Playstation 2 finally retired in Japan

[charlesr]

http://kotaku.com/5971675/the-playstation-2-just-began-its-victory-lap-ceases-shipping-in-japan

Astonishing really. What a run.

[Wools]

It's a great console and I'll look back at the PS1 - PS2 era with great fondness.

Okami was the last real classic released for the machine wasn't it?

[JU!]

Great console in days when they broke down less and did not need a patch every 5 mins. Surprisingly my Japanese PS2 SCPH 1000000 is still going. 150 million unit shipped is some achievement by Sony. Most fond memories are Ridge Racer V, F355 and Winning Eleven as well as that MGS2 Demo with Z.O.E and Gran Turismo 3 opening movie.

[J0e Musashi]

I've still got my SCPH-10000 too. It's a BB Navigator 0.32 nowadays however. I've only ever had one DRE with FFX: International, otherwise it's running the same as it was on March 4th, 2000.

[wakka]

Out of interest, what do you still use BB Navigator for J0e?

The PS2 was a great system, one of the best of all time. 12 years is quite a run for any system. They were still bringing out FIFA on it too (mostly for developing markets I'd imagine).

[originalbadboy]

Still rocking a debug / test unit .. Not that it see's the light of day much.

[J0e Musashi]

Out of interest, what do you still use BB Navigator for J0e?

Nothing nowadays, all the channels are now closed. KOEI's one is still open, but hasn't been updated in a very long time. It still connects to the internet on boot though.

I prefer the interface to the standard PS2 Browser, that's probably the only reason I don't go back to HDD Utility Disc 1.00.

[JazzFunk]

Still with my 2001-era Gran Turismo 3 PAL phat, won't play blues or Viewtiful Joe or THAW but is 100% cool with anything else, and joypad is so weathered that the d-pad is excellent for fighting games and it all still works after being hammered for years!

BEST CONSOLE EVAR!

[mugetsu]

best console there has ever been.

[ShadowDancer]

Certainly puts all this current HD Nonsense to shame. Did take me a while to take to the PS2. The library really is insane once you start digging around, all regions. Legendary Console.

[Nu-Eclipse]

best console there has ever been.

Best home console, technically speaking. The DS platform (DS/DS Lite/DSi/DSi XL) recently beat it for lifetime worldwide sales.

Still an outstanding achievement. if anything, the PS2's success clearly illustrates just how much SCE fecked it up with the PS3 as the foundation to continue dominating was laid. Missed opportunity.

Will the PlayStation brand ever again see the golden age that it did with PSOne & PS2?

[sj33]

I still have some of the remnant Dreamcast fanboy in me who struggles to get too enthusiastic about the PS2. Indeed, in the early days in the console's life, it felt like a bit of a step backwards. But it became a must-own console. It definitely has an incredibly deep and comprehensive line-up of software. Probably the most comprehensive of any console. If I was only allowed one console for the rest of my life, the PS2 would probably be the most sensible choice.

[J0e Musashi]

The PS2 would without doubt be the ONLY choice under those circumstances.

[nakamura]

The PS2 is without doubt the most complete console ever in terms of games but of course that doesn't of course mean it has to be everyone's favourite.

So many great memories. Winning Eleven 5, Ridge Racer V, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, Persona, God of War, GT, etc etc etc.

Last classic I can think of is Persona 4.

[speedlolita]

I still prefer the PlayStation as a whole, but the PS2 can't be ignored either.