Hidden Gems!

[SecretStrategist]

When it comes to PS1 Hidden Gems, I recommend the following if you're interested in them:

Genei Tougi: Shadow Struggle and its sequel Critical Blow
Panzer Bandit
T.R.A.G. - Mission of Mercy (also known as Hard Edge)
The Bishi Bashi games by Konami
Crisis Beat
Crisis City
Dangan
EOS: Edge of Skyhigh
Evil Zone
Fighters' Impact and its American localization version Vs.
Gaia Seed: Project Seed Trap
Gamera 2000
The Gun Shooting and its sequel The Gun Shooting 2
Gunners Heaven (also known as Rapid Reload)
Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic and its spinoff Tamago de Puzzle
Gunbare: Game Tengoku 2
Harmful Park
Hyper Speed GranDoll
Kaisoku Tenshi: The Rapid Angel
Shin Senki Van-Gale: The War of Neo-Century
Silent Bomber
Silhouette Mirage
Speed Punks
Touki Denshou: Angel Eyes
Trap Gunner: Countdown to Oblivion
Virtual Hiryu no Ken

 

[killy.vg]

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Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2025

View attachment 10712

 

[bjork]

Another vote here for Racing Lagoon. One of the only games I still own physical.
I don't know how hidden it is, but there's a PS1 port of Cleopatra Fortune that's pretty fun.

 

[ZombieFish]

Left field maybe, but Peter Jackson's King Kong for PS2 is a fun little romp, and flexes what the system can do. It reminds me of Jurassic Park: Trespasser, except not completely broken and unplayable.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

PS1

V2000
Azure Dreams
Radikal Bikers
Diver's Dream
Invasion From Beyond
Deep Freeze
Team Buddies
Gangway Monsters
Cyber Org
Hard Rock Cab
Lucifer Ring
Soukaigi
Punky Skunk
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force
The Bombing Islands
Project Gaiaray
The Unholy War
Eggs of Steel
Krazy Ivan
Dreams



PS2

Trapt
Spy Fiction
Heavenly Guardian
The Sword of Etheria
Air Ranger Rescue Helicopter
Vampire Panic
Bujingai: The Forsaken City
Crimson Tears
Spectral vs. Generation
Innocent Life
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Ring of Red
Shinobido: Way of the Ninja
Dragon Blaze
Yanya Caballista City Skater
Ribbit King
The Nightmare of Druaga
Robot Alchemic Drive
Iridium Runners
ChainDive

 

[RageBurner]

View attachment 10728

PS1

V2000
Azure Dreams
Radikal Bikers
Diver's Dream
Invasion From Beyond
Deep Freeze
Team Buddies
Gangway Monsters
Cyber Org
Hard Rock Cab
Lucifer Ring
Team Losi RC Racer
Punky Skunk
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force
The Bombing Islands
Project Gaiaray
The Unholy War
Eggs of Steel
Krazy Ivan
Dreams

View attachment 10734

PS2

Trapt
Spy Fiction
Heavenly Guardian
The Sword of Etheria
Air Ranger Rescue Helicopter
Vampire Panic
Bujingai: The Forsaken City
Crimson Tears
Spectral vs. Generation
Innocent Life
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Ring of Red
Shinobido: Way of the Ninja
Dragon Blaze
Yanya Caballista City Skater
Ribbit King
The Nightmare of Druaga
Robot Alchemic Drive
Iridium Runners
ChainDive

Awesome list! I should look these up and see which ones I'd like to try.

 

[ciro64]

Yeah I'm serious.

The campaign mode supports local co-op. The video doesn't show it but you can unlock some super weird tables.

 

[RageBurner]

Yeah I'm serious.

The campaign mode supports local co-op. The video doesn't show it but you can unlock some super weird tables.

Is this like air hockey? it looks like it would make for a great couch game.

 

[ciro64]

Is this like air hockey? it looks like it would make for a great couch game.

Yeah! Just plain, simple fun.

I'm more of a n64 fanboy, but lately I've been thinking of exploiting my ps2 to play ps1 games from an HD or something. Not only to relieve part of my childhood but also to experience new games as well, including multiplayer ones. I have a feeling ps1 may have the most diverse library of games out of all consoles.

 

[RageBurner]

Yeah! Just plain, simple fun.

I'm more of a n64 fanboy, but lately I've been thinking of exploiting my ps2 to play ps1 games from an HD or something. Not only to relieve part of my childhood but also to experience new games as well, including multiplayer ones. I have a feeling ps1 may have the most diverse library of games out of all consoles.

That's most likely true. Between PS1 and 2 you have a huge swath of gaming history to pick from, right there.

 

[Vanity Crow]

I'm new here so I tried to be organized, Also I didn't want to post a wall. So I put my hidden gem lists under spoilers for the PSX. These are games I'd generally recommend for anybody looking for unique experiences on the PSX and show the best the console has to offer. Although I'm sure that I've missed some things, like games I haven't gotten to play like Ape Escape or Kamen Rider Hurricaner. But this should be helpful.

Apologies for the lengths of my JPN and USA picks.

Spoiler: [In depth PSX JPN Hidden Gems Game List]

If you're a fan of Devil Dice, try out XI [sai] Jumbo.
If you like Jumping Flash, Robbit Mon Dieu

And now some general hidden gems in my honest opinion, most games have minimal language barriers:

Mad Panic Coaster, Paranoia Scape, Project Gaia Ray [as long as you don't mind gameplay clones], Kamen Rider Ryuki, Cosmo Warrior Zero, Chou Kousoku Grandoll, Ten Made Jack, Zig Zag Ball, 70's Robot Anime - Geppy X - The Super Boosted Armor, Abalaburn: A Battle Legend of Asttercia, Advanced V.G 2, Arkanoid R 2000, Armed Fighter, Breed Master, Asuka 120% Special - Burning Fest Special, Carton-Kun, Crisis City, DamDam Stompland, Egg, Expert, Gamera 2000, Gear Fighter Gendoh, Gundam - The Battle Master 2, Kaettekita Cyborg Kuro Chan, Tiny Bullets, Touki Denshou - Angel Eyes, Tsumu, Wolf Fang - Kagura 2001, Yuusha-ou Gadgaigar - Blockaded Numbers. Mahjong Station Mazin, Medarot R, Megatudo 2096, Mouja, Mr. Driller G [This is an arcade port, but a decent one nonetheless], Mizuki Shigeru No Youkai Butouden, Oh No! , Pop'N Tanks, Rakugaki Showtime, Running High, Slap Happy Rhythm Busters, Smash Court 3, Speedpower Gunbike, Tatsunoko Fight. Vehichle Caviler.

Spoiler: [A super brief PAL region exclusive PSX list]

Discworld Noir, Firo and Klawed, Firebugs, Future Racer, Ghoul Panic, Hellnight, Klonoa Beach Volleyball, Rapid Reload

Spoiler: [Long USA PSX Game List]

All-Star Slammin' D-Ball [this has some great reskins in other regions] , Apocalypse, Aquanaut's Holiday, Blaster Master Blasting Again, Assault: Retribution, Blasto, Brave Fencer Musashi, Bomberman World, Brahama Force : The Assault on Beltlogger 9, Deception III : Dark Delusion, Desteraga, Einhander, Future Cop : LAPD, Ghost in The Shell, Heart of Darkness, Herc's Adventures, Hogs of War, I.Q: Intelligent Qube, Incredible Crisis, Invasion from Beyond, Irritating Stick, Jersey Devil, Jet Moto 2, Jumping Flash!, Kingsley's Adventure, Klonoa Door To Phantomile, Micro Maniacs Racing, Mort The Chicken, N2O : Nitrous Oxide, Nanotek Warrior, NASCAR Rumble, Nightmare Creatures 1 and 2, Omega Boost, One, Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman, Rival Schools : Untied By Fate, Soul of the Samurai, Parasite Eve 1 + 2, Robo Pit, Star Gladiator Episode I - Final Crusade, Tail Concerto, Team Buddies, The Adventures of Lomax, The Divide : enemies Within, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Vagrant Story, Warpath : Jurassic Park, Zero Divide.

 

[RageBurner]

Welcome!
You made some pretty dense lists, and I have to admit I know only a few of those, but I'll definitely take a look at your recommendations.

 

[Vanity Crow]

Welcome!
You made some pretty dense lists, and I have to admit I know only a few of those, but I'll definitely take a look at your recommendations.

Thanks. I've been studying a lot of game consoles, the PSX especially for the past few years. Honestly, I just always wanted to find some things that weren't mentioned by most people. I'm certain that whenever I get to checking over my own PS2 collection, I'm sure I'll have more to say!

These are just some games that I keep close to my heart personally, and love playing on and off! I'd highly recommend these to many people especially if they've never heard of it before. If people know any games that I have missed, I would love to hear!

 

[pipolaplaya]

A few ideas on PS1 that come to mind in different genres:
Terracon (action/adventure)
Overboard! / Shipwreckers! (puzzle/action)
Sheep, Dog'n'Wolf / Sheep Raider (puzzle/platformer)

 

[RustySK]

Ooh, so many more suggestions, you love to see it! In that case, I'll throw two more into the ring!

First off: Aconcagua, for the PSX.
A super high effort and high budget Point & Click game with some basic survival elements with a really cinematic presentation (and shockingly decent voice acting for the time!).
Not the sort of thing I associate with the PSX, but it's genuinely really impressive and such an overlooked oddity that I definitely recommend it.

And second: Remote Control Dandy, PSX again.
This one's a mix of visual novel and giant mecha brawler that emulates the structure of an old mecha anime, definitely a fun romp!
(One big negative though - since the game is really big on immersion, the camera during battles can be really iffy)

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2025

And since I haven't brought up a PS2 game as yet, here's one of those as well: Genji - Dawn of the Samurai.

One of the most PS2-as-hell games ever.
It's an action game with some light RPG elements that's somewhere between Ninja Gaiden, God of War and Onimusha, with a genuinely impressive, colorful presentation.
No idea how this one ended up slipping through the cracks, it seems like the exact sort of thing the PS2 audience was into.

 

[Keaks]

Loving these replies, I think we could even push it to more than just PS1 and 2 games if people are feeling spicy?

 

[Yousef Yousef]

Loving these replies, I think we could even push it to more than just PS1 and 2 games if people are feeling spicy?

Yeah, inFamous is the best ps3 game. TLOU1 can suck myyyyyyyyyy just kidding but I like inFamous

 

[Vanity Crow]

Loving these replies, I think we could even push it to more than just PS1 and 2 games if people are feeling spicy?

Sure I don't mind doing a few.

I'll also add a few other titles that I know about from the PSX and PSX2 that I know aren't mentioned here.

Also super glad to see Remote Control Dandy get some love. I thought I was one of the only few people who knew about that game and loved it. Honestly, I'm just intrigued also seeing a bunch of games I haven't seen before. Considering that I love old games in general, and if I missed a hidden gem, I do not mind at all taking a moment to look it over. There are well over 10k games between the PSX to the PSX3 lines of consoles. So, I'll at least stick to that theme for my post here. Apologies if this is a little long. I'll be listing off some extra PSX titles I missed or failed to mention, alongside some great picks for your PSX2 lineup and some things for PSX3 that have really caught my eye that I'd highly suggest people try playing if they haven't gotten the chance to yet.

Anyways. Here are some extra picks:

Spoiler: [Legendary JPN PSX you've likely never heard of]

The Adventures of Little Ralph, Cho Aniki, GeGeGe no Kitarou: Gyakushuu! Youma Daikessen, Devilman, Acid, Animetic Story Game 1: Cardcaptor Sakura, Finger Flashing, Panzer Bandit, PuLiRuLa's port on there if you enjoy beat em' ups like Golden Axe with a cutesy charm. Honestly I would love to see GeGeGe and Devilman get English translations on this site or somewhere else.

A few PSX USA Titles that I didn't see mentioned that are also really good and of note are: Muppet Monster Adventure if you like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot like clones, Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout is a simple, silly albeit fun Monster Rancher spinoff if you remember that series. Great way to get introduced to characters, there's also Castlevania Symphony of the Night and Doom on the PSX, which is a completely different port altogether. Also if you want a unique title that you'd not expect, I'd highly suggest a copy of Alien Resurrection. It has a built in feature that allows you to play backup discs, or games from other regions on your PSX console. I hope this helps people in finding some extra stuff. Also there's power shovel. You control an excavator and it's a really unique game on there. The way I explained it doesn't do it justice.

Spoiler: [CD Based PSX2 Games You Should Try Out]

Cho Aniki - Sei Naru Protein Densetsu, Chulip, Ichigeki Sacchuu HoiHoi-San, Ico, Kengo, Master of Bushido, Mad Maestro, Maximo Ghosts to Glory, Ougon Kishi Garo, Rad - Robot Alchemic Drive, Rez, Simple 2000 Series vol105 - The Maid Fuku to Kikanjuu, Simple 2000 Ultimate Series vol26 - Love Smash 51 Tennis, Robo no Gyakushuu, Sub Rebellion, Space Fishermen, Smash Cars, The Thing, Tough - Dark Fight, Ultraman Nexus, Vib-Ripple, Yanya Caballista City Skater

Spoiler: [A VERY Dense List of PSX2 DVD Based Hidden Gems from all around the world]

The Adventures of Cookie and Cream, Aeon Flux, AirBlade, Alias, Altered Beast, Ape Escape - Pumped and Primed, Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, Azumi, Baldr Bullet Equilibrium, Appleseed EX, Baroque [This has come out on multiple platforms including PSX if that's more your preference] , Natt;e Stadoi, D.O.N, Beat Down - Fists of Vengeance. For my Mousu game lovers like myself, Berserk - Millennium Falcon would be a great title to add to your library. Bleach - Blade Battlers 2nd, Blood Will Tell - Tezuka Osamu's Dororo, Bloody Roar 4, Bombastic for my PSX Devil Dice fans, The Bouncer, Castlevania - Curse of Darkness and Lament of Innocence, Chaos Wars, Chou Jikuu Yousai Macross, Clock Tower 3 [I'd recommend a JPN dub, ENG dub is kinda silly], Cold Fear, This one is a controversial pick but it's so bad it's great: Combatqueen, Yu-Gi-Oh Duelists of The Roses for my Yu-Gi-Oh fans out there who love cool spinoff titles and don't like regular duel sims, Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2, Endgame, Extermination, Fantavision, Fatal Frame 1 through 3, Forgotten Realms - Demon Stone, Demon Kings, God Hand, GrimGrimoire, Headhunter - Redemption, Hungry Ghosts, Ikki tousen - Shining Dragon, Jikuu Bouken Zentrix, Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken - Ougon no Kaze, Kamen Rider - Climax Heroes, Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Dream Hyper Battle! Shinu Ki no Honoo to Kuroki Kioku, Kenka Banchou 2 - Full Throttle, Keroro Gunsou - Mero Mero Battle Royale Z, Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed Destiny - Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. II Plus, Kill.Switch, Kinnikuman - Muscle Grand Prix Max, Klonoa 2 - Lunatea's Viel, KOF - Maximum Impact Regulation A, Kujibiki Unblanace - Kaichou Onegai Smash Fight, Kuon, Life Line [If you don't mind voice controlled games and doing extra work to make it work], Magic Pengel - The Quest for Color, Magna Carta - Tears of Blood, Melty Blood - Act Cadenza and Actress Again, Mobile Suit Gundam - Climax U.C. , Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, Musashi - Samurai Legend, Mystic Night, Namco x Capcom, Nanobreaker, Nightshade, ObsCure - The Aftermath and ObsCure, Odin Sphere, One Piece - Grand Battle! Rush, Poinie's Poin, Predator - Concrete Jungle, Primal, Project - Snowblind, Radiata Stories, Radirgy Precious, Rogue Galaxy, Rumble Roses, SD Gundam Force - Showdown!, Seven Samurai 20XX, Shadow of the Colossus, Shadow Tower - Abyss, Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Ken'ichi - Gekitou! Ragnarok Hachikengou, Shin Megami Tensei - Nocturne, Siren, SkyGunner, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, Soukou Kihei Votoms, Soul Eater - Battle Resonance, Spy vs. Spy, Spy Fiction, Steambot Chronicles, Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2 [the first one is also really great!] , Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - Oogie's Revenge [if you like DMC], Top o Nerae! GunBuster, Ucguu Keiji Tamashii - The Space Sheriff Spirits, Under the Skin, Urban Chaos - Riot Response, Wild Arms 5, Yuu Yuu Hakisho Forever, Zoids - Struggle, both Zone of Enders games.

There's a lot more that I could add here. But this should be a good chunk of the hidden gems I've found over the years.

Also I know these games were mentioned already, but if you haven't I highly suggest playing Rule of Rose and Haunting Ground, they are genuinely some of the best the PS2 has to offer in terms of Survival Horror, and understand that these games genuinely earned their M rating.

anyways, a very brief but good little set to start off with on the PS3 - Folklore, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Mod Nation Racers, Little Big Planet 1 through 3, Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed, and Brutal Legend are great games to start if you want to know a little bit about the PS3's more unique titles. Apologies for the length of my post. But I do hope this helps many of you find some new favorites you haven't encountered yet. Loved hearing all of your guys' suggestions I haven't heard about.

 

[nachito]

 

[ThatsNotRich]

Uhm. Frequency , Auto Modellista , Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero & 3. Twisted Metal Black. Capcom vs SNK 2

 

[KillerJesusXo]

Ok, so I know the series as a WHOLE is popular now but this game in particular I feel is a hidden gem.


Tales of Legendia, I literally never hear anyone talk about this game even when the Tales series is mentioned. The main 2 I hear all the time from this era is Abyss and Symphonia

 

[Glimbo]

I will continue to shill these two games.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Open world action-adventure with a little RPG. Explore on foot and with a dragon. One of my favorites.

Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Like Drakan but instead of flying a dragon you sail a ship.

 

[Auriiya]

Stellar deus the gate of eternity

 

[Tonberry]

Gregory Horror Show is apparently still slightly obscure, especially if you're not from Europe or Japan since it was only ever released in those two regions, I think?
In any case it's a fantastic, weird survival horror game based on a japanese TV show. It has a really cool atmosphere where your objective is to collect souls of various guests trapped in the same hotel as you, while avoiding their wrath, in order to escape.

As a kid it was really mysterious and eerie, and felt gigantic.

 

[themoon]

Gregory Horror Show is apparently still slightly obscure, especially if you're not from Europe or Japan since it was only ever released in those two regions, I think?
In any case it's a fantastic, weird survival horror game based on a japanese TV show. It has a really cool atmosphere where your objective is to collect souls of various guests trapped in the same hotel as you, while avoiding their wrath, in order to escape.

As a kid it was really mysterious and eerie, and felt gigantic.

View attachment 11406

We weren't lucky enough to get this in North America. I didn't play it until adulthood. It's a good one though, truly bizarre and a staple of the era. Heard there was a mobile sequel.