Way before the internet was on every phone and livestreaming influencers were commonplace, the PlayStation 2 was releasing a number of revolutionary and experimental games. Many of these games would go on to be franchises that we all know and love today.
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But could you imagine how much bigger or more popular some of them might have become if they came out in our modern era of gaming? A place where the right person deciding to play your game live could make it blow up in a way that just wasn’t possible way back when. There are so many titles that would have been discovered by just the right people.
Here are just a few of the ones that would’ve been popping up everywhere if they came out now.
10 Devil May Cry
A Real Bad Leather-clad Lad
Bad boy anti-hero Dante in his red leather trench coat, a gigantic sword on his back, and dual pistols in hand was the height of gaming fashion back in the day. And Devil May Cry’s combat was an open-ended revolution in hack-and-slash combat that let players create their own combos. The game would then rank your combo on how stylish it found your performance.
If the series launched today, we’d be seeing players post their best combos on their preferred streaming platforms. Dante and crew are still popular choices for many a cosplayer even to this day. I can only wonder how more frenzied the fandom would be if it came out now.
9 Okami
A True Piece of Art
Sure, Okami is a game with an intriguing story, clever puzzles, and a unique paintbrush mechanic. But what really made it stand out among all the other Zelda-inspired games was its wonderful art direction.
The cel-shaded visuals of Okami were heavily inspired by traditional Japanese painting styles. Amaterasu the white wolf is still to this day one of the most gorgeous character designs ever. And the environments were full of lavish cherry blossom-laden landscapes that helped create a wondrous and magical open world. The game’s beauty would definitely have it popping up all over your feeds if it came out today.
8 Bully
Beat on the Brat
When Bully came out in 2006, it was riddled with controversy for a number of reasons. Some people thought it glorified being a bully, although anyone who actually played the game could’ve told you that wasn’t really the case. Others were upset that you could have the male protagonist kiss other boys. Rockstar Games was getting heat from both the left and the right.
Could you imagine how inflamed social media discourse would become over a game like this in an era where everyone can’t stop yelling at each other online? It’s hard to say if it would be going viral for the right or wrong reasons, but it would definitely go viral with a lot of streamers.
7 Mister Mosquito
You Suck at this Game
There are a lot of games that end up being streamed by the hottest influencers of the moment these days just because they’re weird. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mister Mosquito would be one of those games that everyone was playing just because of how quirky it is.
The game’s concept is simple enough; you just fly around pestering a family as you try to drain their blood without them noticing. I know it sounds a little creepy when I put it like that, but Mister Mosquito is a cute and amusing game with many viral stream moments just waiting to happen.
6 Gitaroo Man
A Six-String Sonata
|
Platform |
PlayStation 2 |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
Koei |
|
Genre |
Rhythm Game |
|
Release Date |
February 18, 2002 |
There are a few things that make Gitaroo Man a truly unique rhythm game experience. Unlike many other games in the genre, it features more than one type of mini-game in each level, making you go from following a line note-to-note to tapping the center of a circle in time with the groove.
It sticks out from the crowd not only for its superhero setting and cartoonish art direction, but because the soundtrack just shreds. You would definitely see people ripping it up on their guitars along to all of Gitaroo Man’s jams on their channels if it came out now.
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5 Zone of the Enders
The Giant Robot and The Genius
I still think Zone of the Enders features some of the best and fastest mech combat ever in a video game. It definitely felt like just what I’d been waiting for as a connoisseur of giant robot action titles. But the solid gameplay isn’t why ZoE would be going viral if it came out today.
Nope. That would be for one reason and one reason only: Hideo Kojima. The man behind Metal Gear, the daddy of Death Stranding, was also the creator of Zone of the Enders. Streamers would be all over it just because his name is on it. I like to think they’d keep playing because it’s an excellent game though.
Vehicular Manslaughter
Other vehicular combat games pale in comparison to the mechanical might that is Twisted Metal: Black. The extremely dark atmosphere and storytelling brought the ailing franchise back from the brink of death. Driving around as a psychopath in an ice cream truck, shooting a dude with giant tires for arms with a missile had never been more enjoyable.
I like to think that if a game like this came out today, there would be an abundance of online modes in addition to the main campaign. Maybe there would be a massive battle royale mode too. One can only dream at this point.
3 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Totally Radical to the Max
The GTA series is one of, if not the biggest franchises in gaming history. Every entry has basically blown up the internet in one way or another when it launched. Vice City was no different when it came out.
To me though, this game was peak GTA. I know that GTA 6 is going to be taking us back to Vice City, and I’m very excited to see what the multiplayer is like. But could you imagine how the online RP communities would be if they got a chance to GTA role-play in a retro Vice City? It would be all over Twitch!
2 Kingdom Hearts
A Whole New World
Sora, his keyblade, and those big yellow shoes of his are still beloved by gamers everywhere. Throw in a hefty dose of some of Disney and Square-Enix’s most fan favorite characters, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Sephiroth, and you’ve got the makings for a banger RPG franchise that’s bound to go viral.
Kingdom Hearts became an instant classic when it originally launched and has continued to be beloved by gamers who grew up with it. It would definitely be showing up on all your favorite channels if it launched today. And you know all the Disney adult influencers would be all over it.
1 Katamari Damacy
Roll Out!
Every single aspect of Katamari is just begging to break the internet. What could only be described as a rolling-everything-up-into-a-ball simulator, Katamari Damacy was a welcome moment of glorious insanity at launch. And who couldn’t help but love the relationship between the King of all Cosmos and his teeny, tiny Prince!
The concept and gameplay execution was already odd enough, but then you throw in the King of Cosmos and whatever the heck he was talking about, and you’ve got something really special. It’s just that perfect storm of simple and addictive gameplay mixed with the right look that would have people streaming it left and right.
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- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
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- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
