Games you love but nobody you know has heard of them.

[Axmak]

Just the title, though I'm not sure if everyone's had this kind of experience. As a kid I didn't have very much money so I had to hit the bargain bin for all my games. I've found some fantastic hidden gems, or at least in my opinion I have. So just post some of your favorite games, why you like them, and who would like them. (Also, my search for a topic like this came up blank, but if this is a duplicate of another topic, I apologize)

Flying Dragon on the N64
This is a VERY obscure fighting game. I think I rented it like, twice and then never saw it again in physical form. It was a pretty great fighter, even considering the N64 had like three decent fighting games in its life.
I like it because it's got a fairly diverse set of characters, the special moves are really cool, and the soundtrack is really good.
I suggest it for anyone that likes older 3D fighting games like Virtua Fighter and Tekken 3.

Mischief Makers on the N64
This relatively underrated N64 2.5D platformer was not only the first video game I owned, it's also in my top 3 N64 games of all time. The soundtrack is awesome, the character design is incredible, and because of the artstyle, the graphics hold up even today.
I suggest it for anyone who likes old school platformers, puzzle platformers, and games like Ristar and Klonoa with grabbing mechanics being a central theme.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Since Persona 4 has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years I can sadly no longer comment on it in these types of threads so new game would be... Grisaia No Kaijitsu.

It's a Visual Novel with your whole "Pick from 5 girls, click through dialogue for hours, don't get the bad ending, win game" and it's REALLY well written, has a great soundtrack and there is comedy and tragedy scattered throughout. Seriously, Michiru is one of the best comic relief characters ever made, coming up high there with Katawa Shoujo's Kenji and that is not a comparison I make lightly. She also has the best route. I have to emphasize the comedy, any scene she's in is pure gold. I would post a funny quote but there's just so many of them.

Ignoring the girls for a sec, the best bit is that your main character is freaking hyper-competent. Through some previous events he's basically a teenage war veteran from beginning to end and he could break your typical protagonist in half. He serves as a bodyguard in Yumiko's Route and beats the fuck out of like 5 guys on his own for example.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I use the same answer everytime these forums come up and I'm going to say it again; Evidence the Last Ritual on PC. It's an old adventure PC game about you getting sent a CD made by a serial killer from the FBI, and only you can solve the puzzles in it and find the killer before he gets his next victim.

It's an extremely difficult game, requires you to use the internet and emails to get answers to puzzles, and the puzzle difficulty is default set (and cannot be changed) on hard.

Also every cutscene is Full motion video, but very good FMV, which ups the creepy factor. I wouldn't call it scary, it's more disturbing. Especially when the killer emails you every couple of days you're not playing the game.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Nitemare 3D. A FPS that was released for DOS and Windows 95. A loose sequel to the Hugo trilogy which were graphical adventure games for DOS (I say "graphical adventure" because they're like point and click games but controlled entirely with the keyboard so there was no pointing or clicking).

It's very much like Wolfenstein 3D but with a little more level and enemy variety. You had four different guns and different enemies were weak to different ones (as opposed to Wolfenstein's each gun just being an upgrade to the last one).

It was released as shareware. I had the first episode when I was a kid and managed to track down the full version a few years ago. Turns out the developer still sells it digitally (or maybe it's the publisher).

A lot of my love for this game is rooted in nostalgia so I won't be running around recommending it to everyone but if you like Wolfenstein 3D you might like Nitemare 3D.

 

[Exhuminator]

For me, that would have to be either Duel Blasters 3000 [http://auntiepixelante.com/?p=385] (NSFW) or Ocular Ink [http://pistachioproductions.com/dart/dartdownloads.html].

 

[The Madman]

Solium Infernum

It's a turn-based strategy game where you play as one of the rulers of hell. Very clever game with a unique sense of bureaucracy and an interesting set of rules you've got to play with in order to hope to 'win'.

Kinda like a crazed mix of Civilization, Crusader Kings, and rpg elements. Very unique, extremely fun.

 

[marche45]

Jet Force Gemini for the N64.

Its a great example of games just being silly.Basically you play as either one of two fraternal twins(the boy who has the ability to walk on lava unharmed,and the girl who can swim underwater) and a a cyborg dog with thrusters on his feet and guns on his back.You fight giant bugs and rescue a race of peaceful bear-like tribals.

Still holding out for a sequel.

 

[Sack of Cheese]

The recent game I'd put under "underappreciated games" category was Binary Domain. It was so much better than the cover suggests (generic futuristic shooter). The gameplay is satisfying and the bosses are fun to beat. There's also relationship building and overall the story is very well-written with plenty of turns and twists. It's made by the Yakuza team after all, I love their games!

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I mention this on Smash Four threads because I know it's never going to happen; Anyway Teleroboxer is my favorite game on the Virtual Boy. I'm sure you can see why nobody has ever seen, heard of or played this one before. Jack Bros was fun too but it could easily be recreated on any given Game Boy. Teleroboxer actually used the dual-pad to control each of Harry's fists. It played a lot like a hyper-advanced Punchout and was a really solid game. Like I keep on saying; the only thing Teleroboxer did wrong was being exclusive to the Virtual Boy.

 

[Weaver]

Probably Starfighter 3000. I don't know of any game before it that did voxel based destruction; you could flatten the whole planet.

 

[Erttheking]

Jet Force Gemini for the N64.

Its a great example of games just being silly.Basically you play as either one of two fraternal twins(the boy who has the ability to walk on lava unharmed,and the girl who can swim underwater) and a a cyborg dog with thrusters on his feet and guns on his back.You fight giant bugs and rescue a race of peaceful bear-like tribals.

Still holding out for a sequel.

Hey, I played that game. First shooter I ever played. Said "fuck this" to the 100% completion things though.

OT: My friend recently got me a game called Knights in the Nightmare, an Atlus game that I rather enjoyed. Though I did kinda rage quit after I missed a hidden element needed to unlock the good ending. Haven't finished it yet.

 

[lostlambda]

I have to say the growlancer series wonderful RPG's for the ps2 and psp. Some amazing art work for the characters with some deep choices on your relationship with the other characters in your party. And for people who keep complaining about games turning into grid-feasts this is the anti grid game. You can mess up so many of the missions (fights with some kind of goal other then kill everybody) by rushing in trying to level your way through it. It feels like a RTS mixed with an RPG but keeps a lot of the RPG elements.

Jet Force Gemini for the N64.

Its a great example of games just being silly.Basically you play as either one of two fraternal twins(the boy who has the ability to walk on lava unharmed,and the girl who can swim underwater) and a a cyborg dog with thrusters on his feet and guns on his back.You fight giant bugs and rescue a race of peaceful bear-like tribals.

Still holding out for a sequel.

I loved this game though I'll be alot of people were put off by the 100% just for completion, I was too.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Does anyone remember the Spy Vs. Spy game on the original xbox? It has been a long time since I played it, so I may be recalling it with rose tinted glasses, but if I recall correctly, it was a blast. I was a huge Mad magazine fan back then and playing out the ridiculous antics of the spies was really enjoyable. There were up to 4 player verses matches where each person had to acquire various items out of safes housed throughout the level. You had an arsenal replete with over the top gadgets and playing with friends could get quite hectic and intense.

 

[bulger_paul]

One of my favorite childhood games was Golden Sun for the gameboy advanced. Gorgeous graphics, an excellent musical score, the best story you'll ever find on any pre-nintendo DS handheld system with quite a few surprises and an excellent ensemble of characters, well balanced RPG gameplay, great sequences of simple puzzle solving, and exciting combat sequences. To this day it is my favorite handheld game of all time. I know that most classics don't hold their own or have aged particularly well in comparison to a modern market, but believe me, Golden Sun actually does ten years later. And the sequel was pretty fantastic as well, Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

 

[Mihai Alexandru Cuzmov]

Elvira 2: Jaws Of Cerberus, Enemy Zero, Kuon, R.A.D. (Robotic Alchemic Driver or something like that) and Demento.

 

[Daimon117]

Valkyria Chronicles, for it's mix of XCOM style tactics with military strategy along with anime-esque style.

Danganronpa, for feeling and playing like a mix between the anime Mirai Nikki and the game Phoenix Wright.

 

[FPLOON]

Does anyone remember the Spy Vs. Spy game on the original xbox? It has been a long time since I played it, so I may be recalling it with rose tinted glasses, but if I recall correctly, it was a blast. I was a huge Mad magazine fan back then and playing out the ridiculous antics of the spies was really enjoyable. There were up to 4 player verses matches where each person had to acquire various items out of safes housed throughout the level. You had an arsenal replete with over the top gadgets and playing with friends could get quite hectic and intense.

Dude... if it wasn't for G4, I would not have known about that game in the first place!

OT: Well, recently, it has been Hyperdimension Neptunia, since every one of my friends IRL always think I'm talking about the okay anime series of the same name...

But, back then, the game no one knew about except for me was Game and Watch Gallary 4 for the Gameboy Adbvance... Sure, it was a collection of old Game and Watch [mini-]games remixed with Mario-related characters, but man were they all addicting... Trying to get the better high score that would be converted into stars used to get either more Game and Watch-related games as well as more stuff in the Game and Watch gallary, including exclusive Game and Watch games (not remade with Mario-related characters) as well as a history timeline on the Game and Watch itself (which I liked a lot more than I was willing to admit back then, anyway)!

Honorable mention goes to the first visual novel game I ever saw in my life (as well as the first one I ever played): Do You Like Horny Bunnies? (Thanks, G4's Cinematech: Nocturnal Emission! You know why I'm thanking you...)

 

[The Squid King]

Does anyone remember the Spy Vs. Spy game on the original xbox? It has been a long time since I played it, so I may be recalling it with rose tinted glasses, but if I recall correctly, it was a blast. I was a huge Mad magazine fan back then and playing out the ridiculous antics of the spies was really enjoyable. There were up to 4 player verses matches where each person had to acquire various items out of safes housed throughout the level. You had an arsenal replete with over the top gadgets and playing with friends could get quite hectic and intense.

That game actually was really fun, I only rented it though unfortunately. I should've bought it.

I really loved the Klonoa games, this is partially out of nostalgia but I do feel they're pretty underrated. I do see them mentioned sometimes on various forums but nobody I know remembers them. I managed to find a copy of Klonoa 2 last year. That was pretty awesome.