Forgotten Gems: A History of Forgotten Games Quiz

Answer: To destroy the opponent's forts

Featuring the gameplay styling of "Pong", "Warlords" was a largely overlooked gem of a game. It had four sides, each with its own little forts of blocks. The aim of the game was to guide a ball towards the opponent's forts using a paddle. The levels ended when all opponent's forts were breached. Subsequent levels became faster and exponentially more difficult. Very few people know about the game, but it is one of my favorite games of the early 1980s. Dust off that Atari and get playing!

Answer: Shark! Shark!

Yet another spawn of the early 1980s gaming wave, "Shark! Shark!" was one of the more fun games to come from the Intellivision Company. The premise was simple, eat fish. It started easy but progressively got more difficult. Each time the player-controlled fish grew in size, the player's fish got slower and more susceptible to the shark's wraith.

After a while the game became near impossible. The shark progressively sped up and even some invincible jellyfish appeared to give a challenge. I had to get this out of my old collection, but it was worth it. Ask 100 people and chances are maybe one or two have heard of this game. With modern game compilations, an Intellivision is not even necessary to play the game anymore. All one needs is a copy of "Intellivision Lives!" for the PS2, Gamecube, or X-Box to enjoy the best of Intellivision. What are you waiting for, get it now!

Answer: Top-down shooter

"The Guardian Legend" was one of my favorite hidden gems of the NES. It mixed its genres quite well. The normal game mode was an adventure similar to "The Legend of Zelda". The difference was the use of guns and ultra confusing game locations. The other game-mode was a top-down shooter, similar to "Captain Skyhawk" or "1942".

The mix was intelligently incorporated, in my opinion. After acquiring a certain item, the player could enter the top-down level and battle a very difficult boss. Afterward, the player received an item and either moved on to the next level or could access previously locked locations in the main map. My only complaint with it was its password save system.

More than twenty digits would have to be typed in order to load a saved game. You mistype it and your save is forever lost.

This game can be found cheap everywhere, and if you find it, you should buy it. As difficult as it is, it truly is a video game masterpiece.

Answer: To take out flashing blocks on a preset board in a limited number of moves.

"Tetris 2" in many ways was superior to the popular original. It featured prettier graphics, smoother gameplay, and a robust story mode. I remember watching my mother play this game way back in the day, and it was truly a gem. The story mode forced the player to take out flashing blocks on a preset grid in a limited number of moves.

They started easy, but boy did they get hard. The more levels you beat, you earned little story pictures that sort of motivated the player. The only person I have ever seen beat the entire game was my mom, and she was not even a big gamer! Ever since the faithful day that I sold the SNES, I've been trying to reacquire one and a copy of this game. Easier said than done! If you love a good puzzle, you must buy this game!

Answer: Castlevania

"Vampire: Master of Darkness" was released in 1993 for the Sega Game Gear. It truly was a pity that the game was so overlooked. The game featured "Castlevania" style gameplay, only a tad more difficult. The player did not have a long range whip, instead relying on closer combat weapons to battle zombies, wax figures, bats, Jack the Ripper, and even Dracula.

The game had strong graphics, responsive controls, and despite its 2D gameplay, it gave me the creeps in some locations. It was difficult, it was frustrating, and that's what most likely discouraged gamers. Regardless, if you still have the bulky handheld, and enjoy "Castlevania", check this game out. You won't regret it. Only problem may be that it is a fairly uncommon game to locate nowadays.

Answer: Final Fantasy VII

I remember playing this game with friends long ago, and I remember the ingenious story mode. Story modes had not yet been incorporated into a fighting game before this. Beat-em up's or lines of text do not count as story modes. While my friends were interested in the "Final Fantasy VII" demo, I was more interested in the so-called story mode.

While I was skeptical about it, I was amazed. It had a beat-em up style of gameplay mixed with the combos and characters of the normal mode included with the game.

The story was sizable, difficult to complete, but definitely worth it for the unlockable characters and the personal satisfaction of success. It really flew under the radar, but it truly is one of the hidden gems of gaming.

Answer: Yes

While the storyline of the game followed the movie, there were some story elements that differed from the movie. Some locations were different, and there was no Russian campaign in the film. The game was innovative because the player had the ability to swap faces with other characters. By knocking out a person, with a plethora of gadgets, the player could use a face-changing kit that would essentially turn the player into the unconscious NPC. Sometimes it was for fun, other times it was essential for beating a mission.

As a movie game it was really good, and overall it was an utter pleasure to play. Some negative reviews, which I feel are undeserved, may have sealed the game's fate. If you love spy games and want to try something different, check it out, it is very low priced and can be located easily.

Answer: Underground

"Arx Fatalis" was developed by a French video game company called Arkane Studios and was modeled like an atypical first-person RPG. The game had its good moments and its not so strong ones. It had a large underground area to explore, lots of weapons, enemies, and storylines to discover. Also, the game had a very unusual spell system.

Instead of merely pressing a button to execute spells, spells were cast by holding a button and making shapes with the mouse cursor or Xbox controller. While not groundshaking, it was a new idea.

The player assumed the role of Am'Shagar (he who does not have a name), and had to eventually kill an evil God called Akbaa. The underground of the game could not be escaped because of the treacherous conditions in the overworld.

At one point, the player could acquire the key to leave, but the instant he opens the gates, he freezes to death. While graphically ugly by today's very high standards, it is still a rewarding experience that makes me wonder why it was so overlooked.

Answer: The utilization of mind powers, and the ability to enter other people's minds.

"Psychonauts" was not the first game to use psi-powers as key gameplay elements, but it was the first platformer that did. The player could utilize telekinesis, and other powerful abilities. One of the other interesting quirks of the game was that most levels didn't take place in the real world, they took place in the minds of other characters.

The levels, thus, could be as creative as the programmers wanted them to be. Some were funny and some were disturbing, but they all kept me entertained. For a platformer, that is an accomplishment.

The game is not for everyone, but for anyone who gets enjoyment out of the platforming genre or humor will agree it's a blast to play. Best of all, the game can be found very cheap nowadays.

Answer: The Russians

The game took a horribly overused team control feature and actually made it fun. Most games focused on complete realism, but this game focused on controllability. The freedom fighters were easily controlled by the player. All it took to move NPCs, was the tap of a button.

While simple, this was the game that got me interested in tactical games. The player could also collect charisma in the game by completing objectives. Based on the player's charisma level, they could have more soldiers in their group.

The soldiers were also useful, not like the AI help in so many other games. Why this game fell below the radar is still a mystery to me. It had everything: large varying levels, strong combat, fun team features, strong voice acting, and more Russians than you can shake a stick at.

It was difficult, rewarding, and a blast to play. If you still have a PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, or PC you owe yourself one to track this one down, you won't regret it once you do!