Good PS2 games for a 12-year old?

OK, help me out, guys. My nephew is coming out to where I live for the summer. He is reportedly a gamer, so I'm giving him my old PS2 Slim for summer funtimes. Sadly, I don't know what kind of games he likes, and his mother can't tell me because she doesn't understand games.

So I turn to you, GB community. I'm looking for quality age-appropriate PS2 games that will keep a 12-year-old's attention. I don't want to give him shit games, but I also don't want his mom to think I'm shaping him into a sociopath. Oh, and please no impassioned arguments on how violent games don't make violent people. He's not my kid, I don't make the calls on how he's raised.

Some examples. I've already got my eye on the Lego games, Jak and Daxter, and Okami. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Make me proud.

Maybe the Kingdom Hearts series. I don't know if the light RPG elements would be too much for what sounds like a new player or as a 12 year old he would be too old or cool for Disney stuff.

Any of the Ratchet and Clank or Jak and Daxter games.

Ratchet and Clank

@RubberFactory said:

Any of the Ratchet and Clank games or Jak and Daxter games.

Two thumbs up for Ratchet and Clank. those games were a riot. One of the things I miss, having gone traded my ps2 towards a 360 years ago.

Ratchet and Clank, can't go wrong there.

Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga.

FFX is good.in depth but good. how bout star wars battlefront?every one loves star wars.also spider man 2. prob the best comic book game next to the arkham games.

Sly Cooper. Never played the first, but 2 is amazing and 3 is pretty good, too.

I'm going to say Kingdom hearts series as well as long as he's not "too cool" for Disney stuff he should be fine, I played the shit out of those games when i was 12 and I don't remember them being overly complicated or difficult to understand in terms of RPG mechanics. Of course the Jak and Daxter and Ratchet & Clank games as well as others have said but I'd also recommend Gran Turismo or Burnout 3 if he likes racing games or maybe Guitar hero 2 (or 3 if it was on PS2) those are pretty fun.

Ratchet/Jak/Sly. Okami possibly, I mean it's just like a Zelda game and I could have handled that at 12.

We <3 katamari.

Amnesia the Dark Descent. Oh, PS2. Oh, 12 year old. Prince of Persia?

all 3 sly cooper games, but that's a given. maybe psychonauts too, it's reminiscent of a good cartoon. there's actually this spongebob game that's not too bad that i enjoyed when i was 12, called spongebob: battle for bikini bottom. it's basically super mario 64 but with spongebob. because you know, kids are into spongebob. the ty the tasmanian tiger series is alright too. the first tak and the power of juju is alright too. katamari damaci is fun too. i enjoyed the sonic mega collection when i was his age, never beat any of them but enjoyed them.

maybe give him some ps1 games too, crash bandicoot and spyro are awesome.

EDIT: maybe star wars battlefront, it's a shooter but it's not super violent, and it's star wars.

LSD, really the only option here.

@LiquidPrince said:

Amnesia the Dark Descent. Oh, PS2. Oh, 12 year old. Prince of Persia?

those games are hard...but not too hard for a 12 year old with tons of free time.

I looked through my PS2 collection and.... FFX, FFXII, Okami, Dragon Quest VIII, and maybe Shadow of the Colossus? The rest of my games seemed either too dark or violent, I guess.

If you really want to raise him up right, you'll just hand him a copy of Persona 4 and send him on his way.

@DoctorDanger99 said:

FFX is good.in depth but good. how bout star wars battlefront?every one loves star wars.also spider man 2. prob the best comic book game next to the arkham games.

Yeah, FF10 was my first FF and it is easily the most newbie friendly one IMO. Not to hard like FF13 and not to damn complex either like some of the first FF's. Just right!

Oh and get him Viewtiful Joe. Kick ass game series right there! Oh, and don't get him Odin Sphere... that game is hard as hell.

• Kingdom Hearts
• Ratchet and Clank (particularly Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal) (some subtly crude humor)
• Final Fantasy X
• Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2
• Manhunt
• Gran Turismo 4
• Devil May Cry 3 (some language and a bit of blood)
• Jak and Daxter (some language)

None of those are any worse than Shrek as far as crude humor or dirty language goes.

• Ace Combat 4
• Ridge Racer V
• Sonic Unleashed

Sly motherfucking Cooper. All of them, they're amazing.

@believer258 said:

• Kingdom Hearts
• Ratchet and Clank (particularly Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal) (some subtly crude humor)
• Final Fantasy X
• Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2
• Manhunt
• Gran Turismo 4
• Devil May Cry 3 (some language and a bit of blood)
• Jak and Daxter (some language)

None of those are any worse than Shrek as far as crude humor or dirty language goes.

Uh... playing through DMC3 myself and I gotta say it has ALOT of blood and stuff. Also the fact that the nightmarish monster may give kids nightmares... mainly the devil trigger form since it was made by teh Shin Megami Tensei guys so they could put Dante in Nocturne.

@Encephalon said:

Oh, and please no impassioned arguments on how violent games don't make violent people. He's not my kid, I don't make the calls on how he's raised.

What about an impassioned argument on kids not staying indoors playing video games? ;)

SSX Tricky and SSX 3.

Final Fantasy X.

Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, Jack and Dexter, any Final Fantasy game, Kingdom Hearts.. I don't think any of the Tomb Raider series would be too bad. It's basically Indiana Jones but with a chick with huge tits. The Need For Speed series is cool if he likes racing...

That's about all I can think of without getting into the violent stuff.

Burnout 3: Takedown and Burnout Revenge.

Need For Speed Most Wanted, Star Wars Battlefront II (probably the first as well, they're both great games), Champions of Norrath, Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, Godzilla: Save The Earth, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, 007: Agent Under Fire, Ace Combat 4, Guitar Hero 1, 2 and 3, the .Hack games, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, NFL Street 2.

I bolded the ones that I think are least offensive and not too terribly violent or bloody, but ultimately what you should do is have his mother watch you play a bunch of these games and either allow or veto the ones she thinks look appropriate. She may know nothing about video games, but she'll know what she thinks looks too violent or mature.

The Sly games are great. Timesplitters 2 isn't so bad for a 12 year old and one of my favorite games.

@believer258 said:

• Manhunt

None of those are any worse than Shrek as far as crude humor or dirty language goes.

Oh you.

Bully

devil may cry 3 god of war 2.

• SSX 3
• Red Faction II
• The Punisher
• Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
• X-Men Legends 2: Rise Of Apocalypse
• Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
• Ico
• Soul Calibur II
• Rogue Trooper
• Primal
• Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
• Quake III: Revolution
• Burnout 3: Takedown
• Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Kingdom Hearts, Ratchet and Clank, Okami.

Jak and Daxter and Ratchet is what's up. I highly recommend the first game in both series as appropriate for EVERYONE.

Maybe Kingdom Hearts? Uhm, Final Fantasy X?

Jak and daxter would be a fantastic choice. Ape Escape 2 is pretty damn good, too.

The Naruto games if he is into anime and Persona 4.

I''ll just step in and say: Gitaroo Man

Manhunt.

Dark Cloud 2

the rare ps2 port of rapelay

Klonoa 2 is an amazing game so that. Also be aware that he will probably moan that is isn't Call Of Duty, and that it is an old console.

I remember really liking how the Spider-Man games for PS2 were kinda open world. The gameplay was quite alright, too, so he should be able to appreciate it!

@RubberFactory said:

Any of the Ratchet and Clank or Jak and Daxter games.

@believer258 said:

• Kingdom Hearts
• Ratchet and Clank (particularly Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal) (some subtly crude humor)
• Final Fantasy X
• Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2
• Manhunt
• Gran Turismo 4
• Devil May Cry 3 (some language and a bit of blood)
• Jak and Daxter (some language)

None of those are any worse than Shrek as far as crude humor or dirty language goes.

I see what you did there...

Madden 12

I know it's been said a few time already but the Ratchet and Clank games are a must, I had a ton of fun with them. The Sly Cooper series is great as well.

If he were older, I would say Onimusha 3, because that game is incredible. But I don't think his parents will approve of him playing an 18.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas