With the PlayStation 5 due to be released in late 2020, it’s easy to forget that the PlayStation 2 launched a little under twenty years ago in October 2000. The console became the best selling games machine in the world outselling the likes of the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and the Sega Dreamcast.

The PlayStation 2’s success has always boiled down having a great range of games with a variety of choices. This continued even after the launch of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 in 2006 with developers releasing classics like Persona 4, Final Fantasy XII, and more. However, the PS2’s line up at the machine’s launch was a surprisingly good one too especially for fans of local co-op and sports games.

10 Ridge Racer V (Metascore 78)

Developed by Namco, the Ridge Racer series was always a big seller on the original PlayStation so it made sense for the fifth and most advanced entry to launch with the PlayStation 2. It’s an arcade racer that had at the time some amazingly detailed visuals for its time.

The control system was a lot easier to manage than its predecessors and the drifting mechanics, in particular, were a lot more forgiving. However, in terms of innovation, Ridge Racer V wasn’t much of an improvement over R4: Ridge Racer Type 4.

9 Midnight Club: Street Racing (Metascore 78)

Developed by Rockstar, Midnight Club: Street Racing is an arcade racing game set in London and New York City. The game used an open world setting instead of linear fixed racing tracks and for many gamers, it considered to be a pioneer in open-world racing games long before the likes of Forza Horizon.

Midnight Club: Street Racing was based on a real-life racing team known as the Mid Night Club which originated in Japan. It featured excellent music and a story mode which was unusual for racing titles at the time.

8 Armored Core 2 (Metascore 78)

Armored Core 2 is a third-person action mech game developed by FromSoftware who is now better known for its Dark Souls series. While the Armored Core series fits into a different genre to FromSoft’s other works, it’s a difficult game with a lot of attention to detail.

However, despite the difficulty, it is the total package for fans of Japanese science fiction and mechs. The level of customization involved is in-depth down to the tiniest details, and the combat system was highly adaptable.

7 Smuggler’s Run (Metascore 79)

Smuggler’s Run, like Midnight Club Racing, is another racing developed by Rockstar Studios as a launch title for the PlayStation 2. However, instead of racing through the streets, players take on the role of a smuggler racing through various outdoor terrains like the desert, forests, and the snow.

The cross country racing title set itself apart from other racers and its visuals at the time offered gamers a peek at next-gen visuals. Smuggler’s Run has a career mode with a total of 34 missions to complete as well as a Turf War mode and a free roam experience called Joyriding.

6 TimeSplitters (Metascore 81)

Developed by Free Radical Design, TimeSplitters is a first-person action shooter that was created by some of the same team members responsible for Goldeneye 007 on the Nintendo 64. It was a fast-paced action shooter with a time-traveling storyline that placed players into a variety of timezones.

While TimeSplitters lacked the stealthy approach found in Goldeneye 007, its multiplayer modes are what kept players coming back for more. In addition, the game allowed gamers to design their own levels which were incredibly innovative for its time.

5 NHL 2001 (Metascore 85)

NHL 2001 is part of the long-running ice hockey series developed Electronic Arts. The game was a big step up in visuals in comparison to its PS1 counterpart. Furthermore, EA made the series far more accessible to newcomers with gameplay more in line with the 16-Bit classics.

In addition to its pick-up-play controls, NHL 2001 offered its core players a lot of depth and customization. The game has tons of options for players that like to refine their experience to their liking.

4 Tekken Tag Tournament (Metascore 85)

Tekken Tag Tournament is the PlayStation 2 port of the arcade title of the same name released in 1999. for the time, the game offered players a huge roster of 35 characters that appeared in Tekken 2 and Tekken 3.

It was an excellent launch title and it offered its players great value for money, unlike today’s titles which hide their unlockable characters behind paywalls. The sequel followed in 2012 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the Wii U.

3 Madden NFL 2001 (Metascore 91)

Madden NFL 2001 is an American Football title and, like NHL 01 is part of long-running yearly sports series developed by Electronic Arts. Visually, the game was a huge step up from its predecessors and even had the NFL 2K series beat on the Sega Dreamcast.

In terms of presentation, sound, and options Madden 2001 set a new standard for sports games developed by EA, with every new title raising the bar. The single-player experience offers gamers hours upon hours of gameplay and while it wasn’t quite on par with NFL 2K1 the multiplayer experience was solid too.

2 DOA2: Hardcore (Metascore 91)

DOA2: Hardcore is an enhanced port of Dead or Alive 2 that originally appeared on the Sega Dreamcast earlier in 2000. Visually, it looked a generation ahead of games like Tekken Tag Tournament and Street Fighter EX3.

The animations for the characters are smooth and fluid and move around the 3D space more naturally than similar titles like Soul Calibur. The combat is lightning fast, and easy to pick up with counters and reversals that work better than any other fighter.

1 SSX (Metascore 93)

Developed by EA, SSX is a snowboarding racing title and one of the most fun launch titles on the PlayStation 2. While many gamers were looking to racing titles like Ridge Racer V for their arcade racing thrills, nothing matched the simplistic fun of EA’s snowboarding title.

SSX offers gamers great local multiplayer for endless couch co-op fun for gamers of all ages. Additionally, the single-player mode is lengthy and has a ton of replayability with its great course structure and design.

NEXT: The 10 Best RPGs On PS4 So Far (According To Metacritic)