I thought it may be a interesting to discuss some forgotten classics or under rated games. Fistly; to make other gamers aware of them and maybe even play them if they wish.
Secondly; to give the games the credit they deserve!

I will start with a couple of examples;
Soliel (Megadrive). Even though i've played just about every game worth playing on the Megadrive i would still consider this long forgotten arcade adventure one of the very best on the system. RPG, platformer, puzzle, shoot em up, beat em up; It had more variety in its gamplay then any game i had played before. One minute you could be in a giant castle - every room filled with a different puzzle, the next racing against a chetah on a micro machines style race track or fighting one of the games giant bosses!
The ingenious gameplay had you learning skills as you progressed. For example, you could complete a certain task or puzzle and would be rewarded with the ability to jump, throw your sword etc. You could then use your new skill to progress in a different part of the game.
The game also features a couple plot twists so innovative that they turn the whole its head!

Parasite Eve (PSone) Seen by some shortsighted critics as "another" inferior Resident Evil clone. Nonsense. In fact, this is a highly original mix of RPG and survival horror. It does have some similarities to Resi (such as the controlls) but this really deserves to to stand alone as there has been no game quite like it. This is a strange game though and difficult to appreciate at first.
Let me explain;
At first i thought it was just survival horror with nobs on and that the RPG stuff was irrelivent. However, the further you get in the game and the tougher the baddies get the more you have to "think" your way through the battles. You have to learn which spells and weapons work best against each type monster, often having to change weapon several times mid battle. It sounds weird but the battles are a perfect balance of action and tactics and work really well. It also features some of the most unforgettable boss battles ever seen (they're big in every way)! The puzzles also deserve a special mention as they are some of the best thought out puzzles in an action game that i have seen.

This really is under rated, its 10 years old now and undergoing a total re-vamp atm:

www.wulfram.com?mkid=17776

Einhander (PS1)
Dino Crisis (PS1)
Castlevania: Bloodlines (Genesis)
Deion Sanders Prime Time Football (Genesis)

See it's tough to make a list like this because I don't know whether titles I list are very well known. I can only put up things I remember that I don't see other people mention:

Super Dodgeball (NES)
Yar's Revenge (Atari)
Tron (arcade)
Tenchu (PSX)
Double Dragon (NES)
Chipwits (Macintosh 128)
Adventure (Atari)
Jumpman (Commodore 64)
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode (NES)
Bionic Commando (NES)

Skies of arcadia: Dreamcast

This may not seem underrated, as much of the online community does appreciate this game. But the mainstream masses certainly do not, or much more likely, they are unaware of it's existence.

quote:

Originally posted by Funkymonky:

Parasite Eve

Yeah, I remember playing Parasite Eve back when it came out. Pretty interesting game. The second was decent as well. I agree - it does seem to be an oft forgotten game.

Does anyone want Sega to get back in the hardware business again? I'm still NUTS over the Dreamcast. On the other hand, i have no idea how Sega could it. They did such a miserable job marketing their hardware, and seem to have issues w/ their software (see latest reviews of sonic for examples) Additionaly, what do you think would happen if Microsoft bought Sega?

I think one game that's never really gotten the attention it deserves is Suikoden II. I remember when it came out no one had it except me. People were really missing out! It turns out that years later the RPG community finally started coming around to it, but it was out of print. It's never been reprinted in the US, unfortunately. Now it sells for around $100 bucks for a used version. I'd never want to sell such a great game, though.

It has very well established characters and an intriguing war plot. If you're like me and you find music to be a very important part of a game, it's got some of the best I've ever heard. If you asked me I'd say you could never consider yourself a full-fledged RPG enthusiast unless you've played this game. It's essential.

quote:

Originally posted by WolfEyes:
This really is under rated, its 10 years old now and undergoing a total re-vamp atm:

www.wulfram.com?mkid=17776

Thought I'd BumP this as its rather old now

Superman 64.

Ya know, I forgot all about Nintendo's Pro Wrestling! That is, until I saw this! I used to own that game and I never did beat it. It really fries my hash that K-Fed actually pulled it off!