 SNES DRUG Alright, fine, I'll do one of these videos. I've gotten a million requests to do a video like this, and this question gets asked all the time on the Super Nintendo subreddit. What are some obscure hidden gems on the Super Nintendo? So what the hell, let's crank out this video really quick. Hey, I'll even work the words obscure and hidden gem into the title and really sell out. Let's not stop there. I want non-stop carnage in the comments. I want comically egregious rage over the games I pick here. I even thought about making this a list to really make it a full scale war, but nah, I think I'd rather be merely wounded instead of maimed beyond recognition. The reason I sound so ornery here is that there's already a million videos like this, and aside from coming across as obvious clickbait, they all follow entirely different criteria. So first, I have to ask what's considered obscure or hidden these days. To some people, it might be games that were developed by companies other than Nintendo, Konami, Capcom, or Squaresoft. Or even then, I could list like Legend of the Mystical Ninja or Cybernator on this list, and there are people who are likely new to the Super Nintendo that would have no idea about those games otherwise. Even take a look at Cinemassacre's Super Nintendo hidden gem video, which featured stuff like Demon's Crest and Knights of the Round, and to me, those are as common as it gets. Who doesn't know about those games? So I'm gonna try and go all over the map here, covering stuff that both you've likely heard of, and maybe you haven't. In the end, the criteria here is entirely subjective anyway, so whatever. Also, one quick note, I'm sticking to Super Nintendo games released in North America, otherwise this list would probably be entirely Super Famicom games like MajuHuo, Energy Breaker, or Rendering Ranger R2. Those games already got their own separate series of videos. We'll start with Incantation, which is not so much a good game as it is just kind of a curious one. This was released super late in the Super Nintendo lifespan. It's a really good looking platformer that plays... okay-ish. Again, it's not that great, but it's definitely obscure. I just wanted to point it out because not that many people know about it. It's got some interesting gameplay mechanics like teleporting around, and you can upgrade your projectile. It's decent enough. Next there's Pieces, a game that people could potentially write off immediately because, I mean, come on, putting together puzzles? I thought we're playing video games to get away from boring stuff like that. But Pieces is one of the better versus multiplayer games for the Super Nintendo. Yeah, you're putting together puzzles, but you also get to screw with the other player by freezing or inverting their cursor or just erasing a bunch of their pieces. Plus, this game also supports up to four players, so that's really cool. Ignition Factor is another game that sounds kind of lame on the surface. You're fighting fires and saving people? Aren't you supposed to do the opposite in video games? But yeah, this game is surprisingly really well made and pretty interesting to play. A lot of forethought and strategy goes into containing the fire, and you have to make good use of the items you have available in order to save everybody and put out the flames. If you're in the market for something a little different, check this one out. First we have Super Ninja Boy, which is a strange combination of a role-playing game and a side-scrolling beat-em-up, meaning you explore a world map, talk to villagers, and equip stuff like you do in an RPG, but the actual combat is done in a beat-em-up style, using the usual punch-kick stuff as well as special items and attacks. It's not all that great, the RPG elements are definitely dated, and the combat is nothing to write home about, but it is for two players, and it's a unique game that's worth looking into. True Lies definitely fits the hidden gem criteria. How many movie-licensed games are ever actually good? This one is fantastic, utilizing the same game mention as Soldier of Fortune, with a top-down view and a bevy of weapons that you can shoot in eight different directions. If you like stuff like Super Smash TV or Pocky and Rocky, you gotta check out True Lies, it's surprisingly good. Next I'll mention Brain Lord. If you like Link to the Past, Illusion of Gaia, Soul Blazer, Terranigma, those kind of games, this game is worth looking into. It's definitely a step down from those four games, but it's a step up from stuff like Lagoon. All the familiar adventure game mechanics are here, with tons of weapons and upgradable armor, but it should be noted that this game is very puzzle heavy, some puzzles are ridiculously easy, and some seem impossible. The translation also isn't the greatest. Still, if you've worn out your copies of other adventure games, Brain Lord is worth a look. Another top-down adventure game that's a little more forgiving is the Twisted Tales of Spike McFang. The gameplay here is closer to Illusion of Gaia more than anything, but with way more of a cartoony and lighthearted presentation, there's tomatoes, top hats, tomatoes, magic capes, and more tomatoes. I like this one a bit more than Brain Lord, but the cartridge is a bit more pricey, so take your pick there. Staying in the adventure genre, there's Equinox, also known as Solstice 2 if you remember Solstice for the NES. This game is tough to get into at first, I'll admit. It's got its flaws, like the inconsistent hit detection. The isometric viewpoint is a nice change though, and once you get used to it, the game is decent enough with the typical adventure game fare of puzzle solving, exploring, combat, and story. It just don't expect anything incredible, but it's good enough. Alright, now let's up the quality standards here and get into some games that are better than just okay. Sky Blazer is a good platformer with quality level design that does a nice job complimenting your character's various abilities, whether it's jumping through trees, hang gliding, or just annihilating anything in your path, although there's only about 20 levels or so. The real fun of this game is just flying around everywhere and kicking ass, climbing walls, shooting various projectiles, it's a good time. Another game in the same vein is Run Saber, which takes elements from all sorts of games like Strider, Contra, Super Metroid, and Super Turrican, and it results in a good game. The game's biggest strengths are its graphics and artwork. The bosses really look cool as hell, but be forewarned there's only about five levels here, bummer. Still, this game is a fun play through that allows for a second player, so it's worth picking up if you can find it. Next I'll say UN Squadron, one of the best shoot-em-ups on the Super Nintendo. This game got kind of ignored back in the day because of the lame title and crappy cover, but it's a really well made game that's pretty frickin' tough. There's three pilots to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. You can upgrade your own plane with all sorts of different stuff. This is the kind of shoot-em-up where you can actually take damage instead of that one hit death and start with nothing crap. The level and enemy design is also well done. Definitely check this one out. Next I'll mention Hagane, an action platformer that's my pick for the hardest Super Nintendo game out there, so if you're into a challenge, it doesn't get much tougher than this. It's a very well made game though. Literally every button on the controller does a different kind of attack of some kind. No wasted space here. Some clever level design takes advantage of these abilities as well. Sadly this game is pretty rare, and it can be hard to come by, but if it ever ends up on the virtual console by any chance, definitely check it out. Then there's Robotrek, which like True Lies, is a great example of a game literally hidden in plain sight. The name was changed from Slapstick in Japan to Robotrek in the U.S., and the cover was given this melancholy dark spaceship thing, when in fact this game is a light-hearted, not-so-serious RPG that has some laugh-out-loud moments. You build and program robots to fight monsters. You can control their attributes, so you can make a robot like a tank, big, strong, and slow, or you can make a quick strike machine that enables a bunch of attacks in a row. And plus, you have the ability to customize your own special attacks, create your own weapons, and all sorts of other fun stuff. The translation of this game is pretty wonky, so it can be tough to understand what's going on at times, but Robotrek is a really fun and forgotten RPG. Next I'll bring up Sparkster, another tremendous action platformer. This series originated on the Sega Genesis, but Sparkster for Super Nintendo is its own game and it's not a port. It plays like a cross between Sky Blazer and Gunstar Heroes. I love the special ability here that allows you to zoom across the screen and destroy anything in your path. The overall presentation here is classic Konami and it's Prime as well. This game is one of my favorite recent discoveries on the Super Nintendo. I'll mention three more games starting with Lufia 2 Rise of the Sinistrals. Now a lot of people already know about this game, but I need to make sure to bring it up anyway because it's one of the best RPGs on the system and it wasn't exactly a mainstream game back in the day. Lufia 2 combines Zelda mechanics and RPG elements with an anime TV series styled plot. It's a little different in tone compared to stuff like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 6, so don't expect a huge sweeping epic or anything like that, but the gameplay is awesome and overall it's an excellent game with great music as well. A top five RPG on a system that's loaded with great ones. Next there's a game I'm sure you're tired of hearing me prattle on about. It's Space Megaforce, which is essentially kind of an upgrade of Gundak for NES. This is my pick for the best shoot-em-up on the Super Nintendo. Everything is perfectly balanced and consistent in size, speed, and spacing. The level design is clever, the weapons are really fun to use, and the game is new friendly if you're new to shoot-em-ups. In other words, you can play this one without wanting to throw your controller in two minutes. Go check it out. The last game I'll mention is a Biggie, Ogre Battle, March of the Black Queen. This game is a massively detailed strategy role-playing game that is by far the best of its kind on the Super Nintendo. You will definitely get your money's worth with this game because there's so much stuff to arrange, sort, plan, figure out, and execute. This game is a precursor to later Ogre Battle games like Ogre Battle 64 and Tactics Ogre for PlayStation, as well as Final Fantasy Tactics. So if you like that style of gameplay, you gotta check this one out. It's every bit as good as those games. Phew! Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for watching and have a great rest of your day!