SHMUP and/or Quirky PS2 recommendations

[Josephine]

So, I finally got a PS2, bought for $60 off a friend who just got a PS3 and handed it to me with a hard drive and four controllers as well as a pile of games. Problem is, our tastes in games are quite different ^_^; Somehow, the running list of PS2 games that sounded interesting flew from my head when I got it, and I'm having trouble coming up with games I'd like to play.

While I do like RPGs, I bought Shining Tears and FFX to hold me over, plus my friend is also going to give me a copy of X-2. I shouldn't need anything else for awhile, and I'm well aware of all the RPGs on the system. RPGs are unfortunately the only titles that are coming to me right now.

Here are some games I've gotten/am going to get:
Sylpheed
Katamari Damacy
Guitar Hero/2
Metal Slug 4 & 5
Contra: Shattered Soldier
Gradius V

I like both run-and-gun and SHMUPS, run-and-gun coop is even better since I can play those with my roommate. I also like minigame-games (like Warioware) and rhythm games. Anything weird or bizarre is also good, like Cubivore, or a mix of weird and minigame is good too, like WTF.

I tend to avoid imports unless I'm sure I'll be able to get through it with minimal grasp of Japanese. I'll play import SHMUPS though.

[Collectonian]

If you don't mind going back to the PS One (and the PS2 you got isn't one of the older original releases), maybe check out the first Galarians game. The second sucks, or so I've heard, but the first is fun. Kind of a survival horror, but the concept of having a character that is basically hooked on various drugs made it fairly interesting. Good story too.

[Chacranajxy]

You don't need any Japanese knowledge to play imported shmups. I'd recommend:

Dodonpachi Daioujou
Mushihime-Sama
Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box (has Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, and Dynamite Headdy. In complete English.)
Metal Slug 3 and Metal Slug 6

and others would recommend

Espgaluda (haven't gotten around to this, but it's supposed to be awesome)
Ibara

[ColoradoJim]

I buy quirky games as well. Since the PS2 does play PS1 games, you should try and find Incredible Crisis which was a budget release so it shouldn't be very expensive on ebay. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incredible_Crisis

Tail of the Sun is another strange PS1 game but it may not suit your tastes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_of_the_Sun

One Piece Mansion is a rather cute and quirky puzzle type of game for the PS1. It was a budget release as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Piece_Mansion

Top Shop for the PS1 is a cute, quirky and very underrated and very cheap PS1 game these days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Shop

Culdcept for the PS2 is a strange and quirky game that uses cards in a board game concept. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culdcept

One unique quirky PS2 game that I have on preorder is Chulip and Natsume has FINALLY put it on their website so it is not vaporware for the USA. http://www.natsume.com/comingsoon_frameset.html

I'll have to look at my collection to see if there are any other quirky ones that haven't been mentioned yet.

For import while I haven't played it Vib Ribbon for the PS may be worth a shot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vib-Ribbon

[Azumangaman]

Nothing is more quirky, fun, intelligent, and totally awesome as:

The Ratchet and Clank Series.

Do yourself a favour and buy them all (although RAC: Up Your Arsenal is the most fun, and you don't need the early ones to understand the later ones).

[jecca-neko]

Taiko Drum Master kinda qualifies as quirky. Look around - you can probably get it for rather cheap brand new. I've seen it for as low as between $10-20.

Space Channel 5 Special Edition is definitely quirky. I don't know if you played these games on the Dreamcast or not. If you have them for DC, avoid this then... they're just ports.

Sega Genesis Collection has lots of good games. You end up paying less than $1 per game in it. It also has some platformer shooters and beat 'em ups that are both single and multiplayer friendly.

[Dylonius Funk]

Taiko Drum Master kinda qualifies as quirky. Look around - you can probably get it for rather cheap brand new. I've seen it for as low as between $10-20.

Space Channel 5 Special Edition is definitely quirky. I don't know if you played these games on the Dreamcast or not. If you have them for DC, avoid this then... they're just ports.

Sega Genesis Collection has lots of good games. You end up paying less than $1 per game in it. It also has some platformer shooters and beat 'em ups that are both single and multiplayer friendly.

Problem with Taiko is you need the drum to really get the most out of it. Like Guitar Hero, it w0orks best with the right accessory. But it is a fun game i played it at a convention and got my butt handed to me, it's tricky even at low levels.

If i rememebr correctly there wre Mega Man and Sonic collections released in the alst few years that should be available for PS2.

[Josephine]

Space Channel 5 Special Edition is definitely quirky. I don't know if you played these games on the Dreamcast or not. If you have them for DC, avoid this then... they're just ports.

AH! Space Channel 5! I had forgotten! That was one of the ones I wanted really bad when it came out. I played the Dreamcast one briefly, but mostly I'm familiar with the GBA port. I play it through to completion about once every couple months and cry a bit, wishing for a better version. I don't know how I forgot about that one.

Thanks for all the other recommendations too. I knew a ton of cool stuff would turn up if I asked ^_^ I had forgotten that I could dip back into PS1 games too, so I'll have to start shopping through those as well.

The SHMUP recs were all good ones, too. I'm in kind of a mood to play them since I haven't touched one in a few months. I'll almost certainly pick up Dodonpachi Daioujou, I didn't realize there were Donpachi games for PS2. I've been begging my roommate to get one for his Saturn forever. I forgot about the GH Treasure Box too, I was kind of jealous when that one came out not too long ago. And I forgot about Mushihime-sama, that one did look good.

And thank you, Colorado Jim, for introducing me to Chulip. That is totally my kind of game ^_^

[shynra]

For a 'Quicky' game thats really good ill say...

Gitaroo Man

http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/354/354413p1.html

Its a great music rythem game, a tad hard but fun 2 - 4 players....

[GyBaNO]

Metal Slug 3 and Metal Slug 6


Screw that, a collection of all six games is coming out in Feburary for the PS2.

Also, Josephine, do look up any of the excellent shmups that Working Designs released for the PSX over here.

Silhouette Mirage (personal favorite)
ThunderForce V
Raystorm
Raycrisis (personal favorite)