Tag Archives: Obscure

Umihara Kawase, Super Nintendo

Umihara Kawase is a weird-but-great Japanese platform game first released for the Super Nintendo in 1994.

The game has an excellent rope-based mechanic that makes it different and interesting to play.

Continue reading Umihara Kawase, Super Nintendo

King Arthur’s World, Super Nintendo

Argonaut Software‘s 1992 release (through Jaleco) – King Arthur’s World – is an interesting and challenging real time action game with strategic overtones.

Continue reading King Arthur’s World, Super Nintendo

Cave Noire, Game Boy

Konami‘s Cave Noire is a smart little handheld ‘Roguelike’ dungeon crawler for the Nintendo Game Boy that was first released in Japan in 1991. Cave Noire did not receive a release outside of its native country, which is a pity because it’s an excellent game.

Continue reading Cave Noire, Game Boy

Lady Stalker: Challenge From The Past, Super Nintendo

This 1995 Japan-only Taito release is a follow-up (spin-off, rather than a sequel) to Landstalker on the Sega Megadrive.

Continue reading Lady Stalker: Challenge From The Past, Super Nintendo

Mr. Gimmick, NES/Famicom

Known as Gimmick! in Japan and Mr. Gimmick everywhere else, this 1992 release was an attempt by Sunsoft to push the graphical powers of the Nintendo Entertainment System further than they’d ever been pushed before (in order to compete with the Super Nintendo, which was relatively new on the market).

In order to do this, Sunsoft used all kinds of clever programming techniques using graphical tilesets and colours, and the end result is very striking. But it wasn’t enough to compete with the newer consoles of the time and Mr. Gimmick sank without a trace, into relative obscurity.

Continue reading Mr. Gimmick, NES/Famicom

Chuckie Egg 2, ZX Spectrum

Chuckie Egg 2 is to Chuckie Egg what Jet Set Willy is to Manic Miner – it’s a platform game adventure with screens that can be re-visited, and routes that can be planned and executed, with some deft mapping and jumping.

Continue reading Chuckie Egg 2, ZX Spectrum

Nebulus 2: Pogo-A-Go-Go, Amiga

I won’t beat around the bush: I absolutely HATE Nebulus 2: Pogo-A-Go-Go… I wanted to love it – because I love the original Nebulus – but this game is NOT by the original author (John M. Phillips), and – after playing it for a few hours for the first time this week – I can only conclude that it is absolute rubbish.

Continue reading Nebulus 2: Pogo-A-Go-Go, Amiga