Games you haven't gotten around to yet

[runinruder]

I bet most of us have some Engine games lying around that we either haven't played for more than a few minutes or haven't played at all.  What games are in your "still-need-to-play" pile, and why haven't you played them yet?  Maybe someone else who has played them can even offer some comments that will encourage you to give them a shot. 

There are only a few games in my collection that I haven't played thoroughly, and in each case, it's because the game seems to be horrible.  Yeah, if anyone can actually offer me some encouraging words on these games, I'd be both thankful and surprised. 

SimEarth - I turned this one on for about three minutes when I first bought it years ago, and haven't returned to it since.  It seemed so slow and awful.  Sometimes I think about pulling it off the shelf and giving it a go, but I always figure it'll be best to read through the manual first... which immediately bores me because it reads like some science textbook.  Thankfully, I got the game for just two bucks (with free shipping).  The poor guy who sold it to me ended up paying more than two bucks just for the shipping.  He also included the Toys R Us receipt for the game.  It was originally purchased for like sixty dollars.  Sad. 

Burai - I bought this one because I thought the character designs looked kinda neat.  I've given it a few quick tries over the years, but it's too terrible for me to endure more than a few minutes of it.  It's just about the most primitive-looking PCE game I've ever seen.  The "playfield" is ridiculously small and it's hard to tell where in the world I'm going. 

Burai II - I think I bought this one around the same time that I bought the first.  Part II does seem more accessible and more visually appealing than its predecessor.  But the battle system feels clunky and the fights are slow and irritating right off the bat, and the sound effects are incredibly annoying. 

Falcon - I got this quite a long time ago in a cheap lot along with Soldier Blade and New Adventure Island.  Two out of three ain't bad, I guess.  The graphics in this one are laughable and the gameplay seems to stink, but to be fair, I don't own the manual, and I probably haven't been playing it right or something.  I've only experienced a couple missions. 

[Keranu]

I think nodtveidt posted some good words about the Duo version of SimEarth on here before.

[FM-77]

Burai is horrible all right, probably one of the worst game on the system(s). This is a multi-format game (SNES, MCD, PCE including various computer where it originated from), for some incredibly shocking reason.

[nat]

Darius, although runin here has inspired me and I've been playing it a lot the past couple days.

Gradius II, I feel I need to beat Gradius I and Salamander before getting too into this one. Seems like a pretty fun game though.

Motteke Tamago, there just doesn't seem to be much going on here. The different "levels" are all kinda the same. The game isn't all that fun for just one player. Maybe someday I'll convince some other folks to sit down with me and we'll give it a good run.

Mr. Heli, though this one doesn't really go on this list anymore but I'll include it since it used to. I owned this game for a long long time and I gave it maybe 5 minutes of play because I felt it was incredibly difficult starting with the second level boss. A few months ago I popped it in again and once figuring out the strategy for that boss, the game became considerably easier. I really enjoy this game now. The difficulty is actually just right with the bosses being the toughest parts. The graphics are really colorful and make good use of the system's palette, especially for a late-80's game. The mechanical level with the gears and such is my favorite thus far. Irem also did a good job with the music, which is something kinda unusual for them with those early games.

Splash Lake, same as Motteke. Although this one is a bit more fun to play alone and the levels are quite a bit more varied. But I really bought it for some good 2-player fun, which I haven't had a chance to enjoy yet. And so it sits.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I have a list of games I have yet to really play for every damn system I own!  Backlogged for eternity!

[runinruder]

Burai is horrible all right, probably one of the worst game on the system(s). This is a multi-format game (SNES, MCD, PCE including various computer where it originated from), for some incredibly shocking reason.

Yeah, it's hard to believe that Burai was actually a very successful game.  I hear that the playfield is much larger in the MCD version, so you can at least see where you're going. 

Gradius II, I feel I need to beat Gradius I and Salamander before getting too into this one. Seems like a pretty fun game though.

The music in Gradius II sounds great, but I thought the game itself was only decent.  I'm not a big Gradius fan in general, though, and by the time I played this one, it seemed really antiquated and devoid of concepts that couldn't be found elsewhere.  It's still pretty enjoyable.  The Parodius HuCard is another story: I love that game! 

[nodtveidt]

I think nodtveidt posted some good words about the Duo version of SimEarth on here before.

It is a very good version of SimEarth (IMO, the best version) but if you're not into oldschool sims, it's not for you, as it is a bit slow (all versions of SimEarth are slow, it's how the game plays).

[GUTS]

I need to play through the english translations of Ys IV and Xak III, I'm waiting until I get an S-video or RGB mod done to my Duo though before playing anymore Duo games.  I also need to order some Mitsui gold CDRs since those seem to be the best quality CDRs ever and my Duo is picky about which ones it will read.

[sunteam_paul]

I've a selection of RPGs that I can't bring myself to go through as they are so time consuming, especially in Japanese. Things like Gulliver Boy, Monbit, Peachboy etc. I also lost save data on Kabuki so I need to start that again, and GF Yuna 2. And I still have to start Tenchi Muyo....the list goes on and on.

[FM-77]

I need to play through the english translations of Ys IV and Xak III, I'm waiting until I get an S-video or RGB mod done to my Duo though before playing anymore Duo games.  I also need to order some Mitsui gold CDRs since those seem to be the best quality CDRs ever and my Duo is picky about which ones it will read.

You haven't played those yet? Man, you're in for a treat! Such great games, both of them.

[Tatsujin]

but I thought the game itself was only decent.  I'm not a big Gradius fan in general, though, and by the time I played this one, it seemed really antiquated and devoid of concepts that couldn't be found elsewhere. 

what you're talking about? this game is as close as it gets to its original. almost arcade-perfect and that on our beloved system. what you want more? O:)

[runinruder]

Yesterday I came across another game that I've had for a while but haven't played much of yet: Princess Maker II.  I think it was actually the first import game I'd ever bought.  I got it because my then-girlfriend (who knew some Japanese) thought it looked like fun.  The language barrier was way too much for me to overcome initially.

In fact, even though I've completed lots of Japanese games and learned a bit of the language since then, I still find the text in PM2 overwhelming.  At some point, I might go ahead and find a good FAQ for another version and try to apply it to this one, but it seems like it would be a laborious process.  So I guess I'm warning you fine folks to avoid this game unless you really know your Japanese.  Not that I think there are many fellows here with Princess Maker II high on their "must-get" lists, but you never know!

[esteban]

I have a tonne (!) of games that I have yet to play. You want me to limit my answer to PCE games only? OK, I will:

1. Strider (ACD): I want to play this game, but I have to finish cleaning / organizing the basement first. I have cheated, though, and listened to the red book soundtrack a few times. I am especially curious about this game since I still really like Strider (if you think Strider has aged poorly, well, it's your loss ).

2. Kiadian 00 (CD): I have to finish painting / installing base moulding first. I was going to get this from wolfgames, but someone beat me to it. Fast forward 3-4 years, and I finally got it. I am really looking forward to it.

3. Wallaby! (HuCard): It's sealed (original seal, with a rip cord, too, I think!): I got this ages ago... I'm saving it for a party with my friends. Unfortunately, I have to wait for one of them to visit NJ... when he does, though, it's gonna be a blast! I predict that folks will be fighting to be "one of the five" who play this badass game for the first time. I've never played it via emulation.

4. St. Dragon (HuCard): I actually played this via emulation for a few minutes because I couldn't find the damn AC adapter(s) for my PCE consoles. I want to play this game properly, so I'm holding off until I find the AC adapters. I'm sure hardcore shooter fans think this game is goofy, but I actually like it! I don't know what that says about me.

There are many more, but I'll stop...

[termis]

1. Strider (ACD): I want to play this game, but I have to finish cleaning / organizing the basement first. I have cheated, though, and listened to the red book soundtrack a few times. I am especially curious about this game since I still really like Strider (if you think Strider has aged poorly, well, it's your loss ).

It's okay, but you already got 90% of the positive experience out of that game if you heard the music.

[runinruder]

I finally played SimEarth for more than three minutes yesterday.  I might've even reached the ten-minute mark.

I sat through the whole introduction, with the whiny planet guy going on about how unhappy he is and how the planet can't possibly flourish while he's unhappy. 

After that fantastic opening, I started playing the game.  And, well, this seems like a no-win situation for me at this point.  The "game" has too many options and moves too slowly for me to bother learning it on the fly, and whenever I try to read through the manual, I end up dozing off. 

Maybe someday I'll find the patience necessary to get into it.  All I know for sure is that I wasn't happy while I was playing it, and my planet couldn't possibly flourish while I was unhappy.

So I bombed the planet with meteors and then turned the game off. 

...Nice plague sound, though!