5 Weirdest Licensed PlayStation 2 Games

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The PlayStation 2 was incredibly popular, so many developers rushed to create games for it. A common approach was to license existing brands – a strategy that could boost sales because fans were already familiar with the property. However, some of these licensed games were surprisingly strange. While not always poorly made, they often took the original brand in unexpected and unusual directions that fans didn’t see coming.

Here are the five weirdest licensed PlayStation 2 games.

5) WWE Crush Hour

WWE was incredibly popular during the PlayStation 2 years, releasing many games for the console. But while most were traditional wrestling games, Crush Hour took a unique approach. It presented a scenario where Vince McMahon controlled all the TV networks and had to create enough shows to keep viewers entertained.

Not surprisingly, this eventually resulted in a demolition racing show similar to Twisted Metal featuring WWE wrestlers. It wasn’t a critical hit, but it’s an enjoyable departure from typical WWE games, and having Jim Ross provide commentary always makes it more fun.

4) Little Britain: The Video Game

Okay, so Little Britain was this British comedy show that was super popular back in the early 2000s, running from 2003 to 2006. Honestly, looking back, it’s definitely got some jokes that haven’t aged well – pretty crude stuff that would get cancelled today. But for some reason, Mastertronic decided we needed a video game based on it. I mean, why not, right?

The game initially released only in Europe, which makes sense considering the overwhelmingly negative reviews. It features seven mini-games based on popular sketches, attempting to turn them into playable experiences. These include scenarios like skateboarding as a mom in a bikini, a Pac-Manstyle grocery store run to secretly eat cookies, and a Tetrislike game where you feed an elderly woman. It’s a bizarre game, and unfortunately, not a good one.

3) The Sopranos: Road to Respect

Around the mid-2000s, The Sopranos was incredibly popular. Grand Theft Auto was just as big in the world of video games, so it made sense that THQ would attempt to create a game based on the hit HBO series. They even built up excitement by announcing the game would fit into the storyline between seasons five and six.

It soon became obvious the game wasn’t going to be successful. The developers, noticing the popularity of open-world games like GTA, surprisingly chose to create a more straightforward, linear experience. While they managed to get the original show’s actors to do voice work, the series creator, David Chase, clarified before release that the game wasn’t really connected to the show. Ultimately, it was a frustrating game that wasted a lot of promising ideas.

2) Pimp My Ride

With the other games on this list, you can at least see the appeal. But Pimp My Ride – the show where they’d customize someone’s car with over-the-top features like jacuzzis – just never seemed like a good idea for a video game.

The creators of the Pimp My Ride game focused more on mini-games than actual car customization. Players spent most of their time doing things like rhythm-based challenges, such as “Hot Steppin” and “Ghost Ride the Whip.” While there were driving segments, they weren’t very enjoyable. The PlayStation 2 version is a bit better than the one released for the PSP, though.

Surprisingly, a sequel to the TV show’s game, Pimp My Ride: Street Racing, was released for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. And, just as you might expect, it played very similarly to a simplified version of Need for Speed Underground.

1) Akira: Psycho Ball

Akira is a hugely popular and influential manga and anime, considered a classic of the 1980s. Given its popularity, it’s easy to see why someone would want to turn it into a video game. However, it’s surprising that Bandai Namco chose to make it a pinball game.

While the game includes a soundtrack and video clips from the film, it’s hard to understand why it was even made. Someone did try to adapt the Akira story into a video game back in 1988 for the NES, so it’s not an unexplored idea. Bandai decided to go with a pinball adaptation, and that’s all we’ve seen since, which feels like a missed opportunity.

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2026-05-14 00:12