What is your unpopular/underrated game pick from the series in Smash?

[Deleted member]

So, inspired by Vanguard227 's "Favorite Game form Each Series in Smash" thread (which was awesome to read by the way), I thought I'd ask you all here what you consider to be your unpopular or underrated game picks from the series you have the most experience with in Smash.

My picks:
: Skyward Sword. I admit the hand-holding was a bit too much, but everything else about the game, from writing to gameplay, was great. Especially Giraham.
: Metroid Prime 2. I'm not sure why it doesn't get much praise as the other two Prime games. I enjoyed it a lot.
: Gen IV. Haven't seen much praise for it lately.
: I'd go with Echoes Shadows of Valentia honestly. Probably the 3DS FE game I liked the most.
: A tie between X and 2. X gets flak for writing flaws, 2 gets flak for "being too anime". I like both.
:Hmm...I'd say Metal Gear Solid 4. Yeah, it was cutscene central, but the story was awesome.
: Portrait of Ruin. I like the tag team mechanic of being able to play as two characters at the same time. Also had a good soundtrack and difficulty curve too.

Note: I've played and games, but don't have a pick if anyone's wondering.

 

[thirsty-pocket]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii ....I know the series isn't looked upon very fondly by many these days because they're too samey, but I still stand by this game being amazing, and worthy of being placed next to the original trilogy and Super Mario World. The original DS game came at a time when it had been over a decade since the last original 2D Mario, and it was so refreshing. The Wii game did the same thing a few years later, and did it better, and brought back the fan favorite Koopalings. Then the 3DS and Wii U games came out in the same year, and did the same thing but worse... NSMBW is very good though, i'll defend it forever.


Diddy Kong Racing I guess. It's not really underrated but nobody talks about it anymore since it's not Mario Kart, though for single player kids like me, it's absolutely superior to Mario Kart.


The original NES game. Not nearly as difficult or as cryptic as most people make it out to be, especially compared to some other NES games. I feel like younger players who pick it up for 10 minutes and get frustrated quickly are giving it a bad rep.


Yoshi Safari. I never got the chance to play it with a real Super Scope, but it works just fine on a modded Wii. I think everyone should check it out while they still can, since Nintendo's never going to re-release this game, and they're actively trying to destroy all records of it ( and every other game no longer on store shelves )


Star Fox Assault. It was a fine game, and I'm personally saddened about it's reputation among fans. I really wished the series would have kept the formula from this game and refined the rough edges instead of going back to square one and tacking on motion controls.


Do underrated Kirby games exist? I guess I really like the original Dreamland game. I don't mind the lack of powers, it makes Kirby feel less OP, and playing the game on hard actually seems balanced to me.


The cool thing to do is hate gen 1 now right? So that's my pick.


The original NES game. It would be just as well loved as the other first party NES games if it had a map and grinding for health wasn't such a pain. Luckily hackers have fixed the lack of a map, but not so much the health grinding issue.


Nobody really likes Game and Watch, right? I like it...


Yeah, the original NES games. I think some adjustments would make it a little more beloved with Nintendo fans, namely that it's stupid that you need to find a separate power up to shoot your bow all the way across the screen, and said powerup is a pain to obtain.


Wario World for me. I was never into Wario platformers, they're really slow and boring, and I guess i'm definitely in the minority here since this one is super simple and repetitive, but I like the straightforward nature of this game. Almost feels like a beat em up. I kinda wish there was more Wario games like this instead of the Land series.


Uhhhh... Metal Gear for the NES has really good music I guess. That's all I've got to say on it.


Sonic Advance, which, in my opinion, should have been the true Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It does just about everything right that all other 2D Sonics did wrong until Mania. The only thing really wrong with it is the awful special stages.


Miitomo was underrated... the major problem with it was that it required your friends to actually be active for it to be enjoyable, and all but one of my irl friends dropped it after the first few days. I still had a handful of active friends from online, but then Nintendo changed the way you earned coins and that basically killed the game for me.

Any series I didn't list I either haven't played or I couldn't think of anything that I considered underrated.

 

[staindgrey]

- Starfox Adventures. I don't know why it collectively gets **** on. It's a fine Rare-esque collectibles game that I enjoyed.

- Twilight Princess. Lengthy, baby-proof intro aside, it was the best game for a cinematic Zelda story.

- Street Fighter Alpha 3. It gets overshadowed by SF3 in every conversation about that generation of SF, but I actually preferred the Alpha series.

- Metroid Prime 2. Prime was great, but it was essentially Super Metroid the FPS, with a bunch of tweaks. I prefer MP2 and its originality.

- Mario Party 4. People claim the N64 ones are the best and the series has progressively gotten worse since. I disagree. The first Gamecube installment was the best, then the series got progressively worse.

- Sonic Advance. Any of them. They were gems that have more or less gone unappreciated by gaming history and Sonic fans alike.

The rest, I either don't care, or the one I like is probably the one everyone else likes.

 

[Narigo1]

: Super Mario Bros 2: The Lost Levels
: Skyward Sword
: Final Fantasy XII
: Donkey Kong Country 3
: Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

 

[HotelSoapy!]

: Sunshine. Fun game that takes place out of Mushroom Kingdom.

: Skyward Sword. Nice art style, will look even better when it gets the HD treatment. I enjoyed the controls myself but wouldnt mind a change in a remake if possible.

 

[YoshiandToad]

Super Mario 3D World. Okay it didn't sell bad at all relatively speaking, but being sandwiched between the critically acclaimed Mario Galaxy and Mario Odyssey on the worst selling Nintendo home console to date didn't help. Four player co-op action like NSMBWii, but with ability differences in the playable cast. Also contained an important mini game that would go on to become my favourite Wii U title.

Wario's Woods. Great little puzzle game that got me hooked as a kid. Currently own it on the 3DS and Wii too. Would probably buy again honestly. Toad vs. Wario with the former BLOWING WARIO AND HIS CASTLE THE **** UP when he finally beats the main game is an image I won't ever forget.

Yoshi's Island DS. **** you all, I LIKED the baby swapping mechanics in this game. Baby Wario could have been implemented a bit better(his levels were clearly rushed compared to the other star children) but between Baby DK and Baby Peach in particular the game was rather underrated. Some slightly wonky level design ruined what would otherwise be a perfect Yoshi game.

Super Princess Peach. Actually, yeah. This game was a lot of fun, and I'm still pissed Sakurai didn't revamp her moveset to include at least a few references(such as even swapping her parasol for Perry even)

Sonic Advance. I only played the first of this batch of games but the game was a ton of fun with four playable characters....actually that seems to be a theme for me. I require four playable characters at least.
Follow up would be Sonic 4...episode 2 with Tails. I despised the first part of Sonic 4 with Sonic solo, but the episode 2 part of Sonic 4 was good co-op fun.

The original Kid Icarus game. One of my earliest games. Didn't particularly enjoy Uprising. I wonder if the two things are somehow connected?

Four Sword Adventures. I PLAY A LOT OF FOUR PLAYER CO-OP GAMES OKAY? Vaati is a pretty fun enemy, lots of rupee stealing rivalries and plenty of trolling options for your fellow Links made this game one of the most fun Zelda experiences I've had to date.

Poke Park Wii. Both of them. A spinoff Pokemon game granted, but there's a lot of charm in these and whilst insanely simple I remember grinning from ear to ear during the entire playthrough.

Crystal Chronicles. AGAIN; FOUR PLAYER CO-OP. I'm hyped to see it return to the Switch this time without a needlessly messy control system. Looking forward to adventuring with friends again soon.

Unfortunately all the other game franchises I've only played what are considered the 'good games'; Fire Emblem Awakening, Kirby's Return to Dreamland and Star Allies, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze...I did play DK Jet Race but I'm not sure I can count that as something I'd want to recommend playing...

 

[Idon]

So, inspired by Vanguard227 's "Favorite Game form Each Series in Smash" thread (which was awesome to read by the way), I thought I'd ask you all here what you consider to be your unpopular or underrated game picks from the series you have the most experience with in Smash.

My picks:
: Skyward Sword. I admit the hand-holding was a bit too much, but everything else about the game, from writing to gameplay, was great. Especially Giraham.
: Metroid Prime 2. I'm not sure why it doesn't get much praise as the other two Prime games. I enjoyed it a lot.
: Gen IV. Haven't seen much praise for it lately.
: I'd go with Echoes Shadows of Valentia honestly. Probably the 3DS FE game I liked the most.
: A tie between X and 2. X gets flak for writing flaws, 2 gets flak for "being too anime". I like both.
:Hmm...I'd say Metal Gear Solid 4. Yeah, it was cutscene central, but the story was awesome.
: Portrait of Ruin. I like the tag team mechanic of being able to play as two characters at the same time. Also had a good soundtrack and difficulty curve too.

Note: I've played and games, but don't have a pick if anyone's wondering.

: Judging from how many people are saying Dark Samus is exactly the same as Samus in her original game, I'm going to guess not many here have actually played Prime 2 and 3.

 

[osby]

: Unleashed. Last great 3D Sonic game imo. Gets way too much hate for Nighttime stages.
: Both. Two of the best hack'n slash games ever made.
: I'd say Black and White did a lot of cool stuff.
: Twilight Princess. Not exactly underrated but gets way too much hate.
: Mother 2. Actually I liked it more than Mother 3.

 

[Zinith]

Skyward Sword for all the reasons the OP said...

Yoshi's Island DS. It's not the original, but it's also not New Island thank ****ing god!!!

 

[Wario Wario Wario]

: Knuckles' Chaotix. I love gimmicky platformers, and Chaotix fills that bill perfectly. honorable mention to Tails' Adventure.
: Virtual Boy Wario Land. literal platforming heaven. quite possibly the best platformer to come out of the house that Mario built.
: I'm not a big Zelda fan, but oh boy do I love FPTRR. such a quirky and weird game!

 

[Luigifan18]

: Sonic Heroes. The gameplay does get janky at times, but the scoring system is so complex, yet understandable that getting A-Ranks becomes a simple matter of milking it for all it's worth (unlike Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic 06).

: Star Fox Command. This game doesn't get nearly enough respect for all the cool things it did (turn-based strategy elements, time management, character stats, the way it handles barrel rolls, etc.).

 

[Vanguard227]

Hey, thanks for the shout out!
This is a cool thread idea; I'm gonna have fun with this!

Although I've played at least one game in almost every series that's represented in Smash, my opinions on some franchises are stronger than others, so for the series that I'm neutral about, or if I feel that a series doesn't have an underrated/unpopular game in it, or if I only played like one game in any series, I'll just say "no opinion".

Spoiler

Mario series : Super Mario 3D World
Being the worst-selling mainline 3-D Mario game, it's no surprise that this game is rarely talked about or mentioned these days. I loved this game. I prefer the sandbox Mario games overall, but for me, this game pulled it off with its charming level aesthetic, energetic soundtrack, and zany power ups. The 4 player co-op mechanic was also a blast to use when friends were over and I hope it returns in some form in future Mario titles.

Donkey Kong : Donkey Kong 64.
This game gets a lot of flak for its insane amount of collectibles, the numerous glitches, and the tedious game and level design; and while it does rightfully deserve that criticism, but I grew up with this game and I still always have fun whenever I return to it. Nostalgia goggles? Probably. XD

Legend of Zelda : The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Easily the most divisive 3D Zelda game to date. Many people dislike the game for its motion controls and how the game's level design felt like a huge dungeon paired with the lack of a true over world. But for me, the motion controls worked perfectly, and while I did somewhat miss a true over world to explore, it was never a deal breaker. I loved the focus on story this time around, and the inclusion of stellar characters like Groose and Ghirahim. Other positives for me include the fantastic dungeons (Ancient Cistern is certainly in my top 5 favourite dungeons in the entire series), the use of an actual orchestra for the soundtrack, and the crafting feature that actually made collecting all the little knickknacks lying about everywhere worthwhile. I'd still say it's my least favourite 3D Zelda, but with it being tied to my favourite game series of all time, the game is still like a 9/10 IMO. XD

Metroid : Although I personally haven't played it, I hear some people dislike Prime 2 for various reasons. All the other Metroid games that I've played were well received and I wouldn't exactly call them "underrated". As you could probably guess from my last statement, I've never played Other M. XD

Yoshi : Only games I've played are Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story. No opinion.

Kirby : I've only played a couple of the games in this series, and from what I've heard, they're ones that are considered popular (Super Star and Kirby 64), so no opinion. Kirby 64 is fantastic. XD

Star Fox : Star Fox Assault
This game's God-tier soundtrack alone makes it my favourite Star Fox game. XD Seriously though, I love this game. Love the variety of different play styles the game throws at you. The arwing gameplay especially feels really good to play. It also had a pretty cool original story. (which as of late, is a pretty special feature to have in a Star Fox game. XD JK ) I hear a lot of complaints towards the 3rd person boots on the ground gameplay, and I can understand why people didn't like that aspect of the game, but it never bothered me.

Pokemon : Only ever played through Gen VI, so I don't have an opinion outside of that. I have, however, heard from friends that Gen V is really underrated in the Pokemon community.

Mother : Never played Mother 1 and both Mother 2 and 3 are well loved (and rightly so.) So no opinion.

F-Zero : not too sure if F-Zero X is considered underrated or not, but I believe GX is the more popular of the two, but I like X more personally, as I'm pretty terrible at GX. XD

Ice Climber : Only one game, so no opinion

Fire Emblem : Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
One of my top 10 favourite games of all time. for me, Radiant Dawn is fun from start to finish. The awesome story and world building, the challenging gameplay, and amazing 3rd tier promotions! This game, above all other Fire Emblems IMO, rewards a planning mindset the most; especially for its endgame chapters. I'm a huge fan of planning stuff out, so this game tickles my fancy, so to speak. I hear a bunch of people hate on this game for its brutal difficulty, and the fact that you never stick to the same party for too long, but I personally really like these features. Especially when you have to fight one of your other parties; made even more invested in what was going on, instead of taking down generic no names every map. The fact that you can only take a locked group of 13 into the final 5 levels also adds to the game's replayability. I'm always mixing and matching different units to take in, and I always have a lot fun trying out units I would otherwise never use. I don't think I'll ever get bored of this game.

Game & Watch : Only played Game and Watch Gallery 4, so don't really have an opinion. Fun game though.

Kid Icarus : Only played Uprising, so I don't have an opinion on the other two games.

Wario Only played the first WarioWare game on GBA, and I believe that's one of the more popular WarioWare games. So no opinion.

Metal Gear: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
loved this game through and through, and is my 2nd favourite Metal Gear game (first being MGS3). The stealth game play, as usual in Metal Gear Solid, has many layers of complexity and a metric ton of different options, tools, and assets to use to your advantage. The camo system is at its best in this game too, allowing you to change camo to any pattern that you're physically touching was really handy and greatly encouraged stealth. I also really liked the gun and Drebin points system. but my favourite part of Metal Gear, is its over-arching story line; and BOY did it deliver. People basically call this game an interactive movie, because of the over abundance of cut scenes, and many people say that's a negative and brings the game down, but I didn't mind at all. This game has some of the highest highs I have ever experienced in a video game. Won't spoil any of them here, in case anyone's reading this and is playing through the series for the first time, but man, is it good stuff. A fantastic finale (in terms of story line climax) to a fantastic series.

Sonic the Hedgehog : Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360/PS3 version)
I've been a Sonic fan for over 20 years now. After the colossal dumpster fire that was Sonic 06, I was desperately hoping that the next mainline sonic game would be better. the next game then became my favourite 3D Sonic game. XD The boost game play in Unleashed blew my socks off when I first saw it. I finally felt like we were playing as the fastest thing alive. High octane, reflex straining, ball-busting insanity. It's so much fun. The daytime levels in Unleashed are easily my favourite levels in the boost era of Sonic. they just felt so grand and huge and being able to consistently blitz through them at like mach 3 speeds was so satisfying to experience. I also really loved the fact that the game itself was long. Having to traverse all across the planet; seeing new places and cultures and exploring every nook and cranny for sun/moon medals while just ogling at the beautiful scenery and backgrounds. for me, it truly felt like the biggest adventure a Sonic game has ever taken me on. (Sonic was pulling a Mario Odyssey nearly a decade prior. XD ) People dislike this game because of the Werehog stuff, but I actually quite enjoyed it. I like hack n/ slash games, so I felt right at home in the night stages. There's also like 50 different combos that you can unlock, so the combat always felt fresh and fun. Could do without the battle music being spammed every minute and the QTE's, but other than those gripes, I thoroughly enjoyed the Werehog sections. People also hated the sun and moon medals, but I also like collecting stuff (hell, if I can like DK64, nothing can faze me when it comes to collectibles. XD ) so I quite enjoyed hunting for them. I totally get that the game is not everyone's cup of tea, but for me, it has yet to be beat in regards to 3D Sonic.

Pikmin : One of the very few Nintendo series that I've never played, so no opinion.

ROB : Same as Pikmin

Animal Crossing : Only ever played the original Gamecube game, so I don't have an opinion. It was fun though.

Mega Man : Mega Man Battle Network.
You barely ever hear about the Mega Man RPGs, but the first one was pretty fun, from what I remember. (haven't played it in like a decade). I've only ever played Mega Man 1,2,3, Battle Network 1 and X1 and X2, for reference. All are great games.

Wii Fit : Never played, so no opinion.

Punch Out!! : Just recently played the NES game, and it was pretty fun. Haven't played any of the others yet, so no opinion.

Mii : Would Tomodachi Life count? I'd say it's obscure enough to be considered underrated. Hilariously bizarre game. XD

Pac Man : Pac Man World 2 would probably be considered underrated when compared to the original Pac Man. Pretty fun little game.

Xenoblade : Only ever played X, so no opinion, although if there was a Xenoblade game that was considered underrated, it'd probably be X. XD

Duck Hunt : Only one game, so no opinion.

Street Fighter : Another series that I've never played, so no opinion.

Final Fantasy : I've only played 6 and 7, and both are considered some of the best in the series, so no opinion.

Bayonetta : I think both games are more or less equally loved by the Bayonetta community, so no opinion.

Splatoon : Only played the first game, so no opinion

Castlevania : Castlevania Bloodlines.
I barely see anyone acknowledge this awesome game's existence, but that could be because of stupid Konami never re releasing it digitally for whatever reason. This was my first Castlevania game and you don't even play as a Belmont in it, and you spend most of the game outside of the typical "transylvania castle" locations. This game's graphics and effects blew my socks off when I first played it. I swear they push the Genesis' hardware to its limits with this game. The boss fights were also quite the graphical spectacles to behold. (one of them is just a bunch of 3D gears combined together, but the way the 3D sprites move together in unison is really mesmerizing. XD ) Bloodlines encapsulates the essence of classic Castlevania, while bring fresh and awesome aesthetics to the mix. I always play through it when I hook up my old Genesis. (I didn't grow up with an SNES, so I didn't play Castlevania 4 until I was an adult, so this game along with Rondo of Blood were my favourites for a long time.)

 

[Jyl]

Skyward Sword- it has its flaws but it tries to be differerent. I love the item upgrade systems and I enjoyed the dungeons in this game the most out of every Zelda games I played.
Pokemon Colleseum and XD- It was pretty flawed I admit. But I had so much fun with it and I loved the shadow pokemon concept even if it did limit your Pokemon team options. Two aspects of the series I loved in particular: Forced double battles, and the AI of the game. The AIs of both games seems smarter, and in the post game for XD there was that ultra hard colleseum, the AIs for that was insanely hard.
Fusion- It was linear but I like how story heavy this one was.

 

[Mogisthelioma]

: Return to Dream Land. I know a lot of people love this game but certain critics gave it lower scored for dumb reasons.
: Super Sluggers. Just an absolute favorite.

 

[Deleted member]

Hey, thanks for the shout out!
This is a cool thread idea; I'm gonna have fun with this!

Although I've played at least one game in almost every series that's represented in Smash, my opinions on some franchises are stronger than others, so for the series that I'm neutral about, or if I feel that a series doesn't have an underrated/unpopular game in it, or if I only played like one game in any series, I'll just say "no opinion".

Spoiler

Mario series : Super Mario 3D World
Being the worst-selling mainline 3-D Mario game, it's no surprise that this game is rarely talked about or mentioned these days. I loved this game. I prefer the sandbox Mario games overall, but for me, this game pulled it off with its charming level aesthetic, energetic soundtrack, and zany power ups. The 4 player co-op mechanic was also a blast to use when friends were over and I hope it returns in some form in future Mario titles.

Donkey Kong : Donkey Kong 64.
This game gets a lot of flak for its insane amount of collectibles, the numerous glitches, and the tedious game and level design; and while it does rightfully deserve that criticism, but I grew up with this game and I still always have fun whenever I return to it. Nostalgia goggles? Probably. XD

Legend of Zelda : The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Easily the most divisive 3D Zelda game to date. Many people dislike the game for its motion controls and how the game's level design felt like a huge dungeon paired with the lack of a true over world. But for me, the motion controls worked perfectly, and while I did somewhat miss a true over world to explore, it was never a deal breaker. I loved the focus on story this time around, and the inclusion of stellar characters like Groose and Ghirahim. Other positives for me include the fantastic dungeons (Ancient Cistern is certainly in my top 5 favourite dungeons in the entire series), the use of an actual orchestra for the soundtrack, and the crafting feature that actually made collecting all the little knickknacks lying about everywhere worthwhile. I'd still say it's my least favourite 3D Zelda, but with it being tied to my favourite game series of all time, the game is still like a 9/10 IMO. XD

Metroid : Although I personally haven't played it, I hear some people dislike Prime 2 for various reasons. All the other Metroid games that I've played were well received and I wouldn't exactly call them "underrated". As you could probably guess from my last statement, I've never played Other M. XD

Yoshi : Only games I've played are Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story. No opinion.

Kirby : I've only played a couple of the games in this series, and from what I've heard, they're ones that are considered popular (Super Star and Kirby 64), so no opinion. Kirby 64 is fantastic. XD

Star Fox : Star Fox Assault
This game's God-tier soundtrack alone makes it my favourite Star Fox game. XD Seriously though, I love this game. Love the variety of different play styles the game throws at you. The arwing gameplay especially feels really good to play. It also had a pretty cool original story. (which as of late, is a pretty special feature to have in a Star Fox game. XD JK ) I hear a lot of complaints towards the 3rd person boots on the ground gameplay, and I can understand why people didn't like that aspect of the game, but it never bothered me.

Pokemon : Only ever played through Gen VI, so I don't have an opinion outside of that. I have, however, heard from friends that Gen V is really underrated in the Pokemon community.

Mother : Never played Mother 1 and both Mother 2 and 3 are well loved (and rightly so.) So no opinion.

F-Zero : not too sure if F-Zero X is considered underrated or not, but I believe GX is the more popular of the two, but I like X more personally, as I'm pretty terrible at GX. XD

Ice Climber : Only one game, so no opinion

Fire Emblem : Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
One of my top 10 favourite games of all time. for me, Radiant Dawn is fun from start to finish. The awesome story and world building, the challenging gameplay, and amazing 3rd tier promotions! This game, above all other Fire Emblems IMO, rewards a planning mindset the most; especially for its endgame chapters. I'm a huge fan of planning stuff out, so this game tickles my fancy, so to speak. I hear a bunch of people hate on this game for its brutal difficulty, and the fact that you never stick to the same party for too long, but I personally really like these features. Especially when you have to fight one of your other parties; made even more invested in what was going on, instead of taking down generic no names every map. The fact that you can only take a locked group of 13 into the final 5 levels also adds to the game's replayability. I'm always mixing and matching different units to take in, and I always have a lot fun trying out units I would otherwise never use. I don't think I'll ever get bored of this game.

Game & Watch : Only played Game and Watch Gallery 4, so don't really have an opinion. Fun game though.

Kid Icarus : Only played Uprising, so I don't have an opinion on the other two games.

Wario Only played the first WarioWare game on GBA, and I believe that's one of the more popular WarioWare games. So no opinion.

Metal Gear: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
loved this game through and through, and is my 2nd favourite Metal Gear game (first being MGS3). The stealth game play, as usual in Metal Gear Solid, has many layers of complexity and a metric ton of different options, tools, and assets to use to your advantage. The camo system is at its best in this game too, allowing you to change camo to any pattern that you're physically touching was really handy and greatly encouraged stealth. I also really liked the gun and Drebin points system. but my favourite part of Metal Gear, is its over-arching story line; and BOY did it deliver. People basically call this game an interactive movie, because of the over abundance of cut scenes, and many people say that's a negative and brings the game down, but I didn't mind at all. This game has some of the highest highs I have ever experienced in a video game. Won't spoil any of them here, in case anyone's reading this and is playing through the series for the first time, but man, is it good stuff. A fantastic finale (in terms of story line climax) to a fantastic series.

Sonic the Hedgehog : Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360/PS3 version)
I've been a Sonic fan for over 20 years now. After the colossal dumpster fire that was Sonic 06, I was desperately hoping that the next mainline sonic game would be better. the next game then became my favourite 3D Sonic game. XD The boost game play in Unleashed blew my socks off when I first saw it. I finally felt like we were playing as the fastest thing alive. High octane, reflex straining, ball-busting insanity. It's so much fun. The daytime levels in Unleashed are easily my favourite levels in the boost era of Sonic. they just felt so grand and huge and being able to consistently blitz through them at like mach 3 speeds was so satisfying to experience. I also really loved the fact that the game itself was long. Having to traverse all across the planet; seeing new places and cultures and exploring every nook and cranny for sun/moon medals while just ogling at the beautiful scenery and backgrounds. for me, it truly felt like the biggest adventure a Sonic game has ever taken me on. (Sonic was pulling a Mario Odyssey nearly a decade prior. XD ) People dislike this game because of the Werehog stuff, but I actually quite enjoyed it. I like hack n/ slash games, so I felt right at home in the night stages. There's also like 50 different combos that you can unlock, so the combat always felt fresh and fun. Could do without the battle music being spammed every minute and the QTE's, but other than those gripes, I thoroughly enjoyed the Werehog sections. People also hated the sun and moon medals, but I also like collecting stuff (hell, if I can like DK64, nothing can faze me when it comes to collectibles. XD ) so I quite enjoyed hunting for them. I totally get that the game is not everyone's cup of tea, but for me, it has yet to be beat in regards to 3D Sonic.

Pikmin : One of the very few Nintendo series that I've never played, so no opinion.

ROB : Same as Pikmin

Animal Crossing : Only ever played the original Gamecube game, so I don't have an opinion. It was fun though.

Mega Man : Mega Man Battle Network.
You barely ever hear about the Mega Man RPGs, but the first one was pretty fun, from what I remember. (haven't played it in like a decade). I've only ever played Mega Man 1,2,3, Battle Network 1 and X1 and X2, for reference. All are great games.

Wii Fit : Never played, so no opinion.

Punch Out!! : Just recently played the NES game, and it was pretty fun. Haven't played any of the others yet, so no opinion.

Mii : Would Tomodachi Life count? I'd say it's obscure enough to be considered underrated. Hilariously bizarre game. XD

Pac Man : Pac Man World 2 would probably be considered underrated when compared to the original Pac Man. Pretty fun little game.

Xenoblade : Only ever played X, so no opinion, although if there was a Xenoblade game that was considered underrated, it'd probably be X. XD

Duck Hunt : Only one game, so no opinion.

Street Fighter : Another series that I've never played, so no opinion.

Final Fantasy : I've only played 6 and 7, and both are considered some of the best in the series, so no opinion.

Bayonetta : I think both games are more or less equally loved by the Bayonetta community, so no opinion.

Splatoon : Only played the first game, so no opinion

Castlevania : Castlevania Bloodlines.
I barely see anyone acknowledge this awesome game's existence, but that could be because of stupid Konami never re releasing it digitally for whatever reason. This was my first Castlevania game and you don't even play as a Belmont in it, and you spend most of the game outside of the typical "transylvania castle" locations. This game's graphics and effects blew my socks off when I first played it. I swear they push the Genesis' hardware to its limits with this game. The boss fights were also quite the graphical spectacles to behold. (one of them is just a bunch of 3D gears combined together, but the way the 3D sprites move together in unison is really mesmerizing. XD ) Bloodlines encapsulates the essence of classic Castlevania, while bring fresh and awesome aesthetics to the mix. I always play through it when I hook up my old Genesis. (I didn't grow up with an SNES, so I didn't play Castlevania 4 until I was an adult, so this game along with Rondo of Blood were my favourites for a long time.)

Radiant Dawn's underrated? I though for sure is was seen as one the best Fire Emblem games by the FE community.

 

[Vanguard227]

Radiant Dawn's underrated? I though for sure is was seen as one the best Fire Emblem games by the FE community.

I would say it's underrated; or at least from what I've seen/read about in the different circles that I lurk in.
I often hear Blazing Sword, Path of Radiance, Awakening and Fates (for better or for worse) mentioned far more often than Radiant Dawn is, and when it is mentioned, it's often about how difficult and unfair the game is. Of course, this is just my own subjective observations, so I could very well be wrong, but that's what I've seen. If it actually is considered one of the best games by the community, then that's awesome!

 

[Deleted member]

I would say it's underrated; or at least from what I've seen/read about in the different circles that I lurk in.
I often hear Blazing Sword, Path of Radiance, Awakening and Fates (for better or for worse) mentioned far more often than Radiant Dawn is, and when it is mentioned, it's often about how difficult and unfair the game is. Of course, this is just my own subjective observations, so I could very well be wrong, but that's what I've seen. If it actually is considered one of the best games by the community, then that's awesome!

Yeah, from where I've been in the FE community, such as the Fire Emblem reddit, Radiant Dawn is consistently listed as one the best Fire Emblem games. I think it's pretty well viewed over a Serenes Forest too IIRC.

 

[Diddy Kong]

: I gotta say Mario Sunshine. I mean it's still a mainline Mario game but it got a lot of **** for it's unique gameplay mechanics. And I still would like to see it being remade one day.

: All games are glorious, but I still gotta say, the GBA games got a whole lot of **** thrown at them. So I'll pick DKC2 GBA, because I personally loved that game and loved how you had to collect the Expresso Feathers and enemy pictures as extras. That just went .. sooo damn well with DKC2's gameplay. No Country game was ever bad. So while the general consensus would be DKC3, I still say the GBA games got way too much ****.

: 100% Skyward Sword. Still easily the most underrated game, might be the most underrated game this list will have. It's got great story, and lots of new mechanics and story elements that where further established in Breath of the Wild. I even liked the battle system! Very complex, very satisfying.

: Other M. Likewise with Skyward Sword, it got a whole lot of **** for doing things differently. The melee counter from Samus Returns 3DS basically came to excist because of this game. Anthony Higgs is also a character worthy of praise, and a serious raise in salary. What else? Ohh yeah the combat and overall fluid gameplay (outside of shooting missiles maybe, which felt a little too slow), they brought back the Nightmare, Queen Metroid, gave Ridley a cute baby design, and up to now it's still the only 2.5D Metroid. I think the game was awesome.

: Pokemon Colloseum. Yes it was a glorious game on it's own, had a great story, was a great way to train up your Gen 3 Pokemon, introduced new Pokemon to Hoenn, return of the Johto starters... Mirror B's battle theme, everything about this was amazing honestly.

: Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn. SERIOUSLY! Why did nobody really buy this game!? It's still the most ambitious Fire Emblem title to date. Did so many things right, even if balance is clearly somewhat of a problem. The story is great, 3rd tier promotions for the first time, Ike got quite a lot of character development, good cutscenes. Only feels a little rushed in the story sometimes... Created quite some plotholes, and the lack of true supports was also dissapointing, but overall it's easily one of my favorite Fire Emblem games. Still the most beautiful game in the franchise as well, and the most grand in it's representation. Damn, how much I played this game back in the days...

: StarFox Adventures. Command was also good, mind you. But StarFox Adventures is a true gem in gaming. Beautiful music, graphics, great atmosphere all around.. I miss this game, and miss Rare.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

- Sonic Heroes. The game gets an unfair rep IMO. Yes the game has it's fair share of problems like slippery controls, certain stages dragging a little too long, and having to complete the game essentially 4 times to get to the final boss/stage. But man do I think the team gameplay was awesome and it was smooth by switching between characters, the soundtrack is the most underrated Sonic soundtrack to date. Almost every stage's music is a banger. The graphics/art style were great for the time and it still holds up. The level design was great. The story was a perfect Sonic story IMO. Not too overly cringe edgy dark (Shadow, O6, Forces) but not so dumbed downed childish like (Generations, Colors, Lost World). It's the best 3D Sonic game after Generations IMO.

- Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat. Fantastic game that no one talks about often and sold like crap (both times). Yes it was a departure from the Rare games which disinterested a lot of people (myself included back in the day). People remember Konga more than they remember Jungle Beat which is unfortunate. I prefer the Wii version as I prefer the more "standard" controls/camera. I mean if you haven't played it go play it! It's super unique combo based 2D platformer. It was the first game made by the team (EAD Tokyo) that made Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land/World, Captain Toad, and Odyssey. So yes the same quality and pedigree is there.

- To me I don't feel any of the main games are underrated. Their usually rated very high, have all sold well and are the games most people on this board have played I assume because he's Mario. THAT being said I'm gonna go for a spin-off game. That game is..DDR: Mario Mix. NOW here me out before you click away. YES it's babies first DDR game and YES DDR is dead and has been dead for years. BUT the remixes in this game are phenomenal. The animations in this game are fantastic. The story was charming. Waluigi was the main villain of DDR: Mario Mix for the majority of the story mode. It's a great game hardly anyone talks about or remembers.

Warioware Smooth Moves - Great game. People always claim the first Warioware, touched, or twisted are the best in the series (well that was before Gold came out). But to me Smooth Moves is a very fun party game. Yes I know "EEEWWW Motion CONTROLS!!!" but IMO they were done pretty well in this game. I feel motion controls are perfect for Warioware because it's suppose to be about stupid wacky fun. Also as a bonus: Wario Land: Shake It deserves much more love than it gets.

Kirby's Epic Yarn - People always overlook this when talking about Kirby games and I get it. It didn't start off as a Kirby game in development and Kirby was shoe-horned in and it lacks the traditional Kirby gameplay and people had issue with the fact you couldn't die but I think the actual game was a very well crafted (pun not intended) 2D platformer. It was very creative and new at the time before Nintendo kinda ran the arts/crafts motif into the ground with Wooly World, Rainbow Curse, and now Crafted World. Good-Feel being the developer behind Epic Yarn and 2 of the 3 I just listed (as well as Wario Land Shake It). Now that the game is getting a 3DS port people who didn't give it a try the first time should definitely try it now.

Star Fox Assault - People talk negatively about this game all the time but I think this is still the best Star Fox game we've gotten since 64 (well that is until Starlink releases potentially). Hell I put it up there with 64. The game is short as hell (might be shorter than 64) but the replay value is high not to mention the amazing multiplayer mode. Zero and Command were MASSIVE disappointments to me but it's okay cause I always have 64 and Assault to go back to.

 

[FalconFire93]

- Mother/Earthbound New Beginnings, Mother 2/Earthbound, I actually played both of these games all the way through and loved them more than Mother 3, even though Mother 3 was decent, I liked the previous two far better.

 

[HypnoMaster372]

- Mother/Earthbound New Beginnings, Mother 2/Earthbound, I actually played both of these games all the way through and loved them more than Mother 3, even though Mother 3 was decent, I liked the previous two far better.

Earthbbound/Mother 2 is unpopular!? Please tell me you didn't just say that ,because as far as I know, Earthbound is without a doubt the most popular of the series.

 

[Dig Dug]

Kirby Mass Attack- Probably the most forgotten about Kirby game, I think. Never see anyone talk about it. I'll admit, I didn't think too much of it when it first came out, but after replaying it a few months ago I found myself enjoying it. The Kirbies were so animated and expressive! Sure, it could be a tad repetitive at times, but the subgames helped add variety, Imo, they're the best subgames in the series (can we get an actual Kirby rpg plz...)

Donkey Kong Country 3 GBA- Maybe I'm biased because I never played the console version, but I don't see what makes the GBA version so terrible in people's eyes. It's got a whole extra world, and while the soundtrack is completely different, it's David Wise, you can't go wrong with that!

Super Paper Mario- No, it wasn't as good as it's predecessors, but I still liked it for what it was. The story was great, and I found the soundtrack very charming and memorable. Tbh, I think in some ways I like it better than the other two.

 

[FalconFire93]

Earthbbound/Mother 2 is unpopular!? Please tell me you didn't just say that ,because as far as I know, Earthbound is without a doubt the most popular of the series.

I mean before Smash was a thing, I had no clue what the Mother series was, so in a way it was advertisement for me when Ness was introduced and that’s what got me into the games, I never said it was unpopular, the thread is for underrated games as well and it’s an underrated series as a whole is what I’m trying to get across, but it’s gained some traction over the years thanks to Smash.

 

[Blackwolf666]

Sonic 3D blast.
Star Fox Adventures.
Skyward Sword
super mario sunshine
Megaman 8