Saying you played one of the top rated or top selling games on a given system as a kid is nothing too interesting; they tended to be top rated and selling for a reason. What we are here today to discuss is those games that you played because it was, say, the only thing you had, the only thing when visiting grandparents or just something you really latched onto. On a related note then in programming it is noted everybody programs well in their first language and usually spends all their time trying to make a new one behave like that, something similar is noted in games where mechanics of their earliest titles or those they spent time with inform how they feel about things going forward (why else do you think every indie platformer a few years back was a homage to NES Super Mario Brothers? Do you not imagine almost everything will be influenced by Minecraft before long when the 12 year olds of 2010 are now getting their first jobs in the game industry?).

My fondness for Talespin on the NES has been noted a few times before on the site, however as that is a Disney property made by Capcom (who also did most Disney things on the NES and most in turn are held up as outright classics) that does not play here. On the other hand

Stealth ATF for the NES

Not my first "3d" flight sim, Elite arguably being that one, but as the NES was my first console I could exclusively monopolise (the Commodore 64 actually came after for me) and this was one of the handful of games I had for it then it has informed a lot of how I approach flight sims, also now what I recognise as an early case of GPS syndrome as I would often follow the radar more than the screen itself (though real fighter pilots do that I am told).

Turbo Racing for the NES (Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing in the US is something I just learned)

What would today be considered a by the numbers racer made by those paragons of quality, that being Data East, on the NES was equally one of the few NES titles I had. Light stats upgrades (today would be dubbed RPG elements), a little balance the turbo vs straight racing mechanic, some hills in the level, memories of a sore thumb from holding A for so long on the NES pad... barring the NES bit then if you said that I would think you were describing Road Rash, which was a far more influential series for me, but Turbo Racing never the less holds a place in my gaming makeup.

Despite it being several years since playing both of those, maybe decades since I played them an awful lot, I apparently could whistle the theme tunes/in mission tunes too. Can I do that for the last few games I reviewed? No.


What then are one or two of your fondly (or perhaps not so fondly) remembered games that, even on a site like this, you would be lucky to get more than a few people say "oh I remember that"? Why did you end up with them and did they cause you to either expect things in later games or avoid such things in the future?
We are accepting stupidly rare in your region; if basketball was your thing in Europe and you owned one of the 5 imported versions of a game that today litters the shelves of second hand game shops up and down the US then we will allow it. It need not be NES or older; if you only started gaming 5 years ago with a hand me down DS then feel free to share that too.

 

[lgnmcrules]

Jet Grind Radio (Jet Set Radio) left a big impression on me on a kid. A whole lot of those Dreamcast era games really did. Shaped a lot of what I want to see in art. Vibrant colors, music with soul, and a feeling of human experience. It's hard to put into words sometimes. I've been inspired to release anything I make for free because in part of the experiences I had with these games.

 

[britain4]

Bugs Bunny Lost in Time on PS1 - one of the first games I ever had, played the absolute crap out of it and one of my favourite platformers to this day, seriously underrated

I did have my original disk until not so long ago when it got melted and I have no recollection of how

 

[Ev1l0rd]

SimCity DS. Most people regard it as an inferior version to other SimCity games at the time, but it's a really good title imo and I have many hours of fun as a kid on holiday playing it.

CivRev on iOS/DS also counts. Also regarded as an inferior civilization game compared to what existed at the time, I personally still have a blast playing it.

 

[MetoMeto]

First game I remember playing, not the typical Bomberman style. Bomberman Hero was another non traditional Bomberman game

I like that one!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Bugs Bunny Lost in Time on PS1 - one of the first games I ever had, played the absolute crap out of it and one of my favourite platformers to this day

I did have my original disk until not so long ago when it got melted and I have no recollection of how

Melted?!

 

[MorningBlunt]

Chasm: The Rift
and
Atomic Bomberman

 

[britain4]

Melted?!

Yep - no idea how it happened - the disc looks sort of Pringle shaped now

 

[FAST6191]

Jet Grind Radio (Jet Set Radio) left a big impression on me on a kid. A whole lot of those Dreamcast era games really did. Shaped a lot of what I want to see in art. Vibrant colors, music with soul, and a feeling of human experience. It's hard to put into words sometimes. I've been inspired to release anything I make for free because in part of the experiences I had with these games.

While I might question Jet Set/Grind Radio as a not so remembered game pick I am obliged to note that there are some really nice looking fan efforts that are worth paying attention to
https://gamejolt.com/games/JSRFMP/336004

https://team-reptile.com/bomb-rush-cyberfunk/ might also be of interest.

Atomic Bomberman

I got this once because it was in the £5 CD tower thing that various cheap shops used to have and I absolutely adored bomberman on the megadrive (even if today I might be able to have a gun held to my head and call it the worst 16 bit era version out there, though still by no means a bad game).
It was clunky and unrefined, the graphics were not quite the cutesy thing I was used to it, it crashed a lot even by 1990s PC standards and the music did not do a lot. However I played it anyway (I had spent £5 after all) and when playing around with the options to make an absolutely broken mode I think it finally clicked what mods, what fiddling with the game, what options being given and all things that followed from that could mean to a game. The ability to fine tune a custom mode also means it joins my favourite bomberman titles, possibly even pipping the best PCE versions if you get me on the right day.

Though in a move that will erase any good will or notions of good taste I might have had. I actually like Bomberman 64 as well. Don't go in expecting a 16 bit but better version of the game but I never the less found great enjoyment in both the single player (especially hunting costume pieces) and multiplayer.

Yep - no idea how it happened - the disc looks sort of Pringle shaped now

Once upon a time one of my friends had a clap on lamp. I put a CD on top of it once and then we left to go do something else. Shutting his door hard turned on the lamp. We came back to a stylishly melted CD.

 

[fadx]

Snowboard Kids - N64, great game and great soundtrack.
We lost/broke out memory pak and I had to have finished that game 10+ times.

 

[the_randomizer]

Sad thing is it wasn't even meant to be a clone of Zelda or a Star Fox Game. Originally the game was called Dinosaur Planet and had it's own unique characters and story. But Miyamoto (fearing Rare would surpass his Merio and Zelda) decided to have them replace the main protagonists with Ster Fax.

And I was okay with that, I wasn't okay with it being stuck on interior N64 hardware. Would it have worked? Possibly, but I think it worked out well as is on Gamecube and with Fox as the main character.

 

[Deleted User]

There's this little series I like that some of you may have heard of, and it features quite possibly the best game ever made: Klonoa Beach Volleyball.

So here's one that I am absolutely sure nobody here has mentioned. Tempo, for 32X, and more so its sequel, Super Tempo for Saturn. There was also a side game for Game Gear called Tempo Jr. The series' primary developer was Red Entertainment, well known for Bonk and Sakura Wars. Each game is a side-scrolling platformer. Anyways, the series stars the titular Tempo, a fUnKy grasshopper who... just kinda does stuff. He has a girlfriend. Er, I think its his girlfriend. No game seems to have continuity with the last, and while there none of them are especially plot-focused or anything, the cutscenes of Super Tempo are quite charming and fun. The first game has fantastic visuals, a forgettable soundtrack, and rough but fun mechanics. There are quite a lot of cool ideas that are unfortunately buried under a pile of junk and very unrefined mechanics. The biggest problem is probably the collision detection, which is just plain shit. Tempo has quite the interesting art style and a very unique sense of humor. Probably the best part of the game is the invincibility power-up floods the screen with photo-realistic cows and starts playing yoodling music. It is a charming little relic of the 32X, but not much more. Super Tempo, meanwhile, is an absolutely fantastic game. The 3 years off of the first game seems to have benefited this game immensely, resulting in a much more focused and polished title, despite having far more variety. The sense of humor is even stronger than the first game, with it driving the entire game. It isn't a very mechanically complex game, but the variety, charm, and humor drive it forward, making it some of the most plainly fun experiences I have ever had in this industry. Just a small problem though. See, being a Japanese-exclusive Saturn game makes it kinda sorta expensive, and by that I mean getting an official copy will cost you upwards of $500. Oops. Well, time to break out the emulator! Seriously though, give this game a shot. You won't be disappointed. But, more importantly, play Klonoa Beach Volleyball. 10/5 mastapeece

 

[Codemastershock]

Gitaroo Man for PS2, a tough rhythm game with amazing songs
View attachment 228794

I had so much fun with this game, shame modern screens and the input lag...
The only way to properly play this game is on the PSP. My TV has very little input lag, but even then it ruins the experience.
I know that I could hunt a CRT but I dont have the space, the strenght and/or the patience to carry a heavy television up the stairs to my home.

 

[Jayro]

I know I already commented, but one thing I'd like to point out is how Link's Awakening was a pretty popular game at the time of it's release, and it's colorized remaster in 1993 and 1998, respectively, but I always felt like it was the "underdog" Zelda title, that just never seemed to get the praise it deserves. It's quirky, it's cute, the humor is good, and it's an amazing Zelda game, despite the princess not being in it, and Link not in Hyrule... but in a Hyrule-like setting. And Marin didn't really get popular until Hyrule Warriors came out, and I'm glad they put her in the game. She's my favorite girl in the Zelda Universe. It's great seeing fresh Marin cosplays and new fan art of her arise.

 

[tpax]

Still one of my most favorite games and I still replay that game at least two or three times a year. For a long time, it was the only game that I was carrying around along with my Game Gear, and sometimes I used to play through that game 3 or 4 times a day since it's quite short.

 

[shadow1w2]

Outrun 2019 for me.
I rented it several times till I eventually bought it from the video store when they were clearing stock.
I hear a lot about how this game isnt really outrun and its too hard cause jet engine. I hear that about Contra Hard Corps being too hard too.
I found a lot of little hiddem things and a good challenge putting it up at my top favorites.
I still replay it today.
Music maybe could have been better maybe but its pretry good for what it is and I still find it catchy.
It was meant to be a sega cd game after all.
Sad it had sram support but never had sram.


longplay


Rearranged version of Relight my fire done last year.
Improves the song a ton.

Another might be Star Fighter 3000 on Sega Saturn/3DO
Not the greatesr game but the odd gem combinations needed for upgrades made things interesting.
Now if I could just find a full least of combinations somewhere.

I wanna mention Syvallion and an old DOS game JumpJet.
Spacegoose on DOS too.
Cyberbikes even?

I could keep going with all the oddities Ive found over the years, I do like the odd hidden gem and often dig for them.

 

[brain_tweaker]

The Call of Duty Nintendo DS Games, They mean so much to me, I spent so much time playing them, Countless hours sitting there just playing them while lying in bed like a bored little kid. Multiplayer was the best..

 

[Leen]

Lunar and Lunar eternal blue (Sega CD) they were probably the first game to get me into JRPGs

 

[Thesolcity]

Boktai still means a huge ton to me

 

[Zangetsu276]

There's this little series I like that some of you may have heard of, and it features quite possibly the best game ever made: Klonoa Beach Volleyball.

So here's one that I am absolutely sure nobody here has mentioned. Tempo, for 32X, and more so its sequel, Super Tempo for Saturn. There was also a side game for Game Gear called Tempo Jr. The series' primary developer was Red Entertainment, well known for Bonk and Sakura Wars. Each game is a side-scrolling platformer. Anyways, the series stars the titular Tempo, a fUnKy grasshopper who... just kinda does stuff. He has a girlfriend. Er, I think its his girlfriend. No game seems to have continuity with the last, and while there none of them are especially plot-focused or anything, the cutscenes of Super Tempo are quite charming and fun. The first game has fantastic visuals, a forgettable soundtrack, and rough but fun mechanics. There are quite a lot of cool ideas that are unfortunately buried under a pile of junk and very unrefined mechanics. The biggest problem is probably the collision detection, which is just plain shit. Tempo has quite the interesting art style and a very unique sense of humor. Probably the best part of the game is the invincibility power-up floods the screen with photo-realistic cows and starts playing yoodling music. It is a charming little relic of the 32X, but not much more. Super Tempo, meanwhile, is an absolutely fantastic game. The 3 years off of the first game seems to have benefited this game immensely, resulting in a much more focused and polished title, despite having far more variety. The sense of humor is even stronger than the first game, with it driving the entire game. It isn't a very mechanically complex game, but the variety, charm, and humor drive it forward, making it some of the most plainly fun experiences I have ever had in this industry. Just a small problem though. See, being a Japanese-exclusive Saturn game makes it kinda sorta expensive, and by that I mean getting an official copy will cost you upwards of $500. Oops. Well, time to break out the emulator! Seriously though, give this game a shot. You won't be disappointed. But, more importantly, play Klonoa Beach Volleyball. 10/5 mastapeece

Oh another Klonoa fan in this thread, I wrote about Klonoa 2.

I don't know about Tempo but Klonoa Beach Volleyball sure was great, had lots of fun playing it with friends and family when I was a kid. I think 2 years ago or so I built one of those Raspeberry Pi consoles and installed a bunch of PS1 and SNES games on it, took it to a family trip. Played the shit out of it with my cousins and brother, really good game even today.

I used to think Beach Volleyball was released before Klonoa 2 but turns out it's the opposite. Klonoa 2 flopped hard so the team went back to PS1 games and then GBA

 

[PvD79]

Deja Vu on NES was one of my favorites. I could beat it in less than 15 min back in the day. Smurfs Escape from Gargomels Castle was another. Used to go to my dads house and play Coleco. Simpler times...

 

[Darth Meteos]

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. Amazing third-person shooter.