Did early PS2 games have different cases?

[Fuzzball24]

I bought Timesplitters on PS2 used awhile back, and I'm wondering if this is the original case. I saw a copy of Unreal Tournament for PS2 used at Gamestop awhile back, but I didn't buy it because it had a case similar to this and I wasn't sure if it was the original case.

[walrusmonger]

My copy of Armored Core 2 (early ps2 release) is in a stock box, and I owned timesplitters but dont have it to check, but I'm pretty sure a few original ps2 games came in generic boxes.

[chrisbid]

the memory card slot in PS2 cases were not in launch titles. im not sure exactly when they started including the slots, but im pretty sure it was less than a year after launch.

[Fuzzball24]

Alright, thanks.

[Promophile]

My first PS2 game, Dynasty Warriors 2, has the memory card slot, and I'm pretty sure it was released a few days after launch.

[itobandito]

yeah my original SSX game from launch has no memory card holder either.

[roushimsx]

Ring of Red didn't have the memory card slot either.

Interestingly enough, the Japanese version of Ring of Red had the memory card slot (it came out ~2 weeks after the PS2 launch in japan, IIRC) as do the two Japanese launch games I picked up (Street Fighter EX3 and Ridge Racer V).

Anyone know if the UK got shafted with some non-memory card slot cases around launch as well or was it just a US thing?

[Xexyz]

Gradius III & IV is another no memory card slot release.

[Fuzzball24]

Does anybody know if Unreal Tournament was a no memory card release?

[Dangerboy]

Not to burst anyone's variant bubble hunting...

But there's a *third* case now.

a. The original 'DVD Case'
All launch games, several games after that...

b. The PS2 Memory Card Case
Just like the Japanese ones, has the slot above the DVD tray

c. The new "PS2 DVD Case"
No memory card slot, but now there is a PS2 logo above the tray. Introduced about a month ago. I think Juiced 2 has it, as well as 4 others within that time frame. I'm on vacation this week so I can't go in and see which cases have the new feature.

Looks like a small bit of plastic saved per case is a money saving idea...

Jason

[PDorr3]

Has anyone noticed that some PS2 cases (I am not sure about all of them) are actualy a very dark blue and not black? maybe its just me but if you hold them up to the light you can see some blue, atleast on the older cases.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Has anyone noticed that some PS2 cases (I am not sure about all of them) are actualy a very dark blue and not black? maybe its just me but if you hold them up to the light you can see some blue, atleast on the older cases.

I too haver noticed this. Odd, isn't it?

[PapaStu]

For something close to the first year the PS2 cases didn't have memory card slots. They were then all worked out and had moved on to the standard Memory card PS2 cased games. I've not bought but a few PS2 games the last year or so (and hardly any have even been opened) so I've not noticed this new third style.

In America all PS2 cases are of that Dark Blue color. Always have been. Put them next to a black case and they really stand out. Its really no different than the Xbox (or 360) Green/Silver cases, the white Wii cases or the squared corner cases for the GameCube. Sony, like everyone else just likes their cases to stand out and for your mind to say, 'Oh thats a PS2 case'.

[Bluteg]

Has anyone noticed that some PS2 cases (I am not sure about all of them) are actualy a very dark blue and not black? maybe its just me but if you hold them up to the light you can see some blue, atleast on the older cases.

Back when I collected early PS2 games I noticed quite a few had a blueish tint to it.

[SkiDragon]

Man, I feel really bad because I bought some used PS2 games in what I thought were generic DVD cases, and switched the cases to the "standard" PS2 cases, and probably threw out the original cases.

[Nature Boy]

Has anyone noticed that some PS2 cases (I am not sure about all of them) are actualy a very dark blue and not black? maybe its just me but if you hold them up to the light you can see some blue, atleast on the older cases.

They're actually *all* dark blue in my experience (60+ titles). If you get a PS2 game not in a dark blue case I'd guess it was used and swapped or something.

The memory card thing I don't know about at all. I'll check SSX, Tekken Tag Tournament, Midnight Club, and Gradius III & IV when I think of it (the first three I bought launch day, the last I bought after the fact)

[bcks007]

Barbie as The Island Princess
Chaos Wars
George of the Jungle
Madden NFL 08 en Español
World Championship Cards
World Championship Paintball

[mEgAsHoT]

Not to burst anyone's variant bubble hunting...

But there's a *third* case now.

a. The original 'DVD Case'
All launch games, several games after that...

b. The PS2 Memory Card Case
Just like the Japanese ones, has the slot above the DVD tray

c. The new "PS2 DVD Case"
No memory card slot, but now there is a PS2 logo above the tray. Introduced about a month ago. I think Juiced 2 has it, as well as 4 others within that time frame. I'm on vacation this week so I can't go in and see which cases have the new feature.

Looks like a small bit of plastic saved per case is a money saving idea...

Jason

I can confirm that the PS2 version of Guitar Hero III is in the form of that new "PS2 DVD Case" with no memory card slot and a Playstation logo above the tray. This was the first time I have seen this type of case used for a PS2 game, as the rest of my PS2 games have a memory card slot above the DVD tray.

With Timesplitters, my copy of it came in the DVD case with the memory card slot...that's odd considering I bought it new/sealed from Blockbuster a few years back (like 2002/2003). I have never seen the original launch games in a case with no memory card slot, at least in my area.

[Kitsune Sniper]

c. The new "PS2 DVD Case"
No memory card slot, but now there is a PS2 logo above the tray. Introduced about a month ago. I think Juiced 2 has it, as well as 4 others within that time frame. I'm on vacation this week so I can't go in and see which cases have the new feature.

It was introduced a loooooooooooooong time before that - my copy of Devil May Cry 1 in the 5th Anniversary Collection has one of those. I haven't opened the other two, yet.

[Chainclaw]

I picked up Odin Sphere, SNK Arcade Classics Vol 1, and King of Fighters XI for the PS2 today. None of them have the memory card holder in them.

I don't like seeing these gone from PS2 games, especially with multiplayer games like the two SNK games, I like bringing my saves with me.

I thought this was the neatest thing when I picked up Ring of Red years ago. I have used it a lot, but every once in a while when we want to boot up an older game like The Bouncer, I need to grab a second game that happens to have a memory card holder.

edit: I checked some other games I've picked up recently, NEO-GEO Battle Coliseum, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, do not have it, Taito Legends 2 has a holder.