Which older console has the best 'hidden gems'? It's the PS1 and...*all together now*...it's not even close! (100+ gifs of PS1 gems on pages 7 and 8!)

[Symphony]

Yeah, realistically it is PS1 even though you could make an argument for PS2 as well. The PS1 in Japan had hundreds of highly experimental, artsy, oddball games that never got localised and would never get made in any other era - plus the countless 2D games that Sony refused to allow to be released in the West. Famicom, Super Famicom and Saturn have a lot of unknown titles as well, but none of them are anywhere near as close to unique.

I think it's the DS. It even has a meta thing going on in your poll, where the first two times I was looking at your options I completely skipped over it. It is the hidden gem of your hidden gems list. Here is my evidence:

Contact
Bangai-o Spirits
Henry Hatsworth
Feel The Magic
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ
Retro Game Challenge
fucking Soul Bubbles
Lock's Quest

DS lovers feel free to add more to my list

PS2 I see you though with Mister Mosquito and Mad Maestro!

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Here's the thing with answers like the DS and such, most "hidden gems" you're going to list are something hardcore gamers already know about. None of those games listed are particularly obscure (beyond LRRHZBBQ), all of them got English releases. When we come to PS1 you're talking tiers of obscurity far beyond that - stuff like Pop'n Tanks, Majokko Daisakusen, Love and Destroy, Running High, Milano no Arubaito, Kyuutenkai Fantastic Pinball, Kyoro-chan no Purikura Daisakusen etc. (and those are all entry level obscure for the PS1, shit gets even deeper than those).

 

[Discontent]

I have been on a PS1 kick this year, buying Japanese versions that are cheaper and have better box art than their Western counterparts, in addition playing many of the games I still owned from the '90s.

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This was good for Saturn too because a lot of the Western games have cheaper Japanese versions.

Honestly I really didn't understand that's what you meant, wasn't being facetious or anything. I understand your meaning now though. Personally I think there are a lot of great hidden gems on Wii, like Zack & Wiki, Klonoa and Fluidity, but I understand it might partially come down to what kinds of games appeal to you. And yeah, how broad your definition of hidden gem is. Certainly not Wario but for most gamers the others ones you listed would be unknown, though, I understand we're on a gaming enthusiast forum so the definition will vary.

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<3 I suppose I should have made a more detailed OP.

I voted Saturn, but truthfully thought SNES/SFC is probably the true leader.
And then you came along with this and, yep.

This is the true answer, folks.

I collect primarily unknown games for retro consoles, more than even the first party/heavy hitters, and my Wii shelf is chock full of absolutely obscure, fun games. Love it.





Subjectivity is a killer in these situations - but for me, PS1's hidden "gems" are primarily just middling titles that aren't really as playable these days. However, you could very much make the argument that Wii is the same.

Also, how obscure does something have to be in order to be considered "hidden"? Who knows.

PCE CD is one system that I'd love to say is full of hidden gems...but most of them are kinda mediocre games.
Though I would say it's easily the most unknown library of great games unknown to almost all but the most devoted collectors.

Honestly, Genesis/MD is probably right up there in the Top 3. Who, outside of the few browsing this thread, knows of:
Ranger X, Pulseman, King Colossus, Assault Suit Leynos, El Viento, Granada, Atomic Runner Chelnov, Gynoug, Elemental Master, Crusader of Centy (fairly well known..), Wardner, Mazin Saga, Arcus Odyssey, Rent-A-Hero, etc....

Every single one of those are worth a play - and are generally quite enjoyable.
What a wild system it is. So much fun to play and collect for.

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Great list of Genesis games, I've not heard of King Colossus, thanks!

Here are some games I like that rarely seem to get mentioned in hidden gems threads:

Firepower 2000/Super SWIV (SNES) - Two player shooter





Megumi Rescue (Mark III) - A paddle controlled game that was developed alongside an arcade version but the latter was cancelled.





Killer Bees! (Odyssey2)

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Firepowers great and those other two look fun too. You know a buttload of older games that would've qualified for that 'older games with unique features' thread, you should've added more!

I definitely did miss quite a few!
Only gave a quick snapshot of a few JP-only titles.

Like, Battlemania Daiginjou is superb and one of the best shmups of that generation. Gleylancer is cool, too.
Tinkle Tale and Panorama Cotton are also two unique shooters.
Hybrid Front and Surging Aura are also two highly acclaimed SRPGs, not to mention Landgrisser II.
Battle Golfer Yui is a freaking golf RPG.

AND I'd venture to say less people know about these games than the Saturn hidden gems.
And I would also consider these better games than a large number of PS1 hidden gems.

I might flip my answer again to go with Genesis/Mega Drive.
OP, you're missing out.

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No, no. My fomo is a mofo and makes my backlog move in slo-mo! So please don't tell me I'm missing out even more than I previously thought.

But seriously, those are all great! Though I prefer the 2D style Cotton games and I haven't played Hybrid Front and Surging Aura though, I assume there's no translations available?

Well, throwing out some more for NES.

Zeldas: Crystalis, Willow, Grand Master, Arista's Ring, Love Warrior Nicol, Esper Dream 1-2, Magic of Scheherazade, Seiken Psycho Caliber, Dragon Scroll, Faria

Platformers: Power Blade 1-2, Krion Conquest, Banana Prince, Shadow of the Ninja, Little Samson, Shatterhand, Mr. Gimmick, Kabuki Quantum Fighter, Metal Storm, Journey to Silius, Bio Miracle Boukette Upa, Felix the Cat, Holy Diver, Panic Restaraunt, Tiny Toons 1-2, Little Nemo, Jajamarukun Ginga Daisakusen, Low G Man, Whomp 'Em, Cocoron and really just too many to name. NES was maybe platform heaven.

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Yeah, the list of quality platformers on NES is huge. I also like Moon Crystal, Bucky O'Hare, Dragon Fighter, Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 3, Namco Star Wars, Spelunker, Arumana no Kiseki, Batman: Return of the Joker, Hi no Tori, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, Kickmaster, Konami Wai Wai World, Rodland, and Ufouria.

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<3 Haven't heard of a lot of these.

 

[Discontent]

I'm gonna turn this thread into a PS1 gif thread later lol

 

[Praedyth]

It has to be PS2 due to the sheer amount of modded games, they're all hidden gems…

…and it's not even close.

 

[Katmeister]

I'm honestly surprised PlayStation [1] is leading the poll by so much. I was honestly expecting "Other" to be well in the lead.

My logic:

• I'm sure PlayStation [1] has lots of "interesting" games, but I can't imagine wanting to play most of them. Maybe the 2D ones?
• I could see SNES winning this, but I do think even just the consoles mentioned within parentheses for "Other" still should obliterate it.
• Saturn is kind of in the same boat as PlayStation, though many of them have aged even worse, and Saturn's library was quite small compared to PlayStation [1]'s.
• As with SNES, I could see DS taking this if it wasn't for the "Other" category.
• For NES, yeah, by NES standards, you've got some real gems in there, but they've still mostly aged poorly.
• PlayStation 2 games are still in that awkward phase of being interesting but generally having terrible controls. That said, it has Amplitude, but that's hardly "hidden" (though definitely a gem).

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Gotta disagree on the ps2 having poor controls. It was the first gen with dual analogue control support from the get go. I think most ps2 games still hold up game design and visually (ignoring the games that pushed realism, they aged like milk) 6th gen really was the sweet spot for gaming.

 

[Voytek]

It's close with the PS1 and PS2 but I think the PS2 probably edges it out.

 

[OrangeNova]

PS2 is really close, stuff like Magic Pengel, Gitaroo Man, La Pucelle Tactics, and Dokapon Kingdom were all wild hidden gems on that console.

But I feel like while the PS2 still had that "Developers want new games" money, the PS1 was right before the "I need metrics to know this game idea will do well" and so there are so many just weird little games that are incredibly fun. Stuff like Bushido Blade, Jade Cocoon, Guardian's Crusade, Herc's Adventures... all great and there's so many more.

 

[Saoshyant]

the David Beckham Yoshi's Island-like

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The what now?

 

[daninthemix]

I agree, PS1 has a ridiculous wealth of unknown gems. The PS2 does as well, but in general they are longer (this is a bad thing), and many of them fall into the broad action hack n slash genre that was so prevalent during Gen 6.

 

[Aaron D.]

Prob. Atari 2600 or OG Xbox for me.

But the real answer is PC.

 

[Just Great]

It's the Saturn as most people here haven't even played the majority of the library as it's only in Japan.

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This. Saturn has a shit ton of cool, often quirky games you've literally never heard of and never will.

 

[kubev]

Gotta disagree on the ps2 having poor controls. It was the first gen with dual analogue control support from the get go. I think most ps2 games still hold up game design and visually (ignoring the games that pushed realism, they aged like milk) 6th gen really was the sweet spot for gaming.

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Control schemes were still far from standardized at that point. The quality of the controller doesn't matter if the games don't allow you to use modern control schemes, and too many games from that time simply don't give you the option to use anything close to a modern control scheme. Just look at the controls in Metal Gear Solid 2; they're horribly unintuitive by today's standards. Hell, even Metal Gear Solid 3's controls were bad with the initial release.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Prob. Atari 2600 or OG Xbox for me.

But the real answer is PC.

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I'm curious what 2600 games you would list. It has some pretty obscure games I'm a fan of like Frankenstein's Monster, Fathom, Dragonstomper, Rabbit Transit, Spacemaster X-7, etc.

 

[Aaron D.]

I'm curious what 2600 games you would list. It has some pretty obscure games I'm a fan of like Frankenstein's Monster, Fathom, Dragonstomper, Rabbit Transit, Spacemaster X-7, etc.

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That's a good question.

Off the top of my head:

Fast Food
Turmoil
Jawbreaker
Tunnel Runner
Maze Craze
Alien
Dark Cavern
Warplock
Space Shuttle
BASIC Programming
Spacemaster X-7
Ghosthouse Manor
Space Cavern
Reactor

Likely more that I'm forgetting but it's been a LONG time, lol.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

That's a good question.

Off the top of my head:

Fast Food
Turmoil
Jawbreaker
Tunnel Runner
Maze Craze
Alien
Dark Cavern
Warplock
Space Shuttle
BASIC Programming
Spacemaster X-7
Ghosthouse Manor
Space Cavern
Reactor

Likely more that I'm forgetting but it's been a LONG time, lol.

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Cool choices. It's like a list of games I missed in the early '80s but came across when exploring thrift stores a decade later. I think Dark Cavern is the only one available on a current platform since M-Network games managed to make it into Atari Flashback Classics.

 

[Ernest]

I was gonna say SNES, but it's gems aren't so hidden.

 

[Aaron D.]

Cool choices. It's like a list of games I missed in the early '80s but came across when exploring thrift stores a decade later. I think Dark Cavern is the only one available on a current platform since M-Network games managed to make it into Atari Flashback Classics.

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Yeah, I miss those Atari Flashback releases. Still on Steam though so that's cool.

The one that really guts me is Intellivision Lives for XB360. Man, that was an awesome package.

Even though it didn't feature one of my overall Top 10 of all time AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin for licensing reasons, obviously.

 

[sph3re]

PS2, if only for the fact that its massive library means that there were more hidden gems by volume.

If we're talking about quality... eh, I think I'd still give it to the PS2. Whenever I hear Michael Huber's "swimming in 7s," I immediately think of the PS2. So many gems that get glossed over because of the absolute wealth of choices.

It was also the generation where some of the best games were released, and when a lot of modern game design principles starting getting solidified (RE4 and Gears of War's third-person shooting mechanics, GTA III cementing the sandbox format, etc.).

In addition to that, there were still games that were playing around with typical game formulas and managed to work. With consoles like the NES, sometimes this type of experimentation simply did not work; with the PS2, it's my humble opinion that those games, those hidden gems, were better on average than any other console.

The DS is a close second, Contact gang rise up

 

[Fer]

game boy or dreamcast

 

[Le Dude]

Yeah I'm gonna go out on a limb and say every choice in this thread is wrong, and it's not even close.

The explosion of indies in the past ~10 years or so pretty much cements PS4/X1/Switch as the kings of hidden gems. I don't keep track of PS4/X1 indie releases, but on Switch it feels like there's multiple interesting 7+/10 indie games dropping every single month. So many you can't even keep track of them.

 

[Fafalada]

At one point in time I would have said it's the PS2 without a moment's thought but I have to give it to the PS1 in all honesty. The PS1's hidden gems library is not as deep as the PS2s but it's more varied than any other systems imo...
...and it's not even close!

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+1 - PS2 just didn't have anywhere near the variety on offer, that gen transition actually regressed the industry in terms of available genres etc. for consoles, and it didn't really recover much until PS4/XB1 came around.

 

[Discontent]

Yeah I'm gonna go out on a limb and say every choice in this thread is wrong, and it's not even close.

The explosion of indies in the past ~10 years or so pretty much cements PS4/X1/Switch as the kings of hidden gems. I don't keep track of PS4/X1 indie releases, but on Switch it feels like there's multiple interesting 7+/10 indie games dropping every single month. So many you can't even keep track of them.

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You're wrong for nominating Switch. It's not an older console which is what I asked for.

But you're also right, there are too many good hidden gems nowadays.

 

[Host Samurai]

Gotta disagree on the ps2 having poor controls. It was the first gen with dual analogue control support from the get go. I think most ps2 games still hold up game design and visually (ignoring the games that pushed realism, they aged like milk) 6th gen really was the sweet spot for gaming.

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I absolutely agree with this. I would have been more than happy to live with PS2 graphics if it meant more risky designs and aesthetics. Games still look and play great without watering down of mechanics that we saw the following 7th generation where everything started to become homogenized.

 

[Lilyth]

No, no. My fomo is a mofo and makes my backlog move in slo-mo! So please don't tell me I'm missing out even more than I previously thought.

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Wonderful piece of prose, actually made me laugh out loud!

 

[LossAversion]

PS2, definitely. Which makes sense considering the sheer volume of games that released on PS2.

 

[Discontent]

I absolutely agree with this. I would have been more than happy to live with PS2 graphics if it meant more risky designs and aesthetics. Games still look and play great without watering down of mechanics that we saw the following 7th generation where everything started to become homogenized.

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I too would be satisfied with PS2 graphics tbh. Actually, I'd go so far as to say it's my favourite period aesthetically. I'm fine with lower res textures, it lets you fill in the blanks somewhat yourself. And PS2 controls are fine for the most part, the only great game I can think of off the top of my head that was hampered by poor controls in that Era is Timesplitters 2, that game is hard to go back to even after Future Perfect. But it's still worth sticking it out because it really is something special.

Wonderful piece of prose, actually made me laugh out loud!

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Tee hee, thanks. You know I was actually gonna put a cheeky little spoiler tag at the end that said Also, f----- the popo 'cause yolo but I left it out because honestly...I thought that was so-so.

 

[Virtua Sanus]

I think you have to consider the relative fanbase to a platform when looking at this. Effectively every single game on the TurboGrafx-16 is obscure to gamers, but in the context of its fandom very few games slip between the cracks. You also have something like Super Nintendo that retroactively had games become more well known due to more successful sequels, crossovers and such.

I think the original PlayStation is a great example because most people in the west probably played some shit like Driver back in the day. Genesis is in a similar situation too because a lot of its Japan only releases or CD based games are titles almost no one ever got to experience. Even with so many Genesis collections now you still see even massive fans of the console discovering new favorites pretty regularly.

Wii might be a good candidate in that light too but I am not terribly experienced with its extended library.

 

[Scottoest]

Unless you've personally found all the gems that are hidden on each platform, I think this is kinda definitionally impossible to answer, lol.

 

[julia crawford]

the PS4 has some good unknown isekais like God of War and Bloodborne

 

[Deleted member 17210]

I think you have to consider the relative fanbase to a platform when looking at this. Effectively every single game on the TurboGrafx-16 is obscure to gamers, but in the context of its fandom very few games slip between the cracks. You also have something like Super Nintendo that retroactively had games become more well known due to more successful sequels, crossovers and such.

I think the original PlayStation is a great example because most people in the west probably played some shit like Driver back in the day. Genesis is in a similar situation too because a lot of its Japan only releases or CD based games are titles almost no one ever got to experience. Even with so many Genesis collections now you still see even massive fans of the console discovering new favorites pretty regularly.

Wii might be a good candidate in that light too but I am not terribly experienced with its extended library.

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Yeah, Genesis/Mega Drive add-ons add nicely to the hidden gems pile. I suppose Snatcher, Final Fight, and the Lunar games are well known in certain circles but few played the Sega CD versions. Then there are games like Tempo, Shadow Squadron, Robo Aleste, Battle Corps, Mansion of Hidden Souls, Popful Mail, Keio Flying Squadron, Rise of the Dragon, Road Avenger, Batman racers, Thunderstrike, etc.

 

[Discontent]

Unless you've personally found all the gems that are hidden on each platform, I think this is kinda definitionally impossible to answer, lol.

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It really is not that difficult to fully explore a library with great content like this...

The PlayStation Project - Compilation # (0-9) - All PS1 Games (US/EU/JP)

Check out all games that start with the letter # (0-9) for PlayStation One (PS1).***ALL FOOTAGE USED IN THIS VIDEO WAS RECORDED EXCLUSIVELY BY OUR TEAM***▶BE...

www.youtube.com

Just watch it at like 2x speed and stop at anything that looks interesting. Doesn't take too long when you really like a console.

the PS4 has some good unknown isekais like God of War and Bloodborne

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The Xbox One has a lot of 360 and OG Xbox gems so it wins. <3 Not many isekais though :(

 

[Deleted member 16876]

Gotta go with the PS2.

It has so many games and I still find hidden gems for it all the time.

 

[SirNinja]

Booooo, no one said 'and it's not even close'.

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People here only ever say that if it is actually very close. Bonus points if their pick is slightly behind the poll leader.

 

[thewienke]

The problem with the PS1 is that I generally just hate those games with a passion. It's just a rough and poorly aged era of gaming. Like I'd genuinely rather spend my time playing SNES and PS2 games 9 times out of 10 over PS1 games.

God bless the Dreamcast for saving me from the "the aliasing is so bad that I don't know what the fuck I'm even looking at" PS1/N64 hell.

So the PS2 wins and it's not even close by default thanks to its massive library and incredible A and AA game lineup.

Although the PS2 would piss me off sometimes too with that "emotion engine" smear effect if you turned the camera too quickly or if something was moving too fast. edit: looks like I'm talking about the excessive motion blur on the PS2 versus the GCN/Xbox

 

[Nairume]

It was the GBA. An absolute of floodgate of great titles went under the radar for most gamers due to the various conditions surrounding the system. Even more open up if you go international.

 

[Discontent]

People here only ever say that if it is actually very close. Bonus points if their pick is slightly behind the poll leader.

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Lol so true.

I wanted to start giffing tf out of this thread but don't have much time :(. Maybe later tonight.

And news just came in of a badass in the area...

The problem with the PS1 is that I generally just hate those games with a passion. It's just a rough and poorly aged era of gaming. Like I'd genuinely rather spend my time playing SNES and PS2 games 9 times out of 10 over PS1 games.

God bless the Dreamcast for saving me from the "the aliasing is so bad that I don't know what the fuck I'm even looking at?" PS1/N64 hell.

So the PS2 wins and it's not even close by default thanks to its massive library and incredible A and AA game lineup.

Although the PS2 would piss me off sometimes too with that "emotion engine" smear effect if you turned the camera too quickly or if something was moving too fast.

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<3 Lol I actually used to be the same. Not saying it in the way that i saw the light and you will too, if you don't like it then you don't like it.

 

[sjackso3]

I would say Dreamcast and OG Xbox. A lot amazing games on both that a lot of people never played due to their short lifespans.

 

[Justin Bailey]

The NES. It has Wizards and Warriors.

In the game, you find lots of gems. Some of them are hidden. There are probably more hidden gems in this game than any other.

 

[Discontent]

The NES. It has Wizards and Warriors.

In the game, you find lots of gems. Some of them are hidden. There are probably more hidden gems in this game than any other.

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Argh, I was gonna say Shovel Knight would like a word but it's not on an older console. You win!

 

[Zalman]

DS is the king of hidden gems and I can't be convinced otherwise.

 

[Betty]

It is the PS1, and it's not even close

Gundam Final Battle Assault 2 is phenom.

 

[Nabbit]

The what now?

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Go!Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island

Admit it. When you first heard about Go!Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island, you thought it was going to be awful. …

www.eurogamer.net

 

[Discontent]

Very little time this weekend but I'll do a few hidden gem shoutouts for the PS1 now like I've said a few times in this thread...

Macross VF-X2

Badass flight/shooter (or whatever they're called lol) with even more badass weapons sounds and music.

 

[Discontent]

Panzer Bandit

Amazing beat'em up. That's not the actual cover but it looks more badass so I put it here.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

1: PS2
2: PS1

The rest are of no real importance.

 

[norealmx]

N64.

No "lol"

 

[Hippopuncher12]

PS1 still has the best overall library of all time in my opinion, hidden gems or not. PS2 is pretty close though.

 

[Bonfires Down]

PSP and it's close.

 

[tiesto]

Honestly, Genesis/MD is probably right up there in the Top 3. Who, outside of the few browsing this thread, knows of:
Ranger X, Pulseman, King Colossus, Assault Suit Leynos, El Viento, Granada, Atomic Runner Chelnov, Gynoug, Elemental Master, Crusader of Centy (fairly well known..), Wardner, Mazin Saga, Arcus Odyssey, Rent-A-Hero, etc....

Click to shrink...

Wow, I've never heard anyone else mention Wardner before! Kind of a strange game, it feels like a prototype for all those kaizo indie platformers almost... very difficult, super easy to die, and a catchy proto tech house soundtrack, and terrible amateur graphics (my friend joked that the graphics almost looked South Park-ish).

Anyways, I had a tough time deciding between Saturn and PS1. But I think I might go back and change my vote to PS1... that really was an interesting time for the market, it felt kinda like the Famicom, where the technology, Japanese sales success, and ease of development led to so many unique ideas from both first-time developers and veterans.

Obligatory NOTAM of WIND soundtrack posting - this game is the prototype for Vaporwave. Super relaxing game even though it's a bit light on the gameplay.

Kaze No Notam - Official Soundtrack (Playstation 1997)

The Official Soundtrack of Kaze No Notam (風のノータム)Released only in Japan for the Sony Playstation 1 in 1997, made by ARTDINK.Composed by: Yasuyuki SuzukiＤｉｄ ｙ...

www.youtube.com

 

[Glimlocker]

Unless you've personally found all the gems that are hidden on each platform, I think this is kinda definitionally impossible to answer, lol.

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I can definitely see how you might come to that conclusion, but trust me when I say that gamers, like myself, have absolutely scoured every inch of these game libraries in search of the next hidden gem.

Also, when you parse out sports titles, old FPS, old strategy games, mediocre racing games, dating sims, etc., there's a surprisingly little amount to choose from.

Most of the ones truly worth playing have been unearthed by now.

Lol so true.

I wanted to start giffing tf out of this thread but don't have much time :(. Maybe later tonight.

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I still haven't seen a good argument for PS1 or PS2 besides, "it has a ton of games, so obviously it's that." I might put PS1 in the top 5…but it'd be 5th, if it was.

Most games on those two consoles turn out to be much more "hidden" than "gems".

But then, that goes back to what our definition of hidden gem is. I consider it to be a game of high quality that should've been considered top-tier at the time, but wasn't.

Most here seem to think it's "mediocre game that's worth taking a look at".

I got burned far too many times by taking the recommendation of people suggesting hidden gems for them to only turn out to be mediocre. Guess which two consoles I got burned the most by…

Seriously, take a look at the Genesis or PC Engine and their CD add ons - many of the actual best games on those systems were completely unknown until relatively recently.

Wow, I've never heard anyone else mention Wardner before! Kind of a strange game, it feels like a prototype for all those kaizo indie platformers almost... very difficult, super easy to die, and a catchy proto tech house soundtrack, and terrible amateur graphics (my friend joked that the graphics almost looked South Park-ish).

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I always say Wardner is like if Ghosts and Goblins was more platformer than run n gun In other words, exactly like you said - a proto-kaizo!

Ha, its graphics are indeed South Park-esque, but you gotta love chunky 16-bit sprites!