Last week was the final round of the Nintendo 64 odd debate brackets. GoldenEye 007 is one of the most talked about N64 games of all time, and if there was ever a game from the same era to put it to the test, then surely The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time would be the one most worthy. Many people expected landslides in both directions, proving that each side underestimated its debating competition. Both games put up a good fight, yet one clear winner remained standing in the end. Here are the results:
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (71 votes) -- Winner!
- GoldenEye 007 (44 votes) -- "I'm in-VINC-ible!" -- Oh wait . . .
This week we enter the PlayStation 2 round of odd debates, and to celebrate, I've rehashed the very first game debate ever posted on this site. Originally, the way these debates would work, is that I'd pick two commonly debated games, as well as two games you've almost never heard compared before. The results would often be interesting and educational, and that's why I started these odd debates once again.
So this week we see Katamari Damacy and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty face off yet again. Their gameplay controls? Nothing alike. Their graphics? Couldn't strive for more different extremes. Their stories? One line plot versus several hours of dialogue. This debate should be challenging, and demands some lengthy consideration before casting your vote. Don't just go with your gut; weigh the pros and cons of each game and really think about your answer.
Which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some PS2 childhood friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.
Bonus Question: What's your favorite PS2 game?
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21 comments + 95764 views
Katamari Damacy. I just went back and played it a couple weeks ago. Fan-friggin'-tastic.
Of course, I've never really gotten into the Metal Gear Solid series, so this was a no brainer for me. Still, Katamari has a sort of universal appeal that Metal Gear lacks.
MGS2. Katamari is great but it doesnt compare to the MGS series.
Okami and MGS3 are my favorite PS2 games.
Holy shit I actually used a semicolon. I thought those things went extinct.
ps: i HATE semicolons. i think they're unnecessary and should fade out of regular use in the English language. i vow to never use one again. EVAR!
still not sure who i'm gonna vote for.
My vote is for Metal Gear Solid 2.
Katamari gets my vote; was never a huge MGS fan and katamari has that quirky appeal and high accessibility, just jump in a have fun... kinda like a JSRF type of game, you don't care about details, you're too busy having a blast doing crazy stuff.
My favorite PS2 game is Shadow of the Collosus.
MGS2 hands down. MGS2 changed my life.
I choose MGS 2 substance. yes I have played katamari before.
MGS2, no contest.
I've always been a big MGS fan, but MGS2 bugged the crap out of me. If you asked me which I'd rather go play right now, it'd tell you:
Katamary Damacy
Oh, and by the way, when did this become the Wednesday Game Debate to the Death? It's always been the Tuesday Game Debate to the Death before!
Graphics: Katamari Damacy (KD) proved that stylized thematic graphics can be just as successful and enjoyed as games that strive for realistic graphics, like MGS2.
Sound: KD by far. No question here.
Story/Characters: As much as I love KD, MGS 2 wins by far.
Replayability: KD by far.
Gameplay: This is where the balance truly tips in favor of KD for me. I cannot stand stealth based games, and Mirror's Edge is essentially what I have been telling MGS fanatic they've been missing out on for the past umpteen years. It's not just that I don't like that style of gameplay, it's just that I think making it the entire style of gameplay and pacing misses out on so much other great areas of movement and combat in that type of game.
KD on the other hand invented a new style of gameplay showing the industry that the iceberg is indeed mostly underwater and there's plenty left to do still. KD is a game any gender or age can appreciate, and the fact that it even "made it" after several months gaining dust on the shelves before the collective listened to the hardcore gamers who praised it, only to go on to create a wonderful series of sequels, shows that Katamari is the winner here.
VOTE: Katamari Damacy
Metal gear 2, rolly ball games just aren't my thing.
MGS2. One of the best games I've ever stayed up long hours over a weekend to beat. That ending while you're very sleepy is especially trippy.
Favorite PS2 game? Too many to be definitive. Way Of The Samurai is extremely high on that list though.
MGS 2. No contest. Psycho Mantis. 'Nuff said.
Metal Gear Solid 2.
I don't think I was ever more excited to play a sequal in my life as I was with this game.
Also, I have NEVER played a Katamari Damacy game....
MGS2 is a perfect game if there ever was one.
@ Grafkhun: Your favorite PS2 game makes an appearance next week! :)
@ Dexter345: Last week's Presidential Election fucked things up. And this week I had some important family matters last night and this morning. Next week things will go back to normal with the Game Debates appearing Tuesday night.
Lot of great points are being made for MGS2. I won't be surprised or disappointed either way with this debate.
Also, my favorite PS2 game? Not really sure. SSX was my first PS2 love, FFX I couldn't love no matter how hard I tried. I really really loved Katamari Damacy and Shadow of the Colossus, but I might give the nod to the game that faces off against Shadow of the Colossus next week. Hint hint!
The 3 rounds of PS2 debates should be a lot of fun.
They're actually sort of related, as they're both artsy and post modern.
It's an incredibly tough choice as both are two of my all time favorites, but my vote goes out to Katamari, just because I'm in a very wacky mood as of late.
@ Fronz
So Assassin's Creed is the best game ever?
Favorite game on PS2? Obviously MGS3, that game is just so amazing. SNAKE EATERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
That song gets me hard.
MGS2?!
But MGS3 was probably my favorite PS2 game ever.
@ Dan CiTi: o i c what u did there. le sigh.
MGS2 didn't give me motion sickness, so I'm gonna have to go with that.
@Scary Womanizing Pig Mask: PO MO?! PO MOOOOOOOO!!1
I'm gonna have to say Katamari for the fun factor. Metal Gear Solid 2 is REALLY good, one of my favorite storylines ever, but, Katamari is just damn fun. When I'm feelin pretentious I'll play mgs2. When I'm drunk/hyper I'll paly Katamari and be content and in my happy place.
What a bizarre matchup...
I'll vote libertarian this round just to piss people off.
Katamari was filled with so much joy that dingy, clunky, unfocussed MGS2 just can't compete.
Best PS2 game? Shadow of colossus by an insanely wide margin.
Hey, semi-colons aren't that bad; I like them infact.
See! :D
Also, MGS2.
MGS2 by default.
Also, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner is my favorite game on the PS2, and my personal favorite game of all time.
I gotta go with Katamari Damacy. Maybe I would have voted MGS if we were talking about 3, but 2 is the weakest of the entire series where as Katamari Damacy is one of the best games in it's series.
MGS2.
Katamari Damacy is great, but I think I like We <3 Katamari a little more. Some of its thematic levels are a lot of fun, and its last level is even more "whoa...." then the first game.
MGS2 gets my vote.
Okami is my favorite PS2 game.
MGS2. Because Katamari Damacy wasn't released for PAL (skipped straight to the sequel)
@casualweaponry
Psycho Mantis wasn't in MGS2.
MGS2
favorite: Parapa da Rappa 2 baby!
My brain... can barely even compute this... but seeing as gameplay in MGS series is largely a bunch of crap, I'd go with one of the best controlling games ever in Katamari.
Oh and favourite PS2 game is proooobably Sly Cooper 2, for being one of the greatest platformers ever.
Gotta go with MGS:2. Fave game would be Shadow of the Colossus
MGS2 is absolute brilliance in my opinion.
That whole mind-rape section at the end of the game was amazing...I loved every second of it.
I had to play it through a few times before I even came close to understanding it...and the game's never been boring.
It's also my favourite PS2 game.
MGS2, hands down. I love that game so much. One of the few games that I've ever played for more than 7 hours straight. I even love the insane storyline, cause it's obviously meant to fuck with our conventions of normality gaming stories, and the gameplay is fun as hell in the process. Even the graphics are still pretty impressive today. Hideo Kojima is a mad genius. Katamari is good, but overall, it just can't compare.
Katamari Damacy. All the way.
I'll give to MGS2 because it introduced me to Zone of the Enders.
Also more importantly because We Love Katamari was the first Katamari game released in PAL and is far better then Katamari Damacy.
Katamari, all the way.
Katamari Damacy. Are you kidding me? The MGS series is great. Wonderful game. But it's a typical game for gamers.
Katamari Damacy was so much more than just a video game. It was a great drinking game. It was fun for people who never played video games. It was worth having on in the background just for the music. It had TONS of replay value. It was simple and fun without being childish, and enganging enough to be challenging.
Katamari Damacy was the reason I bought a PS2 Slim. No game (other than Fallout 3) has ever been the reason I've bought a system.
This is a game you can always go back and play, no matter how long it's been in your collection. And hell, it may just turn you on to crazy Japanese culture in the process.
Metal Gear Solid 2. I'll be honest and say that I've never played Katamari Damacy, but I think it's safe to say that if I did, my vote would remain unchanged. Metal Gear Solid 2 had very strong presentation for many playstation 2 games,a story that is more complex than many movies ever made, and a level of polish that seals it in a game that will remain playable and relevant for many years to come.
Oh and Fronz, Semicolons are awesome; therefore they will never die!
MSG2 by far.
also, fav game are MSG2 et Beyond good&evil.
fronz- yay SotC is in next weeks debate :D it'll get my vote automatically naturally.
oh yeah and it looks like KD is getting whomped by MGS2 here :(
MGS2. Not having played 4 yet, Sons of Liberty is still my favorite in the series.
I will always vote MGS over any other series, when it comes down to it. That being said, Katamari Damacy is one of my favorite games of all time.
Vote: MGS, always.
MGS2. Why would you make Katamari suffer so?
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