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The Obscure Games Thread

CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
edited February 2009 in Games and Technology
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This isn't a thread for your pansy-ass, well-known games. This is a thread for the games you haven't heard about because you're a pussy. A pussy-bitch.

I am sickened that there is a whole library of awesome and under-appreciated games out there for consoles from the previous generation. I don't want to be missing out on all this outrageous fun, and neither do you. Playing games for the previous generation is relatively cheap, so it's the perfect time to get your obscure game on.

I'm planning on making this thread a source of submissions, as well as the start of the compendium. It's going to be listing the very best and most fun of the obscure games from the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox. Eventually I should be moving the list to a website so that you can peruse at your leisure, when this thread fades into obscurity.


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Simply post games for the Xbox, Gamecube and Playstation 2 that are both awesome and obscure. All I need you to post is the name of the game, in bold (See the example suggestion below), along with all of the systems the game was published on.


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All of the fucking awesome threads I create work because they follow strict rules and organisation. This isn't your mother's thread. This is a man's thread.
1. Only post games for the Xbox, Gamecube and Playstation 2. No other consoles are getting on the list.

2. ALWAYS write the name of each game you suggest in bold. If you write whole paragraphs about a single game because you're a faggoty-ass bitch, the important part needs to jump out.

3. I don't need any information other than the name of the game and the console(s) it was published for. You don't need to write a description. I'll be handling the rest.

4. All the games on this list need to be awesome games. For now, only suggest the absolute cream of the crop of obscure games. As a rule, if it scores less than 70 on MetaCritic, I'm liable to disregard it until we are in need of more suggestions.

5. All the games on this list need to be truly obscure games. Everyone has heard of Odin Sphere on PA, and if they haven't they fail at life. This compendium isn't for people who fail at life. Only suggest games that the majority of people here on PA won't have heard of. I'm not looking for games that common Joe thinks are obscure.

6. No fucking arguments. If you disagree, then explain why and leave it at that. I don't want to see quote trees full of argument.

7. If enough people tell me that a game shouldn't be on the list, then it will be removed. Possible reasons include "It's not obscure" and "It's really shit".

More rules will likely be added here as and when you guys manage to make the internet a worse place by doing something retarded.


ObscureThread2b.jpg


There might always be some of you who can't read very well. Just in case the rules above aren't clear enough, here is an example suggestion:
Psychonauts on the Xbox is awesome!
Notice that the name of the game is in bold. He's called "Some Motherfucker" because Psychonauts isn't an obscure game, and isn't going on the list.


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Centipeed on
«134

Posts

  • CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Centipeed on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    PS2 games you almost certainly haven't played:
    Global Defence Force
    Like EDF on the 360, but better.
    Gregory Horror Show
    Inspiredly weird survival horror for children where everyone has giant square heads
    Kuri Kuri Mix
    Also known as Cookie and Cream in your strange Americaland. Platformer with two characters at once, whether you're playing single or co-op.
    The Red Star
    Pretty good 2D shooter/beat-em-up
    Transformers
    Also known as Transformers Armada. Nothing to do with the flim-licensed game, this is actually among the better giant robot games
    War of the Monsters
    Beat-em-up that does what the title says. Does it well, too.
    Maken Shao- Demon Sword
    Interestingly surreal slash-em-up
    Maximo Vs. Army of Zin
    Unlike its predecessor, this one got the difficulty right. Good mix of old-fashioned platforming and DMC-style combat
    Kuon
    Severely underrated and actually fairly decent survival horror

    Edit: and yes, some of these are your icons, but since they're not on the lists yet...
    Also, is ZOE2 really obscure?

    Xagarath on
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Kuri Kuri Mix is actually "The Adventures of Cookie & Cream" on the PS2. Only notable because "Cookie & Cream" on the DS is a sequel, not a port.

    mausmalone on
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  • projectmayhemprojectmayhem Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Mark of Kiri

    PS2 game. It's awesome. Thats all you need to know.

    projectmayhem on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Mark of Kiri

    PS2 game. It's awesome. Thats all you need to know.

    The animation is really good.

    Couscous on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Oh get some cool GC titles on here so I can have at thee.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • GyralGyral Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Motherfucker. Every time one of these topics comes up, my list of older games to buy doubles.

    My addition: Ring of Red PS2 - Konami's turn-based mech strategy game that happens in an alt WWII (I think it's post WWII) timeline. Combat between mechs is actually fun and strategic.

    Gyral on
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  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Sly on PS3 is better than any of the Jak & Daxter or Ratchet and Clank games.

    LewieP on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I forgot about Steambot Chronicles
    PS2, again.

    Xagarath on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Wait.. why the hell is the PC not included here? There are some fantastic obscure games for the PC, good sir.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    Wait.. why the hell is the PC not included here? There are some fantastic obscure games for the PC, good sir.

    I suspect the list would get very, very large.

    Xagarath on
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Figgy wrote: »
    Oh get some cool GC titles on here so I can have at thee.

    I have serious doubts that there'll be any GCN titles that meet the obscurity requirements. The library is so small in general that it's really hard to come up with games nobody's heard of. The best I can do is recommend games that you might not have known were decent.
    Figgy wrote: »
    Wait.. why the hell is the PC not included here? There are some fantastic obscure games for the PC, good sir.

    There are no "generations" so a PC list would be far more difficult to manage.

    Nevertheless, everybody should play Elastomania at least once, even if just the shareware demo.

    mausmalone on
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  • RizziRizzi Sydney, Australia.Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xagarath wrote: »
    PS2 games you almost certainly haven't played:
    War of the Monsters
    Beat-em-up that does what the title says. Does it well, too.

    This shit. This shit right here. Possibly one of the best games on Ps2. I really wish it got more love.

    Rizzi on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Lost Kingdoms-Card game goodness. Best game where you play as a princess.

    Couscous on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Possibly not quite obscure enough, but Gitaroo Man on PS2

    Xagarath on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xagarath wrote: »
    Possibly not quite obscure enough, but Gitaroo Man on PS2

    is there a word for something that is now well known because of its former obscurity?

    Couscous on
  • liquidloganliquidlogan Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Deathrow for Xbox.

    In terms of the suggestions of Maximo, Mark of Kri, and The Red Star, I wouldn't say any of those are particularly obscure. Mark of Kri especially since its a firstparty title. Red Star because I think everyone on PA knows about it already. Maximo just doesn't seem to make sense for the same reason as Red Star.

    liquidlogan on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Deathrow for Xbox.

    In terms of the suggestions of Maximo, Mark of Kri, and The Red Star, I wouldn't say any of those are particularly obscure. Mark of Kri especially since its a firstparty title. Red Star because I think everyone on PA knows about it already. Maximo just doesn't seem to make sense for the same reason as Red Star.

    And yet they never get discussed ever, and only have 2 or three fans apiece on here.

    Xagarath on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    What was that Japanese FPS game that focused more on close combat?

    Couscous on
  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Rizzi wrote: »
    Xagarath wrote: »
    PS2 games you almost certainly haven't played:
    War of the Monsters
    Beat-em-up that does what the title says. Does it well, too.

    This shit. This shit right here. Possibly one of the best games on Ps2. I really wish it got more love.

    Holy shit memories. That game was the cause of one hell of a lost weekend way back when. All I really remember was the giant Soviet robot with nuclear capabilities.

    firewaterword on
    Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    Lost Kingdoms-Card game goodness. Best game where you play as a princess.

    I have the first and never could get into it. Was the sequel really as improved as Gabe ranted about on the front page all those years ago?

    mausmalone on
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  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Breakdown is what I was thinking of. Good game despite suffering from shitting shooting.

    Couscous on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    What was that Japanese FPS game that focused more on close combat?

    Xbox

    BREAKDOWN
    Insane plot but the combat was awesome.

    Big Classy on
  • BlueDestinyBlueDestiny Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    What was that Japanese FPS game that focused more on close combat?

    Not sure if it's Japanese specifically but are you talking about Breakdown?


    Robot Alchemic Drive(PS2) is a super-campy giant robot game with unique controls (you control the arms, legs, and torso separately) and comically bad voice acting. Think ED2017 except you control a guy who controls a giant robot.

    BlueDestiny on
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Speaking of which

    Headhunter PS2/Dreamcast
    The game was good, maybe not spectacular, but the soundtrack is enthralling.

    EDIT: Are we going to allow Dreamcast since it's kinda/sorta in the same generation as the PS2? If so:

    Cool Cool Toon
    Quite possibly one of the best rhythm games I've ever played.

    mausmalone on
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  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009


    Robot Alchemic Drive(PS2) is a super-campy giant robot game with unique controls (you control the arms, legs, and torso separately) and comically bad voice acting. Think ED2017 except you control a guy who controls a giant robot.

    And by the EDF development team, I believe.
    Really wish we got it over here.

    Xagarath on
  • BlueDestinyBlueDestiny Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xagarath wrote: »


    Robot Alchemic Drive(PS2) is a super-campy giant robot game with unique controls (you control the arms, legs, and torso separately) and comically bad voice acting. Think ED2017 except you control a guy who controls a giant robot.

    And by the EDF development team, I believe.
    Really wish we got it over here.

    Didn't we? I thought it was just super-rare, considering there are english Youtube videos. Speaking of which,
    EDIT: Hurr a durrr didn't read your location info, sorry about that.

    FIYAH ZEE PROTON BEEM!

    BlueDestiny on
  • xeviqxeviq Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Gamecube games:
    Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
    and
    Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg

    I am sorry, if those are too popular to be on the list, but I never hear anyone talk about those games.

    xeviq on
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xbox


    Xyanide

    Phantom Dust

    Panzer Dragoon Orta



    PS2


    Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land

    Samurai Western

    Growlanser Generations

    Technic Beat

    Unison: Rebels of Rhythm and Dance

    Trapt (aka Deception IV)

    Space Channel 5 Special Edition

    Skygunner

    Frequency

    Amplitude



    I'm sure I'll think up more later.


    Any of the Shin Megami Tensei games on the PS2, really, but mostly SMT: Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga, and Devil Summoner. The Persona games got plenty of (deserved) attention.

    cj iwakura on
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  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    xeviq wrote: »
    Gamecube games:
    Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
    and
    Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg

    I am sorry, if those are too popular to be on the list, but I never hear anyone talk about those games.

    Cubivore falls into that "obscure everywhere but here" category. It's been a forum favorite for years (just like P.N.03) and largely ignored elsewhere.

    Billy Hatcher got a decent amount of pre-release hype (even so far as to make it onto the Mario Kart Double Dash bonus disc IIRC) but all the publicity vaporized as soon as it was released. It's obscure if you weren't actually paying attention to upcoming releases back then.

    mausmalone on
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  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    cj iwakura wrote: »


    Any of the Shin Megami Tensei games on the PS2, really, but mostly SMT: Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga, and Devil Summoner. The Persona games got plenty of (deserved) attention.

    Not really sure I'd call them obscure on here, or I'd have posted them myself.

    Xagarath on
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Okay, apparently I fail at reading the OP. :| I'll condense the post above.

    cj iwakura on
    z48g7weaopj2.png
  • xeviqxeviq Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    mausmalone wrote: »
    xeviq wrote: »
    Gamecube games:
    Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
    and
    Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg

    I am sorry, if those are too popular to be on the list, but I never hear anyone talk about those games.

    Cubivore falls into that "obscure everywhere but here" category. It's been a forum favorite for years (just like P.N.03) and largely ignored elsewhere.

    Billy Hatcher got a decent amount of pre-release hype (even so far as to make it onto the Mario Kart Double Dash bonus disc IIRC) but all the publicity vaporized as soon as it was released. It's obscure if you weren't actually paying attention to upcoming releases back then.

    Well, I tried... :cry:

    xeviq on
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    xeviq wrote: »
    mausmalone wrote: »
    xeviq wrote: »
    Gamecube games:
    Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
    and
    Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg

    I am sorry, if those are too popular to be on the list, but I never hear anyone talk about those games.

    Cubivore falls into that "obscure everywhere but here" category. It's been a forum favorite for years (just like P.N.03) and largely ignored elsewhere.

    Billy Hatcher got a decent amount of pre-release hype (even so far as to make it onto the Mario Kart Double Dash bonus disc IIRC) but all the publicity vaporized as soon as it was released. It's obscure if you weren't actually paying attention to upcoming releases back then.

    Well, I tried... :cry:

    Sorry, I didn't mean to poke holes!

    I think this thread will be bound for failure unless we ease up on the obscurity factor. Hidden gems are practically non-existent now that we have things like message boards where we talk about amazing games nobody's playing.

    mausmalone on
    266.jpg
  • ChrisDudeChrisDude Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    PS2 - Okage: Shadow King
    Mostly just because the writing and story are very good and it is consistently hilarious. I'm gonna name my first born child Lord Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV. Boy or girl, doesn't matter.

    ChrisDude on
    Chris Pennell Is A Huge Nerd - My blog. I talk about nerd-ish things a lot.
  • CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xagarath wrote: »
    PS2 games you almost certainly haven't played:
    Global Defence Force
    Like EDF on the 360, but better.
    Gregory Horror Show
    Inspiredly weird survival horror for children where everyone has giant square heads
    Kuri Kuri Mix
    Also known as Cookie and Cream in your strange Americaland. Platformer with two characters at once, whether you're playing single or co-op.
    The Red Star
    Pretty good 2D shooter/beat-em-up
    Transformers
    Also known as Transformers Armada. Nothing to do with the flim-licensed game, this is actually among the better giant robot games
    War of the Monsters
    Beat-em-up that does what the title says. Does it well, too.
    Maken Shao- Demon Sword
    Interestingly surreal slash-em-up
    Maximo Vs. Army of Zin
    Unlike its predecessor, this one got the difficulty right. Good mix of old-fashioned platforming and DMC-style combat
    Kuon
    Severely underrated and actually fairly decent survival horror

    Edit: and yes, some of these are your icons, but since they're not on the lists yet...
    Also, is ZOE2 really obscure?

    This is a perfect example of some good submissions. Thank you. And ZOE2 isn't that obscure, but I was finding relatively unknown titles to use for graphics, and it looked quite nice.
    Gyral wrote: »
    Motherfucker. Every time one of these topics comes up, my list of older games to buy doubles.

    That's the plan :D
    LewieP wrote: »
    Sly on PS3 is better than any of the Jak & Daxter or Ratchet and Clank games.

    You fail at life. And reading.
    Xagarath wrote: »
    I forgot about Steambot Chronicles
    PS2, again.

    Steambot Chronicles isn't really obscure. Not on PA.
    Figgy wrote: »
    Wait.. why the hell is the PC not included here? There are some fantastic obscure games for the PC, good sir.

    As people have said, there's no generations. This list is purely about good games that you might otherwise miss, for a good price. The PC causes problems in that regard.
    mausmalone wrote: »
    EDIT: Are we going to allow Dreamcast since it's kinda/sorta in the same generation as the PS2?

    I'm not allowing Dreamcast because it tends to be that the better obscure titles for it are much harder to find.
    Couscous wrote: »
    Breakdown is what I was thinking of. Good game despite suffering from shitting shooting.

    You need to bold your title.
    mausmalone wrote: »
    I think this thread will be bound for failure unless we ease up on the obscurity factor. Hidden gems are practically non-existent now that we have things like message boards where we talk about amazing games nobody's playing.

    What is the point of even keeping a list of games if they're not particularly obscure and everyone already knows about them? This thread isn't bound for failure just yet, and we're not easing up just so people can impress everyone else with the amount of game titles they can regurgitate.

    Centipeed on
  • mr_ekimmr_ekim Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Xbox - Metal Wolf Chaos

    It's a fan favorite around here due to its awesomeness, but I'm not sure everyone has played it due to its Japan-onry status

    mr_ekim on
    steam_sig.pngmrekim.phpmrekim.php
  • mausmalonemausmalone Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Centipeed wrote: »
    mausmalone wrote: »
    I think this thread will be bound for failure unless we ease up on the obscurity factor. Hidden gems are practically non-existent now that we have things like message boards where we talk about amazing games nobody's playing.

    What is the point of even keeping a list of games if they're not particularly obscure and everyone already knows about them? This thread isn't bound for failure just yet, and we're not easing up just so people can impress everyone else with the amount of game titles they can regurgitate.

    I see where you're coming from ... building just a list of good games from the last gen is a pointless endeavor that could go on for days.

    I'm gonna try to see what I can come up with, but nothing feels obscure or good enough. Usually when something's been forgotten it's been forgotten for a reason. Like Herdy Gerdy ... a cute game with loads of charm that ended up being way less fun than it seemed and was marred by terrible loading times.

    mausmalone on
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This discussion has been closed.