PS2: Non-Shmups NTSC-J exclusives worth checking out?

[Edmond Dantes]

It's crap.

Lots of 2D Fighters on the Neo Geo Online Collection, the localizations don't count cause almost all of them are shit.

Nah, only King of Fighters: Orochi Saga is shit, and that's because its not the same thing as the Japanese Orochi Hen.

Samurai Shodown Anthology, Art of Fighting Anthology, FF Battle Archives 1 and 2 and World Heroes Collection are all pretty much the same deal as their Japanese counterparts, just with English text.

[Koa Zo]

Sega Ages Vol. 29: Monster World Complete Collection
Sega Ages Vol. 32: Phantasy Star Complete Collection
Sega Ages Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection
Oretachi Ge-sen Zoku: Akumajo Dracula
Oretachi Ge-sen Zoku: Contra
Oretachi Ge-sen Zoku: Thunder Cross

Those are some that I was going to mention. The Oretachi Geasen Zoku series doesn't get enough recognition.
Vol.17 Pooyan is very enjoyable, especially with the option to play in tate mode. Of course Contra offers that option as well.
And, Vol.4 Time Pilot is the best home version available, also displayable in tate mode.

In the SegaAges collection I'll add to those mentioned already: Vol.21 SDI & Quartet Sega System 16 Collection, and Vol.26 Dynamite Deka are not to be missed. I particularly like having Vol.23 Memorial Collection and Vol.15 Decathelete as well.

For the GunCon2, Gunvari Collection + Time Crisis is more fun than one person can handle.

And an odd-ball, and not-entirely exclusive, Sega/Wavemaster's port of Switch will have you grinning and scratching your head.

[evil_ash_xero]

I couldn't get into Chain Dive for anything.

[CDexWard]

Ok, are there any PAL-only ports of japanese games or any PAL-exclusives worth getting?
I just found out about the Forbidden Siren series which was never released in the US.

[ACSeraph]

The first Onechanbara got released in Pal under the name Zombie Zone.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Ok, are there any PAL-only ports of japanese games or any PAL-exclusives worth getting?
I just found out about the Forbidden Siren series which was never released in the US.

10,000 Bullets (Tsukiyo ni Saraba). Technically Odin Sphere PAL is the ultimate version (loading times and slowdown are reduced).

[Zaarock]

Ok, are there any PAL-only ports of japanese games or any PAL-exclusives worth getting?
I just found out about the Forbidden Siren series which was never released in the US.

Global Defence Force / Earth Defence Force 2
Psyvariar Complete Edition
Wipeout 3 Special Edition (PSX)

Zone of the Enders 2 PAL version is the improved special edition which wasn't released in the US

[ZellSF]

There's really very few PAL exclusive things worth bothering with. Get the PAL editions of Odin Sphere and Wipeout 3 Special Edition, those are really all I can think of. I could go on forever listing the games that PAL territories didn't get though.

I just found out about the Forbidden Siren series which was never released in the US.

The first and the last one was, so to say the entire series wasn't isn't entirely accurate.

Zone of the Enders 2 PAL version is the improved special edition which wasn't released in the US

The HD remaster was recently patched and that's now the definitive version.

[Obiwanshinobi]

How could I forget about Gregory Horror Show?
More shmups than Psyvariar -Complete Edition- (most notably Dragon Blaze, Homura and Sengoku Ace), but the topic is about "Non-Shmups".
If you play first person shooters on consoles, you might check out World War Zero: Iron Storm. Not sure if it's much good, but I liked the original Iron Storm. World War Zero got back-ported to PC, but I suppose split-screen multiplayer (for up to four players, apparently) is only on PS2.
Man, I see Rebellion of Rogue Trooper fame reworked it for the PS2. You don't see British studios remaking French games every day.

[Ed Oscuro]

You don't see many people enjoying any flavor of Iron Storm or Bet On Soldier every day, either. Still, an interesting factoid. I don't think I knew about that one.

[Nana]

How could I forget about Gregory Horror Show?
.

Do you know if the japanese version of this one in particular is playable without knowing japanese, or rather if it has english audio/dialogue?

[Obiwanshinobi]

Gregory Horror Show PAL outputs 60 Hz and is voiced in English. I might check out what other languages are supported when I hook up my PS2.

[Nana]

I appreciate the tip, but I still don't have a PAL PS2.

[Obiwanshinobi]

On a side note, some Capcom games, 60 Hz and all, are tweaked in PAL: rebelanced difficulties in DMC3 (and the omission of sped up mode in Special Edition), rebalanced weapons in RE4, altered saving system in Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter.

Battle Gear 2 got released in PAL as Tokyo Road Race.