Each person - recommend one overlooked game

[makinagenesis]

Hmmm I dont think Legend of Dragoon is overlooked. I'm pretty sure it got a lot of hype/pub/press when it was coming out. If you were an rpg fan at that time then you were pretty much aware of that game.

I disagree, have a friend who predominantly only plays rpgs and it was me who introduced this game to him when i was archiving my full ps1 and ps2 collection. So not everyone knows about it but maybe you move in different circles than me

If this thread was worth anything, it was showing me Legend of Dragoon, I did not know about it.
I really need to give the 32bit gen a fair shot.

its my pleasure

[bultje112]

Okay, here's my idea for this thread. Each poster picks one game he thinks is overlooked. Describe it a bit and/or post pics or videos. And of course, discuss people's picks.


My choice for this thread is The Last Express, a 1997 graphic adventure for PC and Mac by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner.





This game stood out in many ways. Unlike most adventures, it was mostly in real-time. It takes place on the Orient Express, and while you explore the train, events and character dialogue happen at times and places whether you're there or not. It's like Shenmue in this regard except made a few years earlier (it also has QTE-like action parts).

The rotoscoped animation and art nouveau look make the game stand out visually.

Also, there isn't a set order for all the puzzles. Your actions (or inactions) can affect the outcome of the game. You can rewind time to earlier points in the game if you need to.

That leads me to pretty much the only thing I don't like. There are a few things you can miss which will prevent you from getting the proper ending. It's very hard to tell where you need to rewind back to.

Demo - http://lastexpress.markmoran.net/demo.html

great pick. awesome game indeed although I think it wasn't very overlooked or was it? it's a bit like how bladerunner on the pc is awesome and has a cultfollowing but it sold over a million copies though. don't know about the last express though

[bultje112]

Great choices. I was waiting for Blood Gear to get translated before delving far into it. From what I played of it a few years ago it seemed awesome (no surprise since it's from Westone). I should dig out Omikron again. I never did finish it. The adventure portion was well made even though the action parts sucked.

the action parts suck mostly, except for the fighting, which I like actually. the shooting is also especially hard and I haven't ever beaten the first boss because of that. but for the rest it seems really great and innovative. made by guy behind fahrenheit and heavy rain

Sword of the Bezerk: Guts' Rage



Yeah, it's a beat em up, but I dig the storyline, and IMO it gets a lot of unfair flak.

sword of the bersek is an awesome game with many new beat em up elements. like the different weapons. the story is indeed great but the game got really good reviews I remember

[DarkDragon]

I disagree, have a friend who predominantly only plays rpgs and it was me who introduced this game to him when i was archiving my full ps1 and ps2 collection. So not everyone knows about it but maybe you move in different circles than me

Its not like it was an obscure Japansese import. Sony put a lot of promotion and money behind it. If you read the video game mags at the time, were a rpg fan, and had a PS, it was hard to miss.

[M4R14NO94]

Keeping with the Neo Geo theme, it's Data East's Street Hoop (aka Street Slam or Dunk Dream)



It's basically the Neo's equivalent to NBA Jam, and it's damn good. Plus the music is pretty cool. It had a sequel called Hoops/Dunk Dream '95 which was on Data East hardware instead of being on Neo Geo and had 4 player support like NBA Jam. I personally haven't played it, though, so I can't comment on it.

[goldenband]

I'll pick a game for the Tandy CoCo, Caladuril Flame of Light:



Really nifty mixed-mode text adventure with a lot of TLC put into it, e.g. having subtle animations where other similar games would just use a static image. It's not perfect, but it was a pleasure to play.

(Honorable mentions: Dungeons of Daggorath, but most people who know the CoCo know about that game; and Downland, an early platformer that's difficult and finicky but still great.)

[Curryman123]

XAK I.II (1 & 2) for the Turbo Duo or Pc-Engine

Xak 1 and 2 is a very underrated action RPG game for the Pc-Engine. If you like Ys games, you should most definitely check this game out. Yeah, this game is in Japanese, but that is not an issue because you are not interacting with anyone 85% of the time. The game mainly focuses on action and puzzle solving. What if you get stuck? No problem. There is a nice guide available on Gamefaqs to help you out. Overall, I like this game very much, and its dirt cheap on eBay ($5.00), so you have no excuse.




Neo Metal Fantasy for the Turbo Duo or Pc-Engine

Another overlooked RPG for the system. I've already said enough, so I would like to quote Brothers Duomazov for this one.

"It's unfortunate that this game garners little reverence these days, as it's a fantastic old-school RPG that does practically everything right. Following the lead of legendary Phantasy Star II, Neo Metal Fantasy takes a traditional tale of adventure and infuses it with science fiction elements."

"NMF can make a strong argument for a spot amongst the best 16-bit RPGs."

I followed their advice and invested my 4 bucks in a physical copy for my collection, and I was glad. This has become one of my favorite role playing games, despite being in Japanese. Highly recommended for RPG fans.

[TVC 15]

I hope I don't get laughed at for suggesting this one, as its so incredibly basic and probably played by a lot of people, I guess this is more an exercise in jogging peoples memory, but I loved Chips Challenge. My Grandfathers secretary used to have it on her PC at work, and when I would visit him on the docks, I'd play it until my Grandma finished work and met up with us in his office.

I think that came as part of a Windows entertainment pack for Windows 95, along with SkiFree as well. Or was that windows 3.1? I can't remember.

Anyway, I'm waffling, incredibly basic looking game, but with a sparse charm to it, worth a blast for some puzzle fun. I think it was also on Lynx too...

[sheath]

Sword of the Bezerk: Guts' Rage

Yeah, it's a beat em up, but I dig the storyline, and IMO it gets a lot of unfair flak.

Berserk is a great game, period.

I'd recommend Virtual On on Saturn, Dreamcast or XBLA. Whichever format suits you, these games are technically perfect with or without Twin Sticks.

If you want an obscure game that I remember people being hooked on but since has disappeared go for Seventh Cross Evolution on Dreamcast. I still need to pick it up, but apparently it was very addicting.

-edit-

I also forgot to mention Red Dog, easily one of the greatest games on the Dreamcast. I still need to finish this one, but man is it hard core.

[jerry coeurl]

Its not like it was an obscure Japansese import. Sony put a lot of promotion and money behind it. If you read the video game mags at the time, were a rpg fan, and had a PS, it was hard to miss.

Yeah, at least in America, Legend of Dragoon was hyped to hell. Magazines were positioning it as a "Final Fantasy Killer," but it didn't quite live up to that, imo. Too generic and derivative. Not a bad game, just not terribly remarkable when considered next to all of the great overlooked RPGs on the PlayStation.

If this thread was worth anything, it was showing me Legend of Dragoon, I did not know about it.
I really need to give the 32bit gen a fair shot.

If you have any love for JRPGs at all, you definitely owe it to yourself to give the PlayStation a fair shake. It's got the best library of them, as far as I'm concerned.

[The Jackal]

Tiny Tank (PS1)

Play as a foul-mouthed yellow tank and blow the crap out of stuff; simple as. Good graphics, great level design, kickass soundtrack and hilarious dialogue.

[The Jackal]

Sorry for the double post, but I just thought of another underrated PSX game:

Terracon (PS1)



The game is unique in the sense that it's a third-person shooter where you have to use your brain; killing foes rewards you different coloured energy and you have to use that coloured energy to fuel platforms, create bridges and solve all sorts of fiendish puzzles. if you like weird and good games, Terracon is for you.

[Tanegashima]

That looks like an excellent game. How are the controls?

The controls are crisp and perfect, the game is flawless.

[Kamahl]

This thread was one of the greatest ideas ever:

Rex, for the Speccy and CPC:


It's the game that made me like the spectrum, that says it all.
CPC version is kinda shitty, though that's true for most CPC games... 12fps isn't acceptable.

[NeoVamp]

Sorry for the double post, but I just thought of another underrated PSX game:

Don't think that's a problem, its just annoying when people cram like 3 games into their post complete with pics and vids.