The best little games you've never heard of

Dark Nexus · Post by **Dark Nexus** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:33 am

With all the negative topics lately (2 biggest letdown threads, worst movies, etc), I figured it's about time for a positive one.

So, what games did you really enjoy that most of the rest of us probably haven't heard of? Games that you yourself hadn't heard of before either trying it on a whim or having it recommended to you. Games that WOULD have sold well, if people had only KNOWN about them... Games that the rest of us should try!

I'm going to have to go with Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising. It's a nice little RTS/Vehicle Shooter hybrid from 2001 that a friend just recently tipped me off about. The gameplay is pretty good, and the writing is absolutely excellent. The quality of the voice acting is well up there, too.

NorthernComfort · Post by **NorthernComfort** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:25 pm

I'd say Spaceward Ho!, a small space 4X game that was released god knows how many years ago. Well, its fun, its simple, its easy to play, and its incredibly awesome on networking. That was my middle school right there. Bare bones strategy, baby.

Or Marathon 2. Not exactly unheard of, after Halo came out, but still deserves mentioning if you've never hunkered down and played the Marathon trilogy. Just do it. You will not regret it if you enjoy a good story and great shooting.

peter-griffin · Post by **peter-griffin** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:06 pm

Starcraft.

NorthernComfort · Post by **NorthernComfort** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:24 pm

Just say postcount++, peter. It'll save you those two seconds of thinking time to churn out pointless drivel.

peter-griffin · Post by **peter-griffin** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:43 pm

Except my post had something to do with the thread. Oh, and since php doesn't count the posts in a loop, and the variable is generated and assigned to an sql slot...

Arc Orion · Post by **Arc Orion** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:17 pm

That's not the point. It's just that you've merely increased your post count. No one cares exactly what improves it, just that it's improved.

Last time I checked, quite a few people knew about a little game called StarCraft. In fact, it's gotten some awards and honors.

* Greatest Game of All Time - GameSpot
* Number-one selling PC Game of 1998 - PC Data
* Game of the Year -- Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS)
* Game of the Year -- Computer Gaming World
* Game of the Year -- European Consumer Trade Show Industry Award
* Game of the Year -- PC Powerplay
* Game of the Year -- Gamesmania
* Best Game of the Year -- PCFan
* Taiwan Gamer's Choice of Game of the Year. -- Chinese Edition of PC Gamer or PC Gamer (China)
* Hall of Fame -- Gamespy
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Computer Games Strategy Plus
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS)
* Real Time Strategy Game of The Year -- PC Gamer
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Gamespot
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Games Domain
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Gamesmania
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Editor's Choice -- Gamezilla
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Gamezilla
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Gamecenter
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Duelist Magazine
* Best Real-Time Strategy Title -- PCFan

* Mulitplayer Game of The Year - 1999 Milia Awards
* Multiplayer Game of the Year -- Gamecenter
* Mulitplayer Game of The Year -- The Gamers Net
* Best Multiplayer Title -- PCFan
* Best New Multiplayer Online Game -- 1999 Codie Awards
* Best use of Online Multiplayer Gaming (Editor Award) -- HotGames.com

* Best Online Game - Reader's Choice -- Duelist Magazine
* Special Achievement Award - Best Story -- Gamespot
* Special Achievement Award - Best Multiplayer Game -- Gamespot
* Best use of Sound in a Computer Game (Reader Award) -- HotGames.com
* #1 Reader's Top 50 -- PC Gamer
* Best Depth -- PC Accelerator

* 5 out of 5 Stars Editor's Choice-- Computer Gaming World
* 5 out of 5 Gameworthy Rating -- C/NET Gamecenter
* 9.4 out of 10 -- Online Game Review
* 92% Editors Choice -- PC Gamer
* 4.5 out of 5 star rating - Computer games Strategy Plus
* 5 out of 5 star rating - Mac 3D Total Action
* 9.1 out of 10 rating -- Gamespot
* A+ -- Gameweek
* 4 out of 4 star rating - USA Today

And nobody's heard about it?

I'd say Terranigma, though it is somewhat well known. It's a great game, and I don't think it ever got the attention it deserved.

grassmunk · Post by **grassmunk** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:44 pm

http://jet.ro/dismount/ just play them!

BadMonkey · Post by **BadMonkey** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:30 pm

Hostile Waters (DEMO) is extremly worth playing.
Warren Ellis (yes that one) wrote it, and Tom Baker, with Paul Darrow and Glynis Barber (Avon and Soolin from Blakes 7) do some of the (excellent) voice acting.
The game itself is a brilliant action RTS, that you wont see the likes of too often.
You control a sentient carrier/battleship that has the abiltiy to nanoform vehicles to your specification (you choose the type, payload, armour level)
These vehicles are controlable by you (and they all drive great) , but you can also implant the downloaded consciousness of the last great warriors into them, and order them around.

RadicalDreamer · Post by **RadicalDreamer** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:58 pm

I'll second Terranigma.

I've been getting into Text Adventure gaes, and my favorite so far has been one called Anchorhead. A neat little Lovecraftian story about a newlywed woman and her husband inheriting a mansion from relatives they've never heard of in a quiet New England town. Classic setup, good writing, the right kind of difficulty, and it's pretty damn big.

Zaph · Post by **Zaph** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:13 pm

I am going to tell you the name of the game and not give you any reason why. Why am I doing this?? Because I like the game and dont have to explain myself. The game:

Serious Sam

-Zaph

Phong · Post by **Phong** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:16 pm

[quote="Arc Orion";p="374597"]That's not the point. It's just that you've merely increased your post count. No one cares exactly what improves it, just that it's improved.

Last time I checked, quite a few people knew about a little game called StarCraft. In fact, it's gotten some awards and honors.

* Greatest Game of All Time - GameSpot
* Number-one selling PC Game of 1998 - PC Data
* Game of the Year -- Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS)
* Game of the Year -- Computer Gaming World
* Game of the Year -- European Consumer Trade Show Industry Award
* Game of the Year -- PC Powerplay
* Game of the Year -- Gamesmania
* Best Game of the Year -- PCFan
* Taiwan Gamer's Choice of Game of the Year. -- Chinese Edition of PC Gamer or PC Gamer (China)
* Hall of Fame -- Gamespy
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Computer Games Strategy Plus
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS)
* Real Time Strategy Game of The Year -- PC Gamer
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Gamespot
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Games Domain
* Strategy Game of the Year -- Gamesmania
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Editor's Choice -- Gamezilla
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Gamezilla
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Gamecenter
* Best Real Time Strategy Game - Reader's Choice -- Duelist Magazine
* Best Real-Time Strategy Title -- PCFan

* Mulitplayer Game of The Year - 1999 Milia Awards
* Multiplayer Game of the Year -- Gamecenter
* Mulitplayer Game of The Year -- The Gamers Net
* Best Multiplayer Title -- PCFan
* Best New Multiplayer Online Game -- 1999 Codie Awards
* Best use of Online Multiplayer Gaming (Editor Award) -- HotGames.com

* Best Online Game - Reader's Choice -- Duelist Magazine
* Special Achievement Award - Best Story -- Gamespot
* Special Achievement Award - Best Multiplayer Game -- Gamespot
* Best use of Sound in a Computer Game (Reader Award) -- HotGames.com
* #1 Reader's Top 50 -- PC Gamer
* Best Depth -- PC Accelerator

* 5 out of 5 Stars Editor's Choice-- Computer Gaming World
* 5 out of 5 Gameworthy Rating -- C/NET Gamecenter
* 9.4 out of 10 -- Online Game Review
* 92% Editors Choice -- PC Gamer
* 4.5 out of 5 star rating - Computer games Strategy Plus
* 5 out of 5 star rating - Mac 3D Total Action
* 9.1 out of 10 rating -- Gamespot
* A+ -- Gameweek
* 4 out of 4 star rating - USA Today

And nobody's heard about it?

I'd say Terranigma, though it is somewhat well known. It's a great game, and I don't think it ever got the attention it deserved.[/quote]

I STILL say that Starcraft is just an overblown Warcraft Mod, and I'll never spend my money on it.

Sir Spankspeople · Post by **Sir Spankspeople** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:30 am

I STILL say that Starcraft is just an overblown Warcraft Mod, and I'll never spend my money on it.

Do you want me to hold you down, or would you like to pretend to believe that you have a chance to escape?

*gets the golf club*

NorthernComfort · Post by **NorthernComfort** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:41 am

StarCraft just a WarCraft mod[/i]?? The injustice!
WarCraft 2 had identical units! Zero balance needed! StarCraft is still, I say, the best balanced RTS out there!!

But back to unheard of games. This one, again, isn't "unhead" of, but it was never particularly popular.
Giants Citizen Kabuto 3 races (mechish soldier, mystic fantasy lady, and BIG FREAKIN GIANT, trapped on an island. The funniest missions you will ever play, and the dialogue is better than most movies. Toss in a few RTS elements, some great gameplay, and you've got one of my favorite games.

FireAza · Post by **FireAza** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:09 am

Starcraft balanced?! I'd have to disagree with you on that, as I've said before, the Protoss are far too powerful, if having the dropship wasn't bad enough, their units are the strongest, their offensive buildings can attack air and ground and they have shields!

As for my game, Jagged Alliance 2 is a really cool little game that no one knows about. It's a turn-based strategy game, where you hire mercenaries. You can outfit them with lots of weapons and tools. They need rest, payment, there's realistic injuries (which if you treat with a med kit, only stops the bleeding, you still need to get them real treatment) the combat is really cool (you can climb up onto buildings, take cover behind objects and shoot over them, guns can jam ect). It's a really detailed game, and there's an expansion coming out sometime which has the full version of JA2 with it too I think.

Sir Spankspeople · Post by **Sir Spankspeople** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:16 am

FireAza, you sound a lot like H-H... As a Zerg player I have never had trouble defeating a Protoss oponent of equal skill, though I could never really get the hang of Protoss units. Too expensive for swarming...

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