Nominate Hidden Gems for the Sega Game Gear

[racketboy]

I'm not 100% sure I understand what you're saying here, Racket. Aren't we looking for the minority here? Isn't that what makes them hidden Gems? Maybe I need more sleep. Im not reading your smoke signals, dude.

Sorry -- I mis-read/got confused.... I thought you were talking about ones that were superior to Master System etc. Which now, doesn't make sense.
Oh well

[samsonlonghair]

I'm not 100% sure I understand what you're saying here, Racket. Aren't we looking for the minority here? Isn't that what makes them hidden Gems? Maybe I need more sleep. Im not reading your smoke signals, dude.

Sorry -- I mis-read/got confused.... I thought you were talking about ones that were superior to Master System etc. Which now, doesn't make sense.
Oh well

It's all good in the neighborhood.

Maybe I was communicating poorly too. I guess what I mean to say is this:

Game Gear lists are always full of games that are better on other consoles. Eff that! I want to find those rare gems that play BEST on the Game Gear.

Bone has mentioned more than once that there's a Street Fighter II port on C64. That's an interesting tidbit, but you can play SFII on a hundred different devices. Who would willingly choose to play on C64 (other than just to try it out for laughs) when you could play it on better hardware? We certainly wouldn't list Street Fighter II as a hidden gem for C64, would we?

So why list something like Rocket Knight Adventures as a Hidden Gem on Game Gear?

[Exhuminator]

Game Gear lists are always full of games that are better on other consoles. Eff that! I want to find those rare gems that play BEST on the Game Gear.

It's true that some of the Game Gear ports play worse on Game Gear. But it's also true that a few of the Game Gear ports were tailored to the hardware efficiently, and were produced differently enough that their Game Gear iteration stands on its own as a unique experience. Ristar GG is a fine example of this. I'm not saying this situation was always the case though.

However, I agree with you that the article should focus on Game Gear exclusives, and Game Gear imports which are hidden gems. Pop Breaker is a great example of that, I've never seen Pop Breaker on any Game Gear list. I found Pop Breaker on my own, beat it, enjoyed it, and wondered why I'd never heard anyone talk about it before. Seeing truly hidden gems on a Game Gear list would be great. It gets tiring seeing Game Gear hidden gem lists full of popular SEGA franchises. I don't care how great the Game Gear Sonic games are, Sonic games are not "hidden". IMO it makes more sense to see stuff like Royal Stone, Head Buster, or Megami Tensei Gaiden - Last Bible S.

If we must include Sonic related games in the list though, I suggest these:

[samsonlonghair]

Game Gear lists are always full of games that are better on other consoles. Eff that! I want to find those rare gems that play BEST on the Game Gear.

It's true that some of the Game Gear ports play worse on Game Gear. But it's also true that a few of the Game Gear ports were tailored to the hardware efficiently, and were produced differently enough that their Game Gear iteration stands on its own as a unique experience. Ristar GG is a fine example of this. I'm not saying this situation was always the case though.

You make a fair point. Sometimes I can be a little bit flippant. Maybe "eff that" was not the most elegant choice of phrasing.

However, I agree with you that the article should focus on Game Gear exclusives, and Game Gear imports which are hidden gems. Pop Breaker is a great example of that, I've never seen Pop Breaker on any Game Gear list. I found Pop Breaker on my own, beat it, enjoyed it, and wondered why I'd never heard anyone talk about it before. Seeing truly hidden gems on a Game Gear list would be great. It gets tiring seeing Game Gear hidden gem lists full of popular SEGA franchises. I don't care how great the Game Gear Sonic games are, Sonic games are not "hidden".

Pop Breaker is another one I did not know about. Good show, sir!

I hereby nominate Ex to write the Game Gear Hidden Gems article!

[BoneSnapDeez]

oh I knew all about Pop Breaker

M I C R O C A B I N

[Sarge]

Batman Returns - Surprisingly competent Beat-em-up - I usually avoid movie-games.
Tempo Jr. - Is this underrated/unknown? Fun game anyway.

I thought about throwing that one in, as I recently obtained a copy. I haven't played much, but it seemed quite competent.

EDIT: Gah, deleted the wrong line. I should try out that Batman game, though.

[Jagosaurus]

Shining Force Gaiden 2/The Sword of Hajya, later part of Shining CD, is solid. Those Gaiden games get overlooked in the series IMO.

No one ever mentions the GG JPN Panzer Dragoon game along with the Saturn and oXbox PD titles.

Vampire of Darkness is brutal but a nice castlevania clone with some Jack the Ripper time period vibes going on.

[Jagosaurus]

I thought Panzer Dragoon was pretty lame on the GG, to be honest.

Yeah, maybe more of a "forgotten games in a series" title versus a hidden gem.

[nightrnr]

I guess I better chime in, as I profess to being a fan of the color-screen beast from the 90's.

Dragon Crystal- a rogue-like that was on the Master system, but had better music on GG and is better suited to a handheld anyways (despite the smaller screen area) (also on the Nintendo 3DS store I think)

Baku Baku- Very underrated puzzle game in the same vein as Puyo and Puzzle Fighter; was on the Saturn, but again, well suited to a portable.

Crystal Warriors- has been mentioned, but really is a great little strategy/tactics game

Fantasy Zone-different than the original; not sure if hidden gem or a top game, but overlooked IMO

I 2nd Devilish as a good pick for hidden gem.

Let's see, I really like the Space Invaders game (port of '91?)

Really, I need to dive back into the catalog. There are so many I still need to play just in my collection.

[IrishNinja]

I think the biggest one for me is Defenders of Oasis. I think it's probably the best traditional RPG on the system.

came to post this - not sure how it holds up, but in that era, i thought it was a great RPG on the go. grind-heavy, but that was the era...was just cool to play in a new setting.