Racketboy "Hidden Gems" - IT'S UP!

[BulletMagnet]

It's Up!

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm, a whole ton of my favorites seem to have made the bump to bold (I thought Sengeki Striker was mid-tier last time). I like it. A couple I don't think I've played - including Rude Breaker, Pippols, Blast Wind, Baryon, didn't play much of Hi no Tori and the Famicom version is a sidescroller (d'oh). No Ninja Emaki or either Oriental Soft title in this list, though.

[CMPXCHG8B]

Cyvern is a "hidden gem"?

Where's G-Strem 2020?

-CMPX

[Op Intensify]

Zing Zing Zip is not a gem.

I mean, bullet wobbling! It's only noteworthy for the black-and-white stage.

Mad Shark is the best Allumer shmup by far, even with the random-value point items. Probably because it copies an already successful formula (Raiden).

[Drum]

There seems to be some mistake - the games I wanted aren't on the list and there are some games I didn't want that are on the list.

[Ebbo]

I guess Flame Zapper Kotsujin was ultimately excluded from this list because of its doujin background? Oh well, hopefully we'll see that one in the inevitable "Doujin Gems" article.

Otherwise seems rather varied and balanced list, I like it.

[Op Intensify]

I'd say Chimera Beast warrants a spot on the list. Can't get much more "hidden" than "never released," and it's a solid game in spite of its highly unorthodox play mechanics.

[DJ Incompetent]

Move Homura as an HM under Vasara

Move Wyvern Wings under Cyvern

HM Dezaemon Plus under Game Tengoku

HM Dragon Spirit under Gemini Wing

[BulletMagnet]

No Ninja Emaki or either Oriental Soft title in this list, though.

I hadn't heard of Ninja Emaki myself so methinks it certainly fits the "hidden" part, and watching a video suggests that the unusual theme and varied weaponry put it a cut above most of its real-time competition, though I'm also worried about venturing too far into borderliner territory here (then again, I did include Mr. Heli). I'll be keeping this one in mind, thanks for the suggestion.

As for Oriental Soft, I just plain don't think I could bring myself to merit something like 1945k III on here ("drawing inspiration from" is one thing; "stealing assets from" is another); I could ALMOST envision a place for G-Stream, but its medaling in particular invokes unpleasant shades of Night Raid.

Cyvern is a "hidden gem"?

A good chunk of the forum thinks so: I'm personally half-tempted to HM it under Vasara (for some reason I tend to conflate the two games, though they don't play much alike), but I don't think many would approve of that move.

Zing Zing Zip is not a gem...Mad Shark is the best Allumer shmup by far

I didn't intend to give that one more than an HM, so it can be removed without much fuss...I'll wait to see what the rest of the community thinks before acting, though. As for Mad Shark, again, it straddles the line between "tribute" and "ripoff" a bit too uncomfortably for my tastes, much like older sibling Rezon.

I guess Flame Zapper Kotsujin was ultimately excluded from this list because of its doujin background?

Yeah, I'm afraid I had to let it sit this round out.

I'd say Chimera Beast warrants a spot on the list.

I'd considered putting this one in the same "lump" as Dragon Spirit and St. Dragon, but I found it to play a bit too clunky to truly consider a "gem". Further thoughts from anyone?

Move Homura as an HM under Vasara

This one I might consider implementing, but I'm not sure that Dezaemon is quite suitable enough for this list...I can see where the Wyvern Wings and Dragon Spirit things are going, but both feel a touch forced from here. Maybe I'm missing something?

Thanks to all for the input so far, your help is always appreciated.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, G-Stream's horrendous proximity (I think it was) scoring mechanic, and 1945K's loltasticness means they didn't have an especially balanced lineup for this. Still, both games are interesting at a pop. Personally, I think that the popularity of these games has become more niche since mid-90s so that many games very familiar to us are ultimately hidden in terms of the numbers that would recognize them...that's beyond the scope (or intent) of the article, but it seemed a shame to consider something like G-Stream when Psyvariar games might remain unknown.

I just remembered that Ninja Emaki usually plays like Commando, so that might DQ it from the list.

Cyvern versus Vasara...wow, I can't begin to fathom that. I had more fun with Vasara but my fingers complain after playing it. The game really needed a kind of aura meter or something IMO.

[Op Intensify]

Seconding the support for Cyvern. The incredible bosses, satisfying weapons and accessible medaling mechanics put it into my personal Top 25. It's a great compromise between Psikyo and Raizing design formulas.

Very surprising that it came from a typically kusoge company like Kaneko. Do we have any idea of the development team's history?

[Drum]

I'm not leaving this thread until you add Chouji Meikyuu Legion, at least as an honourable mention.

[BulletMagnet]

it seemed a shame to consider something like G-Stream when Psyvariar games might remain unknown.

Yeah, it is a bit of a tough mark to hit, considering how relative a term like "hidden gem" tends to be, but that's why I'm trying to get as much input from others as possible before finalizing this...hopefully nobody (myself included) will be 100 percent on board with the end product, but just about everybody will be able to live with it.

As for Oriental Soft, "interesting" is definitely an applicable term for them, but at least from my perspective "hidden gem" sounds like more of a stretch. Still open to further arguments on this front though.

Very surprising that it came from a typically kusoge company like Kaneko. Do we have any idea of the development team's history?

Methinks the only hope for insight on this one would be from a member who can read/browse Japanese-language magazines and websites and such, and I can do neither.

I'm not leaving this thread until you add Chouji Meikyuu Legion, at least as an honourable mention.

Take a closer look at the HMs for Omega Fighter.

[blackoak]

I also think Cyvern is a great game, for all the reasons Op Intensify noted. Kind of a Raizing gateway drug for me.

[Nifty]

There are a lot of good names on that list, in particular Gratia, it's an immensely underplayed game. Kaneko made plenty of nice stuff, off the top of my head Nexzr, Super Star Solider, Star Parodier, Air Buster and Explosive Breaker in addition to Cyvern as well as a few ports/publishing credits like Sengeki Striker. Keep Zing Zing Zip.

[Op Intensify]

Kaneko made plenty of nice stuff, off the top of my head Nexzr, Super Star Solider, Star Parodier, Air Buster and Explosive Breaker

nice stuff

Explosive Breaker

????????????????

I did forget that Kaneko wasn't completely a one-hit wonder, though. Even if they were the ones responsible for Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool. Air Buster and Nexzr are solid, straightforward classics.

Their Jackie Chan series is the ultimate kusoge fighter.

[Drum]

Explosive Breaker is cuddles, shut up.

[Nifty]

Warm and fuzzy on both sides

[MrChiggins]

BulletMagnet, thanks for this fantastic list.
And thanks to everyone else who contributed.

I fell in love with Harmful Park and Hyper Duel a while back but some of these games really surprised me. Mainly Thunder Dragon 2, Cybattler, Omega Fighter, and Dragon Breed in that order.

REVISION SUGGESTION: Change Air Blade should be on the official list and not just an honorable mention. It's 2-player vs. play is fantastic and it's quite the singular special game. Sure, the single player isn't incredible but that's not the point. Unless your reason is that it's just a little too popular or something. I have no idea how popular it is.

Change Air Blade! Think about it!

[Friendly]

Nexzr should be on the main list instead just an honorable mention. It's one of the best shooters on PC Engine, it's an exclusive that hasn't been ported elsewhere and only few people know it.

Mr. Heli on the other hand is quite well known in my opinion, it's an arcade game by Irem that was ported to PC Engine and most home computers of the time and it was also released for Wii's Virtual Console.

[Hagane]

Good list. Cyvern definitely deserves to be there.

[BulletMagnet]

Change Air Blade! Think about it!

Heh, I was considering giving that one its own entry, though for the first round it didn't quite make the cut...not finalized yet though!

Nexzr should be on the main list instead just an honorable mention.

I know the game has its fans around here, but from where I'm standing it seems to fit best attached to Recca, as the latter is more noteworthy for its technical achievements and unusual (especially for the time) mechanics; Nexzr is indeed a good shooter and not particularly well known, but it blends into the crowd a bit easier than its fellow "Summer Carnival" entry here. Once again, though, I'm certainly open to arguments to the contrary.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a revision of the current list sometime tomorrow.

[BulletMagnet]

Bit later than I hoped, but the first round of revisions are up, partially comprised of suggestions from you guys plus a hunk of others I threw in out of the blue. Stuff that's been added or moved is marked in red.

Improvement or not?

[Aquas]

I suggest Plus Alpha as Hon. mention by Ordyne and Wonder Planet.

Plus Alpha is a vertical cute'em'up with an unremarkable charm and solid Raiden-esque gameplay, it loops continuously, recovery is very doable, has many secrets, cool bosses and music. For 1988 the graphics are appealing and the game was popular in arcades at it's release.

I would consider it better than Ordyne, but Ordyne is good for some similar reasons as well.

[BulletMagnet]

I suggest Plus Alpha as Hon. mention by Ordyne and Wonder Planet.

I'll hafta look a bit more into it, but if I did add it I'd be more inclined to put it with Game Tengoku, since you can use the craft/pilot from the former in the latter.

[BulletMagnet]

Okay, STGT is finished, so I'm gonna make one last push to finish this. Let me know once and for all which remaining changes you think would suit the article best.

[Ed Oscuro]

Stinking V-Five, why did you betray us

Ninja Emaki for love! Or at least the Japanese version, whose difficulty will be more to STGers' liking. Maybe still too much a Commando-like though.

[BPzeBanshee]

So G-Stream G2020 definitely isn't getting in then?

Figures. My taste is a bit different from the forums but considering the time trap15 and I spent looking at its mechanics and realising there was like no info on it around at all sounds 'hidden' in my book. The most info I got was the prior conversation here mentioning something about point-blanking - turns out enemies spit out tiny particles upon death which can get sucked into the player if you move towards it quickly when it dies, and in the case of the first boss's second phase can get some 300+ out of it by the end.

Then again Rapid Hero seemed very plain to me (emulation issues aside) and that's gotten a mention, so I dunno.

[BulletMagnet]

Ninja Emaki for love!...Maybe still too much a Commando-like though.

Yeah, Emaki treads a bit too far in that direction to be a slam dunk...if I included it that would open the doors to heaven only knows what else (including, interestingly enough, a handful of other Nichibutsu borderliners). For this particular article, at least, I'm leaning towards leaving it on the bench, if only for simplicity's sake.

So G-Stream G2020 definitely isn't getting in then?

Never say never, but at this point I still haven't been convinced regarding the "gem" part of the equation...the medaling in particular, like Trizeal's, seems very haphazard to me, and some sections come across as very quarter-munchy. Feel free to set me straight if I'm missing something though, as I don't know the game inside and out. As far as Rapid Hero is concerned, it and its HMs make up what I might call the "lovably generic" part of the list, i.e. the "just another jet plane shooter" that you still somehow enjoy (Air Gallet certainly isn't one of mine, but it's got enough fans for a mention). There's still time for changes, so feel free to say whatever you feel needs saying.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Not sure if Recca is all that hidden...
If you played Guardian Force and didn't like it, I give up, but come on - the Fun Weapons™ in that one have to count for something.
Furthermore, I consider Zanac Special Version hidden (but the Zanac X Zanac collection is known enough from its high price, thus I understand why marking out that one mode might have seen overzealous; rather, it is another topic - little known hacks and modes of well known games).