This is a list of some of the most bizarre games from a variety of systems. While this is not a list of every crazy game ever released but the ones I felt were the most bizarre. I will publish another list in the future to include others that weren't mentioned on this list.
Seaman - Sega Dreamcast
You must take care of a fish with a human face while it grows up and changes. Remember Giga Pets? Well picture a Giga Pet that you talk to and it can talk back to you and have conversations or it can be a smart ass to you. You talk to it by using a microphone that goes into the VMU slot of the Dreamcast controller.
Kolibri - Sega 32X
When you think of Shoot Em Up games, you probably think of space ships or maybe cars. Well, what about Hummingbirds.
LSD - Playstation
This game is hard to define to a genre. You walk around these dream worlds that are strange and trippy but the crazier part is that the game is different every time you play it.
Who's Your Daddy? - PC
No, this game is not about Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop. This game is 2 players. One person plays as the father and the other the baby. The object of the game is for the father to protect the baby and the baby must try to die. That's right. If you are playing as the baby, the only way you can win is to kill yourself using various household objects.
Hatoful Boyfriend - A Pigeon Dating Simulator - Microsoft Windows, iOS, PS Vita
This game is a dating sim, which are huge in Japan and increasing in popularity in the U.S, where you play as a girl who attends a school for birds.....
Muscle March - Wii
I want you to picture in your mind a stereotypical bodybuilder. Now take that image and mix it with the game show Hole in the Wall. You play as the bodybuilders who are chasing someone who stole your protein mix. You must do different poses to fit though the holes in the wall to eventually catch the thief.
Toylet
You must pee on the target and you can win prizes.... Thanks Japan.
I Am Bread - PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, PC, Mac
You play as a piece of bread and must make your way across the area to become toast. This game requires you to use different buttons to control each corner of the bread.
Cho Aniki - TurboGrafx-16, Wii, PC
Another Shoot Em Up but instead of a ship, you use bodybuilders. I don't know what is Japan's fascination with extremely weird games featuring bodybuilders.
Shower With Your Dad Simulator - PC
A matching game where you must match a child with the right father in the shower.
Boong-Ga Boong-Ga - Arcade
An arcade game where you poke in the butt with two fingers your ex, a child molester, and your mother-in-law. You use a life-sized butt, and foam finger to play the game.
Japan World Cup 3 - DVD
While this is a DVD and not an actual video game, it has become huge in Japan. Fans bet on their horses but there are very strange twists with the races.
This is probably the most requested for the Game Boy Advance, maybe for any system. There is a petition that is 31,000+ signatures and every year fans hope that Nintendo announces a release at E3. Check out my earlier review of this fantastic title.
Captain Rainbow - Wii The game's story follows Nick, who is able to transform into "Captain Rainbow", a yo-yo-wielding, superhero that stars in his own TV show. Unfortunately, his TV show is no longer popular and to restore his popularity, Nick ventures to Mimin Island, an island where wishes are said to come true. This game is known for having an overweight Little Mac and a detective mission where you're asked to find evidence that Birdo is female after he/she is locked up by police for visiting the little girl's room. Entering Birdo's bedroom, you notice that a pillow is vibrating. You pick up the item underneath, and you'll be told the item you're carrying is "proof the owner is a woman". Who knew Nintendo had a twisted side?
Blood of Bahamut - DS Blood of Bahamut is an action role-playing game in which up to four players battle giant beasts that are featured on both screens of the DS. In order to defeat a giant, players must first destroy its protective armor, then attack its "core," and finally attack its other body parts. The giants can summon smaller beasts, which the players must battle simultaneously. The Gigants include Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva, Fenrir, and Gilgamesh, many of which are also summon monsters depicted in Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy series. I love how you are confined to an area but it still feels pretty wide open. This isn't your typical RPG and some of the are extremely tough, requiring a lot of strategy to defeat.
Pop'nTwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures - Super Nintendo Rainbow Bell Adventures is a side-scrolling platformer that is full of bright colors. All characters use their punch to attack, which can be charged to unleash a punch wave. They have two sets of weapons, one of them is either a short or long-ranged weapon, and a gun. The visuals of this game make me want to eat a ton of candy.
Hammerin' Harry: Ghost Building Company - Game Boy Take Harry on a journey through the city streets with his hammer. Smash your enemies in whatever form they appear in, no matter if it's bullets, ghosts or monsters. Get ready to play this game because "It's Hammer Time", and what better way to defeat your enemies than smashing them with a giant hammer.
Terranigma - Super Nintendo Terranigma tells the story of the Earth's resurrection by the hands of a boy named Ark, and its progress from the evolution of life to the present day. Terranigmahas been referred to as one of Square Enix's greatest RPGs to never make it to the USA.
Rent A Hero - Sega Genesis Rent-A-Hero takes place in the town of Corja, Japan. Taro Yamada received his armor by accident during their house-warming party, when he ordered a pizza. After realizing the suit gave him incredible strength and that he is required to pay for the armor, Taro decides to become a hero for hire. This game was remade for the Dreamcast but the US version was cancelled. This game is every comic nerd's dream. How awesome would it be if this actually happened.
Final Fantasy III - NES This is the real Final Fantasy III, not the one we originally got for the Super Nintendo that was actually Final Fantasy VI. We didn't get to play a version of this until 2006 when Nintendo did a 3D remake for the Nintendo DS. The story revolves around four orphaned youths drawn to a crystal of light. The crystal grants them some of its power, and instructs them to go forth and restore balance to the world. Final Fantasy III is also the first game in the series to feature summoned creatures, which are called forth with the "Summon" skill.
Bahamut Lagoon - Super Nintendo This Tactical RPG was released towards the end of the Super Nintendo. It combines RPG mechanics with squad-based combat. Characters have HP, SP/MP, EXP, equipment, stats and class-specific, SP-draining special elemental abilities very much like traditional console RPGs. The player can explore his surroundings, talk to people and visit shops when not in battle. This game also has Dragons! Dragons have their own stats and gain experience like normal characters do. Dragons will eat anything and raising them by feeding them items is an important part of the game. Feeding can improve their stats as well as affect their behavior on the field, and the dragons develop into new forms as they grow.
The Firemen - Super Nintendo
When a large fire breaks out in the middle of a Christmas party at the chemical company Microtech, firemen Pete and Daniel, along with second pair of firefighters in another part of the building, are tasked with saving civilians, putting out fires, and removing an explosive chemical called MDL from the basement of the facility. The characters in the game put out fires using hoses with the ability to shoot a direct stream or have a more proximate spray and fire-extinguishing bombs. Use of the fire extinguisher is unlimited although continues are limited in number. Pete takes damage from fire and extreme heat, and when the life gauge reaches zero, the game is over. Each level has a "boss fire" that has a specific way of being extinguished. There are also civilians who were not able to escape throughout the levels, and saving them partially restores the player's life gauge. This is the type of game that I'm surprised there isn't more of. I can only think of a few firefighter games across any system.
Honorable Mention:
Super Mario Bros 2 (aka The Lost Levels) - NES
This isn't the Super Mario Bros. 2 that you may know of, that game is actually a redo of a totally different game. This version of Mario was called "too difficult for the North American audience", so we were given the version that everyone knows. This title was eventually remade and released on the Super Nintendo game Super Mario All-Stars as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
Limbo
is an artistic indie game is about a boy traveling through Limbo
while avoiding traps and attacks. This game is a 2D puzzle platformer.
You do not have a set number of lives, so you try and die until you are
able to progress. There are also many fan theories about the story
behind the game and the meanings in the game but the creator is keeping
quiet about the truth.This game is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,
PC, Mac, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, iOS, Android, and
Wii U.
Super Meat Boy
I did a full review on Super Meat Boy in a earlier post (Review: Super Meat Boy) but the short of the entire review is this game is a must play. Not too shabby for the team of 4 people who made this game.
Five Night At Freddy’s
Five
Nights at Freddy's is extremely popular for it's scares. You play as an
overnight security guard working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza (think
similar to Chuck E. Cheese) and must survive five nights. Animatronics
walk around during the night and if they catch you they will kill you by
shoving you inside an empty mechanical suit. This game is unique with
its gameplay because you protect yourself by shutting the doors, turning
on hall lights, and using the cameras to track the animatronics. If you
use the items too much it will fully drain your power and you will be
unable to use any of them resulting in no protection at all. This game
spawned 3 sequels, an upcoming movie, and countless reaction videos on
sites like YouTube. This game is available on PC, Android, and iOS.
Fez
Fez
is a 2D platformer sent in a 3D world. You can rotate the world to
discover new paths, doors, and golden cubes. You must collect these
cubes to progress to the next level. This game was most known for its
rocky development which is chronicled in the move Indie Game: The Movie. This game is available on PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, and Playstation Vita.
Minecraft
Minecraft
is a game with no goals for the player to complete. This allows players
the freedom of choosing how to play the game. Gameplay is first person,
but players can switch to third person mode. You can build anything you
want in this game with the cubes from the world. This game became a
massive success and has spawned a large merchandise line, and a
convention called MineCon. This game is available for PC, Android, Mac, iOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, and Playstation Vita.
Slender: The Eight Pages
Slender:
The Eight Pages is a First Person Survival Horror game based on the
Slender Man character from the Something Awful Internet forum. The
player is given only a flashlight to see and Slender Man will
occasionally appear in the player's view. Game over happens when the
player has taken too long to find a note, the player stares at Slender
Man for too long, or if Slender Man touches the player. Besides being
know for the many reaction video on YouTube, and its scare factor,
Slender Man is mostly known for being the inspiration for some recent
violent crimes committed by teenage girls.
Braid
Braid
is a 2D platformer where you must rescue the princess from a monster.
You must collect puzzle pieces and book pages to progress and learn the
story of the game. What sets this game apart from other platformers is
the ability to manipulate time to solve puzzles and to avoid death.
Braid is actually the top rated Xbox Live Arcade game. If you like a great
story and want a platformer with a twist, then this game is a must play.
Braid is available on Xbox 360, PC, Mac, and Playstation 3 .
Ark Survival Evolved
Ark:
Survival Evolved is a Action-Adventure Survival game. The game is
played a third person or first person view. Players use firearms and
makeshift weapons to defend against other people and creatures. The game
can be played either single player or multiplayer similar to a massive
multiplayer game. This game is most know for the ability to tame and
ride/utilize dinosaurs include the famous T-Rex. This game is now
in early access for PC and Mac with Playstation 4 and Xbox One getting a
release next year.
Shovel Knight
Shovel
Knight is a 2D side scrolling platformer. The game is presented in an
8-Bit style which adds to the nostalgic charm of the game. You play as
Shovel Knight and you must beat the 8 bosses to reach the Tower of Fate
to fight Enchantress. The game had a very successful Kickstarter
campaign raising a total of over $300,000 when their goal was only
$75,000. The game has received glowing reviews from many sources.
Shovel Knight is available on PC, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Mac, Playstation
3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, and Xbox One. Some versions contain
features unique to that console, such as bosses or areas.
Journey
In
Journey, the player controls a robed figure in a vast desert, traveling
towards a mountain in the distance. Other players on the same journey
can be discovered, and two players can meet and aid each other, but
they cannot communicate via speech or text and cannot see each other's
names. This game was highly praised for its artistic direction and
especially for its soundtrack. It was one of the fastest selling games
on the Playstation Network and received numerous awards. Journey is
available for Playstation 3 and Playstation 4.
Flower
Flower
is a visual poetry of a game. You start each level as a single petal in
the breeze that as you blow by other flowers you collect more petals.
Once you collect all the petals from an area, you will be directed to a
new area. This game relies heavily on its visuals. This game is made by
the same company that would go on to make Journey. In 2013, The
Smithsonian American Art Museum added this game its permanent
collection. Flower is available on the Playstation3, Playstation 4, and
Playstation Vita.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Binding
of Isaac: Rebirth is a dungeon crawler where you must clear each
room of the monsters before moving on to the next room. This game is
loosely based on the biblical story of the same name. The artist and
designer behind this title is also the creator of Super Meat Boy.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth received glowing reviews and is available on
PC, Mac, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS, and
Xbox One.
Angry Birds
The
game that started the mobile gaming boom, and spawned numerous
spin-offs and a sequel. If you haven't heard of this yet, you must be
living under a rock. The concept is simple, launch birds with a
slingshot to destroy the pigs. This game is available on iOS, Nintendo
3DS, PSP, Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mac,
Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, and Android.
Honorable Mention:
Flappy Bird
This
game was famous for being notoriously hard and for the creator pulling
the game from the app stores. This caused players to sell their phones on
Ebay for thousands of dollars. This game was available on iOS and
Android but there are still ways to find it if you really want it.
