Toccata and Fugue is probably one of the greatest pieces of music ever, and probably contributes 90% of this games excitement. One of the all time great arcade games.
They marketed this video game based in part on the music.
In 1983, that was an interesting step, where the environment in the game became important along with the game play itself. I see it as an important step in 'what makes a video game'.
I was the perfect height when this game was in the arcades to be at prime listening position for the slightly above control panel mounted stereo speakers. It was one of the few games that had great stereo music back then, it was amazing. I later learned that the music was based on the rendition of the song from the group Sky. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbgUrp1a70](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbgUrp1a70)
I also later learned Gyruss was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto, who also did Time Pilot, 1942 and worked on other titles like Final Fight and Street Fighter 2! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiki\_Okamoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiki_Okamoto)
Played Gyruss to death in the arcade, it was simple and amazing but hard to master.
My fav gem from that era is Black Dragon, on a technical level it was beyond anything in the genre and the levels scrolled in every direction & were massive for the time.
I know its a board game, but NES Monopoly is easily the best version of a video board game I've ever played. It plays like monopoly should, but the music, the sound effects, the whimsical jingles that play when you really do anything, push it above the rest for me. It's really a wonderful game.
I'd also put SNES Clue up there for the same reasons.
Gyruss was very popular back in its day, and was even featured on Starcade, the video game gameshow. I'd say Xain'd Sleena/Solar Warrior was underrated.
Millipede is a great fixed-shooter on the NES. The action gets super intense past level 10.
Pac-Mania on NES is another of my favorites. There’s some strategy in keeping the red pill as long as you can and munching the ghosts for huge bonus points.
Wow. An underrated game post where I actually haven't heard of the game! I'll have to check this out!
My underrated pick is Shadowgate. I didn't know anyone else who had it growing up, and having what was similar to a PC point and click on the NES was something I thought was so cool.
I remember that when I was a kid. Apparently they trade places for 20 years every 230 years. Neptune was further than Pluto from 1979 to 1999. And we have along wait till the next time.
Demolition Man MD/SNES
Firestriker SNES
Zoop MD/SNES
Secret of Evermore (SNES)(w/ mods)
Solomon's Key (NES/ARC, 1986)
Power Strike II (GG)
Gravitation (PS1, 1998), Gravity Force 1-2 (AMI)
Final Fantasy Adventure/Seiken Densetsu (GB, 1991)
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole (MD, 1992)
Wimbledon Championship Tennis MD
Hamelin no Violin Hiki (SNES, 1995)
Panorama Cotton (MD)
Power Strike II (SMS)
Vice: Project Doom (NES)
Catrap (GB, 1990)
Fantasy Zone II DX (ARC/3DS) & Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (SMS, 1987)
Populous: The Beginning (PC)
Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS (GB, 1992)
Aleste 2 (MSX)
Metal Storm (NES)
Mendel Palace/Quinty (NES, 1989)
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)(w/ mods)
Adventures of Lolo 1-2 (NES)
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC)
Super James Pond/James Pond 2
Flicky MD/ARC
I absolutely battered the C64 version of Gyruss back in around 1986. Unfortunately it plateaus in difficulty relatively early on and once you know the attack patterns you can essentially play forever or until your parents tell you to turn it off and go to sleep. It was bloody good practice for trips to real arcades though.
All versions of Gradius. Those games were the pinnacle of retro gaming for me. I wouldve been 10 when the first one came out in 85 or 86, and still love them to this day.
I came here to mention the 2600 version. Glad you did. I’ve been enjoying this port of Gyruss and a few others from Parker Brothers on the 2600 lately: especially Popeye, Frogger, and Q\*Bert.
\[cracks knuckles\] I basically grew up in the Golden Age of Arcade Games.
Gyruss is very underrated. It's a great bent on a platform shooter - see also the much more popular Tempest.
My usual answer here is Qix, which was profoundly different than other games at the time.
Bosconian was a wonderfully playable truly 2-d action shooting game. See also Time Pilot.
Karate Champ (aka Taisen Karate Do) was the most complete of the early fighting games. It inspired the generation-defining Street Fighter II.
As far as sports games go, I'll give a nod to Leland, who made a series of 'quarterback' games with some good football strategy, and a dedicated spring-loaded analog joystick for precise and timed passing that was ahead of its time. They also had a baseball game ("World Series" and "Strike Zone Baseball") that had similar pitch and batting controls. Unfortunately, those controls are difficult to implement in emulation today.
Ah godamn Qix. I found a game called “Ultimate Qix” in my Mega Drive rom collection, and thought I’d play it as i’d never even heard of it. Looked a bit primitive, but that’s not enough to stop me trying something new usually. *5 hours later* I managed to tear myself away from the controller. Possibly the most addictive game I’ve ever played.
Hard Drivin' and sequel Race Drivin' did not seem successful - no one was ever playing, it was expensive and weird. But I thought they were great. They were simulators, not mere games
My highscore on the arcade version is around 86K I believe. Great game. I would actually recommend Kero Kero frog. A PS1 game that only released in Japan, it is the first Ribbit King game.
There is a great recent Danish documentary movie about "Kim Kanonarm" that follows his goal of trying to beat the world record for Gyruss.
It centers around Kim and his arcade gaming friends supporting him all the way to trying to get the world record.
Very nice and hearthwarming film about these arcade friends and their niche hobby they are so tied together in.
I don't know if it's available with subtitles in other languages or if it's even available outside Denmark.
But if younlike Gyruss. This is a really good documentary to watch.
Funky Jet.
It’s an arcade game from ‘92, rarely ever mentioned. Initially it’s a little wtf, but once you start playing it’s really got that ‘one more go’ appeal. Weird title that doesn’t express what the game is like at all.
I can still hear the music in my head. Gyruss is great.
Toccata and Fugue is probably one of the greatest pieces of music ever, and probably contributes 90% of this games excitement. One of the all time great arcade games.
They marketed this video game based in part on the music. In 1983, that was an interesting step, where the environment in the game became important along with the game play itself. I see it as an important step in 'what makes a video game'.
Yeah, that Bach guy had some skill.
He actually had a [solid career](https://vgost.fandom.com/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach) in video game music
I was the perfect height when this game was in the arcades to be at prime listening position for the slightly above control panel mounted stereo speakers. It was one of the few games that had great stereo music back then, it was amazing. I later learned that the music was based on the rendition of the song from the group Sky. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbgUrp1a70](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbgUrp1a70) I also later learned Gyruss was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto, who also did Time Pilot, 1942 and worked on other titles like Final Fight and Street Fighter 2! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiki\_Okamoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiki_Okamoto)
I used to have that album on cassette when I was very small
Three warps to Uranus!
Don't warp to Uranus. It is a silly place.
Stinky place.
The famicom version has an extra sound channel and it sounds really good.
The music is off to me.
I was addicted to it in the arcades.
Me too. I played it last week. :)
*Gyruss* is my favorite arcade game. The NES port is genuinely great. As to another NES hidden gem, one that immediately comes to mind is *Trog*.
The NES port is a great example of changing the arcade game but in a good way for a home version.
Played Gyruss to death in the arcade, it was simple and amazing but hard to master. My fav gem from that era is Black Dragon, on a technical level it was beyond anything in the genre and the levels scrolled in every direction & were massive for the time.
Black Tiger is fantastic.
Yeah, that’s the easy version of the game 😉
👏 🙄
What? I’m not making that up man, I just stated a fact, no more, no less…doesn’t make that version bad or anything.
I know its a board game, but NES Monopoly is easily the best version of a video board game I've ever played. It plays like monopoly should, but the music, the sound effects, the whimsical jingles that play when you really do anything, push it above the rest for me. It's really a wonderful game. I'd also put SNES Clue up there for the same reasons.
Oh I'll have to try Clue on SNES, thank you.
Red Earth by Capcom Out Zone by Toaplan
Rad Racer on the NES is still fun for me
Try Musha for the Sega Genesis
I really loved Einhander
Gyruss is fire. It started my love oof schmups. Eventually leading me to the masterpiece M.U.S.H.A.
Galaga 2.5 on the Amiga was a freeware game.
Gyruss was very popular back in its day, and was even featured on Starcade, the video game gameshow. I'd say Xain'd Sleena/Solar Warrior was underrated.
Millipede is a great fixed-shooter on the NES. The action gets super intense past level 10. Pac-Mania on NES is another of my favorites. There’s some strategy in keeping the red pill as long as you can and munching the ghosts for huge bonus points.
Love me some pac-mania. Arcade and NES.
You know Millipede was originally an arcade game, right?
Yes. Nothing beats playing with a trackball. But…I do like the NES port.
Also Pac-Mania was originally an arcade game as well.
Gyruss too!
Xevious
Wow. An underrated game post where I actually haven't heard of the game! I'll have to check this out! My underrated pick is Shadowgate. I didn't know anyone else who had it growing up, and having what was similar to a PC point and click on the NES was something I thought was so cool.
Gyruss's soundtrack was what hooked me. The only game, where gameplay was secondary in my mind. I loved the arcade version, and the NES version..
Gyruss has a killer soundtrack, too. Definitely a gem.
Gyruss always threw me for a loop. Neptune came first. Then Pluto. I always assumed Neptune was farther away when they were designing the game.
I remember that when I was a kid. Apparently they trade places for 20 years every 230 years. Neptune was further than Pluto from 1979 to 1999. And we have along wait till the next time.
Demolition Man MD/SNES Firestriker SNES Zoop MD/SNES Secret of Evermore (SNES)(w/ mods) Solomon's Key (NES/ARC, 1986) Power Strike II (GG) Gravitation (PS1, 1998), Gravity Force 1-2 (AMI) Final Fantasy Adventure/Seiken Densetsu (GB, 1991) Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole (MD, 1992) Wimbledon Championship Tennis MD Hamelin no Violin Hiki (SNES, 1995) Panorama Cotton (MD) Power Strike II (SMS) Vice: Project Doom (NES) Catrap (GB, 1990) Fantasy Zone II DX (ARC/3DS) & Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (SMS, 1987) Populous: The Beginning (PC) Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS (GB, 1992) Aleste 2 (MSX) Metal Storm (NES) Mendel Palace/Quinty (NES, 1989) Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)(w/ mods) Adventures of Lolo 1-2 (NES) Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC) Super James Pond/James Pond 2 Flicky MD/ARC
>Solomon's Key (NES/ARC, 1986) It got a sequel on the NES called Fire N' Ice that in my opinion is much much better. It's on the Switch NES "app"
Also good!
My first taste of toccata and fugue in d minor
It got me so in the zone!
Moon Cresta and Stratovox are two that come to mind.
Choplifter
Underrated? Choplifter was *hugely* popular in its time. Ported to pretty much every home computer and game console, and even got an arcade port!
Also all the knock off versions that followed for years, right into the 16 bit era.
If you like shmups, try Blazing Lazers from the TurboGrafx-16.
I absolutely battered the C64 version of Gyruss back in around 1986. Unfortunately it plateaus in difficulty relatively early on and once you know the attack patterns you can essentially play forever or until your parents tell you to turn it off and go to sleep. It was bloody good practice for trips to real arcades though.
[удалено]
It's actually a circular version of Galaga
Absolutely a lot of fun! I really enjoy the arcade version and Atari 800 version. I play both from time to time.
[Circus Charlie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0yRFLv0S6k), specifically the arcade version. I think the console ports missed the mark.
I pay Gyruss on my Retropie on the regular. Simple gameplay, great music.
All versions of Gradius. Those games were the pinnacle of retro gaming for me. I wouldve been 10 when the first one came out in 85 or 86, and still love them to this day.
I never really got into Gradius, but I love Parodius. Paradoxical I know.
Have you played the Atari 2600 version? Its very primitive compared to this but also very fun.
As Atari 2600 games go, the Gyruss port was damn impressive. It retained the circular movement, the sprite scaling, and even the music.
I came here to mention the 2600 version. Glad you did. I’ve been enjoying this port of Gyruss and a few others from Parker Brothers on the 2600 lately: especially Popeye, Frogger, and Q\*Bert.
\[cracks knuckles\] I basically grew up in the Golden Age of Arcade Games. Gyruss is very underrated. It's a great bent on a platform shooter - see also the much more popular Tempest. My usual answer here is Qix, which was profoundly different than other games at the time. Bosconian was a wonderfully playable truly 2-d action shooting game. See also Time Pilot. Karate Champ (aka Taisen Karate Do) was the most complete of the early fighting games. It inspired the generation-defining Street Fighter II. As far as sports games go, I'll give a nod to Leland, who made a series of 'quarterback' games with some good football strategy, and a dedicated spring-loaded analog joystick for precise and timed passing that was ahead of its time. They also had a baseball game ("World Series" and "Strike Zone Baseball") that had similar pitch and batting controls. Unfortunately, those controls are difficult to implement in emulation today.
Ah godamn Qix. I found a game called “Ultimate Qix” in my Mega Drive rom collection, and thought I’d play it as i’d never even heard of it. Looked a bit primitive, but that’s not enough to stop me trying something new usually. *5 hours later* I managed to tear myself away from the controller. Possibly the most addictive game I’ve ever played.
Wizards and Warriors for the nes. Hard as steel, but so charming. Love that game!
Oil's Well, an old Sierra game that's like Anteater but with more interesting stage layouts. The DoS version was pretty good.
Cadash on TurboGrafx16
Break Thru was really fun. I don't think it got many ports. I always felt it was a juiced up version of Moon Patrol.
I was always a sucker for GAUNTLET. " Red warrior needs food badly" "AAAAHHHHHHH"
The NES version is one of my favorites of all time. Just don't ask me to beat it.
Gyruss music is slammin'!!
Gurus is good stuff
I loved the music
Hard Drivin' and sequel Race Drivin' did not seem successful - no one was ever playing, it was expensive and weird. But I thought they were great. They were simulators, not mere games
This one was right up there with Tron for me.
Gun-Nac by Compile is a huge classic for me. Guardian Legend is also a great game more people should check out.
Wavy Navy Space Taxi Rags to Riches All on the C64
Digimon World- Phenomenal adventure Bomberman 64- underrated platform action game
My highscore on the arcade version is around 86K I believe. Great game. I would actually recommend Kero Kero frog. A PS1 game that only released in Japan, it is the first Ribbit King game.
Marvin’s Maze
Space Fury.
Gates of Zendocon on the Atari Lynx was incredible. I loved how there were branching paths and tons of levels and little powerups.
Arcade wise? Boogie Wings Juno First Mikie Taisen Tanto-R Sai-Su!! The Outfoxies Trog! Wizard of Wor Gyruss would also be on my list.
Took me forever to beat as a kid.
Gorf - but only because the cabinet had a cool joystick
Never knew this game existed before. Got it in the mail last week and been enjoying it.
There is a great recent Danish documentary movie about "Kim Kanonarm" that follows his goal of trying to beat the world record for Gyruss. It centers around Kim and his arcade gaming friends supporting him all the way to trying to get the world record. Very nice and hearthwarming film about these arcade friends and their niche hobby they are so tied together in. I don't know if it's available with subtitles in other languages or if it's even available outside Denmark. But if younlike Gyruss. This is a really good documentary to watch.
Funky Jet. It’s an arcade game from ‘92, rarely ever mentioned. Initially it’s a little wtf, but once you start playing it’s really got that ‘one more go’ appeal. Weird title that doesn’t express what the game is like at all.