Obscure NES/SNES games

[electricmastro]

Educational games usually have a bad reputation, though this one seems like it's decently enjoyable to play around with for awhile:

 

 

 

[Hwlngmad]

On 12/20/2021 at 9:53 AM, electricmastro said:

Quirky puzzle game on SNES:

 

 

Played this not too long ago.  Pretty cool game and definitely worth checking out for those that haven't.

[Tanooki]

Ok I got one, surprised I hadn't put it here before.  The franchise itself isn't obscure, if you're into Japanese manga and anime, but stateside damn near nothing thanks to a decades long stranglehold from bluntly put assclown contract trolls in the NA market.  Even then it would help to be a shooter fan to be familiar because unlike it's older brother on Famicom that got dropped on basically every single multicart of significant size in the 80s and 90s era, it hasn't made the cut.  Some may know of it as Robotech in the US (fuck harmony gold!) but this here, this is Macross -- Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie.  Play as Rick (Hikaru), Max (still Max), and Miriya (Milia) in their own unique veritech (robotech) fighter that has their own set of 3 specialized shots.  The game has some really unique elements, you can not fire for a few moments and work up a charged yellow barrier and if any(nearly) enemy touches it, they're your new pet that'll fire on their own kind to defend you which is sweet.  The game is also damn hard compared to most, you can take a few hits sure, but each hit costs you 1 point of power(of3) on each weapon, and when the life bar is done-- you are too, as there are NO lives just A life bar.  There are a lot of really nice unique touches for the fans, but won't come off as a WTF moment to those who are not.  The music is scored from the 1982 Macross TV show and then the 1984 movie Do You Remember Love.  Also visually, they've captured all sorts of unique details from the macross city terrain inside SDF1, to Minmei in her outfit singing to mentally screw with the enemy, and various other nods to the series.

 

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[DragonGrafx-16]

7 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Ok I got one, surprised I hadn't put it here before.  The franchise itself isn't obscure, if you're into Japanese manga and anime, but stateside damn near nothing thanks to a decades long stranglehold from bluntly put assclown contract trolls in the NA market.  Even then it would help to be a shooter fan to be familiar because unlike it's older brother on Famicom that got dropped on basically every single multicart of significant size in the 80s and 90s era, it hasn't made the cut.  Some may know of it as Robotech in the US (fuck harmony gold!) but this here, this is Macross -- Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie.  Play as Rick (Hikaru), Max (still Max), and Miriya (Milia) in their own unique veritech (robotech) fighter that has their own set of 3 specialized shots.  The game has some really unique elements, you can not fire for a few moments and work up a charged yellow barrier and if any(nearly) enemy touches it, they're your new pet that'll fire on their own kind to defend you which is sweet.  The game is also damn hard compared to most, you can take a few hits sure, but each hit costs you 1 point of power(of3) on each weapon, and when the life bar is done-- you are too, as there are NO lives just A life bar.  There are a lot of really nice unique touches for the fans, but won't come off as a WTF moment to those who are not.  The music is scored from the 1982 Macross TV show and then the 1984 movie Do You Remember Love.  Also visually, they've captured all sorts of unique details from the macross city terrain inside SDF1, to Minmei in her outfit singing to mentally screw with the enemy, and various other nods to the series.

 

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I know of a few Macross games (I have copy of the PC Engine CD game) but I am always interested in learning of new shmups I have not heard of.  

 

Yikes this is pricey for a SFC game: choujikuu yousai macross - scrambled valkyrie in Video Games and Consoles: Search Result | eBay

Edited April 8, 2022 by DragonGrafx-16

[Tanooki]

13 minutes ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

I know of a few Macross games (I have copy of the PC Engine CD game) but I am always interested in learning of new shmups I have not heard of.  

 

Yikes this is pricey for a SFC game: choujikuu yousai macross - scrambled valkyrie in Video Games and Consoles: Search Result | eBay

Yeah ? You got the yikes part right.  I've decided to take the plunge and re-construct my lost SFC library, more or less, because the predators have caused the Japanese to push back and match price for price with paper and stuff which SUCKS.  The lost massive collection of 2005 had 30+ SFC CIB games, I never bought them loose as i liked to teach myself some basic Japanese vocab translating the boxes and manuals.  But with the price, a GOOD deal on Macross now is $90 for the SFC loose, realistically $110+ and add it up closer to the $170-200 range complete which blows.  I've had a good many macross titles over the years, FC, SFC, PCD CD (Macross 2036), the 'Ace' shooters on the PSP, if you care to include it RObotech Battlecry GC and Robotech Macross Saga for GBA, and there was this badass(still works too!) XP era PC game called Macross VOFX which is sort of like what the N64 dead game was to be, a free flight Macross space combat shooter.

 

There are 3 other poisonously priced games I'd grab 1/3 of because at $200 for Iria and $300 for Spriggan Powered that's NOT happening, but I could maybe tolerate $70-80 for Cotton 100% as it's badass.

[Punisher5.0]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Ok I got one, surprised I hadn't put it here before.  The franchise itself isn't obscure, if you're into Japanese manga and anime, but stateside damn near nothing thanks to a decades long stranglehold from bluntly put assclown contract trolls in the NA market.  Even then it would help to be a shooter fan to be familiar because unlike it's older brother on Famicom that got dropped on basically every single multicart of significant size in the 80s and 90s era, it hasn't made the cut.  Some may know of it as Robotech in the US (fuck harmony gold!) but this here, this is Macross -- Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie.  Play as Rick (Hikaru), Max (still Max), and Miriya (Milia) in their own unique veritech (robotech) fighter that has their own set of 3 specialized shots.  The game has some really unique elements, you can not fire for a few moments and work up a charged yellow barrier and if any(nearly) enemy touches it, they're your new pet that'll fire on their own kind to defend you which is sweet.  The game is also damn hard compared to most, you can take a few hits sure, but each hit costs you 1 point of power(of3) on each weapon, and when the life bar is done-- you are too, as there are NO lives just A life bar.  There are a lot of really nice unique touches for the fans, but won't come off as a WTF moment to those who are not.  The music is scored from the 1982 Macross TV show and then the 1984 movie Do You Remember Love.  Also visually, they've captured all sorts of unique details from the macross city terrain inside SDF1, to Minmei in her outfit singing to mentally screw with the enemy, and various other nods to the series.

 

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That game looks awesome! Very impressive graphically. Looks like a lot of HDMA effects. Im definitely going to give this one a go.

[electricmastro]

One of the best SNES games released in Europe, but not America:

 

 

 

[Hwlngmad]

6 hours ago, electricmastro said:

One of the best SNES games released in Europe, but not America:

 

 

 

Added to my list to checkout sometime.

[Tanooki]

Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventure is an understated fantastic game.  I used to own it 15 years+ ago, and I'm in the process finally of not procrastinating and getting back some SFC losses.  This is one of them.

 

I think I may try and help this topic stay afloat a bit more, I know a decent run of solid games that are non-reader approachable, even if some may be anime IP, overly cute, girly, cute, whatever but play well and are fun.  I would have highlighted that, but I got ideas.  More to come, just not now, almost 2am and I shouldn't be here.

[electricmastro]

 

 

 

[Tanooki]

Ok I got one, I forgot this even had a US release because the name is so ridiculous it's easy to ignore completely.  What's fascinating though is this game is part of an odd Namco franchise that never saw the light of day in the US which is an utter crime really.  Ever heard of Valkyrie no Daibouken, well then maybe the idiotic name WHIRLO?  THis is a spinoff of the arcade game known as Valkyrie no Densetsu which got also a release on the PC Engine in Japan, though if you lucked into the PCE/TG/CG2 mini it's on there.  A fantastic game where you play as this valkyrie, sword and shield stuff, oddly level up and grow(for an arcade game) though it started as a Famicom game Valkyrie no Boken (Legend of Valkyrie) which was basically kind of a poormans Legend of Zelda of all things.

 

But here with history over here's Whirlo, you don't play her, but an offshoot character you don't use in the main line games.  It's a satisfying enough adventure platforming game, some text to it, so I wouldn't bother with the SFC release if you like to know what's going on, so be happy it did get a US release, and for as decent as it is, no toxic pricing if you wish to buy it too.

 

 

[electricmastro]

 

[electricmastro]

More quirky SNES obscurities from Europe:

 

[Tanooki]

@electricmastro Now that's some decent choices there, some obviously had ports outside of that, but nice to see some finally be in english too like Parodius.  I thought Humans was in the US, yet I see things I forgot existed that were there like Theme Park.  Cannon Fodder is a gem the US is largely denied, other than a nice conversion that GBC got with a full FMV opening 'war has never been so much fun!' as the background track to it.

[electricmastro]

3 hours ago, Tanooki said:

@electricmastro Now that's some decent choices there, some obviously had ports outside of that, but nice to see some finally be in english too like Parodius.  I thought Humans was in the US, yet I see things I forgot existed that were there like Theme Park.  Cannon Fodder is a gem the US is largely denied, other than a nice conversion that GBC got with a full FMV opening 'war has never been so much fun!' as the background track to it.

The SNES, Sega CD, and Amiga CD32 versions of the original Theme Park were the only console versions not released in the US. Other contemporary consoles like the 3DO, Jaguar, and regular Genesis had it though. Similar case with The Humans interestingly, though it was still on a Nintendo system through the Game Boy.

 

US only had the PC, 3DO, and Jaguar versions of Cannon Fodder. I think the 3DO version was the only version to have this intro though:

 

 

 

[Tanooki]

9 minutes ago, electricmastro said:

The SNES, Sega CD, and Amiga CD32 versions of the original Theme Park were the only console versions not released in the US. Other contemporary consoles like the 3DO, Jaguar, and regular Genesis had it though. Similar case with The Humans interestingly, though it was still on a Nintendo system through the Game Boy.

 

US only had the PC, 3DO, and Jaguar versions of Cannon Fodder. I think the 3DO version was the only version to have this intro though:

 

 

 

Yeah that's a unique opening, that tune though is played in low quality with goofier far more brief video on GBC but it works.  That's how I experienced the game other than the old DOS release.  I have kept the GBC game as it's a nice little gem to keep lying around.  It flew under the radar so it still is a cheap title thankfully for the fans.  I'm guessing I was thinking of Humans on gameboy then too.

[electricmastro]

The SNES version of Theme Park itself also seems to run well for how busy it can get:

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by electricmastro

[electricmastro]

The most obscure NES shoot 'em-ups:

 

Thunderbirds:

 

 

Twin Eagle:

 

 

Starship Hector:

 

 

The Last Starfighter:

 

 

Twin Cobra:

 

 

Sqoon:

 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by electricmastro

[DragonGrafx-16]

29 minutes ago, electricmastro said:

The most obscure NES shoot 'em-ups:

 

Thunderbirds:

 

 

Twin Eagle:

 

 

Starship Hector:

 

 

The Last Starfighter:

 

 

Twin Cobra:

 

 

Sqoon:

 

 

I have Twin Eagle... it didn't seem that obscure to me. I don't like playing it much though because the water tiles start scrolling too fast and it is hard to look at. I also have Sqoon on a bootleg cart.

Edited April 17, 2022 by DragonGrafx-16

[electricmastro]

16 minutes ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

I have Twin Eagle... it didn't seem that obscure to me. I don't like playing it much though because the water tiles start scrolling too fast and it is hard to look at. I also have Sqoon on a bootleg cart.

I figured it was through a list I have. Squoon definitely stands out the most since most shoot 'em-ups take place on either land or in the air.

[Tanooki]

I've had some of those, still do as a pirate, but I do thanks to the Super Famicom (Hudson) Caravan Shooter Collection do have that STarship Hector as it's 1of3 on there, the others being Starforce and Star Soldier  -- a fantastic little minimalist package of the three games.

[Hakogame 箱亀]

I got myself a translated copy of Ganpuru - gunman's proof for SNES. It's a weird mix of zelda, earthbound and something like ikari warriors.

Unfortunately, the game's a bit too easy and short. They could have done a few things to make it better... but regardless, I enjoyed it enough to play through it twice already.

[DragonGrafx-16]

5 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I've had some of those, still do as a pirate, but I do thanks to the Super Famicom (Hudson) Caravan Shooter Collection do have that STarship Hector as it's 1of3 on there, the others being Starforce and Star Soldier  -- a fantastic little minimalist package of the three games.

I played that a few days ago (the Caravan Shooter Collection) though not very long. It was weird playing them without any sprite flicker that is so common on the NES/FC.

[Reaperman]

On 9/4/2021 at 3:26 PM, electricmastro said:

| F1 ROC: Race of Champions |

I've really been enjoying F1 ROC II aka Exhaust Heat II in Japan. The only snes game with to use the 10mhz ST010 chip.

Slick graphics, 26(?) cars on track, and a career mode with research/upgrade paths. I just love looking at all those dots on the map--that's a lot of cars for any game to put out there at once--yes, that thumbnail has 6 visible AI cars in it. Music and more sound variety would have made this one a classic, though.

 

I started on the Japanese version (below) and am about to start my second session with the US release.

I thought for sure I'd already posted this here, but it seems not. 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Reaperman

[Tanooki]

F1-ROC II that's one of the 2-3 games the SD2SNES/FXPAK can't handle until buy into the even more roomy SD2SNES Pro/FX PAK PRO isn't it?  If so, that's where you only lose out on two garbage jaapense shogi games.   I think I saw a store with this one near by, I never liked F1 stuff much but I do enjoy casually poking a stick at virtua racing(genesis) and old pole position.  Might be worth a peek if it's that cheap.