The PlayStation 2 was the console I never wanted but grew to love. My parents bought the PlayStation 2 at Toys R’ Us (back when the company was still around) and I remember being vaguely disappointed because I had no idea what the PlayStation 2 was. I had set my sights on getting a Gamecube because of the amazing experiences I had when playing with my cousins. Now instead of a looking forward to playing SmashBros Melee, I had an assortment of games that I had no clue how to play. My mother had decided to buy a whole assortment “greatest hits” games without even looking into my specific interests. I did not realize the true value of some of these games until years later.

It took me several years of maturity before I began to see the PlayStation 2 as a viable console. All the while I played the Gamecube at my cousin’s house as well as online flash games on the computer. The defining change in my attitude towards the PlayStation 2 came when I played with another “cousin.” I put cousin in quotation marks because I thought he was a cousin after visiting his house on numerous occasions and summer get-togethers. Turns out that my father liked to visit his best friend out on the island more than some of my cousins. Anyway, his friend had a son that had a lot of cool games on the PlayStation 2. Playing with him gave me the chance to experience playing games like AceCombat: Shattered Skies and Star Wars: Battlefront 2. My experience with both games was so amazing that I went and got them the next time my family visited Best Buy (I mostly just begged my mom).

The other defining moment where I came to see the wonders of the PlayStation 2 was when I was introduced to the Grand Theft Auto series. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ended up being one of my most played games. The sandbox concept was a refreshing breath of fresh air when compared to the closed world of other games. The guns, driving, and flying added to the unique experience and fed into my growing taste for more mature games. A rated-M game the scale of Grand Theft Auto was not possible on the Gamecube. In a sense, the PlayStation 2 grew on me as I went through puberty.

Interesting Fact About the PlayStation

The history behind the PlayStation is quite unique as the PlayStation was never really meant to be a stand-alone. Back in 1989 Sony and Nintendo were working on a joint effort to produce the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The idea was that CDroms produced by Sony would be used as an add-on feature for the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, on June 2nd, 1991, Consumer Electronics Show, just a day after Sony announced their deal with Nintendo, Nintendo announced their partnership with Phillips. Such an act on the public stage humiliated Sony and set the stage for Sony entrance into the gaming industry with the PlayStation. Against all odds in a market dominated by SEGA and Nintendo, the Sony PlayStation was a stellar success with over one million consoles sold. Its success would lead to the development of other PlayStations.