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[Rich!]

So, as the title says - games that slipped under the radar for most people, but you can personally vouch as being a joy to play. Basically a thread where TLOU is not going to be mentioned. Or Zelda. Or GTAV. Please make an effort to actually sell us on the game - no one wants to see a list with no goddamn explanations. Write your posts with the following format:

1. What is it? 
2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
3. Why should we play it?

My choice:

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension ("Shake-It!" in USA)

1. What is it?

Created by Good-Feel (Kirby's Epic Yarn), Wario Land: Shake Dimension was released in 2008 for the Wii. It's the successor to Wario Land 4 and expands on the platforming gameplay in the Wario Land series.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It was released to very little fanfare, and a lot of people I've talked to (including on GAF) are unaware it even exists. As a entry in a series as well renowned as Wario Land, it's slightly shocking.

3. Why should we play it?

Firstly, it's absolutely beautiful:

Drawn and animated by hand with cutscenes by anime studio Production IG, the game is like a living cartoon. Literally every single aspect of the game is full of life, and it's one of the best looking games (artistically) that I've played through the entire gen. Not being in true 16:9 is a bummer, but when the game looks this good it's not an issue.

The gameplay itself is refined Wario Land. It's just great platforming - and if you take the time to explore the world and unlock the secrets it's quite tough and definitely rewarding too.

 

[kazebyaka]

1. What is it?

An adventure-puzzle game for Wii from Capcom.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Released under radar, nobody bought it, sequel is canned.

3. Why should we play it?

Because it's awesome and full of humor and charm. It's also looks great and plays great, except for some motion gimmicks.

 

[bobbytkc]

Tearaway of course. It sold so few copies it is sold for 17.99 mere weeks after its release.

What is it?

An adventure/platformer designed for the vita.

Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because it is on the Vita, and it belongs to a genre that is difficult to break into. It is also a completely new IP.

Why should we play it?

It looks amazing, plays amazing, and is innovative.

 

[Rich!]

Tearaway of course. It sold so few copies it is sold for 17.99 mere weeks after its release.

I don't know why I bothered with the OP.



edit: hooray, thank you

 

[McBradders]

I don't know why I bothered with the OP.

Because it's beautiful, man.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Was just talking about it in another thread but i'm going to go with Pandoras Tower.
Basically being the last wii game to come out it's pretty much been skipped over. Hardly anyone even seems to talk about. Regardless it's an exceptional game that I hope gets more love as the years progress. Especially thanks to WiiU backwards compatibility and Dolphin Emulation.

EDIT: For the sake of the thread i'll put it in the OP's format
1. What is it?
An Action/Adventure game with darker themes than is usually associated with nintendo. Coupled with a time element making the gameplay all the more challenging and fun.


2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
-It came out pretty much after the Wii was already considered dead by most. Thus it seems not a lot of people wanted to bother giving it a chance.


3. Why should we play it?
-Easily one of the best titles on the wii that really has no counterpart on any system.

 

[Ventilaator]

I don't know why I bothered with the OP.

Honestly, I read the "Write your answers in this format:" part and laughed out loud. Incredible optimism.

 

[PirateKing]

1. What is it?

An Action Hack & Slash RPG made by Cavia (Their last game *tears*)

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Released on the same week as Final Fantasy XIII and was ignored by Square Enix with small budget but the entire game feels like a mix of risky experiments not seen in other games

3. Why should we play it?

It has some of the best soundstrack of all time. The story is one of the most depressing stories ever. The characters are all lovable with amazing dialog exchange between them. Drakengard's sequel (in a way). GOTTA RIDE THAT BOAR ALL DAY EVERYDAY!

 

[Sarobi]

Tearaway of course. It sold so few copies it is sold for 17.99 mere weeks after its release.

What is it?

An adventure/platformer designed for the vita.

Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because it is on the Vita, and it belongs to a genre that is difficult to break into. It is also a completely new IP.

Why should we play it?

It looks amazing, plays amazing, and is innovative.

Damn you for bringing up Tearaway...damn you

 

[Canis lupus]

What is it?

Japanese action adventure for badasses

Why do you feel it is underrated?

It didnt sell and therefore Sega dont want to localize Yakuza 5

Why should we play it?

Fun gameplay, great characters, story, soundtrack, life lessons to be learned from, soundtrack,

 

[hohoXD123]

I'm guessing Puppeteer will count.

1. Platformer developed by SCE Japan Studio
2. Sales were pretty terrible, probably partly due to lack of marketing
3. Presentation is amazing. It's charming as hell. Solid platformer. Overall, just a very enjoyable game.

 

[Blearth]

1. What is it?

An adventure-puzzle game for Wii from Capcom.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Released under radar, nobody bought it, sequel is canned.

3. Why should we play it?

Because it's awesome and full of humor and charm. It's also looks great and plays great, except for some motion gimmicks.

I bought it full price. Couldn't stand the ultra-kawaii graphics and quit playing after the third puzzle or so.

 

[Wensih]

I have multiple games I could mention.... Little King Story (Wii), Lost in Shadow (Wii), Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS), but I think the one I want to sell you on is Botanicula:

1. What is it?

A point and click adventure game from the people who brought you Machinarium.

2. Why do you feel it's underrated?

Nobody tends to mention it in Indie Recommendation threads which is criminal.

3. Why should we play it?

It's extremely charming. It's beatuiful. It has wonderful music. It's a short game (approx. 2 hours) that's almost always on sale during the steam sales. Right now it's $3.49. It just puts smile on my face.

 

[2+2=5]

Final Fantasy Type 0

1. What is it?
The best Final Fantasy of the gen(well looking at the other FF games it's not saying much, but it's really good)

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It's not underrated, it's not localized

3. Why should we play it?
because... it's the best Final fantasy of the gen lol
If you need more motivations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj34PPN6RHY

 

[The Hermit]

I bought it full price. Couldn't stand the ultra-kawaii graphics and quit playing after the third puzzle or so.

The ultra-kawaii sound almost made me quit... Thank god I didn't.

But I think the "wacky-jappy" (as drinkycrow refered to it) feel was the main reason few people played it.

My pick would be Little King Story

1- its a RTS very similar to pikmin, yet each character are unique and can change classes, marry and even have kids.

2 - it launched on the Wii. The artstyle was gorgeous but it had thay "kiddy" look, even though the story and gameplay was actually way darker.
There is a remake... that changed the artstyle to anime on the Vita(!).

3 - amazing gameplay. The music is based on diferent takes on famous classical musics. The story and overall message was beautiful.

 

[Wasp]

De Blob 2

1. What is it?
It's a super colourful 3D platform game. Remember them?

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Its developer Blue Tongue closed down shortly after it was released.

3. Why should we play it?
It's now less than £5 on UK PS store.

 

[Ogawa-san]

Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity

1. What is it?
It's an (action?) RPG from tri-Ace for PS360.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Not much underrated, more like hardly anyone played thanks to being a new IP coming out a week after FFXIII, also within a week from God of War 3, a new Battlefield, a new Pokémon... It didn't have a chance.

3. Why should we play it?
It has believable/likable characters (as believable as you can have in a jRPG, that is) and one of the damn finest combat systems in any RPG, ever. Also, you can make a gun with a dozen barrels if you want.

 

[Foaloal]

I didn't even know there was a cool Warioland game like that on the Wii. I'm thinking about looking for a copy.

I would write some entry, but all the games that come to mind seem popular enough on GAF.

I was thinking of Catherine, Cave Story+, Don't Starve, Proteus, or maybe Orcs Must Die!, but I don't feel like any of these were really ignored, at least not here on GAF.

Hmm...maybe McPixel? But that wasn't really that good...

This is too tough for me. If I think of something I'll be back.

 

[DracoBlade]

1. What is it?

An Action Hack & Slash RPG made by Cavia (Their last game *tears*)

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Released on the same week as Final Fantasy XIII and was ignored by Square Enix with small budget but the entire game feels like a mix of risky experiments not seen in other games

3. Why should we play it?

It has some of the best soundstrack of all time. The story is one of the most depressing stories ever. The characters are all lovable with amazing dialog exchange between them. Drakengard's sequel (in a way). GOTTA RIDE THAT BOAR ALL DAY EVERYDAY!

Damn, expected this to be posted but not within the first 5 mins! Good job representin! Everyone should play this gem!

Spoiler

Lol everyone on GAF is gonna be way to hyped for this game at this point!

 

[wildfire]

1. What is it?

Pixel Dungeon

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It's a mobile game.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.watabou.pixeldungeon&hl=en

It only has 100k-500k downloads while other games like Reaper [1mil-5mil], Osmos [paid 500k-1mil] [free 1mil-5mil], or Terraria [free 1mil-5mil] [paid 50k-100k] have had more exposure.

3. Why should we play it?

It is a very challenging game and one of the best suited games to be played on a phone. The various classes not only offer unique challenges but the dungeons are tuned to match their playstyle. You will rage hard at the unfairness of the game like constantly randomizing how items (except for weapons and armor) work but with time you develop the skill to cope with this. The only class that I believe is too luck reliant is the Amazon.

It's a solid enough game that I was willing to donate money towards.

 

[jett]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

1. What is it?

The best Double Dragon game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because dipshits such as an IGN reviewer gave it a 3.0.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best Double Dragon game ever made. Tight controls, fun gameplay systems, totally badass soundtrack.

 

[Sojgat]

1. What is it?

Created by Starbreeze Studios (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons) Syndicate was released in 2012 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is a reboot of Bullfrog Productions Syndicate (1993) reimagined as a first-person shooter.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

At the time of it's announcement, and up until it's release, the game was widely derided due to EA's decision to change the beloved franchise's genre from an Isometric RTT to a FPS.

3. Why should we play it?

It is without a doubt the greatest co-op FPS ever made, similar in style to the Left 4 Dead games. It also has a solid SP campaign. Both modes empower the player with a unique set of upgrades and abilities, and an assortment of firearms which give rise to the best gunplay I've ever experienced in a shooter. Yes, even better than F.E.A.R.. If you don't believe me, go play it.

Quite frankly, it's the GOTG.

Note: I'm not sure how much luck anybody will have getting into a co-op game on the consoles.

 

[CecilRousso]

Gray Matter

1. What is it?
A classic point&click adventure game by Jane Jensen, creator of Gabriel Knight. Available for Windows and XBOX360.

Plot summary from metacritic: " Gray Matter is the first adventure game by renowned author Jane Jensen since the release of Gabriel Knight 3: the story mixes eerie goings-on with supernatural events in best Jensen-style. Neurobiologist Dr. David Styles is one of the game's central characters: since losing his wife in a horrible accident some several years ago, he has become a recluse, seldom leaving Dread Hill House, his English country estate. "

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Lack of marketing and a troubled development and release meant that many missed that it was even released. It's very rarely talked about in gaming forums, few game journalists talks about it.

3. Why should we play it?

It's probably the closest thing to a classic Sierra adventure game we've had since Sierra closed. The 3d models are hardly the best ones, but it has great sceneries and nice comic book cutscenes, along with a fantastic soundtrack from Robert Holmes who did the music for the Gabriel Knight games. While the plot doesn't hold up at all times, it's still a very interesting one, that's told in a good pace, with good cliff hangers for each chapters. The puzzles are very old school and fun, and they come with som nice helpful features. The game set goals for each chapters for what you're supposed to achieve, and it tells if you're done with a location.

I would probably put it in my top 10 list for the genre if I had to do such a list.

Anyone looking for recent old school point&click adventures, with actual puzzles, should buy this one, and play at least two chapters of it.

 

[Mman235]

With all the bomba sales and sequel announcement I'm not sure this counts now, but given it was considered a failure by EA it's hard to tell.

Mirror's Edge

1. What is it?

An Action/Adventure by DICE focused heavily on skill-based platforming.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It's structured in a pretty old-school way in that the first playthrough is essentially an extended tutorial and the real game starts when you get into the Time Trials, Speedruns and general replays. Most reviewers (and players for that matter) just blew through the game in 5-7 hours and then rated it based on that, which led to misconceptions like it having lots of forced combat (when only a very small set of encounters are non-optional) and "linear platforming" (while the overall route is linear several of the platforming sequences have many ways to get through them once you learn more advanced movements). The game also backloads a couple of terrible levels/sequences (chapters 7 and 9) at the end which leaves a bad final impression initially.

3. Why should we play it?

At this point it's pretty much the only modern AAA Action/Adventure that isn't focused on shootbang and autoplatforming. It has a large skill curve and tons of depth in it's platforming. Plus it has a beautiful artstyle.

 

[LevityNYC]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

1. What is it?

The best Double Dragon game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because dipshits such as an IGN reviewer gave it a 3.0.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best Double Dragon game ever made. Tight controls, fun gameplay systems, totally badass soundtrack.

Ugh...i hated this game.

I got it for free and i still feel ripped off.

sounds about the right score.

 

[PirateKing]

Damn, expected this to be posted but not within the first 5 mins! Good job representin! Everyone should play this gem!

Spoiler

Lol everyone on GAF is gonna be way to hyped for this game at this point!

I think everyone should watch this video then go and buy it.

 

[Sojgat]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

1. What is it?

The best Double Dragon game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because dipshits such as an IGN reviewer gave it a 3.0.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best Double Dragon game ever made. Tight controls, fun gameplay systems, totally badass soundtrack.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

1. What is it?

The best Double Dragon game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because dipshits such as an IGN reviewer gave it a 3.0.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best Double Dragon game ever made. Tight controls, fun gameplay systems, totally badass soundtrack.

I got this game free on PS Plus and I very much approve of this post. I played this around the same time I played Scott Pilgrim and you know what? I had more fun with Double Dragon Neon. There I said it. Double Dragon Neon was great and criminally underrated.

 

[Currygan]

damn, my first choice would have been Zack&Wiki, so let's change this a little

1. What is it?

Disaster: Day of Crisis, action-adventure never released in the US. Still, sales were abysmal, wth less than 100k between Japan and EU


2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

because they put insane effort on it


3. Why should we play it?

DDOC is a fantastic game with a lenghty campaign, brilliant variety and excellent use of the wiimote. Graphics really stink, a HD remake would do wonders because the set pieces are pure spectacle

 

[Shinta]

1. What is it?

The best survival horror game of this gen so far ... only minus any of the horror, and instead filled with light hearted jokes and cuteness.

Still though, if you manage to get over that, the essence of the genre is represented here in an absolutely brilliant game. You are exploring 5 mansions in depth with your flashlight, looking in every room for secrets, with tons of backtracking, puzzles, and clever secrets scattered around. The game is gorgeous also, and the 3D is used really well.

The main thing about the game that stands out is just how polished nearly every aspect of it is. The boss fights are some of the best I've played in a game ever, not due to difficulty, but just the level of polish and creativity on display. The same can be said for most of the game.

Read the Iwata Asks interview about the development for this game. They spent over 2 years polishing it, and redoing various aspects, under supervision from Miyamoto, and it really shows.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It's been overshadowed by Link Between Worlds. In reality, it's right up there with it in terms of quality, originality, creativity, and polish. This is why they made the Year of Luigi. It's a clear contender for GOTY for 2013, but no one ever mentions it.

3. Why should we play it?

If you enjoy slow, methodical exploration of spooky mansions, puzzles, and extremely polished, creative gameplay design then this is the game for you.

 

[Toad.T]

Little King's Story:

1. A RTS mixed in with elements of city building and action. Essentially, a better Pikmin.
2. Kiddy looking cover for a title released on a "kiddy" console. Yet, it's rated T, so no kid would accidently pick it up. A misfit among misfits.
3. Great gameplay, charming artstyle, moody music, memorable characters and a story that actually goes places you wouldn't think it would.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

1. What is it?

An arcade style FPS

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Due to the juvenile humor "dick tits" and shitty marketing it was criminally overlooked.

3. Why should we play it?

Gameplay was an absolute blast with a fun score-chase upgrade mechanic. It's a beautiful game with a surprisingly decent narrative and on top of it all one of the best SP campaign's this gen.

 

[Khaz]

Assuming 3DS is next-gen, I'll take one on DS.

Jason Rohrer with music by Tom Bailey: Diamond Trust of London

1. What is it?

An indie game for DS that virtually no one has played. It's basically a board game, but the kind that can't be done on a real board. The goal is to move your pawns where the opponent isn't in order to collect diamonds, and if you are both on a sector bet more than him to collect the totality of it. Moves and bets are made secretly and simultaneously so you need to guess what your opponent will do. The trick is you can spy to know the planned moves of your opponent and react to being spied by modifying your plans. With bets, the "winner takes all" mechanics encourages risky/safe behaviours and spying adds a lot to the tension. You can also bribe the NPC to go in a sector of your liking: if you are in the same sector, he will take all the diamonds you have in your pockets.

You are a merchant operating for the Diamond Trust of London, illegally trading for Blood diamonds in Angola a year prior the Kimberley Process is put into action to regulate diamond business. You have one year to collect as much diamonds as you can by sending three mercenaries in the country. You are competing with an Antwerp based company which you'll have to outbid if you want to acquire diamonds. Also here is a UN inspector trying to regulate the market, who will seize any diamond he can find and block any trading in the sector he is in. Luckily you can bribe him to block your opponent. But was your bribe higher than your opponent's?

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

No one played it. Because it had a confidential release on cartridge exclusively, sold on the creator website only, not many people has had the chance of playing it. I feel it would have a great success if it was remade for the 3DS and given online play.

3. Why should we play it?

Because it's an excellent two-player board game, the kind that can't be done on a real board. The strategies and deceptions needed in this game makes you want to play one more game so that you can show your opponent you're the most sneaky of the two.

If anything, you'd be supporting an indie creator who went out of his way to create a physical release of his game on a Nintendo cartridge-based console. And was successful.

You can buy it there: http://diamondtrustgame.com/

A very complete article about how the game was made has been put on polygon: http://www.polygon.com/2012/11/14/3...-three-years-two-publishers-and-a-garage-full

 

[wildfire]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

I keep forgetting about this game. I remember seeing a promo for this during EVO and I liked where they went with this beat em up.

1. What is it?

The best survival horror game of this gen so far ... only minus any of the horror, and instead filled with light hearted jokes and cuteness.

Still though, if you manage to get over that, the essence of the genre is represented here in an absolutely brilliant game. You are exploring 5 mansions in depth with your flashlight, looking in every room for secrets, with tons of backtracking, puzzles, and clever secrets scattered around. The game is gorgeous also, and the 3D is used really well.

I don't see how Luigi's Mansion is underrated. So many publications nominate this in their 3DS game of the year. The I got it for my nephew because of how much Gametrailers was gushing over it and he loves it. Meh.

De Blob 2



1. What is it?
It's a super colourful 3D platform game. Remember them?

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Its developer Blue Tongue closed down shortly after it was released.

3. Why should we play it?
It's now less than £5 on UK PS store.

Alright I'll bite in this one.

How is the co-op gameplay?

Didn't you think the story in deBlob 2 was a step back from the first game?

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

I've played most of these games.

I am no one.

 

[Bill Rizer]

1. What is it?

Probably the best Contra game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

No one really cares for hard true credit-based arcades anymore. Graphic style is also a departure from classic Contra.

3. Why should we play it?

Gameplay is top. It's the last (and best) of his genre. You might not have another chance to play such a good game in this vein.

 

[cj_iwakura]

(3DS)

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

1. What is it?
An updated version of Cozy Okada's classic 90s cyberpunk JRPG.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Everyone always puts SMT IV on their GOTY lists, with good reason. but this is the real gem.

3. Why should we play it?
Soul Hackers spins a great story of post-modern dystopian cyberpunk. It has a varied cast of villains and NPCs, each with great voices, and an amazing OST done by Atlus' finest: Kenichi Tsuchiya, Shoji Meguro, and Toshiko Tasaki. As a bonus, you get Kazuma Kaneko characters and demons, as it should be, not SMTIV's mash-up of anime and Kamen Rider.

Although the gameplay and dungeons are pure old-school SMT style(male attack-only protagonist, female magic-using protagonist, four demons who are static and never gain levels), it is far more balanced than SMT IV.

Rather than starting out absurdly difficult and getting ridiculously easy, Soul Hackers starts out slow and gradually ramps up the difficulty to an appropriately challenging but not frustrating final boss.

 

[Wasp]

How is the co-op gameplay?

The story mode can be played in co-op but player 2 just controls a reticule very similarly to Mario Galaxy or Puppeteer. They can pick up paint from far away and defeat enemies for you which is mildly helpful. It's alight for a young child to play and they are happy with minimal interactivity.

The competitive party modes are better. These are played in splitscreen and I there's about 6 purpose-built levels that you have to unlock. You are given objectives such as colour in the most objects in a time limit.

Didn't you think the story in deBlob 2 was a step back from the first game?

Never played the original game so I can't compare. But the story is alright in this. Each level starts with a CGI cartoon which is pretty funny and very well rendered. It's alright but not the type of game you play for the story.

 

[rjc571]

Marble Saga Kororinpa

What is it? A ball-rolling maze game where you have to collect orange crystals and reach the goal of each stage by tilting the stage with the Wiimote.

Why should you play it? It features the most flawless controls of any game of its type - the stage tilts in a perfect 1-1 accordance with your arm. The simple, natural, flawlessly executed control scheme makes negotiating tight turns and hazardous obstacles a breeze. Not only that, but the level designers really flexed their muscles in this sequel to the first Kororinpa (which you should also play), with hundreds of unique stages filled with devious layouts featuring mechanics such as rolling on walls, firing out of cannons, reversing gravity, and turning entire stages upside down, in addition to traditional platforming obstacles such as spikes, moving platforms, varying types of terrain, and more. Each stage also features hidden items such as green crystals to unlock bonus stages, and "junk" items that open up the game's extensive level editor. But the time trials are what really adds to the game's replay value, as you can spend dozens of hours looking for ways to shave seconds off of your times in an attempt to collect all of the game's platinum trophies.

Why is it underrated? As a low-budget release for the Wii, it had a hard time standing out from the mountains of shovelware titles that were released early i the system's life. The original Kororinpa did manage to pick up somewhat of a cult following, but Marble Saga didn't do itself any favors with fans of the first game - it changed the physics, presumably in an attempt to dumb down the game to make it more casual-friendly, but this change ended up making the slower marbles that you have access to early in the game feel like they were rolling in molasses. Thankfully, after suffering through a handul of stages (or by putting in a cheat code at the start of the game), you unlock faster marbles that are a joy to control and let you experience the game in all of its glory.

 

[NR1]

1. What is it?

The unofficial/official 3rd film in the Ghostbusters trilogy. The game takes place Thanksgiving 1991, two years after Ghostbusters II and seven after the original Ghostbusters. Players take control of the non-speaking 5th Ghostbuster recruit hired to test new equipment and possibly take ownership of the newest franchise location outside of New York City for the growing Paranormal Investigation and Elimination team.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Like most film-licensed video games, this one was completely overlooked or ignored, because people were expecting another cash grab from the movie studios and game developers by putting out a crappy game that would sell on brand recognition alone. This couldn't be further from the truth. You can tell that this was a labor of love project from the developers. They even made 2 completely different versions of the game to appeal to audience of the PS3/360 (Terminal Reality) and PS2/Wii (Red Fly) without sacrificing graphical performance due to hardware limitations. The game has a few bugs and graphical glitches here and there, but the game is solid.

3. Why should we play it?

The game is about as close as we will ever get to a "true" Ghostbusters 3 starring the original cast.

 

[Mecha]

Because I guess this is my job by now:

Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes (Wii/PS3)

1. What is it?

A hack n' slash in the vein of Dynasty Warriors by Capcom.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Nobody in the west played it because it's a hack n' slash in the vein of Dynasty Warriors. People either assumed it was just like Dynasty Warriors, or that Dynasty Warriors was better.

3. Why should we play it?

Like I said above, the series has a similar vibe to Dynasty Warriors but here's what's better, and different:

Maps are smaller and contained, rather than large battlefields. Some might enjoy the battlefields in DW, but I personally hate getting on a horse and traveling across the map once I kill someone. It takes away the filler that the maps in DW have.

Sengoku Basara map:

Dynasty Warriors map:

The combat is way better than Dynasty Warriors. In Dynasty Warriors you travel down a relatively linear path with combos. Due to the charge system if you want to do the fourth "charge" (square, square, square, square, triangle) you are forced to attack four times before hand. What if you wanted to use that attack freely? Well you can in Sengoku Basara.

R1, triangle, forward triangle, square, R2 (you can choose between 3), L1 triangle, and more (depending on the character) are used for various attacks. If you feel like using a move you don't need to work your way up to using it, and that allows for way more combo possibilities.

Not just that, each character has their own play style. In later Dynasty Warriors games, the play style of a character is greatly limited to their EX moves and musou attacks. In Sengoku Basara each character plays differently, and has a "gimmick" that distances themselves from other characters even more.

For example:

Masamune focuses on dash cancelling out of attacks.

Yukimura has dash points hidden within his moves that allows you to cancel out of attacks at certain times into a dash attack.

Keiji can cancel almost anything, his death animation, his square strings, all of his skills (some at multiple points), and more.

Mitsunari allows you to teleport to enemies after certain attacks by holding down the input, he also has a delayed square string and other "gimmicks".

etc.

There are other things I like about this game, and that I like more than Dynasty Warriors, but that's enough for today.

and if you want a game even better than Samurai Heroes:

Sengoku Basara 3 Utage (Wii/PS3)

1. What is it?

Samurai Heroes but way better.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It's Samurai Heroes but in Japanese, so nobody cares.

3. Why should we play it?

They added the tag mechanic that allows you to switch between two playable generals in and out of combos. The tag mechanic adds a lot of depth to the gameplay, and is a great reason to buy the game. There's also a new difficulty level that makes everything really aggressive, and new characters. Also, due to the nature of the game, and thanks to English guides, there's a very small import barrier.

Videos:

A really good Ieyasu player with bad video quality.

A Sengoku Basara 3 Utage combo video.

Note: Sengoku Basara 4 is coming out next month, so I would recommend that over these two games.

 

[bryanee]

Alice: Madness Returns

Sent out to die by EA with little to no support such is the way of EA when it comes to titles that wont do stupid numbers in the sales department. And I feel because of the old school feel it has many reviewers just didn't give it a fair shot.

A very beautiful game with a wonderful art style. It has a great old school platformer adventure feel which you just don't get anymore. It does have some camera issues but nothing to worry about. The combat is surprisingly good for a title like this with various weapons to collect and power. It manages to feel fresh and varied throughout the game. The story is also quite good and worth investing in.

 

[Jirotrom]

As soon as I get to a computer I'll do a full post about CULDCEPT SAGA

 

[Sentenza]

Space Rangers 2.

It's a masterpiece and it makes even the most obscure game mentioned so far in this thread feel "mainstream as fuck" in comparison.

1. What is it?
Quoting myself from another thread:
it's like "Pirates!" in space. Plus EVE Online spaceship fitting. Plus text based adventures as side quests. Plus occasional RTS sections. But with more story and RPG in it. And the universe is alive and goes on by itself regardless of the player input.
In short, it's freaking massive and awesome.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Because everyone who bothered playing it loved, and those (rare and sparse) reviews were all stellar. While not a great metric in general, a 97 user score on Metacritic says a lot about how good this game is.

3. Why should we play it?
Why shouldn't you? It's awesome and its replayability is virtually unlimited.

 

[March of the Crabs]

Double Dragon Neon muthafuckaz, although some people did play it.

1. What is it?

The best Double Dragon game ever made.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because dipshits such as an IGN reviewer gave it a 3.0.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best Double Dragon game ever made. Tight controls, fun gameplay systems, totally badass soundtrack.

Fuck yeah thank you for this. I LOVED this game and probably played through it on co-op like 50 times.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Final Fantasy Type 0

1. What is it?
The best Final Fantasy of the gen(well looking at the other FF games it's not saying much, but it's really good)

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It's not underrated, it's not localized

3. Why should we play it?
because... it's the best Final fantasy of the gen lol

You're not a nice person

 

[Xav]

What is it?

An adventure game written/directed by Shu Takumi, the man behind the Phoenix Wright series.

Why do you feel it is underrated?

Because it bombed.

Why should we play it?

 

[LunaticLMD]

Valkyria Chronicles

What is it?

A Third Person Strategy RPG I believe.

Why do I feel its underrated?

Because it just wasn't given a chance. It got good reviews and people who have played the game liked it a lot.

Why should people play it?

The story isn't original, but it's good for a JRPG (And I usually dislike JRPG). There's a lot of diversity among the cast and a lot of variety of who you can use and how you can play the game. Honestly, I haven't played a lot of jrpg's but there was nothing like it. The beginning is slow, but by mission three when you inherit squad 17 (?) the game takes off.

 

[maxcriden]

Rich, not sure if you saw my post in the other thread where you mentioned WL (DK thread maybe?), but how long is the game? I was always concerned it was on the shorter side. I think I rented it once but didn't give it too much of a shot. The need to shake the Wiimote so much was a bit grating to me, am I remembering correctly that there's a ton of shaking to be done throughout the game? Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 125677]

1. What is it?

the Wonderful 101

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Critics were to scrub tier to enjoy the immensly satisfying game mechanics, and it's exclusive to the smash hit console that is the Wii U. It's also a confusing game to get the hang of before you dive deep down it - there aint no reins on this horse

3. Why should we play it?
it's the most diverse, challenging and rewarding action game I've played in at least two years. It's has an insane story, legendary boss fights, nods and tributes to a lot of classics, great humour and a crazy cast of characters.

It's a one of a kind video game, the sort we seldom get these days


Edit: I now see that most people live in the past and interpret this generation as last gen, but my game pick is too good to be concerned with such trivialities