Favorite obscure arcade games...

[DataWest]

I always enjoy threads like this. Sorry if one of these already exists.

Just name a game that wasn't very popular, but you still enjoy/enjoyed it.

[bobotech]

Exidy Starfire.  I thought that game was so awesome.  Played it at Lake Compounce in CT when I was around 10-11 years old.  I don't believe that Empire had been released in the theaters yet but this game felt like I was shooting down tie fighters and star destroyers. 

Shortly thereafter, I got Star Raiders for my new Atari 400 and felt that same kind of thrill.

[Gray_Area]

I was looking for a thread like this. Coincidence?

Screw Loose

Great late days of the golden age game, especially the CP and green ball tops!

[TOK]

Rescue by Stern is my favorite relatively unknown game that I played way-back-when. There are at least a dozen oddball games that I discovered in MAME. Zing Zing Zip is a vert shooter I never even heard of before MAME and I still play it all the time.

[MajorHavoc]

If obscurity is the criteria, I'd probably have to go with the Bally Midway's Blue Print.  I've only seen one of these oddly addictive machines.  It was located in one of the taverns I used to frequent many (many)years ago.  With that in mind, perhaps alcohol had something to do with my appreciation of this game...Kind of like a video game version of beer goggles... 

[grasspuddle]

Off the Wall by Sente. Could play that for hours. Don't even know why I like it, I just do.

[DataWest]

Bump 

[Cynicaster]

Snow Bros!

I don't know if it qualifies as obscure; all I can say is that I'd never even heard of it until I built my cabinet. 

Pretty addictive game.  For an idea on gameplay, it's kind of like a combination between Bubble Bobble and Dig Dug if that even makes sense.

[javeryh]

If obscurity is the criteria, I'd probably have to go with the Bally Midway's Blue Print.  I've only seen one of these oddly addictive machines.  It was located in one of the taverns I used to frequent many (many)years ago.  With that in mind, perhaps alcohol had something to do with my appreciation of this game...Kind of like a video game version of beer goggles... 

Blue Print is totally rad.  I never played one in the arcade but when I was a kid my grandparents bought it for me for Christmas one year for my Atari 5200.  I was disappointed at first because I didn't know what the hell it was but it quickly became my favorite game on the system.  Now I play it all the time!

[Donkbaca]

Pigskin football 621 AD.  Its tons of fun with a friend

[ark_ader]

Pulsar from Sega/Gremlin.

Loved playing that in the Sega Centers.

[Mario]

Exidy Starfire.  I thought that game was so awesome.  Played it at Lake Compounce in CT when I was around 10-11 years old.  I don't believe that Empire had been released in the theaters yet but this game felt like I was shooting down tie fighters and star destroyers.  

Shortly thereafter, I got Star Raiders for my new Atari 400 and felt that same kind of thrill.

Same here. I remember first playing Star Fire at our church's carnival. I was thrilled when StarMaster was released for the Atari 2600, and later I played Star Raiders a lot, too.

Mario

[Woodshop Flunky]

Similar thread http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108995.0.  Made me aware of several great games that maybe weren't top of the charts in their day.

[Cynicaster]

Actually, this thread reminds me a bit of a thread I read a while back over at MameAddicts.com in which participants were encouraged to provide quick write-ups on games that others may not have heard of.  Some of them don't really fit that description very well (Mortal Kombat?) but I was definitely not aware of most of the games mentioned.

Link:

http://www.mameaddicts.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=271

[Generic Eric]

Even though the emulation is not 100% I enjoy Mr. Driller 2.  It has a certain depth to it...

[ragnar]

I just had this game on my MAME box and it is not in my list anymore.  ARGHHHHH

Anyway, you are a snake and you eat apples.  Each apple you eat makes you longer.  Eat X apples, go onto the next level.

I can't remember the dang name though and can't find it on my MAME cab.

It is very similar to this which is also a fond childhood memory:
http://www.mobygames.com/game/snake-byte

[Encryptor]

I just had this game on my MAME box and it is not in my list anymore.  ARGHHHHH

Anyway, you are a snake and you eat apples.  Each apple you eat makes you longer.  Eat X apples, go onto the next level.

I can't remember the dang name though and can't find it on my MAME cab.

It is very similar to this which is also a fond childhood memory:
http://www.mobygames.com/game/snake-byte

Nibbles?

[boardjunkie]

Sounds like Nibbler, although I never noticed apples in it.....

http://mameworld.info/mrdo/mame_artwork/nibbler.png

[DataWest]

Thanks for all the replies. I've discovered some new gems

[jtslade]

I love playing Armor Attack, but don't play it in mame... Load up AAE it's so much better looking for vector games.

Not sure it qualifies as an obscure game, I can't remember seeing it in arcades as a kid...

[ArcadeAddict77]

I have taken to keeping an eye on what cabinets appear on ebay.com and checking those out in MAME, but this is easy for me since the most arcade cabinets I saw running at the same time was 2 - 3 during the 80's in the UK.

[Cynicaster]

Another one where I don't know whether it counts as obscure, but I'll mention it anyway: BLACK WIDOW. 

Personally, I'd never seen it before having my MAME cabinet, but it's easily one of my favorite games at the moment.  Think dual-stick shooter (a la Robotron), only taking place on a spider web with color vector graphics.  Gorgeous game!

 

[alfonzotan]

Is Astro Blaster considered obscure?  Used to play that one all the time at the local Zippy Mart, and I still fire it up in MAME as much as any other game.

In the "obscure for good reason" category, I have an original Rockola Eyes stand-up in my storage shed that I bought for $5.  While it's kind of cool to have what seems to be a genuinely rare game, the real truth is that it's rare because it sucks...

[CrazyKongFan]

Sounds like Nibbler, although I never noticed apples in it.....

http://mameworld.info/mrdo/mame_artwork/nibbler.png

That just happens to be the game I chose for the current MAME competition
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=110919.0
I've heard they're supposed to be "croutons", but they're different on each level (one level even has the programmers initials as the objects you're eating)

[clok]

Im always amazed at reading these threads.. Im old.. so I played almost all the "odd" games in the arcade so they dont seem odd or obscure to me. Blueprint, this one I only seen one time ever... that mosnter chasing at top of screen was a nice touch, never cared for the game (But i never liked maze games much, even if my sig says so with my PacMan skills (long gone)) most of gems I see are non US released games like Guwange which was an amazing shooter. Dead Connection- kinda a slower paced Robotron with gangsters... and new backdrops (bar, junkyard, etc) one I never seen in arcades.

Some not so obscure but lesser known.

i always had a soft spot for the 2 shooters in 3 Wonders, some interesting fantasy work, very different. WARDEN- always a favorite of mine and one I could beat with a single quarter if I tried. And one I can temeber name of, you are a Robot fighting mosnters on several Planets... spiders, lizards etc.. very simple scrolling beat um up but I loved it when I played it. And gladiator... not so obscure  but not a big hit. loved that game.

[yotsuya]

I don't know how obscure it is, but Empire City 1931 was one my cousins and I used to play a lot.

[RayB]

I don't know obscure it it, but Empire City 1931 was one my cousins and I used to play a lot.

YES!

[Necro]

Does Trog count as obscure?  The last arcade in my area as a kid had this and I freaking loved it.

[Gray_Area]

Swimmer.  Early Tehkan ('82)game. Not great, but fun enough.

[Vigo]

Does Trog count as obscure?  The last arcade in my area as a kid had this and I freaking loved it.

I love Trog as well. it's great both single and multiplayer.

[armi0024]

My two favs are only somewhat rare only because of their cabinet, Sit Down Spyhunter(the only way to play the game) and Cocktail Joust.

[CrazyKongFan]

Does Trog count as obscure?  The last arcade in my area as a kid had this and I freaking loved it.

I love Trog as well. it's great both single and multiplayer.

Our local mall arcade had one too when it came out (although I wasn't a kid by then). I've got a Trog PCB, but have no cab to play it in yet

[Paul Olson]

Even though the emulation is not 100% I enjoy Mr. Driller 2.  It has a certain depth to it...

I have never played this, but I just bought a PCB since everyone seems o like it so much. They are fairly rare, so I figured I better grab it when I had the chance. I am trying to find a game that I enjoy and that my girlfriend will also enjoy. That is a hard thing to do.
I never thought about trying it on the MAME cab after seeing the preliminary driver status. At least I will be able to help test it as they work on the driver.

Back on topic, I actually enjoy Motorace USA.

I bought an Exidy Targ cabinet a couple of monhs age. It is not the most fascinating game, but it is kinda fun.

[Donkbaca]

I am trying to find a game that I enjoy and that my girlfriend will also enjoy. That is a hard thing to do

have you played hide the chorizo?  or are you talking about video games?  In either case, hide the chorizo is more fun than any video game, if its not, you need a new girlfriend...

[CheffoJeffo]

The Lost Arcade Classics columns by Kyle Snyder are always worth a read:

http://www.erasurewars.net/lostarcadeclassics/

[Paul Olson]

I am trying to find a game that I enjoy and that my girlfriend will also enjoy. That is a hard thing to do

have you played hide the chorizo?  or are you talking about video games?  In either case, hide the chorizo is more fun than any video game, if its not, you need a new girlfriend...

Wow

[CheffoJeffo]

You have to forgive (or overlook) ... He can't decide if he wants to be knowledgable, funny or obnoxious.

[RandyT]

"Red Alert" and "The End".  As a kid, I had a "route" around town where I would hit all the places that had games, to see if something new had popped up, or to play my favorites.  "The End" was in a pizza joint and it was the only one I ever saw.  Never had any pizza there, but played the game a lot.  "Red Alert" was in a tiny basement arcade in a mini-mall which had about 5 games in it.  Never saw another one of those either, but I always made the trip there to play it.  The game doesn't seem like much today, but being that it was right in the middle of the cold war era, it probably had more significance to me at the time.  Games are like music in that regard.  Sometimes it's not the song, but the place and time when you enjoyed it most.

[cw]

the end is so friggen hard..

[scofthe7seas]

Fantasy Zone? Anybody ever play that? I used to LOVE that game when I was younger. Got it on the Sega Master System, and had little strategies all plotted out for every level. I could never beat the damned thing though.

[TOK]

You have to forgive (or overlook) ... He can't decide if he wants to be knowledgable, funny or obnoxious.

I haven't laughed or learned anything, so I guess he decided on obnoxious.

I'll thrown in Space Dungeon. Not sure if its considered obscure, but I never saw one in arcades. If you like the twin stick game mechanic, its very cool.

[smalltownguy]

IIRC, IDK if there WAS an ending to that game.

Or maybe I'm thinking of Fantasy Zone: the maze.

[clok]

Similar thread http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108995.0.  Made me aware of several great games that maybe weren't top of the charts in their day.

neat webpage, some interesting games. a Couple I have never seen .. cool link, thanks!

[scofthe7seas]

IIRC, IDK if there WAS an ending to that game.

Or maybe I'm thinking of Fantasy Zone: the maze.

I do believe there IS an ending, but I could never make it.
And the maze fantasy zone kind of sucks. I haven't played it much, but it's kind of like a more aggressive pac man.

The fantasy zone I'm talking about is where you explode into a sprinkle of pollen whenever some kind of enemy looks at you. It's a pretty challenging game.

[dgame]

Senjyo: