What are the bestPS2 games?

[Zorak Masaki]

After losing interest in gaming around 2001, ive started getting back into video games again after buying a PS2 at a flea market. What are some good PS2 games that i should get. If you need help on what genres im into, heres what i already have:
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2
Smackdown!: Shut your mouth
XIII
What games would you reccomend for a fan of those games/genres?

[Strollymonster]

I myself just got a PS2 last month, having long tired of my GCN. Anyways, some good titles:

God of War
God of War II
Katamari Damacy
GTA 3/Vice City/San Andreas
Okami
Shadow of the Colossus
Ico
Bully

That's not a bad list to start from...

[Captain Highwind]

Rogue Galaxy and Xenosaga seem to be interesting...

[Luna]

Okami
Katamari Damacy

[Eddy]

Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 3
Katamari Damacy
We Love Katamari
Okami
Beyond Good & Evil
Psychonauts
Sly Cooper

That's in no particular order. But those are some of my favorites.

[Mynd Hed]

Burnout 3 is quite possibly the finest arcade-style racing title of all time, although if you happen to have an Xbox, it's slightly better on that platform. Bonus: it's dirt cheap nowadays; under $20 brand new and around $10 used.

The Katamari series (Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari) is a must for innovative, addictive gameplay and crazy Japanese style. It's also relatively cheap, at roughly $20 for the first game and $30 for the second. It's a tossup which to get; the first has an even more fantastic soundtrack and is slightly cheaper, while the second has more variety and a slightly better camera. My advice: get both, considering you can get them both for less than the price of one brand new game.

The Guitar Hero series (there are two out currently, with a third installment and an 80's themed expansion due out soon) are the best of the best in the music / rhythm genre. Unfortunately they're relatively pricey due to the inclusion of a fantastic guitar peripheral, but they're well worth it. The sequel has a much-improved multiplayer mode, but that won't do you any good unless you get two guitars. I'd say it's better to make your choice based on which one has more of your favorite tunes in its track list, then check out the other one when your pocketbook has recovered and you're ready to bust out some two-player jams.

If you're into Squeenix RPGs (as I assume you are based on your interest in the Kingdom Hearts games), the PS2 is definitely the system to own. All but the latest releases can be had fairly cheap, too; my picks would be Final Fantasy X, which has its flaws (most notably excessive linearity) but also boasts fantastic battle and character progression systems and is definitely worth a playthrough at the low low price you're likely to find it for, and Dragon Quest VIII, which is old-school console RPG fun at its best. Dozens of hours of play, fun, likable Toriyama-designed characters, a relatively light tone, a GORGEOUS 3D world to explore and beautiful cel-shaded graphics make for a great package. They'll run you between fifteen and twenty bucks new, and as low as eight used. That's an easy fifty or sixty hours of top-notch gameplay for less than the price of a movie.

[Sigma]

Here are my personal picks for the best PS2 exclusive titles.

God of War I & II
Okami
Shadow of the Colossus
Ico
Odin Sphere
Final Fantasy XII
Dragon Quest VIII
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry 3
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Jak and Daxter
Jak II
Jak III
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistance
Onimusha 1-3

[Noukon]

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are, bar none, the best exclusives that ever came out for the PS2. Truly worth owning the system over for anyone who has good taste in games.

[Novapocalypse]

Gran Turismo
Jak II
Jak 3
Okami
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 2
GTA Vice City

[Dirty Dawg]

Grand Theft Auto series(With San Andreas being my favorate)
Kingdom Hearts series(Thought I've never played KH2)
Tekken 4
Jeopardy!

[Desensitized]

Check out the Timesplitters series for awesome FPS action:

Timesplitters (It's worth it for the cheap price)
Timesplitters 2 (Better game in every way than 1)
Timesplitters: Future Perfect (The best in the series, I think)

If you can only get one, go with FP. It's the most user friendly of the 3 and isn't as hard, either.