Games you remember, names you don't

[mclem]

Heya thread! I have asked about this game before but we didn't find it. Been seeing this thread a lot lately and started thinking about it again

What I am looking for is a Boulder Dash clone that I played on my dad's computer. So it could be Windows (up to 95) or DOS.

What little I remember is that it was dark (brown and black?) and I remember thinking it was kinda scary. I also wanna say that the character was a man in a hat, not a kid or creature. I also remember something like going past the name of the game written in boulders at the very start.

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I'm going to wonder if perhaps we're not talking a pure Boulderdash clone - the dark and slightly scary suggestion makes me think it might possibly be Paganitzu

It's probably closer to think of it as akin to Lolo more than Boulder Dash, but the visuals do strike me as matching up with what you describe.

(See also Chagunitzu, effectively the prequel although much worse-known because the developer released it independently while Paganitzu was through partnership with Apogee)

No boulder-name at the start, though, at least not in my recollection.

 

[Spyware]

Emerald Mine for the Amiga had a guy in a hat. No idea if it was ever on a PC.


Other game might be RollCage.

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No those are not the games, but thanks for the suggestions!

I'm going to wonder if perhaps we're not talking a pure Boulderdash clone - the dark and slightly scary suggestion makes me think it might possibly be Paganitzu

It's probably closer to think of it as akin to Lolo more than Boulder Dash, but the visuals do strike me as matching up with what you describe.

(See also Chagunitzu, effectively the prequel although much worse-known because the developer released it independently while Paganitzu was through partnership with Apogee)

No boulder-name at the start, though, at least not in my recollection.

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Sadly that isn't it. Looks cool tho!

It was definitely a "clear dirt, push boulders to get gems" game. In my mind it looked more like this:

but with way more basic graphics. Like a darker Emerald Mine. Dark background and brown dirt. I wanna say the boulders were gray and the gems blue-ish.

I have been looking through sites like this one and still not found anything that looks like the game does in my mind. Nothing makes me go "that could be it" and I think I have been looking on and off for four years now, haha.

 

[hanmik]

No those are not the games, but thanks for the suggestions!


Sadly that isn't it. Looks cool tho!

It was definitely a "clear dirt, push boulders to get gems" game. In my mind it looked more like this:

but with way more basic graphics. Dark background and brown dirt. I wanna say the boulders were gray and the gems blue-ish.

I have been looking through sites like this one and still not found anything that looks like the game does in my mind. Nothing makes me go "that could be it" and I think I have been looking on and off for four years now, haha.

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Maybe Watch out Willi?

 

[Spyware]

Maybe Watch out Willi?

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No, its too colorful. It was definitely mainly brown!

 

[hanmik]

No, its too colorful. It was definitely mainly brown!

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Boulderoid?

 

[hanmik]

or.. Rock Rush?

 

[Morrigan]

No, its too colorful. It was definitely mainly brown!

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If you were in French Canada that could have been Taupe on Videoway (showing my age here...).

Apologies for the crappy screenshot, all I could find. You do play a mole though, not a man with a hat.

 

[mclem]

If you were in French Canada that could have been Taupe on Videoway (showing my age here...).

Apologies for the crappy screenshot, all I could find. You do play a mole though, not a man with a hat.

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That looks more Mr. Do than Boulderdash. That said, that's always a possible avenue when someone's looking for a Boulderdash clone!

 

[mclem]

No those are not the games, but thanks for the suggestions!


Sadly that isn't it. Looks cool tho!

It was definitely a "clear dirt, push boulders to get gems" game. In my mind it looked more like this:

but with way more basic graphics. Like a darker Emerald Mine. Dark background and brown dirt. I wanna say the boulders were gray and the gems blue-ish.

I have been looking through sites like this one and still not found anything that looks like the game does in my mind. Nothing makes me go "that could be it" and I think I have been looking on and off for four years now, haha.

Click to shrink...

One thing just struck me as a possibility: While it's not exactly a game in itself, I wonder if it's possible you might be thinking of Rocks 'n' Diamonds:

That's effectively an engine that remakes of Boulderdash *and* a bunch of Boulderdash spinoffs (Notably Emerald Mine and Supaplex), that comes with level sets based on those previous games along with an editor to design your own. It's got the blue diamonds, the grey rocks, a hat and a dark background here, at least - and that's the default tileset, there's actually multiple, so you could possibly have played it with different visuals (or slightly modified) while still being the same underlying game. It's also old enough - the first releases were in the midnineties, and the very first ones were also available on DOS.

(And this is the first time I've looked at RnD in years, and they've now implemented Deflektor in the same engine! That's pretty wildly different)


There is one other thing that's been nagging at me independently of this:

I also remember something like going past the name of the game written in boulders at the very start.

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I'm sure I remember at least one where the *title screen* does this (I think with an animated demo going around it showing basic mechanics). Can't for the life of me remember where, though.

 

[TripaSeca]

Hey everybody, I'm looking for a game that is on SNES. I remember:

- top down view (like LttP)
- character was small
- got chased by various enemies (maybe crabs, maybe bacteria/blobs)
- Lots of levels (like 100+)
- you maybe had a gun?
- it was hard

My uncle had this and that's all I can remember.... Tks for your help

 

[Niahak]

Hey everybody, I'm looking for a game that is on SNES. I remember:

- top down view (like LttP)
- character was small
- got chased by various enemies (maybe crabs, maybe bacteria/blobs)
- Lots of levels (like 100+)
- you maybe had a gun?
- it was hard

My uncle had this and that's all I can remember.... Tks for your help

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The first thing that comes to mind is Super Smash TV. Were all the levels a single screen and did the game have 2-player?

 

[basic_text]

The first thing that comes to mind is Super Smash TV. Were all the levels a single screen and did the game have 2-player?

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Or it's 'sequel' Total Carnage!

 

[TripaSeca]

The first thing that comes to mind is Super Smash TV. Were all the levels a single screen and did the game have 2-player?

Click to shrink...

Or it's 'sequel' Total Carnage!

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Hi, thanks for the replies!

I checked with my Uncle, who remembered me he didn't have a snes, but a nes, and the game was Gauntlet, lol.

 

[Yunyo]

Alright this one is a bit of a doozy...

Old PC game I played in the very early 90's. Top-down pixel game with a medieval setting. Graphics very primitive. Background didn't scroll with your character AFAIR (if you left the screen it would bring in a new screen). You were able to pick up weapons including Cursed weapons that you were unable to sell. When leaving your village in the beginning, and came back later, it was burned to the ground. This game came in a "bundle" with a bunch of other games but I can't remember if it was on a floppy disk or not.

I would be genuinely shocked if anyone knew what this game was. I played it when I was VERY young and these are the only details I remember.

 

[Boy Wander]

Alright this one is a bit of a doozy...

Old PC game I played in the very early 90's. Top-down pixel game with a medieval setting. Graphics very primitive. Background didn't scroll with your character AFAIR (if you left the screen it would bring in a new screen). You were able to pick up weapons including Cursed weapons that you were unable to sell. When leaving your village in the beginning, and came back later, it was burned to the ground. This game came in a "bundle" with a bunch of other games but I can't remember if it was on a floppy disk or not.

I would be genuinely shocked if anyone knew what this game was. I played it when I was VERY young and these are the only details I remember.

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What year are we talking about roughly?

 

[Niahak]

Alright this one is a bit of a doozy...

Old PC game I played in the very early 90's. Top-down pixel game with a medieval setting. Graphics very primitive. Background didn't scroll with your character AFAIR (if you left the screen it would bring in a new screen). You were able to pick up weapons including Cursed weapons that you were unable to sell. When leaving your village in the beginning, and came back later, it was burned to the ground. This game came in a "bundle" with a bunch of other games but I can't remember if it was on a floppy disk or not.

I would be genuinely shocked if anyone knew what this game was. I played it when I was VERY young and these are the only details I remember.

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I'm basing this totally off instinct (and stuff I actually played), but Castle of the Winds was a shareware game that got relatively wide distribution in the time. It was definitely primitive graphics wise, and IIRC early on your house is burned down.

 

[Yunyo]

I'm basing this totally off instinct (and stuff I actually played), but Castle of the Winds was a shareware game that got relatively wide distribution in the time. It was definitely primitive graphics wise, and IIRC early on your house is burned down.

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THAT'S THE ONE. Thank you sooooooooooooo much! Gonna share this info with my brother since we both played this.

 

[Stuart Gipp]

There's a game, I think on PS1, that's a 3D third-person game which takes inspiration from Super Metroid. Cannot for the life of me remember the name of it. Real muted colour pallette, I think I remember a fair amount of swampy greenery. Any ideas?

 

[ramenline]

this one knock-off DQ/FF RPG. Pretty sure it was like on some fake 100-in-1 GBA cart I somehow got my hands on as a kid. Or maybe it was on some weird 100-in-1 handheld.

 

[Dan Thunder]

There's a game, I think on PS1, that's a 3D third-person game which takes inspiration from Super Metroid. Cannot for the life of me remember the name of it. Real muted colour pallette, I think I remember a fair amount of swampy greenery. Any ideas?

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Don't know if it meets most of your criteria but off the top of my head there was a 3D PS1 game which was set a lot in swampy areas, which was Shadowman.

 

[Stuart Gipp]

Don't know if it meets most of your criteria but off the top of my head there was a 3D PS1 game which was set a lot in swampy areas, which was Shadowman.

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Sorry, it's not Shadowman. I think it's more sci-fi?

 

[Jraphics Horse]

Googling 3rd person metroid ps1 gives me
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/divide/divide.htm

 

[Nicholas]

Hi all.

Trying to remember a game I think I played in the late 90s on PC.

It was first person.

I think you started on a crashed space ship. It crashed on an alien world. I remember there were consoles on the ship where you could read crew entries. Maybe it was a prison ship? Anyway, you then could leave the ship and there was a small alien village nearby. The aliens weren't hostile.

Any ideas what this is?

 

[Jraphics Horse]

Hi all.

Trying to remember a game I think I played in the late 90s on PC.

It was first person.

I think you started on a crashed space ship. It crashed on an alien world. I remember there were consoles on the ship where you could read crew entries. Maybe it was a prison ship? Anyway, you then could leave the ship and there was a small alien village nearby. The aliens weren't hostile.

Any ideas what this is?

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Unreal?

 

[hanmik]

Unreal?

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was just about to write the same.. lol

 

[Iztok]

Hi, thanks for the replies!

I checked with my Uncle, who remembered me he didn't have a snes, but a nes, and the game was Gauntlet, lol.

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Gauntlet was going to be my guess, but you said SNES :O

 

[justiceiro]

Guys, there is this SNES game, that is not secret of Mana, I swear, but looks a lot like it. You fight with a flute( you literally hit people around with a flute) and at some point you fight a floating demon head.

Any clues?

 

[Dewin]

Guys, there is this SNES game, that is not secret of Mana, I swear, but looks a lot like it. You fight with a flute( you literally hit people around with a flute) and at some point you fight a floating demon head.

Any clues?

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Illusion of Gaia?

 

[Nicholas]

Unreal?

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Yes! I feel like a bit of an idiot now!

 

[justiceiro]

Illusion of Gaia?

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Seems like it but not really sure. Thanks anyway, that was quick.

 

[MonsterJail]

Guys, there is this SNES game, that is not secret of Mana, I swear, but looks a lot like it. You fight with a flute( you literally hit people around with a flute) and at some point you fight a floating demon head.

Any clues?

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Mystical Ninja? You fight a lot of demon enemies with a pipe in that

 

[justiceiro]

Mystical Ninja? You fight a lot of demon enemies with a pipe in that

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no, it's too down

 

[TylerH]

I'm remembering a game that is similar to Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, where you play as both a human character and a monster character, but in it you actually take control the monster character and smash stuff. I think it was the ps3/360 generation. I swear it exists, thought there is a slight chance I am just misremembering how Majin played. Thanks.

 

[Neoriceisgood]

I once saw this arcade cabinet in Italy many many years ago that had a 2D platformer on it, I think the base premise was that your character was some sort of jungle explorer? The general art style was rather cartoony and iirc pixelart based.

The most notable feature I remember is that I saw a boss fight which involved this statue that came alive & kept swapping heads.

Like, literally swapping heads, the head would just pop off leaving the body there, and get swapped by another head.

 

[Shan]

If you were in French Canada that could have been Taupe on Videoway (showing my age here...).

Apologies for the crappy screenshot, all I could find. You do play a mole though, not a man with a hat.

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I played Videoway so damn much, I had a tiny booklets filled with level password from games like Mordicus and Plunk and many more.

 

[Dangerblade]

I'm remembering a game that is similar to Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, where you play as both a human character and a monster character, but in it you actually take control the monster character and smash stuff. I think it was the ps3/360 generation. I swear it exists, thought there is a slight chance I am just misremembering how Majin played. Thanks.

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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West?

 

[Wibblewozzer]

I'm remembering a game that is similar to Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, where you play as both a human character and a monster character, but in it you actually take control the monster character and smash stuff. I think it was the ps3/360 generation. I swear it exists, thought there is a slight chance I am just misremembering how Majin played. Thanks.

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Maybe Folklore and you're misremembering that your character uses the enemies' abilities?

Troll and I is like you're describing but for the current generation. But based on the graphics it'd be easy to think it was from the prior generation.

 

[jimboton]

I'm remembering a game that is similar to Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, where you play as both a human character and a monster character, but in it you actually take control the monster character and smash stuff. I think it was the ps3/360 generation. I swear it exists, thought there is a slight chance I am just misremembering how Majin played. Thanks.

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Kameo?

 

[eso76]

Like, literally swapping heads, the head would just pop off leaving the body there, and get swapped by another head.

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This sounds like Wonderboy tbh, minus the jungle Explorer part. But i guess you'd know Wonderboy.
Chances you saw some Adventure Island (same game, different character) bootleg-multi game cabinet ?

Alternatively i believe Spin Master might have a boss somewhat like that maybe..

Do you happen to remember roughly what year it was, what did your character use as a weapon etc ?
Anything else at all ?

 

[The Awesomest]

I got a toughie for ya. I only remember a single line of dialogue. It was text, spoken by a female character.

"You know! Those things!"

She was referring to some kind of bugs. Most likely on a Nintendo console.

 

[Deleted member 18407]

I got a toughie for ya. I only remember a single line of dialogue. It was text, spoken by a female character.

"You know! Those things!"

She was referring to some kind of bugs. Most likely on a Nintendo console.

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Completely random guess but maybe Escape From Bug Island on the Wii?

 

[Neoriceisgood]

This sounds like Wonderboy tbh, minus the jungle Explorer part. But i guess you'd know Wonderboy.
Chances you saw some Adventure Island (same game, different character) bootleg-multi game cabinet ?

Alternatively i believe Spin Master might have a boss somewhat like that maybe..

Do you happen to remember roughly what year it was, what did your character use as a weapon etc ?
Anything else at all ?

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Yo Spin Master is right on the money!

This was the boss in question:

I've always wondered what that game was cause the pixelart looked interesting, thanks man!

 

[Timppis]

Few REALLY old Commodore games I still have not found.

One was a sort of California Games clone, but the competitions were just brutal. There was rock throwing (towards other people), some sort of bashing etc.
Like Caveman Ughlympics (One of all time greats) but with a lot worse graphics and a lot more brutal games.

Another one from that era is a wild west game where you had to shoot people and do adventuring and stuff. Can't find or remember what it was. It had these really cool duels where you would first have dialogue and then 1st person duel.

 

[Timppis]

A 2D art indie game for PC where you play as Death or a skeleton or something, with gameplay heavily inspired by Paper Mario. Last I heard it had not yet released. Please tell me I didn't just imagine this, lol.

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Flipping death?

http://www.flippingdeath.com/

edit: Sorry for the double post.

 

[ASaiyan]

Flipping death?

http://www.flippingdeath.com/

edit: Sorry for the double post.

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Oh wow, a new reply after 18 months :P.

I appreciate the help, but it was not Flipping Death. I'm starting to think I just had a false memory or something, haha. That, or the game was such an obscure, tiny indie that it just caught one journalist's attention one week and was canned shortly thereafter.

 

[Timppis]

Oh wow, a new reply after 18 months :P.

I appreciate the help, but it was not Flipping Death. I'm starting to think I just had a false memory or something, haha. That, or the game was such an obscure, tiny indie that it just caught one journalist's attention one week and was canned shortly thereafter.

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Goddamn didn't realise you were on the first page and not on the last page...

Sorry.

 

[eso76]

Few REALLY old Commodore games I still have not found.

One was a sort of California Games clone, but the competitions were just brutal. There was rock throwing (towards other people), some sort of bashing etc.
Like Caveman Ughlympics (One of all time greats) but with a lot worse graphics and a lot more brutal games.

Another one from that era is a wild west game where you had to shoot people and do adventuring and stuff. Can't find or remember what it was. It had these really cool duels where you would first have dialogue and then 1st person duel.

Click to shrink...

First might be Blood'n Guts

The wild west game is probably Law of the West, incredible game for its time, had taunts, interaction and defuse options 30 years° before RDR2 :D

(* edit: i checked, 33 years)

 

[hanmik]

Few REALLY old Commodore games I still have not found.

One was a sort of California Games clone, but the competitions were just brutal. There was rock throwing (towards other people), some sort of bashing etc.
Like Caveman Ughlympics (One of all time greats) but with a lot worse graphics and a lot more brutal games.

Another one from that era is a wild west game where you had to shoot people and do adventuring and stuff. Can't find or remember what it was. It had these really cool duels where you would first have dialogue and then 1st person duel.

Click to shrink...

The first one sounds like Blood and Guts

The second one could be Law of the West

 

[hanmik]

wauw eso76 wrote the exact same games while I was googling for pictures.. lol

 

[Timppis]

First might be Blood'n Guts

The wild west game is probably Law of the West, incredible game for its time, had taunts, interaction and defuse options 30 years° before RDR2 :D

(* edit: i checked, 33 years)

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The first one sounds like Blood and Guts

The second one could be Law of the West

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This is seriously just beyond insane. Those are the exact games. That Blood and Guts is something I've tried googling for so many times. And immediately I saw that still on Law of the West I could remember the pharmacist dialog.

You peeps are just goddamn awesome. In less than thirty minutes I got answers. Now just gotta find the ROMS :)