Konami Went Supernova in 2001: The Greatest One-Year Run In PS2 History

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Konami is starting to make a comeback with big titles like the remake of Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. But it wasn’t long ago that Konami was a dominant force in gaming. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the company consistently led the industry, setting new trends and creating truly innovative games.

Looking back at Konami’s history, 2001 stands out as a truly exceptional year. They released three games that went on to become incredibly influential, not just on the PlayStation 2, but in gaming as a whole. It’s remarkable that all three of these culturally significant titles came out in the same year, and it highlights the incredible creative power Konami had at the time.

Man, 2001 was an awesome year for gaming! Konami dropped Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on the Game Boy Advance, and it was seriously amazing – critics loved it, and so did I!

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

  • Metal Gear Solid 2 MetaCritic score: 96
  • Metal Gear Solid 2 accolades and awards: Game Informer Game of the Year 2001, PSM Game of the Year 2001, Japan Game Awards Excellence Award 2001, Edge Innovation of the Year 2001

Many consider Metal Gear Solid 2 the pinnacle of the Metal Gear series and a hugely important game. It was a massive technical jump from the previous generation, making even the recent Metal Gear games look outdated. But MGS2 wasn’t just about graphics and scale. Its story was daring and experimental, offering sharp social and political insights rarely seen in games at the time. Remarkably, it even foreshadowed issues we grapple with today, like the spread of false information online. All of this was packaged in a fantastic stealth-action game that remains fun to play, cementing Metal Gear‘s place in gaming history.

Silent Hill 2

  • Silent Hill 2 MetaCritic score: 89
  • Silent Hill 2 accolades and awards: IGN Editor’s Choice Award

Okay, so Silent Hill 2 didn’t get quite the same hype as MGS2 when it first came out, but honestly, a lot of us who played back then now think it’s just as good. It was a huge leap forward graphically from the first game, and while the story wasn’t as mind-bending as MGS2, it was seriously gripping and really messed with your head. Even now, the story of James Sunderland and what he goes through – all that stuff with love, desire, and guilt – hits hard. It’s one of those game stories that actually sticks with you, you know? The fact that the recent remake basically kept the story exactly the same, even with all the new graphics and gameplay, just proves how powerful it is.

Zone of the Enders

  • Zone of Enders MetaCritic score: 78
  • Zone of the Enders accolades and awards: Japan Game Awards Excellence Award 2003 (Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner)

While not as widely known as games like Metal Gear or Silent Hill, Zone of the Enders has become a beloved cult classic, and like many Konami games from 2001, it features a surprisingly rich story. The game’s sci-fi plot, about Earth battling its Martian colonies, is exciting and thought-provoking, touching on themes of war, what it means to exist, and the idea of destiny. It has a unique depth that sets it apart. A sequel followed, and it was even more popular, winning an Excellence Award at the Japan Game Awards in 2003.

Konami had a remarkably strong year in 2001, and while some of that success was likely due to good fortune, it was primarily the result of strategic investments in creative talent – people like Hideo Kojima, Masashi Tsuboyama, Noriaki Okamura, and Yoji Shinikawa. It’s a bit sad to remember this, considering Konami has faced challenges in recent years, especially following the well-known departure of Kojima in 2015. However, with recent hits like Metal Gear Solid Delta and Silent Hill f, there’s a renewed sense of optimism that Konami could experience another period of success like it did in 2001.

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2025-12-10 14:04