Throwback: The PlayStation 2 launched in Japan 21 years ago today

 

March 4, 2000 would be a date for the video game history books - as Sony officially launched their long awaited successor to the original Sony PlayStation console in the PlayStation 2 - a sleek black rectangular DVD powered console that was 128-bit and was hotly anticipated by the masses of gamers in Japan and the world over. Announced in 1999 and with backwards compatibility for the huge library of games its predecessor had, the system abbreviated as the PS2 had a lot to live up to... And boy did it live up to that legacy of gaming through the years. As a sixth generation console, it faced competition with the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Gamecube - but it powered on and would go on to hold so many memorable titles and memories.

Taking a trip back memory lane, here's archived video footage of the launch of the PS2 back in Japan on this day 21 years ago.

JAPAN: SONY PLAYSTATION 2 LAUNCH

With its rich library of games that includes the likes Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, Silent Hill 2, 3, and 4, GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, Devil May Cry 1-3, and so many other games - you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't know about the PlayStation 2. Three generations later, we get a new successor in the PS5 now... But this is one system that is considered one of the greats, and holds the award for being one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time.

Happy 21 years to the PlayStation 2!