What is your Diamond in the Rough?

[Zapp and Roger]

So we've all played terrible and great games over the years. If you had to pick one game, just one, over the last 30+ years that not many people played or knew about that you would hold up as something most missed what would it be? Can be whatever you like from any generation just explain why you think it was great.

Psychonauts: This highly stylized game was mostly overlooked by people on its initial Xbox release. I discovered it a few months after release myself, and still play my copy often. Tim Schaefer, the man best known previously for the wonderful Lucasarts point-and-click adventure games like Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, etc, was the man behind this project. As a psychic teenager who infiltrates a camp for psykers after running away from home, Raz discovers a darker secret behind the scenes. You can enter different people's minds, and the visual and aartistic representation of each personality can hardly be described and just has to be seen. A brilliantly written and hilarious game I think everyone should play. Downsides: The platforming feels a bit shoehorned, and doesn't get difficult until the very end, but it is such a great game it is forgivable. OH LOOK! On sale on Steam right now! Go get it!

 

[Levitas]

Off of the top of the head, I can think of one title: Earth Defense Force 2017 (the original, not the sequel).

It's an extremely under-rated arcade sci-fi shooter in which you, and a buddy if you so wish, drudge through 50+ levels of pure hilarity. Your foe, mutated ants, spiders, aliens, and giant robots, come in ridiculous swarms and though the game can be painfully brutal, it can also be extremely rewarding.

The battle ground is a city-like setting in which all buildings are destructible and do, in fact, crumble at the mighty arsenal you're given. Seven main types of weapons and over a hundred variations of such, there is almost nothing quite satisfying as watching giant ants fly hundreds of feet or taking down that 20 story tall robot.

Drawbacks: Controls, although simple, can be clunky at times. The game, when played on Inferno difficulty, can be extremely brutal on some stages. A non-existing storyline, as it is just a good ole classic shooter, but for the 360.

If you enjoy taking down hordes of giant creatures and robots, and/or a collecting fanatic (collecting all of the weapons was very satisfying for me ), perhaps you might enjoy trying out this simplistic and addictive shooter.

 

[Vidi]

For me, the one game that I will forever wish had seen sequels into this generation of gaming was Wing Commander.
It held such promise for me. I loved the fact that it had different endings based on the players success or failure of the missions and waited for a new updated version with multiple endings, updated graphics and updated gameplay.

No space dogfight game ever came close to this one for me.

Runner up: The original PC Unreal Tournament. No vehicles, no nonsense just straight up run and gun in your face madness. And with so much user created content ( maps and mods ) that you almost never got bored. Hell, I bought special hardware ( the nostromo ) for that game.

 

[Dieseler]

A game we played at a grade school friends house.
Ready for it ?

Yes im older...lol
But it was harmless fun and we all went back to school afterwards with a smile.

Spin the Bottle. !

 

[rolandpibb]

Out of this world - SNES

Incredible graphics (for the time), wild story and varied gameplay. It was awesome.

When that guard punches you, grabs your limp body, and you kick him in the nuts, dive roll for the laser pistol and fry him? Awesome.

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

Very nice! I loved that one!

I would say Forsaken on PC. Definately overlooked on both the graphics end and the gameplay. Without a good flight stick and throttle though, the game is simply too difficult.

Out of this world - SNES

Incredible graphics (for the time), wild story and varied gameplay. It was awesome.

When that guard punches you, grabs your limp body, and you kick him in the nuts, dive roll for the laser pistol and fry him? Awesome.

 

[sacredgaming]

pc - xcom terror from the deep and ufo defense. Great turned based game about 15 years old now.

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

Does this have a compatibility patch for 360?

So we've all played terrible and great games over the years. If you had to pick one game, just one, over the last 30+ years that not many people played or knew about that you would hold up as something most missed what would it be? Can be whatever you like from any generation just explain why you think it was great.

Psychonauts: This highly stylized game was mostly overlooked by people on its initial Xbox release. I discovered it a few months after release myself, and still play my copy often. Tim Schaefer, the man best known previously for the wonderful Lucasarts point-and-click adventure games like Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, etc, was the man behind this project. As a psychic teenager who infiltrates a camp for psykers after running away from home, Raz discovers a darker secret behind the scenes. You can enter different people's minds, and the visual and aartistic representation of each personality can hardly be described and just has to be seen. A brilliantly written and hilarious game I think everyone should play. Downsides: The platforming feels a bit shoehorned, and doesn't get difficult until the very end, but it is such a great game it is forgivable. OH LOOK! On sale on Steam right now! Go get it!

 

[Zapp and Roger]

At last check some time ago yes, it did work fine, however it is also available for DDL from the marketplace as well. 4gigs approx.

 

[Antidevil]

Bushido Blade, because kids today don't know what it's like to get killed in one shot in a fighting game. A game with a pretty strange plot and setup, that ultimately leads to you in a snowy field with one other guy. No healthbars, no fireballs. Just swordplay. The franchise seriously needs to get brought back, there would be so much rage on XBox Live over it.

 

[Tendril]

Psychonauts

Yes!!! I follow DoubleFine due to my hardcore LucasArts adventure game addiction, and Psychonauts is one of my all time favorites. I have the CD version (from the first week it was released!) but will probably grab an extra copy on Steam to make installs easier

sacredgaming mentioned XCOM - another great

As for diamonds in the rough ... I don't think The Dig ever got the recognition it deserved

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Yes!!! I follow DoubleFine due to my hardcore LucasArts adventure game addiction, and Psychonauts is one of my all time favorites. I have the CD version (from the first week it was released!) but will probably grab an extra copy on Steam to make installs easier

sacredgaming mentioned XCOM - another great

As for diamonds in the rough ... I don't think The Dig ever got the recognition it deserved

The Escapist : News : Tim Schafer Raises Half a Million Dollars Overnight

I backed it

Edit: Dig was waaay underrated.

 

[Tendril]

The Escapist : News : Tim Schafer Raises Half a Million Dollars Overnight

I backed it

Edit: Dig was waaay underrated.

Me too! I went for the $30 option. Such a shame that all the $10,000 packages were already sold out

And about The Dig ... if you check out the "Reception" on wikipedia's page for the game it's pretty sad It reminds me of this: Black Gate » Blog Archive » Tolkien

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

Speaking of DoubleFine, I just beat Brutal Legend...amusing game although some gameplay elements could have been better. Great oldschool music too. I haven't heard that much motley crue in years!

Yes!!! I follow DoubleFine due to my hardcore LucasArts adventure game addiction, and Psychonauts is one of my all time favorites. I have the CD version (from the first week it was released!) but will probably grab an extra copy on Steam to make installs easier

sacredgaming mentioned XCOM - another great

As for diamonds in the rough ... I don't think The Dig ever got the recognition it deserved

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

This was rereleased as "another world" on the android market (google play). Optimized for xperia play! WOOT!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...wsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5kb3RlbXUuYW5vdGhlcndvcmxkIl0.

I will, of course, be playing the SNES version as I don't want to pay for it yet again

Out of this world - SNES

Incredible graphics (for the time), wild story and varied gameplay. It was awesome.

When that guard punches you, grabs your limp body, and you kick him in the nuts, dive roll for the laser pistol and fry him? Awesome.

 

[hotarudraconis]

If I said Pimp My Ride would I get banned from the universe?

J/K... my roommate bought it for me... well... ex roommate now lol.

There are some games I own that I can't play... like almost anything for the Sega-CD... (Night Trap for example) but I would have to say my Diamond in the Rough would be The Ur-Quan Masters. I died so many times playing that game.

 

[CyanideKitty]

Bishi Bashi, a Japanese game for a modded ps1. It was just a bunch of party/mini games, some being quite difficult in the beginning since the directions were in Japanese(none of us knew Japanese). Absolutely hilarious though. It was soooo much fun back in the day when a group of us could get together to party and play Bishi Bashi. I miss those days...

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Holy crap I just discovered several of those arcade games buried in my MAME collection not a month ago! Hilarious and stupid fun! Wow I never thought I would see anything about those at all, especially not on ECF. Good on yer! If anyone else runs emulation I'll gladly forward the ROM sets, they are not licensed in the states to my knowledge so legal.

 

[CountSmackula]

Not electronic, but my favorite underrated game was CyberPunk 2013 &/or 2020 by R.Talsorian. An RPG based on a future envisioned by authors of novels written in the Cyberpunk genre; William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams, Bruce Sterling & others. Combat, weaponry & cybernetic enhancements were emphasized. Ultimately nihilistic, utterly enjoyable especially when run by a competent GM. I found it way more fun than D&D. I was always more into sci-fi than swords & sorcery fantasy.

 

[kabonk]

Darkened Skye