🌌 Hidden Bootup Secrets
- 🎵 Slow Down the Boot Music: If you insert a disc while the console is vertical, some models play a slightly different boot sound.
- 🟦 Towers in the Main Menu: The "tower" cubes in the background represent how many games you've played and how long you've played them. The taller the towers, the more time spent.
- 📀 Disc Sounds Change: Different types of discs — DVD, CD, PS1, or PS2 — play unique startup chimes and animations.
🕹️ Fun Game Easter Eggs
- 📸 Metal Gear Solid 3: Hold L1 when meeting EVA to look at her face instead of Snake's point of view.
- 🔥 GTA San Andreas: Go to Area 69 at 3:00 AM. UFOs may appear in the desert sky.
- 🔍 Shadow of the Colossus: A secret garden is climbable if you raise your stamina to the max and climb the final temple wall.
- 💾 Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex: Input cheat codes on the loading screen using the controller D-pad — a true throwback.
🔓 Secret Menus & Debug Modes
Some demo discs and early development units include debug menus with frame counters, cheat toggles, and system diagnostics.
Look up your disc ID online — some demos contain unreleased builds or developer tools!
The PS2’s mysteries are still being uncovered. From boot animations to memory card menus, it was full of tiny details that made it feel… alive.