Favorite lesser known classic arcade game

[ceburto2]

I spent more time in arcades than my own home through the late 70s to mid 80s. I have a firm memory of all the classics, which are a no brainer for my cabinet. I find KLOV hard to browse. Just wondering if you could recommend flat-out fun games, ones you loved, or those that you liked but never justified putting too many quarters in because Dragons Lair sat right beside it.

 Unsung but not unloved classics please.

Thanks,
ceburto2

[Seith]

A great resource, which a lot of people around here will agree with, is Zach's MAME Blog:

http://mamezach.blogspot.ca/

Can't recommend this blog enough, goes into detail on many underappreciated gems of the Arcade world.

[stu33]

Also check out the latest high score competition thread.  I've found a ton of games through there that I would have never considered, but I really enjoy.  Like Roc N Rope, for example.

[nipsmg]

I got addicted to The Glob for months on end.

[mgb]

The Glob, I just played it for the first time last year at the Funspot,

Wacko

Nibbler

[Slippyblade]

I think it was called Black Tiger.  You pulled monsters heads off and used their skulls as a currency.  LOVED it.

EDIT:  Nope - the game I was thinking of was called Tecmo Knight.  But Black Tiger was awesome as well.

[javeryh]

Lady Killer.  It's got some nudity but the gameplay is awesome.  Seriously.

[TOK]

Rescue by Stern... Think Robotron in a helicopter. Great game you rarely hear anyone talk about.

[Well Fed Games]

Rescue by Stern... Think Robotron in a helicopter. Great game you rarely hear anyone talk about.

Hmm. that looks interesting, but in my MAME it just comes up with a screen full of zeros...

[TOK]

Works OK in MAME, thats how I play it... I'm running an older version though (.99)

[PL1]

Rescue works in MAMEUIFX .146 as well.   


Scott

[alfonzotan]

My standard answer is Astro Blaster, although it's certainly not the most obscure game in the world.  Along with Galaga, I consider it the apotheosis of the "Space Invaders"-style bottom shooter.

[Well Fed Games]

Thanks guys for the confirmation- wouldn't be the first time I screwed something up in MAME. Rescue looks really fun! 

I will throw out Gee Bee, Bomb Bee, and Cutie Q- if you have a spinner and a vertical monitor, they are really fun breakout/pinball hybrids, made by Toru Iwatani (who would later create Pac-Man). Probably my favorite ball and paddle games, esp. Bomb Bee.

[danny_galaga]

My standard answer is Astro Blaster, although it's certainly not the most obscure game in the world.  Along with Galaga, I consider it the apotheosis of the "Space Invaders"-style bottom shooter.

A couple of other 'astro' games I dig are Astro Invaders, and Astro Fighter. A friend put me onto the latter, he used to play it at the airport.

[Woodshop Flunky]

My favorite "lesser know" arcade game is 'Roc n Rope'

[Player 3]

Radar Scope by Nintendo. It's like Galaxian from a more lowered angle.

[Well Fed Games]

I think Juno First can be listed among these, too. Excellent early vertical space shooter.

[Tiberian Fiend]

My favorite game every time my family went to the skating rink was Cruisin'.  I never got to play it much, but I certainly spent a lot of time staring at it and wishing I could play.

[IG-88]

Kid Niki, 1986, Irem.  Love this platformer for some reason!

Pepper 2, 1982 Exidy. Very challenging.

Spectar, 1980, Exidy. Maze game.

Eyes, 1982, Rockola. Maze/Pacman clone.

Spiders, 1981, Sigma. Shooter. Brilliant game.

Cosmic Guerilla, 1979, Universal. Shooter. Puts Space invaders to shame.


I could go on & on. But these were at the top of my most played list.

[popsicle]

Can't believe I never heard or seen of of Starship1 until now - it's captivating.  That's one cool looking cabinet too.  Love these kinds of threads!   

I'll second Bomb Bee and Cutie Q if you have a spinner, and Rescue if you have dual sticks.  Also a big fan of Astro Blaster and Astro Fighter.  There's something about that blue background and enemy movement - it could almost be a modern parody of a typical 70's space game.

I also like Tail to Nose, which is an overhead formula 1 racing game playable with 2-way joy and 2 buttons.  1988 still considered classic?
   

[paigeoliver]

City Connection. Same game as Cruisin'.

I am the current owner of the only known City Connection machine in the world. Super rare title, I have personally seen 3 boards and talked to people who owned another 2 and all of them had serial numbers between 300 and 400. I prefer the City Connection title to the Cruisin' title as the console versions used the City Connection title and the Cruisin' title is too easily confused with the Cruisin USA series that came later.

My favorite game every time my family went to the skating rink was Cruisin'.  I never got to play it much, but I certainly spent a lot of time staring at it and wishing I could play.

[xefned]

Can't believe I never heard or seen of of Starship1 until now - it's captivating.  That's one cool looking cabinet too.  Love these kinds of threads!     

But wait, you're the first person to mention it! How did it appear on your radar?

Loving this thread too.   

[cw]

Starship 1 is one of my early favorites.  Something about that game stuck with me and I have been searching for one for years..  One day... one day...

[alfonzotan]

Starship 1 was freaking awesome when it first came out (and it's still pretty cool, given its age).  Really was the shape of things to come in video games. 

[xefned]

A 1976 game with a control yoke, wikipedia says, "The player does not view the game monitor directly; the monitor is recessed in the cabinet, and the player views a reflected image of the monitor in a half-silvered mirror with a space background."

[popsicle]

Can't believe I never heard or seen of of Starship1 until now - it's captivating.  That's one cool looking cabinet too.  Love these kinds of threads!     

But wait, you're the first person to mention it! How did it appear on your radar?

Loving this thread too.   

Hmmm... must have had other windows / threads open and mixed them up. 

[Cynicaster]

Rescue by Stern... Think Robotron in a helicopter. Great game you rarely hear anyone talk about.

Wow, I thought I was the only one on earth who appreciated this game--glad to see I'm not.  Very fun.  There is another game by Stern called "Minefield" which must have run on the same hardware because it's essentially the same game, only you're a vehicle on the ground rather than a chopper.  I just found it by accident a few days ago, actually.

A few other token mentions of various genres:

Pandora's Palace (single screen platformer).  It owes a lot to Donkey Kong but very addictive.

Megatack (slide n' shoot space game).  Nice difficulty ramp--not overly frustrating.  It almost has the soul of an Atari 2600 game.

Metro-Cross (side-scrolling runner).  If this game was called "Super Space Pitfall!" it would fit.

Block Hole (puzzle).  Ok, insert joke here.  Very addictive puzzler.  I recently played a cool version of this on Gameboy, but it was called "Quarth".

Snow Bros. (single screen co-op platformer).  Totally cops Bubble Bobble, the main difference being it doesn't suck. 

Armored Car (maze).  Probably owes a bit to Rally X, but I like this better.

Kickle Cubele (??).  Not sure what you'd classify this as, but it's kind of like Pengo but with puzzle elements.  Very addictive.  It was called "Kickle Cubicle" on the NES.  I think it is actually a Japanese arcade title called "Meikyu Jima", and got the bastardized "Cubele" name when it was bootlegged in the US, but not sure.


 

 

[xefned]

Block Hole (puzzle).  Ok, insert joke here.  Very addictive puzzler.  I recently played a cool version of this on Gameboy, but it was called "Quarth".

Is Quarth for Mame the same as the cool gameboy version? The screenshot looks the same as Block Hole. Perhaps it's better for the less weird name alone...

[Gravitar]

Wiz Warz
Bal Cube
Money Puzzle Enchancer

Not sure if you can call any Atari game "lesser known" but Quantum is a great game that never got enough attention.

[Cynicaster]

Block Hole (puzzle).  Ok, insert joke here.  Very addictive puzzler.  I recently played a cool version of this on Gameboy, but it was called "Quarth".

Is Quarth for Mame the same as the cool gameboy version? The screenshot looks the same as Block Hole. Perhaps it's better for the less weird name alone...

Yes, that looks to be the same game.  Didn't even realize there was a game called Quarth in MAME!

[javeryh]

I'll second Pandora's Palace.  Great little game.  I'm also addicted to Jumping Jack - it is really cool (and hard) but once you learn how the scoring works you always think you can do a little bit better.

[pinballjim]

Zarzon

[Mysterioii]

I don't think they're particularly "lesser known", but the two games I recall playing most back in the day were Mappy and Rygar...  and I sucked at Rygar, just thought it was cool.

[Woodshop Flunky]

I'll second Pandora's Palace.  Great little game.  I'm also addicted to Jumping Jack - it is really cool (and hard) but once you learn how the scoring works you always think you can do a little bit better.

This game kicks my tail... but I LOVE the music!  Every time I turn it on, my head starts bobbing.  Any my now 2yr old almost involuntarily starts dancing (bouncing ).

[stevodevo]

Hat Trick... so... addicting!  Probably the best "old" 2 player game I've played.  I've had to warn guys to take it easy cos they get so competitive with this game.

[IG-88]

I don't think they're particularly "lesser known", but the two games I recall playing most back in the day were Mappy and Rygar...  and I sucked at Rygar, just thought it was cool.

Both of these are great games. My 7yr old plays them a lot too!

[TOK]

Rescue by Stern... Think Robotron in a helicopter. Great game you rarely hear anyone talk about.

Wow, I thought I was the only one on earth who appreciated this game--glad to see I'm not.  Very fun.  There is another game by Stern called "Minefield" which must have run on the same hardware because it's essentially the same game, only you're a vehicle on the ground rather than a chopper.  I just found it by accident a few days ago, actually.

Have not seen this one, but just looked it up. Can't wait to play it! Thanks!

[Mental]

Not sure if it counts as lesser known, but I'd say 'Carnival'. It looks so crappy, but it's so fun to play.