Games that nobody seems to like but you do . . . (1 Viewer)

[BrianB]

Well, I don't hang out with gamers. Gamers are dorks -you know that!

I don't think I can answer that without insulting myself
Seriously though, the Wipeout series has a HUGE following in the UK... It was the game that a bunch of my friends primarily bought PSXes for in the first place, for example.
I've found this thread a little funny. To me, the title suggests something obscure or games that are generally regarded as being downright awful... You know, like admitting you're the proud owner of Kabuki Warriors, that Tom 'n Jerry in House Trap is permanently glued to your PSX, or that you've spent many an hour playing some obscure Japanese dating simulation.
But Wipeout? Tribes 2? Homeworld? Bah. None of these are guilty pleasures or unknown... To me anyway...
So here's a quick list of my 'games nobody seems to like but me'.
Tomba / Tomba 2 (PSX) - the first was a 2D sidescroller that looked like a SNES game... Looks can be deceptive. Instead, it was really an action/platformer with pretensions of the Zelda games.There were two or three layers to the graphics - in key points you could jump 'back' behind the main scenery with a different layout. Lots of 'tasks' to do - things to find, puzzles to solve, new toys to master & exploit, all with a central story running through it. The sequel made all the graphics 3D, but kept the gameplay 2.5D - ala Klonoa, Pandemonium. I clocked a lot of hours on these two games... Great style, great visuals, great fun.
StuntGP (DC) - remote controlled car racer by the guys behind Worms. A very late release in the DC's life, it was never released in the US & ignored completely in Europe. It's not perfect - the framerate is terrible in places, and I've been told (by someone who liked it!) that it looked like an amiga game... But the visual style was crisp, clean & suited the subject. The handling was bang on, in my opinion, and the tracks & AI a good challenge. Still playing away at it.
Last Gladiators (SAT) Obscure pinball game. Bloody great fun, great layouts, great sound & control. The guys behind it did the upcoming "Akira Pinball" on the PS2...
Willy Wombat (SAT) Japanese only isometric platformer by Konami (I think). Graphics were passable, though there were some SUPERB drawing between levels etc. The characters & levels were just well designed & it was *Fun*. It's practically unknown - it was never made a big deal of outside of Japan, and even there it was a lowkey release.
Hardwar (PC) Obscure Elite style game by a small UK devteam. Graphics were 'functionary' for its time, and it was hampered by a dodgy story/structure, but the feel of it was damn good. They tried to build a world instead of the usual universe & very nearly worked. I'd have loved a sequel, but I doubt it will never happen.

 

[Chris Bardon]

Hey, you're not the only one who likes Obi Wan. Force powers were amazing, and it was just fun to run around being a Jedi. Sure the voice acting was crappy, but the gameplay was solid. Only thing I regret is not recording that ending-is there an Mp3 of the speech at the end somewhere?

 

[Ash Williams]

Jedi Power Battles (Dreamcast)- Very fun and addicting, but nobody else thought so.
Hitman Codename 47 (PC)- Awesome graphics and gameplay, but I have yet to hear one person that really liked it. But aparently someone did because Eidos is making a sequel.

 

[Masood Ali]

Bond: AUF for Gamecube - The single player keeps me busy when my friends are gone, but the multiplayer is where its at. It used to be 100% Halo, but now its a 70/30 split. Makes for a nice change of pace, especially since most of us remember endless schoolday afternoons playing Goldeneye (that game was my defining moment for console multiplayer gaming).

 

[Dan Brecher]

Grim Fandango was incredible. I second, third, fourth (whatever!) it! Man... I need to re-load that game!

Dan

 

[Raul_H]

Herzog Zwei for the Genesis. Man, I wish I had that system and game still. Hours upon hours of enjoyment playing that game that nobody seems to have even heard of.

Haha, the only reason why I clicked on this thread was to post about the greatness that is Herzog Zwei for the Sega Genesis. I loved this game.

Back in the Genesis's hey-day me and my brothers always used to read up on the gaming news waiting to read something, anything about a sequel. Nothing. Sad really because it really was a great and highly addictive game.

 

[Gary King]

I'm not sure Myth and Tribes 2 are really legitimate choices for this list... They're both games that nobody has heard of, but everyone likes.

The Myth series is one of my all-time favorites (I haven't played Wolf Age (but playing as The Before They Were Fallen Lords sounds really cool), but Soulblighter is absolutely brilliant -- better than the original). I've been thinking about reinstalling the original and playing through it again. The only problem is that pre-patch Myth makes Halo's Legendary mode look like a training camp.

And Sierra's closure of Dynamix is one of the great crimes against good games in the past couple of years (right up there with Looking Glass going under). Tribes and Tribes 2 were revolutionary FPSs.

Grim Fandango, Terra Nova, and System Shock are all in the same catergory, too.

 

[Chris_Anders]

Props to Herzog Zwei. Absolutely loved that game. No one knew what the hell it was though except me.

A more recent game that nobody seems to like is Fusion Frenzy for the xbox. Believe it or not, Me, my girlfreind and some friends really like that game. Its fun for me to play because people who usually don't play videogames alot will play it (Cute girls), and that should count for something I'd say.

 

[Patrick Cate]

I've always loved a little known RPG for the original 8-bit NES call "Crystalis".

 

[Kelley_B]

Dance Dance Revolution

 

[BrianB]

DDR has a *huge* following!

 

[Nick Graham]

Anybody remember "Haunting" for the Genesis by EA? A great and innovative game that still holds up. I FINALLY found a used copy last week.

 

[Mark Evans]

Kelley, I gotta tell you, I looooooove DDR. I wish the home version didn't have such crappy controllers (even the Konami ones are not great, though thankfully sturdy), otherwise it'd be perfect.

I'm a humongous rhythm game fan, so DDR rocks, far as I'm concerned. I always wanted to try Para Para Paradise and Samba de Amigo too...

 

[BrianB]

Samba *rocks*. It rules the roost of rythym games as far as I'm concerned. Para Para Paradise is a game I've wanted to try too - so much so, that I've been tempted to turn to the Dark Side & import the dodgy DC port from Hong Kong.
My beatmania + controller's currently in the post from the UK too

 

[Iain Lambert]

Does anybody know what Beatmania is like? It now goes for a pittance in the UK complete with controller, but I've a horrible suspicion that it would be a useless novelty item (says the man who considers buying the DC fishing rod!)

 

[Kelley_B]

I think this all depends on what part of the country in which you live in. Here in Tulsa, OK there are about 5 people that play the local machines(for some odd reason we have a DDR: USA, DDR: 5th Mix, and DDR: Solo). And then there was the copies of DDR that sat on the self at Best Buy for months until they removed them along with a lot of other PSOne games.

 

[BrianB]

Does anybody know what Beatmania is like? It now goes for a pittance in the UK complete with controller, but I've a horrible suspicion that it would be a useless novelty item (says the man who considers buying the DC fishing rod!)

First off, the fishing rod is a great controller Sega Marine Fishing + rod is *great* fun.
Beatmania's different to the rythym games - it's more of a 'dj simulator', with the emphasis on scratching & timing. It's got more in common with Pop'n'music than DDR.
For the 5 quid or so it goes for regularly at EB, I'd pick it up, Iain. That's where mine is coming from Be nice to hear the likes of Moloko in it too instead of the usual Japanese music (not that there's anything wrong with that! Just a nice change!). I've got Beatmania Best Hits coming from Japan to go with it too
Only major 'bemani' game I need to get into is Guitar Freaks...