Favorite obscure arcade games?

[Moreno909]

The PSP version is the one I'm planning to play next.
And I already have Metal Slug Advance installed!

Then play In the Hunt or Gunforce II (Basically Metal Slug 0), haha
They should do a Metal Slug Remake in the style of Streets of Rage Remake

 

[GingerBwC]

Dance Maniax (1st and 2nd mix), Initial D. Versions 2 and 3, and DDR Extreme were the glory days of my teenage years.
I miss those days, and still spontaneously start doing DDR step patterns for shits and giggles, even nowadays.

 

[Zerthyam]

Sound Voltex! My favorite rhythm game of all time.

 

[nattybohman]

If you guys like Metal Slug, you should try out Dolphin Blue and "In the Hunt"! They look a lot like Metal Slug and Dolphin Blue seems like a pretty similar type of game. I like both.

 

[Antilocal123]

Does Chunithm or Pop’n Music count? If so, that.

 

[NotGodlike]

Vertexer, it's so obscure that it was deemed a failure and only 20 units were known to exist, and it remains undumped to Mame. But man, that game has absolutely stunning visuals from Taito, the music courtesy of Zuntata, playing like an F-Zero with Taito's dose of abstract, and the fact that you use it like a semi-VR headset that tilts depending on the action. I seriously wish it was dumped someday, so everyone could try it out at least once

 

[ThatOneLum]

I love me a MaiMai Machine, but it's hard to find them in the UK tbh

Talking more obscure stuff, Carnevil or Thunder Hoop. Oh, and agree with whoever mentioned Silent Hill Arcade. It's goofy AF but it's a fun lightgun game.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

Momoko 120%, it's Classic Elevator action, but backwards, going up instead than down and had more emphasis in platforming.

 

[groundbeef]

Sky Shark
Hat Trick
DJ Boy
Darius II dual screen
Osman

 

[PencoSucio]

Swat Police - plays like Cabal/Nam1975
Battle Circuit - Capcom not so knwon beat em up
Demon Front from IGS - Metal Slug 2d clone from the taiwanese developers. It's really good.
Silent Dragon - Good Final Fight clone, with a little bit more stuff
Denjin Makai II/ Guardians - Great Beat em up! with weird enemies and good combos, and some playable characters.

 

[Aisf]

My favorite arcade game ever. Fist Talks.

Also here's Pinocchio beating up a witch.

 

[Captain Murphy]

View attachment 49452

Undercover Cops (1992)​

"GUCHI COPS!" I love this game lol. Amazingly detailed environments and the art design is just top tier. Cool soundtrack as well.

Post automatically merged: Apr 6, 2025

Here's a few.

Blade Master - Irem 1991

Dead Connection - Taito 1992

Boogie Wings - Data East 1992 -

Great Mahou Daisakusen (Dimahoo) - Raizing/8ing 2000

 

[longestseason]

Jumping Groove looks so fun, too bad I never got to play it.

 

[dr grim]

 

[Captain Murphy]

'Riding Fight' (1992) is another arcade game I wanted to mention. It's kinda obscure but it's definitely a great game and very much worth playing. If you ever wanted to try a really nice beat em up where you are on a hoverboard pretty much the whole time... this game was made for you. Very cool!

Check it out! https://retrovania-vgjunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/riding-fight-arcade.html

 

[Viviana Santos]

IDK if this game is obscure or not but SegaSonic The Hedgehog is a really cool game with a unique control scheme, the sprite work and animations are great too!

 

[cruelty_sponge]

My favorite is really Denjin Makai's sequel, Guardians.
Try out Zeldia.

 

[Jakkaraius]

Night Slashers. Loved that game!

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

It’s really not THAT obscure, but I’m always shocked how many people don’t know about Dig Dug II. It’s, in my opinion, better than the original game, while being very different and fun.

 

[PencoSucio]

Night Slashers. Loved that game!

There is an openbor fan game that improves a lot the base game. Night Slashers X

 

[NotGodlike]

There is an openbor fan game that improves a lot the base game. Night Slashers X

And there's a remake, but I believe it's trash and ruins the style.
Didn't know it had an OpenBOR version though, thanks for noting

 

[GeoHikari]

These two are my favorite Arcade games. They are fun as hell, hope someone know it too
View attachment 49360

Those less know Sega's Arcade railgun masterpieces.

Bot Let's Go Jungle and Let's Go Safari have machines existent here in Brazil. I played the two games and they are great with graphics, music and story. And the wind breathe function on Island are great too!

Post automatically merged: Apr 22, 2025

My obscure favourite is a unknown Konami's horror railgun:

This is Crypt Killer, an game who scary me on my childhood, but when I grow with the time, Crypt Killer gave an place in my heart. Thanks Konami, to release this game on PS1 ^^

 

[PencoSucio]

Those less know Sega's Arcade railgun masterpieces.

Bot Let's Go Jungle and Let's Go Safari have machines existent here in Brazil. I played the two games and they are great with graphics, music and story. And the wind breathe function on Island are great too!

Post automatically merged: Apr 22, 2025

My obscure favourite is a unknown Konami's horror railgun:

View attachment 60996

This is Crypt Killer, an game who scary me on my childhood, but when I grow with the time, Crypt Killer gave an place in my heart. Thanks Konami, to release this game on PS1 ^^

Played ton of this in my childhood fat ps1 haha

Post automatically merged: Apr 23, 2025

And there's a remake, but I believe it's trash and ruins the style.
Didn't know it had an OpenBOR version though, thanks for noting

Yeah the remake is crap.

 

[Pearly]

The "fighting mania" Fist of the north star machine was awesome!!

 

[GeoHikari]

Played ton of this in my childhood fat ps1 haha

Post automatically merged: Apr 23, 2025

Yeah the remake is crap.

Possibly Crypt Killer was one of the company's inspirations to develop the ok Cobra(board) game Evil Night, who is the Konami's answer of Sega's The House of The Dead series.