We recently covered one of MrRubiks's creations a couple of weeks back, in the form of an Android launcher that can be downloaded to turn your smartphone's UI into that of a Nintendo DS. Well, he has more in the works, and one PlayStation 2 fan will certainly enjoy it.
The PS2's UI is iconic, the boot up screen that changes depending on your storage, the sounds, the pixelated icons, the memory cards, it's all signed into our nostalgic memories, and now it can be signed in your Android smartphone in a very creative and easy way.
The app is officially called Blue Two Launcher and is available to download on the Google Play Store for free. It has a wide number of features, such as:
- Fullscreen landscape launcher experience
- Classic PlayStation 2-style main navigation
- Browser and System Configuration menu sections
- Optional nostalgia intro video
- Video background support for selected screens
- Memory-unit style app and game organisation
- Create memory units for Android apps or classic game folders
- Launch your installed Android apps directly
- Custom icons from local image files
- Reset icons and manage app shortcuts
- Registered disc-style behavior for launched apps
- Classic game folder setup support
- External PS2 emulator launch configuration
- Supports AetherSX2, NetherSX2 variants, ARMSX2, RetroArch Play cores, and more
- Touch, keyboard, and native Android gamepad navigation
- D-pad and button support through native Android integration
- Haptic feedback toggle
- Sound effects toggle
- Nostalgia mode toggle
- Notification badge support through Android settings
- Icon pack support
- Default launcher shortcut
- Storage and free-space information
- Available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and German
- Offline by design — no accounts, no analytics, no tracking
I like how it turns your internal and external storage into memory cards, allowing you to explore the files as if it were a PlayStation 2, with the memory cards replacing the icons. Jumping into them will reveal the applications, floating on the menu as if they were your save states, with custom icons made for your applications to make it look retro enough to fit in with the PS2's UI. You can even make PS2 box art images too.
What would be cool, though, and I'd love to see this in an update, is if you have a PS2 Emulator installed, it could take the game files within the emulator and turn them into little box art icons that you can click on to immediately shortcut to opening the game in NetherSX2, for example, adding real PS2 games to your PS2 homescreen. MrRubik, if you are reading, please make that a feature!
It's a neat and free way to spice up your Android's look, and hopefully more updates come to integrate a few more features such as emulators, but it's a great start that I recommend checking out!
