges at monkeys, Freak Out is actually one of the oddest games you're likely to see. Released in the US under the no less confusing, but much more appropriate, title of Stretch Panic, it finds you controlling a girl with a scarf. Exciting, eh? But this scarf has magic powers, and you can use it as a sort of tentacle-whip thing, grabbing objects and scenery and twanging them about. Most games would be content to leave it at that but, coming from the wonderfully demented folk at Treasure, Freak Out goes even further. In keeping with their earlier side-scrollers like Alien Soldier, most of the game is made up of boss battles against foes called Anne Droid and Fay Soff. There's a woman with massive breasts, who waddles about and tries to smother you in tit. If you start at Psychonauts and get progressively weirder, you'll eventually reach Freak Out. That's a recommendation, by the way.

What we said: Not reviewed

Ebay price guide: Between GBP 5 and 10

Forbidden Siren

  • Developer: Sony
  • Publisher: Sony

You'd think that a new horror game from the people behind Silent Hill would garner plenty of attention, but this creepy stealth effort was perhaps too stealthy for its own good, slinking off the shelves without being noticed. Possibly too similar to Silent Hill, what with a story involving an eerie town trapped in a hellish dimension by a bonkers cult, Forbidden Siren (released as plain old Siren elsewhere) is still one of the better entries in the survival-horror canon. Of particular interest is the gameplay decision to focus almost entirely on hiding from monsters, rather than fighting them. You can attack the shambling creatures, and get rid of them briefly, but you can't kill them permanently. Instead you have to sneak through truly skin-crawling scenarios, hoping they don't see you with their horrible faces. To help you out, the game has another trick up its sleeve - sightjacking. By twizzling the right stick, you can "tune in" to the monsters nearby and view the world through their eyes as they hunt you down. Clearly the world wasn't interested in a horror game which didn't involve shotgun blasts to the face or crowbars in the cranium, although it did manage to produce one sequel in 2006. Both are worth your time.

What we said: "An immensely challenging and absorbing experience."

Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5

Herdy Gerdy

  • Developer: Core Design
  • Publisher: Eidos
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot herdy

It's hard to criticise a developer too harshly for attempting something out of the ordinary, but when Core Design opted to take time out from Tomb Raider to create an all-new game, I somehow doubt that their corporate paymasters at Eidos were thrilled to learn it was about herding. Yep, like sheepdogs and that. While the concept proved to be commercial poison, the game itself actually offers a surplus of charm and whimsy, topped off with some truly stunning graphics. The story is utter arse - you must defeat a big bad thing by herding animals - but with a delicate blend of platform exploration and Lemmings-style puzzling, Herdy Gerdy is the sort of quirky-but-accessible idea that would be right at home today on the Wii. For now, seek out a PS2 copy and drink in the enormous animated landscapes. OMG! It's like being in a cartoon!

What we said: "Will Herdy Gerdy be doomed to live forever in bargain bins whimpering about sequels and blinkered PlayStation owners?"

Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

  • Developer: Capcom Digital Studio
  • Publisher: Capcom
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot maximo

You'd think that the successful translation into 3D of a seminal arcade game would make more than a little splash, but Capcom's rather wonderful updating of Ghosts n' Goblins soon fell by the wayside, spawning only one equally-overlooked sequel before the series reverted back to 2D for its PSP outing. And that's a shame, since Maximo is one of the few retro updates to actually enhance the source material without losing sight of what makes it special - you collect coins and mangle the undead through a series of spooky platforming levels. And, yes, it's pretty tough. Not as tough as its legendary arcade ancestor, but with an unforgiving save system it's certainly one of the more challenging action-adventures out there. It's also a rock solid action-adventure and one that deserves more lovin'.

What we said: "A Saturday morning cartoon of a game with a grown-up skill setting."

Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5

The Mark of Kri

  • Developer: Sony San Diego
  • Publisher: Sony
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot mark

Don't be fooled by this game's Disney style artwork. Mark of Kri was one of the most brutal of the PS2's legion of stealth games, with some staggeringly nasty ways of despatching your foes. Our hero is Rau, a hulking warrior whose appearance and approach to combat is drawn from Polynesian culture. The game shifts somewhat awkwardly between the expected pouncing on unaware enemies and full-blooded slash-'em-up, but the effect is never less than entertaining. The combat system is rather clever, allowing you to fight multiple enemies at once, by using a lock-on system that assigns each combatant to a different face button. With the minimum of practice, it's possible to lay waste to all around you with pleasing agility and grace. And you'll also see a lot of blood, since Rau impales, beheads and bisects those who cross his path with glee. If you enjoyed the unapologetic mayhem of THQ's recent Conan game, you'll certainly enjoy Mark of Kri.

What we said: "Arrived at very much the wrong time for a game of its almost-brilliance."

Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5

Okami

  • Developer: Clover Studio
  • Publisher: Capcom
'Cult Classics: PlayStation 2' Screenshot okami

File this one alongside ICO as a game that was apparently just too damn artistic for most players. Earning a thoroughly justified 10/10 this time last year, Okami takes the typical Zelda RPG framework and does astonishing things to it. It's not just that game looks so damnably gorgeous, its paint and ink graphical style rivalling anything on the next-gen systems, but that this graceful look is actually integral to the gameplay itself. Playing as the spirit form of a white wolf, you have the power of the Celestial Brush. When activated, the screen turns sepia and freezes, allowing you to paint over the action. Place a bold stroke through an enemy, and it turns into a damaging slash when reality kicks in again. Spatter dots on the ground and they sprout into orchids and blossoms. What makes it even more amazing is that in the same year that Clover Studio created something as delicate and thoughtful as Okami, they also gave us the ludicrous mania of God Hand. That such an insanely skilled development team was disbanded after producing two such innovative and completely disparate games is precisely why such titles should be cherished. The good news is that Okami is being resurrected for the Wii, where its brush-stroking should prove a compelling fit. Don't wait though - pick up the original and see what you've been missing.

What we said: "A game that will be talked about for years to come."

Ebay price guide: Between GBP 10 and 15

Part 3 coming soon, featuring animals wot do crime and robots that aren't Japanese, among others.

Comments (55) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Agent_Llama #1 4 years ago

    Sooper. Now don't forget Steambot Chronicles and SOS: The Final Escape in part 3! \o/
  • Tejstar #2 4 years ago

    Finally some recognition for Klonoa - one of the best console platformers I've played in recent years. I wish they didn't stop making these 2.5D platformers as if they are well executed few games can match them for pure gaming bliss.
  • Krelle #3 4 years ago

  • Thamuhacha #4 4 years ago

    It is quite enormously depressing to see how many of those I worked on :-(
  • kissthestick #5 4 years ago

  • Loser #6 4 years ago

    Thamuhacha,

    I'd keep the low sales jinx off your CV eh?
  • lost_soul #7 4 years ago

    It's so depressing to see some of the greatest games ever (Okami, Katamari and Ico) are only considered to be cult classics :-(
  • DUFFMAN5 #8 4 years ago

    I have Forbidden Siren 1 and 2, yet to finish 2. I would recommend these games 100%, both are brilliant. Play in the dark with headphones.
  • space_ace #9 4 years ago

    amazing, still going on about ico... it must mean something
  • Les #10 4 years ago

    "It's so depressing to see some of the greatest games ever (Okami, Katamari and Ico) are only considered to be cult classics :-("

    Why? It's just a fact of human life that the majority of people don't know what's best for them. Better not get upset about it or live a very unhappy life.
  • Laurenza #11 4 years ago

    Yay Klonoa got a mention. Now how about making lots more, Namco?
  • Loser #12 4 years ago

    @ lost_soul

    It's the same situation in all mature (and I don't mean adult) fields of entertainment, why would games be any different?

  • neuroniky #13 4 years ago

    These list almost completely reflect my collection of PS2 games. Having got a PS2 only at the end of its lifecycle to cover the bridge between the XBox and the 360, I've skipped the majority of mainstream games (with the exception of Final Fantasy and Metal Gear games) and just went for the ones that had achieved classic status... and this resulted in a spectacular collection, so good that I'm planning to do the same with other old consoles I've never had the chance to play (Saturn anyone?).
  • systems #14 4 years ago

    Good list - a few I hadn't heard of.

    Still no Global Defense Force though. But then again, it's not even in the Eurogamer database so it can't exist and I'm imagining it all.
  • ProdigyBE_OPM #15 4 years ago

    Klonoa, that sounds a bit too close to cloaca...

    Maybe that's why I missed that one.

    And if you mention Herdy Gerdy, you might as wel mention Core's other original PS2 game: Project Eden.
    That one was cool.

    And mention Project Snowblind in part 3 too.
  • DrDamn #16 4 years ago

    Herdy Gerdy I remember for two things. First off the load times were astonishing. A big loading bar would take an age to fill up at the bottom of the screen, then the background pic would change and the bar would start at zero again! The other thing was the cell shaded graphics. Where they did the "cell" bit, but managed to forget about the "shaded" bit altogether.
  • DanWhitehead #17 4 years ago

    The first line of the Klonoa bit made a lot more sense when it followed Gradius V in the Word document, by the way.
  • kangarootoo #18 4 years ago

    Playing Okami now as it happens. When I say now, I mean occasionally sort of at the moment, hopping between games as a do.
  • rudedudejude #19 4 years ago

    Loved Ico. Had to search like hell for a copy and only got to play it for a couple of weeks before my ex took the ps2, but it was a great game.
  • speedjack #20 4 years ago

    Lackluster ?! ICO !!!

    Its the only game I miss since I traded in my PS2.
  • Triggerhappytel #21 4 years ago

    I agree with the inclusion of most there. I think most folk who frequent this place will know about Ico and Okami, as much as I love both games I feel a little that their spaces could have been relinquished for truly overlooked games (like the Sly Cooper series or Project Eden for example - although I do appreciate that these may yet turn up in your part 3).

    Also, I have to say that I wanted to love Herdy Gerdy, but there are just too many things wrong with it to really impress. It's a lovely stylised game though, and for a cheap price you might be pleasantly surprised. And the Mark of Kri is well worth a cheap purchase - superb style and graphics, slightly ropey combat, but enough vicious gore to satisfy the most disturbed out there.
  • jlaakso #22 4 years ago

    There is nothing in the world wrong with the sublime We Love Katamari. Just get that and avoid the worries of importing.
  • unutterable #23 4 years ago

    Absolutely loved Klonoa 2 and Ico... Also, I like these cult classics features - very useful!
    Edited by 1 at 14/02/08 @ 10:13
  • slivir #24 4 years ago

    It's a pity CLOVER closed down. Okami is one of the best games I've ever played. Lets hope that new company (SEEDS was it?) can do some more magic.
  • wobbly_Bob #25 4 years ago

    Ico is wonderful and will be one of those games that I will always carry with me. If you have not tried it then please give it a chance! It's simply wonderful. It's beautiful and poetic in a way that no game has ever managed ( although "Shadow of the Colossus" comes close ). It's worthy IMHO of being regarded as a work of art. The relationship between you are the girl, the sense of mystery, the quiet ambient songs of the wind, the amazing style, the puzzles, ... brilliant. Just finishing SOTC and am planning on giving ICO it's third replay!

  • FabricatedLunatic #26 4 years ago

    Part 3 coming soon, featuring animals wot do crime

    Sly Raccoon? I approve. And don't forget Shadow of Rome, Dan!
  • Morte66 #27 4 years ago

    Man, Ico and Okami look good.

    If I buy a used PS/2 to play them, can I plug it into my PC monitor (Dell 2405 FPW 1920x1200)? I don't own a TV.
  • jlaakso #28 4 years ago

    Morte: you can, but you'll need an adapter for the video signal. Also, I haven't tried one, but I have the impression that the image might look a little crap on a monitor.
  • monkie_king #29 4 years ago

    I don't think anyone can deny that Ico does suffer from clunky controls. And don't try justifying it as an artistic decision. Have fun timing the jump off the piston?

    With regard to Katamari, no need for hardware hackery--just grab SwapMagic from Ebay. And go for the US version rather than the Japanese.

  • Thamuhacha #30 4 years ago

    What are comedy bombs?
  • monkie_king #31 4 years ago

    They're like the Bob-ombs from Mario64, transplanted into a pseudo-realistic environment. They're very out of place in Ico, shoe-horned in for the sake of a couple of contrived puzzles.
  • El_MUERkO #32 4 years ago

    The Mark of Kri looks cool :D
  • Mr_Bogus #33 4 years ago

    Yea the Maximo games were fun, esp the 2nd one (more balanced & less punishing than the 1st). But i said it before & i'll say it again...

    GREGORY HORROR SHOW!!
  • retr0gamer #34 4 years ago

    I'm a massive Treasure fan but I thought Freak Out was a tech demo masquarading as a dreadful videogame.

    Don't forget Contra Shattered Soldier, great 2D platform shooter that got ignored on release because it made the quicksaving losers cry.
  • HermitArcader #35 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011
  • kentmonkey #36 4 years ago

    @ Rhythm

    ICO is my favourite game of all time. When I wrote the AATG Top 100 a year or so back it was voted in the Top 2 of a lot of lists. However, from memory, I don't think anyone voted it outside of their top 3 (when they could vote for 15 games I think, maybe 20, I can't remember) which goes to show that you either loved it or it left you cold.

    I loved it, bombs aside, and I never did have a problem with that piston or the controls.
  • Sneerk #37 4 years ago

    I just got Okami, fantastic!
  • DanWhitehead #38 4 years ago

    It's probably worth reiterating that this isn't supposed to be a list of the greatest PS2 games of all time (though some would appear on that list as well), and it's certainly not a list of games that everybody will like. It's a look at games that were overlooked and are worth revisiting, either because they're genuinely good or because you can now pick them up for pennies on Ebay. I certainly wouldn't recommend Dog's Life or Freak Out as full price releases, but for less than a fiver I'd certainly recommend them to open-minded gamers purely for the WTF factor.
  • amorpheus #39 4 years ago

    why the hell I gotta buy a ps2 to play ico and okami I'll never get...
  • Chtulie #40 4 years ago

    Would Forbidden Siren 1 really, really be better recommended then 2?

    Next up, Michigan: Report from Hell and Zone of the Enders 2?
  • aine #41 4 years ago

    one thing i've noticed about this article (and the one preceding it) is most of the games were published by big international companies (an exception being Freak Out, but that's from a critically acclaimed and fairly popular developer); so many of them got a decent amount of press coverage in the first place, even if they went on to sell fuck-all.

    i reckon the sort of games that -really- need highlighting are the ones that were perhaps never released in the US (because in this world of international press coverage that counts for quite a lot) and/or were published over here by small companies; stuff like Global Defence Force, Psyvariar, Road Trip Adventure, Gadget Racers (an entirely different game to the US "Gadget Racers" which was released here as Penny Racers), Gregory Horror Show, Battle Construction Vehicles (for the premise and dodgy voice acting if nothing else), and the stuff published by 505 Games back when they were a weird interesting little italian company whose games rarely saw british shop shelves - Graffiti Kingdom, Samurai Western, Michigan, Bujingai, Zoo Puzzle and all the other shit.
    Edited by 1 at 14/02/08 @ 15:02
  • Rafeage #42 4 years ago

    I really wish people would stop going on about ICO. If you like dragging a retard around fair play, for the rest of us the whole concept was just plain annoying.

    On the other hand SoTC was quite good apart from the frame rate occasionally dying.
  • Agent_Llama #43 4 years ago

    Road Trip Adventure! \o/
  • Nithron #44 4 years ago

    Rez needs to be on here.
  • darc #45 4 years ago

    I really need to revisit ICO. On first effort it was just a little bit TOO "poetic" for me. Minimalist and slowly paced, it was easy to get a little restless between the rewarding parts. And oh yeah I HATED the combat, which seemed to serve the actual game content in no redeemable way.

    Okami was just georgeous, but began to impress me as a button-masher a ways in. I played many hours, and mostly enjoyed them, but probably never came close to finishing it.
    Edited by 1 at 14/02/08 @ 16:00
  • darc #46 4 years ago

    Katamari on the other hand... is beyond me.
  • LFMartins #47 4 years ago

    Zone of the Enders was completely awesome and i hope it appears on part 3.Never played the sequel though,was it better?
  • murphy245 #48 4 years ago

  • Feanor #49 4 years ago

    Dragging a retard around, hehehe.
  • Xephon1970 #50 4 years ago

    Crikey, I have all of these...well nearly - the exceptions being Herdy Gerdy and Maximo. Might have to give them a spin after all.
  • CaoSlayer #51 4 years ago

    "Zone of the Enders was completely awesome and i hope it appears on part 3.Never played the sequel though,was it better?"

    Is like one hundred times better. Combat is faster, Graphics are improved (ever through ), subweapons no longer are a chore (instead of hunting for ammo, you get a subweapon energy bar for all them and weapons are focused in giving you extra options in combat such as double damage if you hit a enemy close to a wall, homming weapons, extra strong shield, ranged grab and so) and the most important, the plot is told by using anime with professional quality and the new main character is badass while Leo... well, I will not spoil it.

    Also the game is a cult game because it gives tribute to Grandius in the most fun possible way.

    It should be in part 3 or 4.
  • VMerken #52 4 years ago

    I'm one of those 9 people who bought all these games - except Herdy Gerdy, should check it out then - on release day or second hand and never looked back. They were worth every penny.

    Oh, and it's Clover Studios (cool name) -> SEEDS (cool name) -> Platinum Games (less than stellar name)
    Edited by 1 at 15/02/08 @ 02:48
  • NegativeZero #53 4 years ago

    Predictions/Suggestions for the third installment:
    - Shadow of the Colossus
    - Odin Sphere (it's out in PAL soonish isn't it? Though I guess it doesn't matter since Katamari Damacy made the list here and it's only NTSC)
    - Sly Racoon
    - Rez

    Personally I'm also a big fan of Namco's Tales games and I know they have a strong following, but they're probably just mainstream enough to fall outside cult status. Though Tales of the Abyss was a great JRPG regardless.
  • FlamingCarrot #54 4 years ago

    I'm playing Okami on my PS3 and absolutely love it.
  • mash the x button #55 4 years ago

    Shadow of Memories, if not already mentioned, is genius.