Gaming Nostalgia - PS2

Heyo MVGL,

In this, my first blog post, I thought I'd talk about a recurring theme when I''m editing my game list: Nostalgia. Firstly, some background on my humble beginnings as a gamer and where most of my nostalgia trips come from.

When I was a small kid of around 5-8 years old, my dad owned a PlayStation 2 that I loved to play on. I loved the console, even though the startup screen scared me half to death (I know for a fact I would have been scared shitless if I ever got a red screen of death at that age). I liked to play arcade-style and fighting games, mostly, whether the fighting games be like Tekken or Mortal Kombat or active fighting games like TMNT (My personal favourite) and Virtua Fighter. By the time I was 10-11 I started getting into real gaming with early Xbox 360 and some PS3 when I was over at a friend's that owned the console. So, in short, the following is a list of games that influenced my journey as a gamer to where I am now.

#1. TMNT - PS2 (2007)

This game takes me back... I only recently bought myself a PS2 again and so I'm now reliving my childhood, in a sense ????. This was one of my favourite games as a kid, one of the games that I think defines active fighting on the PS2. I can still enjoy this today, but I'm known to be a big kid and I can guarantee you that I could probably watch and enjoy the original TMNT cartoon.

#2. Crazy Taxi - Arcade/PS2 (1999/2001)

This is one of the only arcade games I can remember playing in my lifetime, with most arcade games being scarce in the UK outside of family resorts and bowling places. After enjoying this so much as an arcade game, I picked it up for the PS2 and have enjoyed it ever since.

#3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - PS2 (2004)

Yes, I was (And potentially still am) a Potterhead. This was my favourite book/film from the series growing up, and so I distinctly remember bugging my dad to no end to get me this game. I'm still yet to buy and replay this, however I hope it is just as good as I remember it.

##HONORARY MENTION #Bayonetta - Xbox 360

Technically this shouldn't count as a nostalgia game for the PS2, but it deserves a mention for how much it reminds me of the games I originally played on the PS2. The stylistic way Bayonetta is presented throughout this game and the types of enemies and battle techniques almost mirror some of the fighting games I used to play on the PS2, as I mentioned in the "Notes" section on my list for this game. I love Bayonetta, and recommend it even if you have never played this type of game.

Thanks for reading!!! Apollo