Azure Dreams (and other "Secret Games")

[Lenlalron]

So, I definately picked up my old copy of this and am playing it again (and loving it all the same). My gamer friends have never heard of this game, so, this brings about this question:

Who's heard of this game, and what do you think of it? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_Dreams for those who haven't)

And, on a similar vein, what are some games that you've loved, but nobody seems to know what it is?

[banjo1985]

Oh the nostalgia!

Yay Azure Dreams! I loved this game and still have a copy of it somewhere, though I haven't played it for a long time. It was kind of fun and well ahead of its time in the way that the tower changed every time you went in, and how you could get different girls in the village to like you :smallwink:

I never managed to finish the damn thing though, it was way to hard! But it's nice to know I wasn't the only one who bought a copy!

Does anyone remember Monsterseed on the PsOne? Now that was a decent game that was incredibly rare even when it came out!

EDIT - That avatar....that's Disgaea isn't it? Another great "cult" game!

[Reinboom]

It was kind of fun and well ahead of its time in the way that the tower changed every time you went in, and how you could get different girls in the village to like you :smallwink:


That's not very ahead of it's time (1998). Roguelikes have been doing this for a long time now (the randomization - since 1980s) and various other series have romance setups together as well before this game. :smalltongue:

Aside - I haven't heard of this game, though it does strike familiar. I believe I'll have to look for it.
For other rare less-heard-of-games, does anyone recall dragonseeds? (it doesn't even have a wiki entry :smalltongue: )
I loved the game.

[JabberwockySupafly]

I played Azure Dreams! Heck, I still own a copy somewhere... As for "secrect" games, I don't know. most of the games I played that were less-than-well-known are all now well-known for various reasons (remakes, a really good sequel that caused the franchise to get big ala FF & DQ).So I am afraid I can't really add any games at this time.

[TheEmerged]

Spellcraft: Aspects of Valor. Oh the hours I spent playing this game on the PC (I understand there was a weakened version available for SNES). Darn fun, and I've used their version of the elements more than just a few times in RPG's. I especially liked the explanation of how Fire is not a destructive element, "...it's just that most things can't survive the transformation." Also a rare case where the copy protection was in the manual but wasn't as intruisive (the manual actually contained a large number of very useful clues).

Lord of Magic. I actually like this game pre-expansion better than post-expansion. Yeah, there are some imbalances. It's still fun and a good example of TBS/RTT (turn-based strategy/real-time tactics) and a rare example of a game that got "hero units" right IMO. I recently fired this one up in fact.

Dragon Wars. Obscure, old-school maze & text runner from the mid-late 80's. I personally feel no company should be able to release a computer RPG without having completed this game, both for what it did right and what it did wrong. An early example of a game where your characters actually changed the world and problems actually had more than one solutions -- things far too many computer games claiming to be RPG's lack.

[....]

Fox Hunt

One of those crappy old "video" video games, where there would just be cutscenes of live action stuff and actors would do different scenes depending on what you picked.

For some reason I loved that game. It was funny. I remember a scene where the main guy (who everyone thinks is a spy, but isn't) is running away from some badguys in a hospital. One of the main villains stops his chasing for a moment to whack out the crutches from an old guy.

And the good guy gets away by grabbing an old woman in a wheelchair and shouting, "YOU'RE HEALED! WALK!" and stealing the chair when she gets out so he can use his rocket skis to escape.

It was funny.

[JabberwockySupafly]

Thought of a game! Can't believe I forgot about Ys. Ys III:Wanderer From Ys for the SNES, later remade into Ys: Oath In Felghana for the PC (only available in Japan) which I also own a copy of. Ys is one of the best games series in the world, yet is so unheard of. I know of one other person who plays Ys or enjoys it as much as I do. They're just heaps fun action/RPGs. The remakes they have been recently putting out put the originals to shame in many ways, but I still like the originals because well, sentimental value goes a long way.

[Shikton]

I still fire up my copy of Azure Dreams from time to time. :) Great game indeed! Building stuff, collecting monster eggs and getting all the girls... Fun times! I highly recommend gold sword+diamond shield. No more rust! Hate those rust traps... Blargh!

What's your favourite monster? I personally used Kewne the most, and also a Griffon who kicked muy ass.

[Lenlalron]

Yeah, I'm using a blizzard sword and diamond shield, at least I only sort of hate rust traps.

I like Clown. He's fun, good magic.

On YS III: I remember that! It was a fun hack and slash. :)


Also, one more for the old-school: Warsong. Basically, it was a tactical, turn-based war combat (an old Advance wars) between heroes and their troop lackeys. It just feels so well done, in my mind.

[TheOtherMC]

Flame and Desperado FTW :smallbiggrin:

[XBobbis]

Frankly, I liked Azure Dreams for the Game Boy a lot more then the one for the PS. The Azure Dreams GB tower is 30 stories, then 100 basement floors. Also, who remembers waiting at a #6 floor and throwing items at Barongs until you got a ovaseed?

[Drascin]

Been there, bought the T-Shirt :smalltongue: .

Now seriously, yeah, I played Azure dreams. Like the poster before me, I preferred the GB version, personally. It was one of those games that trap me for days. I actually ended up completing both the 30 floors and the 100 basements. Two-headed dragons are awesome as tanks.

Also, nice avatar there, man. We seem to share videogame tastes :smallwink:

[Fleeing Coward]

I remember this game, still play it occasionally when I really have nothing to do. Think I spent more time early on throwing stuff at Barong to get some Ovaseeds than I did actually leveling and going through the tower :smalltongue: I personally like the GB version better, favourite monster's Quack although I like to keep Kwene with me even though it isn't exactly the strongest monster.

As for obscure games, anyone ever played Robopon (biggest pokemon ripoff) or Demikids?

[TheBoneSplitter]

I've only heard of Azure Dreams because it was someone else's ID on a messenger... I was looking for roguelikes and I came across that name.

As for what I've played... Landstalker. TONS of fun.