cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited January 2009
Since I'm on a Working Designs retro kick, I feel kind of bad for neglecting this.
Very unique strategy RPG. Two games in one, but the first of the two(Growlanser II) is superior IMO. It uses a line-based real time movement system. Also, multiple endings and branching dialogue paths(I love those).
It even blocks out certain options if your character's a certain type, which you determine by answering questions at the start of the game.
You could look up the newer one that Atlus localized(V/Heritage of War), but it's not nearly as good. Also, it's more of an action RPG.
So, which is the better hack n' slash to pick up first - Onimusha 3, DMC3, or Blood Will Tell?
I was actually coming in here to recommend Blood Will Tell...
Anyway, they're three really different games (although all worth a purchase). If you've played other DMC games, you probably know what to expect with DMC3: fast and deep combat, really campy dialogue, and some outrageous bosses and cutscenes.
Onimusha is a good hack 'n slash with a decent story and puzzle solving. Also, Jean Reno, which is really enough reason alone to buy the game.
Blood Will Tell is a simple but fun action game, based on the Osamu Tezuka comic, Dororo. It's about a dude who had 48 of his body parts/organs stolen by demons when he was an infant. He was rescued by a doctor and given artificial limbs and organs to replace his lost ones. So he has sword arms, a cannon in one knee and a machine gun in another, among some other crazy abilities. So basically, you spend the game with your partner, Dororo, tracking down demons and killing them to get your original parts back. The story is great, and really strange (like the comic), and the action/combos are interesting enough to keep the game fun. Heartily recommended.
Also, I don't know how "obscure" it is, but Genji: Dawn of the Samurai was a pretty entertaining hack 'n slash as well.
Global Defense Force (EU release of the game EDF 2) is better than anything you could be playing right now, aside from EDF 2017.
This is absolutely true. Except for the EDF 2017 part. I haven't played the 360 sequel, but the lack of a flying character means I don't want to. Every time I consider it, I honestly believe hands down that Global Defence Force on the PS2 is the greatest game ever made.
This topic makes me want to go dig around in used game bins for titles I still don't own. It's a short list, but it still nags at me.
I'm thinking about creating some kind of online list, or a thread, for amazing but obscure games on previous generation consoles (PS2, Xbox, GC). They're all going down in price, and the consoles aren't so old that the games are starting to be hard to find. There are apparently a lot of excellent and fun titles around that no-one has ever heard of, and I hate to let it continue.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like this? A catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
So, which is the better hack n' slash to pick up first - Onimusha 3, DMC3, or Blood Will Tell?
Shadow of Rome
Cannot agree more. Shadow of Rome was a huge surprise for me when i picked it up, i didnt think it would be anything. It really is better than good. Especially when you chop someones arm off and use it as a club.
The Red Star is better than almost anything you could be playing right now.
I'm seeing this a lot, but I guess I don't understand why. What is so fantastic about it?
Well, it's got good graphics (for a PS2 game) and nice presentation.
It's also a combination of a solid-feeling beat-em-up and a shooting game (navigating waves of bullets while shooting the core... not kidding). There's character customization (points you earn based on your performance in each level can be used between levels to buy new weapons/upgrades), well-designed levels and bosses, 3 different characters, 2 player simultaneous play, and yeah (YEAH!). It's a solid game that in spite of being obviously inspired by games like Contra and UN Squadron, injects enough of its own feel that it doesn't feel blandly derivative.
In short, it's a game that's just plain good, and isn't expensive.
Yeah, I had a great time playing with my friends. It’s at it’s best as a co-op game. It feels like a fun shoot-em-up that’s collided head on with a fun beat-em-up, and yet it makes the idea work so well. You’re constantly being switched between dodging bullets and blasting things, to darting around enemies and smashing them with your melee weapons.
You may want to check out Sky Gunner. It was an early Atlus PS2 game that I strangely never hear anyone talk about ever. Awesome character designs, and fun air combat/flight action. I recently got this off Goozex and have been having a lot of fun with it. A rare gem.
I'm thinking about creating some kind of online list, or a thread, for amazing but obscure games on previous generation consoles (PS2, Xbox, GC). They're all going down in price, and the consoles aren't so old that the games are starting to be hard to find. There are apparently a lot of excellent and fun titles around that no-one has ever heard of, and I hate to let it continue.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like this? A catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
I'd certainly be willing to get behind such a list for each system.
Further, what I'd also really like is, in addition to that, simply a comprehensive list of Recommended PS2 Games (and gcn and oxbox as well). I'd make a thread for it but I've never gotten around to it. I'd suspect that a comprehensive PS2 list would be well over 100 games long. Which is fine, because it's an incredible system/library.
Thirding Global Defence Force. Incredible, incredible game, and I believe the 360 version has elss levesl as well as less characters.
I think of EDF 2017 version as the next-gen EDF 1, and the sequel to EDF 2017 will be the next-gen EDF 2.
EDF 2 has on the whole more stuff than EDF 2017: it has one more difficulty setting (IMPOSSIBLE, unlocked after you clear with INFERNO), an alternate character who builds HP at half the rate and has her own huge set of weapons, a higher stage count, and more types of enemies (even counting all the different Hector variants).
While at first I was disappointed by the lack of the alternate character and the fact that you can still only play with 2 players, the unbelievably awesome English voiceovers combined with the new weapons made up for it. The fact that you can solo the game on INFERNO with 200HP because of sentry guns and C70 and Battle Machine Vegalta and the AI helpers (so basically all the new features of the game) tells me that EDF 2017 has got it going on.
r-type final and sky gunner are entirely ruined by massive gamebreaking slowdown (a lot of shitty level design in r-type's case too), and stretch panic is a glorified tech demo that doesnt hold up at all as an actual game.
just some counter opinions i guess.
everything i would have mentioned off the top of my head has been said already, except Space Channel 5 and Bombastic. so i'll say those two.
You mentioned Radiata Stories as one of the games you've been looking at and I highly recommend that title. It's got really good replay value since the game splits in two paths for you to choose towards the middle, each with its own ending. The combat in that game is fun.
So, which is the better hack n' slash to pick up first - Onimusha 3, DMC3, or Blood Will Tell?
I've played through Onimusha 3 a few times and I only got to try out DMC3. I found Onimusha 3 to be very enjoyable but didn't get that into DMC3 when I tried it out. I might try DMC3 again and I'll probably like it more than I did the first time.
Can't belive I forgot Way of the Samurai. Short little action RPG, no stat min-maxing cept for swords with diffrent stats on them. Multiple endings, shortest one is simply leave the valley you win, kinda. I love it when someone starts begging for mercy as I get them close to death.
Gitaroo Man- a music-rhythm game in which your character defeats enemies with the power of rock; really unique style and crazy yet catchy music
If you like your games filled with a guitar playing super hero riding on a UFO/keyboard firing lightning at another flying keyboard/UFO to the sound of J-Pop this is the game for you. Gitaroo Man is brilliant.
Domhnall on
Xbox Live - Minty D Vision Steam - Minty D. Vision! Origin/BF3 - MintyDVision
It's a cheapie FPS where you play a SWAT member that exercises crowd control with extreme force. Fun physics, over the top gore, and plenty of big-dicked manly man swearing make this the videogame equivalent of a B-movie.
So rad.
Grammaton Cleric on
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SirUltimosDon't talk, Rusty. Just paint.Registered Userregular
Global Defense Force (EU release of the game EDF 2) is better than anything you could be playing right now, aside from EDF 2017.
This is absolutely true. Except for the EDF 2017 part. I haven't played the 360 sequel, but the lack of a flying character means I don't want to. Every time I consider it, I honestly believe hands down that Global Defence Force on the PS2 is the greatest game ever made.
This topic makes me want to go dig around in used game bins for titles I still don't own. It's a short list, but it still nags at me.
I'm thinking about creating some kind of online list, or a thread, for amazing but obscure games on previous generation consoles (PS2, Xbox, GC). They're all going down in price, and the consoles aren't so old that the games are starting to be hard to find. There are apparently a lot of excellent and fun titles around that no-one has ever heard of, and I hate to let it continue.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like this? A catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
I'd totally be behind something like this. I'd love to help out.
The fact that I'm already losing track of the awesome games I need to pick up from this thread means that I'm starting another thread. It'll be some kind of crazy obscure games compendium!
Edit: I've got the thread all ready to go, but since it's akin to a poll thread, I'm waiting on mod permission.
RType Final - one of the best RType shmups; while it suffers from occasional slowdown, the level design and number of ships and weapons and enemies provides tons of variety and replay value
With music by Blue Man Group.
*blink*
What.
Don't get me wrong, that's awesome. But how the hell did everyone manage to miss that fact?
Edit: Ah, Wikipedia is our friend. If by "music by Blue Man Group" you mean "one song from Blue Man Group," then yes.
The ending of the US version of R-Type Final features a song from Blue Man Group, whereas the Japanese version has a different ending sung by Hekiru Shiina. The European version features a completely different song altogether.
Argh, my friend is an idiot. He played the shit out of this game, and he said that the music was by Blue Man Group. It was even on the box or in the manual or something. Having heard the music for the game, I could totally see them having composed it, but I guess that's not the case. Too bad, I love that music... my bad!
I've suddenly found myself extremely excited to play the Way of the Samurai games after reading up on them. Looking forward to getting a hold of those soon.
I remember the original Way of the Samurai. It was a lot of fun, and definitely a "niche" title. Was there an actual sequel? I thought Samurai Western had nothing to do with it.
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cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited January 2009
It's not a sequel, but it's made by the same team, so gameplay wise, it might as well be.
I'm thinking about creating some kind of online list, or a thread, for amazing but obscure games on previous generation consoles (PS2, Xbox, GC). They're all going down in price, and the consoles aren't so old that the games are starting to be hard to find. There are apparently a lot of excellent and fun titles around that no-one has ever heard of, and I hate to let it continue.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like this? A catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
I'd certainly be willing to get behind such a list for each system.
I remember the original Way of the Samurai. It was a lot of fun, and definitely a "niche" title. Was there an actual sequel? I thought Samurai Western had nothing to do with it.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like a catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
Erm...isn't that exactly what the website you linked me to is for?
Indeed, to a degree. I can't imagine that site has catalogued every single obscure and awesome game there is, though.
Changed the thread title to include discussion of obscure games in general.
Discuss away!
Well, I've got an amazing thread for that exact purpose all lined up as soon for as soon as I get mod approval, so changing the title of this thread might not work in my favour...
I remember the original Way of the Samurai. It was a lot of fun, and definitely a "niche" title. Was there an actual sequel? I thought Samurai Western had nothing to do with it.
I honestly was realy disapointed with what I played of way of the samurai 2. Too much of having to be in the right place at the right time to get certain storys unlocked. One worked better with a smaller environment.
Hah, I must have been eight or nine when my older brother and I rented Plok because it just looked weird. I don't actually remember much about it. You threw limbs at your enemies, and not having legs did not hinder your movement much (if at all).
Many of the games I've seen mentioned I've wanted for years because my library is severely lacking in fun, actiony games that I can play co-op with my bro. Contra: Shattered Soldier has been something I've had on the back of my mind for a while, and I've heard some really good things about The Warriors.
Red Star also seems like it would be right up our alley. I think I can contribute a similar game to the thread, which is probably the most fun I've ever had in a 4-player co-op game other than Gauntlet Legends.
Hunter: The Reckoning was a fantastic Xbox undead brawler/shooter with a very arcadey feel because you had to get your team through the game on a very limited number of lives. I can't even remember if there was a save feature. The different characters had different strengths, and leveled up on their own, so I don't believe there was any customization on that end. You went through the levels killing zombies, rescuing humans, and arguing over who would get the sweet limited-use weapons such as the shotgun and the sub-machine gun. If you beat the game (which we never managed to do) you got to go through it again with alternate costumes for all the characters.
It was later ported to PS2 and Gamecube, with the PS2 version getting an extra character, I believe.
It's a cheapie FPS where you play a SWAT member that exercises crowd control with extreme force. Fun physics, over the top gore, and plenty of big-dicked manly man swearing make this the videogame equivalent of a B-movie.
So rad.
I concur. I finally picked this up for 5 dollars new from Best Buy almost a year ago I think. A fun, violent ridiculous FPS.
Also, Kinetica is worth checking out. It might not have the sense of speed of say Burnout, but still a fun futuristic racer by the dudes who do Wipeout.
Posts
Very unique strategy RPG. Two games in one, but the first of the two(Growlanser II) is superior IMO. It uses a line-based real time movement system. Also, multiple endings and branching dialogue paths(I love those).
It even blocks out certain options if your character's a certain type, which you determine by answering questions at the start of the game.
You could look up the newer one that Atlus localized(V/Heritage of War), but it's not nearly as good. Also, it's more of an action RPG.
I was actually coming in here to recommend Blood Will Tell...
Anyway, they're three really different games (although all worth a purchase). If you've played other DMC games, you probably know what to expect with DMC3: fast and deep combat, really campy dialogue, and some outrageous bosses and cutscenes.
Onimusha is a good hack 'n slash with a decent story and puzzle solving. Also, Jean Reno, which is really enough reason alone to buy the game.
Blood Will Tell is a simple but fun action game, based on the Osamu Tezuka comic, Dororo. It's about a dude who had 48 of his body parts/organs stolen by demons when he was an infant. He was rescued by a doctor and given artificial limbs and organs to replace his lost ones. So he has sword arms, a cannon in one knee and a machine gun in another, among some other crazy abilities. So basically, you spend the game with your partner, Dororo, tracking down demons and killing them to get your original parts back. The story is great, and really strange (like the comic), and the action/combos are interesting enough to keep the game fun. Heartily recommended.
Also, I don't know how "obscure" it is, but Genji: Dawn of the Samurai was a pretty entertaining hack 'n slash as well.
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
This is absolutely true. Except for the EDF 2017 part. I haven't played the 360 sequel, but the lack of a flying character means I don't want to. Every time I consider it, I honestly believe hands down that Global Defence Force on the PS2 is the greatest game ever made.
Edit:
I'm thinking about creating some kind of online list, or a thread, for amazing but obscure games on previous generation consoles (PS2, Xbox, GC). They're all going down in price, and the consoles aren't so old that the games are starting to be hard to find. There are apparently a lot of excellent and fun titles around that no-one has ever heard of, and I hate to let it continue.
Would anyone be willing to get behind something like this? A catalogue of obscure games for the previous generation?
Shiki 2 is so awesome. It deserves more love than it gets!
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Shadow of Rome
Cannot agree more. Shadow of Rome was a huge surprise for me when i picked it up, i didnt think it would be anything. It really is better than good. Especially when you chop someones arm off and use it as a club.
Yeah, I had a great time playing with my friends. It’s at it’s best as a co-op game. It feels like a fun shoot-em-up that’s collided head on with a fun beat-em-up, and yet it makes the idea work so well. You’re constantly being switched between dodging bullets and blasting things, to darting around enemies and smashing them with your melee weapons.
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http://steamcommunity.com/id/idolninja
I'd certainly be willing to get behind such a list for each system.
Further, what I'd also really like is, in addition to that, simply a comprehensive list of Recommended PS2 Games (and gcn and oxbox as well). I'd make a thread for it but I've never gotten around to it. I'd suspect that a comprehensive PS2 list would be well over 100 games long. Which is fine, because it's an incredible system/library.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57uZZcVBlpY
I think of EDF 2017 version as the next-gen EDF 1, and the sequel to EDF 2017 will be the next-gen EDF 2.
EDF 2 has on the whole more stuff than EDF 2017: it has one more difficulty setting (IMPOSSIBLE, unlocked after you clear with INFERNO), an alternate character who builds HP at half the rate and has her own huge set of weapons, a higher stage count, and more types of enemies (even counting all the different Hector variants).
While at first I was disappointed by the lack of the alternate character and the fact that you can still only play with 2 players, the unbelievably awesome English voiceovers combined with the new weapons made up for it. The fact that you can solo the game on INFERNO with 200HP because of sentry guns and C70 and Battle Machine Vegalta and the AI helpers (so basically all the new features of the game) tells me that EDF 2017 has got it going on.
And remember: HQ is not your friend.
just some counter opinions i guess.
everything i would have mentioned off the top of my head has been said already, except Space Channel 5 and Bombastic. so i'll say those two.
I've played through Onimusha 3 a few times and I only got to try out DMC3. I found Onimusha 3 to be very enjoyable but didn't get that into DMC3 when I tried it out. I might try DMC3 again and I'll probably like it more than I did the first time.
If you like your games filled with a guitar playing super hero riding on a UFO/keyboard firing lightning at another flying keyboard/UFO to the sound of J-Pop this is the game for you. Gitaroo Man is brilliant.
Steam - Minty D. Vision!
Origin/BF3 - MintyDVision
It's a cheapie FPS where you play a SWAT member that exercises crowd control with extreme force. Fun physics, over the top gore, and plenty of big-dicked manly man swearing make this the videogame equivalent of a B-movie.
So rad.
I'd totally be behind something like this. I'd love to help out.
Edit: I've got the thread all ready to go, but since it's akin to a poll thread, I'm waiting on mod permission.
Erm...isn't that exactly what the website you linked me to is for?
Indeed, to a degree. I can't imagine that site has catalogued every single obscure and awesome game there is, though.
Changed the thread title to include discussion of obscure games in general.
Discuss away!
Argh, my friend is an idiot. He played the shit out of this game, and he said that the music was by Blue Man Group. It was even on the box or in the manual or something. Having heard the music for the game, I could totally see them having composed it, but I guess that's not the case. Too bad, I love that music... my bad!
It's still a lot of fun.
How does this work for you?
Yes, there was a Way of the Samurai 2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_the_Samurai_2
Also, apparently WotS3 just came out in Japan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_the_Samurai_3
It actually looks really damn good too.
Well, I've got an amazing thread for that exact purpose all lined up as soon for as soon as I get mod approval, so changing the title of this thread might not work in my favour...
I'm glad that site exists, and I've seen it before, but it's not terribly comprehensive. Basically just suggestions from one person.
I honestly was realy disapointed with what I played of way of the samurai 2. Too much of having to be in the right place at the right time to get certain storys unlocked. One worked better with a smaller environment.
I loved that game. Picked it off the shelf having never heard of it and i never knew anyone else who had it.
Who here had Plok as a kid?
Many of the games I've seen mentioned I've wanted for years because my library is severely lacking in fun, actiony games that I can play co-op with my bro. Contra: Shattered Soldier has been something I've had on the back of my mind for a while, and I've heard some really good things about The Warriors.
Red Star also seems like it would be right up our alley. I think I can contribute a similar game to the thread, which is probably the most fun I've ever had in a 4-player co-op game other than Gauntlet Legends.
Hunter: The Reckoning was a fantastic Xbox undead brawler/shooter with a very arcadey feel because you had to get your team through the game on a very limited number of lives. I can't even remember if there was a save feature. The different characters had different strengths, and leveled up on their own, so I don't believe there was any customization on that end. You went through the levels killing zombies, rescuing humans, and arguing over who would get the sweet limited-use weapons such as the shotgun and the sub-machine gun. If you beat the game (which we never managed to do) you got to go through it again with alternate costumes for all the characters.
It was later ported to PS2 and Gamecube, with the PS2 version getting an extra character, I believe.
I concur. I finally picked this up for 5 dollars new from Best Buy almost a year ago I think. A fun, violent ridiculous FPS.
Also, Kinetica is worth checking out. It might not have the sense of speed of say Burnout, but still a fun futuristic racer by the dudes who do Wipeout.