This is where we bring to light those severely underrated games that no one has ever played. There's quite a bunch of excellent games out there that for some reason, don't quite get the recognition they deserve.
I've got to mention Sparkster for the SNES. I was browsing through my library Friday and I came across this gem. I've had it for years but hadn't beaten it. The last boss was just so ungodly hard.
I put it in and realized just how awesome the game was. The story is pretty ordinary, but something I never grow tired of. You're a possum in armor with a rocket pack on. Some giant ship comes to the castle and the baddies hijack Princess Fiora. Throughout the game you try to get her back. She appears at the end of a few levels, but every time you're about to save her, Axel Gear, (who is a clone of you in black armor) always nabs her first and jets off.
The levels start out with a lakeside cliff and a warship. The second is a machine factory. The third is a strange racer level atop a giant ostrich. The fourth is a submarine. The fifth is your classic desert level. The sixth is by far the best level in the game. The seventh is a shooter level in space, and the eighth is the villain's starship.
By far the best moment in the game is at the end of the sixth level. You walk a long path hearing organ music, and at the end of the path there's a gigantic organ. Axel Gear is sitting in the middle of the screen playing the monstrous organ Ocarina of Time style. Of course, he's such a badass he doesn't get up to fight you when you enter. He waits until he finishes his song, then he fights you.
I can't say I liked the controls to this game. The rocket pack on your back made you zoom in any direction when you held down the attack button. I usually found myself thrusting straight into an enemy wolf, or even worse, into a crusher in the machine factory.
The music was alright. Nothing memorable except maybe the title theme in the 7th level and perhaps the chilling tune of the final level.
Overall, I recommend anyone with an SNES find this game and try it out. There's also a Genesis version of this game. They are both different, and I can't comment on the Genesis version as I have not yet played it. This is definitely a game that any SNES fan should look into though. It's fairly short and easy, but it's also helluva fun.
As one who appreciates old and obscure games myself, I'm curious as to what other hidden gems exist. I'd be glad to look for a few forgotten classics that I would have otherwise not known about. What are your favorite obscure yet awesome titles?
