Tag Archives: weird

Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru, Sega Saturn

Never officially released in English-speaking territories (but translated by fans as “Psychic Killer Taromaru“) this side-scrolling action game is one of the rarest Sega Saturn titles in existence.

Rare because publisher Time Warner Interactive only produced a very limited number of copies of the game in 1997, before pulling out of the games market altogether. So actual copies of Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru have changed hands for silly money over the decades.

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Q*bert, Arcade

Gottlieb‘s classic arcade game Q*bert was first released in 1982. It delighted gamers with its quirky mix of cube-jumping and ‘painter’-style gameplay.

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Knight Lore, Famicom Disk System

Knight Lore for the Famicom Disk System was developed by Tose Co. Ltd. for Jaleco with the blessing of its original creators, Rare. It was published only in Japan in 1986.

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The Sentinel, BBC Micro

Another timeless classic video game that originated on the BBC Micro in 1986.

Geoff Crammond‘s The Sentinel is a strategic game of ‘hide and seek’ – played-out on a chequerboard-like surface over which a being called The Sentinel watches.

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Caliber .50, Arcade

Caliber .50 is an obscure arcade shooter from SETA Corporation, first released in 1989.

It can be played single or simultaneous two-player and is arguably better than the legendary Ikari Warriors. Caliber .50 is like Commando on steroids…

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Deathsmiles, Arcade

Deathsmiles is an infamous (and much-loved) 2007 shooter from Cave – a Japanese company known for its relatively innovative and leftfield output. Cave shooters are ‘Bullet Hell’ in overdrive…

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Rainbow Walker, Atari 8-bit

Steve Coleman‘s Rainbow Walker was first published by Synapse Software in 1983.

It is an unusual, pseudo 3D platform game with a curved track of grey tiles, each of which you (a small, blobby character called Cedrick) have to step on in order to turn into coloured tiles. The aim being: to turn the entire track into a rainbow, by standing on every tile.

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Koronis Rift, Atari 8-bit

A number of classic Lucasfilm Games‘ titles originated on Atari 8-bit home computers and Koronis Rift is one of them, first released in 1985.

You play a scavenger hunting for lootable scrap on the surface of hostile alien planets.

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Braxx Bluff, ZX Spectrum

Braxx Bluff was released by Micromega for the ZX Spectrum in 1984. It was written by Tony Poulter.

It’s a weird game – of space exploration – well, the exploration of a planet and its surface.

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