Extremely Weird And Obscure Games

[dropsmegamega]

I really love Violent Storm! Actually one of my favorite beat em ups.

I've played Metamorphic Force as well, not my favorite, but pretty iconic. Some of its themes are even featured in the konami rhythm game arcade Guitarfreaks/Drummania as boss songs.

Also I actually like Bomberman World. Nowhere as good as the best ones like Saturn Bomberman and its also VERY short, but it had some actually interesting and challenging maps.

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

I wanna hear which obscure franchise is your favourite one.

For reference, it doesn't have to be the most obscure, hell, it only really has to be obscure in your region or social circles, but it does have to feature at least 2 games, ideally more, for it to be a franchise.

For my money it's Disaster Report. Although a bunch of them have been released in the west under a variety of names, they're not games I hear almost anyone caring about. Despite all the jank, I have a soft spot for the series.

What about you? Any obscure(ish) franchises that are close to your heart?

 

[iamthemilkman]

I also love the Disaster Report games. I got a mint copy of Raw Danger for $3 at Goodwill. I still have a sealed copy of Disaster Report, too. I also have the PS4 one.

Some more:
Earth Defense Force
Gothic
Risen
Divinity
Deadly Premonition
Bayonetta
Mirror's Edge
The Darkness

 

[Johnathan Smikey Johnathan Smikey]

Jazz Jackrabbit 1 & 2 (I dunno if they are obscure but I barely hear anyone talking about the games other than dedicated fans that grew up with them)

They are fun, and the music is awesome. I don't really have much that needs to be said.

 

[Tonberry]

I feel like the Steamworld games classify as they're nowhere near as popular as I think they deserve to be. Almost all games in the franchise are great, and none is outright bad.

 

[moonbits]

I have a fondness for CAVE shmups that I've rarely shown to anyone.

 

[pr0xy]

Boku no Natsuyasumi. Well, all Millennium Kitchen–developed games, really.
It’s great that we’ve gotten both Shin-chan games and Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid in the West.
Such cozy little adventures.

 

[DJPlace]

a really tough call. i would say the gal gun seriers since it's perveted and stuff like that. but it is funny to stare down girls and make it go OOOOHHHH!!! and what's funny they come back later they have this one line where for one of stats you max out and it's the LEWD. stat and if you try to buy more if it. when your maxed out the shop keeper says this.

CHILL WITH THE LEWDS DUDE!!!

i should use that has one of my chatch phrases if someone's into too much LEWD stuff.

 

[PhrawzT]

I have every Katamari game, except for the newest one. Just waiting for the price to drop.

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

I also love the Disaster Report games. I got a mint copy of Raw Danger for $3 at Goodwill. I still have a sealed copy of Disaster Report, too. I also have the PS4 one.

Some more:
Earth Defense Force
Gothic
Risen
Divinity
Deadly Premonition
Bayonetta
Mirror's Edge
The Darkness

I'm jelly! I have the first game, though it's called SoS: The Final Escape here, but Raw Danger is like 150GBP+ lmao
Tempted to buy a Canadian copy for about 20/30GBP since I have the right system to play it anyway.

Also big ups Mirrors Edge. Still get a kick out of obsessively playing the original game. Except that last level when you're doing a 'no kill' run. That shit suuuucks.

Jazz Jackrabbit 1 & 2 (I dunno if they are obscure but I barely hear anyone talking about the games other than dedicated fans that grew up with them)

They are fun, and the music is awesome. I don't really have much that needs to be said.

Jazz was my jaaaaaam during the DOS era. I was bullied on twitter by Cliff Bleszinski into buying Jazz 1+2 in GOG lmao now I play them both around the holidays each year to take advantage of the Christmas themed expansions.

Awesome music and I love the number of weapon types you get access to.

I feel like the Steamworld games classify as they're nowhere near as popular as I think they deserve to be. Almost all games in the franchise are great, and none is outright bad.

View attachment 127149

I have a bunch of these on various accounts but I've not given the series much of a try yet.

I have a fondness for CAVE shmups that I've rarely shown to anyone.

I owned and enjoyed the hell out of Deathsmiles 2 but I don't have much experience outside of that.

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

Obscure is very subjective on forum like this, every time I post about Japanese Tokusatsu some one on here jumps in despite no one I know IRL enjoying that niche. Observer, friendship incomming:

But if I had to be deliberately obscure:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyles the Lost World (1999)

On the odd chance some one else enjoyed it too, the cliff hanger ending did get closure. The writers released the scripts & script bible for the unproduced 4th & 5th seasons after the cancelation (At a fan convention no less) if you wanted to see where it was going to go.
Not that I think you can source scans of said documents anymore.

Seaquest DSV (1993) first season is outstanding. Despite it being the most expensive TV show ever made upon release its pretty obscure now. Last fan sites dried up around 2014:

Ocean Girl (1994) is likewise obscure, but It has a cult following... With the few surviving fan sites being Russian oddly enough

If you scrolled down through the depths of hell that is fanfiction.net, you can actually find a Seaquest/Ocean Girl cross over uploaded to the site way back in 1 9 9 6

I can keep doing on the underwater sci-fi front, Surface (2005)

Under water Science fiction is my favourite genre. So finally. SUBMARINE TITANS! (2000)

As I hope some one here knows of Archimedean Dynasty/Aquanox... Right guys?
Holy shit its now on STEAM?

Maybe the last two never reached franchise status, but Seaquest & Ocean Girl definitely did with lots of merch.

 

[Bakuma1997]

YS

Few peope will call them that obscure, but most people's minds gravitates to Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest when asked what RPG they like, even in the ARPG subgenre, most people will pick Mana Series or Kingdom Hearts as their favs

 

[trickybus]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyles the Lost World (1999)

I'm happy to finally meet another person who acknowledges the existence of this show!

 

[Tonberry]

I have a bunch of these on various accounts but I've not given the series much of a try yet.

They're all very different so there's plenty to choose from from a genre point of view.
Dig is the first game which is a super charming digging platformer that you can finish in a few hours, and Dig 2 expanded on that format in every way.
Quest is also fantastic, it's a turn-based RPG with a deck-building skill system. I usually don't like cards for skills but the rest of the game was so endearing that it didn't bother me.
Heist was pretty cool but I never finished it, and I haven't played Build or Heist 2.

 

[thumbsdown]

Don't know if obscure, but I'll say Anodyne, Gonner and Little Nightmares "franchises" cus no one will mention :p

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Cyber Citizen Shockman
Galerians
Senko no Ronde
Galaxy Fräulein Yuna
Twinkle Star Sprites
Riglord Saga
Image Fight
Flash Hiders
Culdcept
Ibara

 

[DJPlace]

good old shock man i would of love to see more of those. also the thrid shock man's hidden fan video is worth a watch for it's censored stuff.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

For me its always Mutant chronicles .
Warhammer 40k was alright with grimdark setting but i liked MCs setting much more with its 80s/90s artstyle and high adrenalin action as a wargame and even underrated with lore that an TTRPG was there of it too .

Its a little bit more upbeat than WH40k but its just badassery meeting the ultimate doom of humanity .

Its more adventuores and the factions can work together with some compromises and backstabs inbetween .

The artworks alone are underrated and the franchise is sort of dead but had a small ressurgence in the name of Mutant Chronicles : Warzone eternal .

Its not that huge with its lore like WH40K but still a great alternative that needs
some more recognition (and not going mainstream ... that would be horrible ) .

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

View attachment 127252
For me its always Mutant chronicles .
Warhammer 40k was alright with grimdark setting but i liked MCs setting much more with its 80s/90s artstyle and high adrenalin action as a wargame and even underrated with lore that an TTRPG was there of it too . View attachment 127257
Its a little bit more upbeat than WH40k but its just badassery meeting the ultimate doom of humanity .
View attachment 127259
Its more adventuores and the factions can work together with some compromises and backstabs inbetween .

View attachment 127261 The artworks alone are underrated and the franchise is sort of dead but had a small ressurgence in the name of Mutant Chronicles : Warzone eternal .

Its not that huge with its lore like WH40K but still a great alternative that needs
some more recognition (and not going mainstream ... that would be horrible ) .

Now that's one badbass illustration right there.

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

For me its always Mutant chronicles .

As some one who was introduced to Mutant Chronicles through the 2008 film.

It's always amazed me that I have never, EVER seen the roleplay game sold ANYWHERE.
Other smaller franchises-
Heavy Gear, Dropzone Commander, Warmachine I've encountered miniatures & rule books in the wild.

But nothing for Mutant Chronicles.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

As some one who was introduced to Mutant Chronicles through the 2008 film.

It's always amazed me that I have never, EVER seen the roleplay game sold ANYWHERE.
Other smaller franchises-
Heavy Gear, Dropzone Commander, Warmachine I've encountered miniatures & rule books in the wild.

But nothing for Mutant Chronicles.

Mutant Chronicles Virtualpedia

Here you have the TTRPG books free to download and the adventure-books for it . (Its all in PDF)

Ive never seen the minis and books too . It was from the 90s and in europe it had some impact (not huge but atleast a bit ) but was overwhelmed by the success of Warhammer 40K and its understandable . Warhammer was already a Juggernaut of Wargaming and alternatives sadly faded away .

Mutant chronicles is truly a cult-classic and while its sad that not alot of Fans are nowadays there , its maybe better to stay semi-unknown since alot of older and more famous franchises getting mishandled hard and especially WH40K lately is absolutly horrible right now .

Good thing MCs lore is still untouched and kept its raw badassery still to this day , which means there are strict guide-lines how the setting is and making own campaigns and adventures are easy to do for its Wargame and its TTRPG .

I even got the boardgame "Blood-berets" that i ordered on amazon which is awesome too and takes the rules of the wargame to be played . And its GLORIOUS ! The manual even encourages to homebrew the rules and even using the Wargame minis too . Its old but dude ... it just rocks !

 

[King Torro]

Myth : The Fallen Lords and Myth II : Soulblighter.
Brutal squad / at most company size unit tactics in a gritty dark fantasy world between the forces of Light and Dark. Three-dimensional map, good physics and usage of the environment matters (fire spreads in grass, water douses fire, trees provide cover from arrows and spears) . You're often up against very bad odds so you have to play smart, conserve your forces and try to split up enemies so you can locally overwhelm them etc. The music and the between-missions narration is awesome and really fills you with that delicious dread of an incoming undead-apocalypse.
These games were Bungie's thing before Halo and they really fell into almost complete obscurity. Unfortunately there's been so far no sign of a GoG re-release so they could become playable on modern systems. Even among retro PC gamers they seem very obscure. Maybe one day it gets a good re-release on GoG.

 

[adamshines]

At the time, I think around 1993 (even though the game was released in 1991) I played “Out of this World” on SNES at a neighbour’s place. I grew up in a small town in northern Canada so access to any game felt like a huge win. Outside of the usual Mario Kart, Street Fighter, Zelda games, Out of this World truly felt like a game that came from another dimension in terms of obscurity. The vector graphics, the cartoon-like movements, the cutscenes, I was so blown away! But that excitement quickly turned to frustration as some of the puzzles and gameplay mechanics required millisecond accuracy or unclear direction on what to do next.

That being said, I still have fond memories of my neighbor and I exhausting every option available to eventually finishing the game after what seemed like an eternity of playing some of those “levels” over and over again. I don’t think I would have the patience for this type of game today, but I’ll never forget the fun and frustrating times I had playing it back then!

 

[thumbsdown]

Was this thread merged or the title updated? I'm sure it was about nes-only games the other day lol

 

[Numubunde]

What I perceive to be obscure games I really loved:

- Rule of Rose: The atmosphere, OST and story were superb. It's one of those games that left me a while thinking about its story after I beat it. A shame it feels so horrible to play lol

- Haunting Ground: Lots of similarities with the previous one, but I think this ones drops the story (it's not bad but nothing out of the ordinary) and gets the gameplay a lot better. I really enjoyed it.

- Doki Doki Universe: PSVita counts as retro, right? This was such a wholesome, comfort game. I would recommend this one to anyone feeling down.

- Chulip: Pretty charming game about kissing all your homies. What else do I need to say? :)