Games with formulas that inexplicably haven't been copied much?

[Turbo Kid]

I was thinking of the Ratchet and Clanks games. There's hardly anything out there that offers a similar experience.

Shinobi's tate system has never been copied

While there are great rail shooters out there, none of them really have that "Star Fox" vibe. The closest I've seen was Starlink: Battle for Atlas.

Koei Tecmo's Deception series is still pretty unique to this very day. I don't know of anything that plays like them.

Sly Cooper's mix of platforming and stealth still feels pretty unique.

Sonic games still feel pretty unique.

 

[JG5009]

I'd say that stuff inspired by Sonic falls more on the realm of fangames/romhacks and fully original titles tend to be much more unique in gameplay, it's clearly noticeable with Freedom Planet 1/2, Spark the Electric Jester trilogy and things like Pollyroll, Rolling Rascal and whatever pops in the SAGE (Sonic Amateur Games Expo) of each year, so there's definitely stuff that is just as varied as the multiple styles of Sonic games themselves.


I'd say that Mega Man Battle Network combat style it's still very unexplored in the same style that makes it so strong and compelling to this day, there's a bunch of things taking notes from it nowadays, but none feel as engaging, the only 2 that DO feel as perfect are fangames (Shangai.EXE and MMBN Chrono X).

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

7th Dragon's EX gauge.

Homeworld's true 3D Space Strategy (There are only 3 non-Homeworld games that do it, Nebulous Fleet Command, Nexus The Jupiter Incident, and Battle Star Galactica Deadlock).

Illbleed's perception system.

Root's asymmetrical factions that actually play different from each other in everything (technically a board game, but it has a video game adaptation, good enough).

 

[Pinballbuzzbro]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land's combat system. First 3d platformer I've ever played where the combat actually feels natural and not shoehorned in as an afterthought lmao, I like that the bosses are actual boss fights and not glorified platforming challenges or "jump on mean green bean's head 3 timesz!!!111"

 

[ct9983]

There are actually numerous star fox rip-offs
Most notably, there is the panzer Dragoon series. While not space shooters, they are on-rails flight based shooters. And I have always felt they were similar to star fox.
also sin and punishment kind of fits the bill. Just not flight based (I know it's a stretch)
Less notably, there is Star X for the GBA, Jupiter strike, Vanark, and space debris for PS1. All of which truly copy/paste the star fox formula quite closely.
Also, as a fun side note there is one boss fight in crash bandicoot 3 that feels like a star fox level

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Ratchet & Clank stands out because of its combination of platforming, humor, and a massive arsenal of upgradeable weapons. The way it blends action with creative weapon design and progression is still unmatched. Even games that try to follow its formula often miss the balance between charm, gameplay variety, and polish. Shinobi on PS2 introduced the tate system, which rewarded players for chaining kills in a stylish and rhythmic way. It added a layer of flow and momentum to combat that hasn’t been copied by other hack-and-slash games, even though it was one of the most innovative mechanics of its time. Star Fox defined the cinematic rail shooter genre with branching paths, squad interactions, and tight pacing. While there are other rail shooters out there, very few capture the same feeling of flying through a mission with your team, reacting to dynamic events, and unlocking alternate routes. Starlink: Battle for Atlas came close in terms of space combat and customization, but it didn’t fully recreate the emotional and structural rhythm of Star Fox. Koei Tecmo’s Deception series is another standout. It’s a trap-based strategy game where you lure enemies into elaborate setups. It’s a rare example of reverse stealth and psychological gameplay, and nothing else really plays like it. Sly Cooper combined stealth and platforming in a way that felt smooth and character-driven. The missions were designed around heists and sneaking, but still kept the pace and accessibility of a platformer. Even today, there’s no direct successor that captures its tone and gameplay mix. And Sonic games, despite their ups and downs, still offer a unique experience built around speed and momentum. Other fast-paced platformers exist, but few understand the physics-based movement and flow that make Sonic feel distinct.

 

[demons-souls]

Final Fantasy XII's gambit system

 

[JG5009]

There are actually numerous star fox rip-offs
Most notably, there is the panzer Dragoon series. While not space shooters, they are on-rails flight based shooters. And I have always felt they were similar to star fox.
also sin and punishment kind of fits the bill. Just not flight based (I know it's a stretch)
Less notably, there is Star X for the GBA, Jupiter strike, Vanark, and space debris for PS1. All of which truly copy/paste the star fox formula quite closely.
Also, as a fun side note there is one boss fight in crash bandicoot 3 that feels like a star fox level

Kid Icarus Uprising on 3DS could fit as well, every level starts with a on rail shooting section before the 3rd person shooter parts, but it's much more like Sin and Punishment with moving and aiming separately.

Post automatically merged: Today at 5:21 AM

Kirby and the Forgotten Land's combat system. First 3d platformer I've ever played where the combat actually feels natural and not shoehorned in as an afterthought lmao, I like that the bosses are actual boss fights and not glorified platforming challenges or "jump on mean green bean's head 3 timesz!!!111"

I think you might be onto something actually, it helps that Kirby always had that secondary focus on combat, I really can't think of many others that just fit with this aspect.

 

[NOTthatHARD]

To add to the list of unique gameplay experiences:

Chrono Cross, The Legend of Dragoon, Omega Boost, Silent Bomber, Vagrant Story,
Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, Wild Guns (also Wild Guns Reloaded), Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission.

Each one of those games offer a gameplay experience that is hard to find anywhere else.

 

[UnDubious]

To add to the list of unique gameplay experiences:

Chrono Cross, The Legend of Dragoon, Omega Boost, Silent Bomber, Vagrant Story,
Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, Wild Guns (also Wild Guns Reloaded), Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission.

Each one of those games offer a gameplay experience that is hard to find anywhere else.

Wild Guns isn't unique at all, it's a Cabal-like. There was a subgenre of shooters just like that prior to it, starting in the late '80s. There was even a Western-themed one called Blood Bros.

Legend of Dragoon... other RPGs have timing-based elements in turn-based battle systems, IMO they're not wildly different even if it's not exactly the same. CC I don't remember anything really unique about.

 

[NOTthatHARD]

Wild Guns isn't unique at all, it's a Cabal-like. There was a subgenre of shooters just like that prior to it, starting in the late '80s. There was even a Western-themed one called Blood Bros.

Legend of Dragoon... other RPGs have timing-based elements in turn-based battle systems, IMO they're not wildly different even if it's not exactly the same. CC I don't remember anything really unique about.

Still unique gameplay experiences that aren't common anymore.

 

[Sairiui]

I've never seen games like Fire Fight from old Windows 95 days.

 

[PrismRed]

Resonance of Fate

 

[Vardalis]

I'm always surprised the "pick stuff up" thing from Katamari hasn't been more widely copied unless I haven't noticed with "cozy" indie titles or anything.

 

[Rocket2049]

bahamut lagoon was basically a SRPG with DRAGONS in the mix, which they could change the map (burn stuff down, freeze lakes, etc)
idk how this game never got a remake or a official localization, it's so good, and i love the battle music!

a lot of the Ys games
YS 1 and 2 don't have an ATTACK BUTTON, you literally bump to kill enemies, while trying to avoid damage yourself (hit enemies at back or side or etc)
despite all the newer games being action spam quickly and dash around, i always found them with a more unique fast-paced combat,
BTW, Ys 8 is one of my favorite game OF ALL TIME, nothing comes even close.

Final fantasy 5 compared to the rest of the FF games
like, seriously, the best class/job change system with mix and match of abilities from other classes (FFT sorta does this too i guess)
most other FF games with class change is "change class, okay nothing from other class"
and thats not a lot with CHANGING class, sometimes its just locked.
like FF1 (set in start, never change)
FF3 has class change but nothing from other classes work when you do.
FF12 no class change (you can RESET in the remaster zodiac age, but you start form scratch job wise)
13 i mean... paradigms are just "in battle job change" and outfits in lighting returns are "jobs"

Bravely default because of it's... Brave system (take extra moves) and default (block and save up extra turn for later) and other than that its just like the above FF5 job change system

for some reason i was playing billy hatcher and the giant egg recently
it's... certainly unique! having to roll eggs around all over the place and use them as ways to high jump/bounce or attack enemies, and without any egg you're... pretty useless LOL