Wanna talk real obscure?

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Not really. The real topic seems to be sharing tales of games you grew up with that have been forgotten by the public conciousness.
If you want lesser known old games go check out Home of the Underdogs, an abandon/shareware site and pick one. My goto site up until 2004-6.
If yo like old junk and don't need all them new fangled production values and excitement then go check out Matt Chat videos on the Armchair Arcade, which regularly does interviews and discuss games form ye olden times with their creators.

aand you made me fall into bad habits again. aand probably getting warned about promoting other sites. double aasss.

Actually, there's no rule against talking about another site in this context (it's not like you started a thread just to plug the site or anything), but there /is/ a rule against advocating or admitting to piracy, which abandonware usually falls under. Fortunately for you, Home of the Underdogs is currently mirrored on two different sites, neither of which actually has the download links anymore. The last time the original version went down because the domain name expired (this happened several times) the person who founded the site made the database available without the actual game files, preserving the awesome and unique library of reviews, without breaking any laws this time around. At least one version of the site even links to GoG.com. You might want to edit your post to mention the no-actual-warez thing in case the mods come poking around.

 

[ThatQuietGuy]

Alright I got one for you. A hidden gem from the ps1 Future Cop L.A.P.D.

You play as mech to fight crime. The true beauty in the game is the multiplayer though. It might be one of the first moba games ever.
Each player has a base and gains points assaulting the enemy base, you spend to points on tanks to attack their base and helicopters to defend theirs. First player to have a tank enter the other's spawn point wins.

 

[SilverBullets000]

The most obscure game I can think of that I played was Skyblazer, and now that Game Grumps did a full play through of it, I'm pretty sure it's not going to be considered so obscure anymore.

Another one I can think of that I enjoyed was Mystical Ninja: The Legend of Gomen (or something like that?) for the 64. It played like Zelda and Mario's love child.

A terrible one that I own is Dream TV for the SNES. Awful little beast.

That's all I have though, so yeah. : P

 

[Kyrian007]

I'll always advocate for Tecmo's Deception series in threads like these. Terrible camera control, horrible story, terribly translated, and the most fun I had with a PS or PS2. It was like being able to play as a cross between the villain from Saw and Wile E. Coyote.

 

[Tayh]

OT: Anyone remembered the ps1 game , Dark stone? It was an isometric Rpgs kind of like diablo? With insane loading times? It was a very fun game.

Darkstone was a PC game first. Was my first taste of the ARPG genre, and I loved it. The music, the atmosphere, the gameplay. There was just something special about it.
My personal contribution would be an old game called 'Havets Herre(DK)/Vargar(SV)'.
I haven't been able to find an English title, but it should translate to something like 'Lord of the Sea'.
It was my first computer game purchase, and I'd still play it to this day if it was easier to install and run.

 

[loc978]

I don't know if it's obscure or not but it was an old NES game called Crysalis. I never see anyone talking about it which is a real shame because it's an excellent action adventure game.

...this game is to me as Deus Ex is to the internet (now someone has to reinstall it ) ...since you mentioned it, I have this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckwYeesRJl0] stuck in my head, and it won't leave until I fire up my NES and shoot some things with the wind sword... also, I remember it as being really popular when it came out, but maybe that was just with my circle of friends.

For my obscure game, I started looking through my SNES library, since it was close to hand...
-Brandish wasn't exactly obscure in its day, but it faded into obscurity over its less than popular perspective scheme.
-Paladin's Quest... I don't remember it ever being popular, it was definitely trying too hard to be odd.
-Evo was pretty obscure when it came out, but later became a cult classic...
-Brain Lord, Arcana, Robotrek... all very hyped when they were new

ooh, found one: Drakkhen. Pretty sure that one was never anything but obscure. With good reason. It seemed to be trying to ape D&D cRPGs... but did so quite badly.

 

[NoeL]

For me it would be the AWESOME NES shmup Over Horizon. It was released late in the NES's life and never saw a US release, so I didn't know about it for a long time (since it's never included in those "ALL NES GAMEZ!!!!1" torrents). Sweet game, amazing graphics and music too.

 

[lord canti]

I don't know if it's obscure or not but it was an old NES game called Crysalis. I never see anyone talking about it which is a real shame because it's an excellent action adventure game.

...this game is to me as Deus Ex is to the internet (now someone has to reinstall it ) ...since you mentioned it, I have this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckwYeesRJl0] stuck in my head, and it won't leave until I fire up my NES and shoot some things with the wind sword... also, I remember it as being really popular when it came out, but maybe that was just with my circle of friends.

For my obscure game, I started looking through my SNES library, since it was close to hand...
-Brandish wasn't exactly obscure in its day, but it faded into obscurity over its less than popular perspective scheme.
-Paladin's Quest... I don't remember it ever being popular, it was definitely trying too hard to be odd.
-Evo was pretty obscure when it came out, but later became a cult classic...
-Brain Lord, Arcana, Robotrek... all very hyped when they were new

ooh, found one: Drakkhen. Pretty sure that one was never anything but obscure. With good reason. It seemed to be trying to ape D&D cRPGs... but did so quite badly.

Well great now I have that song stuck in my head now to. As I said I don't know if it's obscure or not. I know it was popular enough to get a inferior gameboy color remake.

 

[the_great_cessation]

http://media.gamestats.com/gg/image/object/691/691048/scrapland_pcusbox.jpg

Scrapland was a pretty neat open-world action-adventure game set in a cyberpunk world populated by robots. It was a really neat little game for the Xbox and PC and was brimming with personality.

 

[WenisPagon]

A translation patch for this game came out not long ago.

It's a rather cool game that I recommend to X Souls and King's Field fans. It's a little unbalanced - guns are obscenely powerful compared to anything else, for example. It's got cool little features like the ability to sever limbs off enemies.

 

[bluepotatosack]

Alright I got one for you. A hidden gem from the ps1 Future Cop L.A.P.D.


You play as mech to fight crime. The true beauty in the game is the multiplayer though. It might be one of the first moba games ever.

Each player has a base and gains points assaulting the enemy base, you spend to points on tanks to attack their base and helicopters to defend theirs. First player to have a tank enter the other's spawn point wins.

Yes! I spent so much time playing the multiplayer back in the day. Good call.

I don't know if it's obscure or not but it was an old NES game called Crysalis. I never see anyone talking about it which is a real shame because it's an excellent action adventure game.

Crystalis was another great one.

1997, October 1,

The END DAY

 

[Reven]

Alright I got one for you. A hidden gem from the ps1 Future Cop L.A.P.D.


*IMAGE SNIP

You play as mech to fight crime. The true beauty in the game is the multiplayer though. It might be one of the first moba games ever.
Each player has a base and gains points assaulting the enemy base, you spend to points on tanks to attack their base and helicopters to defend theirs. First player to have a tank enter the other's spawn point wins.

I used to play that all the time I'm not sure if you know or are interested but it's actually available on psn for less then $10 last time i checked

My two personal obscure games are

1. Death Throw an original xbox game. Two teams enter an arena, one disk in the middle, and score by throwing it in the others goal. What was unique was the fact that there was no disqualifications, so it became part fighting game if you chose. There were also so many unique teams with different strengths, weaknesses, management choices, upgrades. it was incredibly fun and lent itself well to different strategies for winning (from playing offensive, defensive, to just literally knocking the shit out of the enemy team) And even if your players should shoot up on steroids beforehand.

2. Herc's Adventure a ps1 game reminiscent of diablo only funnier

 

[Lugbzurg]

I feel kind of bad that the only two games you guys have posted so far that I recognize are Dark Stone, because my friend has it and Herc's Adventures because it was in the latest JonTron video. Well... I'll contribute.

<spoiler=Breakout>http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/5/6/9/250569_65971_front.jpg
Breakout
This is a game that came out for the PC and PlayStation in 2000, which I got for my ninth birthday (on PC). The series overall is a bit more well-known than this title. Especially since there was another Breakout game that was released the same year. It's that old arcade series where you move a paddle left and right to bounce a ball around in order to break a brick wall at the top of the screen. Remember that? Well, this one threw a lot of cool new gameplay mechanics into the mix. Plus, it had characters and a story. Pretty neat.
http://cdn1.spong.com/screen-shot/b/r/breakout22201/_-Breakout-PC-_.jpg

<spoiler=The Return of the Incredible Machine: Contraptions>http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m62/Mario_Kinnikuman/Return_of_the_Incredible_Machine_-_.png
The Return of the Incredible Machine: Contraptions
This was a physics puzzle strategy game where you you would build incredibly-complex machines out of random stuff to accomplish simple tasks. "Rube Goldberg Machines", really.
http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/gs/puzzle/contraptions/incrediblemachinecontraptions_screen001.jpg

http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z003/Z00386/Z0038692.jpg
Zapper: One Wicked Cricket!
People accused this game of being a Frogger clone. That is complete and total garbage. This game doesn't play anything like Frogger any more than Sonic the Hedgehog played like Super Mario Bros.. You hop around on a grid-based map, collecting stuff, and have to avoid the predictable patterns of obstacles and enemies that seem completely unaware of your presence. (Unless you're on Hard Mode. Then Maggie the Magpie will try to drop bombs on you all the time.) That's where the similarities end. Zapper can actually kill things. There were also a lot more puzzles involved, bonus stages that changed the gameplay dramatically, and a much more wacky style with attitude, making the comparison between it and Frogger with Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario World all the more accurate.
http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/458511-zapper-one-wicked-cricket-windows-screenshot-play-with-mirrors.png

http://86bb71d19d3bcb79effc-d9e6924a0395cb1b5b9f03b7640d26eb.r91.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/singularity-walkthrough-game-boxart.jpg
Singularity
Now I know Yahtzee reviewed this one, but aside from there, when have he rest of you ever heard mention of this game? It's somewhat like the Half-Life games in how it follows a linear design that functions like one giant level that takes up the entire game and is broken into chapters. Also, it avoids cutscenes in favor of in-game discussions between characters. Oh, and puzzles. It has puzzles. And human enemies as well as monsters.
http://www.primaryignition.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Singularity-2.jpg

<spoiler=Army Men: Sarge's Heroes>http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081209043951/nintendo/en/images/d/d9/N64_NA_ArmyMenSargesHeroes.jpg
Army Men: Sarge's Heroes
Now, this wasn't the first Army Men game. But this was the one that introduced me to the series, and it's a dang fine game. (Though I think Sarge's Heroes 2 is superior.) It's campy. Campy! You know, like The A-Team, M*A*S*H, <i.Gilligan's Island[/I], The Andy Griffith Show, and Leave it to Beaver? That kind of style? Yeah, it's rampant in this game. It's a war shooter that's colorful and cheerful. How often do you see that nowadays?
http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/f/9/7/gfs_41716_2_10.jpg

<spoiler=Riviera: The Promised Land>http://www.lukiegames.com/assets/images/psp/PSP_RIVIERA_THE_PROMISED_LAND.jpg
Riviera: The Promised Land
This neat little JRPG on the GameBoy Advance and PSP might be something people would consider a guilty pleasure, considering it's... part harem. Yes, you play as a guy named "Ein", who accumulates multiple female companions along his journey. It also implements dating sim mechanics that allow for the relationship between Ein and his companions to reflect your own words and actions. Also, it totally hilarious. Plus, the story is considerably different from the usual JRPG fare. I can't say why, because that would spoil everything. But it is indeed a very excellent JRPG.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/Riviera_The_Promised_Land_Combat_01.png

<spoiler=Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Recettear.jpg
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
Now who would have ever expected we'd see a game like this someday? You know those shops? In RPGs? The ones you just pop in to cap your fill of health and arrows and get a better sword, perhaps, and then you're on your merry way? Yeah, imagine an entire game about the person on the other side of that counter! Sounds boring, doesn't it? Well, it isn't. In fact, I can easily say that this is the best JRPG I have ever played in my life! You aren't behind the counter all the time, though. You still go to the town and some blacksmith or something to acquire things to sell. The town shop doesn't appear to have a shopkeeper and the blacksmith-dude still buys stuff you got from him for no apparent reason. Oh, and there are dungeons. Yes. Real, serious dungeons. You can find adventurers who will join up with you to hunt for treasures that you can sell. "Capitalism, ho!"
http://cdn2.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/70400/ss_9b32a4b2a712d3879627bcb4761612ba0ac65487.1920x1080.jpg?t=1316028701

 

[Artina89]

I have Evil twin: Cypriens chronicles for the PS2. My grandfather had it for the PS2 and I would always play it when I went to visit my grandparents. I searched for it for years as my grandfather ultimately traded the game in and eventually found it at CEX for £3 (CEX is a British second hand store dealing in second hand games, DVDs and consoles. At least, I think it is British, I haven't found any in Montreal, but maybe I haven't been looking hard enough). I am going to have to play it again when I next visit my parents. It's a very unusual game.

 

[lacktheknack]

http://media.gamestats.com/gg/image/object/691/691048/scrapland_pcusbox.jpg

Scrapland was a pretty neat open-world action-adventure game set in a cyberpunk world populated by robots. It was a really neat little game for the Xbox and PC and was brimming with personality.

Absolutely excellent game. I didn't think it was really obscure, though, seeing that it's an American McGee project.

OT: <link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.827773-Clone-A-Tragically-Obscure-Gem>I wrote a review of a fantastic puzzle game from the 90s called "Clone". The lack of awareness of its existence is absolutely criminal and the MIDI music is unmatched. It has a pretty dark streak for something so cartoony, too.

 

[darkcalling]

Probably not THAT obscure but I seem to be the only person I know (besides my brother) who has ever played Shadow Hearts or it's 2 sequels.

A REALLY obscure one might be Koudelka, the first game in the series but I've never gotten a chance to play that one. I saw exactly one ad in a Gamepro (i think) thought it looked interesting, and then never heard or thought of it again until I was playing Shadow Hearts and learned that Haley (the final party member) had a mom with the same name. Far too strange a name to be coincidence and upon checking the internet found that she was indeed the lead character in the previous game. Heck the big mansion you apparently spent most of that game in appears as a late game location in Shadow Hearts and the catacombs beneath it are visited early in Shadow Hearts 2.

Sadly it seems to have been forgotten by the internet with barely a mention anywhere and the only videos on youtube consist of a couple of cutscenes that are a bit meaningless without context.

 

[Pink Gregory]

Ferazel's Wand, EV, EV Nova, words.

I pretty much grew up at a time when I had only Ambrosia software games as solace - we were a Mac household for years. I say games, I mean demos, but I remember becoming quite immersed in EV Nova. Also there was an Ambrosia game that involved a man wheeling around on an office chair firing staples at evil aliens that invaded his office. Yeah.

OT: Does anybody remember a PS1 title called 'Sheep'?

It was - quite literally - a sheep herding game. Almost similar to Pikmin in that the player is tasked with herding a flock of sheep through various hazards in order to save them from alien abduction. I'd be unsure that it actually existed if I didn't still own it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_%28video_game%29

 

[windlenot]

Over my time, two people ever recognized my username. It's from an old, 90s game called Shivers. It was a horror point and click, that took place in an awesome museum that never actually opened up. The game holds up all right and has a couple really annoying puzzles and some backtracking, but it looks wonderful and I love the music in it. It's certainly not the best of its genre, but I will always hold it absurdly high due to nostalgia.

 

[dekuton]

Don't Go Alone. An obscure old does horror rpg.

Breakdown. Found the game in a bargain bin long long time ago. Its a sci-fi fps that to me is the most immersive game I've ever played.


Loom. A point and click adventure game from back when Lucas Arts did more then just focus on star wars games

Gladius. A turn based gladiatorial RPG that was published by Lucas Arts and then they just dropped it from their website like it never existed

Shining Force 1 & 2. Turn based rpgs on the genesis that I couldn't get enough of as a kid

Extermination. Ps2 survival horror game that was really good.I recommend it
That's all I can think of right now

 

[version4point7]

Impact Racing (sega Saturn). Nice little racing/car combat game.
Shadowgate 64 (n64). Pretty fun exploration game with decent pacing.