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Top 10 Overlooked Video Games of the 4th Generation

Top 10 Overlooked Video Games of the 4th Generation
VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Louis Prefontaine,

The past returns again. Join http://www.watchmojo.com as we continue our overlooked video games series, with the Top 10 Overlooked Video Games of the 4th Generation.

For those not in the know the 4th Generation of Video Games covers the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and the PC game ranging from 1991 to 1996.
Again, we are looking at games that were never truly recognized even though they had great stories, graphics or gameplay. Earthbound is out, as it later received high recognition thanks to Ness's appearance in the Smash Bros series.

This video is part of a series.

Script written by Louis Prefontaine

Top 10 Overlooked Video Games of the 4th generation


The past returns again. Welcome to Watchmojo.com and today we’ll be continuing our overlooked video games series, with the Top 10 Overlooked Video Games of the 4th Generation

For those not in the know the 4th Generation of Video Games covers the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and the PC game ranging from 1991 to 1996.

Again, we are looking at games that were never truly recognized even though they had great stories, graphics or gameplay. Earthbound is out, as it later received high recognition thanks to Ness’s appearance in the Smash Bros series.

#10: "Wild Guns" (1994)


Kicking off our list is this wild west shooter. You play as Clint or Annie, shooting your way through waves of enemies by shooting them and anything else that can be shot. The scenery goes from western town street to saloon to strangely futuristic machinery. Your foes as just as varied, with some of them being machines as well. Luckily, you get a wide range of weapon, including a good old lasso to immobilise them.

#9: "The Adventures of Batman & Robin" (SNES version) (1994)


Way before the Nolan movies, we had The Batman Animated series, which spawned this little gem. Contrary to what the title says, you can only play as Batman, though Robin does show up in a few stages. The game is a classic beat'em up were the dark knight confronts the various enemies of the show, from the ever classic Joker to the Scarecrow. The characters are all accurate depiction of their TV counterparts and the music is adapted from the show as well, making it one of the best Batman games available for a long time.

#8: "The Lost Vikings" (1992)


Long before Blizzard dominated the PC multiplayer scene, one of their first great games starred Erik the swift, Olaf the stout and Baleog the fierce. Adventure ensues after they get kidnapped by aliens and have to work together, utilizing their three warriors' specific abilities to escape the alien ship and travel through space and time to find your way home. Since only one Viking can attack, one can block, and one can jump, and you can only control one at a time, this was a brain teasing platformer with a startling amount of depth.

#7: "ActRaiser" (1990)


Part action-platformer, part … city building simulator? Well it surprisingly worked out as this game clearly makes you a god in charge of helping humans fight back against monsters. Not only can you manifest as an incarnation to fight the monsters yourself in a side scrolling level, you can also direct your people so they can prosper and seal the monster's lair for you. Both gameplay elements are intrinsically linked, since your level depends on your population of followers.

#6: "Rock 'n Roll Racing" (1993)


Another product of Blizzard's early years, this racing game may not have been as fun as Mario kart, but it had several good points, starting with the soundtrack which was one of the first game to use a licensed songs, or at least 16-bit versions of them. The premise is an interplanetary car race : you choose your pilot among a selection of colorful characters and have them compete in a series of explosive competitions in this Isometric racing gem.

#5: "Gobliiins" (1991)


In this point and click adventure, when the king is suddenly struck by an unknown evil, three goblins named Bobo, Hooter and Dwayne, (as they’re known by in the US release) venture forth to seek the help of the wizard. Problem is: everything in this world seeks to kill and/or scare you and these guys aren't very brave creatures. Somewhat similar to Lost Vikings, you have to use the three goblins's respective magic, brute strength and items to avoid dangers of all sorts and anything else that makes your goblins scream like that.

#4: "Demon's Crest" (1994)


In a list full of unlikely heroes: meet Firebrand. Not only because he is a demon, but his first appearance in a video game was in Ghosts and Goblins. In this game, he seeks to retrieve the crests of power, stolen by a rival demon. Already able to throw fireballs, each crest gives him a new ability, from flying, to swimming to moving faster. The varied abilities of the protagonist and the atmosphere, which convey a real sense of a world inhabited by demons, are what brought this game on our the list.

#3: "Terranigma" (1995)


This action RPG might seem quite ordinary, but it had quite a few good points. Ark, the main character, had much more personality since unlike other heroes of the genre, he could speak. The story is also grounded on the real world, since the further you progress, the more you help the world itself grow by making the continent re emerge from the sea, reviving the plants and animal, and helping to inhabitants to develop through technology and science. This JRPG was never released in North America, instead only seeing a western release in Europe and Australia really late in the SNES’s lifespan.

#2: "Illusion of Gaia" (1993)


In this game, you play as Will, a young boy gifted with psychic powers and fighting with a flute who sets out on a journey in search of artefacts. His search will lead him to Inca ruins, the plain of Nazca, the great pyramid and even the lost continent of Mu. He eventually can take the form of Freedan the knight and Shadow, the being of comet light. Apart from its well written story and challenging fights, this game also has a great soundtrack for both action and mysterious scenes.

Before we unveil our top pick, let's pay homage to a few other forgotten gems.

Alien soldier (1995)
Eternal champions (1993)
King of Dragons (1994)

#1: "Comix Zone" (1995)


Topping our list is this artistic package of awesomeness. You play as Sketch, a comic book artist who gets trapped into his own comic book by the villain. The game itself is classic beat'em up, but it is the details that make it nice: Since you are in a comic, you move across different panels, your profanities get censored, you talk in speech bubbles and each blow you land generates a comic onomatopoeia. Extremely tight combat, but also brutally difficult with only one life, this is one stylish game that’ll make you go (“Oh Yeah!”)

Chances are there are a few titles that we’ve overlooked which don’t get the praise they deserve. So let us know what some of your long lost favourite games were, and for more informative top 10’s published daily, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.
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