While I may be old school, it doesn't mean I don't enjoy some of the more modern video games. However, I'm not like everyone else who lauds every first-person shooter that comes out on the market (though I do like certain FPS games) or these new generation JRPGs that are heavy on flashy graphics and light on gameplay, story, and interesting characters. I like games that, somehow, slip under the radar - games that don't sell as well as the crap that gets shoved in your face. These are games you should know about... but probably don't.
If there is ever a treacherous minefield of gaming, it would be in independent games. A lot of fun games are released, every month, by independent game studios. But these games float in the sea of gaming with the flotsam and jetsam of crappy indie games. Probably, the best example of this can be found on XBOX Live. Sure, there are some really lame-ass XBOX Live Indie Games (if you can even call some of them games), but there are some diamonds in the rough that deserve some recognition.
Today, I'm actually going to marry my two loves: Classic gaming with sleeper hits. These four games take the graphics, sound, and/or gameplay of old school games and create some enjoyable games. The best part: these games only cost $3 each, so there's no excuse for you cheap bastards out there to pick these up.
First, let's take a look at a classic game style with a fresh coat of paint. If you've ever played arcade games such as Robotron 2084 or Smash TV, then you're familiar with the two joystick run 'n' gun style of gameplay. If you consider yourself a fan of these games, then I definitely recommend you check out Dragon Divide's Alpha Squad. It takes place in a dystopian future where gangs of hockey masked hooligans and soldiers of a unified, totalitarian world government rule the streets. You play as a member of Alpha Squad, an elite mercenary group who has been targeted by this government and are out for revenge. You start out on a world map with one mission available, but can select other stages across the globe as you progress. Gameplay is very reminiscent of Smash TV (which is good), with visuals that remind me a lot of the PS1 game Loaded, complete with buckets of blood splattering on the streets. Power ups are gained via a weapons shop in the pause menu, using the gold and silver from fallen enemies to purchase new weapons and health packs.
One of the nice things about Alpha Squad is the talent involved in the game. The music was done by Stemage, who did the awesome Metroid Metal. The character artwork, including all the hot, busty women, was done by the talented and prolific GENZOMAN, who has worked with UDON Entertainment, and contributed artwork for the Facebook game Castle Age, and for collectible card games, such as Universal Fighting System, World of Warcraft, and Legend of the Five Rings.
This game is not without some issues. The difficulty in some of the levels is unbalanced, requiring you to spend lots of your hard-earned gold on room clearing nuke bombs. There's also bugs that have been known to crash the game, sending you back to the dashboard. Dragon Divide has been made aware of these issues and are working on them (one of the crappy things Microsoft does to indie developers is that they only allow them to update a game once in a seven day period). Still, even with those issues, you're getting more than your three dollars worth.
Our next game is from Ancient Corp, a Japanese company co-founded by Yuzo Koshiro, a video game composer famous for his awesome soundtracks to classic games like Ys I & II, the Streets of Rage series, the Actraiser series, The Revenge of Shinobi, Beyond Oasis, and the Etrian Odyssey series (another Games You Should Know About entry). Protect Me Knight is a loving throwback to old Famicom/NES games. Even the start of the title screen has you "blowing on a Famicom-esque cartridge" to get the game working. The game merges old school video game action with a tower defense mechanic to help players protect a princess they've rescued from waves of attacking monsters as the heroes try to get her home. Gameplay is what you'd expect from a classic NES title: simple, but fun and challenging. As you defeat more monsters, the princess gives your heroes "heart points" which you can use to upgrade your character between levels. For being a NES type game, the game actually looks and sounds really good. The ending is pretty cute too (you'll just have to beat it yourselves to find out). Trust me, you, and any three friends you may have, will have lots of fun with this title. Pick it up, now. Also, check out the website for the game, both the English and Japanese language sections, as they have content that look like NES and Famicom ads, respectively.
Speaking of merging classic gameplay with tower defense mechanics, MagicalTimeBean created a series of games that everyone should get. In Soulcaster, you play a wizard who has to go through areas, fighting (you guessed it) waves of enemies. The catch is that your wizard can't, normally, attack these beasts. Fortunately, you can find the souls of three legendary heroes: an archer, a fighter, and an alchemist. Your sorcery allows you to summon them, on command, to fight for you. It definitely is a simple, but ingenious mechanic that makes for a great game. The graphics and sound feel like a game from the Super Nintendo library and both are really good. If, however, you're not simply satisfied with only one Soulcaster game, MagicalTimeBean made a sequel. Simply called Soulcaster II, your wizard continues his adventures with his immortal warriors through dangerous dungeons. The sequel doesn't try to reinvent the formula. It just offers gamers more of the same great gameplay that you got from the first one. Both of these games have "future classic" written all over them and should be in any classic gamer's collection.
Finally, let's end on something a bit more... quirky. If you like a classic RPG with a sense of humor, then you should drop 240 Microsoft Points on Zeboyd Games' Cthulhu Saves the World. If you're wondering if the game's premise is just as ridiculous as the title, then the answer's "yes." You, of course, play as Cthulhu, high priest of the Great Old Ones who was about to resurrect the dead city of R'lyeh from its watery grave and bring destruction to the Earth when some douchebag took away all of Cthulhu's dark, cosmic powers. According to the game's narrator, who is just as much a character in this game, the only way Cthulhu can regain his power is by doing something highly uncharacteristic of him: becoming a great hero. It is this epic and unlikely quest that forces the dread demigod of the deep to fight euclidean monsters, delve into cyclopean dungeons, and ally with some bizarre individuals. The entire look and feel reminds me of the old RPG Maker programs and the music is good, too. If you do like classic JRPGs, get this one. Hell, if you really like the game, then you should check out Zeboyd's other RPG, Breath of Death VII, which is only $1.
Remember, these games are only available for download on XBOX 360, so don't get your hopes up if you don't own one. If you do, then any of these games are worthy of your time and the small amount of money they're asking for. Don't just take my word for it, though. Each of these games have demos you can download and see for yourself. Definitely support these titles, so that we may see other projects from these companies.
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