Summary
- PS2 games are now available on Switch through remasters, ports, and remakes like Katamari Damacy Reroll.
- Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection offers Switch fans access to past PS2 and Xbox games remastered.
- Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is highly recommended for action game fans on the Switch.
The PS2 was the best-selling console of all time until the Nintendo Switch dethroned it in 2024. That may be bad news for Sony, but the PS2 remains an all-time great console, offering games that fans of all genres enjoyed in the early 2000s, from RPGs to platformers.
8 PlayStation 2 Games With Graphics That Have Aged The Best
Many games from the PlayStation 2 era look outdated to us now, but these titles' graphics have stood the test of time.
Today, other console owners can enjoy PS2 games thanks to ports, remasters, and remakes. For example, the Nintendo Switch features some great PS2 games, and these are among the very best available right now. They are ranked based on quality. Hopefully, most of these will work or even be improved on the Switch 2.
This collection of PS2 games will feature titles that were not available on Nintendo hardware until they were ported to the Switch.
8 Katamari Damacy Reroll
Sins Of The Father
Katamari Damacy Reroll
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Katamari Damacy Reroll is a remaster of what was initially a PS2 exclusive and one of the system’s weirdest games of all time. It started with the King of All Cosmos destroying the galaxy and then sending his son, The Prince, down to Earth to scoop up scrap to make into new stars.
Players would roll through levels, scooping up everything from erasers to fence posts to people. Again, it’s an unusual experience, but delightful in every way, both in its sense of humor and its soothing gameplay.
7 Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
Blast Through Two Trilogies
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
- Released
- March 14, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection contains the first two games in the series, both of which received PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions, but GameCube owners were left out. Xbox One and Series X/S owners had the opportunity to play these original versions via backwards compatibility for years, until a proper HD remaster was compiled and ported to modern consoles.
While the menu system and load times are not ideal on the Switch, these are still some of the best Star Wars games of all time. There are so many modes to get into, from the story to the Galactic Conquest map, all of which offer fans the opportunity to play as heroes or villains.
6 Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2
An Early Diablo Clone For Consoles
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
- Released
- January 20, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is another example of a game that snubbed the GameCube in favor of the PS2 and original Xbox. It’s superior in every way to the original, offering more characters, each set with a specific class, race, and set of abilities.
7 Best PS2 Launch Games, Ranked
Did the PS2 game have a good launch lineup and are these games still any good?
That was all rectified thanks to this subtle remaster, offering Switch fans the opportunity to play as a Barbarian, Cleric, Monk, Necromancer, or Rogue. Best of all, Dark Alliance 2 can be played locally with one other player, and the first game also got a Switch remaster, allowing players to experience the complete series on modern Nintendo hardware.
5 Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Fight Back Against Nobunaga’s Demons
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
- Released
- August 27, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Hack and Slash
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is the most recent remaster Capcom has issued from its past library of games. Players assume the role of Jubei Yagyu, a samurai hellbent on getting revenge against Lord Nobunaga and his demon army.
Armed with various weapons, from guns to hammers, as well as playable allies and demon powers, players can explore this open-ended survival horror game on Switch. The first game, Onimusha: Warlords, is also available on Switch and also takes place in feudal Japan, but it stars a different hero, Samanosuke Akechi.
4 Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition
Dante’s Prequel
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
- Released
- February 17, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash, Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
The PS2 Devil May Cry entries also exist on the Switch, but not in one complete package digitally, unlike previous collections on other consoles. If Switch fans had to choose one game to play on the console, it should be Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition.
It’s a prequel, which is nice for beginners from a story perspective, but it’s also the most fully-featured action game of the bunch. Dante can switch between a variety of weapons to pull off impressive combos, like a sword and electric guitar, all while eating as much pizza as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
3 Persona 4 Golden
Hunt A Killer While Going On Dates
Persona 4 Golden
- Released
- December 9, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Persona 4 Golden is technically based on a PS Vita port of a PS2 game, but this was a first, no matter what, for the Switch. The game centers on a high school student, Yu, who moves to a new town to live with his uncle and niece.
8 Best PS2 Action JRPGs, Ranked
From Kingdom Hearts 2 to Tales of the Abyss, there's no shortage of thrilling and high-octane action in these JRPGs from the PlayStation 2 console.
Around town, murders start happening, along with Yu and his new friends gaining the power to go into a demon world. Fight in turn-based battles, crawl through dungeons, go on dates with friends to build relationships, and more in this impressive RPG that some fans call the best Persona game in the series.
2 Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection
The Story Of Snake And Raiden
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
- Released
- October 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Stealth
This package deal for Hideo Kojima fans contains Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Metal Gear Solid is a PS1 game that came to Nintendo via Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which was kind of a different game in spirit. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was ported to the 3DS as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the only game to never appear on a Nintendo console in any capacity until the Switch version. The first third stars Solid Snake, while the rest of the game features newcomer Raiden in an unmatched stealth classic.
1 Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster
It’s Blitzball Time
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
- Released
- March 18, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster was first developed for the PS3 and PS Vita as a collection of two solid PS2 entries redone with HD textures. Final Fantasy 10 stars Tidus and the crew, who go on a pilgrimage to stop an evil whale lord named Sin. Final Fantasy 10-2 was a direct sequel featuring a cast of three femme fatales, all led by Yuna, with a fashion-based Job system.
Switch fans can also enjoy Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age. The Switch overall brought Nintendo fans almost every PlayStation-exclusive Final Fantasy game that they missed out on for decades, and it’s hard to pick just one . Still, out of the entire collection, Final Fantasy 10 is probably the best one to start with.
8 Best PS4 Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The PlayStation 4 has one of Sony’s biggest libraries so there were bound to be a few that slipped through the cracks.