Every gamer has at least one game they love, but it feels they’re the only one who’s ever played it. In this video IGN personalities share some of their favorite games that aren’t very well known, and they’ll let you know how to check them out today — if you even can. The picks here span a 1994 Japan-only Sega Saturn game all the way to a little-known gem released just this year.
If you’re interested in learning more or chasing down and playing some of these games, check out our Obscure Games playlist.
This video was originally published on Oct 10, 2022 on IGN Games.
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[Music] Thank you Most people know the 1983 arcade classic Elevator action what they don't know is That it got a batch crazy sequel 11 Years later called elevator action Returns that took the very simple Premise of the original and blew it up Into a violent run and gun game with a Cool style similar to 90s anime of the Time you still ride elevators and step Into doors to steal documents but it's Much faster bloodier and there's always Something fun and new to see in each Level level two starts with a terrorist Looking out a window he notices Something in the distance and calls his Cohorts over to Sea next thing you know You crash through the window in a helicopter killing all the goons Then you jump out and the level begins Elevator action returns was only Released in Japan in arcades and on the Sega Saturn so it is difficult to play Today unfortunately it's made by taito They're obviously still around so Hopefully they come to their senses and Release this gym on Modern consoles it Will be perfect for the arcade archive Series well worth tracking down if you Can also one of the three playable Characters names is add the Taff okay so A lot of the games in this video are old Obscure and basically forgotten by the
General public but my pick is actually New obscure and basically forgotten by The general public anyway it's called Infernax it launched on Valentine's Day Of this year so you might have been too Busy doing kisses to notice you slide Devil but infernax is a side-scrolling 2d action adventure game heavily Inspired by nes action platforming games Like Castlevania and Zelda 2. now you're Probably thinking yeah Brian we get tons Of throwback pixel art games every year Who cares and frankly yes you're right But the fact that infernax stands so Tall above those is exactly why it Deserves your attention it's just Special the combat is fantastic and Fairly deep the enemy and boss design is Awesome horrific and grotesque the Chiptune soundtrack is phenomenal and The world is generally just packed with Secrets upgrades hidden items characters Quests Easter eggs and so much more it's Dense it's also pretty damn violent and Gory which again really sets it apart From your typical hoppy boppy 2D pixel Art game also you can probably beat the Whole game in like an afternoon or two Which means it doesn't oversay your Welcome and it respects your time I Found myself going back after I finished It so I could unlock everything and keep The fun going because to me infernax is On the level of like something like
Shovel Knight an expertly crafted Throwback game that wears its Inspirations on its sleeves but also Totally feels like a modern action Platformer just with old school inspired Graphics Inferno access on switch PC Xbox and Playstation so if you own any Of those things and any of this sounded Even remotely interesting to you go play This game immediately it is baffling and A little bit disappointing that more People don't talk about deadly creatures Because it is a completely Bonkers fever Dream of a video game you control a Scorpion and a tarantula with each level Alternating between their perspectives As they go around doing mostly realistic Arachnid stuff where it gets weird is The parallel story going on in the Background which follows a pair of Treasure Hunters voiced by Billy Bob Thornton and the late Dennis Hopper as They go searching for civil war gold This is a game about bugs theoretically But apparently treasure Hunters too Mechanically deadly creatures is a Pretty straightforward good time it's Not Game of the Year material or Anything but it's totally serviceable The Scorpion and the tarantula crawl Around fighting other creatures like Rats and cockroaches and eating pill Bugs and occasionally running a foul of Larger Critters like a rattlesnake or a
Gila monster as you might expect from a Wii exclusive there is a perfunctory Amount of controller waggling involved But the elephant in the room is the two Stars of the Silver Screen who are Looming overhead chewing scenery and Bickering about Confederate gold this Game probably didn't need a plot about Humans and it definitely didn't need Those humans to be played by multiple Time Academy Award nominees but they Were and that's just wild as much fun as It is to be a scorpion or a tarantula I Would love even more to be a fly on the Wall during the pitch meeting for this Game and then maybe a different insect On the wall during the casting process It's probably worth noting that neither Scorpions nor tarantulas are actually Deadly to humans to other small animals Sure but the title still feels a little Bit sensationalized maybe that's the Point maybe the real deadly creature Teachers are treasure hunting bug Collectors who practice poor firearm Safety and are voiced by the star of Blue velvet and speed why not simulation Games these days vary from peacefully Mundane to nothing short of gloriously Ridiculous and many years ago a Surprising Studio offered their own Entry to this popular genre lionhead you May know and love Peter molyneux now Closed studio for fable but for me it
Reminds me of the movies in the Simulation game you nurture the talents Of prospective actors and work toward Building a successful and popular movie Studio starting in the 1920s and working Your way into the modern day it has Heavy hints of the Sims in its design People management and lot management Your director cast and crew gets Stressed and have relationships you have A finite budget to manage as you invest In building up your studio with new Facilities paying talent and recruiting More staff to support the scale of your Studio you also need to assign actors to Practice particular roles in order for Them to develop their talents neglect That and they'll appear in your movie as An awkward mess movies released directly Impact the success of your studio too so Taking the time to train your stars and Keeping staff happy is crucial you can Also invest in improving the technology Of your studio now there are some Awesome sci-fi and fantasy movies out There shot in an extreme budget but in The movies let's just say the films Produced there wouldn't fall into that Category instead you gotta work your way Up to the big Blockbuster technology you Don't have full creative control when it Comes to actually making the movies in This game but the changes you can make Are still pretty fun you of course get
To watch them after the complete two I Can't say what exactly compelled me to Try out this game as a preteen in 2005 But I do know I had a delightful time Seeing my studio grow it's unfortunate That this game is now largely Unavailable from publisher Activision Unless you manage to find a physical Copy and have a disk drive Metal Warriors is the best Super Nintendo game that you've probably never Heard of it's really high quality it's a Very Speedy graphically detailed action Platformer matched up with a space Shooter with a core gimmick of giant Mechs oddly though published by Konami Metal Warriors was developed by LucasArts the interactive division of Lucasfilm that mainly turned out Adventure games in the 90s like the Secret of Monkey Island the Metal Warriors are mechs which you operate With a tiny on-screen pilot that can Eject and switch mechs leaving you Extremely vulnerable in your little Human form but also able to slide into Tight secret Areas with your little tiny Jet pack they're a huge variety of mechs That have advantages you need to put to Use and the huge secret filled levels Including some that fly one that just Walks around but can't even jump but has The best weapons in the game and a few Others that do things like roll and one
That spider crawls up and over ceilings And one just straight up has a Lightsaber they all have a huge amount Of moves though and and abilities and That makes them a really good good match For also another feature of the game Which is a death match mode in Deathmatch you battle in these large Split screen Arenas full of mechs and Waiting allowing you and a friend to Battle his Bots until one person Inevitably ejects and if they can make It to another Mech before you squash Them like a tiny 10 pixel size bug then The tides may turn on a dime I played This game into the wee morning hours for Years with friends until it was Supplanted by a Mario Kart 64 GoldenEye And so on and the 64-bit era but I think It holds up better than all of those it Is also just not available anywhere it Was subjected to a very very low print Run so it's a very rare very expensive Game now why am I telling you about this Game because it's really cool it's Really fun still and you should be able To play it and I hope by talking about It and evangelizing for it it will be Available someday again Now I know Digimon World is a licensed Game not exactly traditional fodder for Obscure but to this day there's nothing Quite like it Digimon World is a digital Pet life coach simulator where unlike
Pokemon you don't directly control your Digimon in battle you simply shout Different commands at it and if you've Raised it right it'll listen you heard Me right you actually have to raise your Digimon from birth to adulthood and spec Them out through various training Regimes at different in-world gyms You'll need to feed them praise them Scold them and even guide them to the Bathroom to relieve themselves your goal Is to explore the beautiful digital World and find the ex-citizens of the Digital world Capital file city after Finding some sense into them these feral Digimon come to their senses and return To the city adding a major point of Attraction for you and your trusty Digimon to enjoy some Digimon will add Free reserves of food via an upgradable Meat Farm which I promise is way more Charming than it sounds shops with new Gear or open up pathways to new areas I Could go on and on but the timer on my Segment is ticking I believe Digimon World fully encapsulates the Experimental era of the PlayStation 1. It's bold weird and Charming in all the Right places cementing it as a game with Mechanics that I want adapted in other Games Japanese RPGs were some of the Hottest games going at the end of the Original PlayStation era that was to Make Valkyrie Profile a success whether
Because of its pixel art Graphics or Because it arrived just before the PlayStation 2. Valkyrie Profile was Seemingly destined for obscurity when it Was released in 2000 but those who took A chance on it were treated to one of The era's most fascinating games set in An Anime styled version of Norse Mythology Valkyrie Profile puts you in The boots of a valkyrie named lenith Tasked with recruiting The Souls of Fallen Warriors ahead of Ragnarok each Warrior dies in their own tragic way Whether by Magic betrayal or simply Being in the wrong place at the wrong Time after which they become a member of Lennis party and not all is as it seems Today when Valkyrie Profile is Remembered it's mostly for its Combo-based Action System and the Difficulty of obtaining its best ending But Valkyrie Profile also stood out Thanks to its vibrant art its killer Soundtrack and its wildly original Approach to RPG storytelling and remains A high water mark for developer tries Which is arguably yet to top it sadly The original has been difficult to find On home consoles until very recently and This sequels have been mostly Disappointing still this tragic tale May Yet have a happy ending thanks to Valkyrie Elysium a brand new sequel Currently under development for PS4 and
PS5 even better it will be released Alongside a version of the original game For modern consoles giving a new Generation a chance to experience this Unique RPG for themselves Once in a while a game comes along that Takes a familiar genre and adds an Element that makes it truly special Imagine starting with a great flight Simulator and then asking what if the Pilot was Indiana Jones because that's What Japanese develop across essentially Did some 20 years ago Sky Odyssey is a Full-fledged 3D flight adventure for PlayStation 2. you don't just take off And land and fly through some rings in The sky although you do all that too you Embark on an Airborne quest to find Pieces of a map that lead to a Mysterious tower on the way you have to Fly rescues and supply drops and Dramatic weather conditions vent your Fuel to make your plane light enough to Make it over a tall mountain range and Even catch up to a train and Refuel On The Go you're Tethered to this train and Then it goes through a tunnel it's Awesome each mission is more unique than The last and it's all accompanied by a Sweeping score by KO Otani of Shadow of The Colossus Fame commissioned by Sony Computer Entertainment the game was Ultimately released over here by Activision a sign that may be so in he
Knew it wasn't going to be a big hit That it's developers shut down after Making such a masterpiece and that Sky Odyssey is all but forgotten is a real Shame so please remember Sky Odyssey not Many people would be able to tell you Anything about this Hidden Gem that is Ephemeral Fantasia developed by Konami And very much akin to what you expect in Early 2000s Final Fantasy game would be This game is not for the week lazy or Unmotivated it takes the things you love In a traditional PlayStation 1 RPG and Adds possibly the best feature to ever Be injected into like any game and That's the ability to play some sick Guitar solos [Music] Before Guitar Hero and Uncharted Infirmal Fantasia had players take on The role of mouse a traveling musician And part-time Thief who is hired to play Guitar at a royal wedding Mouse arrives At the island of pandul only to find out The entire island has been cursed Repeating the same same week for God Knows how many decades tasked with Spooning everybody with your sick guitar Songs you'll group with an incredible Array of characters with different Abilities and traits every action Directly affects the game's outcome with The game's clock ticking even when You're not playing or when you are
Playing it becomes important to know the Intricacies of pretty much everything in The game including every NPC schedule This game demanded a lot from a player As recruiting new characters requires One to be at the right place at the Right time as you'll continue in the Story you'll uncover even more songs to Grace your ears that would even make Carlos Santana gleeful and I really mean That the music is really good here the Game's dungeon can honestly feel Sometimes terrifying and annoying with Utterly large areas to walk through for No apparent reason probably why those That face the game without a walk Through find themselves exhausted I Personally was one of those people too But then you remember you're a musician And you can just go back back to just Playing guitar forever which is pretty Much what I did I just kept playing Guitar this game was great other side is In XCOM like tactical game where you Control a set of sisters to take on some Of the weirdest and freakiest Monstrosities you'll ever see in a video Game its overall setting is incredibly Unsettling the music is awesome and the Graphics are Stellar the gothic Hue of Striking Reds whites and blacks gives The game a minimalist feel while also Being one of the prettiest games in the Genre and nobody plays it IGN gave it a
Nine it's number 10 on our top 10 best Tactical games ever made and nobody Plays it if you play other side light Bulb crew might make other side too That's only a good thing play other side Foreign [Music]
