I love being able to play all those legendary classic games again. And play them with arcade quality controls makes it so much more enjoyable. Thanks for the video, great stuff indeed!
MY og XBox has 12,022 games from Virtual Boy to Neo Geo Pocket to PC Engine CD...nothing beats picking a random game in the morning and trying it- I can do this for every single day the next 30 years and still never play same game twice! The arcade alone has so many amazing gems I never saw growing up, thanks to videos like this you can get some recommendations and discover some really fun time wasters! Blows my mind haw many PC/video/arcade games have been made from the 70s on.
Thanks for this list. I knew about 75% of them going in but that 25% I didn't know...very nice choices. This era of arcade games was highly creative since there weren't many rules as to how a game *should* be, unlike now where genres (and money) have constricted most known games. The indie scene today feels very much like the old days, breaking rules they don't even know exist.
@@heavysystemsinc. Thank's Jeremy! I agree It's a very special era in game history, where design was simple, but not linear. It was the first real explosion of creativity without being strangled too much by corporations and expectations. Designers found very unique ways of engaging gamers in a pure way, without relying as much on gimmicks and graphics. Glad you enjoyed the video. Also, I LOVE Bogey Manor. Thank you!
Arabian was ported/cloned to many 8-bit computers back in the day under the name Tales of the Arabian Knights by Interceptor Software. The computer version was hard as fuck. I used to play Bubbles as a kid at a local diner.
Dig Dug II is one of those rare sequels that I prefer over the original. Less frustrating controls and lots of shortcuts involved. It's an entirely different game also. I think Congo Bongo frustrated a lot of people because of difficulty. But it's still far easier than Zaxxon. I found it more enjoyable back when isometric games were scarce. Mappy(not listed here) was criminally underrated because it hardly got ported outside of Japan and was far more advanced and fun than anything it competed against. It does get viewed as a classic however why it was not as popular as Donkey Kong I will never know.
Nice list and lots of games I want to try! But please.... Don't call games like Fantasy Zone, Circus Charlie, Congo Bongo, Pengo, Rock n rope (and a few others) 'hidden gems'. They were gems in plain sight back in the day.
TheRetrocade thank you. I’m glad someone as knowledgeable as yourself was able to find 50 new exceptional titles! While some of these games are more well known among MAME regulars, I did not include anything in the top tier of popularity. The title screen and description explains that this list is also primarily “underrated” games and not just hidden gems. I had to shorten the title and figured it wouldn’t be a big deal. But I appreciate your input. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the games! Cheers!
Yeah, I knew most of these games but there were still a few I had never heard of. It's amazing really. I've scoured through thousands of games on mame over the past 15 or so years and still to this day I can discover ones I never knew existed - and ones from the early 80s no less! I always think I've seen them all, but nope.
@William Baric Thank you! At the beginning of the video it is stated that the games are hidden gems, and "Underrated titles" The ones you have mentioned fall into the later category. These are very subjective titles as well, titles that didn't get the spotlight that they deserved. I used methods to determine a certain level of popularity to be excluded. For some more experienced gamers, many of these titles will be known, but for others, they have not. Thank you for enjoying the video. I hope you found some new games to try out!
Nice video. If anyone can has any information, I need help trying to find an obscure arcade game from late 80's to early 90's. Google & KLOV didn't help me. I know I have the game on MAME, because I played it, but it's been such a long time. Here's all of the details: 1-2 players & simultaneous Playable characters: Weird looking tanned/brown, bald, barefoot child/alien-like wearing overalls (one wears blue, the other wears red). They have weird googly eyes. They look like Phil & Lil from Rugrats. I think they have a dog-like creature as a powerup. Enemies: All weird looking monster things, and they too have googly eyes. Lots of colorful platforms and a weird layouts, bouncy blocks, a flag post at the end of the stage, with a house. You have soccer balls and baseballs that you can get out from jumping underneath blocks. Thanks in advance!
Im trying to find a game I played in the 80s. It was a top view & In it your character went up the screen & the weapon you had looked like you were waving white handkerchief in front of you. If you missed the enemy it would stick to you & slow you down for a while. When you got to the 'Big Boss' at the end of the stage he was like this massive red buddah looking guy who would fire down lightning bolts at you. Can anyone remember this?? Ive looked at all the 'classic 80s Games' clips on RUclips & its nowhere to be found.
HAHA. Must be all the fish. Kaitei Takara Sagashi is surprisingly awesome. Once you find the pattern to the fish, you can try to master your movements through them, but the treasure is still always random. I currently hold the world record on TG. I'd love to see someone beat it, probably wouldn't be too hard! Underrated Gem.
Jaden H. That’s right! I had forgotten. Haven’t played in a year. I get why that would bother you, but I still think it’s excellent. I love it’s simplicity. Requires precision, reflexes, and endurance. If the treasures were random then you would unfairly die by chance, and that’s kind of a game breaker. I’d rather live and die by skill, not chance.
@@gregorklingman6772 Exactly. Luckily when Namco released it, they changed the treasures so that they weren't random. But it's still impossible to tell your first time playing which one will kill you. Anyway, as far as underrated Namco games go, there were a few that I'm surprised got left out of this video. Navarone, Sky Kid, Toypop, Cutie Q, Splatterhouse, Tower of Druaga, Gaplus, Bosconian, and Ordyne are all really solid games that could have been included. EDIT: Wait, Cutie Q came out in 1979. Nevermind.
@@supermariofan772003 Great list! I like most of those but in a lot of instances for this list, things didn't make the cut because I felt like a similar-styled game was better. Thank you for your input!
what was the name of that game? You got a driller vehicle and coud go up or down the surface and had to destroy all other robot-vehicles in the level? A bit like dig dug or mr. do! All happened on one screen. There were different levels. Awesome game. Don´t know the name. Maybe you can help?
All of these games were lame. Half-assed money grab knock-offs of the more popular games at the time. You saw them at every grocery or convenience store that were too cheap to get the "real" video games. Obvious from the lame pixel graphics and annoying modified 2 bit computer noises.
All video games are HIDDEN GEMS because each and every one holds precious memories.
I love being able to play all those legendary classic games again. And play them with arcade quality controls makes it so much more enjoyable. Thanks for the video, great stuff indeed!
cool nice games
Elevator Action!
I love 80's Arcade games. Great video keep it up.
Nice compilation. Many underrated games.
MY og XBox has 12,022 games from Virtual Boy to Neo Geo Pocket to PC Engine CD...nothing beats picking a random game in the morning and trying it- I can do this for every single day the next 30 years and still never play same game twice! The arcade alone has so many amazing gems I never saw growing up, thanks to videos like this you can get some recommendations and discover some really fun time wasters! Blows my mind haw many PC/video/arcade games have been made from the 70s on.
Thanks for this list. I knew about 75% of them going in but that 25% I didn't know...very nice choices. This era of arcade games was highly creative since there weren't many rules as to how a game *should* be, unlike now where genres (and money) have constricted most known games. The indie scene today feels very much like the old days, breaking rules they don't even know exist.
Also, check out Bogey Manor...that game is really cool!
@@heavysystemsinc. Thank's Jeremy! I agree It's a very special era in game history, where design was simple, but not linear. It was the first real explosion of creativity without being strangled too much by corporations and expectations. Designers found very unique ways of engaging gamers in a pure way, without relying as much on gimmicks and graphics. Glad you enjoyed the video. Also, I LOVE Bogey Manor. Thank you!
ow man..i feel so nostalgic..i can now remember so many games of my childhood...legend of kage was best, the music was epic
Great rundown, just subscribed ☺️ 90s next?
Hidden Gems of the 90s and maybe even some earlier . I'm thinking of doing a TOP 2-bit and 4-bit arcade games video.
Gregor Klingman that'd be awesome 👍👍👍🕹️🕹️🕹️🕹️
Arabian was ported/cloned to many 8-bit computers back in the day under the name Tales of the Arabian Knights by Interceptor Software. The computer version was hard as fuck.
I used to play Bubbles as a kid at a local diner.
Wow...I identified maybe 8 or 9 of these games. Hidden gems indeed.
Dig Dug II is one of those rare sequels that I prefer over the original. Less frustrating controls and lots of shortcuts involved. It's an entirely different game also.
I think Congo Bongo frustrated a lot of people because of difficulty. But it's still far easier than Zaxxon. I found it more enjoyable back when isometric games were scarce.
Mappy(not listed here) was criminally underrated because it hardly got ported outside of Japan and was far more advanced and fun than anything it competed against. It does get viewed as a classic however why it was not as popular as Donkey Kong I will never know.
black widow was an awesome game
Nice list and lots of games I want to try! But please.... Don't call games like Fantasy Zone, Circus Charlie, Congo Bongo, Pengo, Rock n rope (and a few others) 'hidden gems'. They were gems in plain sight back in the day.
Ha! Some of these are really neat
that was fun thanks
Thank you! Stay tuned, I've got another video coming very soon.
This is a good video for those new to MAME. But almost half of the games shown are well known. The other half I've never seen before.
TheRetrocade thank you. I’m glad someone as knowledgeable as yourself was able to find 50 new exceptional titles!
While some of these games are more well known among MAME regulars, I did not include anything in the top tier of popularity. The title screen and description explains that this list is also primarily “underrated” games and not just hidden gems. I had to shorten the title and figured it wouldn’t be a big deal. But I appreciate your input.
Thanks for watching. Enjoy the games! Cheers!
Yeah, I knew most of these games but there were still a few I had never heard of. It's amazing really. I've scoured through thousands of games on mame over the past 15 or so years and still to this day I can discover ones I never knew existed - and ones from the early 80s no less! I always think I've seen them all, but nope.
@William Baric Thank you! At the beginning of the video it is stated that the games are hidden gems, and "Underrated titles" The ones you have mentioned fall into the later category. These are very subjective titles as well, titles that didn't get the spotlight that they deserved. I used methods to determine a certain level of popularity to be excluded. For some more experienced gamers, many of these titles will be known, but for others, they have not.
Thank you for enjoying the video. I hope you found some new games to try out!
Nice video. If anyone can has any information, I need help trying to find an obscure arcade game from late 80's to early 90's. Google & KLOV didn't help me. I know I have the game on MAME, because I played it, but it's been such a long time.
Here's all of the details:
1-2 players & simultaneous
Playable characters: Weird looking tanned/brown, bald, barefoot child/alien-like wearing overalls (one wears blue, the other wears red). They have weird googly eyes. They look like Phil & Lil from Rugrats. I think they have a dog-like creature as a powerup.
Enemies: All weird looking monster things, and they too have googly eyes.
Lots of colorful platforms and a weird layouts, bouncy blocks, a flag post at the end of the stage, with a house.
You have soccer balls and baseballs that you can get out from jumping underneath blocks.
Thanks in advance!
Sounds like Bonk's Adventure maybe.
It definitely sounds like a game called Bonk's Adventure developed by Kaneko in the 1980's
Im trying to find a game I played in the 80s. It was a top view & In it your character went up the screen & the weapon you had looked like you were waving white handkerchief in front of you. If you missed the enemy it would stick to you & slow you down for a while. When you got to the 'Big Boss' at the end of the stage he was like this massive red buddah looking guy who would fire down lightning bolts at you. Can anyone remember this?? Ive looked at all the 'classic 80s Games' clips on RUclips & its nowhere to be found.
I'm sure you figured out by now but if you didn't you are thinking of kiki kaikai.
9:48 This game is real smelly.
HAHA. Must be all the fish.
Kaitei Takara Sagashi is surprisingly awesome. Once you find the pattern to the fish, you can try to master your movements through them, but the treasure is still always random. I currently hold the world record on TG. I'd love to see someone beat it, probably wouldn't be too hard! Underrated Gem.
@@gregorklingman6772 The fact that you can't tell the treasures apart from each other ruins it for me. It's just not a good game imo.
Jaden H. That’s right! I had forgotten. Haven’t played in a year. I get why that would bother you, but I still think it’s excellent. I love it’s simplicity. Requires precision, reflexes, and endurance.
If the treasures were random then you would unfairly die by chance, and that’s kind of a game breaker. I’d rather live and die by skill, not chance.
@@gregorklingman6772 Exactly. Luckily when Namco released it, they changed the treasures so that they weren't random. But it's still impossible to tell your first time playing which one will kill you.
Anyway, as far as underrated Namco games go, there were a few that I'm surprised got left out of this video. Navarone, Sky Kid, Toypop, Cutie Q, Splatterhouse, Tower of Druaga, Gaplus, Bosconian, and Ordyne are all really solid games that could have been included.
EDIT: Wait, Cutie Q came out in 1979. Nevermind.
@@supermariofan772003 Great list! I like most of those but in a lot of instances for this list, things didn't make the cut because I felt like a similar-styled game was better. Thank you for your input!
what was the name of that game? You got a driller vehicle and coud go up or down the surface and had to destroy all other robot-vehicles in the level? A bit like dig dug or mr. do! All happened on one screen. There were different levels. Awesome game. Don´t know the name. Maybe you can help?
Are you thinking of The Pit? 17:52
All of these games were lame. Half-assed money grab knock-offs of the more popular games at the time. You saw them at every grocery or convenience store that were too cheap to get the "real" video games. Obvious from the lame pixel graphics and annoying modified 2 bit computer noises.