Gamerforlife wrote:Sonic Generations is DEFINITELY a cult classic. It doesn't matter that Sonic is a well known character. The series has been maligned and looked down upon for years now and that hasn't changed. Again, look at my comments on Puppeteer. When people rave about this gen's best platformers. No one will mention this game. It'll be Rayman this, Donkey Kong Country Returns that, Tearaway this, Mario that.
I could see this being a cult classic, but I am not sure about it. Does anyone else have an opinion.
I love Sonic the Hedgehog, but there's no way this is a cult classic. Not even close. Sonic Generations is a well-recieved cross-platform game starring a popular mascot. The mainstream gaming press gave this game unabashedly positive reviews.
PlayStation Official Magazine wrote:a masterpiece of platform game design
GameTrailers wrote:the best Sonic game in over a decade
Official Nintendo Magazine wrote:hugely rewarding
In simple terms of sales, Sonic Generations has moved 2.8 million units (across all platforms) in the past two years. By comparison, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has moved 1.7 million units (counting Genesis sales and modern digital downloads put together) in the past twenty years.
Alright. Cool. I guess Generations got received better than I remembered. It's just weird when you go to gamerankings and see a percentage in the 70s
I can see how some of my picks could fit more as "Hidden Gems" too.
I don't think POP 08 was bland though. They did some interesting experiments with combat and using Elika to not break immersion. I liked not seeing Game Over screens. I liked having two characters participate in combos and I loved being able to knock a boss out of a combat arena for an instant kill. I always appreciate the little things though
RyaNtheSlayA wrote:
Seriously. Screw you Shao Kahn I'm gonna play Animal Crossing.
Since I brought them up I feel I should elaborate more on my choices of Dragon's Dogma and Binary Domain.
Dragon's Dogma
So here we have a what looks from the outside to be western styled RPG with its bestiary cribbed from western mythology: chimeras, hypogriffs, goblins, harpies, and reptilian dragons that seem like they've come from a Harryhausen movie. The overworld is like a lost medieval european nation lost to time. You can choose to be the usual stock Warrior, Mage or Archer archetypes. So stylistically it is very western.
However it is made by capcom, with people who previously worked on Devil May Cry as part of the team and this lends the gameplay a unique feel over its contemporaries. The combat is fast and combo driven, you can juggle enemies with magic and you can jump onto and assault larger enemies weak points as in Shadow of the Colossus.
The game also fostered a community spirit with the pawn system. This system allowed you to create your own pawn, a permanent party member, but also to go online and borrow pawns from other players. It was an attempt by capcom to emulate Dark Souls asynchronous online component.
Finally, the game has extremely limited fast travel options for such a open world (fixed somewhat in Dark Arisen) and this lends it an old fashioned feel. If you see a interesting looking cave, you better explore it now or make a note because it's a long walk back. And you might not get far anyway because most enemies are fixed, so a low level player might find himself horribly murdered by a giant troll.
/tldr It's a grown up, tougher version of Monster Hunter spliced with western mythology.
Binary Domain
Made by the same team at Sega responsible for Yakuza, this is a Gears alike with more of an emphasis of themes seen in anime; robotics, artificial intelligence and global warming.
It was pitched as japans answer to the cover-shooter genre and is in fairness very influenced by Gears.
What separates it though is it has a more arcade-y feel as a result of its sega heritage. Combat is weighty and satisfying and the sleek future style of future Toyko is a nice contrast to the brown and grey palettes of its western contemporaries.
It also has a pulpy sci-fi style plot, with twists and turns round every corner and more reliance on character interaction than Gears. Personally I find it to have a much more compelling story in one game than Gears managed in three.
There's also wise cracking french robot called Cain. He's pretty cool. And some of the DLC includes skins to make you look like characters from the Yakuza series.
It came out about the same time as Mass Effect 3 and therefore sold poorly which is a shame because it is a very solid game.
Both of these games are japanese takes on popular western genres, and even if you don't feel they are cult classics they are definitely interesting cases of japanese game design in an era supposedly ruled by western studios.
Phew!
Edit: Turns out Dragon's Dogma is this gens fastest selling new IP, at least in japan. So that probably rules it out. My reasoning is though that on forums and youtube, lots and lots of people talk about Skyrim, Dark Souls, Fable, Oblivion, Dragon Age, Monster Hunter and even the Witcher, but rarely DD. But those that do, love it.
Mushihimesama Futari (360) - Although its probably not known by most gamers, this game is huge in the shmup scene. Thanks to the "Hardest boss ever" video featuring the last boss of this game, tons of people "discovered" bullet hell games and ended up joining up on the shmups forum. Out of the Japan-only shooters that were released region-free for the 360, I would bet money that this one has been imported the most, by a long shot. Anyone that decides to dig into the 360 library to find its cult games will end up adding this to their collection, even if they only occasioanlly dabble in shmups.
Another Code R - Absolutely beautiful sequel to the original Another Code(Trace Memory to you 'murricans) that never made it stateside. It's a lot more talky than puzzley, but it kept me interested the whole way through. Cing is a lost gem of a company.
Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise/Rhythm Heaven Fever - Being Nintendo made, this is probably quite well known, but I don't think it sold very well. That's a shame, because this series is one of the quirkiest and most fun rhythm games out there. I slightly prefer the DS entry, but this one is a must have too.
De Blob - The controls put a lot of people off, but they missed out here, because this is a thoroughly charming platformer with amazing visual design and absolutely amazing music. One of the prettiest games of last generation if you ask me, even though it kept it simple. The game could get a little repetitive, but it was great fun to play through a level at a time.
Disaster: Day of Crisis - Another one that never made it to the states, the gameplay in this is a little ropey, but the whole experience reeks of hilarious B movie charm and it's all a lot of fairly addicting arcadey fun. Worth an import for those of you over the Atlantic.
Geometry Wars Galaxies - Supports all control schemes, had tons of levels to play, has the original retro evolved built in, can be used to play Retro Evolved on your DS. Good mindless fun that everyone forgets about.
Kororinpa - An early game for the Wii that was one of the best for showing off what the Wii remote could do. Lots of fun to be had rolling balls around courses that tilt in every direction - makes monkey balls courses look totally flat by comparison.
Little King's Story - One of the greatest games of the last generation if you ask me. The visuals were magical and charming, if not especially impressive technically, the music was fantastic, and using a remixed classical soundtrack was a stroke of genius. The gameplay is crazy fun, the game is pretty damn challenging, the bosses are incredibly inventive and completely turn the game on it's head, and the ending is a complete shock and the change of tone is something to behold. A must play imo.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Beautiful art and excellent fast paced combat that is endlessly compelling.
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars - A really offbeat action platformer that most people ignored. It offers a lot of interesting mechanics to make use of as you progress through, and is generally really nicely designed. The music is delightfully bizarre too.
Red Steel 2 - The not crap sequel to the mediocre Red Steel, this has basically nothing to do with the first besides the fact you weild a gun and a sword. Makes use of the Motion Plus, so the sword fighting no longer sucks, and really gives you arm a workout. A little repetitive perhaps, but a lot of fun.
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love - Not to everyones tastes perhaps, but I found this game's cheesy anime plot quite compelling, the character interactions fairly nicely fleshed out, and the strategy sections to be a lot of fun. More of a book than a game perhaps, but an enjoyable, if not particularly deep one to experience.
Sin & Punishment: Successor to the Skies - Treasure made this. That means A) It didn't sell huge amounts, and B) It's fantastic. Buy it.
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces - Another game I feel everyone should own on the Wii. The story is a convoluted mess, but you won't care as you soar around shooting enemy pilots out of the skies. The motion controls feel amazing, but there are other options if you don't like them. The gameplay is fast and furious, the planes feel great to control and the music is awesome.
Zack and Wiki: The Quest for Barbaros' Treasure - Another early Wii game that really showed off what the controller could do. A classic point and click adventure, it offered lots of mind bending puzzles and a lot of charm. The deaths could sometimes be a little cheap, but overall it was an absolute gem for the system.
alienjesus wrote:Sin & Punishment: Successor to the Skies - Treasure made this. That means A) It didn't sell huge amounts, and B) It's fantastic. Buy it.
Is this called something different in the States? I've got one called ": Star Successor."
Let strength be granted, so the world might be mended...so the world might be mended.
