I figure we've all done lists before of favorite games, best games, etc etc etc...
Usually I don't put much thought into any of them because they're fairly straightforward. Instead, I'm going to try to offer up games that I enjoyed that aren't as well known or very popular. I'll have just a couple listed now, but maybe if I'm bored I'll add more later. These will range from NES to any modern game.
1: River City Ransom - NES
This is a straight forward game. It's for 1 or 2 players and extremely easy to pick up and play. Your girlfriend is kidnapped by a gang and it's your job to get her back. This means making it through sections of the city and kicking the crap out of hundreds of people along the way. Enemies drop a little money which can be used to buy food/drinks to raise your HP back up or techniques to increase your various attacks. This game simply has a certain level of charm that makes it fun. I can't peg down what makes it fun, but if you can link up with somebody else to play online w/ an NES emulator, it's worth a shot and a few minutes to see if you like it.
2: Life Force (or Gradius) - NES
I wont give you a big synapse here. These are simply 2D space shooters done right. Neither is easy but both are gems of the NES library.
3: Conker's Bad Fur Day - N64
I still remember the day I bought this game. My brother and I were looking for a game to rent and happened to see the box sitting on the shelf and decided to pick it up. We took it home, and after only a few hours of playing we ended up returning the game and buying a copy. It's that good. It's foul and hilarious. It parody's movies properly and leaves you with a smile. I don't know how many hours my friends and I wasted playing the multiplayer, but it surely was a lot. Specifically, The Beach level is a case of 2 people defending against multiple people attempting to sneak past them. I don't know why it works so well, but it hits all of the right chords and provides for a great multiplayer experience.
4: Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1
I usually avoid offering up RPGs on lists like these, but this one is a little bit more rare. I'll say one thing about the plot which makes me love it (despite its horrible translations virtually making the final chapter uninterpretable); you aren't a god. It's such a refreshing feeling in a game to not have the weight of the world on your shoulders. You might be doing important work, but you yourself, and your companions, are not the slayers of thousands and unkillable machines. On the contrary, it's actually fairly easy to get killed if you're not actually careful. To extrapolate on what I mean, it's just such a cliche to find yourself playing a main character who is the strongest thing in their universe by the end of the game, whether it's acknowledged or not. The combat system takes a little bit getting used to if you're never played a turn based game like it, but it simply works. The classes all very enough and there are enough unlockable characters and side missions to do that you can sink a lot of hours in the game. It's one of, if not the only, FF games I can think of where combat is the high point; not the low.
5: ICO - PS2
Just a masterpiece of game design. Everything about this game simply works. It's hard to really peg down what's so great about it, but it simply is. If you can't find a copy/dl anywhere, I believe the remake is out w/ updated graphics (but don't hold me to that, it might not've been released yet).
6: Bastion - PC
Most modern games don't really tickle my fancy the way old ones do, but Bastion is a rare exception. The game throws a twist at you almost immediately, the entire game is narrated. Actions you take might illicit a response from the narrator or simply advance the plot when its needed. It has the feel of Diablo, but with a much more diverse range of weapons instead of classes/spells. Each weapon feels unique. The art and music of the world are both fantastic. Play this game if you get a chance.
7: Deus Ex (the original) - PC
If you played the recent Deus Ex, this is the game it was basically modeled after (not the absolutely ****ty 2nd and 3rd installments). How you choose to tackle a level/mission is almost entirely up to you. You have a huge amount of freedom (within the limited environment you're provided) and the plot moves as a steady pace, allowing you to be interested in more than just the killing. It still plays fairly well, despite its age.
8: Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries - PC
Many people are familiar with later installments of the series, or even just Mechwarrior 2 (not mercenaries). While the graphics are obviously outdated and physics engine allows for very limited functionality in some regards, this game just feels right. Its music is fantastic and the additional story/information available to the player helps craft an interesting universe. To play this you'll have to fire up Dosbox, as modern OS's wont work with older versions, regardless of how you obtain the game.
9: Planescape: Torment - PC
I'll get one thing out of the way right now... I hate the combat engine of this game. It didn't age well and it wasn't that great of a system to begin with. However, I would argue that it might have the best story in any game created to this date.
10: Pikmin - Gamecube
A lot of Gamecube games get brushed over. Pikmin is an innovative puzzle game that puts you in control of Captain Olimar, who in turn controls the creatures known as Pikmin to fight enemies, solve puzzles, and help rebuild his ship to leave the world that he crash lands on. Good puzzle games are always rare, and Pikmin is both fun and interesting. Give 'er a shot. Hell, on the subject of underrated Gamecube games, I don't care what anybody says; Luigi's Mansion is a solid game.
Well, I had originally only intended to do a few, but figured rounding it to 10 would be fine. I could list a lot of great games, but I'm trying to aim for ones that might be less known to the modern players. Give some of these a shot if you have an emulator and some free time.
Usually I don't put much thought into any of them because they're fairly straightforward. Instead, I'm going to try to offer up games that I enjoyed that aren't as well known or very popular. I'll have just a couple listed now, but maybe if I'm bored I'll add more later. These will range from NES to any modern game.
1: River City Ransom - NES
This is a straight forward game. It's for 1 or 2 players and extremely easy to pick up and play. Your girlfriend is kidnapped by a gang and it's your job to get her back. This means making it through sections of the city and kicking the crap out of hundreds of people along the way. Enemies drop a little money which can be used to buy food/drinks to raise your HP back up or techniques to increase your various attacks. This game simply has a certain level of charm that makes it fun. I can't peg down what makes it fun, but if you can link up with somebody else to play online w/ an NES emulator, it's worth a shot and a few minutes to see if you like it.
2: Life Force (or Gradius) - NES
I wont give you a big synapse here. These are simply 2D space shooters done right. Neither is easy but both are gems of the NES library.
3: Conker's Bad Fur Day - N64
I still remember the day I bought this game. My brother and I were looking for a game to rent and happened to see the box sitting on the shelf and decided to pick it up. We took it home, and after only a few hours of playing we ended up returning the game and buying a copy. It's that good. It's foul and hilarious. It parody's movies properly and leaves you with a smile. I don't know how many hours my friends and I wasted playing the multiplayer, but it surely was a lot. Specifically, The Beach level is a case of 2 people defending against multiple people attempting to sneak past them. I don't know why it works so well, but it hits all of the right chords and provides for a great multiplayer experience.
4: Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1
I usually avoid offering up RPGs on lists like these, but this one is a little bit more rare. I'll say one thing about the plot which makes me love it (despite its horrible translations virtually making the final chapter uninterpretable); you aren't a god. It's such a refreshing feeling in a game to not have the weight of the world on your shoulders. You might be doing important work, but you yourself, and your companions, are not the slayers of thousands and unkillable machines. On the contrary, it's actually fairly easy to get killed if you're not actually careful. To extrapolate on what I mean, it's just such a cliche to find yourself playing a main character who is the strongest thing in their universe by the end of the game, whether it's acknowledged or not. The combat system takes a little bit getting used to if you're never played a turn based game like it, but it simply works. The classes all very enough and there are enough unlockable characters and side missions to do that you can sink a lot of hours in the game. It's one of, if not the only, FF games I can think of where combat is the high point; not the low.
5: ICO - PS2
Just a masterpiece of game design. Everything about this game simply works. It's hard to really peg down what's so great about it, but it simply is. If you can't find a copy/dl anywhere, I believe the remake is out w/ updated graphics (but don't hold me to that, it might not've been released yet).
6: Bastion - PC
Most modern games don't really tickle my fancy the way old ones do, but Bastion is a rare exception. The game throws a twist at you almost immediately, the entire game is narrated. Actions you take might illicit a response from the narrator or simply advance the plot when its needed. It has the feel of Diablo, but with a much more diverse range of weapons instead of classes/spells. Each weapon feels unique. The art and music of the world are both fantastic. Play this game if you get a chance.
7: Deus Ex (the original) - PC
If you played the recent Deus Ex, this is the game it was basically modeled after (not the absolutely ****ty 2nd and 3rd installments). How you choose to tackle a level/mission is almost entirely up to you. You have a huge amount of freedom (within the limited environment you're provided) and the plot moves as a steady pace, allowing you to be interested in more than just the killing. It still plays fairly well, despite its age.
8: Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries - PC
Many people are familiar with later installments of the series, or even just Mechwarrior 2 (not mercenaries). While the graphics are obviously outdated and physics engine allows for very limited functionality in some regards, this game just feels right. Its music is fantastic and the additional story/information available to the player helps craft an interesting universe. To play this you'll have to fire up Dosbox, as modern OS's wont work with older versions, regardless of how you obtain the game.
9: Planescape: Torment - PC
I'll get one thing out of the way right now... I hate the combat engine of this game. It didn't age well and it wasn't that great of a system to begin with. However, I would argue that it might have the best story in any game created to this date.
10: Pikmin - Gamecube
A lot of Gamecube games get brushed over. Pikmin is an innovative puzzle game that puts you in control of Captain Olimar, who in turn controls the creatures known as Pikmin to fight enemies, solve puzzles, and help rebuild his ship to leave the world that he crash lands on. Good puzzle games are always rare, and Pikmin is both fun and interesting. Give 'er a shot. Hell, on the subject of underrated Gamecube games, I don't care what anybody says; Luigi's Mansion is a solid game.
Well, I had originally only intended to do a few, but figured rounding it to 10 would be fine. I could list a lot of great games, but I'm trying to aim for ones that might be less known to the modern players. Give some of these a shot if you have an emulator and some free time.
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