The PlayStation 2 holds a special place in the hearts of many—and with such a stellar lineup of games, it’s easy to see why. And while 3D platformers first got going on the generation before the PS2, it’s hard to argue that they didn’t reach a peak on Sony’s sophomore console.
Developers used the PS2’s technology to create some of the most vibrant platforming worlds we have ever seen while taking big strides forward in the storytelling and aesthetic departments. There’s a reason people still think of series like Ratchet & Clank and Jak and Daxter when they think of 3D platformers, and whether you played these games in your childhood or as an adult, they still deliver the goods.
8Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
While the actual Tasmanian Tiger has gone extinct, that shouldn’t mean this hidden gem of a 3D platformer should also go forgotten. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a delightful romp through the world of Rainbow Cliffs that features tight level design and an outback aesthetic that sets it apart from other games on the PS2.
Collecting Thunder Eggs and throwing Ty’s dual boomerangs is still as fun today as it was in 2002, and the HD remaster is a great way to experience this quirky adventure on modern consoles. While not as well-remembered as some other games on this list, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger has nonetheless more than earned its cult following status in the years since.
7SpongeBob SquarePants: The Battle For Bikini Bottom
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom has endured as abeloved Nickelodeon gamethat does a wonderful job of paying homage to the iconic cartoon. Every detail of the game, from the art style to the character animations, feels like it could have been lifted straight from the series, and the fact that it’s also a wildly fun 3D platformer is just the icing on the cake.
Battle for Bikini Bottom lets you play as SpongeBob, Patrick, or Sandy as you fight off the army of robots created by everyone’s favorite malevolent capitalistic copepod, Plankton. With the series’ trademark humor shining through the game’s writing and a well-tuned story, Battle for Bikini Bottom has retained every inch of its original charm.
6Ape Escape 2
Ape Escape 2 doesn’t attempt to reinvent what made the original PlayStation game so captivating. Instead, it refines the formula with more inventive Gotcha Gadgets, more exciting mini-games, and more monkey business.
Capturing the various apes remains as enjoyable as ever, especially as the game continually one-ups itself with the clever ways you go about netting the cheeky rascals. The visuals are as colorful and vibrant as a picture book, ensuring Ape Escape 2 has aged as well as any game on the PS2.
5Psychonauts
Psychonautsis one of the most unique 3D platformers ever developed–let alone on the PS2. This mind-bending game fromTim Schafer and the team at Double Fine Productionsgained an instant cult following thanks to its fully realized concept, art style, and gameplay mechanics.
Using the mental worlds of different characters as the game’s levels is a stroke of genius that allows for some truly imaginative results. The different psychic powers of Raz each lend towards an experience that feels totally fresh when placed alongside nearly any other 3D platformer–regardless of its era.
4Sly 2: Band Of Thieves
Sly 2: Band Of Thieves is as sneaky, stylish, and simply sublime as any 3D platformer on the PS2. Building on the foundations of the original, Sly 2 expands the playable roles of Bentley and Murray while shaking up its open-ended level design and mission formula for an experience that still feels so modern after nearly twenty years.
The stealth-platforming gameplay remains in a league of its own while the game’s art style has aged like a fine Parisian wine. The Sly Cooper trilogy was an icon of the PS2 library, and Band of Thieves stands out as perhaps the best of the lot.
3Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil
While there’s an argument to be made that Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil is more of a 2.5D platformer than traditional 3D, its quality is so good that it absolutely belongs on this list. Everything that made the first Klonoa great is back in full force here–an emotional story, vibrant levels, and a near-perfect mix of platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving.
Klonoa 2 carries that balance forward in its level design, which the team at Namco has expertly refined. There is such clear care put into every detail of this game; is it any surprise it has endured as a fan favorite after all this time?
2Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is the culmination of everything Insomniac Studios had been building up to with the original R&C trilogy. The humor is laser-sharp, featuring some of the best gags, parodies, and general silliness that you are likely to find in any game.
Theweaponry is at its most bombastic, and the boss fights range from goofy to being genuinely epic. Oh, and if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s also a competitive multiplayer mode that has become a staple of any PS2 throwback night amongst friends.
1Jak 2
After the critical and commercial success of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, it would have been easy for the developers at Naughty Dog to tread a similar path with the sequel. Instead, they made a game that deviated drastically in tone and setting and yet somehow managed to strike absolute gold once again.
Jak 2 has a fantastic roster of characters, a genuinely gripping storyline about the loss of innocence and rebelling against an oppressive system, and still manages to be an excellent (if rather challenging) 3D platformer. It helped usher in a new era for the genre and remains as bold a sequel as there’s ever been.
