My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #1: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3 wasn't a sequel to MGS2, instead the prequel to the whole series even the NES and MSX games.  You get to play as Big Boss, not some clone or whiny blonde bitch. 

I loved the jungle, forest, mountains, and even the inside areas of Snake Eater. Unlike other MGS games, you really did have a place to hide. So much fun to be had with that too.

The bosses were epic in this game unlike Sons of Liberty. The End is my favorite, where you get to fight this old guy in this huge forest area in a 30 min-1 hour fight of patience. 

I also wished I had online at the time of Subsistence the much better version of MGS3. It had a pretty cool multi player from what I heard, but they were plenty of extras and much better camera in that version. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #2: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

I played a little of 3, but this was my first real experience with the Grand Theft Auto series. 

The game is now set in a Miami-ish setting of Vice City. It's got the awesome 80's culture and music all in the game. I loved the missions and the storyline. 

I also liked the sense of speed and driving better than any of the other GTA games. I also liked how I remember most of the map unlike San Andreas or Grand Theft Auto IV.

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #3: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The final game in the PS2 trilogy was pretty rad. 3 whole new cities, and a huge quest to take. 

It was also the first game in the series to really tap into the "Black gangster" culture. Granted I was sick of the whole Italian gangster theme of the series, and I do like the change of pace like when you get to play a Russian gangster in Grand Theft Auto IV. 

As far as the main game goes, it's a decent improvement when it came to combat. Though the game is a bit too big, with some of the lands being bare, and the missions being not as memorable as the past games. However despites it's pros and cons, San Andreas is easily one of the best in the series, and was defiantly a lot better than GTA IV. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #4: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Soild 2 was actually my first MGS. I got stuck on the bomb freezing part, and then played Twin Snakes on GC, and then came back to this one. 

Playing as Solid Snake was awesome, and I remember how much of a difference there was between the demo of the first PS1 game I played, and the sequel. 

Then you have to play as Raiden, which sucks a bit. The story is fucking goofy, the bosses aren't as memorable as other games, and the whole dejavu thing gets a bit annoying. But as a whole it is a fantastic game, and one of the best on PS2.

My Top Ten Playstation 2 Games #5: Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Loved the hell out of Marvel vs. Capcom 2. A decent fighter with such fan-match-ups made in heaven. Fuck Mortal Kombat vs DC, this is the shit right here. 

I also loved the fact that I bought a used PS2 copy for $35 and sold it a few years down the road for almost $80.

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #6: Burnout 3: Takedown

I never played the first two, but after all the hype I eventually got the 3rd game. 

I love the arcade-ish feel to the game. No stupid simulation stuff, just pure drive and wreck fun. Thumbs up to the guy who thought making a game based on wrecking was a good idea. 

Granted the wrecking aspect does make a "race" feel a bit weird in the game. But hey that's not why I play Burnout. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #7: Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Before the series went all dark and emo, Jak and Daxter gave Sony fans a title with the same class and charm as Nintendo gave gamers with Super Mario 64 or Sega with Sonic Adventure. 

Though he didn't have much besides jumps and physical attacks, I enjoyed the platforming a lot better than the 2nd game. 

There was also a lot of to do and explore in Jak and Daxter too. My only complaint is that I got stuck on a mission and didn't get to finish it. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games Honorable Mention: Sly Cooper And The Thievius Raccoonus

Even though it didn't take off like Jak or Ratchet did, this is still one of the fan-favorites for a lot of Sony fanboys. 

This game was sort of a mix of Jak and Daxter meets Metal Gear Solid/Splinter Cell. 

It defaintly had it's own style and the cel-shaded graphics were only outclassed by Wind Waker during that console generation. I just wished I liked stealth games more often.

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #8: Jak II

While Daxter got dropped from the title, he did stay an important part of the storyline. 

Though Jak has taken a more darker tone, with him and Daxter in a new world of facist rulers and cities with oppressed people. 

The game-play focuses less on platforming now, and instead opts for a more action-based combat system. Pretty good stuff, though this game can get annoyingly hard. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #9: Onimusha

This was actually a kinda overlooked title on PS2. Basically Resident Evil meets Samurai.

It even had the Resident Evil camera-angles. But at least the sword action was pretty top notch. 

Also a lot of great boss encounters. One of the rare PS2 games that doesn't let you use the analog stick. I hated the D-pad. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games Honorable Mention: Kingdom Hearts

Though I personally believe their milking the series now for all it's worth, the original broke some impressive ground. 

Who could really imagine a world with Final Fantasy meets Disney? And as an action-rpg of all things. 

The gummi ship was bullshit though. 

My Top Ten PlayStation 2 Games #10: Splinter Cell

I really wished I got the Xbox version, but hey the PS2 game was a good version in it's own right. 

Maybe it wasn't graphically as good as the Xbox version, it still was basically the same game. Metal Gear Solid might have set the court for stealth games, but Splinter Cell took it too a realistic level. Lights and shadow, gadgets, and the ability to think were your best friends. 

I just hate that the game is a bit too hard. I like how in MGS that if you get caught you can blast your way out. You can't blast your way out of Splinter Cell. No fucking way.