Ode to Cheap Games

[Obiwanshinobi]

You know the ones - best kind of impulse buys for a gaming person. The other day I learned about that Twin Strike: Operation Thunder game for the Wii. Still unsure if I'm gonna get it as cheap as I like those finds of mine, but the title, the boxart, the game engine (as this gameplay vid on YouTube shows it) - all seem like my sort of stuff (the music doesn't do much for me, though).

So I just wanted to express my gratitude that such phenomena not only appear immune to bullshit second-hand goods pricing, but oftentimes not so much meet my expectations as exceed them greatly.

Would you share any similar discoveries here? I'm talking about not merely good & cheap (or freeware); the icing on the cake is - pretty much discovered by yourselves. Buried even deeper than usual "hidden gems" or "cult classics".

[Ed Oscuro]

At the risk of feeding the "it sucks to have been born in 1999" segment, I do miss the days around '06 when I could find a bargain bain with some excellent Xbox and GameCube titles (finds including Otogi 2 and Resident Evil: CV) at the local supermart, or getting Treasure GBA titles (not to mention new GBA SPs) on the cheap. I don't miss playing everything in 480i though.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Get Vanquish and party like it's 1999.

[Neathyr]

At the risk of feeding the "it sucks to have been born in 1999" segment, I do miss the days around '06 when I could find a bargain bain with some excellent Xbox and GameCube titles (finds including Otogi 2 and Resident Evil: CV) at the local supermart, or getting Treasure GBA titles (not to mention new GBA SPs) on the cheap.

You can still find some semi-decent games on the cheap, perfect for some random plays every now and then (especially if you're on the verge of getting drunk) from that generation.

The OP's description has Dead to Rights written all over it. Oversized PS1 visuals aside, I can easily recommend it. Obviously, it lacks the finesse of, say... P.N.03, but I enjoy DtR for what it is: an A-tier viciously-crafted gunplay coupled with a level design that leaves MUCH to be desired. Intense arcadey action with a nice late 80's/early 90's-esque presentation (cop movies-wise), along with a somewhat wonky camera. It plays the "rated M for manly" trope in spades. Plus, the ability to use your enemy as a human shield never gets old.

It's a bit too long for my tastes, but I can still have a great time with it. Now that I think about it, this game is (in my opinion, of course) one of the best examples to have some mindless/good fun while you turn your brain off. Or maybe because I'm a sucker for John Woo-style action...

[Ed Oscuro]

The OP's description has Dead to Rights written all over it.

I found mine in literally the same bargain bin as earlier. I think the 360 remake, is a good follow-through in a similar vein, and also a better game overall. Speaking of that, there's also John Woo's Stranglehold, which is a slightly different take on more or less the same themes.

Of course if I go back to the turn of the century I can remember finding tons of big box PC titles in another bargain bin, mostly Raven Software stuff like MageSlayer and probably CyClones.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Aww man I'd been tempted by Twin Strike in my Wii days but always thought it sounded too budgety even for a budget title. Speaking of budget Wii releases...

The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces (Wii)
Kudos to whomever decided it was a good idea to release the game, which has minor spoilers for the film, in Europe a few months before the film was released there!! I'd read some hype about the film getting an English release and was interested, but learning there was a flight combat game paired with it on a console I actually had? So I grabbed the game on release, a budget price (for a budget title) of about £20. It's a nice little combat flight sim-lite romp that has a good mix of arcade and simulation - you get the option for full simulation-like controls, but don't have to worry about take-off/landing and get some overpowered special moves for taking down aircraft easier (because like any flight-based game I've played, your allies are useless). You get power ups from hunting down special named enemies and unlock various WWII planes (albeit under different names). It's barebones (you basically play and replay the campaign) and you need a Gamecube controller because the gimmick motion controls are predictably awful. But I was super-pleased with my decision. It isn't the greatest game by a long stretch but it was plane (I'll get my coat) entertaining.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Little as I thought of The Sky Crawlers movie (what little I saw; found it instantly off-putting), I think I'd only not bought Wii game because I couldn't confirm the presence of 60 Hz option in PAL version back when. Turns out it outputs 60 Hz after all (better boxart than US version too), but some prices I'm seeing online are already eyebrow-rising. One to keep an eye out for, then, but not QUITE my sort of cheap right now. Oh well.

Intense arcadey action with a nice late 80's/early 90's-esque presentation (cop movies-wise), along with a somewhat wonky camera. It plays the "rated M for manly" trope in spades. Plus, the ability to use your enemy as a human shield never gets old.

Speaking of which, Vanquish played A.D. 2016 comes as perhaps more exploitative than originally intended (when Ubisoft "Tom Clancy's" games poke their stick at nations like North Korea, Georgia or whichever Elbonia open season's on at given moment, in Vanquish - no other than the ever-lasting Russia comes back into spotlight). In a way, it's Rush'n Attack all over again.
It's neither the thread, nor the forum (really) to deliberate over global indifference towards Vanquish story antics (whereas - mere three years later - Company of Heroes 2 - my, Sega again - caused so much controversy).
It is THE forum, however, to bring sheer cinematic excellence of certain Vanquish cutscenes to everyone's attention. Easily the most badass "science fiction warfare" movie-style show since WH40k: Dawn of War cutscenes.

Rayman Origins for PC, as of 17th of August, will be free to download for a month. At the price of accessing Uplay, it's about as must-play as they come if you haven't yet.
I suppose GameTap isn't dearly missed for a reason, but I might have not played Rogue Trooper on PC when I had if it wasn't for free-of-charge GameTap access at some point.

[lilmanjs]

Micro Maniacs Racing
This was something I bought as a kid for the PS1 and it really surprised me. I know it was based off some kids online show thing or something from Fox Kids, but this plays more like a Micro Machines racing game than anything, and it is really fun. The only problem is that you can't really save. Its a beat it in one go or start all over, but it was cheap brand new and tis fun.

[Obiwanshinobi]

If Circuit Breakers is the game I have unpleasant memories of, then you can truly NEVER be sure with Supersonic Software; between jolly brilliant Micro Machines Turbo Tournament '96 and quite marvellous Mashed: Fully Loaded, there's that emabarrassing Circuit Breakers. I shouldn't perhaps judge it so harshly from about half an hour's worth of playtime, but if this genre game coming from this developer is not instantly gratifying, then what the heck IS it?!
I nonetheless fancy giving Emergency Mayhem a try; sure, there's no shortage of genuine Sega software even on Wii/GameCube alone, but one must fall for this* (watch it with sound, if possible). Also, it must have taken some nerve to release this cheap-looking game on disk (and I mean CHEAP-looking even next to first party Wii efforts).

*) Verily, A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell of game teasers.

Ninja Assault is one this topic keeps bringing to mind. See, when Ghost Squad did its thing for me, I purchased a pair of Nyko Perfect Shot peripherals. Thenceforth, a g-Con-alike purchase was only a matter of time, but the one I'd got to accompany my Ninja Assault copy wasn't any good (at least - not with the CRTs I use). So I replaced it with another second-hand, third-party peripheral which isn't of any use either. So here I am stuck with Ninja Assault and no light gun to play it with and guess what, joypad controls do the job in its case. Heavily aided, but I like them better this way than console first person shooters pretendig aim assist is not there (when there is quite a bit).
Seems like a decent NAOMI-to-PS2 port (alongside VF4 Evo) to rub into brand loyallists' opinions, too.

[Mischief Maker]

Top unexpected cheap game gems:

Psi Ops
S.L.A.I.
The Red Star
A.I.M. 2: Clan Wars
King Arthur: The Fantasy Roleplaying Game
Galak-Z
Infested Planet

[Austin]

I discovered Super Cyborg on Steam thanks to a friend earlier in the Summer. It was a pleasant surprise because it's about as close to being a new NES Contra game without actually being a NES Contra game. Definitely worth checking out.

$5. http://store.steampowered.com/app/341550/

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I like the ones that are budget priced at launch. All the Capcom Dreamcast shooters were budget priced at launch. Strider 2 was another good one. God Hand also. I just picked up The Golf Club on PS4. Seems to be pretty decent so far.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I think Capcom released Bombastic budget-priced at least in PAL. Unlike pretty much all the rest of Capcom PAL games at the time, there's no 60 Hz option to it, but the game can be sped up in options and it's fullscreen.
Shame about disabled RGB in Gunbird 2 for the US Dreamcast.

Neither Twin Strike, nor Emergency Mayhem for me this time, but the auction went where I had to tell myself "no more collecting until I finish at least one already started game" (jRPGs are the worst in this regard, but I digress).

[Skykid]

Ode to shit games

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Just remembered when Sega released Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution as a budget title. Pretty substantial jump from vanilla 4.

[Obiwanshinobi]

All yesterday's news (still cheap last time I checked, though), but those budget PAL PS2 releases (all 60 Hz) also come to mind: Gregory Horror Show (Capcom again), Tokyo Road Race (Battle Gear 2 offline, LAN kept intact), Psyvariar -Complete Edition- (60 Hz switch hidden in each game's options menu, but it's there alright), Victorious Boxers 2: Fighting Spirit (Hajime no Ippo: All-Stars) - the last two by Emipre Interactive/Xplosiv of Mashed: Fully Loaded fame... Odin Sphere was budget-priced in PAL (60 Hz, a build somewhat improved over NTSC), but that's history now.