A forgotten classic game that should have been a masterpiece of the genre

It's funny how things work in the gaming industry. For example, if the deal between Sony and Nintendo had worked out, the PlayStation might have been a very different machine. If it weren't for the release date that overshadowed the game, it might have become legendary in its genre and the massive title or series it is now might never have taken off. Sometimes great games don't have the impact they deserve.

Here are some titles you may have never played or completely forgotten about until your memory fades. But whether or not they're in your collection, they all deserve to be remembered as cult classics.

6

speed punk

Kart racer with attitude

mario kartOf course, it is generally considered the standard for kart racers. But back in the millennium, the original PlayStation had some pretty solid genre entries of its own. crash team racing It's best known as a full-featured racer that's better in some ways (via its solid story mode, for example) than what Mario has to offer, but at the same time speed punk Arrived in the system.

This underrated release features a cast of young racers created for the game rather than collected from the classic series like the two previously mentioned racers. Among them are Tempest, Monica, Brains and the rest of the gang who call themselves the Speed ​​Punks. They love to race each other, and of course while doing so they have access to a variety of weapons, from missiles and bombs to slime puddles and short-term stealth modes. It's not that different from them. mario kart Equivalents (just like regular kart racers) and the character's various weight statistics also work in much the same way. What was separated speed punk But there was a sense of speed in the competition at the time. Turbo Tokens can be picked up around the track to fill up a meter, and players can save them to use huge, long boosts or quick bursts to overtake pesky rivals. The tracks are well designed, bright, vibrant and varied, and the challenge races to unlock new characters are quite a challenge. But as is usually the case, multiplayer is the competitive core of the experience.

5

soul sacrifice

A terrifying quest to defeat a dark wizard.

The PSP and PlayStation Vita were home to some great hunting games. Monster Hunter Futuristic series items freedom war. Of course, each of them had to stand out from the crowd with a unique plot, their own interpretation of the mechanics, and a variety of weapon choices. Perhaps the most unique of all these action RPGs is soul sacrifice.

In the 2013 Vita release, the player character is a new magic user captured by a powerful wizard named Magusar. This villain wants to trap them in a cage and sacrifice them, and when the story begins, there is little chance of defeating Magusar in combat. Their potential salvation is Librom, a sentient tome that essentially serves as the game's elaborate mission selection screen, while also doing so much more. The story is a dark, twisted version of various fairy tales, featuring characters such as the Three Little Pigs who are transformed into a huge, terrible boss and defeated. Instead of choosing a weapon, players learn an arsenal of magic spells that can be crafted into a loadout. They can summon various elemental effects, ranged spells, and melee weapons with secondary effects such as healing or movement buffs. There are ultimate techniques that literally require you to sacrifice part of your body to use them. For example, a large attack using the eye will limit your view of the screen until the effect is reversed.

The leveling system is also interesting. Because save or sacrifice (or choose a network path from the extended path) soul sacrifice delta) Your opponent sees your character developing differently. Primarily, sacrificing dramatically increases damage and completely reduces health, while saving has the opposite effect. It's about how strong you want to be and how much you trust yourself that you won't take a hit. This dark and creative title will definitely stick in your mind.

4

alien soldier

Another treasure within a treasure

Any run and gun fan who loves the Sega Genesis probably knows about it. Gunstar Heroes. This is the first title from genre legend Treasure, and players take on the role of Gunstar Blue or Gunstar Red, tasked with blasting the forces of the Empire to defeat their captured brother Green. The second half in particular has a futuristic space exploration theme, and is known for its weapon swapping system, flashy boss designs, and general chaos. Injustice is another effort from Treasure, alien soldierAlthough they all share these great characteristics, they are mostly forgotten in comparison.

The main character is Epsilon-Eagle, the bird-like leader of the Scarlet Organization. “A secret organization seeking to destroy all of humanity.” According to the game's introduction, Epsilon becomes the target of an assassination attempt, Xi-Tiger takes command of Scarlet, and a weakened Epsilon pursues his towering enemy. With the power of flight and six weapons (Ranger Force, Buster Force, Sword Force, Homing Force, Lancer Force, and Flame Force), players have firepower to match their mobility, and fight their way through strange-looking alien and mechanical enemies step by step. There are no stage selections or breaks between levels, making for a non-stop, endless ride with fantastic visuals and animations.

3

Elebit

FPS with a lovely difference

Of course, “adorable” isn’t a word we often associate with the FPS genre. at fate to Feet of FuryThese titles are traditionally all about extreme, explosive violence. But in the early days of Wii Elebit It showed how fun, silly, and non-violent FPS games can be.

Bringing light to a dark world is a common theme we can all pursue, and Elebits takes this literally. Using motion controls, your goal is to navigate environments such as bedrooms, streets, and ultimately an amusement park, and collect Elebits, the world's source of electricity. The protagonist is Kai, a young boy who is in a good position to do so because his parents are experts on these animals. His 'weapon' is a capture gun, which he steals to restore the creature's strength after it mysteriously disappears. In each stage, players are given a time limit and the amount of watts they can reach, and each Elebit counts towards that goal. They may be hiding in boxes, cupboards or anywhere, so you need to search for them and get rid of them. When a certain threshold is reached, certain objects in each stage, such as a TV or a toy train, are energized, leveling up the capture gun and allowing larger objects to be manipulated. Things later get incredibly confusing as you search everywhere for this elusive little creature. It's built around motion controls, but they actually use them rather than stuffing them in.

2

evil genius

“I was waiting for you, Mr. Bond.”

Legendary Bullfrog Strategy Title dungeon keeper It casts the player as a malevolent entity leading a terrible army against all forces that are good and pure. It's fun to play the villain sometimes, and the game's dark and macabre aesthetic does this well. But it's not necessarily about fear. evil genius Another PC strategy classic, but here the subterranean magma caverns are replaced with a sleek, metallic underground lair worthy of James Bond's most classy foes.

A series of corridors must connect to specific rooms, each of which serves an important purpose. For example, barracks and armories are essential for keeping your minions equipped and organized, vaults are repositories for ill-gotten gains, and control rooms are for keeping your staff on task and up to date. Their efforts allow them to refer to a world map to select tasks and assign the most capable employees to those tasks. All of this is to solidify your reputation as a supervillain, but as your wealth and notoriety grows, you'll also attract the attention of those who want to stop you. Defending your base, then, is just as important as expanding it (just like in Dune Awakening).

1

Choo Choo Rocket!

A lovely and confusing puzzle game

The Dreamcast is well-known as one of the most ingenious consoles of all time. Not surprisingly, it was also home to some incredibly creative titles. Choo Choo Rocket! A particular highlight is the puzzle game featuring the cutest little space mouse you've ever seen. They are ChuChus and are threatened by feline enemies called KapuKapus. Both species march across the grid, and the player's job is to lead the ChuChus to the safety of the rocket.

The four-player mode is particularly confusing. Four different groups of rats are constantly appearing and bidding for freedom. Each player has a different color, and places arrow tiles of that color on the game board to send ChuChu in that direction. Additionally, with Mouse Mania and Cat Mania growing in popularity, the rules sometimes change to shake things up. The formula changes somewhat in single-player mode, but the charm at the core of the title always shines through.