VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => Classic Video Games => Topic started by: retroone on August 04, 2014, 09:35:10 pm
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I am trying to go for a complete NES collection (starting) and sadly I have played I have played the classics to the point where they just aren't fun to play anymore. Are there any Hidden Gems out there that are under the $50 mark? Nothing expensive like a Little Samson.
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I am trying to go for a complete NES collection (starting) and sadly I have played I have played the classics to the point where they just aren't fun to play anymore. Are there any Hidden Gems out there that are under the $50 mark? Nothing expensive like a Little Samson.
Unfortunately the NES hidden gems are no longer hidden, and everyone wants them despite most of them being fairly uncommon to rare. The only one I can think of is Felix the Cat. It's like a $30 game.
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I'll be sure to check that one out! One I just happened to find in my collection was Mappy-Land. Great game I got for like $2
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Most of the good obscure games on NES are well under that. Gem is a subjective term when it comes to obscure games.
Just going by some that I've played recently.
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Target Renegade
Steet Fighter 2010
Whomp Em
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Silver Surfer
Of course I always recommend Ninja Crusaders
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While they might not necessarily be "hidden gems" here is a few I have in my collection that are not really discussed very often that I enjoy:
Bad News Baseball
Deja Vu
Elevator Action
Joust (2 Player simultaneous Joust is awesome)
Yoshi
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Im not sure I'd call these gems, but the two games I really enjoyed as a kid that aren't really popular are Adventures of Dino Riki and Monster Party
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Kung Fu Heroes (http://vgcollect.com/item/5516) with two players is enjoyable. I almost never hear anyone mention that game. Cheap too.
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I am trying to go for a complete NES collection (starting) and sadly I have played I have played the classics to the point where they just aren't fun to play anymore. Are there any Hidden Gems out there that are under the $50 mark? Nothing expensive like a Little Samson.
I would recommend you start to dig around in the Famicom library
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I'll second what Warmsignal said and recommend Conquest of the Crystal Palace. It's really fun, but Nintendo hard, so I couldn't get past the third stage. Definitely a game you don't hear people talk about though.
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Here's a few:
Journey To Silius
A really fun game that plays like a mix of Contra and Mega Man. Excellent graphics and great music.
Shatterhand
Very interesting action platformer. Plays similarly to something like Batman.
Clash at Demonhead
Bizarre action platformer with multiple paths through the game and lots of goodies you can buy for your character.
Battle of Olympus
Blatant Zelda II clone, but a pretty good one.
Willow
Surprisingly good movie game. This one is a Zelda 1 clone, but has enough of its own merit to be unique.
and while its not really a hidden gem, I'll mention River City Ransom. Its one of the best co-op games on the NES, if not one of the flat out best games on the console. Strangely, I still don't own it. My roommate had it and I haven't gotten my own copy since we parted ways. I never see it in the wild, and I always get outbid on it on eBay.
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Battle of Olympus
Blatant Zelda II clone, but a pretty good one.
I definitely second this one. Fantastic action-RPG that centers around Ancient Greek mythology. And it is different than Zelda II. There's no overmap. Everything interconnects. And instead of travelling from one side of the map to the other, you are constantly going back and forth as you unlock new abilities, much like Metroid. But damn does it get hard towards the end. I never have beaten the final palace.
Some other recommendation:
-Batman: The Video Game - Loosely based on the 1989 movie, this is an action-platforming gem with some great challenge and some of the best NES music out there.
-Bucky 'O Hare - This is pretty much Konami's attempt at Mega Man, and they do a damn good job at it. You start off as Bucky 'O Hare, and you have 4 planets (stage) to choose from. Action-platforming, then boss-battle at the end of the stage. With each stage, you unlock a new character that has new abilities you need to move on. But this game ramps up in difficulty, A LOT!
-Crystalis - A Zelda-like game, that does it better than the original Zelda. Better plot, better graphics, better music, more RPG-elements, more towns and NPCs, etc. Done by none other than SNK, believe it or not. I feel this is the one game most deserving of a sequel than never received one.
-Dragon Spirit: The New Legend - Great vertical-shoot em up where you control a dragon in a fantasy setting, with an anime flair to the storyline. What's really cool is your dragon is decided by how well you do in the first level. Power-ups, boss battles, flying enemies, you know the routine.
-Frankenstein: The Monster Returns - A Castlevania clone with cool boss-battles, that focuses more on the plot than most Castlevania games. But instead of taking down Dracula, you're taking down Frankenstein's monster who is ravaging the countryside.
-Legendary Wings - You always hear about Gradius, Gun-Nac, and LifeForce; but never about this shoot-em up. Great shoot-em up that's set apart by the fantasy-setting. You control Hawkman (pretty much, lol) in a vertical shoot-em up and shoot hordes of enemies, collect power-ups, and fight boss-battles; you can also unlock bonus levels. By Capcom.
-Monster In My Pocket - Nothing here that is innovative, it's your average action-platformer. What sets it apart, is the amount of shine Konami gives it. Fantastic looking graphics for NES, great music, and spot-on controls make this a joy to play, especially if you have a buddy and play co-op two-player.
-The Punisher - This is a great little light-gun game, only problem is that it doesn't use the light-gun. You're forced to use your controller. If you can get past this, there's a lot to like here. It's Virtua Cop, before Virtua Cop. Lots of hidden stuff to find, destructible items in the environment, and great shooting action.
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-Crystalis - A Zelda-like game, that does it better than the original Zelda. Better plot, better graphics, better music, more RPG-elements, more towns and NPCs, etc. Done by none other than SNK, believe it or not. I feel this is the one game most deserving of a sequel than never received one.
This is 100% truth. I played the shit out of this game as a kid, and just reacquired it 3 weeks ago. I was surprised to see SNK did it when I popped it in the NES. Would love to see a sequel to the game.
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Clash at Demonhead
Bizarre action platformer with multiple paths through the game and lots of goodies you can buy for your character.
Battle of Olympus
Better than Zelda II. Probably one of the top 5 best games on the system.
Willow
Surprisingly good movie game. This one is a Zelda 1 clone, but has enough of its own merit to be unique.
and while its not really a hidden gem, I'll mention River City Ransom. Its one of the best co-op games on the NES, if not one of the flat out best games on the console.
Fantastic choices right here. Most people know I find that 95% of the NES library to be garbage but there are a few really decent games on there and these are a couple of them. RPG wise Id recommend Destiny of an Emperor. Other than DW IV, this is the best RPG on the system. One game I really wished that the sequel was translated during the life of the system (I know there is one available to buy as a repro but its just not the same).
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Darkwing Duck. Everyone always talks about the Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales when they talk about Disney games on the NES. They forget about Darkwing Duck. It's got a very Megaman feel. It's one of my favorites. When villains trouble you, call DW.
Laugh if you want, but The Little Mermaid is fun too.
Bucky O'Hare is fun. It feels like Konami's answer to Megaman.
I don't know if it's hidden at all, but the Lolo games are great too.
I can do this all day. The problem is not much about the NES is hidden anymore.
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I can second:
Bad News Baseball (I spent HOURS on this game when I was a kid. It's easily the best 2 player baseball game on the system)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (but do yourself a favor and grab the Famicom version. The US version is a hack job).
Jouney to Silius - Damn Sunsoft was awesome back in the day
Target Renegade - Great Double Dragon wannabe.
I hafta add:
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (another Sunsoft great.)
Ivan Ironman Stewarts Super Off Road. (You can still snag this one for 4-8 bucks. It has way fewer tracks than the SNES version but the music and sound is from the arcade and it's 4 player simultaneous while the SNES version looks like the arcade, sounds nothing like it, and is only 2 player.)
Freedom Force (another one you can snag for under $10. This is a GREAT lightgun game from Sunsoft that must have inspired arcade rail shooters like Lethal Enforcers that came much later.)
Jurassic Park (great soldier of fortune style shooter. $5)
Krusty's Fun House (Kinda like Lemmings... With Krusty from the Simpsons $5)
Little Nemo: The Dream Master (Very SMB3-ish under $10)
Shadowgate (like the PC game myst or zork. Under $5)
Heavy Barrel (another soldier of fortune type game under $5)
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Best of luck to you. The market nowadays is a expensive one.
I think everyone so far has given a lot of good recommendations but I'll let you know if I can think of any.
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Clash at Demonhead
Bizarre action platformer with multiple paths through the game and lots of goodies you can buy for your character.
Battle of Olympus
Better than Zelda II. Probably one of the top 5 best games on the system.
Willow
Surprisingly good movie game. This one is a Zelda 1 clone, but has enough of its own merit to be unique.
and while its not really a hidden gem, I'll mention River City Ransom. Its one of the best co-op games on the NES, if not one of the flat out best games on the console.
Fantastic choices right here. Most people know I find that 95% of the NES library to be garbage but there are a few really decent games on there and these are a couple of them. RPG wise Id recommend Destiny of an Emperor. Other than DW IV, this is the best RPG on the system. One game I really wished that the sequel was translated during the life of the system (I know there is one available to buy as a repro but its just not the same).
I love that game but god the combat is atrocious.
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I really don't understand why people use this term to refer to some games, there are at my opinion rare, hidden or obscure titles but not gems, at least my gems are those games that my mom purchased when I was younger, at that age my dad wasn't with us so my mom had to work and with a lot of effort she was able to purchase the Mega Man 5 for the NES and the Game Boy even at the release date but that's beside the point, anyway I will recommend you the following titles:
Obscure titles:
* Sword Master (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Master_(video_game))
* Isolated Warrior (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolated_Warrior)
* Kick Master (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_Master)
* Monster Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Party)
* Vice: Project Doom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Project_Doom)
Hidden titles:
* Bucky O' Hare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky_O'Hare_(Nintendo_Entertainment_System))
* Whomp 'Em (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whomp_'Em)
* The Guardian Legend (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian_Legend)
* Kabuki Quantum Fighter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki_Quantum_Fighter)
* Metal Storm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Storm_(video_game))
Rare titles:
* Little Samson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Samson)
* Power Blade 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Blade_2)
* Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battletoads_%26_Double_Dragon:_The_Ultimate_Team)
* Mighty Final Fight (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Final_Fight)
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles:_Tournament_Fighters)
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I really don't understand why people use this term to refer to some games, there are at my opinion rare, hidden or obscure titles but not gems, at least my gems are those games that my mom purchased when I was younger, at that age my dad wasn't with us so my mom had to work and with a lot of effort she was able to purchase the Mega Man 5 for the NES and the Game Boy even at the release date but that's beside the point, anyway I will recommend you the following titles:
I think they mean gems as "diamonds in the rough". These are games that might not be great at first glance; but when you wipe the dust off, you find something special.
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To me, I would consider a hidden gem a game that isnt talked about as much as the recent Mario release or CoD release but is just as good or better.
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-Monster In My Pocket - Nothing here that is innovative, it's your average action-platformer. What sets it apart, is the amount of shine Konami gives it. Fantastic looking graphics for NES, great music, and spot-on controls make this a joy to play, especially if you have a buddy and play co-op two-player.
I gotta point out, I was nuts about those Monster in my Pocket figures when I was a kid. They came in mystery boxes so you never quite knew which ones you were gonna get. I'd open one and scream "Whoa! A RED kraken!!" It was like Pokemon, before Pokemon. They're so locked into the era of the early '90s, just looking at them warps me back in time to the days of summer sleepovers, Nerf wars, Super Soaker battles, and all-night NES.
Anyway...
Arkista's Ring is a fun NES game that no one talks about. It's an Zelda-like combat game where you try to find the key to the exit of each stage.
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Not sure how hidden it is but how about Solstice. Even if you don't like the game the music is crazy.
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-Monster In My Pocket - Nothing here that is innovative, it's your average action-platformer. What sets it apart, is the amount of shine Konami gives it. Fantastic looking graphics for NES, great music, and spot-on controls make this a joy to play, especially if you have a buddy and play co-op two-player.
I gotta point out, I was nuts about those Monster in my Pocket figures when I was a kid. They came in mystery boxes so you never quite knew which ones you were gonna get. I'd open one and scream "Whoa! A RED kraken!!" It was like Pokemon, before Pokemon. They're so locked into the era of the early '90s, just looking at them warps me back in time to the days of summer sleepovers, Nerf wars, Super Soaker battles, and all-night NES.
Anyway...
Arkista's Ring is a fun NES game that no one talks about. It's an Zelda-like combat game where you try to find the key to the exit of each stage.
Good pick I love that game. I thought for sure it was an anime style game but it wasn't even released on Famicom wtf?
That 2nd last level is a fricken joke tho how much does the difficulty spike? I lost 50 damn lives on that single level.
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Good pick I love that game. I thought for sure it was an anime style game but it wasn't even released on Famicom wtf?
That 2nd last level is a fricken joke tho how much does the difficulty spike? I lost 50 damn lives on that single level.
It's a deceptive game isn't it? For awhile it lulls you into thinking it'll be easy, then suddenly sucker punches you once you're asleep at the wheel. I didn't know it was a US exclusive. How interesting!
Toobin' is another semi-obscure game I really like. The NES version has great music, nice graphics, and is fun and challenging. Who doesn't want to ride an innertube through the Okefenokee Swamp and hurl soda cans at the monsters and fishermen? It's got a great variety of stages, and it's one of the few Tengen black carts that didn't get "promoted" to a legit licensed release.
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When villains trouble you, call DW.
Great, now that song's stuck in my head :) "Let's get dangerous!"
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When villains trouble you, call DW.
Great, now that song's stuck in my head :) "Let's get dangerous!"
You're welcome