A Few Amazing Facts About PlayStation 2 You Probably Didn’t Know

The popularity of the legendary PlayStation 2 and its astounding success haven’t become history. Today, as classic video games are making a grandiose comeback, more and more fans of quality old-school titles are looking to download PS 2 emulators and games in the form of ROM files to play on their modern devices. According to the unofficial survey conducted by a handful of connoisseurs of vintage consoles, modern gamers are no longer satisfied with contemporary games that are being churned out on a regular basis. They crave to experience that primordial fun and delight which could be felt only when playing old-school games of the bygone days. That is the main reason why PS 2 fans install the PCSX2 emulator onto their devices and run it along with the dedicated PS2 BIOS. But what is the secret of PS 2 reverberating popularity? What was special about this cult device that revolutionized the entertainment industry? Well, the reasons are manifold… And we’re not going to dwell on those boring details and concepts retro gamers don’t have any interest in whatsoever. Instead, you want to check out some fun and surprising facts about the PS 2 you might not know.

Advertising Campaign

Some of the first series advertisements for the PlayStation 2 are remembered for being very strange. They had bizarre trippy visuals and didn’t highlight any of the system’s features. This is because Sony commissioned surrealist film director, David Lynch, to create the commercials. They were pitched with the idea that the PlayStation 2 was a gateway to another world called the Third Place, where experiences were beyond expectation. Sony of Europe commissioned Lynch because they felt he was the only one who could communicate this abstract idea.

Firmware Secrets

The PlayStation 2 firmware also contained a few interesting secrets. The White Towers seen in the PS2 startup animation are representations of save data from the user’s memory card. They’re rendered on the screen in real time according to the number of save files and the size of each file. Also, the strange spinning orbs on the main menu are actually a clock. This is evident by the system configuration menu, in which the orbs and 12 glass-like pillars can be seen, with one lit up according to the time.

The End

One of the most creative uses of the PS2’s internal clock was in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It was The End, a 100-year-old sniper waiting for a decent opponent. You could encounter this hellishly sharp-sighted old man during the boss fights. The interesting fact is that players could avoid skirmishing with the grandpa. If the player saves the game in the middle of the battle and waits over a week before playing again, The End will have died of old age. Of course, it was possible to change a system’s date a week ahead to get the same results.

Discontinuation

Sony claims that over 10,000 games are available for the system, and support for the PlayStation 2 extended throughout the duration of the PlayStation 3’s lifecycle. In fact, the PS4 launched in 2013, the exact same year the last PS 2 games ever were released – FIFA 14 and Pro Evo Soccer 2014, to be exact.

Insane Popularity

Currently the PS 2 holds the record as the single best-selling video console ever having moved over 157 million units worldwide.

The PS2 was so popular that one man in Britain had his name legally changed to PlayStation 2. The 29-year-old man, formerly known as Dan Homes, had such a strong attachment to his device that he even tried to marry the console. The gamer once told the BBC, “I joked about marrying the PS2 and asked a few vicars if they would do the service. They didn’t seem keen.” Can you imagine that? Yep, the popularity of PS2 was almost literally insane back in the day.

You don’t have to marry the PS2, even if you’re crazy about it. Nor do you have to obtain a physical PS2 to start playing favorite games. As we’ve noted earlier, install a stable emulator, grab a couple of favorite ROMs (PS2 games), get the right BIOS, and you’re good to go!