games that you like but were given low scores or ratings

[sabre2922]

I recently picked up Bloodrayne for the XBOX and I was suprised at how much I like this game.
I noticed it got only average ratings from most magazines and critics but I like "darker" games like Silent Hill, max payne etc so I thought I would give it a go. only 15$ practically new.
Even with the slightly broken and repetetive gameplay I think its a very kool game and would have gotten it a long time ago if it wasnt for the mediocre reveiws it recieved.
So what Current or classic games do you enjoy that most others "diss"?

[swlovinist]

This game only got AVERAGE reviews at best, but I'll tell you, this game is far better than averavge! Dark Wizzard for the Sega CD rules!

[PDorr3]

Nice topic

Here are some good to awsome games that got bad ratings that I still loved:
(ONTE: they are from next gen systems because before I bought a PS2 I did not read videogame reviews)

Cel Damage (GC)
-I actualy really anticipated this game on Xbox, but later got it for gamecube, and my friends and I loved it, played it for a good amount of time. Twisted metal gone looney tunes!

Shadow hearts (PS2)
-Not all reviews bashed it, but I will never forgive IGN's review. This is one of the most unique RPG's I ever played.

Guantlet Dark Legacy (PS2)
-Most of the reviews called it average, but it was one of the most fun co-op games I had ever played.

OKAGE: Shadow King (PS2)
-I highly anticipated its release, and I loved it simply due to its overall style. Seemed like a nightmare before christmas rpg.

Summoner (PS2)
-At first I doubed this game due to reviews, but at a $10 price tag I could not pass it up. Sure it was text heavy but its battle system was simply fantastic and the party system was simply incredible!

The Bouncer (PS2)
-Sure you can beat it in 1 hour, but it is fun to play through seveal times. A great game to me does not depend upon how long or short it is, its how much fun you have while playing it.

Orphen (PS2)
-This one barely makes my list, but somehow I overcame the horrible voice acting and fell in love with the games simplistic battle engine and strange characters.

Dark Cloud (PS2)
-My most anticipated game of all time. I was so hyped for this game that I made a website for it before the games release, and once dark cloud was released my website was getting up to 1000 hits a day, which is good for a new fansite on a free server :) But dark cloud is one of my favorite games of all time, its weapon lvl up system was great, creating towns was inovative, and dungeon crawling was highly addictive. One of the most underrated games of all time.

[Dire 51]

The only one that immediately comes to mind is Evil Dead: A Fistful Of Boomstick. I enjoyed it quite a bit, despite the thrashing it got from the media (EGM even named it "Turd Of The Month", but what do they know?).

[Funk Buddy]

I liked Fur Fighters on the Dreamcast. I have not tried the PS2 version yet, but it'll probably only look better.

[8-Bit Master]

I enjoyed Star Fox Adventures for GCN. That got mixed reviews at best.

[petewhitley]

I prefer Devil May Cry 2 over 1. It was universally panned as being an inferior sequel. I don't know, two characters/quests, way more over-the-top boss fights, I didn't see what wasn't to like.

[jaydubnb]

I dont know what type of reviews that it received, but War of the Monsters for the PS2 is an incredibly fun game that seems to have slipped through the cracks.

[Gamereviewgod]

I've loved the Desturction Derby series (except for Raw which did suck). I remember reading Next Gen's review and almost refused to read the 'zine ever again. Thank god I came to my senses. :)

[Kejoriv]

The only one that immediately comes to mind is Evil Dead: A Fistful Of Boomstick. I enjoyed it quite a bit, despite the thrashing it got from the media (EGM even named it "Turd Of The Month", but what do they know?).

Yea I like that game too.

[spoon]

I liked Fur Fighters on the Dreamcast. I have not tried the PS2 version yet, but it'll probably only look better.

Doubt it. :P

Crimson Sea X-Box
It takes some getting used to the controls and camera angles. It has a fun battle system and a great customizible weapons features. The gameplay is fun also.

Burnout 2 X-Box
I Can't say enough about this game. Go buy it. Play the crash mode.

Totaled X-Box
I too enjoy a great demolition driving game.

XIII X-Box

I really enjoyed this game. It is fun to play and it looks great. The multi-player isn't very good though.


Ultimate Muscle Gamecube
It got a lot of hype, but after that I didn't hear anything else. It is a great Multi-player game. It has a great collectible feature.

Demolition Racer No Exit Dramcast
This game has great single player and multi-player modes. Awesome extras too. It can even bee had new now for $5.00.

Nightshade NES
This is one of my favorite NES games of all time. Great story, fun gameplay.

[Garry Silljo]

I second Nightshade. That was an excellent game. Good puzzles, good story, excellent humor. The fighting could of used a little kick but I always thought "maybe it will be better in epsidoe 2." Of course we all know how that prediction turned out.

Also Attack of the Mutant Penguins deserves more recognition than it got.

[djbeatmongrel]

Yanya Caballista: City Skater (PS2): the game is awesome when you use the the skate board attatchment for the analog sticks but its mediocre when you use the regular controls.

by the why, does anyone have an extra skate board adapter for it?

[Cmosfm]

Good topic, BTW

Lets see...

BMX XXX - All SYstems - This was actually fun, well, up until that first excruciatingly hard tournament. But I had fun with this.

Crash Bandicoot: Wrath Of Cortex - All Systems - Excellently fun game, which I think got ruined cause it wasn't a huge leap over the PSone games...which oddly I hated all of them. :o

Donald Duck: Goin Quackers - PS2 - I'm not too sure of the reviews, think it got pretty bad ones, but it was short and I had mad fun with it!

Tarzan Untamed - PS2 - A disney GEM, this was crazy fun from the beginning to the end!

Eve Of Extinction - PS2 - A cool/simple beat em up with killer weapons that look cool while your using them.

Evil Dead: A Fistfull Of Boomstick - PS2/Xbox - The one game the magazines said was TERRIBLE...but I find it one of my best PS2 games. I had so much fun with this one. Good puzzles...and one of the few games that kept my attention even through the part I got stuck and tried to figure it out for about 8 hours, even inquired help over at the Evil Dead Gfaqs boards...where about a dozen others were stuck also. It was like a help-a-thon over there! The answer was so simple though. ugh. Great game...go get it today!

Evolution Skateboarding -PS2 - Maybe it's just cause Im a Extreme sports nut...but this game was kinda fun.

ESPN X Games Skateboarding - PS2 - see above

Gradius III & IV - PS2 - This didnt get great reviews, but I wasted so much time with it...only game to frustrated me to the point of tears....literally

Gungrave - PS2 - Pretty fun, pretty short, worth 10.00!

I-Ninja - PS2 - I know, I know...it got decent reviews...but this game should have gotten perfect 10's! Get this game today it's only 19.99 - but worth 99.99!

Monsters, Inc. - PS2 - Don't ask why, but I paid 49.99 for this....for some reason....I had a LOT of money to blow back in the day and I spent soooo much on new games. And this one wasn't the best, but it was enjoyable enough to play all the way through!

Resident Evil: Dead Aim - PS2 - Through reviews I was skeptical to pick this one up even when I saw it at 10.00...but I did, and bought a gun....and never looked back! Nothing beats killing zombies with a gun in your hand! A+

The Bouncer - PS2 - Am I the only one who actually LIKED this game? It was short, it was fun....I think people were just dissapointed that it was from Square and there expectations were too high. They expected the next killer RPG, instead they got Final Fight. It was fun, real good fun!

Unison - PS2 - I'm a dance game nut, and this had some good music (i couldve done without Nelly though), but it was enjoyable.

Whirl Tour - GCN/PS2 - Decently fun scooter game, got too damn hard though.

Yanya Caballista City Skater - PS2 - Forget about that fingerboard controller crap they gave you though. I liked this, it was different, nothing to hold me down for too long but well enough to hold its own.

[Ze_ro]

Wild Metal on the Dreamcast. I love tank games, and this one is actually one of my favorite games on the Dreamcast. It's a little slow paced, so most people think it's boring... in fact, I only know of one other person who liked it at all.

--Zero

[hydr0x]

Virtua Striker 3 (Cube)

man i only found ONE review on the net or in any mag that reflects my oppinion about this game, all other reviews say it's crap, but it's just a little hard to get into the game, when i first played it i was like, wtf? you can't control the damn players!! but after playing a while i got the system and it's a lot of fun now :)

[Sotenga]

Strider 2. I believe the main reason why it only scored average is the unlimited continues. Granted, that does make the game real easy, but it is not difficult to die in that game, so it all balances out. Oh, that, and maybe certain game magazines don't really appreciate 2-D games. Screw them mightily. :angry:

[Dangerboy]

Burnout 2 got average reviews? I own all 3 versions of that game, it's my favorite racer now, probably forever. Crash mode is pure genius. O_O

The only one that comes to mind that hasn't been mentioned is Riot Zone on the TG16. Got slammed in the reviews when it came out, but it's usually the first game I pick up when I want to play something on my Duo to pass time.

[EnemyZero]

Evolution 1 & 2 (DC) - Most people dismissed it because its so kiddish and a repetative dungeon crawler, but I enjoyed them both very much

Blue Stinger (DC) - Got horrid reviews, first action/horror game on the dreamcast...my friend gave it to me when I first got my DC and I LOVED THE GAME....Graphics may not of been top notch, but I really enjoyed this game

Armada (DC) - I definitely dont remember Armada getting amazing reviews but the game kicked ass

3 Dirty Dwarves (SS) - Another game that I could sit around alone or with friends and play for hours on end, great game.

Mischief Makers (N64) - I have this game on the cover of one of my gamefan mags, I dont remember if it got alot of good ratings but I think its underated, I never hear about it , but I like it alot

[Hamsnibit]

Burnout 2 got average reviews? I own all 3 versions of that game, it's my favorite racer now, probably forever. Crash mode is pure genius. O_O

The only one that comes to mind that hasn't been mentioned is Riot Zone on the TG16. Got slammed in the reviews when it came out, but it's usually the first game I pick up when I want to play something on my Duo to pass time.


No, it got great reviews. Not sure why it was mentioned.

[gamergary]

I think XIII is a innovative first person shooter and it should have gotten better reviews.

[WiseSalesman]

Zombie Revenge!!!! :P - Seriously, though, I really enjoy that game. Best $5 I ever spent!

King's Quest VII - most people who liked the other King's Quest games hate this one, but I loved it and didn't like the other ones.

Hunter: The Reckoning - I'm a sucker for beat-em-ups.

Mischief Makers - It was unique, fun, and challenging. Gee, I guess it deserves to be panned, since it's not 3D.

I'm anticipating that the next game to add to this list will be Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. It's been getting panned by some sources, but from I've head prior to this, it sounds like it's right up my alley (next-gen Secret of Mana? I'm there!). We'll see when I pick up my copy tomorrow! :D