Cult Classics: PlayStation 2
Part 4! Finally!
Gitaroo Man
- Publisher: KOEI
- Developer: iNiS
So there's this school-kid. He's called U-1. He gets picked on a lot, and the girl he fancies wants nothing to do with him. Until, that is, a talking dog reveals that U-1 is the last survivor of Planet Gitaroo and transforms him into Gitaroo Man, a guitar-wielding superhero. In this new guise, our hero then battles the evil Zowie and his minions by blasting hot riffs on his axe. Placed somewhere between PaRappa and Guitar Hero, this is one of those games that was probably ahead of its time. Using the analogue sticks to twang your sound is as intuitive and fun as it should be and, had it arrived today with a plastic peripheral, more people would have warmed to it. As it was, gamers in 2002 were clearly in no mood to seek out the precious few copies that reached Europe. Silly-billies.
What we said: "A genuinely impressive little title with something fresh to offer fans of this rather niche market."
Ebay price guide: Between GBP 5 and GBP 10
Global Defence Force
- Publisher: D3 Publisher
- Developer: Sandlot
EDF! EDF! Wait, GDF? What's going on? Those who quite rightly fell in love with Sandlot's gloriously lo-tech next-gen bug blaster on 360 should probably be aware that it was really just a shiny makeover of their PS2 series, popular in Japan but almost unheard of over here. Indeed, many fans still insist that it's the PS2 version you should pick up. The relentless mayhem against giant ants, spiders, robots and enormous monsters is pretty much the same, but you do get an extra character - Pale Wing - who can fly, and it's not as if you're playing the 360 version for the graphics. The truly dedicated may also want to track down Global Defence Force Tactics, a turn-based strategy game based on the series.
What we said: Not reviewed. And apologies for the 360 screenshot - we couldn't find a PS2 one!
Ebay price guide: Around GBP 10
Everybody's Golf 4
- Publisher: Sony
- Developer: Sony
Golf has endured because old men are always looking for an excuse to wear checked trousers, and because it's always fun to see how far you can wallop a ball. This simple pleasure has, of course, been sidelined over the years by a lot of silly waffle that makes the game seem more complicated and dull than it is. Everybody's Golf has long been swimming against this tide, and if you're one of those gamers who wishes golf games would feature less mind-boggling club statistics and more characters with funny-shaped heads, it's everything you hoped for. With the third game skipping Europe entirely, this fourth entry was the last on the PS2, and therefore represents the affordable halfway house between the glossy but expensive PS3 version and the sweet but clunky PSone original.
What we said: "One of those simple but endearing classic titles that will occupy a special place on your shelves for years to come."
Ebay price guide: Around GBP 10