What are your favorite hidden gems in your collection?

[gngtiger]

I really enjoyed Cars: The Video Game for the Nintendo Wii for what it was. It's not amazing if you're not into the franchise, but I'd recommend it highly, regardless.

[courtlyhades296]

Terranigma is a game very few have heard of, yet it's one of the best Action RPGs on the SNES. The music in this game is incredible, as is the story and gameplay. Since the PAL version is unoptimized (and the only official English version), I went with an NTSC repro cart after my first playthrough on emulator.

[mrkonasoni]

Hybrid Heaven, Contra Shattered Soldier, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights, Frogger Beyond, Evolution Snowboarding, Bouken Jidai Katsugeki Goemon, Frogger 3D and much more.

They were and are still some of the games I am the most fascinated about and the ones that made me feel again that I was truly enjoying games without a but like have been way too often nowadays.

It also helped I still think they do a good job feeling fairly unique unique even with hundreds of games being released monthly.

[sworddude]

Terranigma is a game very few have heard of, yet it's one of the best Action RPGs on the SNES. The music in this game is incredible, as is the story and gameplay. Since the PAL version is unoptimized (and the only official English version), I went with an NTSC repro cart after my first playthrough on emulator.

unoptimized means that a pal copy would run perfectly in 60HZ.

The games that you have to look out for are when they are pal optimized. That is where you have issues when you force them to 60HZ in wich you get glitches or that the game runs to fast because they where optimized with 50hz in mind.

The Dk country or them mario games are some examples of this.

[wartoy]

I have a few lesser known favorites for almost every system I own here are a some.

Dreamcast:Hidden and Dangerous and Soul Reaver

Super Nintendo:7th Saga

Nes:Magic of Scheherazade and Willow

Sega Genesis:Centurion Defender of Rome and Warrior of Rome

Playstion:Covert ops Nuclear Dawn,Gunship and T.R.A.G. Tactical Rescue Assault Group

[snyderec3]

Goof Troop on SNES

It's a fantastic co-op action-puzzle game.

[bikingjahuty]

The term "hidden gem" has always rubbed me the wrong way, even before Metal Jesus drove it into the ground. I just find that 95% of the time when people mention hidden gems it's either games that are fairly well known and/or aren't that great. I get that it's fun to pretend there's some game barely anyone has ever heard of that's somehow just as good as some of the best games out there, but from my experience these games are typically mediocre at best and borderline shit at the worst of times. Having played quite a few of these hidden gems I've experienced very few exceptions to this, and honestly I just recommend people play the non-hidden actual gems out there like your Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, or God of War type games.


Sorry, just had to rant there, but the closest examples of hidden gems I can think of are he following:


Myth: The Fallen Lords (PC)
Armed Police Batrider (Arcade)
Nightslashers (Arcade)

[burningdoom]

I used to always say the King's Field games, but those a bit more known now due to it's influence on Demon's/Dark Souls.

[emporerdragon]

N64: Flying Dragon - An interesting game that was actually 2 fighting games in one. You had a standard mode which played very similar to Virtua Fighter or Dead or Alive, but it also has an SD mode, where besides everything being more cartoony, had RPG elements and character customization.
GCN: Freedom Fighters - A squad-based 3rd person shooter taking place in an America under Soviet invasion.
GCN: Second Sight -  An action game focused around psychic powers combined with an interesting story. If you liked chucking people around with the force in Star Wars games, you'll like the combat in this one.
GBA: Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars - A turn-based squad-focused strategy game with the twist being that rather than relying on hit percentages, you needed to manually aim at moving targets to hit weak points fast enough.
DS: Lego Battles - Imagine a Lego-themed version of Warcraft 2. While nowhere near as complex, it can scratch that RTS itch pretty well.
360: Adventure Time Secret of the Nameless Kingdom - A solid 2D-Zelda-esque adventure featuring Adventure Time characters
360: Eat Lead The Return of Matt Hazard - A funny little action game that pokes fun at my of the long-standing tropes in games
Xbox One: Regalia Of Men and Monarchs - A humorous tactics/city management game. One thing I enjoyed was the subverted tropes regarding fantasy races, where here you have things like elves being viking raiders and dwarves being samurai gunmen.
Xbox One: Unpacking - A recent release and the least "Hidden" gem in the list, but the game is pure Zen, simply organizing and tidying up a house.

[sworddude]

The term "hidden gem" has always rubbed me the wrong way, even before Metal Jesus drove it into the ground. I just find that 95% of the time when people mention hidden gems it's either games that are fairly well known and/or aren't that great. I get that it's fun to pretend there's some game barely anyone has ever heard of that's somehow just as good as some of the best games out there, but from my experience these games are typically mediocre at best and borderline shit at the worst of times. Having played quite a few of these hidden gems I've experienced very few exceptions to this, and honestly I just recommend people play the non-hidden actual gems out there like your Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, or God of War type games.


Sorry, just had to rant there, but the closest examples of hidden gems I can think of are he following:

I mean plenty of the good hidden gems aren't that hidden anymore when them years have gone by it happens

Hidden gems of today being trash is going to be at a higher ratio because more of the good stuff is already known nowadays and thus not a hidden gem anymore. There are not going to be a ton of amazing gems left when most stones get turned over. There are plenty of hidden gems that where excellent that are sought after and not so hidden today.

The 2nd fact I have rarely heard, I have seen very few people that would claim that a hidden gem would surpass some of the best games on the system that rarely happens, plus a hidden gem is mostly for variety if you already experienced the better titles within the genre. That aside the hidden gems that are equal to some of the best games on the system aren't hidden gems anymore. those would only be a hidden gem until some info got viral.

Remember Stuff like sunset riders, hagane or wild guns where considered hidden gems many many years ago word to mouth spread the word and thus the prices sky rocketed and they became well known. They are definitely not hidden anymore.

Heck I wouldn't be suprised if stuff like earthbound was considered a hidden gem in the west considering trash sales before it got a cult following many years later in wich it lost it's hidden gem status. In short the good hidden gems will lose their hidden gem status and with social media being the beast that it is it's only going to happen faster and faster.

[kashell]

I usually equate hidden gems with sleeper hits. A couple off the top of my head are Death Mark and NG. Maybe Undernauts, as well.

[Bluemoon]

probably more of a cult series than a hidden gem if your really into racing games but the flatout series is amazing everything before the 3rd game is just pure arcade racing goodness and it's is still available on steam as well as having some console versions. just a great arcade/destruction derby game made by the wreck fest devs

[shawndude82]

SNES - Lester the Unlikely   (My names in the title and the mc is basically me )

Sega CD - The Adventures of Willy Beamish   (Not sure if this is a hidden gem, though I bet a lot of people didn't know it was ported to the Sega CD, with full voice acting and upgraded music)

PS1 - Thousand Arms   (JRPG where you gain levels by going on dates with your female party members and making them happy)

Goof Troop on SNES

It's a fantastic co-op action-puzzle game.

Felicia & Ryan Day's hilarious hatred of that game makes me want to play it even more.

[Warmsignal]

IMO, hidden gem just has to mean it's an obscure game that you really like. For me, there's countless because I like games more often than not when they pique my interests. One man's gem, is another man's turd. Can't say for sure that it's for everybody.

Congo's Caper is a really fun and well made platformer on the SNES, a system already chock-full of good platformers. IMO, more balanced and fun than SMW.
Iggy's Reckin' Balls on the N64, it combines platforming with racing. Not many people remember that one.
Not too many know the Saturn for High Velocity Mountain Racing Challenge, but I feel it's a worthy contender against the OG Ridge Racer.
Alias the game, on the OG Xbox. A decent stealth-action for fans of Splinter Cell.

It all comes back to a matter of opinion, though. I don't think that just because a game sold wildly, makes it the best. Or that it sold poorly, makes it suck. I also think it's probably true that a lot of good unknown games are hidden inside licensed titles that most serious gamers write off immediately, and never even try. Kim Possible on the PS2 isn't just an isolated instance.

[vivigamer]

I made a video on the topic a while back for PS1 games - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HawqbQ-AGnQ (I did g oon to play Ronin Blade and REALLY enjoyed it!)

I never got around to it but I still feel Shadow of Memories / Shadow of Destiny never got the praise it deserved. Even 20 years later there isn't much like it. I would also like to say The Bouncer, but i think that could a lot of attention but sadly it was trashed. I personally love the game! while short and not worht full RRP, I think the 3-4 hour experience is nice and replaying the game to see the other characters perspective on the story is compelling. I would also note The Order 1886 on PS4 for the same reason, short but a solid experience worth trying for £5-10.

As fo the PS3 era one game comaes to mind instantl adn that is Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom. I found it to be quite a pleasant action/platformer/puzzle game. There was a lot of back tracking invovled in s similar style to classic Resident Evil - The lead creator Yoshiki Okamoto was invovled sand it shows in a good way. But What surprised me was how much I liked the characters! My favourite moments where when the two would sit beneath blossom tress and just chill.