PS2 Simple 2000 Series Recommendations

[98PaceCar]

Over the years, I've picked up a few of the Simple 2000 games as I've had the chance. Last night, I got Zombie vs Ambulance and after playing it a bit, decided I need to get some more from this series. I currently have the ZvA, Daibajin, and one of the pinball/breakout clones.

What other games should I pick up? It looks like there are several version of Earth Defense Force and Onechanbara, both of which I have and enjoyed on the 360. I also noticed a couple of shmups, which are always fun for at least a little while.

I should note that I have no japanese language ability, but I can usually stumble my way through the games that are light on text/menus.

[Cryomancer]

Well, my first suggestion is to look into PAL releases, many of them came out in Europe with full english translations. This site has some info on that: http://fuji.drillspirits.net/simple/ Zombie VS Ambulance came out there as Zombie Virus, Daibajin as Demolition Girl, etc.

There are a bunch of relaly fun games in the series and some that are gonna be pretty pointless without being able to read them.

For EDF, there's three of them. The original, the second, and tactics. The 360 version is kinda-sorta remakey to the original game but is considered the third main title. Tactics is a hex-based strategy game, it's ok, but I prefer the action games. The first game is more or less like the 360 game only uglier, it's the first one of course so the ideas are still being fleshed out. It's got the same "kill tons of stuff" fun though. The second game is a vast improvement, there's a second playable character, a lot more variety in the enemies, so on. I hope they do a 4th game soon with some of the stuff from that game carried over! They were all released in Europe as Monster Attack, Global Defense Force, and Global Defense Force tactics. MA is the first, GDF is the second.

As far as Onechanbara goes, there are "4" games on the ps2. Basically there is a 1 and a 2, and each of those has an enhanced re-released with new stuff. I believe three of them came out in Europe, both versions of the first game and the enhanced version of the second. Their titles were Zombie Zone, Zombie Hunters, and Zombie Hunters 2. Zombie Hunters 2 boots up as "Zombie Zone Other Side", so the title of that one is arguable. The enhancements the games recieved were extra characters. The...second first game...had Riho and her sister added, the second second game has the girls from another game, Dragon Sisters, added in. HOPEFULLY that info is all correct, I get these mixed up sometimes due to the weird European naming system. Anyway, the games themselves are again, mostly like the 360 title in the series, the later game is more complex and fleshed out than the first, more characters and variety and so on. If you like the 360 one, check out the enhanced versions, their Japanese release numbers are 80 and 101.

There are quite a few other fun titles in the series, I'd have to go look through them again to remember which ones were my favorites... I should though. I've gotta head off for a thing so I better ut this "short", if/when I remember some good ones I'll come back to this.

[Arctic Feather]

If do you do go down the PAL route, be sure to check if they support 60hz or not. A lot of budget releases have cheap 50hz-only conversion which suck, and they may not work on American TVs.

I know Monster Attack is 50hz only, I can't remember if Zombie Virus (Zombie Vs Ambulance) is, but you have that already anyway.

[Vlcice]

...Zombie VS Ambulance came out there as Zombie Virus...

Why would you rename Zombie vs Ambulance? Why?

[Mysterio3000]

"the splatter action" is fun, its like the Famicom (NES) version of Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti.

[Cryomancer]

Why would you rename Zombie vs Ambulance? Why?

I know!

[98PaceCar]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll be on the lookout for the EDF games first and the others once I secure those. So far Zombie vs Ambulance has been a blast! I don't see it having a whole lot of staying power, but it will be a good guilty pleasure game!