The towering black obelisk of the PlayStation 2 taught everyone that putting your games console in a vertical orientation was cool.
But of course the venerable PS2 has entered its twilight years and will be well and truly obsolete later in 2013 when Sony releases the PlayStation 4.
The PS2 was home to some of the best games ever produced, catering to a range of tastes with ‘triple A’ titles that shaped expectations and changed development tactics.
But if you are going to sell PS2 games, which are the five classic titles that you should probably wave goodbye to for one last time?
God of War
Brutal violence, Greek mythology and a spot of puzzle solving combined to make God of War a huge hit, spawning a killer franchise that has now resulted in three more home console releases and even a couple of handheld titles.
However, you can easily ditch the PS2 original and even its successor, since these are now available in high definition thanks to a remake that came to the PS3.
Gran Turismo 3
Once the pinnacle of racing simulation, Gran Turismo 3 is now really rather long in the tooth, particularly compared to its modern counterparts.
Those graphics that once looked so realistic are desperately lacking in detail and even the physics engine which determines the vehicles’ control is not as complex or satisfying these days.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The 80s theme of Vice City and its cinematic storyline helped to propel the Grand Theft Auto series to new heights of pop culture relevance.
However, with GTA V set to make its debut in 2013 it seems churlish to hang on to such an old game, whose mechanics look ancient by comparison. You can even run Vice City on modern smartphones and play it while you are out and about, which shows how far we have come.
Ratchet & Clank
The space mechanic and robot duo of Ratchet & Clank has been a real success for Sony since its first incarnation on the PS2 and there is even a movie adaptation in the pipeline.
The first game is great, but platforming has moved on and there are newer experiences to be gleaned elsewhere. For example, the wonderful indie title Fez on Xbox 360 and PC is far more complex and rewarding.
Shadow of the Colossus
This is sure to upset some people, but the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Colossus on PS2 is a game that you should definitely sell.
This is not because of any fault in the product itself, but rather because the HD remake on PS3 irons out all of the visuals and even comes bundled with Ico, an equally compelling PS2 classic that benefits immensely from having been remastered.
Laura Kennington is a gamer, journalist and broadcaster who has worked in the industry for many years. It is a while since she chose to sell PS2 games and instead rely on digital distribution to get her interactive kicks.
