37 replies to this topic

[Brian D. Deuel]

Mine would have to be Pioneer Balloon. I remember playing this during the "fall" of arcades and for some reason having a ton of fun playing it.

What are some of your favorite obscure coin-ops?

[killersquirel]

I really liked playing the game looper (changes) years back. They used to have it at a local roller skating rink. I also remember playing a game that I believe you controlled a sheik and you where running around on an oil field. I don't really remember much more about it. I only saw it for a couple of months in like '87 in a jamesway by my house. Anybody have any ideas what game that was?

-mike

[sku_u]

The first one to come to mind is Halley's Comet.

Here's a link with screenshots:

http://www.klov.com/...=H&game_id=8064

[PaulEMoz]

sku_u said:

The first one to come to mind is Halley's Comet.  

Here's a link with screenshots:
http://www.klov.com/...=H&game_id=8064

Mmmmm....Halley's Comet. I love that game.

[liquid_sky]

http://www.klov.com/...=D&game_id=7585

[hanglyman]

Hangly Man!

http://www.klov.com/...=H&game_id=8070


Check also this funny page:

http://zeroes.overcl....org/arcade.htm

The whole page is pretty funny, scroll down a bit for some Hangly Man info

[NE146]

Man my whole childhood was spent in asian arcades playing what would now be considered "obscure" games.

I wouldn't consider this obscure, but apparently much to my surprise most people do.. so I'll nominate Moon Cresta as one.

Other games would be: Crazy Balloon, Space Chaser (although this one's more nostalgic than anything), Port Man, Fitter, and Ali Baba and the 50 thieves

[Adrian M]

My most favorite "obscure" coin op game?
I'd have to say the lesser known Capcom action game from 1987, TIGER ROAD. Such is my respect for this game, it was the very first arcade PCB I bought when I built my SuperGun (homemade device used to play arcade PCB's on a standard TV).

Extremely tough gameplay, oriental theme, graphics and sound effects reminiscient of Ghosts and Goblins--what's not to like? Classic Capcom goodness, with insane difficulty. You owe it to yourself to track down this long-forgotten masterpiece!

[Inky]

Ooohhh... Good question!

I'd have to say my favorite 'obscure' game would have to be...

Probably Quantum, and New York, New York.

[Tempest]

Quantum is good...

I'd have to say Super Don Quixote or Mr. Do Run Run.

Tempest

[Xot]

Tempest said:

Quantum is good...

I'd have to say Super Don Quixote or Mr. Do Run Run.

Tempest

I love Do! Run Run as well. Other obscure(ish?) favorites of mine are Guzzler, Quartet, Shao-Lin's Road and Round Up (which is not at all cowboy themes!)

[Fellow Atari Man]

Inky said:

I'd have to say my favorite 'obscure' game would have to be...

Probably Quantum, and New York, New York.

New York, New York was a bit of a weird shooter

My favorite was called Alien Sector. You scrolled around as a guy in a space suit and shot aliens (obviously). Some levels were fairly big and had wide open spaces, which you could get pounded on pretty decently there. I used to get surrounded by people checking the game out when I played it at a local Mr. Gatti's sometime during the 80s. Sometimes a bonus creature that you could touch for big points (instead of shoot)--if you were quick enough--would drop down out of the sky, one of which was a Pac-Man that I saw once! That was the only time I ever saw that game...

[Tempest]

How about Escape Form the Planet of the Robot Monsters? I think I only saw that once in the arcade.

Tempest

[Ralph3]

I second Super Don Quixote, I only saw it once at the bowling alley down where I lived in La Mirada, CA. Even when I beat it (on my 3rd try) I still repeatedly played it until they got rid of it. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

[tiggerthehun]

Don't know if one would refer to Bagman as obscure, but I sure dig it. Most people I talk to are like "You bought a what? Pac-Man?"...

[SteveW]

I always liked a Capcom game called Avengers. Nice overhead beat-em'-up. http://www.klov.com/...r=&game_id=6978

I don't know if Legendary Wings counts as obscure, but I still liked it. http://www.klov.com/...r=&game_id=8411

Ajax was a great game I used to play all the time. http://www.klov.com/...r=&game_id=6837

I always liked Solar Warrior. http://www.klov.com/...r=&game_id=9613

[Hydian]

I dunno how obscure they were, but I liked Rip Off and Armor Attack.

[Tempest]

How about Alcon (also known as Slap Fight). They got this shooter in the rec room at my college one year. I got so good at playing it that I almost made it to the end (you get only one continue). Unfortunatley the last boss had this nasty habit of making the screen shake when you hit him. Trying to dodge little bullets while the screen is shaking is impossible.

http://www.klov.com/...=S&game_id=9583

I also liked Rally Bike, which was an addicting vertical racer. I got to the end of this as well, but the last race was IMPOSSIBLE!

http://www.klov.com/...=R&game_id=9258

Tempest

[Out_of_Gas]

I guess my 2 is Appoooh, a crazy graphic, yet highly entertaining wrestling game, and Nunchaku. I play them on my mame.(I have the rom's so I can )

[Megamaniac]

Jack the Giantkiller was a pretty uncommon game. I only remember seeing it in one arcade. I wish there was a rarity listing for arcade games.

[Fellow Atari Man]

SteveW said:

I don't know if Legendary Wings counts as obscure, but I still liked it. http://www.klov.com/...r=&game_id=8411

Yeah, I'd say it was a bit obscure. I liked that one too, especially when you could shoot a hole in that one part and it would turn from the usual overhead-viewed shooter to a side scroller for a while

Not that it was any big deal, but Space Fever was a decent Space Invaders rip-off with several options, as you got three games to choose from: A was regular Space Invaders, but with the new features, like the one row of aliens near the top that would split into two if you didn't hit them right in the middle, and once you hit the flying saucer, it would turn into a small, fast one that would hi-tail it off the screen in the opposite direction; if you were able to nail it, it was worth big points, like 500 or 1,000. (I think what you had to do was instantly go as fast as possible to the other end of the screen, pause for about half a second, THEN shoot, since I only hit it once EVER, if I recall correctly.)

Game B starts off with only one entire column of invaders, traveling very quickly, but once they reached the edge of the screen they'd multiply...a few times, until you get your regular full screen of invaders (minus the ones you shot along the way ). And game C was regular invaders, but the first time they hit the edge they came charging down several rows at once...whoa!

[oesii]

I've played a lot of Mayhem 2002 in Mame through the years:

http://www.klov.com/...=M&game_id=8647

I think it reminds me of that ball game they used to play in Battlestar Gallatica

[Cassidy Nolen]

My dad let me play Wild Western at K-Mart back in the day (circa 81). I had forgotten about it until I went to work on someones arcades, and he had one. I flipped out and immediately went out and got one.

Sadly, the connection I was hoping to share with Dad did not work out. He just thought I was nuts. I have since sold it and bought something my friends will actually play!!!

I would have to say The Tin Star is a great one too. Love that control scheme.


Least Favorite:
Naughty Boy (control scheme is ghastly and the monsters look like arcade versions of the dragons in 2600 Adventure!)

Cassidy

[Cootster]

Pepper II is pretty obscure (although it does have a CV port) and I played that one a lot as a kid . . . Not sure if APB qualifies as obscure, I have only ever seen one machine of it, but it has to be more common that that . . . Plotting, also . . .

[tillenterprises]

Back in the early 80's, I dumped so many quarters in the "Thief" machine at the bowling alley up the street from my house. I loved that game- Pac-Man like objective, but fast and furious pace, and the great police tape loop that played in the background!