The Rarest PS2 Games (& How Much They’re Worth)

The PlayStation 2 remains the highest-selling video game console of all time, more than two decades after its 2000 release. Plenty of elements contributed to the system’s success, but the PS2’s strongest selling point will always be its library. Honestly, the console might have the best selection of games ever, including bona fide classics that are still accessible nowadays. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for every title, and certain PS2 games have become so expensive that they might make you balk at their price tags.

The most valuable PlayStation 2 games of all time tend to be those that fell into obscurity or didn’t release in multiple markets. However, there are a few expensive PS2 games based on well-recognized IPs that, for whatever reason, have become rare collector’s pieces over time.

How To Spot A Fake!

As something rises in value, so does the number of high-quality reproductions that try to pass for it. While not as common as, say, GBA cartridges, PS2 fakes have infiltrated the market, and customers should be careful before dropping significant cash on that copy of Rule of Rose you found in a retro gaming store.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when trying to confirm a PS2 game’s authenticity. This checklist isn’t 100% foolproof, and the methods for creating a fake are constantly advancing, but these points should help minimize the risk.

• PlayStation Logo on Disc – This is probably the best way to confirm if a disc is authentic. Real PS2 games have a PlayStation logo imprinted on the back of the disc and near the hole (in the small ring around it). There will also be a mastering code that consists of a few letters (for instance, PDSS) followed by a series number. If a PS2 disc doesn’t have this information, it is fake.
• Disc Color – PS2 games can have three types of colored discs (on the data side): gold, silver, and blue. If a disc looks purple or maybe even green, it is almost certainly not real. Important: PS2 games do not have a black bottom.
• Quality of Packaging – Due to the age of PS2 games, the packaging is likely to be in relatively rough shape, and a broken case doesn’t affect authenticity. However, if you manage to find a factory-sealed PS2 game, double-check the quality of the ESRB logo, as that can be difficult to replicate. Frankly, you should be wary of sealed copies in general.

Steambot Chronicles

Complete In Box Price: $219.99

Starting things with a real forgotten gem, Steambot Chronicles launched right at the tail end of the PS2’s lifespan, dooming it to relative obscurity. Combining sandbox design with rhythm gameplay and deep mech customization, Steambot Chronicles was fairly unique for its era, and it was successful enough to spawn two spin-offs, along with a sequel that was sadly canceled following 2011’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

While $200+ might be a bit too much for this game (or any game, really), I still recommend playing Steambot Chronicles if you get a chance. Just a decent title that deserves to be more well-known.

Rock Band 2 Bundle

Complete In Box Price: $220

I miss many things from the PS2 era, but the one I miss the most might be instrument controller games. Guitar Hero and Rock Band were straight-up inescapable for years, to the point of releasing multiple entries per month. Honestly, that overexposure might be the reason this movement eventually came to a screeching halt; they burned bright and quickly, like The Beatles.

Rock Band 2 was and still is a marvelous rhythm game guaranteed to get people laughing at any meet-up. From Metallica to Linkin Park, Mastodon, Modest Mouse, and Rage Against the Machine, the setlist is phenomenal, with pretty much all the songs being bangers in their own right. This bundle comes with the drum kit.

Coraline

Complete In Box Price: $224.77

Coraline is one of the best animated movies of the 2000s, so you would think its game would be well known. However, I never knew an adaptation existed, and based on its generally negative reception, maybe that was for the better. Every version of the game is fairly expensive, but the PS2 NTSC release is comfortably the highest, as it is the only one with a CIB price over $200.

Apparently, it was an action-adventure game that focuses on puzzles and mini-games, which makes sense for a kids’ movie tie-in project; that said, considering the source material, horror might have been a better pick for Coraline, or something that only loosely stuck to the movie and instead went for a more over-the-top adventure with action combat. Sort of like The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, which is also on the PS2.

Samurai Western

Complete In Box Price: $230

A largely forgotten PS2 gem, Samurai Western is a Way of the Samurai spin-off that puts the focus squarely on hack and slash combat rather than incorporating some RPG and adventure elements. Considering Acquire’s mainline entries are underrated in their own right, it is really not a surprise that Samurai Western has mostly slipped by the wayside, especially since it got fairly middling reviews.

Clunky as the gameplay is at times, this game can be a lot of fun, and I would definitely recommend it to anybody who loves Way of the Samurai. Honestly, I prefer Samurai Western to the two WOTS games on the PS2, just because the combat is my favorite part of all these titles. There is little reason to revisit the original WOTS due to the existence of the 3rd and 4th entries, but Samurai Western is still worth tracking down.

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 [Limited Edition]

Complete In Box Price: $234.64

Starting things off with a really cool limited edition, this version of DBZ Budokai 3 comes in a unique box and features a Broly chibi toy and a Dragon Ball toy. Here is an ongoing listing of the limited edition.

Like most of the entries on this list, this package’s value has very little to do with the actual game, as Budokai 3 is relatively easy and cheap to obtain. It is all about that box and toys within, and this limited edition tends to show up in listings fairly frequently. You would need to keep an eye out for a CIB listing, as new versions are almost unheard of.

Read the full article on GameRant

This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.