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Well,this dude (opens in new tab)has ‘em all – SEALED! How exactly did this guy manage to dig up every PlayStation 2 game ever released stateside and keep ‘em in the shrinkwrap? Easier, and cheaper, than you might expect, according to an interview with the dude over atPlayStationCollecting.com (opens in new tab). But first, here are some facts about Ahans76’s massive collection:
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Above: OH! And get an EXCLSUIVE PEEK into GamesRadar’s PlayStation 2 archive below
-The PlayStation 2’s library contains over 1,850 games, not counting variants.
-Ahans76 only collects sealed, North American releases. PAL and Japanese releases are not his concern
-The entire collection is comprised of sealed first editions, or Black Bar, PS2 games. The only Greatest Hits titles allowed in are ones that added additional content.
-There are still games being released on PS2, so technically Ahans76’s Sony Mausoleum is not 100% complete.
If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking “What kind of maniac devotes a lifetime collecting hundreds of sealed PS2 games?!” Yet the interview reveals a surprising nonchalance on Ahans76’s part, and personally, it’s geeky packrat behavior I can certainly relate to.
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Above:Click to enlarge
This here “Ultimate PS2 Collection” is actually the product of only four years of devoted hording, and it started once he noticed he was buying so many games, he wasn’t bothering to open a lot of them. Once the numbers grew into the hundreds, he figured why not make “a thing” out of this? Speaking as someone who has no idea why the hell there are three unopened copies of Street Fighter IV on his shelf… I get it.
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Above:Limited/Collector’s Editions were not as a common during the PS2 era
But is this dude a millionaire?! Who could afford all of this? Well, collecting ‘em all became a little easier as that nasty economic recession brought an end to numerous retail chains and VG stock was offloaded at below used/bargain bin prices. So, let he who did not pick the bones of Circuit City, Blockbuster, and Game Crazy go ahead and cast the first stone.
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Above:When it comes to Ace Combat 4, it pays to have a spare
And what do you think was one of the hardest titles for this intrepid collector to procure? I don’t think anyone would’ve guessed Moto GP, an early PS2 release almost no one in the world bothered to keep in museum condition. I found that to be one of the more interesting anecdotes inthe breezy interview (opens in new tab), however, I really wish the folks at PlayStation Collecting would’ve gotten to the bottom of this:
Above: Top Angler: A PS2 fishing game so obscure, the world’s foremost collector appears to have repeatedly forgotten he already owns several dozen copies of it.
AND AS PROMISED!
Behold: GamesRadar’s laughable and pathetic PlayStation 2 library. I’d imagine several PS2 titles have found happy homes within the personal collections of our editors, but this is sadly as comprehensive as our collection will ever get.
Above: No PS2 collection is complete without Beasts of the 5th Sun!
Jul 7, 2011
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SSX, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2, Ico, GTA III and more
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Sly, Ratchet, Kingdom Hearts and GTA: Vice City top the list
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Beyond Good & Evil, Prince of Persia, tons of sequels and Tony Hawk’s final appearance on our chart
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Star Wars, Snake Eater, San Andreas, and other games that might start with S!
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God of War, Devil May Cry, and Shadow of the Colossus shine in the PS2’s supposed “final year”
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Our final installment celebrates the most brilliant titles from two increasingly slow years – what made the cut?
