Win The New Dragonball Z Game - Name Best Neglected Games

[racketboy]

You can get your very own copy of Super Dragonball Z for the PS2 for free by taking part in my new contest.

Here's what you have to do:

* Register in the racketboy forums (if you haven't already)
* Think of one game that sticks out in your mind that you really enjoyed, but you don't think many others have experienced.
* List the name of the game, the console it was featured on, and provide at least 350 words about why you think it deserves recognition on this forum thread.


Three other judges and I will decide which feature was the most convincing and well-written. Each entry will be graded on grammer, spelling, reasons for choosing the game, and the balance of obscurity to quality of the game. You can enter as many times as you'd like. Each 350+ word write-up is a separate entry and will increase your chances of winning.

Deadline for entries will be Friday, August 11 2006 @ 8pm EST.
The forum topic will be closed at that point and judging will begin soon after.
If you have questions, please post them in the comments section below.

If you have question, please post them in the comments section of the main contest post.

Best of luck!


edit: I hope to eventually edit these pieces into a compilation of game recommendations for "hidden gems"
In that feature, I may have to edit pieces for length and style a bit to make them all consistent.
Credit will still be given to their original authors.

[retrogamer]

Dracula X: Chi no Rondo is the Castlevania game that got away. Known to the West as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, it's a game for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM attachment, a.k.a the Turbo Duo, NEC's excellent little console that did brisk business in Japan and bombed hideously in the States.

You see this game crop up sometimes when a major magazine decides to do a retrospective on Castlevania, usually with some little blurb about how excellent it was and how you'll never get to play it, but little more than that and maybe a screenshot or two. Even on the internet, info on Rondo isn't as easy to come by as many other "lost" games, and much of the information out there is quite old. Rarely is it ever put in the context of the series, when in fact it's one of the few Castlevania games to not only have a fully ingrained plot, but it was also the game that pioneered many of the advancements that would be expounded on down the road by future installments.

Obviously, there's a lot more here than meets the eye, and it's particularly interesting in retrospect because Rondo's direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was an enormous smash hit stateside and went on to become of the most popular PlayStation 1 games ever. This makes the lack of a Western release even more notable, because in a lot of ways it's the "missing link" between the old games and the new style seen in the recent GameBoy Advance games like Aria of Sorrow.

In America, the jump was pretty abrupt; the last major Castlevania game was the Genesis-only Bloodlines, released in 1994. Though and excellent game in its own right, was still very much of the old-school. You went from point A to point B, fighting off various minions of Dracula using whips, crucifixes and holy water, and tried not to get killed in the process. At the end, you'd fight a boss, collect one of those ubiquitous red orbs, and move on. Next thing you know, the "sequel" Symphony comes out three years later, and the gaming public does a collective double-take. Gone is the classic game structure, and in its place is a souped-up 2D action-RPG with a hefty chunk of plot, secrets galore, voice-overs, cutscenes, money, experience points, and an item count that spiraled well into the several hundred range.

While it was a welcome change for most people, it was also sort of weird for such a popular series to suddenly shift gears so dramatically. On top of that, there were a few oddities in the U.S. release of Symphony that hinted that something was missing. While the game's main character, Alucard, had first shown up Castlevania III for the NES (which did come out in the states), the story revolved around someone named Richter Belmont and a young woman looking for him named Maria Renard. Other than a brief, vauge text crawl at the start of the game, there was no attempt to explain who these people were, they were just kind of there.

To make matters even more confusing, Konami slightly altered the game's intro to try to artificially link Symphony to Bloodlines: At the onset, you re-play the final fight with Dracula in order to set the stage for the rest of the game. You also get a title header: "FINAL STAGE: Castlevania Bloodlines", and then proceed to play something that's completely different from the final stage of Bloodlines with unfamiliar characters who you've never seen before making references to something that, as far as gamers in the U.S. were concerned, had never happened before.

Thanks to the miracle of CD-ROM technology, this was the first Castlevania game to feature not only cutscenes, but cutscenes with full spoken dialogue and even an early attempt at in-game cinematic animation. It looks a little bizarre nowadays -- there's very little actual "animation" to speak of, and when characters speak, only their mouths move and it looks horribly weird at times -- but this was still some pretty hot stuff back '93. The only other downside is that, unless you're fluent in Japanese, a good chunk of the plot is going to be completely lost on you, meaning you're stuck trying to make sense of Dracula and Richter chatting it up for a surprisingly long time at a few points in the game. Luckily, fan translations of the script do exist (ask Google about them), so while it isn't perfect, you can at least have something to read during the talky bits.

The other thing the CD space is used for to great effect is the music. In another first for the series (and another thing that would be copied and improved on for Symphony), all the music was played straight from the CD, giving the game high quality Redbook audio that was leaps and bounds ahead of the MIDI tunes that had so far made up the soundtrack for the series. Fan favorites like "Vampire Killer" and "Bloody Tears" made the cut, as well as a good number of tunes that, I believe, have yet to be recycled in any of the other games in the series. As for the gameplay itself, Rondo is a blast of pure Castlevania goodness from start to finish. It stands as a shining example of how to take a relatively simple concept -- move forward and attack things -- and make it seem fresh, intense, and wonderfully quick-paced. The introduction, where Richter races his carriage through a midnight storm and is accosted by Death himself, sets the breakneck pace for the rest of the game. There are very few moments here when the game isn't throwing something entirely new at you. The levels are greatly varied, never sending you through the same area twice and often introducing gimmicks or level-specific challenges that force you to think on your feet. In this day and age how many games offer all of that. The golden age of videogames is sadly over girls and boys. It is up to us gamers who grew up on the NES to keep these titles alive by introducing them to the current generation of gamers. We were fortunate to be children of the 80's & 90's. Hope everyone who reads this will atleast try this game. It will not dissapoint. You do not have to own the console since the Magicengine emulator will play this. Magicengine can be found here: http://www.magicengine.com/uk_index.html

[Mozgus]

I typed it up long ago, and not for this contest obviously, but anytime I am asked about a quality overlooked title, I always seem to think of E.G.G. It just left me with a great feeling and didn't dramatically fumble any aspect. I understand if you won't accept this as an entry, since I've even mentioned the game once before on here but oh well:

http://www.stevemv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9

[SegaVega]

There are assuredly a thousand titles of fair quality and general obscurity, but moving up the list of the most criminally overlooked games ever, one absolutely flooring title has been disregarded to an unequivocal extent. This is the part where I'd typically say "the hardcore gamers know what I'm talking about", but I'd wager with this one, you don't.

No, Lost Vikings and Three Dirty Dwarves are good guesses, yes Silent Bomber sold under 10,000 copies (living up to it's name), and Skyblazer on SNES was a religous experience, but I'm referring to the phenomenal title Space Station Silicon Valley whose excellence is simply unreal.

To elaborate on it's origins, this game was a laborious effort developed in Scotland by DMA Design, and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. Yes, DMA, the house that Grand Theft Auto built. Space Station Silicon Valley was the product of countless great ideas, all respectably executed and rarely seen since. The acclaim from those who experienced it was undeniable, equally undeniable would be the shameful media neglect it received. To say that it rounded out the originality factor on the N64 would be doing it a tremendous disservice; this title filled the void completely.

Space Station Silicon Valley followed a Pikmin-esque anti-hero named Dangerous Dan and his rickety robot Evo as they searched for a missing space station and it's crew members. With each ongoing minute, the game serves to impress the player with it's unending array of uniqueness. It begins with the bumbling duo arguing their way into a rough landing on a strange planet. They manage through this, to kill an android dog in love with an android sheep (yes). Evo the robot is destroyed, his parts quite seperated, and in order to survive, his microchip inhabits and reanimates the mutilated pooch. They then set off to restore Evo and solve the numerous other mysteries at hand. Thus begins one of the most amazing and mistreated games of any generation.

The gameplay focuses initially in controlling Evo through this dog, whom has a number of abilities (rocket power), and soon after you take control of the aforementioned sheep. The game however, later moves on to a much wider selection of animals. Over 40. Each of these hosts have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and are not the simple model swapping that alternate characters in many games exhibit. From snow throwing penguins, to juggling grizzly bears, to crapping rats, the game is packed with possibilities. To top it off, each NPC animal responds differently to the animal you are controlling, as well as to the abilities you may use to attack it. The game ultimately spans over 35 levels, each with numerous quests and brilliant design which uses the multi-character game system to it's full potential. It should also be noted that the animals are each very unique and well contained, so as not to confuse or mix up their abilities. This is no small feat for a game with so much content. Few titles before or since have ever contained as much playability, with even upcoming games like Viva Pinata holding only a piece of Silicon's whole. Ultimately, I would go so far as to claim the gameplay in this title to be some of the best of it's generation.

The graphics and sound in Space Station are equally as original as it's gameplay, and executed with the same level of fervor. The game's look is decidedly humorous, one might even say light-hearted. This creates a genius contrast to the often twisted events that unfold, almost comparable to the look/direction of The Mark of Kri. The animation is also quite exaggerated, and brings the originality of the characters and game world to a higher level than most developers could ever hope to achieve. The sound is very fitting as well, with Starfox-style voice overs that push the feel of the game farther, "elevator" type music to stress the controlled environment (it really works!), and a brilliant "speaker phone" system that plays the actual BGM in the game world itself. The closer you get to these spekers, the louder the music becomes, with the ability to destroy them entirely. The sound effects themselves are also quite priceless.

Space Station's pacing and sense of progression is absolutely brilliant. By the game's epic conclusion, you'll certainly feel the experience as complete, and the triumph of the developers will become very apparent. This is all I will say so as not to spoil the finale for those who have yet to play this title. It can also be said that Space Station is one of the most flawless games of it's time. The title's only "downfall" would seemingly be the lack of co-op play, though I would argue that the game would lose some of it's ability to draw you in through that addition. It may have made for a good feature in a sequel, but unfortunately, we know what happened on that front. One could also argue that the graphics may not hold up as well today, but they remain some of the best and most inspired on the N64 and are far from damaging to the enjoyment of the title.

I know of no more worthy a game for this subject than Space Station Silicon Valley. This is a game that did not give it's creators the stature they deserved, a game that did not sell as it should have, and a game that simply is not remembered or respected nearly as much as it should be. To those who've not played Space Station Silicon Valley, I implore that you do so. You won't be able to make up for it's poor sales, but it'll appreciate the puchase nonetheless, rewarding you with one of the finest gaming experiences the world has never experienced.

[neohx_7]

Virtual Hydlide

(review forthcoming )

[Dr. J]

In my mispent youth, one day springs out in my mind. I walked into an arcade and spotted a little light gun game called 'The House of the Dead 2'. I had played and enjoyed the original, but man, this was something else. Bigger, faster, and much more beautiful, it quickly robbed me of the twenty bucks I was carrying, even though I got nowhere near the end. When I went home I did a google search on the game, and learned that it had already had a home release! In Japan, on a console called the Dreamcast, which would be hitting U.S. shores in September. I knew I had to own it right then and there. So, besides being a fantastic game in its own right, this one lead me to the Dreamcast and all of its wonderful gems, so I am a bit biased towards it.

The game style is what you would call the standard Sega Virtua Cop-style light-gun game: two lightguns, one screen, six bullets, 3 hits per continue, shoot outside the screen to reload, kill monsters, don't kill civilians. In fact, it was one of the last games to employ this 'classic' scheme; the later entries introduced shotguns, uzis, and grenades, and subsequent sequels in other light-gun franchises, such as Virtua Cop 3, introduced new elements to the genre.

The story and heroes of the game are thin and boring. Well, I take that back; the heroes' horrible voice acting is pretty hilarious, but that's all. Luckily, for the most part you'll be dealing with the real stars of the game: the zombies! As in the first game, you can literally not walk five feet without getting attacked by zombies, and thank god for that, because killing them is sooo much fun. The headshot is the most expedient way to put them down, making it an important skill to master. You can also blow their limbs off and put basketball-sized holes in their chests in a shower of colorful gore, which, while not very effective, is completely entertaining; you can have fun trying to sink as many shots as possible into a zombie while keeping it alive, and some, with both arms gone and a bullet or two in the chest, can still lurch forward and bite you! The zombies are definitely not very creepy compared to, say, Resident Evil. However, what they lack in terror, they make up for in spades in sheer personality. You have standard zombies that attack with their fists, zombies that slash with and hurl their hatchets, zombies that crawl on walls, zombies that throw knives, fat zombies, water zombies, dual-chainsaw wielding zombies that are wayyyy too fast for comfort, zombies with humongous swords, commando zombies, zombies with parasites in their chests, all the way up to intangible, teleporting, cloaked, lighsaber-wielding super zombies(and if you search enough, you can even find some zombies from the first game, which is a nice nod to fans). There are also a host of other creatures, such as worms, frogs, fish, and owls that fill the air with feathers when you shoot them, not to mention the bosses, which range from giant snakes to axe-wielding goliaths to shapeshifting, projectile-spewing superbeings. Suffice it to say its very fun to kill the buggers, and the wide variety means that over the course of the game you will never get bored seeing the same type over and over and over again.

The level design is fantastic. The majority of the game takes place in an unnamed, old-world European city. You'll constantly be changing locations, going inside, outside, shooting through streets, shops, houses, alleys, ruins, office buildings, and much more. Zombies come at you from every direction; they lurk around corners, smash through windows, climb out of canals, crawl out of vents, sneak up from behind, and so on and so forth. The constant change of surroundings and unpredictability of the next zombie attack makes the game very exciting. The greatest thing about it, however, are the alternate paths that wind through the first four of the six levels. As you're blowing zombies away you'll invariably meet civilians in peril (and their terrible voice-acting is pretty hilarious as well), and if you save them, in most cases an alternate path through the level opens up! The second level has by far the most; in one case you'll see a girl trapped behind a gate with zombies approaching behind her, while in another you actually end up behind the gate with her, fighting off the same zombies. In fact, the path you choose through the level can lead to tweaked boss encounters, which start you on different paths in the next level! Even if you knew excatly what you were doing and could flawlessly save every civilian (and it ain't easy), it would take about half-a-dozen playthroughs to see all the game has to offer.

Anyway, that's just the arcade mode. For the Dreamcast port, Sega graciously added a wealth of other modes to increase the replay value even further. Original Mode is much like arcade mode, only you'll now find extra items littered throughout the stages, things like alternate costumes, extra continues, and alternate weapons. They're everywhere. Shoot a chandelier, and item falls out. Save a civilian, he gives you an item. What's that glitter you spot far away in the middle of the bridge right before the boss destroys it? An item! So, even if you've played arcade mode to death, you'll still want to retrace your steps to grab all the extra swag.

Then there's Training mode. Ten excercises with five difficulty levels each (that range from 'pretty damn hard' to 'obscenely, insanely hard') that test skills like speed, accuracy, saving civilians, rapid-fire, killing a set number of zombies with a limited number of bullets, and so-on. It's quite tough, but also very addictive.

Finally, you have Boss mode. Might I mention that the boss fights in the game are superb, and this mode lets you perfect your boss-killing technique. Each boss (including the alternate modes of 3 bosses) have 5 difficulty levels, the higher ones being pretty tough. The toughest of all, however, is All Boss mode, which has you fight every boss, consecutively, on only one continue. It's a monster challenge, but far from impossible.

And even when you've beaten the bosses, all the training missions, and found ever item, its still fun to crank up the difficulty and run through arcade mode. Its a bit like Super Mario Bros; everyone has beaten it, but you still find yourself playing through it again for the fun of it. Its easily the pinnacle of the light-gun genre, and one of the greatest games ever made, bar none.

[racketboy]

Topic is close and no more entries are being accepted.
I'll have the entries judged soon.
Thanks to those that entered!