Rarest PS1 and PS2 games to buy before Sony closes the PlayStation Store

Because saving money on classic games should never go out of style

On July 7, Sony announced it will shut down the PlayStation Store on PS3 and Vita. The closure begins in August in some regions, and concludes worldwide in July 2027. For many of us, that leaves time to snag digital editions of some excellent PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 games before they are no longer offered, and to save significantly compared to buying physical editions of those same titles.

The PlayStation Store still features a broad variety of classic games for the two systems, including a number of costly JRPG classics. Additionally, save files mimic the original memory cards, allowing players to have experiences comparable to the ones they might enjoy when playing on the original hardware. With that in mind, here are a few valuable PS1 and PS2 games you might wish to add to your library at $6 to $10 apiece before that option goes away for good.

This list prioritizes games that will cost you a lot of money if you acquire them physically, with prices ranging from $50 to $700 for complete copies at places like eBay, Amazon, and used game stores. There are dozens of other excellent titles from a variety of fan-favorite and niche franchises that didn’t make the list, but which you’ll definitely want to grab before the store goes away.

Gradius 5 (PS2)

Treasure built some of the industry’s greatest shooters before stepping away from the limelight more than a decade ago, even partnering with some major publishers along the way. One such partnership yielded the excellent Gradius 5, a beautiful shooter that was one of the most enjoyable entries in the series. We haven’t seen the game since, even in the Gradius Origins compilation, leaving the PlayStation 2 as the best place to experience the last great shooter in a series that has been around more than 40 years.

Growlanser: Heritage of War (PS2)

The Growlanser series debuted on PlayStation and remained dominant in Japan through the end of the PS2 generation. It fell off after that, once Atlus essentially absorbed the development team. But there were some great games along the way, including Growlanser: Heritage of War, the first in the series to head west with Atlus as its publisher. It didn’t have an enormous print run, and remains highly sought after in the physical market.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (PS2)

Despite their impact on survival horror, the first three Fatal Frame games are difficult to find these days. Only one of them, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly, is available in remade form. Team Ninja did the honors, releasing Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake earlier this year. The game was pretty, but our reviewer felt that attempts to modernize the classic experience drained some of its soul. Perhaps that miscalculation explains why some fans are eager to collect the original release, driving its price up in the secondary market.

God Hand (PS2)

Before PlatinumGames was PlatinumGames, it was Clover Studio, a Capcom internal team known for the Viewtiful Joe games and Okami. But even good things must end, and that proved the case for Clover Studio. Its final release, God Hand, hit western store shelves as a budget title that came and went with barely anyone noticing. Today, God Hand is fondly remembered for its tight brawling, customizable attacks, and quirky sense of humor. People who love the developers’ later work with the likes of Bayonetta have been going back to find other overlooked gems… and they’re no longer shy about paying top dollar for God Hand.

SMT: Devil Summoner 2 - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (PS2)

As titles go, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is a bit of a mouthful. In fact, if you try to find it by entering its full name in the PlayStation Store, you won’t even get the expected result. Instead, search for it with the first three words abbreviated to “SMT.” You’ll find an action-oriented take on the dark MegaTen universe Atlus had built up to that point, before the third Persona game came along with its wild success and monopolized so much of the developer’s attention. We might never know how the Devil Summoner games might have continued to evolve if there hadn’t been so many distractions, but people who buy PS2 games these days have made one thing clear: they’ll pay handsomely for the right action-RPG gems.

SMT: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army (PS2)

The first entry in the offshoot series takes place in the streets of Tokyo during the Taisho era. The detective hero battles monsters with conventional weapons, while also capturing and conjuring demons to battle on his behalf. A new version, titled Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, and Switch 2 consoles in 2025. Although it features numerous quality of life enhancements to go with the gorgeous reworked visuals, plenty of modern gamers are still interested in experiencing the original edition, which has had predictable impact on what you’ll have to pay to secure a physical copy.

Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night took the franchise in a whole direction and drove much of its success for years to follow, but not everyone celebrated. Some players missed the more confined stages that were typical of the series pre-Rondo of Blood. They were thrilled when Castlevania Chronicles arrived as a port of the acclaimed X68000 entry, Akumajo Dracula, complete with difficulty balancing and other tweaks. It’s an ambitious 2D game of the old school, and modern gamers continue to revere and collect it as one of the last reminders of that bygone era.

Chulip (PS2)

When it arrived as a GameStop exclusive in 2007, right near the end of the PS2’s life cycle, Chulip didn’t exactly wow critics. Lengthy load times and bizarre systems combined to make a game that sounded a lot more interesting and fun on paper than it was in practice. Its developer, Punchline, would next work on the less-than-mainstream Rule of Rose, which also found a limited audience. Today, you’ll have to pay quite a lot to acquire a physical edition of Chulip. It’s a showpiece for sure, but you might be much happier with the affordable digital edition.

Capcom built up a small but dedicated audience of Mega Man Legends fans, and at one point even planned another installment in the 3D adventure series. That effort was ultimately scrapped, leaving players to wring more enjoyment out of the available entries. It’s no wonder the games have gone on to command a premium when you find them for sale. Mega Man Legends 2, which is more ambitious and well-realized than the first game, does especially well for itself despite ending on a cliffhanger… although it has competition.

Echo Night (PS1)

Before people knew FromSoftware for its popular Dark Souls series, the studio made smaller waves with the King’s Field games. Those featured first-person adventuring through rough medieval environments, with lots of swordplay. However, the studio clearly had creative muscles to flex, and that’s just what happened with the release of the more cerebral Echo Night. The PS1 game is the first entry of an eventual trilogy, and its publishers at AgeTec didn’t know what response to expect when they first released it. Small print runs all but guaranteed it would eventually go up in price, and it certainly has. But you don’t have to pay much to try it yourself while the digital edition is still available.