Golden eras of gaming: PlayStation 2-Part II

Slimmed-down consoles are in vogue nowadays, aren't they? Late last year, the PS3 slim helped sales of Sony's flagship console soar, and more recently the Xbox 360 lost a few lbs and boosted Microsoft's coffers somewhat too. But the most remarkable weight-shedding exercise of recent years has to be the smaller, lighter and quieter version of the super-selling PlayStation 2 back in 2004 - four years after the launch of its bigger (more ugly) brother.

All these years later you can still snap up the slim PS2, which is selling well by all accounts. If you do - or have the console tucked away in the cupboard somewhere - here are a few more suggestions for games you simply must add to your collection.

If you missed the first part of our top 10 picks, take a look after the jump. Otherwise, stick around and enjoy...

5. Jak 3
Naughty Dog's platforming/shooter hybrid made a colourful comeback, thrusting our protagonist Jak and his trusty sidekick, Daxter, into the deserty Wastelands. It's your usual blend of running and jumping about the place, with some decent vehicles thrown in and some very tasty weaponry. Jak 3 is widely recognised as one of the greatest PS2 games, achieving a respectable 84% from aggregator, Metacritic!



4. Devil May Cry 3
Starring everyone's favourite half human, half demon, Devil May Cry 3 proved damn tough - its difficulty levels were positively hellish. Nevertheless, it looked sublime, and improved in many respects over its predecessors - including a new-look combat system.



3. Tekken 5
A firm favourite, this addition to the long-running Tekken series kicked the others in the guts and proclaimed itself deserving champion. It was more attractive, had more fighters and included a multitude of game options - including Jin Kazama's Devil Within mode. Buy this and "You Win".



2. Gran Turismo 4
What can you say about perhaps the greatest driving simulator to date? For those of you not keen on the Forza series on the Xbox 360, to this day Gran Turismo 4 remains the ultimate stop gap until the fifth game in the series hits our shelves for the PS3. Hundreds of photo-realistic cars, faithful handling and bundles of tracks made this a must have for every PS2 owner.



1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Opinion remains divided as to which is the ultimate edition of GTA. For some, it's San Andreas, whereas others prefer its fourth incarnation on the PS3 and 360. Vice City, however, for its 1980s focus remains a firm favourite. Retaining all the charm of the previous games, Vice City perfectly captures the music, fashion and feel of the period - helped of course by the multitude of vehicles and radio stations!



Agree/disagree? Let us know...

(Photo credit: Bojeeva)