Hidden Gems: The Games that Seemingly Only You Played

[Spak]

Chu Teng. Only play via Emulator since before the game files were dumped by someone who had a copy of the game, were impossible since the game was that rare. Probably the rarest game in history as the creator never knew where the copy was.

I've looked up gameplay of that game before... I wasn't all that interested because I don't know Japanese and it looked like the guy that made the game was on LSD the whole time.

 

[finalark]

I've looked up gameplay of that game before... I wasn't all that interested because I don't know Japanese and it looked like the guy that made the game was on LSD the whole time.

I think he was.

Because it was made by the same dude who made this.

Or rather she, since it was based on a woman's dream dairy.

 

[Spak]

I think he was.

Because it was made by the same dude who made this.

Or rather she, since it was based on a woman's dream dairy.

Ah, that makes sense... Why would someone make a game like this? Never played it so I can't really judge it, but it doesn't really pique my interest.

 

[finalark]

Ah, that makes sense... Why would someone make a game like this? Never played it so I can't really judge it, but it doesn't really pique my interest.

It's a neat little experience if you're into surrealism. I wouldn't really call it a "game" since there's no real objectives or even anything resembling actual game play. You pretty much just walk around and witness strange things happening.

Anyway, if you're curious to see the game in action here's an LP of it (note that actual game play starts around 0:45).

 

[Spak]

It's a neat little experience if you're into surrealism. I wouldn't really call it a "game" since there's no real objectives or even anything resembling actual game play. You pretty much just walk around and witness strange things happening.

Anyway, if you're curious to see the game in action here's an LP of it (note that actual game play starts around 0:45).

Oh, hi PBG! I haven't visited his gameplay channel since:

Spoiler

his last Terraria Hardcore failed.

Anyways, this game seems really weird and it's not really my cup of tea... If you like it, good for you, but I'll just sit over here playing Melee and Bravely Default.

 

[finalark]

Oh, hi PBG! I haven't visited his gameplay channel since:

Spoiler

his last Terraria Hardcore failed.

I haven't watched a Hardcore series since Minecraft HC3, which was probably the worst series they've had. Talk about nothing but ******* around and not taking anything seriously. I understand that it's just a bunch of dudes sitting at their computers playing games together, but the thing that made the earlier series compelling is that underneath the humor everyone involved legitimately tried to accomplish their goals. Plus the "who's going to die next" tension that we really haven't seen since Minecraft Hardcore 2.

EDIT: I take that back MineZ HC was actually pretty solid.

Plus they keep bringing Dean back. I'd start watching HC again if they just did a series without Dean in it.

Anyways, this game seems really weird and it's not really my cup of tea... If you like it, good for you, but I'll just sit over here playing Melee and Bravely Default.

Why not all three?

But seriously, LSD is something I'd play if somebody lent me a copy but I would never actually pay for it. Plus I don't think I could ever play it for longer than maybe an hour, two tops.

 

[Spak]

I haven't watched a Hardcore series since Minecraft HC3, which was probably the worst series they've had. Talk about nothing but ****ing around and not taking anything seriously. I understand that it's just a bunch of dudes sitting at their computers playing games together, but the thing that made the earlier series compelling is that underneath the humor everyone involved legitimately tried to accomplish their goals. Plus the "who's going to die next" tension that we really haven't seen since Minecraft Hardcore 2.

EDIT: I take that back MineZ HC was actually pretty solid.

Plus they keep bringing Dean back. I'd start watching HC again if they just did a series without Dean in it.



Why not all three?

But seriously, LSD is something I'd play if somebody lent me a copy but I would never actually pay for it. Plus I don't think I could ever play it for longer than maybe an hour, two tops.

Yeah, by the time Minecraft HC 3 was wrapping up, I was skipping a couple episodes here and there because it seeme d like not much was happening.

Anyways, I might try out LSD for about half an hour if a friend let me try it out, but I think I'd get bored because it doesn't have any of the things I look for in a game (Amazing gameplay mechanics, memorable characters, deep plot, etc.)

Also, you could play all 3 if you want, but the time I spend playing that game would be time I could spend playing a game I know I like.

 

[Bob Bills]

The two that come to mind are Little King's Story for the Wii and to a lesser extent the Sam & Max: Freelance Police series. Also, Shrek SuperSlam was a decent fighting game in its own right (even if the other Shrek games are godawful).

 

[radio silent]

Anyways, I might try out LSD for about half an hour if a friend let me try it out, but I think I'd get bored because it doesn't have any of the things I look for in a game (Amazing gameplay mechanics, memorable characters, deep plot, etc.)

Bro, LSD's got memorable characters.

Or a memorable character.

AKA this guy.

Screw this guy.

 

[Spak]

Bro, LSD's got memorable characters.

Or a memorable character.

AKA this guy.

Screw this guy.

Oh, that totally changes everything. Game of the Year awards, Grammys, Oscars, EVO 2015, it doesn't even matter what the award is for; Mr. Grey Shadowman just wins everything.

 

[radio silent]

Oh, that totally changes everything. Game of the Year awards, Grammys, Oscars, EVO 2015, it doesn't even matter what the award is for; Mr. Grey Shadowman just wins everything.

Excuse me, that's THE Gray Man to you, bub.

 

[MorgLikesGames]

Frogger 2 on PS1. Played it as a kid and I loved it, although I didn't get very far because the game was so difficult.

 

[Iceweasel]

Xenogears, full stop. Release in 1998 (Japan) and 1999 (US), it's a very polarizing PS1 game. You either love it for being a deep, well-plotted RPG full of mecha goodness, or you hate it for being a pretentious, unfinished game with a terrible translation and an insane kudzu plot (though I fail to see why the last one is a problem).
It's my personal favorite game ever, and I've easily played over 150 games to completion. If Squaresoft hadn't cut their budget and staff, and Xenogears had been finished like it was intended, it would have been by far the best game ever made. It's on PS3's eshop, if you don't want to track down a physical copy. Less-legal copies are available pretty much everywhere, but the emulators are pretty error-prone if you don't know how to set it up properly. It's not like Squaresoft cares all that much, somebody on their upper management staff really, really hated this game and tried everything they could to make it fail.

https://web.archive.org/web/2013022...se.xenotensei.com/xenogears/xgtranslation.htm
Here's the translation guide, you'll need it. There's a lot of pronoun confusion in the translation, and with as many moving parts as the plot has, implying a plural at the wrong time can completely change your perspective on what's going on.

 

[Forty4]

Rocket: Robot on Weels . N64. Please play. That is all.

 

[eytnh]

Resident Evil 0 was pretty good, and I'm guilty of downloading Katawa Shoujo and forgetting about it. I remember thinking a bunch of PS1 games were underrated and/or forgotten about, like the first 2 Parasite Eve games. However, usually what comes to mind is these three:

(snip)

I've heard lots of good things about Wild Arms (except the pace gets really slow partway through or something) and my friend swears Legend of Dragoon is the best JRPG he's ever played. Sometimes I wish ePSXe would behave so I could try some of the PSX games I never got to play.
Also, KS is a VN that really did make me think a lot. The premise appears to be a guy romancing and solving the problems of the heroines (like the standard sloppy VN plot) but is actually an impressive story about a bunch of crippled girls fixing a (mostly) healthy guy.

 

[Xavix]

Puyo Pop Fever
Hands down best puzzle game ever made, I highly recommend it

 

[TimeSmash]

Puyo Pop Fever
Hands down best puzzle game ever made, I highly recommend it

What about Pokemon Puzzle League though?

 

[Xavix]

What about Pokemon Puzzle League though?

Thats one pretty cool too

 

[Minato]

Puyo Pop Fever
Hands down best puzzle game ever made, I highly recommend it

It's a great series. It's unfortunate that Sega doesn't care about localizing the series anymore.

 

[Xavix]

It's a great series. It's unfortunate that Sega doesn't care about localizing the series anymore.

wait, they are still making these games

 

[Minato]

wait, they are still making these games

Yup. It's under the name Puyo Puyo in Japan. Latest release was Puyo Puyo Tetris, which has both Puyo and Tetris. Also has some weird modes if you want to combine both games and such. I'm not sure which consoles you own, but you have a Vita or PS3, it's a good game to import.

They also made some Puyo games for Wii and DS in Japan (if we're talking games after Puyo Pop Fever).

 

[Heroine of Winds]

Frogger 2 on PS1. Played it as a kid and I loved it, although I didn't get very far because the game was so difficult.

I remember renting this years ago, but I couldn't get into it because of the weird controls. It wasn't that bad, though.

Puyo Pop Fever
Hands down best puzzle game ever made, I highly recommend it

I should get back into this series since I don't own Puyo Puyo Tetris yet. It's a darn shame that Sega doesn't bother localizing more games after the first Fever game failed. I thought Puyo Puyo was a lot more fun than Tetris.

 

[Xavix]

Also, don't forget to mention the (incredibly difficult) spiritual successor Robotniks Mean Bean Machine for Genesis

 

[VinceX]

Is there anyone here who ever played this little gem called Silhouette Mirage?

Spoiler

Made by Treasure, it's a little action side-scroller in which you control Shyna Nera Shyna / Sinna Neutlarva Sinner, the "messenger of justice".

What makes this particular game unique is the use of the Silhouette and Mirage system : Almost every enemies are attributed to one or the other, whilst Shyna can use both to her advantage. For example, shooting a Silhouette with attacks while she's on her Mirage side will damage said enemy (likewise, they can also hurt you), while shooting someone with an attack of the same attribute will drain their spirits (MP), which can render them almost useless.

If anything, think of this game as Ikaruga as a side-scroller.

 

[Twewy]

lesser extent the Sam & Max: Freelance Police series.

You don't know how well-liked those are, do you?

Also, Shrek SuperSlam was a decent fighting game in its own right (even if the other Shrek games are godawful).

Shrek 2 for GC/PS2/Xbox was fun as hell with friends.

 

[Carrill]

Does anyone remember Zack and Wiki?

I don't think I would have ever bought this game if it hadn't been for IGN's extensive coverage of it at the time but I'm really glad I did. It's a point-and-click puzzle solving game that met poor sales but was very favorably reviewed. Its use of motion controls is really justified in how it adds a new dimension to the puzzle solving. All of the player's options for what they can do with an item aren't explicitly displayed in some UI or on the controller. Instead, the player oftentimes has to think outside of the box to discover some completely new way to use an item and the motion controls provided that element. Sure some of the motions weren't perfectly intuitive (like the sword fighting later on) but even then, there was a way to do things consistently if you could figure it out.

I haven't played it in a long time but I remember enjoying it a lot. The game really hit a sweet spot for me during the parts where you explored the horror-themed levels. The part where you used alchemy to solve puzzles was very memorable segment for me.

 

[lordvaati]

Silhouette Mirage, A Boy & His Blob(Wii version),Seiklus, and Digital: A Love Story.

 

[finalark]

AKA Metal Gear Ghost Babel in Japan (which is what it's near universally called anyway). The Metal Gear series isn't obscure by any stretch of the word, but I really don't hear people talking about this game. If you only saw the cover, I wouldn't blame you for dismissing it. When I first saw it I assumed that it was just an extremely watered down demake of a successful PS1 game (as was a bit of a trend back in the late 90s). Despite what impression poor western marketing might give, this is not a lesser version of MGS1. It's actually a completely original game. As expected of an MGS title, they manage to pack a ton of story into this game, even though it's completely non-cannon. Think of it as an alternate direction the narrative could have taken after MG2: Solid Snake. In terms of game play, despite the GBC's limitations it manages to capture the experience perfectly with its signature stealth and inventory systems carried over with little issues.

Unfortunately, this game is really hard to find these days and it tends to carry a high price tag. But if you can find it for cheap I highly recommend it to any fan of the MGS series. Ghost Babel is a great game that doesn't deserve to be as overlooked as it is. If only Nintendo would release this for the VC. Or better yet, if we could get a solid remake out of Konami.

 

[lordvaati]

^#1 Game that needs an eShop release.

hell, I even was talking about that with the clerk at AnotherCastle (the place Gimpyfish works at.)

 

[Heroine of Winds]

I remember enjoying this one back when I first got it for the PS2. It's a pretty fun collect-a-thon platformer in the same vein as Super Mario 64 & the Banjo Kazooie games. The game may have a bad camera and the fact it looks pretty dated nowadays, the first Ty game is still one of my favorite games to play even to this day.

It also had sequels, but I really haven't played them all that much to give an opinion on.

 

[TheObsoletecomputer]

Deadly Premonition is the best game ever made. Sure, it might not be fun necessarily, but damn is it entertaining. I couldn't decide how to feel when I was playing it, by the end you're just so amazed and amused and upset and basically all the emotions. It's great

 

[Raethien]

Brave Fencer Musashi is a game that seems only I have played. Same with Ikaruga.
BFM is a great RPG game made by Square Soft. I think it was when they pumped out RPG's left and right.

 

[Spak]

Evil Genius is a game where you are, as you can guess, an evil genius bent on taking over the world. Set in the 1960s, you build a secret base in a mountain (making rooms, buying supplies, managing machines, etc.), control henchmen, do global heists, and grow your harmless organization into a dangerous criminal group. This game requires a lot of strategy such as imprisoning/killing/interrogating anyone who comes on your island (on purpose or by accident), knowing when to pull your troops out of specific areas to avoid your units being killed, effectively managing resources, and properly treating your henchmen so that they don't lose loyalty and desert. The more infamous you become, the more you unlock,the more troops you can have, and the more suspicious government agencies become of you.

There are multiple bad or hostile types of units that can come to your island such as thieves (they come to your island to steal money), investigators (if they come, take a picture or proof of criminal activity, and leave, they can send soldiers or spies), and soldiers (come armed and ready to kill your henchmen or try to take down the organization). This is a fun, often overlooked game that had some interesting ideas that I haven't seen that much of before (or since) this came out.

EDIT: Also, forgot to mention that there are multiple classes of henchmen that you can have with different specializations, adding more complexity to the game.

 

[AirshBornely]

My dad sometimes got me shovelware games for Christmas just because he thought I would enjoy 'em and were of course, cheap. This one, however, was more then okay-ish that my dad picked up for me.

*insert explanation that as to why never because who cares?*

 

[Spak]

ATV Offroad Fury 2 was a game that came bundled with the PS2 (the one that came with the online modem that you could insert into the back of the console (look at how big this thing is)), but I only knew one other person who has ever heard of this game. When it was released, this game had cutting-edge graphics, realistic physics, cool environments, great AI, and a variety of game modes anywhere from tag or hockey to freestyle (trying to get the most points) and championships.

The physics were so in-depth that they had different traction for different surfaces, they would have you fall off the ATV if you went upside-down midair, and they had crashes based on how hard the car impacted and what angle the crash was at. You got a good sense of progress because of all of the unlockables, and if you just decide to unlock everything and skip all of the rewarding chamionships, you could go to the cheat screen and enter "IGIVEUP" or enter "FLYPAPER" to disable crashes.

You could also change your suspension (loose, tight), engine (top speed, acceleration), and your traction. There were different pieces of gear you could unlock as well as more games, courses, and ATVs. The licensed soundtrack is very stereotypical of the early 2000s and most of the songs were great (in my opinion), but if you hated the whole pop-punk/punk movement in the early 2000s, you may not like it as much.

In addition, this game supported online multiplayer and local four-player on a multi-tap. The only strikes against it are its physics sometimes go a bit wonky, the graphics haven't aged superbly, and the online servers went offline long ago, but it's still fun to pop in and play whether you are alone or with a group of friends.

 

[Iceweasel]

ATV Offroad Fury 2 was a game that came bundled with the PS2 (the one that came with the online modem that you could insert into the back of the console (look at how big this thing is)), but I only knew one other person who has ever heard of this game. When it was released, this game had cutting-edge graphics, realistic physics, cool environments, great AI, and a variety of game modes anywhere from tag or hockey to freestyle (trying to get the most points) and championships.

The physics were so in-depth that they had different traction for different surfaces, they would have you fall off the ATV if you went upside-down midair, and they had crashes based on how hard the car impacted and what angle the crash was at. You got a good sense of progress because of all of the unlockables, and if you just decide to unlock everything and skip all of the rewarding chamionships, you could go to the cheat screen and enter "IGIVEUP" or enter "FLYPAPER" to disable crashes.

You could also change your suspension (loose, tight), engine (top speed, acceleration), and your traction. There were different pieces of gear you could unlock as well as more games, courses, and ATVs. The licensed soundtrack is very stereotypical of the early 2000s and most of the songs were great (in my opinion), but if you hated the whole pop-punk/punk movement in the early 2000s, you may not like it as much.

In addition, this game supported online multiplayer and local four-player on a multi-tap. The only strikes against it are its physics sometimes go a bit wonky, the graphics haven't aged superbly, and the online servers went offline long ago, but it's still fun to pop in and play whether you are alone or with a group of friends.

Oh wow, I remember renting this all the time with my dad. We'd almost never actually race, we'd just go to Freestyle mode and goof off. One of our favorite things to do was "jousting": We'd go to the rock arch in the canyon map and try to knock each other off. It was pointless and nonsensical, but fun times were had. There was also a lot of messing around near the edges of the map. Back then, we had no idea that's what they were, we just knew of them as areas where you'd get knocked back hundreds of feet for seemingly no reason. I eventually got my own copy, but I don't think I've touched it in a few years.

Maybe I should give my dad a call.

 

[finalark]

Funny story about that game, a friend of mine bought a used fat PS2 a few years back. Guess what game was sitting in the tray when we plugged it in and booted it up?

A different friend of mine had that when we were kids and I remember playing it every once and a while. It's actually pretty fun for what it is, even if the series did get a bit sequel happy IIRC.

 

[radio silent]

I have the vaguest memory of playing that game. It was when I was staying in Alaska for a while back in like, 2nd grade. My mom worked right down the street from the house we were staying in, and they had a PS2 set up in the back room. A significant amount of ATV Offroad Fury was played in that room.

 

[Cyn]

Old PC puzzler called Lazer tank.

Spoiler

 

[iDarkLink]

There's a few games That I love yet no one else I know has ever played!
First off:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC) is one of my favorite PC games. Despite the horrible voice acting, it's a great adventure game!

As for more recent games:

This is one of the best RPG stories I've seen, especially on the Wii. Despite it being very well reviewed and everything, I know NO ONE ELSE who has this gem of a game! It was released around the same time as Xenoblade Chronicles, I believe.

Just felt like giving the thread a bit of my own opinion!