The Hidden Gems of Gaming
- Thread starter HardRockSamurai
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Also it was made by gutsy little Valkyrie Studios, which never released another game after it.Audemas said:
Septerra Core was the first RPG I ever played and it definitely got me into the genre. The epic story, creative design, and surprisingly good voice acting and battle system made it good enough to play through a couple different times despite the fact that it was extremely long. And it actually was a hidden gem, not a "hidden" gem that everybody knows about like Beyond Good and Evil.
But my all-time favorite hidden gem, without a shadow of a doubt, is Ogre Battle (SNES) and, to a lesser extent, its sequel on the N64. What an amazing, amazing game.
There are a lot of indy, prototype and flash games that seem to get missed by most gamers. Admittedly, they rarely have the length or breadth of more popular or commercial, but some still shine like little perfect gems.
The first one that pops to mind was an experimental game titled 'Attack of the Killer Swarm'. The game's free to download and play [http://www.experimentalgameplay.com/game.php?g=4].
Another is Phage Wars [http://armorgames.com/play/2675/phage-wars] (requires Flash 10) which seemed to capture the essence of tactical/strategic gameplay so well.
The first one that pops to mind was an experimental game titled 'Attack of the Killer Swarm'. The game's free to download and play [http://www.experimentalgameplay.com/game.php?g=4].
Another is Phage Wars [http://armorgames.com/play/2675/phage-wars] (requires Flash 10) which seemed to capture the essence of tactical/strategic gameplay so well.
Whenever I'm looking for hidden gems, pots and grass are the first places that come to mind. God knows why anyone hides gems there, they're the first place an intrepid young adventurer would look.
Armageddon Empires is the closest I've come to one in the last age, but everybody should have bought that one already.
Armageddon Empires is the closest I've come to one in the last age, but everybody should have bought that one already.
Blood, the forgotten younger and superior brother of Duke Nukem 3d as well as Monolith's (No One Lives Forever, FEAR, Condemned) most glorious moment. You need some extra tools to get build engine games to work on XP that the gracious Ken Silverman (who created the engine in the first place) provided.
DBZ: Hyper Dimensions. SNES fighting game and probably still the best DBZ fighter to date (only 10 characters though).
GW: Endless Duel. The other SNES fighter that broke the mold of crappy lisence stuff (same here, only 10 characters, but this is the only game you can play as Lucrecia Noin and fiddle about with Mercurius and Vayeate).
And of course:
GTA 2, yes 2, 2 you dips! TWO!!!! Toss out that 3d madness that only introduced needless storylines, minigames and crappy controls, this is the one you need to play. Crack out that flamethrower and Kiiiiiill Frenzy!
DBZ: Hyper Dimensions. SNES fighting game and probably still the best DBZ fighter to date (only 10 characters though).
GW: Endless Duel. The other SNES fighter that broke the mold of crappy lisence stuff (same here, only 10 characters, but this is the only game you can play as Lucrecia Noin and fiddle about with Mercurius and Vayeate).
And of course:
GTA 2, yes 2, 2 you dips! TWO!!!! Toss out that 3d madness that only introduced needless storylines, minigames and crappy controls, this is the one you need to play. Crack out that flamethrower and Kiiiiiill Frenzy!
Hinterland. Though like all Tilted Mill's games its as much hidden potential as a hidden gem
Nothing better for a 15minute timekiller. N best of all Rockstar have it available for free on their website along with some other of their old gamesVortigar said:
-Vagrant Story is still one of my very favorite games. Its not for everyone, with a pretty complex weapon management system, but the story and the overall atmosphere is top notch.
Oh, I remember that one! I loved the Tarot card system.p1ne said:
I love that game, but damn does it have its flaws...Audemas said:
To this I'd like to add its Sci-Fi predecessor, Battlezone (the one from 1998). Very simmilar concept, but with futuristic vehicles and more base building.VTSK said:
Also, as I've mentioned in another thread, Vampire The Masquerade: Redemption. Yes, I know Bloodlines was better, but I still love Redemption to bits.
Allegiance, an online multiplayer space fighter sim that's mentioned here occasionally. Originally published by Microsoft, Microsoft did the right thing and opened the code to the game after they closed it down, so it now has a fairly stable community of 400-600 players.
Pac-Man Vs. for the Gamecube/Wii. One player plays as Pac-Man on a GBA connected via GBA link cable to the 'cube/Wii, while the other players use the tv screen and 'cube controllers to play as the ghosts. The ghosts can only see a little part of the maze in their fields of view on the tv, while Pac-Man can see the entire maze and all the ghosts on the GBA screen. The game is played to a certain number of points, and when Pac-Man is tagged by a ghost, the tagging player gets to become Pac-Man, while the player who was tagged becomes the ghost. I have yet to see a better example of linking a portable and a console for gaming purposes, and the way they evolved Pac-Man from a solitary pellet chomper to a multiplayer party game is beautifully elegant. I'm constantly surprised by the lack of mention that game gets anywhere.
Oh yes, and Harmonix' previous two PS2 offerings, Frequency and Amplitude, that is, if you like Guitar Hero.
Pac-Man Vs. for the Gamecube/Wii. One player plays as Pac-Man on a GBA connected via GBA link cable to the 'cube/Wii, while the other players use the tv screen and 'cube controllers to play as the ghosts. The ghosts can only see a little part of the maze in their fields of view on the tv, while Pac-Man can see the entire maze and all the ghosts on the GBA screen. The game is played to a certain number of points, and when Pac-Man is tagged by a ghost, the tagging player gets to become Pac-Man, while the player who was tagged becomes the ghost. I have yet to see a better example of linking a portable and a console for gaming purposes, and the way they evolved Pac-Man from a solitary pellet chomper to a multiplayer party game is beautifully elegant. I'm constantly surprised by the lack of mention that game gets anywhere.
Oh yes, and Harmonix' previous two PS2 offerings, Frequency and Amplitude, that is, if you like Guitar Hero.
The Warriors (PS2)
Come the hell on, its by rockstar, how could this not have sold a bajillion copies, it was an epitome of awesomeness in the ps2 era but no ones freaking heard of it.
Tombi/Tomba (ps1)
Just look it up, buy it and thank me later if you haven't already.
Come the hell on, its by rockstar, how could this not have sold a bajillion copies, it was an epitome of awesomeness in the ps2 era but no ones freaking heard of it.
Tombi/Tomba (ps1)
Just look it up, buy it and thank me later if you haven't already.
