How is it that many of the prehistoric creatures staring back at us from biology textbooks – species that never survived to populate our modern world – invariably seem the most interesting? The world today is a more impoverished place for not having aquatic creatures with five eyes and a long flexible proboscis with a claw at the end. Arguably, the genetic deck was stacked against these oddballs from the moment of their inception.
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Fortunately, in the case of videogames (with the possible exception of online titles that depend on active servers and communities), we’re able to bring the medium’s most genetically obtuse specimens back for another jaunt. As long as there are dusty Sega Saturns on eBay and C64 emulators for download, gamers can once again walk among lifeforms that draw the eye.
It was the birth of the polygon that heralded the first true B-games; titles launched like unguided torpedoes on an unknown audience, lost in a short explosion of retail rubble. Prior to that point, the playing field for developers was too even, in technology and funds, to really segregate games. The difference, often, was a licence, a brand and the means of distribution.
There are many games scattered across the following pages that can’t qualify – whether in budget, polish, brand association or otherwise – as B-games. A title like 2003’s Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge enjoyed a big budget and a high-profile launch, yet it feels forgotten already. Though there are unique factors to be highlighted in such a case – the teething period and later dissolution of its Xbox Live functionality, for example – it’s a sample that reveals how quickly the industry moves, leaving many titles behind to languish in obscurity. The culture of annual sequels breeds an impulse-buy culture that can rapidly wipe last year’s model from memory.
So here are 50 games that deserved better than a steep slide into obscurity. These are games that applied for players’ affection, but their often head-scratching form or functionality caused them to get lost in the middle of the pile while more obvious (though occasionally less worthy) candidates rose to the top. Some of them are flawed as well as being a little freaky, but by revisiting them we hope to stoke a renewed interest so that you can make your own call. Because ultimately there’s a far worse crime than being quirky – and that’s being boring.
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Comments
7I have played about 10 of these games and think most of them deserve to be forgotten. Particularly Seaman, which my main memory of is the following conversation:
Seaman: In which month were you born?
Me: September
Seaman: Ah, you were born in June.
... just got dc emulator & f355. i's so going to get really fustrated again
Ecstatica, what a weird game that was. Loved it's unique look, like Little Big Adventure mixed with the Grimm Brothers style setting.
Amazing feeling of being stalked in that game too, it's a seldom used mechanic, but when done correctly it really scares the bejeesus out of me.
still have several of these games, body harvest, zelda oracle of seasons and boktai.loved kuru kuru kururin, that spinning stick was the new tetris for me
That was a great read, will definitely look up some of the PS2 and N64 ones.
There were a number of games released in 1999 on the ps1 that I loved a lot and should have been included in your list, I think. Rollcage was a great futuristic racer that just wasn't a big enough success, I suppose. There was a sequel but it wasn't quite so good. I wish they'd release it today on xbox arcade: 2 player mode was great.
Sled Storm is another one I miss. I remember loving the graphics, and the feel of the sleds as you raced along the snow was impressive. Plus a four player split screen!
V-Rally 2 also deserves a mention. To this day I still have an interest in rally games because of it even though none of them are as much fun as this one was.It had a 4 player split screen and a fantastic track editor! And that was on a ps1 for goodness sake.
I am a big fan of Rockstar presents Table tennis. It really allows you to enjoy the sport if you don't have access to a real table.
I loved Kuri kuri kururin too. Shame about the title.
I've played a surprising amount of those.
I could mention a few, but Phantom Dust is the pick there. It really is a stunning looking game. And the mechanics are fascinating. I still think it could stand up, easily, to an XBLA release. In fact, I reckon it would thrive.
Amazing atmosphere too.