Underrated Games

[gunswordfist]

Discuss them here.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Splatterhouse (2010)- I don't see why this game gets so much hate from critics. But, their all snobs, anyways. This game has a shallow combat system but in that regard its no more button-masher friendly than God of War. Its an entertaining game and the Evil Dead-esque story which is extremely over the top and funny in the right places is far more entertaining than the bare-boned plots written by untalented hacks that are featured in most AAA game releases. The game is definitely flawed and can be frustrating, but its still fun in all of the right places, IMO.

Jet Grind Radio/Jet Set Radio Future- The first game for the Dreamcast and its sequel are 2 of the most entertaining and unique 3D platformers that I have ever played (some might not call them platformers, but their basic formulas basically consist of platforming through relatively large levels with tons of interesting obstacles in the way), and the 2nd game is especially great with how creative it gets in some of the later levels in terms of both level design and with the characters that you play as. The music in the series is either hit or miss, but the bad music is easy to forgive when the actual gameplay mechanics are so tight and fun to perform.

Soul Reaver- Its formula screams Zelda rip-off, sure, but its a good Zelda rip-off in that regard (I'd say better than Okami, IMO, at least). On top of that, its voice-acting has aged amazingly well. I mean, its top-quality stuff that even most modern AAA game releases can't even come close to matching, and the story itself is well-written and as someone who is generally unimpressed by the bland stories in most high-profile games, this one actually kept me interested and this game is well over a decade old with pretty average level PS1 graphics. Personally, I think its still a great game, though I'm the type who feels that Ocarina of Time has aged remarkably well despite how much everyone else feel that it has aged (which it has, I won't deny, but the core elements are still as solid as ever in my eyes).

Power Stone 2- The first game was good but felt a bit lacking in terms of content and gameplay. The 2nd game is loaded with content and tons of fun levels and items and weapons to unlock and use. Its pretty awesome how you can combine items to create totally new ones to use in combat in actual matches, and the amount of creativity crammed into this game's level design is unmatched by any other brawler that I have played. Sure, its not a balanced or deep fighting game at all, and isn't serious enough to be the least bit competitive for people who are hardcore into fighting games. Its mechanics are purely designed for casual fighting gamers like myself who value simplicity and fun over super-technical mechanics, and for what its worth this game is damn good at doing that. Its chaotic and requires more luck than skill, but I don't care when its just so much fun to play through, especially when playing it with friends. Its not about winning or losing, but enjoying the battle while it lasts. Personally I'd much rather see a Power Stone 3 that improves on the foundations and core mechanics of the first 2 games than another actual serious fighter from Capcom (yeah, Street Fighter IV is great and an actual serious fighting game for real fighting game fans, but Power Stone 2 is way more fun for me; there, I said it).

[Kiddington]

Yoshi's Story. 'CAUSE NOBODY LIKES THIS GAME BUT ME.

Well, that's not necessarily true, but you know what I mean. I do feel like this game is underrated, though, basically because every time I see its name brought up, there are always the inevitable "it's too easy", or "dat shit is 4 da kiddehz!!!1" comments that ensue. While it definitely is a bit on the easy side, and overall pales as a sequel to Yoshi's Island (which is damn near flawless, but I digress), I do feel there is a certain underrated challenge to this game that is oft overlooked, namely the "All-Melon Run". Unless I just suddenly suck at video games, this portion of the game did keep me occupied for quite a while, especially some of the later worlds; the melons are quite well hidden in World 6, and I dare anyone here to try and tackle that on their first try (without first looking at Youtube to cheat, of course  ).

...and, you know, it goes without saying that I also like this game for what it is, despite its sometimes overwhelming childish nature and rather overall pathetic difficulty level. Still though, it's a fun little platformer that, while it is very flawed (again, especially in comparison to Yoshi's Island), it still has its own charm that I feel goes overlooked amongst most people. It's also kinda nostalgic for me as well, so that helps.

So yeah, there's that. I'll probably think of some more later.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Its been ages since I've played Yoshi Story. Admittedly the first time I played it most of my hate for it came from how much it paled in comparison to Yoshi's Island, which if you've seen my top games list is my favorite platformer of all-time and my 3rd favorite game ever, at that. Even then, it doesn't have too much to do with the difficulty, as I thought Yoshi's Island wasn't really too challenging either, though admittedly Yoshi Story's difficulty is an utter joke in terms of just getting through the actual game (not counting collecting shit and other stuff like that). That said, its been ages since I've played the game, but maybe I'll give it another go one of these days to see how it holds up and if I was being too biased and harsh when I initially judged it.

As for me:

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is another seriously underrated game that I forgot to mention. Its not as great as the console versions of NG and its probably too easy and a bit on the short-side (it only takes about 6-8 hours to complete), but its a seriously fun game with a unique combat system (utilizing the DS's stylus as opposed to normal buttons for combos like the console games), and the game is fun enough for at least one replay before tossing it aside. Its probably not the best DS game out there, but its still a great game nonetheless, and its pretty sad to see that its probably the most unplayed game among the good games of the DS library (and there are a LOT of good games in the DS library; even if I don't own one I do know that much).

Its even more underrated, believe it or not, among NG fans, since classic only NG fans hate the 3D NG games in general regardless of quality, and a lot of the more hardcore 3D NG fans don't like the game because its not a hardcore challenging experience like the console games and they don't seem to appreciate its creative combat system and control interface, and mos casual NG fans don't even know about the game for some reason (probably because it admittedly had really poor marketing behind it). Also, nobody in Japan even gives a fuck about the NG series, so that explains why it sells even shittier in its own country. So, really, Dragon Sword has a very niche following, and that's to say that its even considered niche among the NG fan-base. For the record, it actually got some really good reviews and besides me the game sites and magazines that actually reviewed it are ironically the only other people I know to have actually played the game.

To be honest, I'd actually prefer seeing a sequel to NG: DS specifically (as in a sequel expanding on its unique gameplay mechanics), as opposed to the console sequel that we're getting with NG3, which IMO is shaping up to be a boring, generic action game that's really below-par compared to previous entries in the series.

[gunswordfist]

James Bond Everything Or Nothing- One of the greatest TPSs from last. Probably right behind the Max Payne games for me.

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction- My favorite sandbox game and I think I like it even more than Arkham Asylum so that would make it my favorite superhero game.

Fighting Force- Why the hell do people hate this game, again?

[Kiddington]

Its been ages since I've played Yoshi Story. Admittedly the first time I played it most of my hate for it came from how much it paled in comparison to Yoshi's Island, which if you've seen top games list is my favorite platformer of all-time and my 3rd favorite game ever, at that. Even then, it doesn't have too much to do with the difficulty, as I thought Yoshi's Island wasn't really too challenging either, though admittedly Yoshi Story's difficulty is an utter joke in terms of just getting through the actual game (not counting collecting shit and other stuff like that). That said, its been ages since I've played the game, but maybe I'll give it another go one of these days to see how it holds up and if I was being too biased and harsh when I initially judged it.

If you didn't like it then, chances are you probably won't like it now. Admittedly, it's the kinda game that, as you get older, you have to have fuzzy, nostalgic feelings for in order to look past such obvious flaws. Fortunately for me, I have those nostalgic feelings... but not many do, and obviously, I see why (I mean, yeah; there are times that it can get embarrassingly childish, especially for a first-party, direct from Nintendo Mario title).

...and yeah, you're right; any challenge in this game is directly related to collecting stuff; IE, the All-Melon run. It's just one of those deals. I don't mind it myself (personally, I've always liked collect-a-thons), but if that doesn't do anything for you, then I don't think there'll be too much for you to enjoy. But, I guess you never know.

[talonmalon333]

I give Yoshi's Story a 7/10. It's good, but nothing more. And of course, nothing compared to Yoshi's Island.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Super Mario Bros 3 to Super Mario World to Yoshi's Island to Yoshi Story

It really isn't hard to see why people weren't big on it when it came out. The first three are up there with the best games ever made and the last isn't even close in any category. For a company that defined 2D gaming, Nintendo dropped the ball pretty hard on the N64 in that area, and Yoshi Story did not make up for it's absence at all. that said, I no longer detest its existence anymore, I just merely don't think much of it.

As for my opinion for the thread, I'll say the Shinobi series. Every game in it.

Shadow Dancer
Revenge Of Shinobi
Shinobi 3
Shinobi Legions
Shinobi (PS2)
Shinobi 3DS

All are pretty great, but does anyone ever mention the series in the same breath as classics like Mario or whatever? No, but they should. In my opinion, it's probably the best ninja game series there is.

[talonmalon333]

For a company that defined 2D gaming, Nintendo dropped the ball pretty hard on the N64 in that area,

But they did more than make up for it with 3D gaming.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

As for my opinion for the thread, I'll say the Shinobi series. Every game in it.

Shadow Dancer
Revenge Of Shinobi
Shinobi 3
Shinobi Legions
Shinobi (PS2)
Shinobi 3DS

All are pretty great, but does anyone ever mention the series in the same breath as classics like Mario or whatever? No, but they should. In my opinion, it's probably the best ninja game series there is.

I'm not sure if there is a classic style Shinobi on the PS2 that I've never heard of or if you're talking about the 3D game, because if its the 3D game I would agree myself as one of the few fans of that game (I meant to put it on my list of underrated games but forgot about it), but I remember you saying that you didn't really like the 3D game at all.

But, since you brought up Shinobi, while I'm sure the classics are far superior, I must say that with the 3D PS2 game being the only Shinobi game that I have ever fully played, I love that game. Its level design is simplistic but its also very focused and has a great sense of speed. Its ridiculously challenging in later stages but is always fair and it actually has really tight 3D platforming mechanics while also having some simple but still skill-based hack n' slash action. Also, it probably has some of my favorite music from last gen, and in that regard its one of the most underrated soundtracks that I know of. To me, the game is extremely simplistic yet challenging and it really benefits from that design style, IMO. So you aren't playing as the classic Shinobi character and instead play as some nobody called Hotsuma that nobody really cares about in a forgettable story. Personally, I say: who cares? I think the gameplay is fun enough to make up for that, and the game has good replay value for me at least.

As for my personal favorite Ninja game (and favorite game of all time, of course), I doubt that I'll ever see anything that tops Ninja Gaiden Black for me, though in a way I don't really consider it a ninja game as much as I do an action game with a character that everyone just happens to call a ninja (even though he's really not very ninja-like at all, aside from his costume). Still, I can't think of one other ninja game that comes close to the level of content that the game has on offer, or that can match its superb sense of speed, skill level, and intensity. It also has the perfect level of challenge for a player such as myself, and I don't think I've ever replayed another game as many times as this one.

That said, even with my incredible bias for the Ninja Gaiden series, I think that if there were any ninja action series that is comparable to it, Shinobi would be the only one, and coming from me that's saying a lot. For what its worth, from the little that I've played of it, I do think that classic Shinobi is better than classic Ninja Gaiden, though admittedly I have a lot of nostalgic bias for classic Ninja Gaiden which is why I would still probably prefer its style. Still, I need to get around to the classic 2D Shinobi games at some point in time.

[Spark Of Spirit]

No, I didn't like the 3D game, but I do recognize it as a great game. I also like the Ninja Gaiden series, but feel that the Shinobi series mainline games are all of top notch quality over the years and that I would put that series over it as a whole.

I wish Ninja Five-O/Ninja Cop was a series. Seriously, you guys have to try that game.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Is that a DS or 3DS game? If its the former, I'll put that on my list of games I need to get when I finally do end up getting a DS.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It's a GBA game, so it's playable on the DS... But it's incredibly rare.

I suggest either emulating or praying for a digital release somewhere down the line.

[Eddy]

Deadly Premonition. But pretty much everyone already knows how I feel about that game so I'll say a few more.

Killer7 (GameCube) - Fantastic game and it's what made me into a fan of Suda 51. The gameplay style may have not been for everyone but it was certainly one of the most unique games I've ever played. Arguably the most underrated game of the last gen.

Condemned: Criminal Origins (360) - I thought it was a great survival horror game. Mixing in elements of action gameplay while you searched for forensic evidence on the trail of the serial killer. It was some really quite cool. It's a shame the sequel had to the flush to story down the shitter with all the ridiculous plot twists. And it looks like we won't be seeing anything from this franchise again.

Bomberman Hero (N64) - This > Bomberman 64. I thought they did a great job translating Bomberman into the world of 3D platformers. The soundtrack was great too.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii) - Best Silent Hill game after Silent Hill 3 (my favorite). I don't know what everyone else's experience was like, but I found the psychoanalysis aspect to actually be quite accurate. Silent Hill fans hate on this for "ruining" the Silent Hill canon (even though it's not connected with any of the other games). Of course Silent Hill fans seem to hate everything that isn't Silent Hill 2 so I don't really take them seriously. While we're at it: Silent Hill 4, Origins, and Homecoming were also underrated.

That's all for now. I'm tired.

[gunswordfist]

Super Mario Bros 3 to Super Mario World to Yoshi's Island to Yoshi Story

It really isn't hard to see why people weren't big on it when it came out. The first three are up there with the best games ever made and the last isn't even close in any category. For a company that defined 2D gaming, Nintendo dropped the ball pretty hard on the N64 in that area, and Yoshi Story did not make up for it's absence at all. that said, I no longer detest its existence anymore, I just merely don't think much of it.

As for my opinion for the thread, I'll say the Shinobi series. Every game in it.

Shadow Dancer
Revenge Of Shinobi
Shinobi 3
Shinobi Legions
Shinobi (PS2)
Shinobi 3DS

All are pretty great, but does anyone ever mention the series in the same breath as classics like Mario or whatever? No, but they should. In my opinion, it's probably the best ninja game series there is.

I love Revenge Of Shinobi. I'll say it again, if it got remade in 3's art style and gameplay, it would completely blow it out of the water. I gotta play Shadow Dancer and I need to get around to beating Shinobi 3 all by myself on my SUGC copy.