Underrated games

[jackteam54]

What are some games that you feel deserve more praise than they get?

For me Kirby and The Amazing Mirror deserved more than the average ratings it received, it was the most enjoyable game in the series for me. Another game that deserves more praise is Spec Ops: The Line. This game had a few bad reviews, and almost nobody was talking about it. But the detail in the game was incredible, I actually felt bad about a game for a change, and that damn ending.

[ShadriaFan]

Kirby's Epic Yarn.
That game got me back into the Kirby series after leaving when I was 8.

[Omelet]

Marble Saga Kororinpa

Not enough people know of this gem :(

[Aruesso]

Meteos (Nintendo DS, the one with the aliens, not the Disney Magic one.)
it's just pretty obscure and i wish more people new about it

i really hope it gets a Wii U release because that'd just be literally perfection

[Midnite]

Seconding Meteos. LoZ: Four Swords Adventure for the GC is also a game I've been fond of, but never really saw anyone talk about.

[Goron]

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2

This game is by far the best fighting game I have ever played, it's just really good. Like, I don't know how to explain it. Just play it.

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the Four Swords games in their original version require four players to play, limiting their appeal since Zelda is a series known for single player? Fortunately, Nintendo fixed the flaw in the DSware release of the original four swords.

Anyways, I pick Jeanne D'Arc. Maybe its just because its the game that introduce me to SRPGs, but it is Awesome, I logged 100+ hours on it(100+ count, untold hours not counted as Game Over forces reload), and find myself wanting to revisit it since its been a while since I played it(and I did miss a permanantly missable, but quite important item on my initial playthrough). My fiancee agrees with me that its an awesome game, and we would both like a sequel/spiritual successor, but I never hear it talked about, even in threads talking about PSp rpgs.

[Lamby]

Kirby's Epic Yarn.
That game got me back into the Kirby series after leaving when I was 8.

This is hardly an underrated game. It received more critical acclaim than any Kirby game in history and won several awards. There are some fans who complain about the massive departure it took from the standard formula, but this is less because they think KEY is a bad game and more because they prefer the classic feel.

Kirby's Dreamland 3 is something of an underrated Kirby title. It released at the end of the SNES's life and was glossed over by many fans who didn't even realize it existed. Superstar set the standard for what we expect from Kirby games: when KDL3 seemed like an enhanced KDL2, it seemed inferior, despite having one of the most unique set of aesthetics both musically and visually in Kirby until Yarn, and a mission system based on tasks that unlocked the ending rather than merely collecting items that felt more fluid. We also saw Pitch, one of the most unique partners to date. The Anniversary Collection has given it some mainstream success.

I would call Mega Man 8 an underrated title. Bad writing aside, the music and level design is polished far more so than 7 and made a stagnant NES series have some relevant next-gen, at the time, life.

[Kyo]

Golden Sun: The Lost Age. I feel as though it should have gotten higher ratings than its predecessor, especially since it's pretty much Golden Sun but with more to do. Also it has probably one of the best things I've ever seen in handheld games pre-DS: a way to transfer your data from the first game into it with or without a link cable.

[ShadriaFan]

^ah, ok AB. I didn't know that.
I'm afraid that I don't know any underrated games then.

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Epic Yarn is an underrated Kirby game because it is not a Kirby game, but Nintendo decided to shoe horn Kirby characters into it instead of letting it remain as an original IP. The upcoming Yoshi's Epic Yarn will likely recieve similiar treatment: Loved by those whose expectations are not tainted by it being Yoshi, and bashed by long-time Yoshi fans for not being a proper Yoshi game.

Speaking of games that were originally original IPs, but then got an existing IP shoehorned into it, arguably ruining both in the process: Starfox Adventures is a excellent game in my opinion, and easily one of the best Adventure games for the Gamecube. It does not, however, fit with the Starfox series, and I have a feeling it would have been better recieved if it had be left as Dinosaur Planet, that is, provided it could overcome the stigma that new IPs sometimes face.

I am sure there are plenty of other examples where a new IP is developed, its good enough to stand on its own, but fearing it will not sell without name recognition, the developer shoehorns an existing IP into the game, but it is such a departure from what the older IP is known for that it alienates fans of the older fanbase.

[Blade Genexis]

Golden Sun: The Lost Age. I feel as though it should have gotten higher ratings than its predecessor, especially since it's pretty much Golden Sun but with more to do. Also it has probably one of the best things I've ever seen in handheld games pre-DS: a way to transfer your data from the first game into it with or without a link cable.

You read my mind! XD

The one for DS didn't seem so great, though. :/

[Sable]

Mother 3 is underrated compared to 1 and 2, and it gets a lot of hate in Japan.
I rarely ever hear anything about Riviera.
Evolution and Evolution: Far Off Promise got mixed reviews but I loved them.

[Lamby]

Loved by those whose expectations are not tainted by it being Yoshi, and bashed by long-time Yoshi fans for not being a proper Yoshi game.

The long-term fans that bash Epic Yarn are truly in the minority, though, so their influence on the reception is a bit overstated, considering the game has won awards because it is such a departure from the standard Kirby formula. But Nintendo relies on nostalgia to sell their flagship IPs, so they fear even the slightest fan disappointment, which is why they quickly return to a series formula by the next game even if a games reception for something new is overwhelmingly positive compared to fan grievances. But I agree that it could have built an entirely new yarn-based IP that might have accomplished full fan success as well as commercial success.

[Kaite20]

Shadow Hearts was overshadowed (sorry, bad pun, but it's true!) by Final Fantasy 7...
It's an interesting mix of an RPG game taking place in the early 1900's with horror elements thrown in, and added some of it's own unique elements.
The main hero, Yuri, showed he was a badass within the first few minutes of the game. He had his arm cut off and reattached it with no serious side effects, punched a hole in the ceiling of a moving train, and fought Roger Bacon (actually Albert Simon) by transforming into a monster on the top of said train. (Granted, Yuri lost, but not before punching him in the face before Roger left. If he won, this would have been a quick game, so he had to lose.) Aside from that, he is older than most RPG protagonists, has an interesting personality, and is called a Godslayer for a reason. The other characters aren't bad either, and it's hard to pick a least favorite.
Good thing gamers that actually noticed it saved it from dieing by noticing how good it was and turning it into a cult classic, allowing it to be re-released.

[Flame]

Illusion of Time/Gaia for the SNES is perhaps the most underrated game I've ever played. It combines gameplay mechanics with old-world hierarchies and settings (Such as Ankor Wat, the Lost Continent of Mu, the Incan Ruins, the Nazca Lines, etc.) and was so far ahead of its time. The music is actually really good and to this day remains some of my favourite music from ANY game. The bosses were challenging and there's no way you'll find every Red Jewel without using a guide, but I'll always remember this as my favourite SNES game; even better than Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past for me.

Unfortunately, Illusion of Time/Gaia will never see the light of day again, because it was made by Enix and all but forgotten about. It's a huge shame, but anyone with an SNES emulator on their computer should definitely give it a go if they want a good time.

[naruto_chao]

Sonic unleashed was picked on for its night stages, and how they were too slow...

The day stages were so fast i literally got motion sick, and i loved it.

[cinnamonstyx]

graffiti kingdom, fo sho
maybe rune factory series.
at least the wii ones.
oh uh megaman x command mission was a pretty solid rpg if the plot was balls. doesn't get enough love i think.

[Crash32]

CTR; it's always overlooked by games like Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing.

Mother 3 is underrated compared to 1 and 2, and it gets a lot of hate in Japan.

and this

[Tilas]

Astroboy: The Omega factor
- Brilliant game for the GBASP. It combines many of Tezuka's works into one, and it's just a plain old fun beat em up.

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
- Dreamcast version was my favorite, good story and the "worlds" are beautiful. It holds up well graphically even today. Hard game though, and long, VERY LONG.

Drawn to Life & Drawn to Life the Next Chaper
- Bot for DS, both great games for character development and story. It may seem like a kid game in how simple it is, but the story is amazing. HOWEVER... avoid the newer "re-release" of the Next Chapter. They butchered the ending to make it more "family friendly" and hence makes the entire game no longer make any sense. Horribly disappointed when I learned of that one. Fans who miss the original ending won't get the emotional impact and heart wrenching the game is made for, nor will the dozens of subtleties in the game add up.

[Gondi]

Spore is incredibly underrated. While the game did not deliver what it promised in being this huge evolution simulator, it was still a very enjoyable and well made game(Minus the shallow tribal and civ stages).