Ultra obscure games that only you know exist

[cj_iwakura]

I like quirky games. Every so often I come across a gem that I find to be awesome, and then I realize no one knows it exists, and when I try to suggest it to someone, the result is usually a blank stare.


One example:

Released on the original Xbox, and developed in the UK of all places. Shooters are usually doomed to obscurity, but this one is especially unknown.

Somewhere in an alien galaxy lies the planet Mardar, a planet inhabited by humanoid people. These people have been worshiping a small-growing black hole called the Maelstrom as a holy execution tool for administering righteous judgment against their most heinous criminals, judged by a sentient machine called the Inquisitor. After a recent struggle, the people have successfully arrested the witch Aguira; a deceptive and destructive creature often disguised as a young girl, Aguira is sentenced to death by the people by being sent into the Maelstrom.

However, Aguira's transport vessel is struck by a nearby asteroid orbiting the sun, killing everyone on board but fatally injuring Aguira. To her surprise, the asteroid was rich in a chemical called Xyanide, a chemical known for its abilities to make an exposed person's thoughts become reality. Aguira uses the Xyanide - now pulsing in her blood - by creating her own space station and fighter squadrons at her command with herself as the ship's core to exact revenge against the Inquisitor and spread her destructive influence. It is up to the Bioship escort pilot Drake, Aguira's executioner, to stop her from accomplishing her goals.

The story kept my interest, and it also helps that the game is hardcore. The second highest difficulty level is almost beyond my comprehension. It's something of an arena shooter; the levels move along rails, while enemies appear around you. The ship fires at 360 degrees, with all kinds of firepower options.

It also supports custom soundtracks if that's your thing(which is a huge plus IMO).


So what other games are out there that you love that no one's ever heard of? Dig deep.


Persona's a niche series, for example, but it's got more than enough of a critical and cult following.

Bonus points if you explain what makes it awesome.

 

[Pimppeter2]

EDIT: Nevermind

 

[Sun Flash]

Not many people know about Cho Aniki to my knowledge.

That is one weird game (I leave you to look that one up)

 

[Sevre]

RF Online, because it was that awful, and also Blinx, because no one wants to remember it.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

There's this crappy little game called Starshot: Space Circus Fever I remember playing on the N64. It had a fantastic and quirky premise, but the controls were utter shit (like most 3D platformers at that time) and the game suffered for it. Luckily enough, history seems to have forgotten about it. Rest in peace you uncontrollable bastard.

[HEADING=2]R.I.P.[/HEADING]

 

[Dr. Wily III]

 

[TPiddy]

How about "Obscure" for the PS2? That's a pretty Obscure game....

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/596/596779p1.html

It was pretty decent, and even got a sequel...

 

[Robert632]

no one i've seen has really heard of deadly creatues, and it's concept is awesome because you're a spider and a scorpian(you switch between them with each level.) going around killing shit, including snakes and a person.

 

[Sassafrass]

I'm probably not the only one that knows of this game but I'm sure only about 10 people know of it.

 

[The Skip Master]

i know a PC game called Nighmare Ned that was released in 1997. i don't really know how to descirbe it, i guess artsy in a way. Controls weren't good though.

 

[Lord George]

There's this crappy little game called Starshot: Space Circus Fever I remember playing on the N64. It had a fantastic and quirky premise, but the controls were utter shit (like most 3D platformers at that time) and the game suffered for it. Luckily enough, history seems to have forgotten about it. Rest in peace you uncontrollable bastard.

[HEADING=2]R.I.P.[/HEADING]

I remember that as being weird and wonderful, of course I played it when I was around 5 or 6 so maybe I don't remember its faults.

Also for obscure games, this one Doshin The Giant for Gamecube was a very odd but very fun and unqiue game where you controlled the giant on a big island filled with some villagers, you could help them build their own villages, or just go around mucking with the landscape, it had terraforming and a karma system, it was years ahead of its time.

 

[Schlagwerk]

How about this one:

A cross between a card game and a fighting game, to give a rough description. The art direction is solid, and gives a good depiction of underground post-apocalyptia. The story is filler, but collecting the skills and playing both online and offline is rewarding. I was pleasantly surprised to see it in the backwards compatibility list for the 360.

It was fairly obscure, and there are still some people playing it. Very fun game, and there were hints at a spiritual sequel, but Majesco went bankrupt I believe.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

ROLO TO THE RESCUE​

One of the best damn platformers I ever played, with the only flaw of being EFFING HUGE and having no Save System, and a very depressing fake ending for those who don't get 100% of the game (Seriously, the line "You are never truly happy again" is used in the fake ending)

If this made it to the virtual console I'd buy 5 copies just to gift people into knowing Rolo

It's a shame EA (yes, this was from EA's "young and daring" days) didn't make this game into a series, since Rolo had a lot of gameplay features I wasn't getting from other genesis platformers at the time (Being able to build a team with the animals you rescue and using their unique powers to explore the map was one of them)

*gathers Nostalgia tears*

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

I effing love Gun Nac....

Too bad I only discovered it by the time I discovered emulators >_>

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

no one i've seen has really heard of deadly creatues, and it's awesome because you're a spider and a scorpian(you switch between them with each level.) going around killing shit, including snakes and a person.

Actually it was a slightly hyped Wii game, but it's release was overshadowed by bigger titles thus making it fall into oblivion

Sweet game though

 

[cj_iwakura]

How about this one:

A cross between a card game and a fighting game, to give a rough description. The art direction is solid, and gives a good depiction of underground post-apocalyptia. The story is filler, but collecting the skills and playing both online and offline is rewarding. I was pleasantly surprised to see it in the backwards compatibility list for the 360.

It was fairly obscure, and there are still some people playing it. Very fun game, and there were hints at a spiritual sequel, but Majesco went bankrupt I believe.

This is the closest thing to a Matrix game. You get to fly around cityscapes and blow up bridges, then drop them on people.

Come to think of it, Xbox was a great console for niche games.

 

[Asymptote Angel]

LEGO Rock Raiders, obviously.

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

RTS/SIMcity

 

[Death on Trapezoids]

oddworld: stranger's wrath
the ratchet and clank series
the Jak and Daxter series