Your goto 'hidden gem'?

[Nintegageo | 582]

Which is the 1st title you like to recommend to people when they want a 'hidden gem'?

Don't do a huge list, just name one. Any console.

Mine is generally KickMaster. To this day, I don't know whether there is a space in the title or not. Great game. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,514]

Probably something from Treasure.  Hidden gem basically means underrated, right?

[DarkTone | 984]

Probably ghost trick. Also firemen on snes and ufouria on Nes.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,514]

31 minutes ago, Nintegageo said:

just name one

Challenge accepted! - everyone

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

21 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Probably something from Treasure.  Hidden gem basically means underrated, right?

Careful, you might get the thread locked!

 

For me, Jackie Chan on tg-16. Outstanding game. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,514]

Serious answer, Sub Rebellion

[Splain | 2,561]

11 minutes ago, DarkTone said:

Probably ghost trick. Also firemen on snes and ufouria on Nes.

Man, years back, I saw so many recommendations for Ghost Trick that I bought it. I played it and saw what it was about, and I just couldn't click with it. I didn't like the gotchas and the required trial-and-error stuff. So I beat like 2 stages and then sold it. But I'm glad you like it, it's just not for me.

To answer the question, Serpent on Game Boy. it's inaccessible because the controls are weird, but it's blast if you can learn them.

[RH | 4,898]

I have two go-to titles.  Sorry, can't/won't pick one.

Intelligent Qube -  Excellent puzzle game and worth a pick-up and play.

Virtual Pool 64 - I've brought this up a few times before but since it's been about a year, I'll say it again.  It's like the N64 joystick was designed for this game.  It's an excellent pool hall sim, it has loads of trick shots lined up in it, and it's a great single or multiply player game.  Many have called it the best pool sim game ever made, and I've even heard non-gamer/console gamer types say that.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

Probably Wasteland.

Lots of people mention it, it's referenced as inspiring stuff like Fallout and starting the whole post-apocalytic game genre, but comparatively few have actually played it.  I've been playing it now and again virtually since it first came out, after my brother came home with a copy after visiting a friend.  It was so beloved in our house that my dad literally always had a game going, to the point where he uncovered most of the bugs, glitches, and tricks to game the system all on his own, long before anyone was writing walkthroughs, FAQs, guides, etc.  In fact, he'd rolled the same party of characters over so many times that he had a group that each had every skill in the game, most of which had been leveled all the way up through perpetual and relentless grinding over the course of years.

Most recently, I've been having fun playing it on its original platform, the Apple II, versus on IBM PC which I grew up with.  Overall the game plays and feels pretty much the same, but there's enough little differences here and there to make the experience of discovering them fun all by itself.

[MagusSmurf | 577]

Maybe Silent Bomber on PS1? But the price for the disc by itself is almost up to $100 so I guess collectors, at least, have probably figured that one's quality out.

You're not generally gonna run into a lot of people who've played Ys IV: Dawn of Ys but that's just because they mostly speak Japanese and are on Japanese sites. It's not truly obscure.

It's in a pretty niche genre in the west but most of the people asking for something like The House of Fata Morgana are probably going to get recommended it pretty quickly at this point so it's not really hidden. Also...*Checks.* Yeah, has a 96 on Metacritic landing it on the top 50 there.

Quality games with official console releases may not be very popular but I think they seldom really stay hidden. People care too much about tracking down the best stuff for their most cherished consoles. It's probably more indie or small time PC games that get forgotten.

Uh. Have people here played or at least heard of Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden? It's maybe the best < 10 hour RPG you'll ever play (that's not Undertale). If not, I guess it's that.

[TriHart | 88]

I guess it depends on what one would consider a "hidden gem" but I quite enjoy revisiting Kabuki Quantum Fighter on NES. I really could play that anytime. I love the zany story, the music, and just whipping my hair back and forth.  

[Makar | 1,946]

Mine is definitely pocket card jockey on the 3DS. Closely followed by drone tactics on the DS. Ivy the kiwi on the Wii is another one I always recommend, as is boktai on gba. And for current gen I always mention Wargroove if you count that as a hidden gem. There really are a ton of them. I could go on and on about DS hidden gems. 

[JamesRobot | 5,790]

Earth Defense Force on any system.  Campy budget 3PS featuring giant bugs, giant robots, UFOs, a giant arsenal, and completely destructible environments.  Good for 10 minutes or a binge session.  Might be a perfect game that nobody seems to play.  4.1 is probably the pinnacle of the series.  Available on PS+ too.

 

 

[The Count | 526]

Jackass - PS2. Full of fun mini-games and challenges. Great to play with friends and levels are very short.

[RotorSpec | 47]

3D World Runner for the NES. Difficult, but fun and quirky Space Harrier type gameplay. 
 

PLOK! for the SNES. Gorgeous graphics, especially over S-video. Fun, unique gameplay and a killer soundtrack. Only downside is no save feature. 

[Brickman | 3,983]

I used to always recommend Henry hatsworth on the DS but I think people have caught onto that game been really good. It’s a puzzle/platformer.

This is going to be a weird one because it is popular in the indie scene, but I think more people need to play Celeste. I think a lot of people know of it but haven’t actually played it. A fantastic platformer.

And finally, not to cause issues after the whole Treasure thread getting locked, but I genuinely think Wario World on the GC is an overlooked title. Same with Astro Boy on the GBA.

[fox | 1,665]

[spacepup | 2,404]

For me, one that pops into mind (it's hard to really think of just ONE as there are sooooo many), is the game 'Forgotton Anne.'  It is a surprisingly charming game.  I don't think everyone would love it because the gameplay / "action" is somewhat light and it's more about the characters / story and 'vibe' - but it's a game I just absolutely loved, and know hardly anyone who has played it.

https://www.throughlinegames.com/forgottonanne

The game itself is pretty simple in terms of gameplay - it has light puzzle elements and platforming, but what makes the game shine for me, is the artwork / characters / story.

It's one of those games that I played and just thoroughly enjoyed because I felt it had a certain 'magic' and charm to it that really resonated with me.  

[twiztor | 849]

i always used to recommend "Alfred Chicken" for the NES when it was an easy $20 pickup. Now the price has climbed up around $100 and it is much harder to suggest. But since we're only picking one, that's my answer.

[Link | 2,709]

14 minutes ago, twiztor said:

i always used to recommend "Alfred Chicken" for the NES when it was an easy $20 pickup. Now the price has climbed up around $100 and it is much harder to suggest. But since we're only picking one, that's my answer.

I remember when that game came out, there was a toll free number you could call to hear recorded messages from the character. My best friend and I called it a ton of times. We knew it was stupid, but we liked playing with phones and it was something to do without getting in trouble. 

 

[twiztor | 849]

13 minutes ago, Link said:

I remember when that game came out, there was a toll free number you could call to hear recorded messages from the character. My best friend and I called it a ton of times. We knew it was stupid, but we liked playing with phones and it was something to do without getting in trouble. 

 

holy shit, i never knew about that! awesome!!

[Webhead123 | 675]

I don't even quite know how to qualify a "hidden gem" anymore but I wanted to give two games (one classic and one more modern) that I think are probably overlooked more often than they deserve.

Clash at Demonhead - Such a quirky game but one that is surprisingly full of charm. Shouldn't be that surprising, as a game by Vik Tokai, who loved to make bizarre-yet-fun games.

Invisible, Inc. - Imagine X-COM combined with Thief and Cyberpunk, where the object is to assemble your team and quietly infiltrate megacorps to steal their secrets. What an absolute killer app.

[CMR | 519]

Dinowarz

[Red | 437]

Digidrive for Game Boy Advance.  The original GBA version was only released in Japan, but a downloadable DSiWare version was available in the US and Europe.  It's both one of my favorite puzzle games and one of my favorite games for GBA.    I tried to get some people here to try it earlier this year, but only got one taker.

[PII | 1,884]

14 hours ago, Link said:

I remember when that game came out, there was a toll free number you could call to hear recorded messages from the character. My best friend and I called it a ton of times. We knew it was stupid, but we liked playing with phones and it was something to do without getting in trouble. 

 

I presume children were not originally treated to the theme from M.A.S.H. w/ pro-suicide lyrics at the same time they got to hear Alfred's buk-buk voice and that got added later for some strange reason? ??  ???   ????     ????????