Top 5 Hardcore Games

[Atarinvader]

Okay here we go, we all love Top 5 lists and I decided that recently I've been playing a lot of games you'd class only for the hardcore - maybe a lot of you don't like the term, but what I mean by this is the sort of game that has been shunned by the mainstream of gaming for whatever reason, but has been found and cherished by the likes of people that spend there free time to talk about games on the internet (us, right?)

 

1 - Rez

 

The best game on arguably the best console ever (okay, I am a fanboy). Looking to track down the PS2 versions and the trance vibrator for my girlfriend...

 

2 - Gunstar Heores

 

By and far Treasures best game to date, although I'm sure some will argue Radiant... but hey, that's no Layer Section, huh? BTW anyone played the Game Gear or Master System version of this? How does it hold up?

 

3 - Samba de Amigo

 

The king of all rhythm games. Great idea, brilliantly executed. Just a shame that it's so damn hard to pick up.

 

4 - Metal Slug X

 

I know a lot of Neo Geo heads swear that 3 is the best, but I think this stands out more as a classic.

 

5 - Street Fighter 3 Alpha / Zero

 

A lot of people dissed the Alpha series for moving away from the standard Street Fighter look and aiming for a more Anime look, but I have to say that it's my favorite of the era. The GBA version stands up too, probably one of the most accomplished games on the system. Shame about Crawfish though...

 

I guess that there are many glaring omissions (Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Tactics, DDR, King of Fighters etc), but there are only 5 places.

 

What's in your top 5?

[hex65000]

To most folks my taste in games is one flavor: Garlic.

 

Some of my favorites that are endearing to me are not the same picks for others.

 

Mystical Ninja : Starring Goemon ; (3d-platformer) This game is SO Japanese.

 

Vigilante 8 ; (3rd person driving/combat) Woot-Whoot! Playing these made me feel 'funkier'

 

Mr. Driller ; (action/puzzle) We'll not discuss the sexuality of this super-deformed character in pink. All I cares about is that hours are lost trying to reach the bottom of the barrel.

 

Bubsy ; (2d platformer) I _SUCK_ at 2d platformers, but the quirky attitude and horrid puns of Bubsy keep me warm at night.

 

The Ring : Terror's Realm ; (Survival/horror) To me this was a survival game that was fairly playable, if a bit confusing. I'm still mystified as to why in any of the resident evil games you cannot break out the blunt objects and start busting heads/kneecaps etc. Zombies can't bite you when there is a dent in their face.

 

Hex.

[ Warning : Core unstable. Use of handyman's secret weapon advised. ]

[chrisbid]

when i think hardcore games, i think gameplay over graphics so with that in mind

 

kaboom!

mr driller

super monkey ball

gunstar heroes

ghosts n goblins

[Cootster]

To most folks my taste in games is one flavor: Garlic.

 

Bubsy ; (2d platformer) I _SUCK_ at 2d platformers, but the quirky attitude and horrid puns of Bubsy keep me warm at night.

 

Hex.

[ Warning : Core unstable.  Use of handyman's secret weapon advised. ]

 

Garlic, eh? More like a garlic mint chip sundae topped with a nice hot cup of Lake Erie to me . . . And I'm good at 2D platform games, usually prefer them with attitude, but no, not that game . . . I just think it's so not-good . . .

 

My five:

Crypts of Chaos (2600 FPS): Hey, you can gather from that alone that it's probably a bit obtuse to John Q. Casual, but it's a great game and well worth putting some time into.

 

Truckin' (INTV sim): Awesome idea 20 years early, and it's a damn shame the ColecoVision and its more functional controllers didn't get this one, as Imagic published it and they were handling both at the time.

 

Angband (multi-platform king of all adventure games): Do I have to say anything more? It's not just a game, it's damn near a marriage, and it comes in a lot of flavors, probably including garlic.

 

Metal Gear Solid (PSX shooter): So, it was actually popular, but how many copies of it have actually been beaten completely without cheating/walkthroughs? Damn, I hate walkthroughs . . .

 

Harvest Moon (SNES/GBC RPG): At least to Americans, this game probably doesn't come off well, and, well, they need to try it. Actually a better game than any FF title ever.

 

Once again, I HATE walkthroughs. Manuals are different, they don't explain the whole game, but how is it "playing" the game with those books? I only own one . . . It's a collection of arcade strategies from 20 years ago, and I tend to disagree with most of them anyway.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Its way to had for me to pick top 5 anything, so i will just agree with people here.

Rez = sweet

Gunstar Heroes = a LOT better then I expected

Metal Slug X = the only one I own, so I'm picking it over the others =P

SFA3 = My fav. PS1 fighter. So many fighters!

Mystical Ninja = ANY game with Goemon is killer

MR. Driller = When I first played it at the arcade, I thought it was an old game that I had somehow missed. Its a very good game.

Bubsy = I used to always get made fun of by my brother for loving this game so much!

Kaboom! = LOVE

Ghosts 'n Goblins/ Gouls 'n Ghosts = More videogames I adore =D

ok, im done =D

[tantone56]

all of you have neglected the GTA series...and also River City Ransom

[mechanized]

The Darius Series: Sagaia, Darius Twin, G Darius, etc

 

TimeSplitters 2 ... one of the few FPS console games I've liked in a long, long time...

 

Summoner ... a PS2 launch game that seems to lack accolades despite it being one of the best RPGs I've ever seen, but then again I am of that camp that thinks recent Final Fantasy outtings were embarrassments to the line. You know, one of those people that thought FF7 sucked, but liked FF8 a lot. (Note: I liked Summoner 2 a lot, also, and could barely put it down during exam week, but it felt sort of Short to me.)

 

Wild ARMs series ... these were typically overlooked. Wild ARMs debuted against the FF7, and was totally obscured by its more graphically impressive cut scenes and fan boy characters (Cloud and Sephiroth are two of the lamest characters ever conceived, I promise). Wild ARMs played like a mix of a Zelda game and an older Final Fantasy game mixed into one, but graphically better, with fun gameplay and an entertaining Western theme not seen in other games. Wild ARMs 2 I have not played much... I honestly hated the music I was hearing, despite the gameplay being sound, and could not bring myself to play it much. Wild ARMs 3, for the PS2, regained the lost Good Music quality and has great play, good characters, and (so far, as I'm still playing it) an entertaining plot, good enemies, and a lot of promise. My only gripe with it, currently, is that I LIKE having Equipment, like standard armor, shield, accessories sort of things (though not necessarily THOSE things), and this game is devoid of that outside of having an item-customizable medium system (mediums are vessels for Guardians, which are mechanically like Summoned creatures and such, that grant users spells and other statistical benefits). It's cool that you can customize your firearms, though.

 

Armored Core series.... I've loved this customizable mecha piloting, bullets flying, laser sword slashing series since the first installment, which I bought promptly after playing a two stage Demo that came with my PSX. While subsequent games do have a sort of Expansion Pack feel (which would be effing awesome if it were a PC game, but I'd probably not play them, then) the sequels for each Armored Core incarnation have delivered in the Fun department for me. So far I have played to completion the three installments for the PSX, both Armored Core 2 installments, and am about to slide into Armored Core 3, fully expecting more of the same goodness.

[Atarinvader]

Nobody's mentioned Viewtiful Joe yet, probably the newest addition to hardcore classics.

 

Seems to be a lot of love of Mr Driller, which visualy is stunning, but is it as good as Bust-A-Move 4?

 

Oh, also need to chuck in Skies of Arcadia. Probably the longest game I've ever played (and super tough).

[NovaXpress]

Judging by these selections the term "hardcore game" has no meaning whatsoever.

[mechanized]

Aw, be fair.

 

I myself focused on the "shunned" part of the original post, but added some "neglected" or generally unknown or relatively unpopular games.

 

Tell us about HARDCORE, NovaXpress.

[tyranthraxus]

Okay I'd deem a hardcore game being one that is brutally hard that only

a glutton for punishment would take on.

 

Sinistar - cool arcade game but its just too freaking hard!

 

Ghosts & Goblins - on the NES is really for masochists

 

Kareteka - 7800 - extra hardcorness to those who play it with the proline

sticks over the joypads.

 

Double Dragon - 2600 version

 

Playing any FPS on the PS2 without auto aim - is that hardcore enough for

ya?

[MattG/Snyper2099]

OK, I'm just going to post the top five baddest-ass, underated, classic games of all time:

 

Mad Planets (arcade)

Asteroids (7800)

Deathtank! (the hidden multiplayer game in duke nukem for Saturn)

Saturn Bomberman (multiplayer = a pure masterpiece!)

Boing! (2600)

 

Bam! These games are hardcore.

[mechanized]

Sinistar is NUTS. I don't think I ever got to level four in that.

[Happy_Dude]

all of you have neglected the GTA series...and also River City Ransom

GTA hasn't been shunned. Everyone has played it in one form or another.

 

RCR (Street Gangs ) would be on my top 5. Info/Atari didn't always produce swill

 

5: Street Gangs

4: Perfect Dark

3: Jet Set Radio

2: REZ

1: KABOOM!

 

 

btw: Hardcore was poor word choice.

When I hear the term "Hardcore gamer" I first think of some little wanker

who needs his mommy to buy him the latest games the second they're released.

The second thought is of that korean dude who died in a internet cafe due

to lack of sleep and playing online games for weeks straight.

[mechanized]

Mommy hasn't bought me games in many years, but... that aside...

 

Perfect Dark was a truly great game with one fatal flaw: the main character.

 

No one cared to immerse themselves in the role of a short-haired, nearly emotionless, apparently British agent chick with a travesty of a name like Joanna Dark. And her outfit? No thanks.

 

(To be fair, though, she has been redesigned for the next Perfect Dark game, whenever it shows up, and she's much cuter and has some hair. Hopefully a new voice actor will follow, and maybe a partner for variety's sake.)

 

This game (and many others) could have been saved by having a choice of main character, even if only cosmetic.

[Major Havoc 2049]

Some of you guys are picking some popular mainstream vanilla stuff for you hardcore selections.

 

My hardcore top 5:

 

1. Gunvalkyrie- Hard as nails Sega adventure/shooter gaming goodness for the Xbox. One of the hardest and most sickest end bosses ever.

 

2. Panzer Dragoon Orta- Continued the Panzer hardcore legend. Graphics, music and hard as nails gameplay to die for. You gotta love that Sega style. Both GV and PDO should have sold a million copies.

 

3. Tempest 2000 and 3000- Get your twitch shooter gaming on lassie! Blinking and thinking is for wimps...become one with the web.

 

4. Iridion 2- One of the greatest recent and most underated shooters of the past couple of years. Mix one part R-Type and on part Viewpoint and throw in some great techno and you have the best GBA shmup ever.

 

5. Unity- Some more Minter goodness, you know it will be good. I bought a GC just for this game and the only thing worth playing till Unity comes out is Ikaruga and maybe some Killer 7.

[Cootster]

all of you have neglected the GTA series...and also River City Ransom

 

On the contrary, Gateway to Apshai is a fine hardcorist kind of game, but the CV version, at least, is a cheap hit festival. Are the Atari 8-bit or C64 versions any better in that respect?

 

Oh, wait, you meant ____those___ games . . .

 

Not that I don't think the last two were very nice in a technical sense, and well, the Vice City soundtrack=best 80s compilation ever, but . . .

 

Well, they're so popular that they've been cloned out the ass, really aren't extremely challenging, except for a few missions, and basically (IMO) go against anything classic gaming stands for . . . So, no, they do not qualify . . . Manhunt should, though, and probably will in years to come . . .

 

River City Ransom qualifies by virtue of being one of the greatest NES games ever, although I don't think it's obscure enough . . . It's only hard to find now because people keep them . . . Whenever my local GS has one, they jack up the price fierce (like 10 bucks or more) . . . Mind you, I've picked up rarities and unlicensed stuff for much less, but once they had a price that goggled me . . . Bart Simpson v. The Space Mutants for 7.99 . . . Why? . . . The license can't jack it too far over every other piece of licensed dreck the US NES churned out, and the game stinks . . . Second game I had as a kid . . . Insta-trade bait to someone who didn't have it yet (Heh, got Ironsword in return. That game ruled.)