As I get older, I have always assumed I would lose the passion for all the things I loved as a kid or teenager.
Over the last 25 years, there have been some video games that fell through the cracks. I’m not talking about average games, I’m talking about good games that I have never played. In my case, as a father of two and a husband to one beautiful, understanding wife, I only have a few hours to play what I want. Much like sports betting lines, where chance and timing can shape outcomes, the games we discover or miss often come down to pure luck.
I wanted to explore some forgotten gems. These games have stood the test of time but remain in the shadows of today’s gaming scene.
As I was creating my list, it grew longer and longer. I figured the best way to do this was to put out the list in small batches. Here is Volume 1 of my Video Game – Forgotten Gems list.
UN Squadron (SNES 1989)
I know that key voices in gaming, like Colin Moriarty, love classic Capcom and Konami games. This is one I rarely hear people talk about.
Another Capcom classic! Imagine Contra but in a plane. You can pick from various characters. Upgrade them and choose special loadouts for each mission. U.N. Squadron is a tough side-scrolling action game, but it’s not overly hard. You get a high score and collect money to use on upgrades and new weapons. The game always looked great to me, but it sometimes slowed down during intense action.
Syndicate (PC 1993)
This was one of the first, sort of, “open world” games I can remember. You were dropped off in a city and could go whichever way you wanted to. You could kill everyone or sneak around and cut the target quietly. It was also one of the first games that had a level of customization that was robust.
You lead an organization with cyborg agents. Your tasks involve assassinations, rescues, and bringing in new team members. When you succeed in missions, you earn money. Then, you can upgrade your cyborgs. You have many characters that can be customized in unique ways to give you a formidable squad.
I thought this game was incredible at the time. It was so difficult that I was never able to come close to beating it, but I loved trying.
Theme Park (PC 1994)
The side of video games that gets overlooked far too often is the creativity and fun element. Not everybody who plays video games wants to shoot, kill, and destroy. Popular games like Civilization, SimCity, and The Sims are all about building and maintaining beauty. Theme Park is another great game that should be included in that conversation.
Released in 1994 by Bullfrog, Theme Park was such a treat to play and watch. The characters and animations made this world feel real, like it lived inside my Gateway 2000. It was magical.
You had to balance budgets, hire staff, and clean the park. You also needed to repair rides and attract new guests. Meanwhile, you researched new rides and food options to enhance your park. You can pick from many locations worldwide. Each time, you believe you can build a better park than before.
Commandos Behind Enemy Lines (PC 1998)
This is one of my personal favorite games of all time.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is an isometric, real-time, tactical infiltration and sabotage game. As an elite WW2 Commando squad, you must sneak behind enemy lines. Move stealthily through the levels to complete your mission.
This game is hard…like hard. Back when I played it there was no video on the internet, so finding game help was extremely difficult. I can honestly say I never beat this game.
No game has been able to achieve what this game did. The excitement of facing the impossible task against the Nazi regime was intense and fun.
Frequency (PS2 2001)
No game has grabbed me so quickly and so hard as this Forgotten Gem.I watched him move through this vortex of colors, spinning around inside of it while simultaneously using the controller to rhythmically press corresponding buttons for parts of the music…WTF!?! Who the hell wants to play a music rhythm game… it turns out me (and lots of other people as well).
It may take a few minutes to grasp the idea, but once you do, it feels incredibly rewarding in video games. The success of the multibillion-dollar Guitar Hero franchise proves the point. This game set the stage for that success.
This music is not accessible; this game is absolutely not for everybody, but I loved it to death. It was one of the staples of my PS2 for the entirety of the time I owned it. This game served as a party trick, a time killer, and one of my most intense gaming moments.
