Would be much obliged to get everyone's take on the 'best' 10 (or 20) games for PS1 and PS2, to date.  I'm looking for domestic (US) releases.

Ok to exclude sports titles.   

Thanks in advance

- Brandon

I have a load of PS1 games, here are my favorites:

Brave Fencer Musashi: clever, fun little title
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: falls in the "no duh" category
Final Fantasy VII: overrated yes, but still a staple regardless
Final Fantasy IX: I'd hardly call IX epic but it's a nice throwback to older FF games
Mega Man Legends: has problems but prevails due to overall "heart"
Mega Man Legends 2: a sequel that greatly improves on the original in every category
Mega Man X4: one of the best in the X series; best of the 32-bit entires
Metal Gear Solid: short yes, but a cinematic experience none the less
Resident Evil 2: very enjoyable and fullfilling gameplay; recently re-acquired it myself
SaGa Frontier: personal favorite, extremely hit or miss however
Tomb Raider: the original is where it's all at with the post-Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider games
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2: prefects the gameplay of the first game; not a big sports fan but this kills
Wild Arms: shows its age but boasts excellent character development; PS2 remake fails on many levels
Wild Arms 2: sore in some some spots but makes up with the story

As for PS2 games I really don't have many [games] or favorites. I was dissapointed with PS2 offerings for many of the series above (Wild Arms and Musashi) and others (Castlevania, Mega Man X, Tony Hawk) turned out fair yet enjoyable PS2 entries. I haven't gotten around to playing anything beyond what is above for some of these series (MGS and RE) though.

I'm an RPG nut, so that's all you're gonna find ;P

PS1

Alundra - like Zelda: LTTP, but even better
Final Fantasy IX - my favorite, love the characters, ability system, item synthesis, Chocobo Hot/Cold, atmosphere, everything except the card game, but it's ok
Xenogears - complex and involving story, fun gear battles
Suikoden I&II - play these as a unit if you can to appreciate them even more
Final Fantasy Tactics - I haven't found a better SRPG after trying several
Chrono Cross - wonderful soundtrack, interesting battle system, good atmosphere
Legend of Mana - literary script, wonderful atmosphere
Breath of Fire IV - love the fishing...the rest is OK

PS2

Dark Cloud 2 - Spheda, customization, fun battle engine
...that's it.

I never realized how few PS2 games I had, and how few of those (1) I actually like. For me Gamecube won that generation handily.

I disagree. Have you forgotten about the horrendous dungeon layouts, or the horrible miscastings (VA wise) of certain characters?

Why would there be any sports titles in a top 10 list?

I am going to shout some random titles now, in alphabetical order:

PSX:

Breath of Fire IV
Castlevania SotN (no duh!)
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy 7
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Valkyrie Profile

These are pretty much a guaranteed succes if you have any kind of taste.
I'll also support most of Bluefish's choices except for Xenogears, since that is REALLY a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game.
Megaman X4 and the first 2 Tomb Raiders are also solid choices.

PS2:

Final Fantasy X
Kingdom Hearts I & II
Metal Gear Solid 3
Onimusha 2
Resident Evil 4 (better get the Wii version though)
Shadow Hearts 2 (although for full effect you should play 1 first)
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill 2

Might as well chime in. Not necessarily a top 10, but these were my favorites:

PS1:

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Valkyrie Profile
Star Ocean 2
Ridge Racer 1 (still blows away virtually every other racer nowadays)
Suikoden 1 and 2
Final Fantasy 7
Megaman Legends (the only 3rd person shooter I've ever cared for)
Crash Bandicoot 1/2 (never played 3)
Einhander
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (played it for years on PS1 first)
Megaman 8, X4 and X5
Castlevania: SOTN (great, before the whole Metrovania thing got old)
Puzzle Fighter!
Bust-a-Move 2 (many good times with this game, despite its' sequelitis)
Parappa
Xenogears (no replay value, but deserves to be played through at least once).
Threads of Fate

PS2:

Klonoa 2
Suikoden V
Ys: Ark of Napishtim
Dynasty Warriors 4/5
Ace Combat 4/5
Katamari Damacy
La Pucelle
Gradius V (!)
Guilty Gear XX (played a lot before Reload came out on Xbox)
Street Fighter Anniversary (why no online? Oh well, still good)
Burnout 3 (also on Xbox, but the best game of the generation for me)
Contra: Shattered Soldier
Metal Slug Anthology (w00t!)

And hopefully, Valkyrie Profile 2 and Odin Sphere to be added soon. Haven't had time for the former (despite an exhilarating first couple hours) and haven't actually bought the latter.

One of the best things about the PS2, oddly enough, has been the Retro Collections...Taito Legends 1 and 2, Sega Genesis Collection, Sega Classics, Namco Museum (it actually has arcade-perfect versions of the games this time, unlike the PS1 versions), Midway Collections, Capcom Classics 1 and 2. These are always in some sort of rotation (and I much prefer to play them on my home set-up compared to PC emulators). Amazing, considering the skimpy ones from the PS1 days. Now we just need some old Namco, Konami and SNK love.

PS1:

Final Fantasy Tactics
Grandia
Star Ocean 2
Legend of Mana
Metal Gear Solid
Tomb Raider
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Vagrant Story
Valkyrie Profile

PS2:

Breath of Fire V
SMT Nocturne
Shadow Hearts Covenant
Twisted Metal Black
Timesplitters
Phantom Brave
Metal Saga
Summoner 2
Virtua Fighter 4
GTA III

I haven't played a few of the big action entries on PS2.  Namely Onimusha, DMC, and GOW series.  I've played RE4, but just the Gamecube version.

PS1:

Vagrant Story
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
Final Fantasy Tactics
R-Type Delta
Valkyrie Profile
Zanac X Zanac
Final Fantasy 7
Castlevania SotN
Einhander

PS2:

Gradius V
Rez
Guitar Hero
Final Fantasy 12
Disgaea
Frequency

Off to work now, will try to think of four more PS2 games!

I honestly didn't think the dungeon layouts were bad, some (like the ice dungeon) were pretty cool especially when you compare them to those in Mega Man X Command Mission (the definition of mundane). The dungeon layouts in the original Legends weren't that good either but I honestly let that slide.

I didn't see anything wrong with the VA, granted they switched the VA for Mega Man but there have been worse VA sins commited (Xenosaga II comes to mind but the original RE gets a free pass since it's so bad it's good). Of course, I like the VA in Mega Man X4 and SotN (which also fall into the so bad its good cat) so that should tell you how high my standards are.

It's all already been said, but basically, you really can't go wrong with any PSX era Squaresoft or Atlus game, and most RPGs from that era not covered by either of those roofs are still the win.

Other than that, Castlevania ~ Symphony of the Night for the infinite win.

Here are my favorites:

PS1

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Final Fantasy VII
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Spyro the Dragon
Spyro the Dragon: Ripto's Rage
Spyro the Dragon: Year of the Dragon
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
Tomb Raider

PS2

ICO
Katamari Damacy
Ratchet & Clank
Rez
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Silent Hill 2 (Greatest Hits for the Maria sub-scenario)
Silent Hill 3
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

I'm actually plaing this right now;I think the last time I played was when it came out. It's not one of my favorite titles but is definately worth the time investiment.

I must've been tired because I forgot that FFXII is one of my favorites on PS2.  Probably a top five pick.

So it's a love the game but hate the music kind of thing?  I guess I assumed that you also disliked the game since the review seemed to hammer home the notion that liking the music had more to do with liking the game and less to do with the quality or effectiveness of the music itself.

I like your mention of Tenchu.  I remember having a lot of fun with it and I hold the soundtrack as one of my all time favorites.

I played through the game several times within a year or two of its release, so I had to include it on my list. And Tenchu... man... I bought that at MSRP when it first came out, and I still hold it as one of my favorite games and OSTs from the PSX era. It had its issues, but it was (and still is) a great game. The only other game in the series I really enjoyed was Tenchu 3.

Did Tenchu 2 suck?  I have only a vague recollection of playing a rental copy and not getting far.

Eh... it wasn't too bad, but it lacked the character and originality of the first one. The whole swimming aspect of the game wasn't very fun, and I felt a lot less stealthy when playing that one.

Awesome - you folks rock!  Thx again.

- Brandon

f---, man. Favorite PS1 and PS2 games . . . ?

PS1:
- FF series (FF7 through FF9): No one can ever seem to agree on which is the 'best', but no matter which you pick, you're in for a hell of a time They're all great in some way or another.

- Xenogears: A controversial choice. Yeah, the combat systems were unbalanced in some ways, and yes, say what you want about the direction the second disc took, but when it came right down to it, not a lot of other games beats out this game in terms of character. Also, the best soundtrack for any game ever? Quite possibly (at least in my opinion).

- Vagrant Story: Purely opinion, many found this game to be utterly maddening, but the dynamics that sprung forth from the atmosphere, dialogue, soundtrack and visuals have yet to be matched, let alone bettered.

- Metal Gear Solid: What can one say? "Placid, yet tense" soundtrack, with phenominal (for it's time) gameplay, and some of the most human characters in the history of gaming, and this isn't even mentioning the story, which really speaks for itself.

- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver: Loved this game. Think if Nintendo's designers grew a pair and made another Zelda, only darker, brutal, and with a deeper emphasis on character development. It should also be noted that it had some of the best voice acting of any game ever.

- Breath of Fire III: Delightfully old-school style RPG witha jazz-tacular soundtrack and whimsical character designs. Ryu's dragon morphing system is said to be at it's best here (haven't even touched IV yet), and the quest is quite long, too. It doesn't trump any of the bigger name titles in any department, but it's ice tea to, say, Vagrant Story's hard liquor.

- R4: Ridge Racer Type 4: I can't tell you how many hours I put into this gem trying to get the goddamn Pac-Man car. I've always felt that other racing games are great, but the feelings of joy the RR series puts out as you nail a perfect drift, overtake the final oppponent, or just let loose on a track because you've memorized the perfect racing line can't even be rivaled. I chose R4 to represent Ridge Racer (as my choice) because I feel it's the bet in the series.

- Megaman Legends: I think one of the freshest ideas for a new Megaman series was Legends. A vast RPG world, with loads of things to do, places to see, people to talk to. It's like Indiana Jones meets Megaman! Loved the characters, and their conflicts were small and heartfelt. A game full of innocent charm!

- Lunar Series: Loved the classic characters, story, and gameplay, even if it didn't cater to everyone. Iwadare's score only heightened the impact of this now legendary series. Where's our third game, dammit?
PS2:

-Shadow Hearts 1 and 2: Cult classics that should not be missed. Really loved the Lovecraftian storylines, and the characters were some of the coolest I've seen since Breath of Fire III. Rough around the edges, but that doesn't diminish the overall experience, of course.

- Fatal Frame series: Resident Evil but with ghosts instead of zombies, young girls instead of commandos, and cameras instead of guns. Broader and scarier than almost every other Survival Horror out there, and with great storylines to boot.

- Okami: An absolutely brilliant game in every category. The visuals looked like a Japanese water-colour painting, the game played like Zelda (only fresher, and better), and the soundtrack fit the proceedings like a glove. Many people compared it to Twilight Princess, but I think I was the only one who thought it was better.

- Yakuza: Definitely up there for beat-em ups. A surprisingly deep story, loads of things to do around virtual Japan, and easily one of the best systems for a beat-em up to have. I have never tired of beating the shit out of a man with a beer bottle, and then finishing him of by shoving his face into the broken end of said bottle.

Zone of the Enders series: Does there exist any game that exceeds this for pure "wow" factor? Fighting off innumerable enemies in a Zero-G environment in a large bi-pedal mechanized humanoid, but going at speeds that'd make a humming-bird piss itself. Some of the most epic boss battles to EVER be concieved (ZAKAAAAAAAT!!!!), and some of the most awesome use of graphics and atmosphere (at least in the second one). Throw in an awesome soundtrack, and there you have it.

Shadow of the Colossus: I can't say enough about this game. The feelings of melancholy leak through in every aspect of this title. From the bleak, barren landscapes, to the measures movements of the Colossi, to the way the main character carries himself on his quest, to the feeling of actually defeating a Colossus (killing would be a more appropriate term, I think). The sometimes bleak, sometimes desperate, but always awesome soundtracks compliment this perfectly, and combine to create one of the most hearfelt games in existence. This obviously comes from a team who really, really loves gamers.

This thread needs more Gitaroo Man love. >_<;

Somewhere in this thread lie many of my favorites, so I'll list some that either haven't been mentioned, or ones I just want to embellish a bit more upon:

Crash Bandicoot 2 (PS1) - Naughty Dog's best effort in the series, balancing a wonderful 2D/3D platformer with strong elements of a collect-athon.  They thankfully toned down the murderously cheap challenge of the first, while giving Crash lots of neat new moves and fun locales to romp through.  Riding the polar bear cub still gives me such a rush.  ^_^

Chocobo Racing (PS1) - I'm likely one of the few who genuinely enjoyed Chocobo Racing, and it still remains to be my most favorite kart title.  Sweet Final Fantasy throwbacks, from the peppy musical arrangements to the strategic skill/magic battle system - not to mention the endearing story mode which also serves as one of the best ease-in tutorials I've ever played in a video game.

Bust A Groove 2: Dance Tengoku Mix (PS1) - I enjoyed both titles in the series, but Groove 2 tightened up the much broken scoring system from the first, while enhancing and perfecting the rest of the game's fun play mechanics.  Folks may decry the music, but I grew to love it as much, if not more so than the first game's.

Umjammer Lammy (PS1) - A sequel that kicked it up about a dozen notches from the original, managing to create the best of the three Parappa games.  They took what was so charming about the first Parappa - the music, the art style, the characters, the world - and further built upon it to create a fully-loaded package that still felt fresh and exciting.  Lots of cool play options, well integrated tagteam/VS modes, and the Parappa song variations keeps this one on the top of my PSOne list.   

---

Ape Escape 2 (PS2) - Word of mouth was the only reason I got into this series, and I'm sure glad I did.  AE2 is the pinnacle of the 3D collect-athon, with clean colorful graphics, a silky-smooth framerate, controls that takes full advantage of the Dual Shock 2, an unbelievably catchy music score from Koji Hayama, and yes..... a thoroughly enjoyable collecting quest. 

Capcom VS SNK 2 (PS2) - Give me a single fighter for life, and it's this one.  I never was a fan of the "VS" series, but this is the exception; no silly gimmicks like tagteams, air battles, or unearned multiple hit combos -- just precise Street Fighter-esque controls, laced with the best of SNK elements, and coupled with option-heavy and perfectly balanced one-on one gameplay.   

Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 (PS2) - Spring for the vastly superior Substance and Subsistence versions, respectively.

Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS2) - My second favorite Contra, after the NES original.  2.5D done right, Shattered Soldier's daunting challenge and old-school twitch gameplay makes for one hell of a thrill ride while it lasts.  My only qualm is the poorly-balanced ratio of run-'n-gun segments and boss battles; too much of the latter, and not nearly enough of the former.

Ace Combat 4, 5, Zero (PS2) - I only recently had the pleasure of playing these games with the Flight Stick 2 controllers, and let me tell you: it's a spectacular experience.  You'd never go back to the Dual Shock after playing with these babies.  Invest in a pair if you can find them; they're worth every penny.

If you thought Ape Escape 2 was fun, you really ought to check out Ape Escape 3.

New features include:

-Two characters to choose from
-Transformation costumes that grant new moves, abilities, attacks, and capturing methods
-Wider range of vehicles are available, most notably a flying high-speed melee combat mech
-More interesting plot, secondary villain

I also like the music and levels in this game more than the past installments, and probably the best feature, it IS a little more challenging; at the very least, I've "Game Over" more in this game than I have the previous two.

Oh, I definitely checked out Ape Escape 3.  Were you around when these threads came about?

http://altpop.com/stc/forums/viewtopic.php?id=7
http://altpop.com/stc/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=146#p146

By the way, I noticed you were looking for a rip/recording of AE3's score on the Game Music forum.  It's not my version of the recording, but have you checked out Galbadia's?

http://gh.ffshrine.org/soundtracks/6533

I would say you could go quite wrong with any of the following (only showing U.S. games):

From Square:

Tobal No. 1
Bushido Blade 1
Bushido Blade 2
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2
Final Fantasy Anthology
Final Fantasy Chronicles
Chocobo Racing
Final Fantasy VIII

From Atlus:

Hoshigami
Eggs of Steel
[probably a few others I can't think of right now]

It was released for the DS in 2005 and it sucked.

Top 10 U.S. PSX Games (very tough to pick just 10)

10. SFA3
09. Silent Bomber
08. Klonoa
07. PaRappa
06. SOTN
05. MGS
04. Castlevania Chronicles
03. Threads of Fate
02. Parasite Eve
01. Xenogears

Top 10 U.S. PS2 Games (much easier to pick just 10)

10. Klonoa 2
09. CvSNK2
08. Gitaroo-Man
07. Neo Contra
06. Okami
05. Katamari Damacy
04. MGS3: Sub
03. Ys VI
02. Rez
01. Xenosaga Ep1

Hehe, yeah I agree, although I personally would add FF VII to the list (I think FF I,IV,VI are classics, but VII... it just got contorted and boring). Anyway, as for great PS games, I submit the following for your approval:

Arc the Lad Collection
Elemental Gearbolt
Final Fantasy Tactics
Ico
Lunar I and II
Ogre Battle
Silent Hill series
Symphony of the Night
Tactics Ogre

I haven't played that many PS2 games, so I'm sure there are some good games I just haven't played, but the above list will keep you busy for a while. As a special note, Elemental Gearbolt is the best gun game ever created in my opinion (even better than House of the Dead), and it has a SUPERB soundtrack

cheers,

-avatar!

As for me, I pretty much used the original Playstation for exclusively RPGs, while I spread out a little bit on the PS2.  The PS2 had a lot less for me personally than the Gamecube did, so generating a whole ten titles was a little difficult.  Anyway, these are what I think:

Playstation 1
10. Final Fantasy IX
9. Parappa the Rapper (more to watch than play)
8. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
7. Chrono Cross
6. Silent Hill
5. Pepsiman (Japanese - far more fun than you'd expect)
4. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
3. Xenogears
2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
1. Final Fantasy VII

10. Silent Hill 2
9. Suikoden III
8. Xenosaga Episode III (best of the series, too bad you have to play the first two to understand the story)
7. Metal Gear Solid 3
6. Katamari Damashii
5. Shadow Hearts II (but it's best if you've played the first)
4. Final Fantasy X
3. Final Fantasy XII
2. Shadow of the Colossus
1. Ico

These are my favorites of the games I own so they might not be considered "the best" nor might they be exclusives.

PS1

Armored Core - this is where ultra-customization in gaming started for me

Bushido Blade - a work of art. BB2 was a disgrace.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - nuff said

Dragon Seeds - the only Tamagotchi-style game I've ever played. I love the artwork and soundtrack

Einhander - still just about the best 2.5D shooter around

Elemental Gearbolt - I should buy a GunCon (or two) for this game. It would be so much more enjoyable than using a pad

Ghost in the Shell - simple and solid 3D action-shooter. high quality cutscenes

R-Types - just has the first two games but they're perfect ports and there are lots of sweet extras if you can get them!

R-Type Delta - a perfect transition to 3D for the series

Road Rash - I don't know why eveybody hates on this game. It's fun to pick up and play every once in a while and run over horribly digitized images of pedestrians! It has a wicked sense of speed.

Rollcage, Rollcage Stage 2 - extremely underrated futuristic racer overshadowed by the Wipeout franchise. I long for a revival of this series.

Vigilante 8 - I never played Twisted Metal but I'm willing to bet this was better

Xevious 3D/G+ - excellent collection of Xevious games but 3D/G+ is the only one worth playing

PS2

GunGriffon Blaze - one of my first PS2 games. Killer first-person mech combat. Hard rocking soundtrack by T's Music

Hot Shots Golf Fore! - okay, I barely played it but I was hooked on HS3 for months so it has to be even better!

Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition - one of the most addicting gaming experiences of my life. Race for cash, pimp rides, repeat ad infinitum.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 - I read that the PS2 version of this game was the best because the XBox and PC versions were much slower

Neo Contra - this was too easy but at least it wasn't too hard like Shattered Soldier

Rygar - epic action-adventure. You knew about this one already, right?

Sub Rebellion - Irem's obscure 3D submarine shooter. Very deep gameplay (:P) and bosses that take you back to the R-Type days

Spy Hunter - I believe this was by the same team that developed Beetle Adventure Racing for the N64 which is a classic. Again, I hear that other versions of this game are inferior.

Timesplitters (series) - Hey, Free Radical! Are you still around? Do another Goldeneye, already! Timesplitters was close but not close enough.

I tend to think of these as SNES titles first, but as my avatar suggests, they are indeed very worthwhile, regardless of the console you play them on.  Ogre Battle introduced me to SRPGs in my 16-bit days and Tactics Ogre is the awesome precursor to Final Fantasy Tactics.

Oh shit, thanks a bunch for that lead! Didn't have a clue they did this one, as I rarely play mech-games.

This should be fun.

PS1:
1. Einhander
2. Misadventures of Tron Bonne
3. Final Fantasy 7
4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
5. Megaman Legends 2
6. Final Fantasy Tactics
7. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
8. Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions
9. Tomba!
10. Breath of Fire IV

Runners-up:
Final Fantasy Chronicles
Ghost in the Shell
PaRappa the Rapper
Silhouette Mirage
Wild Arms

PS2:
1. Megaman Anniversary Collection
2. Ape Escape 3
3. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
4. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
5. Viewtiful Joe
6. Okami
7. Contra: Shattered Soldier
8. Shadow of the Colossus
9. Ratchet & Clank (series)
10. Megaman X Collection

Runners-up:
Ape Escape 2
Final Fantasy X
Megaman X8
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Viewtiful Joe 2

How's that?

Oh, and...

I'll go on record as being the second.

No, I said "third game", not "third atomically shitty mockery of a game".

Most definitely!  Great game!

I second Tomba! and also wanted to mention Tomba! 2. Both are criminally under-appreciated platformers. It should be noted, though, that both Tomba! games are not compatible with the PS2, which is one of the reasons I still keep my PS1 around. I'm not sure if they're compatible with the PS3.

I also second this. Timesplitters 2 was probably the best of the series, with a good amount of multiplayer options, but Timesplitters Future Perfect had a better map editor and story mode. Free Radical are still around; they're working on the Star Wars: Battlefront 3 for the next-gen consoles.

What I wouldn't give for an UmJammer sequel! PaRappa 2 was a huge disappointment in comparison. Of course, I prefer the pop-rock stylings of UmJammer over the hip-hop songs of PaRappa anyway. The fact that UmJammer featured both styles only sweetened the pot further. To this day, I still use the phrase, "My guitar is in my mind."

They're also working on Haze, but I too wish they'd make a good FPS.  The problem with the TimeSplitters series is that while they totally NAILED the control and frame rate, they completely missed the boat on character design and, more importantly, level design.  GoldenEye had brilliantly designed levels, and I've yet to play an FPS that topped its level design.  In fact, for me, the next best thing to GoldenEye is RE4, even though it's not an FPS.

Separately, I'd also like to know what the hell happened with Zoonami.  Are they still making that silly funky gorilla game?