partial to Ballz myself, that one's underrated
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Most underrated 8/16bit games
- Thread starter oni-link
- Start date
partial to Ballz myself, that one's underrated
Came here to say the same thing nearly verbatim. Thanks for coming to bat for a forgotten masterpiece. Not expecting a re-release of it in any way, shape, or form ever but the memories (and roms) remain.
Awesome Possum is Treasure's real hidden gem, though. And man, that soundtrack! Norio Hanzawa outdid himself on that one.
IISANDERII
Member
The Ignition Factory
You're a firefighter basically. But it has RPG elements and you must choose your loadout with care. Fun game filled with tension!
You're a firefighter basically. But it has RPG elements and you must choose your loadout with care. Fun game filled with tension!
Yeah, though you could argue a lot of indie games from the last decade have come out and kind of fulfilled that role
But yeah on the whole I agree, the 32bit sprite based games we did get looked and played really well, so it's a shame that style was ditched for low poly the soon as low poly became viable
I was not ready for those links
Secret Character
Member
^Loved that game
My Pick:
D&D Warriors of the Eternal Sun
Game was haaaaaard. Also, the manual for it is still one of the more impressive things put out on the system. Reminded me of old PC manuals.
Ahem.
http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?p=230152127&highlight=e+v+o#post230152127
I love E.V.O, it's such a hidden gem!
Man, that series is so good...but for me, the best one is Terranigma!
UpUpDownDown
Member
Bloody Wolf for the TurboGrafx-16 doesn't get nearly enough love.
Love this!!!!
Head.spawn
Junior Member
God this game was great.
Music, graphics, design, fx etc etc, it had it all. That siren would get me going, lol.
I could never decide which I liked more; this or Super R-Type.
Taliban Stan
Member
Definitely not unheard of, but I'm going to say Streets of Rage 3 and Sonic 3.
These games are better than everything that came before but people talk about them like they're the worst in their series. And it's not like SoR2 and Sonic 2 are bad. They're great. Potentially amazing. These are just that much better but you'd swear Sonic 3 is down there with like 3D Blast and SoR3 is barely above Pit Fighter based on what people say on the internet.
These games are better than everything that came before but people talk about them like they're the worst in their series. And it's not like SoR2 and Sonic 2 are bad. They're great. Potentially amazing. These are just that much better but you'd swear Sonic 3 is down there with like 3D Blast and SoR3 is barely above Pit Fighter based on what people say on the internet.
Neff
Member
Fucking Snatcher
Love both of these. Fantastic games.
Before Onimusha, there was this...
Multiple pathes/Open World Map, a slew of sword techniques/moves to unlock. Stunning game at the time.
Hokuto No Ken for the Sega Master System.
Unfortunately here in the west it got called Black Belt and had the sprites changed so characters were not recognizable anymore, but it was still a solid game that, back in the days, really gave you those Kenshiro vibes.
Boss finishers were amazing!
Love both of these. Fantastic games.
The Firemen is the superior underrated SNES firefighter game. Also has a surprising good AI-controled sidekick.The Ignition Factory
You're a firefighter basically. But it has RPG elements and you must choose your loadout with care. Fun game filled with tension!
Will also mention Magical Pop'n.
I hope you've still got your tax return... It's $200+ for an original copy. I used to be bent out of shape over my uncle who moved away and took my copy of Super Mario RPG, but he left a copy of E.V.O. Over time I learned to forgive him.
XEXYZ was an fantastic game. My mom bought it for my friend for his birthday and we played that game nonstop.
Weltall Zero
Member
That was going to be my contribution, and for precisely that reason, it's as if nobody knew about that game.
I don't know that these are underrated, but if they are, then definitely. Alien Soldier is the ultimate Megadrive boss game. I've played the hell out of the original GB Gargoyle's Quest, my favorite game for that console, and Demon's Crest is just beautiful.
Tizoc
Member
That's not the Atari Lynx ver. which, from reading online, appears to be the better ver. of the game
fire n ice the best puzzle game on the nes imo holds up super well
In Japan this was known as Solomon's Key 2 apparently.
kick master fuck swords im going to kick every mother fucker in this fantasy land
kicking this lady
kicking this fucking octopus
all this shits gonna get kicked
OK that cover is AMAZING. Why can't we get covers like that anymore?
Work of an Enemy Stand
Member
Hokuto No Ken for the Sega Master System.
Unfortunately here in the west it got called Black Belt and had the sprites changed so characters were not recognizable anymore, but it was still a solid game that, back in the days, really gave you those Kenshiro vibes.
Boss finishers were amazing!
One of Yuji Naka's first games.
They are really fun, there are a few differences between versions besides the visuals though, Black Belt had a bunch of health pickups during each stage which made it a lot easier.
I have beat Black Belt before, but I could never get past Toki in Hokuto no Ken.
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
FTFY
CONSOLE WAAARS!!!
Jeff played this on his Old Games show the other day. Looked really neat.
We are the only two votes for Terranigma in this thread. What a depressing world we live in.
Trouble Shooters / Battle Mania and its Japan only sequel are good.
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Plus it has a metal soundtrack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAL-HWNXoF8&list=PLB7298FFFFB14A1B6&index=5
Plus it has a metal soundtrack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAL-HWNXoF8&list=PLB7298FFFFB14A1B6&index=5
Terranigma is in no fashion underrated. It's known as one of the best.
ProgenitorCastle
Banned
Cocoron for the NES (8-bit).
With Akira Kitamura (the creator of Mega Man) as the head of the project, you can expect many similarities to Mega Man NES games from it, from the graphics, gameplay, and music. However, the similarities end there, as the game is quite ambitious for a NES game...complete with a character builder that lets you create a new build after you beat a boss for a level...so you can gather a bunch of builds to select from before playing a new level, how you navigate the levels...say you reach the end of the level and beat the boss. You can either pick to go to another level or go back to your house. If you pick to go to another level, you go there on foot...meaning you go through a route that combines the previous level with the one you selected. If you pick to go back to your house...you literally backtrack the level...so you go from the end of the level back to the beginning. Then once you go back home...and pick another level, you have selected the normal route that leads you to a boss battle at the end of the level.
It was released in Japan only...however, an English translated ROM exists...and you can buy the English translated ROM on an actual cartridge!
If you like Mega Man NES styled gameplay, with catchy chiptunes, a trippy artsyle and several new features detailed above...you can't go wrong with Cocoron.
With Akira Kitamura (the creator of Mega Man) as the head of the project, you can expect many similarities to Mega Man NES games from it, from the graphics, gameplay, and music. However, the similarities end there, as the game is quite ambitious for a NES game...complete with a character builder that lets you create a new build after you beat a boss for a level...so you can gather a bunch of builds to select from before playing a new level, how you navigate the levels...say you reach the end of the level and beat the boss. You can either pick to go to another level or go back to your house. If you pick to go to another level, you go there on foot...meaning you go through a route that combines the previous level with the one you selected. If you pick to go back to your house...you literally backtrack the level...so you go from the end of the level back to the beginning. Then once you go back home...and pick another level, you have selected the normal route that leads you to a boss battle at the end of the level.
It was released in Japan only...however, an English translated ROM exists...and you can buy the English translated ROM on an actual cartridge!
If you like Mega Man NES styled gameplay, with catchy chiptunes, a trippy artsyle and several new features detailed above...you can't go wrong with Cocoron.
M
Macapala
Unconfirmed Member
Moon Crystal
Fun platformer with a cool cinematic (for the NES) story
Mr. Gimmick
Emulation is probably the only way you'll ever play this game. It's very rare and VERY expensive.
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Violinist of Hamelin
Platfomer with fun boss fights and a sidekick that can transform into different animals, each of which have their own unique ability.
Sutte Hakkun
A really cool puzzle/platformer game.
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Fun platformer with a cool cinematic (for the NES) story
Mr. Gimmick
Emulation is probably the only way you'll ever play this game. It's very rare and VERY expensive.
Violinist of Hamelin
Platfomer with fun boss fights and a sidekick that can transform into different animals, each of which have their own unique ability.
Sutte Hakkun
A really cool puzzle/platformer game.
A game I don't see mentioned often is 8-bit Little Nemo: The Dreammaster. It was a side scrolling platformer of sorts for NES based on "Adventures in Slumberland," which I had never heard of as a kid, but for some reason we owned this game. It was a fairly challenging game despite the childlike art, and the levels were all pretty bizarre. The main boss was terrifying. Overall, very memorable with a good sound track if I remember correctly.
Edit, well, I guess not as terrifying as my memory serves...
I also owned this game and loved it. Made it to the last stage a few times but don't think I ever finished it. Fairly difficult game from what I remember.
I also have fond memories of illusion of gaia. I replayed it a year or two ago and it doesn't hold up as well as I thought it would. The writing is really bad.
malboroking
Banned
Uncharted Horizons was awesome, I totally forgot about that game. I loved it as a kid.
Ludendorkk
Member
Gimmick! You won't find an NES game made with more love or care
Spent nearly $100 to secure a copy recently -- no regrets
Spent nearly $100 to secure a copy recently -- no regrets
M
Macapala
Unconfirmed Member
Gimmick! You won't find an NES game made with more love or care
Spent nearly $100 to secure a copy recently -- no regrets
I've always wanted to own a copy of Bucky O'Hare. I'm a proud owner of Mr Gimmick though.
Magicoal for the pc engine super CD-Rom
A strange adventure game featuring an aprentice wizard Rhun and a elemental spirit medium called Melvy who are transported away and have to try and solve some weird mystery. There is quite a bit of japanese text and dialogue so you might get stuck if you are inexperienced with japanese adventure games.
Well it's got some great ideas , lots of spells to collect and equip and replayability although the execution could be better, It's suppose to support certain Back up RAM accessories but crashes when in use and quite a few annoying boss fights and questionable slowdown!
Somehow there is some charm and love put into the game...
A strange adventure game featuring an aprentice wizard Rhun and a elemental spirit medium called Melvy who are transported away and have to try and solve some weird mystery. There is quite a bit of japanese text and dialogue so you might get stuck if you are inexperienced with japanese adventure games.
Well it's got some great ideas , lots of spells to collect and equip and replayability although the execution could be better, It's suppose to support certain Back up RAM accessories but crashes when in use and quite a few annoying boss fights and questionable slowdown!
Somehow there is some charm and love put into the game...
Rats Off To Ya
Banned
+1 to Demon's Crest. It's one of my favorite SNES games but I only see it brought up in threads like this one.
Ludendorkk
Member
Damn, now that's some real good fortune. I don't even bother to look for copies of Gimmick on eBay anymore, it's too depressing.
DAREALGUMMY
Member
First LP I ever did for my YouTube channel. That final boss was so infuriating. The game gave you NO indication of the order you needed to beat him.
Choujin Sentai Jetman
When I was growing up I had a knock-off NES and someone somewhere was selling this as a Power Rangers game. The best way to describe the game I suppose would be Mega Man crossed with Ninja Gaiden, but a lot of the game was quite manageable so my young self enjoyed it a lot. You start the game by picking a stage and then choosing from one of five rangers to play the level with, two of the rangers are clones of the others so you essentially have three unique-ish playstyle. Two rangers use sword attacks, two rangers have a blaster gun, and the final one has a short ranged wave attack. Gameplay was more along the lines of a Ninja Gaiden and there wasn't much in the way of platforming. Each level would end with a boss fight in your Megazord. The music is also fantastic, I'm sure playing the game a lot as a kid had something to do with it but I can instantly recall a lot of the tracks in thegame.
Here's someone doing a NES Longplay of the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlwq8CPut04
When I was growing up I had a knock-off NES and someone somewhere was selling this as a Power Rangers game. The best way to describe the game I suppose would be Mega Man crossed with Ninja Gaiden, but a lot of the game was quite manageable so my young self enjoyed it a lot. You start the game by picking a stage and then choosing from one of five rangers to play the level with, two of the rangers are clones of the others so you essentially have three unique-ish playstyle. Two rangers use sword attacks, two rangers have a blaster gun, and the final one has a short ranged wave attack. Gameplay was more along the lines of a Ninja Gaiden and there wasn't much in the way of platforming. Each level would end with a boss fight in your Megazord. The music is also fantastic, I'm sure playing the game a lot as a kid had something to do with it but I can instantly recall a lot of the tracks in thegame.
Here's someone doing a NES Longplay of the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlwq8CPut04
petran79
Banned
Ihatovo Monogatari for the SNES. A crime it has not been fansubbed to English
https://medium.com/@SuperFamicomGuy...t-kept-secret-welcome-to-ihatovo-8dcc0b5617f7
After the games intro which depicts a train journey (a reference to Kenjis novel, Night on the Galactic Railroad) The game begins with our nameless main character standing alone at an empty railway platform. We have arrived in Ihatovo, a fictional town (originally crated by Kenji which he based on Iwata). Theres no back story to this character, nor do we know his name. All we can establish is that hes dressed in a hat and coat, a choice of clothing thats synonymous with Miyazawas own attire, made symbolic in various national stamps, artwork and book covers. In his hand is a suitcase. Whats inside it? Where has he come from and why is he here? The player is left to explore Ihatovo and interact with its inhabitants by speaking with them in the streets, or visiting their homes and places of work. Saving is made possible by visiting the local hotel, our characters new temporary home where he awakes from after each chapter is complete. After some interaction with two key characters (Horogama-Sensei and the Rasuchijin inhabitants) the game objective is established: Discover and collect seven lost pieces of work by Kenji Miyazawa. After each note book is found, a new chapter is opened. After collecting all seven, they are presented to Miyazawa himself who appears in the game. He rewards the player by returning them back to the physical world via the galactic train.
https://medium.com/@SuperFamicomGuy...t-kept-secret-welcome-to-ihatovo-8dcc0b5617f7
After the games intro which depicts a train journey (a reference to Kenjis novel, Night on the Galactic Railroad) The game begins with our nameless main character standing alone at an empty railway platform. We have arrived in Ihatovo, a fictional town (originally crated by Kenji which he based on Iwata). Theres no back story to this character, nor do we know his name. All we can establish is that hes dressed in a hat and coat, a choice of clothing thats synonymous with Miyazawas own attire, made symbolic in various national stamps, artwork and book covers. In his hand is a suitcase. Whats inside it? Where has he come from and why is he here? The player is left to explore Ihatovo and interact with its inhabitants by speaking with them in the streets, or visiting their homes and places of work. Saving is made possible by visiting the local hotel, our characters new temporary home where he awakes from after each chapter is complete. After some interaction with two key characters (Horogama-Sensei and the Rasuchijin inhabitants) the game objective is established: Discover and collect seven lost pieces of work by Kenji Miyazawa. After each note book is found, a new chapter is opened. After collecting all seven, they are presented to Miyazawa himself who appears in the game. He rewards the player by returning them back to the physical world via the galactic train.
Famicom Detective Club Part II - Great classic adventure style VN type of game. English translation patch exists
Rolling Thunder 2 on Genesis - Methodical side scrolling run and gun where you constantly flip between the top and bottom levels.
Marvel Land - Decent platformer for Genesis
Xandra no Daiboken: Valkyrie to no Deai - Platformer where you play as a green blob with a pitchfork. Apparently he is the sidekick of a more popular Namco IP. Surprisingly good, you have a varied move set which includes this quick dash jump and a big wind-up stab-jump that you have to both use at some point during the platforming.
Actraiser 2- I think this one fits the bill of being underrated the most. If anything, it is hated. I think it's the best action game on SNES. It looks great, has an orchestral Yuzo Koshiro OST, and the gameplay takes the simple Actraiser action stages to the next level. You have a shield, you can glide, down thrust, and more. Not a complete cakewalk either. I bet many people who hate it played a stage or two, got wrecked, and didn't give it a second chance.
DoReMi Fantasy
Rolling Thunder 2 on Genesis - Methodical side scrolling run and gun where you constantly flip between the top and bottom levels.
Marvel Land - Decent platformer for Genesis
Xandra no Daiboken: Valkyrie to no Deai - Platformer where you play as a green blob with a pitchfork. Apparently he is the sidekick of a more popular Namco IP. Surprisingly good, you have a varied move set which includes this quick dash jump and a big wind-up stab-jump that you have to both use at some point during the platforming.
Actraiser 2- I think this one fits the bill of being underrated the most. If anything, it is hated. I think it's the best action game on SNES. It looks great, has an orchestral Yuzo Koshiro OST, and the gameplay takes the simple Actraiser action stages to the next level. You have a shield, you can glide, down thrust, and more. Not a complete cakewalk either. I bet many people who hate it played a stage or two, got wrecked, and didn't give it a second chance.
DoReMi Fantasy
Light Crusader on Sega Genesis
Probably the most underrated Treasure game, as well. I like the magic system in this game, and there are some really interesting scenarios and puzzles in it. There's even one point where you disguise yourself as an enemy in order to progress, as well as to avoid combat. There's another point where you go into different time periods. Pretty cool. Also, the graphics are pretty awesome at times (although they're a bit bland overall). I think I still have the notebook that I used to take notes for this game in while playing it from back when I was still in high school. Aside from Ikaruga, this is pretty much the only Treasure game that I like.
Probably the most underrated Treasure game, as well. I like the magic system in this game, and there are some really interesting scenarios and puzzles in it. There's even one point where you disguise yourself as an enemy in order to progress, as well as to avoid combat. There's another point where you go into different time periods. Pretty cool. Also, the graphics are pretty awesome at times (although they're a bit bland overall). I think I still have the notebook that I used to take notes for this game in while playing it from back when I was still in high school. Aside from Ikaruga, this is pretty much the only Treasure game that I like.
Patrick S.
Banned
no joke
Is actually pretty great.
Great controls, and each level has a hidden card that unlocks a final world, if I remember correctly. And greggman worked on it?
yes:
https://games.greggman.com/game/programming_m_c__kids/
pretty cool look inside of a game that you'd think be trash, though it's a bit technical at points with tile data and the like.
also did they do this before mario?
Is actually pretty great.
Great controls, and each level has a hidden card that unlocks a final world, if I remember correctly. And greggman worked on it?
yes:
https://games.greggman.com/game/programming_m_c__kids/
pretty cool look inside of a game that you'd think be trash, though it's a bit technical at points with tile data and the like.
also did they do this before mario?
Biker Mice From Mars was a surprisingly fun SNES racing gameespecially with the split-screen multiplayer. I feel like it may have been a clone of Rock n Roll racing, but I never played that game enough to say for sure.
It is definitely inspired by Rock n Roll Racing. Even the music is very similar.
uncleslappy
nethack is my favorite dark souls clone
Man I miss the days when you could put a game out with a cover like this. I would stare at something like this in my local blockbuster forever thinking - what in the hell is this game about?
Theslammer
Member
As many of you, I'm not sure whether or not it holds up, but:
If you played as Wile E. Coyote, you had to try to catch the Road Runner:
As Road Runner, you had to avoid the traps and trick Wile E:
And when you ran, you'd hear percussion drumming a beat with you, or bass, or something, so it sounded very playful and cartoony. It really felt like an episode in some aspects, and I feel the developers must have had some fun with this one.
It can be beaten in a half hour. Here's one playthrough.
If you played as Wile E. Coyote, you had to try to catch the Road Runner:
As Road Runner, you had to avoid the traps and trick Wile E:
And when you ran, you'd hear percussion drumming a beat with you, or bass, or something, so it sounded very playful and cartoony. It really felt like an episode in some aspects, and I feel the developers must have had some fun with this one.
It can be beaten in a half hour. Here's one playthrough.
I played this game a lot a while back on ZSNES (When it was still relevant). I never knew it had multiple endings. Kind of makes me want to give it another go.
EVO: The Search for Eden. I swear no one ever talks about this game.
Sidescrolling platformer/RPG played across millions of years, jumping through different eras, and evolving into different creatures with different attributes as you go. It's got some properly weird alternate history stuff in there, lots of "bad endings" show you what would have happened to the world if you had failed, and it's really fun to evolve the different parts of your body to see all the different combinations.
It's on the SNES.
