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[Noilly Prat]

 All right, here's the idea: we share (and probably discuss) some of our favorite underrated or underappreciated videogames.  I'm talking games of any generation, new or old, and for any platform.

We probably all have at least a couple of games that come to mind for whatever reason.  Maybe because only five other people besides us bought them.  Maybe because they were critically panned (undeservingly, of course).  Maybe because they were almost immediately forgotten, or because they've been saddled with a poor reputation.  I would say games with a smallish cult following are okay, but widely regarded "cult classics" should probably be disqualified.  Big commercial successes and hugely hyped games are also a no-go, unless they are almost universally considered to be great disappointments.  You get the idea.  (If a game's "underrated" status is debatable, go ahead and make your case.)

Here's one to start with: Castlevania for the Nintendo 64.  Yeah, that's right... I went there.

Unless I'm mistaken, this one got pretty good reviews from EGM and Gamespot when it came out, but for some reason has since become a black sheep of the series.  It is treated as an example for what new games in the series (or any other long-running, beloved game series) should not be.  Even Konami seems to accept that Castlevania 64's reputation is deserved.  It's not.

The 3D platforming stuff is done better than a lot of games of its era, and the whip-cracking action stuff didn't do a half bad job translating the feel of the old games to 3D.  Even more heretically, I think that its story and characters are better than those of any of the recent, much fawned-over handheld Castlevania games.

Altogether, still one of my favorite Nintendo 64 games, and one of my favorite videogame underdogs.

Next?

[Caozen]

This game was so underrated for such a terribly addicting game, there are no words to describe. Of course, this is just nostalgia speaking as I've no copy anymore and haven't for years.

[Giantevilhead]

Planescape: Torment
Wizardry series
Might and Magic series
Heroes of Might and Magic series
Legacy of Kain series

Modifié par Giantevilhead, 26 février 2010 - 06:24 .

[Fexelea]

Indigo Phrophecy on the xbox



Demon Stone was actually a lot of fun on the 360 in 2006.



And Demon's Souls deserved AAA sales.

[Twitchmonkey]

Jet Grind Radio and Jet Set Radio Future.



Those games are just incredibly fun to play, but they never really found much of a following.

[AntiChri5]

Fexelea wrote...

Indigo Phrophecy on the xbox

Demon Stone was actually a lot of fun on the 360 in 2006.

And Demon's Souls deserved AAA sales.

Demon Stone was on the original Xbox wasnt it?

[drunken pyromaniac]

Morrowind

[Twitchmonkey]

drunken pyromaniac wrote...

Morrowind

Yes, Oblivion got plenty of notice, so the series isn't exactly obscure, but Morrowind is certainly a great experience if you like that sort of gameplay. Daggerfall is considered to be even better by some, but I've never spent much time playing it. Arena is just a bit too old and stereotypical fantasy for my liking. Then there is Battlespire and Redguard, but those aren't really legitimate parts of the series and aren't given much consideration. There are also cell phone games and the like, I'm sure they're fine.

Indeed.

[Fexelea]

AntiChri5 wrote...

Fexelea wrote...

Indigo Phrophecy on the xbox

Demon Stone was actually a lot of fun on the 360 in 2006.

And Demon's Souls deserved AAA sales.

Demon Stone was on the original Xbox wasnt it?

You are right. I think I played it on the 360, but it was a ps2 - xbox game.

[AntiChri5]

Fexelea wrote...

AntiChri5 wrote...

Fexelea wrote...

Indigo Phrophecy on the xbox

Demon Stone was actually a lot of fun on the 360 in 2006.

And Demon's Souls deserved AAA sales.

Demon Stone was on the original Xbox wasnt it?

You are right. I think I played it on the 360, but it was a ps2 - xbox game.

Yeah my copu (Xbox) works fine on my 360 as well.

[Fexelea]

It was a fun game, I was surprised at how much I liked it.

[drunken pyromaniac]

Twitchmonkey wrote...

drunken pyromaniac wrote...

Morrowind

Yes, Oblivion got plenty of notice, so the series isn't exactly obscure, but Morrowind is certainly a great experience if you like that sort of gameplay. Daggerfall is considered to be even better by some, but I've never spent much time playing it. Arena is just a bit too old and stereotypical fantasy for my liking. Then there is Battlespire and Redguard, but those aren't really legitimate parts of the series and aren't given much consideration. There are also cell phone games and the like, I'm sure they're fine.

Indeed.

 Yeah, I agree with you, Morrowind just has something special. I still occasionally get the urge to call someone a n'wah or s'wit.

[Twitchmonkey]

drunken pyromaniac wrote...
 Yeah, I agree with you, Morrowind just has something special. I still occasionally get the urge to call someone a n'wah or s'wit.

They're watching you, n'wah. They're always watching you.

[Mordaedil]

I don't think any of those games are that underrated.

I'll vote X-COM: Terror From The Deep as my candidate. It got a lot of bad press, but it's quite enjoyable.

[Twitchmonkey]

Mordaedil wrote...

I don't think any of those games are that underrated.

I'll vote X-COM: Terror From The Deep as my candidate. It got a lot of bad press, but it's quite enjoyable.

I think a better word for most is underappreciated. The gaming press may have give nmost of these games good scores, but they were largely ignored by the public, some more than others.

[Fexelea]

Lord of the Rings Conquest got a 2 from Edge magazine. Yes a 2!!!



The game was actually lots of fun in multiplayer.

[Noilly Prat]

 Here's another: Breakdown, on the Xbox.

It's unfortunate we'll never see a sequel to this, because not only is it one of the few games out there with a blatantly sequel-baiting ending that actually made me want to play a sequel, it is a game that could really be served well by a sequel. I say this because it has a really enjoyable story and novel gameplay and presentation ideas that could have made for an awesome game, but it's just too bogged down in unforgivable flaws to be the game it ought to have been.

As it stands, Breakdown veers wildly between awesome and sucky. I absolutely think it's underappreciated, but I can't quite call it a great game.

[fanman72]

Sacrifice - an action RTS that came out around 2000 for the PC

Age of Wonders II - turn based fantasy RTS

Myth I & II - Yet ANOTHER RTS. (See a pattern here?). Myth was probably the best RTS i've ever played, and had some of the best writing and narration of its time. Very dark, very medieval. Far ahead of its time.

[Twitchmonkey]

Noilly Prat wrote...

 Here's another: Breakdown, on the Xbox.

It's unfortunate we'll never see a sequel to this, because not only is it one of the few games out there with a blatantly sequel-baiting ending that actually made me want to play a sequel, it is a game that could really be served well by a sequel. I say this because it has a really enjoyable story and novel gameplay and presentation ideas that could have made for an awesome game, but it's just too bogged down in unforgivable flaws to be the game it ought to have been.

As it stands, Breakdown veers wildly between awesome and sucky. I absolutely think it's underappreciated, but I can't quite call it a great game.

Yeah that was a cool game in terms of innovation. We've seen a bit more of that sort of gameplay since then, but at the time, developed hand-to-hand first-person fighting mechanics were something new.

[Timey254]

Okami (Wii/PS2)



It had pretty good ratings, but due to it's style it didn't get the audience it deserved, that's why the developer had to close T_T



Personally this game is one of my all time favourite, humorous, extreeeem long plot, great gameplay. Better than Zelda: TP!!!

[Seagloom]

Fade to Black

It was the sequel to Flashback. Much maligned for its clunky gameplay and subpar graphics, I actually enjoyed it a great deal and managed to complete it. It was more story centric than Flashback but lacked its predecessor's personality. Still, I enjoyed adventuring with Conrad and outwitting wily green aliens again.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates

The sequel to a PC game that for some reason released exclusively on PS2. Its gameplay lacked fludity but was varied and carried on the neat concepts of its predecessor. Namely, riding a dragon and nuking stuff, and making it fun whereas all the modern games that tried this so far fail spectacularly. It also had multiple melee weapons with defined strength and weaknesses, archery, and magic. The latter was admittedly overpowered though. This game came and went with little fanfare.

Legend of Oasis

A prequel to the Sega Genesis game, Beyond Oasis. If memory serves, it received good reviews but was relatively unknown partially for being on the Sega Saturn, but also because of poor marketing. The game was a Legend of Zelda-like adventure in which you controlled a pantaloon wearing swordsman sent on a quest by his mentor to bind with six elemental spirits and become the new spirit shaman of their lands before it declined. The animation was breathtaking for its day. This game had some of the most fluid 2D I've ever seen, and the ambient music set the mood perfectly. Gameplay was very similar to Zelda, with exploring dungeons, finding items, and solving puzzles all broken up by the occasional enemy to defeat.

In response to the OP, I enjoyed Castlevania 64 as well. In my opinion the latter PS2 Castlevania games were much worse and had less of the series' spirit. Although I will admit I preferred playing as Carrie over Reinhardt. Her story path was a bit more interesting.

Modifié par Seagloom, 03 mars 2010 - 02:15 .

[Mordaedil]

Twitchmonkey wrote...

Mordaedil wrote...

I don't think any of those games are that underrated.

I'll vote X-COM: Terror From The Deep as my candidate. It got a lot of bad press, but it's quite enjoyable.

I think a better word for most is underappreciated. The gaming press may have give nmost of these games good scores, but they were largely ignored by the public, some more than others.

This makes for a fair point. I approve.

[jasonirma]

World of Goo--this was a genious title that many hardcore gamers overlooked despite incredibly positive press. I found this to be a fantastic hit and loved it a lot.



Spore Galactic Adventures--go ahead and boo now, I know, I know. That said, while Spore didn't invent any fantastically new gaming ideas, the user-created content is absolutely exceptional. I have never seen such awesome creativity from a community ever. If you relied on the reviewers' interpretation of Spore, you're going to miss the key: people make amazing stuff for this game. As a father, it's one of the few games I let my kids play anytime they want because it's the most amazing sandbox I've ever seen. Definitely underappreciated.



Sins of a Solar Empire--another RTS. Best balance I've ever seen in an RTS. Fantastically different factions with a superimposed pirate faction that screws up even the best laid plans. Great graphics, terrific stability, perfect gameplay. If you're an RTS fan, missing SOSE is a mistake. I find it much better than the Starcraft series, personally.

[Beerfish]

Boulderdash - Just a very very fun and addictive game.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder_Dash

Tron: Deadly Discs - Old intellivision game but lots of fun and addictive.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron:_Deadly_Discs