Short, fun PS2 games for a tight college schedule?

W

WDotica

CAG Veteran
I just started college, and between class, homework, and job, the amount of time I have to game has dwindled to the point where 50-hour RPG's aren't exactly feasible for me anymore. What are some simple "fun" PS2 games that I can invest in for those minutes of in-between time? Preferably they should have some form of multiplayer that anyone can jump into, because unfortunately most of my friends can't just "jump into" a match of Tekken or Virtua Fighter. =p
 
My friends and I always liked playing the X-Men Legends games. They were on Xbox but I think there's a ps2 version too and you can save very often for the quick minutes as you say.

That's really all I can think of though. I like the co-op style more than the fighters. I think my friends and I always got into em more.
 
Katamari. Hard to just jump into at a moments notice but given that most levels don't last too long, not too hard to just pass the controller after 5 minutes.
 
Lots of work and kids make it so I get 30 minutes--maybe a full hour--each weeknight for either TV or gaming. As a result, haven't watched TV in well over a month. Anyhow, I've been picking through PS2 games lately so I'd like to think I'm in a similar situation.

Maximo: Army of Zin is good because the stages generally take very little time, and the entire game isn't too long. It's generally fun and easy going, especially if you like "capcom-y" platformers. I like them for the sake of the "bunches of coins" sound effect. It's like a fountain of chimes. It's really easy to pick up, play a quick stage, and go to bed. The game mechanics are fun enough--not as good as others, but still okay.

Both Katamaris are good for quick play. Most challenges are 5-10 minutes. I enjoy the Katamari very much. Me and the King of the Cosmos are very close.

A warning on X-Men Legends. I have number 2 in the series, and it's not well suited to quick play IMO. It has an assload of load times, and the goofy interface makes it so that you really have to know the game to get through things efficiently. I understand that it's a fun game, but I haven't made much of a dent in it just because I get sick of waiting on it to load.

Another one that doesn't work out as well as you'd think is Ratchet & Clank 2 (the only one I've played -- I'm getting 3 soon). Generally I like the game, but one thing I absolutely fucking hate about R&C2 is when they force me to do non-platforming stuff to progress the story. You know, stuff like star fights, rail grinding, other bullshit not involving running, jumping, and shooting the shit out of everything. Plus, once you are platforming, the stages have a tendency to go on and on. Anyhow, those little things make the game less pick-up-n-play friendly. If the stages in R&C2 were more like Maximo, where you could jump in and out without a problem, R&C2 would be the perfect pick-up-n-player: terrific gameplay, lots of fun, and easy to jump in and out of.
 
Red Star: Unfortunately, it's just not possible to jump in at any moment... it is 2-player though! Still, the game is $20, so can't go wrong there.

I'd also recommend the Capcom Classics Collections. Both have a good selection of games and most of them have the ability for a second player to jump in/out when necessary.

Also, the Lego Star Wars games would be a great option. It is very easy to jump in/out on those with a second player and the levels are somewhat short, but the game has a lot of replayability due to the unlockables.
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Shadow of the Colossus is a short, but excellent, PS2 game.[/QUOTE]

You know, Shadow of the Colossus is a great idea. Not only is the game fantastic, but it's very easy to play in short bursts. Just kill one or two colossi between classes or something and you're good to go.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']You know, Shadow of the Colossus is a great idea. Not only is the game fantastic, but it's very easy to play in short bursts. Just kill one or two colossi between classes or something and you're good to go.[/quote]

Yeah, Shadow of the Colossus would work great.
 
Katamari or bust. There really isn't a more perfect fit for what you're describing.

Well, maybe Guitar Hero, but (at least in my experience) that never truly results in "just a quick play." If I had it when I lived in the dorms, I would have failed right out of school.
 
Sly Cooper is a good one for that. SSX games and Downhill Domination also.
 
STREET FIGHTER!

practice in your down time, beast mothafukkas at the small arcade area in between your classes
 
I bought Katamari Damacy and SSX Tricky and I really like them right now. have yet to try SSX's multiplayer, but 2 people rolling each other up is a blast and short enough to be a simple time killer. Last night single player was more of a fumbling around experience, getting used to the games (who reads manuals?) but I enjoyed it.

I'll have to get Capcom Classics Vol. 1 (which has Final Fight, unfortunately Vol. 2 which the store had did not. =/)


Thanks guys.
 
i always used to jump into THPS games. You can just play it for 5 mins or 30 if you got the time. Any sports game would probably be a good investment.
 
[quote name='thelonepig']Red Star: Unfortunately, it's just not possible to jump in at any moment... it is 2-player though! Still, the game is $20, so can't go wrong there.
[/quote]
Totally agree, Red Star is great fun and you can just play through the levels pretty quickly. Only the second to last level was the only one that I thought was too long to play through. It's a $20 budget game that plays like a $50 full release. Do not pass Red Star up, its one of the best PS2 action games to come out this year (after GoW 2).

I also recommend fighting games for quick gaming sessions. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core comes out Sept. 12th and it will only be $30.

Also, pick up Capcom Classics Vol 2. It has tons of beat em up games on it that are similar to Final Fight. Knights of the Round is a great game.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']You know, Shadow of the Colossus is a great idea. Not only is the game fantastic, but it's very easy to play in short bursts. Just kill one or two colossi between classes or something and you're good to go.[/QUOTE]

It's even more applicable once you completed and are able to play the time trial mode.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']You know, Shadow of the Colossus is a great idea. Not only is the game fantastic, but it's very easy to play in short bursts. Just kill one or two colossi between classes or something and you're good to go.[/QUOTE]
Your mom is always good to go


And yeah, SoTC is fantastic and short. I wish it was longer though :p
 
i think max payne was short, i dont remember much but i played it and felt that it was one of the shortest games ive played. that should cost you around $4.99 or cheaper.

parappa the rapper 2. should be around $10 bucks or less.

BG: Dark Alliance games are long games. although you could just do a 1 hour hack-and-slash through the dungeons and save your game. i love those games.
 
aside from the mentioned games, Destroy All Humans is also a good time killer

i only played 4 games in my last year of college, and those were Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari, Shadow of the Colossus, and Destroy All Humans (i only played tekken5 before that)

all of them can be played 1 "level" at a time with no problem =)
 
I think the op is leaning more to multiplayer games
though sly, sotc and ico are fantastic games, all.

for multiplayer, xiii and time splitters 2 are good fun, and the burnout series is a great party game that is easy to pickup and play
twisted metal black still holds up and the tiger woods games are solid
 
I agree with those who have mentioned the THPS games, if you're into skating. American Wasteland is a pretty stellar game, and can get quick, quality bursts of game play, but the entirety of the game can last quite a while.

Also, I'm biased because it's my favorite video game, but Timesplitters Future Perfect is perfect for quick gameplay. It's satisfyingly violent and quick paced, but certain levels on "Hard" difficulty definitely earn their title.
 
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