The PS2 was and still is the best-selling home console of all time. It’s hard to believe compared to other success stories like the DS and Wii but it is true. Part of why it became so successful in its generation was because it came out a year before its competition. It beat the original Xbox and the GameCube by a year.
Sony signed deals with some of the biggest names in the gaming industry to produce exclusives for the console as well. The PS2’s library is massive and, slowly but surely, some of the system's best titles are getting ports or HD remasters. There are still a lot of forgotten gems out there too though and a lot of the best are co-op enabled.
8 Alien Hominid
Alien Hominid began as a flash game before it was built into a more fully-fledged console experience. It’s still a short game that can be easily beaten in one sitting, especially if players take advantage of the four-player co-op mode.
It’s still a fun goofy take on the run and gun genre, akin to the Contra series, even though it is short. It stars an alien on the run from the government along with some other nefarious foes. There’s supposed to be a new version coming out soon but details have been scarce about it.
7 Champions Of Norrath
Champions of Norrath was one of the best action RPGs on the PS2 and it was exclusive. It received one sequel, Champions: Return to Arms, which is also a good game, although not quite as good as the original. The greatest thing about it was the ability to play with four people either on the couch or online.
The game was very accommodating to different play styles which made it easy to pop in for quick gameplay sessions. Surprisingly, Sony has never made a remastered collection nor even made an effort to port them to a digital store like so many other PS2 classics.
6 Metal Slug Anthology
Metal Slug Anthology is a great collection for any fan of run and gun shooters or games with prestige animation. The pixel art in this series has always been one of the best things about it. The art can be charming at times and grotesque as well in ways that are hard to describe without spoiling things.
This collection has almost every game in the series. The only main game missing is Metal Slug 7 which wasn’t out yet. It would be nice to see an updated collection in HD with all games up to current, including spinoffs. For now, however, this PS2 collection remains worthwhile and it can even be purchased on modern consoles thanks to the PS4’s direct digital port of it.
5 Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is the last main entry the series has received in almost two decades. This was like the samurai answer to Resident Evil, although there is a lot more to it than that. This was a reboot to the series in a way, introducing new characters and gameplay mechanics.
The main character, Soki, could be accompanied by a few different allies that came and went with the narrative. These allies could be taken over by a friend via a second controller option. Maybe this series can one day get rebooted once again, after Capcom remakes all of their Resident Evil games.
4 Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked was the first spinoff of the series to include a couch co-op option. Clank was in the backseat as Ratchet had to fight his way through gladiator-like arenas to get him back. Ratchet wasn’t alone in this fight, though, as he had two other robots by his side.
They were controlled by AI during single-player, but if a friend plugged in another controller, they could take over for the new robot characters. It’s not the most robust co-op action the series would see but it is fun enough for a side game.
3 Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront as a series might not be the most forgotten. The two reboot games are not that old plus Star Wars Battlefront 2 is still getting updates. However, there is a big difference between this original game, its sequel, and the two reboots.
The DNA is technically similar as players take on random troops to get as many kills or bases as possible. The newer games had a smaller scope though, whereas the originals were packed full of content and modes. The campaigns could be played in co-op, for example, and they were lengthy too.
2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is not a great name for a game since it could refer to many things in this ever-expanding franchise. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was based on the new 2000s cartoon and was a cel-shaded action game. This first game only offered a two-player co-op mode whereas both sequels in this trilogy accommodated four players.
It may not reach the heights of Turtles in Time, but, for a mindless brawler, these games were great for a party. They still look good today too thanks to the cel-shaded art style. Even though the first game has less co-op, it’s the best of the three.
1 X-Men Legends
There are a lot of great Marvel-based action RPGs on the PS2. Besides the two X-Men games, there were also two Marvel Ultimate Alliance titles. Of the two series, X-Men Legends is perhaps the more forgotten one. Both Marvel Ultimate Alliance games received ports of their HD versions to the previous console generation. The series also got a third Switch-exclusive game after fans had been itching for one for decades.
X-Men Legends does not have either luxury which might be changing soon since that Wolverine game is coming. Who knows what the future will hold. For now, though, co-op fans should try to track down these two games as they offer some of the very best four-player couch co-op action that the PS2 has to offer.