Summary
After the success of the PlayStation, it was clear that Sony had a lot of momentum going into the next generation. They capitalized on this with therelease of the PlayStation 2, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest video game consoles ever made. The leap in hardware was extraordinary, and the amazing graphics this console could render were a true sight to behold.
A lot of excellent games made their way on this platform, with Sony tightening their leash on third-party developers so that the titles that were released on this console had an acceptable level of quality. This led to the quality of games on this console reaching immense heights, with publishers like EA making it a point topopulate the PS2with a wealth of great titles, including some that were deceptively hard.
It’s hard to imagine that a game likeThe Simscould be hard, given how laid-back the gameplay of modern entries is. However, most fans of the series haven’t played the originalSims, which was ridiculously challenging when it came to managing a Sim’s needs. Players had to micromanage the actions of their virtual avatars all the time to ensure they didn’t wet themselves, pass out, lose their minds from boredom, or anything else along the same lines.
To be fair,The Simswas far froma challenging game, but players who like the idea of simulating a person’s life were taken aback by how aggressively a Sim’s needs depleted in the game. This was balanced in later entries, makingThe Simsone of the most addictive and accessible video game franchises of all time.
4Fight Night Round 3
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.01
Fighting games are pretty easy to get into, with many gamers loving the deep combat mechanics that reward them for enhancing their skill. An important thing to note about these games is that the barrier to entry shouldn’t be high. This lets players with varying skills easily jump into a fighting game with friends and have a great time whacking each other with a myriad of attacks.
However, games likeFight Night Round 3aim to simulate combat sports in a realistic manner, and button mashing is generally punished. Players must understand how the combat system works and time their attacks to perfection if they want to win against the weakest foes, making it clear whyFight Night Round 3isbetter for boxing fanswho don’t mind getting into these hard-to-understand technicalities.
SSXwasa phenomenal gamethat made the art of snowboarding one of the most exhilarating things for gamers to do in a video game. Players could either compete in races or gain the highest points by scoring tricks. The game was mechanically sound and showed that EA was the master of developing sports video games with compelling gameplay loops.
Mastery inSSXtakes a while, and players should certainly come to grips with how the game operates first before trying their hands at more competitive game modes. The learning curve is intense, which is precisely why the end result is so rewarding when gamers win races and land complicated tricks.SSXis a legendary title, and fans can only hope that this series sees a new entry sooner rather than later, although this is quite unlikely.
2Sled Storm
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.10
Players who want to check out more games based on snow sports after discovering the brilliance ofSSXwill love whatSled Stormbrings to the table. This arcade snowmobile racing game starts fairly simple before more complex tracks cause players to scratch their heads as they try to beat opposing racers who are seemingly masters of their craft.
It doesn’t help thatAI racers are pretty unpredictableand aggressive, and the collision mechanics are so suspect that trickier tracks become an absolute pain to deal with. With enough patience, players can masterSled Stormand its intricacies, letting them enjoy a fun arcade racer that has only a few flaws to speak of, with none of them being deal breakers.
1Rumble Racing
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.68
A racing game with a lot of character,Rumble Racingis sure to keep players interested with its amazing presentation, fun gameplay, and arcade racing goodness that can be quite addictive. However, gamers who assume that this game will be a walk in the park will be in for a rude awakening when they realize that winning a single race requires a lot of dedication.
Some players argue that memorizing a track is of the utmost priority if they don’t want to be caught off-guard by tight swerves and maximize their speed boosts on long straights. It’s a game that can be a bit hard to get into, but players who giveRumble Racinga shot will be more than pleased by the exciting gameplay on offer here.
