The 'unheard of games that everyone should like' thread

[MD]

Ah you mean Cyber Brawl on the Super 32X.

And Shadowrun, do you mean the nice looking Mega CD version?

[112]

NO!

i meant the snes one so nrrr.......... you know the snes one is superior! lol!

No not cyber brawl. Although i do recollect that game being a launch title. Im definatley sure its called cyborg justice. Its a 2 player scrolling beat-em-up.

O_o have i finally found a game MD does not have on the Smega drive? Could it be ...............

112

[MD]

Play the Mega CD version and then you'll see I'm right.

Cyborg Justice is a sheti game that wasn't released in Japan, so I don't care.

Still it was nice to pull the arms of the enemy and watch them fight you.

[nickgodfrey]

Vangard Bandits - Remember having a bit of fun with this on the Playstation; bought on a bit of a whim when on holiday in America. It's a tatical RPG developed by Human and published by Working Designs in the States. While being mainly in 2D, when engaging a foe it would cut into 3D, which was quite cool.

[gizmo1990]

Sorry fella, I've also tried really hard looking for a copy for you in the past hour to no avail... Is this game really rare now???

I remember picking it up almost half price when it just got released whilst I was in Japan... Hold on... ****, I got it for 1950 yen which is ?9.64 new!

Thanks for checking it out Phillai. Bowser123's put me on to a place that may have it. I won't get it for what you did though!!

[phillai]

Hello again!
Here's another bizarre Japanese PS One game here that I wanna tell people...

Suzuki Bakuhatsu

http://allsoft.scei.co.jp/jacket/l/slpm86513.jpg

http://allsoft.scei.co.jp/jacket/l/slpm86513b.jpg

This very odd FMV-like game released by Enix is quite unique.
It's a puzzle game, in which control Suzuki-san, a girl who for some reason (in her dreams) has this knack of running into bombs which are disguised as normal everyday items. Your job? Disarm and defuse the bombs during a strict time limit, using clues in the game.

This is a very nice 'Japanese only', you know, the type of game that would never come out in this country due to it's bizarre nature.

Anyone played this? It's well wicked! Try this game now...

[gunrock]

Agent USA on the C64

A game primarily designed to teach American kids the map of America and the timezones, but it was fiendishly addictive. I'd explain it more, but the whole "fuzzbomb is taking over America", fuzzbodies, crystals that you grow and hats with legs, scenario is one of those concepts that you just can't explain with out it sounding utter madness. I will say that the way the larger cities are served by both long-distance rocket trains and local choo-choo types was brilliant. Never met anyone other than my mate who introduced me to it, who had played and liked it (or finished it!).

Powermonger on the Amiga

Popular at the time, but overlooked in history in favour of Populous, this was a Bullfrog follow up to Populous, that had you issue instructions to a commander who would attack villages and defeat armies which were all depicted in a rotateable pseudo-3d / isometric world with excellent little sprites. If you told workers in your village to invent something, they'd go off looking for trees and sometimes you'd hear trees being chopped down 20 minutes later, 'cos you'd forgot that you'd sent them off and all of the nearby timber had gone. You'd look at the map and they'd be miles away near an enemy encampment nicking their trees!

Vandal Hearts, PS1

Got an excellent Edge review (eight or nine, I think), and I bought it with my first bonues from the games industry for the full 44.99 and it was worth every single penny. My first real taste of Japanese RPG's with it's big story of betrayal, revenge and forgiveness and I loved it. Was overlooked by most I think due to it's turn based nature and 16bit style isometric graphics.
Funnily enough, it was the turned based battles that I enjoyed - it was like chess but with magic and landscape (dis)advantages.

Weird gamer tastes part 1:

Urban Chaos on Dreamcast

A steaming pile of poo, (mostly down to a poor WinCE implementation of the PC version) and as such I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. However, there's something about the shoddy pre-GTA 3 3d world with it's seemingly autominous cars on rails and streets devoid of anything resembling real life, not to mention the ropey control system and crappy fighting. I quite liked playing it for a couple of days, though probably wouldn't go back, unless the rest of my games got destroyed.

Gunrock

[112]

I tried to get int ourban chaos, i even brought a DC jus to play it at one time. But felt that there was too much quality software out there to warrent me spending time on ****e like that.

Any particular reason i should go back to it for another try?

112

[gunrock]

I tried to get int ourban chaos, i even brought a DC jus to play it at one time. But felt that there was too much quality software out there to warrent me spending time on ****e like that.

Any particular reason i should go back to it for another try?

112

No, it's complete cack. I do though, think that the lead character design is excellent. A black woman with mini-dreads and an uncompromising attitude, makes an interesting diversion from all the usual cynical big white lunks and hooj-breasted women who've shrunk or lost most of their outfits.

I used to set myself challenges though, see if I could take all the bad guys out without weapons, or see how many civilians I could kill before the game stopped me, etc.

If you really want to play it again, graphically, the PC version is a better bet. No idea what the control system is like, though.

Gunrock

[womblingfree]

Battlezone on the PC.

Not entirely unheard of maybe, but certainly unplayed by the vast majority.

Best implementation of wingmen ever, command and conquer in a frontline first person role with no loss of control.

Your battle tank explodes, you eject and must cross the martian landscape on foot to take out a gun turret with your handgun whilst avoiding the enemy. Once done send in the cavalry to pick you up and storm forth.

Unrivalled.

The sequel was bobbins.

[Concept]

A quick, random three from me.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Awful combat and clumsy control for sure, but it had a beautifully constructed world with a powerful atmosphere to it. I also don't think people give the game enough credit for some of the innovations it brought to the 3D exploration market. Such as the dual layered worlds and solid streaming.

Shadow of Memories... Unfairly criticised and derided on release for being something it was never meant to be. In my opinion, this is an old school adventure with a touch of Shenmue about it, that brings some interesting plot elements along with it into the mix. Not the longest game in the world, but I don't believe it's anywhere near as awful as much of the press made out.

Manhunt. It's currently the apex of cool amongst some to bash Rockstar due to the success they've had with GTA, and the wrath of the media they've incurred in doing so. This meant producing a game with a horribly amoral violent setting was never going to light up the eyes of the critics, and consequently this has been written off along with Red Dead Revolver by most of the mainstream and the dedicated. Bar possibly GTA III, Manhunt is Rockstar's most interesting, atmospheric and focused game of this generation. At least for me.

[mid]

Playing Urban Chaos on the DC is a really weird affair. On the one hand you can tell that the game just really isn't very much fun, but on the other there is a whole other GTA 3 beater of an idea hiding under there, struggling to escape the confines of its technical limitations. Its a pity, really.

[112]

i wouldnt say urban chaos was technologically restrited on the DC jus badly done

112

[df0notfound]

I still see it mentioned and name checked quite a bit actually. I don't think its been over looked at all?
Now, 'Datastorm' (Amiga) or say 'F-29 Retaliator' (Amiga) they are games that have been criminally overlooked.

Datastorm is a great game. Came with my amiga that did, loved the squid that filled the screen.

[Il Postino]

Hey Phillai,

I've got Suzuki Bakuhatsu and agree that it is a real gem. It starts with the orange and then branches off down different paths. Even without the "story" bits (which I do enjoy) it would still be a fantastic game and deserved a release in the West. Some of the later stages are exceptionally well designed. Oh and there's that scissors, paper, stone section with the giant robots. I'm amazed nobody has ripped the concept off yet, as the different stages would work nicely as mini-games in a stealth/action title (I'm thinking Bond or Splinter Cell maybe).

Also, I'd second (or should that be third? I've lost count) Dog of Bay. I did own the reprint version (got it from a Canadian website), but foolishly traded it with somebody. When I went to order another copy they had run out of stock. I haven't been able to find the game for sale since. Actually, does anybody have a copy of Dog of Bay (either version) they want to trade? Or do you know of any firm selling the game? Staying with Dog of Bay, did anyone find some of the characters strangely attractive? Come on dc-arena back me up on this.