Overlooked Retro Game Gems

10 games that need to be rediscovered
On
January 12, 2015
One of the best parts I have discovered about being a retro gamer is not only replaying the games you loved in your youth, but also discovering new games that either fell through the cracks, or you didn't have a chance to own when you were young.

This is a list of 10 games that never got much attention when they were new, and deserve to be rediscovered.


CRYSTALIS (1990)
FORMAT: NES
PUBLISHER: SNK


I start off the list with this incredible RPG that sadly few have played, or remember. The game came out late in the NES's life, so maybe people were more fixed on the 16-bit systems at the time. There's really no excuse why this game isn't remembered today as a classic of the genre.

The story of the game is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth that is ruled by a small group of sorcerers. Their job is to prevent the mistakes of the past of technology and weaponry to never repeat themselves, and rule the world peacefully with magic. But one day, an evil wizard named Draygon decided to use the forbidden technology of flight to create a flying fortress and threaten the world. You play the young man who is tasked with saving the world, and must track down some magical swords to defeat the evil Draygon and his ambitions.

The game is played as an action RPG, similar to The Legend of Zelda, only much more involved. The game's world is quite large for an NES game, with many towns, dungeons and forests for your character to traverse. This is obviously nothing new for an RPG. What makes the game interesting is its story, which is not only well written for a game of its time, but intriguing. Your character starts the game off with no memories when the game begins, so you must spend the game not only fulfilling your quest, but also learning about yourself. As you discover countless items, weapons and spells to aid you, you start to feel powerful, but not so powerful that the game becomes a cakewalk. You will have to do a lot of experience point grinding to build levels if you want to survive.

Crystalis also features an absolutely amazing soundtrack, one of the best I have heard on the NES. It's an emotional score that perfectly captures the feel of whatever happens to be going on in the story. This is one of those rare gems where the plot, gameplay and music all come together to create a memorable experience. This game actually got remade for the Game Boy Color back in 2000, but seriously, avoid it at all costs. The plot's been changed, the music is completely new and nowhere near as good, and the game is nowhere near as fun. If you want to experience Crystalis, track down the NES original, and stay away from the portable remake.

If you enjoy RPGs, this needs to be in your collection. There's really no other way to say it.



JOURNEY TO SILIUS (1990)
FORMAT: NES
PUBLISHER: SUNSOFT


This Sci-Fi themed action platform game was originally intended to be a movie-licensed game based on the original Terminator film. For whatever reason, Sunsoft lost the license at some point in development. Fortunately, they did not scrap the game completely, and just made it into an original title. Good thing, because this is an awesome game that anyone who loves Contra needs to experience.

To be honest, the new story they came up with for the game after they lost the rights to the Terminator plot doesn't make a lot of sense. You play a kid in a future society whose father was killed in an atomic blast. You then find a computer disk with a video of your father talking about terrorists plotting to overthrow the society. The kid links the terrorists to his dad's death, and decides to go out and kick some butt. That's about all the game gives you. But hey, that's all the motivation games needed back then!

The game is played as a shooter platformer, with lots of robot enemies to demolish with the kid's basic gun. As you advance, you get more powerful weapons, such as a shotgun and a machine gun. Ammo is limited on pretty much everything but your basic pea-shooter, so you have to know when to use your weapons and not waste them. It's best to save them for tricky situations, or for boss battles.

The game can be difficult. There are a lot of airborne enemies, and unfortunately, you're unable to shoot upwards in the game. You'll have to get a good distance away from the enemy, then jump and shoot to hit them. This is one of those games were memorization is key to winning. Over time, you learn where the enemies will appear, and you will be ready to handle them before they show up. Before you do learn the placement, the game can be quite hard, but anyone who has played a platformer shooter like Contra should have no problem making their way through this. It's actually a fairly short game, but it's so much fun, you don't mind replaying it after you have beaten it.

A short Nintendo Power article on the "Terminator" game. Cast your peepers!!

Journey to Silius is one of those games that not many played back in the day, but has become somewhat of a cult classic thanks to its strong graphics and music, and great gameplay. It's not too hard of a game to track down today, though, and it shouldn't set you back too much. It's worth checking out.



STARTROPICS (1990)
FORMAT: NES
PUBLISHER: NINTENDO


Another Zelda-style RPG for the NES that has sadly gone by the wayside with time. I have no idea why Nintendo has not decided to follow up on this series. It got one sequel on the NES, and then was never heard from again.

You play as Mike Jones, an all American boy who has come to the tropical C-Island to visit his archeologist Uncle, Dr. Steve Jones. When you arrive on the island, you learn that your Uncle has gone missing. Armed only with your trusty yo-yo, you set out to talk to the natives to learn the truth of what has happened. It turns into a pretty complex adventure involving ancient caves, lost civilizations, talking dolphins and even a robot who holds a striking resemblance to R.O.B., the Robotic Operating Buddy who originally came with NES sets.

The dungeons that Mike must explore during the game are played exactly like the ones in the original Zelda. However, unlike Link, Mike knows how to jump, so there is some platforming required. The control is rather stiff and awkward to use at first, but you get used to it, and it does not hinder the game. You have to solve a lot of puzzles, collect items like bombs that can help you blow up hidden passageways in dungeons, and solve various riddles that the locals will give you, or help them with their problems before they'll aid you in their quest. It's all pretty common stuff, but the game does have a sort of offbeat sense of humor to itself, and the tropical tone and upbeat music makes the game stand out from the usual fare we were used to at the time.

The letter that came with the game.

Of course, the one moment that everyone who plays the game remembers is that when you first opened the box, you found a letter "written" by Mike's Uncle. At first, this seems like just a cool little bonus to the package, but it actually plays a part in the game. At one point, you have to enter a 3-digit number combination, and the game tells you that you can find it by dipping the letter in water. And that's exactly what you have to do! Once you dip the letter that came with the game in water, the code that you have to enter would appear on the piece of paper. This was such an unusual and cool idea, and it's really too bad that more games did not experiment with things like this to get the gamer more involved.

Only in a video game would someone ask you this question...

Startropics is not a perfect game, as the somewhat clunky controls and high difficulty can make it frustrating. But, it's still a lot of fun, has some clever moments, and really doesn't deserve to be completely forgotten by Nintendo. If they were to release a remake or a new game for the 3DS, I would buy it in a heartbeat.



TERRANIGMA (1996)
FORMAT: SNES
PUBLISHER: ENIX/QUINTET/NINTENDO


On the Super Nintendo, the publishing and developing team of Enix and Quintet created a series of action RPGs based around the Earth and its creation. The series kicked off with 1991's Actraiser, continued with Soul Blazer one year later, and carried on in 1994 with Illusion of Gaia. All of these were completely different games that shared the same theme, as they all revolved around the creation of life and the Earth itself.

What most American gamers don't know is that there was a fourth game in the series, Terranigma, and that even though it was translated into English, it was never released in America due to the fact it came out in Europe and other countries around the time Nintendo was focused on launching the Nintendo 64. However, there are reproduction carts that allow you to play the game in English on American consoles, and I highly recommend you do so, as it's not only the best game in the series, but it's also one of the best games you can find on the Super Nintendo.

In the game's world, the surface has long been abandoned and destroyed. However, there is a thriving village called Crysta that exists in the "Underworld" beneath the surface. You are a boy named Ark who lives in this village, and early in the game, you happen to accidentally unleash something that turns everyone in the village to stone...Everyone that is except for the Village Elder, who charges you with the task to visit four towers in the Underworld, and free the souls of the villagers. Once this is done, your quest is far from over. The Elder now wants you to go up to the surface, and begin recreating the world up above. This is where the real game begins, as Ark must now revive the plants, animals and humans of the world that have long been locked away by evil forces. Once this is accomplished, he must then help the world grow and advance.

This is where the real meat of the game occurs, as Ark must go on a variety of quests to help the world advance, such as helping humans learn about harnessing and using electricity, or helping a village with a democratic election. You get to visit all the different countries in the world, and go on a variety of quests to not only defeat the demons that are trying to hold back humanity's progress, but also aid the plants and animals (whom Ark can communicate with) with their various problems. This is a massive game with a winding plot that actually holds quite a few surprises. Let's just say people you trust early on have very different motives by the end.

Speaking of the ending, I will not reveal it, but it is extremely powerful, kind of touching, and actually somewhat sad. I'm man enough to admit it, I kind of tear up a little every time the ending plays out, and you learn the fates of some of the characters. The ending credits, which depicts a bird flying over the world you created is the highlight, especially with the absolutely gorgeous music that plays over the end credits. It gives you a sense of reward, and also a touch of sadness, when you figure out what the bird is supposed to represent. (Again, I'm trying to be vague here.)

Seriously, Nintendo of America was crazy not to bring this out here, even though it was released in Europe with an English translation. Do whatever it takes to track down this game.



THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN (1994)
FORMAT: SNES
PUBLISHER: KONAMI
This incredible game based on the equally incredible TV cartoon series perfectly captures the dark mood and atmosphere of the WB toon. While there were other games based on the cartoon for the Sega Genesis and Sega CD, this game easily does the best job of capturing the feel of the cartoon.

Rather than having one big storyline that carries through the entire game, it instead features eight different levels that serve as their own "episode", each with their own unique storyline. There's even an episode title card at the beginning of each level similar to the ones they would have on the show. Each level is completely unique, and has their own feel and tone. While most of the levels are standard platforming levels where you would run and punch thugs, there were some levels that were more puzzle of maze-based.

For example, in one level, you would be trapped in a virtual reality video game designed by The Riddler, attempting to rescue Commissioner Gordon. You would be trapped in a maze, trying to find your way out. Not only that, but the Riddler himself would occasionally appear, and you would have to answer one of his infamous riddles if you wanted to proceed further in the level. There were even some levels where you would have to use detective work to save hostages. This is the first Batman game I remember that was not just a standard platformer or beat 'em up, and actually required some puzzle solving to win.

The graphics perfectly recreate the look of the cartoon, and the music has also been sampled from the actual music score of the show. There was also a good amount of villains taken from the cartoon including Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, The Penguin, Two Face, Catwoman, The Scarecrow, Clayface and Man-Bat. Another aspect that I liked about the game is that before each level, you would have to choose equipment to take with you. Sometimes, certain items were needed to clear a level, such as a gas mask in Scarecrow's level, so that you can survive the rooms filled with poison gas. Fortunately, Alfred the Butler would usually clue you in on what items you needed to bring, so you were never flying blind into a stage.

The Adventures of Batman and Robin got kind of a quiet release, and no one paid much attention to it. That's a shame, because it was the best Batman game ever made for a long time. This is a rare game and one that's kind of hard to find, but it's so worth it if you do.


SUNSET RIDERS (1991/1993)
FORMAT: ARCADE/SNES
PUBLISHER: KONAMI


Here's another gem from Konami that I would love to see revived as a downloadable title for one of today's systems. Sunset Riders started life as an arcade game in late 1991, and was given a very faithful port to the SNES two years later. There's a version out there for the Sega Genesis too, but it's completely different from the arcade, and frankly, I don't find it to be as good.

The thrill of this Western-themed game is gathering up four people (in the arcade) or a friend in the two player SNES version, and just lay to waste everything that moves! Like most arcade games, the plot is paper thin. You take control of four different cowboys (Steve, Bob, Billy and Cormano), and set out to take down a bunch of no-good law breakers, led by the vile Sir Richard Rose. What is the villain's plan? Who knows, who cares. He's the bad guy, he's trying to kill you, so you have to get him first.

Both versions of this game have great cartoon-style graphics, a good sense of humor, awesome driving music that makes you want to keep on pumping quarters in the arcade machine (or pressing the start button again when you die in the SNES game), and hilarious voice acting. Before you face a boss, they will usually say a short little quote. I remember when I was young, my best friend and I used to quote this game all the time. "Bury me with my money", "I say, bit of bad luck" and "You in heap big trouble" became common phrases with us, thanks to this game.

The action in the arcade version is fast-paced and really fun, especially with four people playing at once. The SNES version, aside from the fact that you can only play as two people at the same time instead of four, is pretty much a pixel-perfect recreation. Sure, some of the risque graphic elements have been toned down (the women who invite you into a saloon for "bonus points" are a bit less scantly clad in the home version), but other than that all the action, music and even the voice samples made it into the game.

Guns, women, and guys throwing bombs from above. Sounds like a party...

Whatever version you choose, you can't go wrong with this game if you want a game that's kind of mindless, but fast-paced and incredibly fun. The reason why I say to avoid the Genesis version is that you only get to choose between two of the four cowboys, it's a shorter game (not all the levels made it in), and I don't know, it just doesn't seem as fast or as fun as the arcade and SNES. It's like Konami was trying to make a new game, but it just didn't work.

Grab some friends, get some food and drinks, and just have a blast drilling hot lead into an endless string of varments and cattle rustlers.


POPFUL MAIL (1995)
FORMAT: SEGA CD
PUBLISHER: FALCOM/WORKING DESIGNS


Working Designs was a small publisher known for translating Japanese RPGs and niche titles back in the 90s. Their most famous games they brought over were the Lunar series of RPGs for the Sega CD and Playstation. However, one of their unsung games was also their most oddly-named. Popful Mail is a lighthearted fantasy comedy adventure that remains one of the funniest games I have ever played.

You assume the role of Popful Mail, a female elf trying to make it in a fantasy world as a bounty hunter. She's pretty bad at her job, but the game's instruction manual describes her as a "scrappy little crappy bounty hunter", so she never gives up. The current bounty she's after is Muttonhead, a wizard who used to be good, but has recently turned to evil. Her quest to bring the wizard to justice will ultimately reveal a much sinister plot, as it turns out Muttonhead has teamed up with the notorious criminal, Nuts Cracker, in an attempt to bring the evil Overlord back to life and conquer the world. Mail is joined in her quest by a young wizard named Tatto (who used to study under Muttonhead, and is trying to track down his wayward master) and Gaw, a strange blue blob with wings on its back which allows him to jump great distances.

Popful Mail is displayed as a side scrolling platformer, but it also has some RPG elements, such as having to buy weapons and equipment for your three characters in towns, and visiting towns to gather information. You can switch control amongst the three characters at any time when you have them, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Mail is the all around average character with strong sword attacks. Tatto can use magic and can attack from a distance, but is fairly weak. Gaw can jump the highest with his wings and slash with his powerful claws. Part of the strategy of the game was figuring out the best character to use in an area. or against an enemy.

Another thing that made switching characters unique was their different personalities, and how the dialogue with characters would change completely depending on who you were using at the time. Mail is a short-tempered tomboy, Tatto is kind and polite to a fault, and Gaw doesn't take kindly to those who ridicule his odd appearance. Since the game was on CD, all of the dialogue was fully voiced, and there was over 2 hours of it, which was a huge deal in the 16 bit days. Not only is the dialogue well written and often quite funny, but it's even acted pretty well.

I mentioned earlier that this is one of the funniest games I've ever played, and I really do mean it. Even though I have played and beaten the game dozens of times, certain moments still make me laugh. There's the heroes' first encounter with Sven T. Uncommon, a villain who talks like a certain Austrian action movie star from the 80s and 90s, and name drops the actor's film titles in his dialogue. There are the royal guards who talk and act like Joe Friday in Dragnet. Aside from some dated pop culture references, there is some very clever jokes, like the little one liners and insults that the heroes say to the often dim-witted or greedy townspeople who want something before they'll give you information. This game doesn't take itself seriously for a second, and it's all the better for it.

Popful Mail is an extremely rare game, and will probably cost you over $500 or more if you want a complete copy with instructions and the original case. That's why I'm glad I held onto my copy from back in the day. This is an unsung gem that sadly got overlooked, most likely due to the console it appeared on.



ASTAL (1995)
FORMAT: SEGA SATURN
PUBLISHER: SEGA


The Sega Saturn is a system that never really caught on in America. That's a real shame, because there were some really incredible games for the system, most of which sadly stayed over in Japan. One great game that did manage to make the trip overseas was this early release, Astal.

Astal protecting Leda

The game has a pretty good background story draped in mythology. Astal's story begins when the Goddess Antowas created the world of Quartilia out of magical jewels. From her last two jewels (one red, the other green), she created two humans. Astal, a short-tempered and powerful young fighter, was born from the red jewel. Born from the green jewel was Leda, a young girl who was given the magic of life. It was Leda's job to keep the world in balance, and Astal's job to protect her. An evil demon named Jerado took advantage of Astal's short tempered nature, and created an evil child of his own named Geist to kidnap Leda. His plan was to enrage Astal so much that he would use his power to tear the world apart in order to track down Leda and her captor. His plan worked, and when Antowas saw the outcome of Astal's actions, he was banished to the moon. Now that Astal is out of the way, Jerado is free to conquer the world at his leisure.

This game has amazing color and detail.

This is where you come in. Astal hears the cries of Leda coming from the planet, and breaks free of the chains binding him. He returns to the world of Quartilia to track down Leda and defeat Jerado and Geist once and for all. He is accompanied in his quest by a strange bird that he rescues early in the first level, and then refuses to leave his side. Astal can use this bird during the course of the game to do special attacks (such as flying about the screen, killing all the enemies), or having it fly off screen and bring life-restoring fruit for him. Astal's main attacks, however, are tied into his incredible Herculean-strength. He can lift massive boulders and throw them, or smash enemies with his powerful fists.

What really set the game apart were the graphics, which looked like no other game out there at the time. The world of Quartilia is beautifully realized in the game's 2D hand-drawn art. From the icy depths of the Crystal Palace, to the serene River of Dreams, this is one of the best-realized fantasy worlds ever created for a platform game. The backgrounds are highly detailed, and some look like interactive paintings. The character sprites are small, but they hold very fluid animation. The enemies are designed well, especially the giant bosses that Astal faces. There are even some cool special effects in the game, like the way the flaming dragon boss zooms in and out of the background and foreground as it flies. And when you are in the ice levels, you can see realistic reflections of Astal and his enemies in the walls, and even the floors. The music is also wonderful, ranging from stirring symphonic melodies, to more soothing "new age"-style tunes.

The only problem with the game is how short and linear it is. The game is so fun and beautiful, you want it to go on forever and see more of the world and characters the designers created. Unfortunately, you can easily beat the game in a half hour or so. I used to dream of a sequel that really expanded upon the first game, and fleshed things out further...Maybe throw in a 2 player mode with the second player controlling Leda. Unfortunately, while Astal received some strong reviews from critics at the time, it was not strong enough in sales to warrant a franchise. It's too bad, as Astal had personality to burn, and would have made a great mascot character for Sega to go along with Sonic.

If you have access to a Sega Saturn, this is a game that you need to experience. Even if it's short, you'll find yourself revisiting it, as the levels just have so many cool moments. This is a game that deserved more attention than it got.



SUIKODEN II (1999)
FORMAT: PLAYSTATION
PUBLISHER: KONAMI


Konami's Suikoden was one of the early RPGs available for the Playstation. The graphics weren't exactly complex, but its emotional story of a young man defying his father and the Empire he served, the incredible music score, and the fact that you could recruit 108 individual characters to join your party captured the imagination of RPG fans. In 1999, Konami released a sequel that was better than the original in just about every way...And hardly anyone noticed it at the time.

Just like before, you play as a young man (whom you name) who is a soldier in the Imperial Empire. A truce has recently been reached between the Empire and the army they have been engaged in a long war in, and you and your best friend, Jowy (also a soldier) are looking forward to returning home the next day and seeing your friends and family. But then, there is a surprise attack on the camp in the middle of the night. The two friends initially think that the opposing army has broken the truce. But, as you start to flee for safety, you happen to come upon your Commander talking to the Royal Prince, Luca Blight. It seems that the blood-thirsty Prince does not want the war to end, and has set up this "surprise attack", plotting to blame the other army of breaking the truce. Jowy and you are spotted eavesdropping on the conversation, and you must flee from your own Commanding Officer, and fellow soldiers who were once your friends and believe Blight's story of the attack.

Now homeless and not sure who to trust, the two friends join up with a small band of rebels who suspect the Prince's dirty deeds. You get to reunite with a few characters from the first game, and of course many new ones. Again, you will ultimately recruit 108 characters to join your cause, as well as build a castle fortress that builds into a thriving community as you gain more recruits. The storyline goes much deeper than that, and goes into some places that the original Suikoden did not. I don't want to spoil too much, but ultimately you will find yourself on opposite sides of someone you trusted during the first half of the game, and the drama that builds between this antagonistic relationship is highly dramatic and ultimately somewhat tragic.

Suikoden II has just about everything you could want in an RPG. It has a dramatic and human-based storyline, lots of characters that you actually care about and are sympathetic toward, a lengthy quest that will take you around 40 or 50 hours to complete, lots of optional side quests, and moments of humor that are actually funny. The game also had a really cool feature that no one had done at the time. When you started the game, it would ask you if you had a 100% complete save file of the original Suikoden game on your Playstation Memory Card. If you did, then it would change the game slightly, and you would be able to recruit two characters from the original game that you could not if you did not have the save file.

Prince Luca Blight has some "violence issues".

In my mind, this is one of the best games ever made for the Playstation. Sadly, when it came out, nobody seemed to notice it. How come, you may ask? Because Konami decided to bring it out over here in September 1999, the exact same time that a little RPG called Final Fantasy VIII also came out for the Playstation. Naturally, nobody noticed the game with Square's juggernaut sequel being released, and not many copies were made. Suikoden II is now a valuable collectable, and goes for astronomical prices if you want the game complete in its jewel case. The game stands as one of the crown jewels in my personal game collection.

Fortunately, all hope is not lost if you want to experience this game without breaking the bank. Konami has recently released the game for Sony's game downloading service, and you can purchase a digital version for the PS3 or Vita. I have not played it, so I'm not sure if it allows you to do the Memory Card trick, but I'm sure they figured out some way to carry it over. All I can say is if you are a fan of the genre, this needs to be in your library somehow. There's just no other way about it. Don't let this fantastic game slip by a second time.



FATAL FRAME (2002)
FORMAT: PLAYSTATION 2/XBOX
PUBLISHER: TECMO


Our final game is a survival horror franchise that, while still on-going, has never really reached the same heights as its competitors, Resident Evil and Silent Hill. This really baffles me, as the Fatal Frame series are some the most intense and original horror games around. And it all started with this little gem that initially debuted as an early title for the Playstation 2, and was later ported to the Xbox with a "Special Edition".

Fatal Frame's story begins with Himuro Mansion, a house that once belonged to a powerful Japanese landowner. The house has a long history of strange tales. Tales of murder, bizarre Shinto cults, and ghostly visions accompanied by the sounds of tortured souls. Although the house has been abandoned for years, no one has ever set foot near the mansion. That all changed when an author by the name of Junsei Takamine entered Himuro Mansion. Accompanied by his editor, Koji Ogata, and his personal assistant, Tomoe Hirasaka, Mr. Takamine wanted to explore the very depths of the abandoned mansion. He was intrigued by the many bizarre stories he had heard about the house, and wanted inspiration for a new horror novel he was working on. However, days after entering Himuro Mansion, the group disappeared, and no one has heard from them since.

Smile for the camera!

The game picks up with you playing a teenage girl named Miku Hanasaki. Both Miku, and her older brother Mafuyu, have a sixth sense that allow them to sense and see the spirit world. As the game opens, you learn that Mafuyu was a student of Junsei Takamine, and went into the mansion to look for his mentor. Now Mafuyu has disappeared as well, and Miku is about to step inside in order to find her brother. Not long after entering the house, she senses the presence of her brother somewhere. She also senses the strong evil force that haunts it. Fortunately, she comes across her brother's camera, which holds the ability to capture spirits when she takes a photo of them. This will be her only weapon against the vengeful spirits that haunt the halls of Himuro Mansion.

Of course, the spirits aren't just going to stand there, smile pretty for the camera, and say ''cheese''. The ghosts will often fight back, striking Miku with powerful blows, or literally grabbing and shaking her. The key strategy to battle is getting far enough away from the ghosts in order to get a long enough chance to power up your Spirit Power meter. Naturally, the further you explore Himuro Mansion, the stronger the ghosts you battle become. Fortunately, Miku can upgrade her camera, and make it stronger. Every time you take a picture of a spirit, you get Spirit Points. You can use these points to unlock new features on your camera, such as increasing the size of your camera's Capture Circle, increasing the maximum amount of Spirit Power you can build up, and increasing the speed that the Spirit Power is charged. You also have to make sure you always have rolls of film on hand. You don't want to encounter a ghost, and find out you're out of film.

Fatal Frame creates an incredibly tense atmosphere, even when nothing is happening. The dark haunted mansion, and the creepy sound effects are enough to set you on edge, but as you start to uncover information and the history of the house, as well as the fates of the unfortunate souls who entered it before you (including your brother), it's enough to make your hair stand on end. As you uncover pieces of journal entries, newspaper clippings, and audio tape recordings of some of the mansion's past explorers and occupants, it pieces together the tragic history of the house, and really creates a sense of hopelessness. This game creates such a sense if isolation and terror, it really has not been topped by any other game I can think of.

The game received a couple sequels for the Playstation 2, both of which are great games and should be seeked out. Unfortunately, the series seems destined to remain in Japan these days. Nintendo bought the rights to the series at one point in the last decade, and have been making Fatal Frame games for their Wii systems. Unfortunately, Nintendo seems to have no plans to bring the games here. There was a spin off for the 3DS called Spirit Camera that did find its way over to the US, but really, it's nowhere near as good of an experience as the console games, and is far too short to be satisfying.

If you are a fan of classic Survival Horror, track down the original three Fatal Frame games, turn off the lights, and enjoy scaring yourself silly. This game will make you nervous and will make you jump more than once, I guarantee it.


Well, I hope you enjoyed this list, and most of all, I hope you have had a chance to play these great games. If you haven't, they're worth tracking down, though a lot of these games will probably cost an arm and a leg these days. That's the problem with retro gaming these days, it's become so popular that the prices keep on going up.

Regardless, it's worth the time, trouble and money to find these games. They remain classics even to this day.
12
More Articles From Keiichi77
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload Dismiss