They're RARE. AND they're GOOD!

[jerkov]

I'm pretty new to this board, and I haven't done anything except ask stupid questions (which I'm sure will continue in the future), so I decided to at least start a good topic. I collect primarily for the NES, so I'm more familiar with its library than other systems, but my question is what games are out there that are hard to find, play great, but aren't sought after at all? It's kind of frustrating to see shitty Color Dreams games and derivative, repetitive games like Bubble Bobble 2 and Snow Brothers worth so much money while games like these are ignored. I'm not sure if anything like this has been done before, but here are some games that I think fall into that category:

Sword Master (NES): I scored one of these on Ebay a few months ago for less than a buck, having never seen one in the wild anywhere. From my experiences, this is a tough game to find, and it is a hell of a lot of fun, too. Great graphics, music, gameplay, and a high challenge level. I've played this one quite a bit since I've gotten it, I can't believe that this one isn't going on Ebay in the $15-20 range.

Super Spy Hunter (NES): I hardly ever come across this game. I was lucky enough to score one for about $2 at a store a few years ago. IMO, this is one of, if not the best shooter for the NES. Some complicated scrolling effects for the NES, although it is accompanied by a healthy amount of slowdown. Still, very intense game with great power ups and tough boss battles. I remember FuncoLand was selling this thing for $30 about 5 years ago, it seems like the value of this game has dropped considerably since then.

Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat (NES): I always considered this game Super Off Road on asphalt. One of the best 4-player games on any system. Another game I don't run across too often, and when I do its extremely cheap (Gamestop sells it for 2 or 3 bucks). Running over and killing pit crew members is always a good time. It's also fun to damage your friend's cars during some 4 player action.

Felix the Cat (NES): Although obviously geared towards children, I always thought this was a great action/platformer game. It's too easy, but there are a lot of nice looking levels, a variety of vehicles, and nice play control. One of Hudson's last releases, if I'm not mistaken. It's funny how some of Hudson's later games (Adventure Island 3, Bonk's Adventure, Princess Tomato) are quite sought after, but this gem continues to be ignored.

Mighty Final Fight (NES): The only big strike against this game is that it only supports one player; if it supported two, I wouldn't hesitate to nominate this game over River City Ransom as the system's best beat-em-up. Yeah, the graphics are overly cute, but they're supposed to be. I actually like this game more than the original Final Fight (and its subsequent sequels).

Pirates! (NES): Actually, it seems like this game is becoming more and more valued by collectors, but it is still THE most underrated game ever, IMO. Actually, this may be my favorite game of all time. Of all the platforms I've played this game on (PC, Genesis, old Mac, etc.), the NES version remains my favorite. The Genesis version goes for obscene amounts on Ebay, but the NES game is still pretty reasonably priced.

Pac-Mania (NES): I like this game better than the original Pac-Man, yet this game seems to be blasted by a lot of critics. Pseudo 3-D Pac-Man is actually a blast! Like all the other games on this list, it's one that I rarely see yet doesn't seem to attract a lot of attention.

Tombs & Treasures (NES): Any Shadowgate/Deja Vu/Uninvited fans would feel right at home with this game. There is also some RPG-style overworld map wandering thrown in for good measure. Again, this is a very tough game to find that seems like it should be worth a small fortune on Ebay.

Quattro Arcade (NES): This is another game that I've never run across in the wild. I did buy one over the Internet for about $10, but it seems like I could have gotten it even cheaper (although it was definitely worth what I paid for it). Four fun arcade-style games, complete with decent graphics and music. Quattro Adventure isn't bad either, but I see that game all the time; Quattro Arcade is quite a tough find.

Outlander (Genesis): OK, I'm not sure how tough this is to find, but it is an awesome game. I don't know if I'd call it "rare", but it's definitely uncommon. This was supposed to be a licensed Mad Max game, but the deal fell through and it was released anyway. If you ever wanted to play a video game version of the movie The Road Warrior, here's your chance. The action gets a bit repetitive after a while, but I still think its a great game.

Tecmo's Deception (PSX): It's a crime that hardly anyone knows about this game, and two awful sequels don't help its case any. A first person game where you roam around a mansion and entrap invaders may not seem like a good concept for a game, but it works. Setting traps and luring enemies into them is a sometimes challenging, sometimes frustrating, but always fun proposition. IMO, the series died as soon as went to third person. I don't see this game often, it took me quite a while to find another copy for a friend who became addicted to it (although when I did finally find one, it was only $5 or so).

I'm sure there are plenty of other games just like this across every platform. What other games can you think of that fall into this category?

[RoboticParanoia]

Some of those can be considered rare...

Some of the other ones seem to be just uncommon. I guess it depends on how long you've been searching for them.

Rare rare isn't that no one knows about it...if no one knows about it, that's a sleeper. I think, or something like that.

[JackDark]

Some seriously underappreciated and/or rare NES games:

Clash At Demon Head
-Sort of has the feel of a Metroid game, and is big enough to be considered an action RPG. Very original anime-ish artstyle and funny dialogue too.

Moon Crystal
-A Prince Of Persia-esque adventure game with hands-down the most amazing animation of any NES title.

Sweet Home
-It was originally a Japanese game but you can get it translated (using a ROM). It was Capcom's Resident Evil before Resident Evil came out. Possibly the only scary NES game in existence aside Shadowgate.

Shatterhand
-A really fun action adventure game by Natsume that incorporates a multi-faceted power up system that allows you a lot of freedom over your weaponry, great graphics too.

Space Police Galivan
-Reminds me a lot of the alien world of Flashback.

Nightshade
-A cool adventure game that's reminiscent of the old Lucasfilm SCUMM powered titles.

Faxanadu
-Maybe not all that rare, but definitly comparable to Zelda 2 as far as gameplay and fun factor is concerned.

Deja Vu
-Uses the same engine as Shadowgate but is a completely different experience. A great game if you're into who-dun-it detective mysteries.

Shadow Of The Ninja
-Another badass platform action game by Natsume.

Splatterhouse
-The NES version is actually better than the Turbografx one in my book... it's funner at least.

Gargoyle's Quest 2
-Not as good as part 1, or part 3, but still, it's Gargoyle's Quest! A very entertaining RPG/Adventure game by Capcom.

Powerblade 2
-Another fun action adventure platformer with cool graphics and power-ups.

Batman 3
-Not that rare, but is usually eclipsed by Batman 1 due to nastalgia... and wasn't really paid attention to due to coming out late in the NES lifespan. However, Batman 3 by Sunsoft has seriously the best graphics (though not best animation) of any NES game I've ever played. It's easily equivalent to the early 16-Bit stuff.

That's just off the top of my head... maybe I'll go check the archives for more.

[Dirty Tiger]

These threads are very helpful when looking through old stacks of NES games....well for me anyway I more of a gamer than a "Collector" :P

[Qixmaster]

1.qix... gotta be qix. I spend hours on ends playing it for the nes. The best 2.50 i ever spent.

2. Journey to Silius
3. Elevator Action
4. Alfred Chicken
5. Chiller... a great childrens game :evil laugh:
6. Kickle Cubicle

those are my favs

[swlovinist]

My random vote would be for Godzilla 2.....an early take on a strategy game that can be played for hours. The control takes something to get used to, but think of an early advanced wars style game only fighting radioactive monsters!

[punkoffgirl]

I'm pretty new to this board, and I haven't done anything except ask stupid questions (which I'm sure will continue in the future)

Pfft! I haven't seen a single "stupid" thing yet :) And besides, that's what we're here for!
Btw, jerkov, I just wanted to take a quick second (sorry for the semi-hijack!) and officially welcome you to the forums!
If you get a moment, we have an "Introduce Yourself" thread here, where we're nosy and ask all kinds of questions :) , so post about yourself if you get a chance!
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

[Sylentwulf]

I actually felt the opposite way about tecmo's deception. Great idea for a game, sounds fun, was fun for a little bit, but then just got horribly stale within 2-3 hours of playtime. Great idea/concept, pulled it off badly.

I'll add to the list, all for the PS2:
Gitaroo Man - Best music-themed game ever
Legaia 2
Dark Cloud 2 - Most innovation in a new RPG, and GREAT Graphics/voice acting/gameplay/etc...
Mister Mosquito - heheh
Kessen - VERY SHORT and pretty damn easy, still a really great game for the price it's at now ($5 no problem)

[The Unknown Gamer]

The same thing happends to every system. There are always good games that get over shadowed by others. The Host of G4's Judgement Day have a name for this "Buried Treasure".

[chadtower]

You could put most of the TG16's library into this category.

[KJN]

Mole mania (http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/molemani.htm) (by Nintendo / gameboy)
One of the best games on the gameboy. Nintendo really needs to do a gba sequel.

Monster Max (by Rare, published by Titus / gameboy)
Isometric game similar to Head over heels. Not surprising since it was made by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond. Quote Ritman "Max got the best reviews I’ve ever seen but Titus seemed very slow in getting it on the shelves - I have to question the reasoning behind getting 98% in January’s reviews and selling it the following December. As a result the sales were fairly poor for a Game Boy product. Such is life."

Toki tori (by Two tribes / gameboy color)
Great arcade puzzle that was overshadowed by the release of the gba. Has somewhat of an Amiga/C64 feel to it.
(game homepage) (http://www.tokitori.com)

[jerkov]

Here are some various responses to what some people have posted:

"Sweet Home
-It was originally a Japanese game but you can get it translated (using a ROM). It was Capcom's Resident Evil before Resident Evil came out. Possibly the only scary NES game in existence aside Shadowgate."

I want to play this game so badly......I've heard so many good things about it. I got to find the ROM somewhere.....

"Nightshade
-A cool adventure game that's reminiscent of the old Lucasfilm SCUMM powered titles."

Actually, I was also about to put this game on my list, too. I totally agree with the similarity to the Lucasfilm games. The game also has a very strange sense of humor. One of the most underrated NES games.


"Gargoyle's Quest 2
-Not as good as part 1, or part 3, but still, it's Gargoyle's Quest! A very entertaining RPG/Adventure game by Capcom."

Forgot about this one, it definitely fits into this category.

"Powerblade 2
-Another fun action adventure platformer with cool graphics and power-ups."

I've yet to run across this game in the wild.......I would really like to add it to my collection, though. I have the first Powerblade, and although it borrows a couple of things from the Mega Man series, it's a good action game.

"Batman 3
-Not that rare, but is usually eclipsed by Batman 1 due to nastalgia... and wasn't really paid attention to due to coming out late in the NES lifespan. However, Batman 3 by Sunsoft has seriously the best graphics (though not best animation) of any NES game I've ever played. It's easily equivalent to the early 16-Bit stuff."

Is this Batman Return of the Joker? I thought this was the second Batman released for the NES (with Konami's Batman Returns being the last). Return of the Joker definitely has great graphics, but gameplay wise, it wasn't as good as the original Batman.

"Journey to Silius"

I've heard plenty of praise for this game, but I've never really gotten chance to play it. I don't know if I'd consider it rare, though.

"Alfred Chicken"

I've been curious about this one, but I've never seen it yet.

"Chiller... a great childrens game"

This game is hilarious! I like when you shoot the people being tortured and entire parts of their body just disappear. Unfortunately, I can't really get the Zapper to work right with it (even held right at the screen, it's still extremely inaccurate.....I guess it's just not programmed as well as Duck Hunt is), and it's just too easy using the controller.

"Rare rare isn't that no one knows about it...if no one knows about it, that's a sleeper. I think, or something like that."

Well, what I was trying to convey with the post was RARE sleepers.....I mean, you could make a case for Solar Jetman as a sleeper, but it's an extremely common game. I want to know about rare games that also happen to be sleepers......

"I actually felt the opposite way about tecmo's deception. Great idea for a game, sounds fun, was fun for a little bit, but then just got horribly stale within 2-3 hours of playtime. Great idea/concept, pulled it off badly."

Hmmm....maybe we feel differently because I went into the game with low expectations and you went in with high expectations. I agree that it does get repetitive after a while, but seeing the new invaders each chapter brings kept me going for quite a while.

"The same thing happends to every system. There are always good games that get over shadowed by others. The Host of G4's Judgement Day have a name for this "Buried Treasure"."

Yeah, but the guys from that show are douchebags and G4 is one of the worst ideas for a shitty cable channel ever.

"You could put most of the TG16's library into this category."

I gotta pick one of these system's up soon......What would be a fair price for one? I would also love to find a Turbo Duo and the game Beyond Shadowgate. I've always been a huge Shadowgate fan and would love to try this game.

On that note, another game that I think may qualify as a rare sleeper is Shadowgate 64. It's probably more common than most games already mentioned, but fans of the original should like it.

[E Nice]

Shadow Of The Ninja was a good two-player game. Ninjas that had these grappling hook-like things they used as weapons. This game never got a sequel, did it?

I played Power Blade 2 is an improvement over its original though I do miss the ability to remain as in the powered up suit throughout. In PB2 it runs of a energy meter, so you have to conserve the suits, but it has multiple suits good for different environments and purposes. I wonder what Power Blade would be like in 3D.

[kainemaxwell]

I gotta agree with Deja Vu, Pirates!, Clash at Dmeonhead, Mighty Final Fight and Pac-Mania for the NES. i love Pac-Mania for the NES myself! it's a great game and the work put into it shows. Mighty Final Fight had an intresting little level system to make you stronger too if I remember right.

[Ed Oscuro]

I agree with JackDark completely on the subject of Gargoyle's Quest 2 (Makaimura Gaiden 2, I think the name is, since Gargoyle's Quest on the GameBoy is Makaimura Gaiden). The Japanese version may be found very cheaply, and the box art is spot-on classic Capcom style.

I own the Japanese MSX release of Nightshade but haven't played it yet even though I own an MSX2. My only comment on it, to date, concerned the box art: "Smile when you slay them demons o.O"

Faxanadu didn't entertain me at all, and I don't like Cadash, either.

Other games that I've been reading about a bit and are likely going to remain cult classics would include any of the Cotton series, and El Viento on the Mega Drive, which I haven't tried out yet.

[Ed Oscuro]

W00t, 12:01 AM posting. :D

Anyways, a game that nobody EVER heard of outside of Japan, but which looks pretty cool is Nazo no Murasame Joh (Nazo = puzzle or riddle, no Murasame Joh = of Murasame house/castle, essentially. Think of a Dojo; that's one thing about this word "joh" is we sometimes spell it joh but sometimes jo. Heh)

Anyways, it sort of looks like, eh, Zelda, but different in that it's apparently set in feudal Japan, and you've got a chick with a sword instead of Link. She's pretty cool though, and the powerup system makes just as little sense as that of Zelda. Unfortunately, owning to my current lack of a Sharp Twin Famicom, I can't try out my disk of the game to see what it's like, and don't feel like messing with my emulators any more to try and get FDS games to wrok on it.

Another one, which I've only seen a ROM for, is Ningen Heiki - Dead Fox ('90 Capcom) and somebody out here in the forums might remember that I posted a fake "which video gaming character are you?" using it's main character, the Guy Who Doesn't Seem To Wear Pants (trousers, if you're a brit). Nice, pretty good size graphics, but a lot of repetition and pretty stale thematic progression; while levels are set in distinct types of area there's little diversity in the graphics inside each. Play-wise, I hear it's similar to Rolling Thunder. Enemy deaths are among the best looking I've ever seen on the NES, with some characters shriveling up and weathering away before your eyes. Incredible! Unfortunately, the play difficulty is also incredibly hard in the hardest difficulty (the one I played) and there's no real sense to the game, as far as I can tell. I see the zombies later on, and find out that your boss is a Nazi, or something close...yawn. The cutscene graphics are certainly OK, though.

Super Turrican looks pretty darn good, though I don't know how widely followed this particular incarnation of the series on NES is. I bet it's actually pretty well known, and not too rare in the states...but I'm just guessing. Great animation on your robot's walking, and the ability to upgrade to six beams firing in three different directions early on is pretty nice.

[Tetsu]

Try Zen: Intergalactic Ninja for NES, if you like those Kemco-Seika Shadowgate/Uninvited titles. It's by Konami, and it's an action adventure game much like a cross between Zelda and TMNT The Arcade Game.

[kainemaxwell]

Demon's Crest for the SNES is another rare gem too.

[calthaer]

Ones in my book:

Rad Warrior (Apple II)
Darkspyre II (PC DOS)
Celtic Tales: The Evil Eye of Balor (PC DOS)
StarGoose (PC DOS)
Loom (PC DOS)
the expansion pack for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (forget what it's called; I don't have it) (PC WIN)

and one or two that aren't necessarily rare but are overlooked:
Anachronox (PC WIN)
Moonbase Commander (PC WIN)

Some of those games may be rarer than others, for sure, but IMO they're all overlooked.

[jerkov]

Hey Ed Oscuro, that Capcom game you're talking about.....that sounds a lot like the game Code Name: Viper. It is very similar to Rolling Thunder and sounds exactly like what you were describing.

And Tetsu, I have the game Zen: Intergalactic Ninja, but I don't see why Shadowgate/Uninvited fans would want to check it out.....It's a good game, but I don't see any similarity between the games.

[AB Positive]

Let me add my undying love for the Deception Series... Deception 3 seemed to be a bit soft after having blatantly and totally evil (and in 2's case, evilly beautiful) characters as the player, while having the good guys be the enemy. 3 blurred the lines, but not enough as I loved the gameplay but whiffed on the storyline.

No one's mentioned this but my favorite SNES shmup is S.T.G. Strike Gunner, which I can't seem to find anywhere.

-AG

[JackDark]

I agree with JackDark completely on the subject of Gargoyle's Quest 2 (Makaimura Gaiden 2, I think the name is, since Gargoyle's Quest on the GameBoy is Makaimura Gaiden). The Japanese version may be found very cheaply, and the box art is spot-on classic Capcom style.

Yep, Makaimura Gaiden 2 was originally a Game Boy title only released in Japan, but later Capcom released it stateside as Gargoyle's Quest 2: The Demon Darkness. I don't know how rare it is to find in stores or online, but it's well worth the effort:

http://www.jackdark.com/GG2A.GIF
http://www.jackdark.com/GG2B.GIF

Also I was wrong about the Batman game, it's not part 3. It's actually called Batman: Return Of The Joker. And it's probably the single most graphically and programming-wise impressive NES game I've ever played:

http://www.jackdark.com/BATA.GIF
http://www.jackdark.com/BATB.GIF
http://www.jackdark.com/BATC.GIF

I don't know if those screenshots do it justice... you'd have to play it to see the animation. Not to mention the fantastic controls and game design. I wouldn't expect anything less from the creators of Blaster Master.

[lendelin]

Demon's Crest for the SNES is another rare gem too.

I second that. Demon's Crest was a sleeper hit back then (came out when a lot of big shots hit the market), and it's still an underrated and overlooked game.

It has fanatstic graphics, head-on controls, great stategic gameplay (also the boss fights), and most of all, really great atmosphere. Additionally, there is lots to explore and to search for which keeps you going, and the ability to transform into different demon forms adds immmensely to strategy and is just "cool"; and the last boss fight is challenging, I still remember it. :)

Best of all, it's pretty cheap to pick it up on ebay complete. Get it, if you like first-rate adventure games.

[Jasoco]

I found a copy of Outlander at a Game Stop. I wasn't looking for it. I just liked how the cart looked and every time I looked at the name, I heard Cartman yelling in my head.

I had a feeling it was a Mad Max game. It's pretty fun.

[jerkov]

Jasoco, you live in Doylestown? Thats only 25-30 minutes away from me down 611......

[Jasoco]

Yep. Doylestown PA.

Oh, and hey.

Did you guys find that Sweet Home ROM yet?
http://www.thenationnet.com/dl/nes/Sweet+Home+%28J%29+%5BT-Eng1.0%5D/zip

You gotta vote, but it seems to be the one you want. I tested it and it works.

[Jasoco]

Shoot. I suppose I shoulda sent that link through a PM. Why can't we Edit our posts?

Anyway, if the link disappears, PM me.

[Blackjax]

Ningen Heiki - Dead Fox ('90 Capcom) IS Code Name: Viper

Great game. Simply pick your language 8-)

[Ruudos]

They're not really rare, but not too well-known.

Adventures of Rad Gravity
I have been recommending this game for 3 years now on the Internet. I think a maximum amount of 5 people took my advice. It's a fun action/adventure game with funny graphics, original stuff and some secrets to find. it's quite long and challenging too.

Burai Fighter
I probably hate the game more that I love it, but I trhnik it's a good shump.

Low G Man
Interesting action game with good graphics and many bosses.

Nigel Mansell's World Championship
One of the best racing games for NES, not many people knows it. Probably because it's a late release.

[vincewy]

For the systems I collect:

Neo-Geo AES:

Neo Turfmasters: Some mechanics as Hot Shot Golf, very addictive game play.

Magical Drop 3: Takes min to learn, yet takes a life time to master, this puzzle also has RPG mode, totally awesome.

Blazing Star: Sequal of the shooter Pulstar, yet better music and more player friendly.

Ninja Masters: I consider this the 2nd best fighters for Neo-Geo yet the most difficult to find, it plays like combination of Samurai Shodown and KOF, each player has totally dif swords/knives, w/o and w/ weapons there're different sets of combos. If this game has better music and larger characters, it'll easily be the best Neo-Geo game.



LaserActive:

Vajra 2: Plays more like Pyramid Patrol rather than Vajra, higher levels of difficulty with better sounds/music as well as more varieties of bosses/enemies.

Time Gal: The best console version of Time Gal, virtually arcade perfect, this put all other ports to shame.

Road Blastors (Road Prosecutors in US): Unlike other click and watch cartton games, you'll have combinations of directions with either turbo and breaks, plus many more sequences of crash. 9 levels total.


Dreamcast US:

Cannon Spike
Power Stone 2
Giga Wing 2

Buf said

[bensenvill]

One of my personal favs is

ART Dink's Tail of the Sun (PS1) - I think its a very notible game because I cant think of a newer game that has been completely developed by a single person (except for the tempest guy). I wasted so much freakn time playing this game and then some guy ran off with my copy.... anyone got one for sale??

~Tj

[digitalpress]

I can't believe no one mentioned Bounty Bob Strikes Back, the first one that came to my head. The game is a nuisance to find for even the Atari 8-bit nowadays (the 5200 cart has pretty much always been the hardest to find in the library) but the game itself is fabulous - real retro platforming fun.

[le geek]

Adding to the rare and good pile...

Alien Soldier and Panorama Cotton (MEGA DRIVE)
Dracula X (PC Engine CD) &
Radiant Silvergun and Panzer Dragoon Saga (SATURN) although they may not be all that rare, just in high demand.

Crazy Climber, Quadrun and Qbert's Qubes (2600) are pretty fun to play as well, but there are common games that are better...

Ben

[kainemaxwell]

I'd like to add Tempest X3 for the PSX to the lists as well.

[Ed Oscuro]

Ninja Masters: I consider this the 2nd best fighters for Neo-Geo yet the most difficult to find, it plays like combination of Samurai Shodown and KOF, each player has totally dif swords/knives, w/o and w/ weapons there're different sets of combos. If this game has better music and larger characters, it'll easily be the best Neo-Geo game.
Aye, I've always considered Ninja Master's one of the more solid looking fighters on the Neo Geo. ADK did a great job of it.

Ninjen Heiki is fun until playing is simply a matter of ducking constantly and only standing up for brief moments to try and get a shot off. The animation is VERY well done indeed for the system, but the NES's limited palette makes the main character look pantless. I feel sorry for the fellows in various stages of disrepair who guide you along to the end.

The final boss's death animation...if you're emulating, hit a savestate before he kicks the bucket and watch it a few times through. It's CREEPY. The final stage also makes no sense (without getting into any spoilers). Overall, I recommend it to hardcore action fans who like a bit of Lode Runner or Rolling Thunder type hiding action. :)

[Aussie2B]

Well, while calling these games "rare" is a stretch, these are the games that came to mind:

For SNES:

On the Ball
- This game scares the crap out of me because it's so weird (and not so much in that fruity Japanese kind of way), but I've had much fun with it. It's one of the games I had back when I could count my game collection on my fingers. It was sort of a happy accident when I got it. I told my mom that I wanted a pinball game, and I ended up with this.

Kendo Rage
- A recently acquired game for me, but I already feel it deserves to be mentioned. I haven't beaten it yet (the final stage with all the bosses is a pain), but it's damn good fun. It's probably one of the few silly Japanese platformers on the SNES that has a character that ISN'T super-deformed.

For PSX:

Tail Concerto
- After Super Mario 64, this is probably my favorite 3D platformer. Yeah, it may be really short, but it's fun to play over and over. The graphics are really sharp too, and the character designs and plot rock.

And on the import side of things... Marvelous for Super Famicom is the best import nobody has ever played or heard of. I don't know how such a great Nintendo-made game with strong similarities to Zelda could totally disappear under the radar. Perhaps it was doomed by being released right before (maybe right after?) the N64, or maybe people were turned off by the fact that it looks like an adventure game like Zelda but lacks in action (instead relying on WONDERFUL [or should I say "marvelous"? ;) ] puzzles).

[Geddon_jt]

Well, about 5 hours ago on study break I completed Dynastic Hero for Turbo Duo. I still have not played the Mega Drive / Genesis Wonder Boy in Monster World, which apparently is the same game, but this one was definitely a treat. While the game was somewhat short and not very challenging, I must admit - I loved every second of it.

[The Manimal]

They're not really rare, but not too well-known.

Adventures of Rad Gravity
I have been recommending this game for 3 years now on the Internet. I think a maximum amount of 5 people took my advice. It's a fun action/adventure game with funny graphics, original stuff and some secrets to find. it's quite long and challenging too.


I actually took your advice on this one in NESfan days. The other game I was clued in on from that board was "Clash at Demonhead", which otherwise I would have never even thought of purchasing.

[link1110]

Here's some for ps1:

Suikoden 2. I found this for $30 at Gamestop once. Great story and fun gameplay.

Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny II (Tales of Eternia.) Two of the proquels to the upcoming Tales of Symphonia. Both excellent.

Also almost every shooter for ps1 can fit into this category.

[D-Lite]

Well, about 5 hours ago on study break I completed Dynastic Hero for Turbo Duo. I still have not played the Mega Drive / Genesis Wonder Boy in Monster World, which apparently is the same game, but this one was definitely a treat. While the game was somewhat short and not very challenging, I must admit - I loved every second of it.

Worth every penny!

I'll agree with previous comments that the TG16/Duo library is seriously under-appreciated. For every China Warrior there is about 3 Blazing Lazers. Lots of great titles that no one knows about. More specifically on topic, of the Turbo/PCE games out there, I consider these pretty rare, great games that people don't know about:

-Dead Moon: probably my favorite shooter on the TG16. A later release (no case type release) that is pretty hard to track down. Awesome paralax scrolling on the TG16!

-Madden Football: not super difficult to find, but not easy. Great sports game for a system deprived of sports titles.

-Syd Mead's Terraforming: REALLY hard to find shooter that plays pretty well. Not my favorite, but definitely a good game. Good luck finding this one.

-Photograph Boy: Super obscure title that isn't too expensive yet since people don't even know about it! Wacky game about snapping photos of weird things. I think it's really fun and I don't even speak Japanese.

vincewy hit the nail on the head with the Neo Geo. Neo Turf Masters is freakin' fantastic, although I don't think it's a "buried treasure". Lots of people know that game and look for it. Hence the current $1500 tag on the US AES cart.

Other rare, unknown Neo Geo gems:
-Money Puzzle Exchanger: The thinking-man's Magical Drop 3. Fun game that requires quick reflexes AND math skillz

-Nightmare in the Dark: Awesome single screen action game with fantastic graphics and sound. Hard to find and loads of fun.

-Sengoku 2: Great brawler. MUCH harder to find than Sengoku 3/2001 is. Not as popular as 3, but probably since not many people have a copy of 2.

[DigitalSpace]

A few of these are more scarce than rare, but here's my list.

On The Ball (SNES) - I'll second Aussie2B on this. I read about it one night in an article here at DP titled "75 games you might have missed" (http://www.digitpress.com/archives/arc00003.htm) (It's number 44 on the list). I put it on my want list. Shortly after, I found it in a store for $5 and bought it. Pretty glad I did, it's one of my favorite SNES games now. You manipulate the maze to move a ball.

Zero The Kamikaze Squirrel (SNES, Genesis) - A spin-off of the Aero The Acrobat games. Not a bad platformer.

Dino City (SNES) - Highly underrated platformer. You can play as one of two dinosaurs carrying a little kid on their back. The kid can jump off the dinosaur's back to reach places the dinosaur wouldn't be able to alone.

Spanky's Quest (SNES) - The best way I can describe this is as something between Bubble Bobble and Adventures Of Lolo. And for a laugh, the main character is a monkey.

Biker Mice From Mars (SNES) - If you like Super Mario Kart and Rock N Roll Racing, you should enjoy this as well.

[TEXASGAMEPLAYER]

STARBLADE ALPHA

[-hellvin-]

without a doubt bounty bob strikes back...I play this about once a week on the xbox.

How I WISH I had the cart.

[vintagegamecrazy]

without BB strikes back too


Kendo Rage
- A recently acquired game for me, but I already feel it deserves to be mentioned. I haven't beaten it yet (the final stage with all the bosses is a pain), but it's damn good fun. It's probably one of the few silly Japanese platformers on the SNES that has a character that ISN'T super-deformed.


I can't believe you mentioned this game! I have it and it just plain sucks.

Snes sleepers
Joe and mac 2
X kaliber 2097
Cybernater

Nes Most think multi carts suck but most overlook
6 in 1 the games that are on here are primitive but done well and very enjoyable
Maxi 15 Only way to play stakk' em and has pyramid also both are great tetris style games and has a few others that are decent.

And can't leave out Qix and Tetris by Tengen All of these are truly rare and deffinately sleepers for fun factor.

[jethro jazz]

Felix the Cat (NES): Although obviously geared towards children, I always thought this was a great action/platformer game. It's too easy, but there are a lot of nice looking levels, a variety of vehicles, and nice play control. One of Hudson's last releases, if I'm not mistaken. It's funny how some of Hudson's later games (Adventure Island 3, Bonk's Adventure, Princess Tomato) are quite sought after, but this gem continues to be ignored.


is that the same as the original gameboy game? it has the same name and cartridge art.

[dethink]

clash at demonhead is probably my favorite NES game ever...

it's like mega man combined with river city ransom's RPG elements (and goofy japanese style)...hard as fookin' nails too, with tons of secrets. i think i put more time into that game than any other NES game, and only came close to beating it. dunno, i saw it in nintendo power, and it just spoke to me. had to have it. it was my present for getting my first B on a report card in 4th grade - i was a straight A kid until then, and my mum freaked out. my aunt consoled me and took me to toys 'r us to get it. LOL dunno if it's the game or the memory of it...

[deathofthedead]

Gotta throw in my two cents.

Vintagegamecrazy mentioned Cybernator, but if you ask me the (unofficial) sequel is even better--Metal Warriors. This is the earliest game I can think of that let you get out of your vehicle (a mech, in this case), fly around, shoot stuff, and then jack somebody else's mech. Awesome!

Not so rare, but certainly overlooked often--Zombies Ate MY Neighbors and it's unofficial sequel, Ghoul Patrol. If someone made a good, new, 2D sequel, I for one would be very happy.

Princess Tomato In the Salad Kingdom--does anybody else remember that game? Similar to your Shadowgate/Deja Vu games. Except every character is a vegetable of some type. I don't think I need to say anything else.

Skyblazer--as far as I can tell very few people have ever heard of this title, but it's one of the most amazing 2D action games I've ever seen. Similar to Megaman, but this game is gorgeous and artful (not that I'd dream of dissing Megaman). Brought to us by Sony Imagesoft, and if you can name another good game by them, then you're a better person than I am.[/quote]

[zerohero]

Ninja Crusaders - NES

It had an interesting concept of changing into the animal that represented your weapon. For example, if you had a ninja star , you could morph into a cheeta. The game was extremly hard after the 6 stage though.

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

I thought that Nintendo World Championships 1990 was a very Good Game (BTW Played it on EMU only).

[clawx]

For NES:

Journey To Silius
Panic Resturant
Felix The Cat
Little Samson
Clash at Demonhead
Gargoyles Quest 2: The Demon Darkness
Tiny Toon Adventures

For SNES:

The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang
Biker Mice From Mars
Joe & Mac 2
Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge

For Genesis:

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Treasure Hunt

[Tanis178]

hehe yeah i'll definately second Outlander, i've got it for the snes, i love the picture in picture when you blow away a biker with your sawed-off double, it's got Road Warrior written all over it regardless of what they call it. 8-)

[Tron 2.0]

Dracula X (PC Engine CD)

I don't see, Dracula X as rare just that it's price stays up due to it's demand.

[Tron 2.0]

Double post :embarrassed:

TG16/PCE
Neutpoia/common but under rated.
Neutpoia 2/rare these days and pricey.
Exile Wicked Phenomenon
Steam Harts/it's uncut 8-)

Saturn
Cyberbots/most under rated fighter on the, Saturn but not rare.

NeoGeo
Neo Turf Master/rare on AES but common on MVS.
View Point/no port can beat the original.
Sengoku 2/i don't think it's that.. rare but realy under rated.
Twinkle Star Sprites/sure it's ports are common, but it still commands a good price on AES&MVS.
Neo DiftOut/trying to get this game has drove me nuts.
Nightmare in the Dark ;)

[7th lutz]

Crusader of Centy -Genesis
Castle of illusion-sms
power Strike-sms

[B - Mark]

I have a question for the people who lives in USA:
- The Master System games is very hard to find in his country?

I know about this low popularity of Master System in USA because for the Nintendo´s monopoly and the negligence of Tonka Toys about this distribuition the console in country.

[B - Mark]

Other good rare games:

- Phantasy Star IV ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Contra Hard Corps ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Castlevania Bloodlines ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Gleylancer ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Megaman: The Wily Wars ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Tetris produced by Tengen ( NES )

[milhouseOFpain]

Princess Tomato In the Salad Kingdom--does anybody else remember that game? Similar to your Shadowgate/Deja Vu games. Except every character is a vegetable of some type. I don't think I need to say anything else.

[/quote]



i loved this game as a kid. been looking for one in the wild off and on for a couple years with no luck. need to break down at hit ebay i guess.

[cyberfluxor]

It isn't rare and it's nowhere near expensive but Darkstone on the Playstation is really a great game to own. I've talked about it before and so have others but it really does deserve some credit. Diablo sells for around $15+ currently and are very close to the same thing. Of course Darkstone is common by far plus allows 360 viewing plus zooming in and out. There's also near no lag between actions but the load times are high, just like Diablo and most other big PS titles. Now something I have learned over time is that most gamers, even those that play B.net Blizzard games like Diablo 2 have never heard of the original being released on the PS. It's amazing to know that because I was nuts over getting my hands on it for a rental when it came out and I played it all night at a friends house.

[Hajjamujja]

R.C Pro Am 2 and Rodland (was only released in Spain) for the NES are pretty rare.

[suppafly]

SNES:

International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (NTSC-USA) Is the best 16-bit soccer game ever

[GiantPooka]

Final Fight 3- I had to play through this as part of work experience (weird, I know) and it's one of the better of the Final Fight games- definitely better than 2 at any rate, which was really dull. Only problem is trying to find my own copy... Every copy on eBay is set to a ridiculous starting bid.

Sin and Punishment- Trying to get this for cheap was such a pain! Worth it in the end, though, as it's a pretty intense shooter in parts. Plus your weapon doubles up as a sword, which is always a plus.

Bubble Symphony- Another tricky one to get cheap, but again, really worth it. Although I prefer Bubble Memories (never got a home conversion), this is still one of the better Bubble Bobble sequels, and a really good Saturn port to boot.

The Pinball of the Dead- Not sure how rare this one really is, but I've only seen it a few times while looking around. I don't know whether it's supposed to be serious or just goofy, but pinball and zombies definitely mix.

[snes_collector]

AeroFighters for SNES.

[tom]

don't like to nit pick, but it's 'Tombs & Treasure' (Infocom/NES),

here:
http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album301/tombs_treasure

and I purchased two from USA ebay for $10.00 each. Good game but not that rare.

[ave]

Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru aka Psychic Killer Taroumaru (SS).
Though its pretty expensive, everybody interested in ninja-style-action-games should buy it. Its definitely worth every cent. The graphics are some of the Saturn's best, the atmosphere is a mix between Shinobi and Guwange, just a great feeling of mysterious ancient Japan :)

[bangtango]

Other good rare games:

- Phantasy Star IV ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Contra Hard Corps ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Castlevania Bloodlines ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Gleylancer ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Megaman: The Wily Wars ( Mega Drive / Genesis )
- Tetris produced by Tengen ( NES )

I thought Nintendo's version of Tetris played perfectly fine and I liked it better than the Tengen copy.

My choice would be Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for NES. The animation, particularly when jumping, is very limited. The graphics are uneven and the music is repetitive. Despite that, the game is fairly fun and combines a few genres. Someone who enjoys Simon's Quest, Faxanadu or Zelda II on NES may want to check it out. Prince of Thieves borrows a little bit from each of those three. I really like the system of swapping items among characters, such as weapons and armor. You earn experience points, use a little strategy and have quite a bit of fighting action from three different viewpoints.

[Ruudos]

Shadow Of The Ninja was a good two-player game. Ninjas that had these grappling hook-like things they used as weapons. This game never got a sequel, did it?

I played Power Blade 2 is an improvement over its original though I do miss the ability to remain as in the powered up suit throughout. In PB2 it runs of a energy meter, so you have to conserve the suits, but it has multiple suits good for different environments and purposes. I wonder what Power Blade would be like in 3D.

There's Ninja Gaiden Shadow on GB which is sort of a sequel to Shadow of the Ninja.

[codyz1112594]

Persona for PSX, is one of the best games to come out for it, its rare too, i had to pay $114 to get a used copy of it. It also spawned 5, count em, 5, sequels.

Persona 2(only released in japan.)
Persona 2(the second part)
Persona 3
Persona 3: FES
Persona 4

[j1e]

I thought Nintendo's version of Tetris played perfectly fine and I liked it better than the Tengen copy.

My choice would be Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for NES. The animation, particularly when jumping, is very limited. The graphics are uneven and the music is repetitive. Despite that, the game is fairly fun and combines a few genres. Someone who enjoys Simon's Quest, Faxanadu or Zelda II on NES may want to check it out. Prince of Thieves borrows a little bit from each of those three. I really like the system of swapping items among characters, such as weapons and armor. You earn experience points, use a little strategy and have quite a bit of fighting action from three different viewpoints.

I totally agree with you about this game (Robin Hood PoT). And it's still one of my favorite games of all time. But is it that rare?

[kupomogli]

Persona for PSX, is one of the best games to come out for it, its rare too, i had to pay $114 to get a used copy of it. It also spawned 5, count em, 5, sequels.

Persona 2(only released in japan.)
Persona 2(the second part)
Persona 3
Persona 3: FES
Persona 4

Persona is a good game, but it's definitely not one of the best PSX RPGs and this is coming from someone who is a big fan of the series. The storyline, music, and setting of the game are all great, but the gameplay is lacking a bit.

Another thing is Persona 3 FES isn't another sequel. It's the same game as Persona 3 with additional storyline. I wouldn't count that as a seperate sequel.

[Sabz5150]

Megaman V for the Gameboy. Not only is it its own game (not a re-hash of the NES titles), your final fight isn't with Wily :)

[Draven]

Ultimate Stuntman for NES. Very good game!!

[The 1 2 P]

Bust-A-Groove 1 and 2 on Playstation. I love both games and prefer them over all other dancing games. It does suck that you can't fully watch your character dance while you play because you need to focus on the dance controls. But it's a blast to play and I would love for a 4th game to be made with online multiplayer.