Top 5 UNDERRATED Retro Games YOU Should Try!

The retro scene is full of big names and heavy hitters that we have all come to know and love. Mario, Link, Master Chief, they have all had their time in the sun, and well deserved! The retro backlog is vast and there are many titles that slip through the cracks and do not get the attention they deserve. Here are 5 underrated retro picks that you simply must try, and why we think they deserve a chance.

1. Warpath: Jurassic Park (PlayStation 1) - The PS1 era is full of fighting games that you didn’t even know existed. It was a time when Sony was sticking it to the Italian plumber and showing the world that Nintendo wasn’t the only game on the block. Warpath: Jurassic Park is everything you love about janky fighting games, plus dinosaurs. The controls are simplistic, the roster isn’t very deep, but hitting a counter sweep with a Spinosaurus is just oh so satisfying. The maps are inspired by the movies, even if some of the dinosaurs are not. Pick up a PS1 and grab Warpath for a bloody blaze of violent dinosaur beatdown action.

2. Alien Vs. Predator: Extinction (PS2/XBOX) – Are you a fan of Age Of Empires? Or perhaps Command & Conquer? Well, take that concept and command an army of Xenomorphs to fight an army of Yautja, while fighting an army of Marines and you have Alien Vs. Predator: Extinction. If you love the AVP universe, you are going to enjoy this game. There are a multitude of unique units you can spawn, order, or hatch that are not in the movies. Get this, you can have your Xenomorph queen lay an egg, hatch the egg, and then order the face hugger to attach to a Predator and BOOM; you have a Predalien. The missions get quiet, so there isn’t a profound feeling of urgency in the game, but it behaves like most RTS games do with a fog of war and the ability to take control of your army and out-think your enemy. This one is on both PS2 and the Original XBOX. Oh, and you can play as the marines, but what fun is that when you can command a predator with a giant scythe? 

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge (PS2/XBOX) – This is the definitive sequel to the classic Tim Burton film that you never knew was a thing. This 10/10 game features original music for the game, voice acting from the original film voice actors, and a new story that takes place after the events of the movie. I cannot stress enough, if you love the movie, you NEED the game. Gameplay is basically Devil May Cry, but with Jack Skellington! Jack has three unique gameplay modes which act as his alternate abilities. Make use of the soul whip and combo hit your enemies into oblivion. Breathe fire as Pumpkin King Jack or make use of Jack’s unique Christmas abilities in his Santa form. The boss battles with Oogie are a mixture of combat and rhythm, which make for unique gameplay and iconic original music. Grab this game for your PlayStation 2 or Original XBOX console and stop Oogie’s plot!

4. Cyber Trooper Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram (Dreamcast) – Yes, the name is a mouthful, but the game is delightful! This was an old arcade game ported to the Sega Dreamcast. The game acts as an arena fighter, where you take control of a mech war suit from third person. Plug in an extra controller for this one as this is the kind of game you can settle disputes with, the retro way. The game is surprisingly vibrant, as many games on the Dreamcast are and many of us forget how powerful a console it was for the time. If you like Gundam, it is basically an arena fighter Gundam game that you never heard of but desperately need to play. 

5. The Warriors (PS2/XBOX) – Long before the seemingly 30-year development cycle for GTA 6 ever began, Rockstar made a movie adaptation of The Warriors, a movie about rival gangsters in New York City. This game is basically GTA, but in my opinion, offers a lot more than the GTA games of that era. Battle it out against rival gangs and use unique fighting styles based on the gang member that you play as. As Rembrandt, finish your opponent off in nameworthy way by spraying them in the face with spray paint, or grab a baseball bat and finish the job. No, this game is not for kids, but for those of you who remember the days of basically every movie getting a game adaptation, you’ll be right at home. Steal radios out of cars, evade capture, and get up to all kinds of criminal mischief befitting of a Rockstar title. Also, go watch the movie. 

So, there you have it, FIVE GAMES you really ought to get! For those of you elite level ballers who know about these games, my regards to you – you were there when the deep magic was written. For those of you who do not know these gems, I urge you to give them a try and scratch the surface of a deep backlog of retro games you did not even know about.