Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Akyu's Arcade => Topic started by: Paul Debrion on January 12, 2010, 05:35:46 AM
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When most mainstream games try to be "one size fits all", it's nice to have something that caters more towards your specific tastes, and works harder to satisfy a more specific audience.
List some game developers that serve your odd tastes in games.
Mine in no particular order:
Bohemia Interactive
Creators of the original Operation Flashpoint and the ArmA series of military sims. Sure they have some serious issues with their games being buggy out-of-the-box and needing numerous patches and fixes afterwards, but if you want a versatile and realistic modern soldier simulation for your home PC you'll be hard pressed to find better. They're also the makers of the Virtual Battlespace series of training simulations, used by the many military forces for soldier training.
Egosoft
Space sims have been a rather dead genre for some time but Egosoft has helped keep it alive with their X-series of sandbox-style space sims. They all have a steep learning curve, but in my opinion they're well worth the time and effort as they let you do just about everything you ever wanted to do in space, or at least sci-fi space.
Laminar Research
Developers of the X-Plane flight simulator. Since Microsoft closed down the studio responsible for their Flight Simulator series, X-Plane might soon be one of the few options left if you want a pure flight sim.
Introversion Software
The creators of unusual games Uplink, Darwinia, and Defcon: Everybody Dies. They continue to surprise me with their willingness to take big risks and try out unusual ideas. They're next project, Subversion, seems to involve things like "a procedural city generator" and "multi-part electrical and electronic systems using switches and logic gates". Sounds interesting.
(they better sure as heck not go bankrupt before finishing it! >:( )
Frictional Games
Creators of the Penumbra series of adventure horror games, which is probably one of the few recent games that managed to scare me. Their games aren't very long or high-tech, but have very immersive atmosphere, well thought out physics puzzles, and plenty of scares.
Quel Solaar
Quel Solaar is a one-man show consisting of a dyslexic guy named Eskil Steenberg making a rather unusual online game, Love, all by himself. He's also the developer of Loq Airou modelling program and helped develop the Verse network protocol for computer graphics software.
That by itself wouldn't be much to pay attention to, but the stuff this guy manages to pull off to make his game is nothing short of amazing. He does all his own coding, modelling, art assets, pretty much everything. He even makes his own development tools and makes them available for download on his site!
I remember a while back he claimed to have spent a couple weeks coding an automatic UV mapper to save himself from having to do any more UV mapping, and some people called this load of bullshit. His response was to make a trial of the tool available for download on his site for the "skeptics" to try for themselves!
Whether his game succeeds or fails, the work he has done to make it will have already helped to improve the efficiency of creating content for games.
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CAVE, Psikyo, Raizing, etc.
I dunno if Atlus counts as non-mainstream/niche (not everyone likes long/hard JRPGs and fictional surgery simulators after all), but I'm definitely a fan of their games, too.
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Amusement Makers/Syunsatsu Sare Do. Waiting with baited breath for Seihou 4. :P (And no, MateMate Laser doesn't count, I want a real shmup)
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Spiderweb Software (http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/)
They were the ones behind the great Geneforge and Avernum serieses, and contributed to much of my initial wRPG experiences before I found out about other games like the BG series, Planescape: Torment, the Fallout series, and others. It was my gateway drug to wRPGs, pretty much. It holds much value to me, and I think a lot of you should give the games a try too if you haven't already done it.
STING
Fuck yeah, STING. One game: Yggdra Union, baby.
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Hm... that:
STING
Fuck yeah, STING. One game: Yggdra Union, baby.
...and that:
I dunno if Atlus counts as non-mainstream/niche (not everyone likes long/hard JRPGs and fictional surgery simulators after all), but I'm definitely a fan of their games, too.
...and above all those the team that made 'Ico' and 'Shadow of the Colossus', whose name I don't know. Those two must have been some of the most unconventional games I've ever played.
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CAVE I guess.
Does tri-Ace count?
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Clover Studio.
Dead now, but they gave us God Hand and Okami.
and Viewtiful Joe
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Uhm... Team Shanghai Alice?
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CAVE and G.rev.
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Vanillaware. Although that might be on the fence as to whether they're niche, considering that Muramasa was in the running for best game on the Wii for both IGN and Gamespot iirc.
Team Shanghai Alice, of course.
Definitely Amusement Makers. Samidare > *;
Orange Juice is cool.
And ABA Games and Omega were my first. So I have to give them props.
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Vanillaware.
Yesssssss.
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Eh, yggdra union... I saw this game at some store for the GBA, is this the must get, or is the playstation version the must get?
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to add to the shmup list given by other people here: whoever made Phantasm Romance. It definitely should go into the list of 'games that deserve a sequel'. Also, Vic Tokai (Trouble Shooters, Aero Star), Masaya (Gynoug), ADK (Twinkle Star Sprites), and Capcom (Varth), if the genre (not developer) counts. (I should try to get better at Psyvariar 2, played it a few times and liked it)
as for the fighting games: Tasofro (IaMP). Haven't tried Akatsuki Blitzkampf and Vanguard Princess, or even Eternal Fighter Zero. :(
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Clover Studios, for gracing us all with the heavenly gift called Okami (and Viewtiful Joe and God Hand if you've played those).
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Clover Studios, for gracing us all with the heavenly gift called Okami (and Viewtiful Joe and God Hand if you've played those).
I fail for not remembering them. <_<
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Stardock (http://stardock.com/)
Developed the Galactic Civilizations series, also published Sins of a Solar Empire. They also release a good amount of desktop-customization software, such as WindowBlinds.
Bay 12 Games (http://bay12games.com/)
The team (okay, one guy) responsible for developing Dwarf Fortress.
HikWare (http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/)
Guy who develops a bunch of gimmicky shmups. Warning Forever's fun.
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Treasure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_%28company%29)
Because a childhood without Mischief Makers, Gunstar Heroes, and Dynamite Headdy is the childhood of a poor and abused man.
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Tale of Tales
Creators of The Graveyard, The Path, and Fatale. You either love them or hate them. Many of their games have very little gameplay to speak of and focus entirely on telling a story through interactive visuals and sound. They're like the video game equivalent of paintings, with different people drawing their own conclusions and interpretations of what is going on. Not for everyone, but I think you should at try one of their games at least once.
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Treasure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_%28company%29)
Because a childhood without Mischief Makers, Gunstar Heroes, and Dynamite Headdy is the childhood of a poor and abused man.
D'oh, how could I forget that one.... they also made Wario World, another one of my favorite games.
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Stardock (http://stardock.com/)
Developed the Galactic Civilizations series, also published Sins of a Solar Empire. They also release a good amount of desktop-customization software, such as WindowBlinds.
Any RTS nut who hasn't played SOASE must do so immediately. The Diplomacy expansion is coming out. :V
Also:Mischief Makers is one of the few reasons why I still have my N64. The same goes for Okami with the PS2.
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No one mentioned Nippon Ichi? orz
ZUN's pretty cool too, I guess.
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I guess I don't get out much in the game world, but Grasshopper Manufacture. Killer7 is definitely my favorite game and No More Heroes was also amazing.
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Bohemia Interactive
I will agree with this.
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Orange Juice (http://daidai.moo.jp/top.html)
Suguri and Acceleration of Suguri. Exciting stuff! Can't wait for Sora in the next Comiket.
GUST (Corp) (http://www.gust.jp/)
Ar tonelico series and Atelier Iris 2. NISA should be more strict about how they localize their games considering what happened to at2.
CyberConnect2 (http://www.cyberconnect2.jp/)
.hack series, .hack//G.U. series, and Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3. It's a guilty pleasure, but likable nonetheless.
Other studios:
STING (already mentioned)
Nippon Ichi (that too)
Clover Studio (and this)
From Software (Armored Core 3, Armored Core: Silent Line, and Armored Core: Nexus)
Tri-Ace (Star Ocean 2, Star Ocean 3, Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2)
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Orange Juice (http://daidai.moo.jp/top.html)
Suguri and Acceleration of Suguri. Exciting stuff! Can't wait for Sora in the next Comiket.
GUST (Corp) (http://www.gust.jp/)
Ar tonelico series and Atelier Iris 2. NISA should be more strict about how they localize their games considering what happened to at2.
CyberConnect2 (http://www.cyberconnect2.jp/)
.hack series, .hack//G.U. series, and Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3. It's a guilty pleasure, but likable nonetheless.
Other studios:
STING (already mentioned)
Nippon Ichi (that too)
Clover Studio (and this)
From Software (Armored Core 3, Armored Core: Silent Line, and Armored Core: Nexus)
Tri-Ace (Star Ocean 2, Star Ocean 3, Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2)
Woah, I love this list. All of them are my favorites.. Maybe except for CyberConnect2. But everything else is spot on.
Oh and Arc System Works is cool too.
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CAVE, Psikyo, Raizing, Takumi, Team Shanghai Alice, Platine Dispositif, Shunsatsu Sare Do?, x.x, Icewind (Frozenorb), and Ruminant's Whimper...
...and tri-Ace, but I'm not sure if they count anymore.
EDIT: How could I forget 07th Expansion?
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No one mentioned Nippon Ichi? orz
Another gem I forgot to mention. The company who defines the phrase 'beyond the impossible', delivering us insanely overpowered characters since 2003 (yes, I know they made more games before that, but Disgaea was the first with the insane level system). They are also masters of lampshading RPG cliches.
Not sure if it counts as non-mainstream or not, but I would like to mention Alpha Dream for giving us the quirky and hilarious adventure that is the Mario & Luigi series.
EDIT: And ofcourse all my love goes to Team Shanghai-Alice, for creating the magnifecent Touhou series and the most insane fandom in history.
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Ruminant's Whimper
^ This.
And Team Shanghai Alice of course, even though at this point, im not sure if they/he count(s) as a niche developer anymore.
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No one mentioned Nippon Ichi? orz
It's because they're not very good anymore.
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Another gem I forgot to mention. The company who defines the phrase 'beyond the impossible', delivering us insanely overpowered characters since 2003 (yes, I know they made more games before that, but Disgaea was the first with the insane level system). They are also masters of lampshading RPG cliches.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm pretty sure La Pucelle Tactics, which preceeded Disgaea, had the first 9999 cap.
GUST (Corp)
Ar tonelico series and Atelier Iris 2. NISA should be more strict about how they localize their games considering what happened to at2.
GUST DIFFICULTY also they are being less and less shameless with AT3.
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Nippon Ichi, because I'm playing Disgaea for DS at the moment and already spent 40 hours and I STILL HAVEN'T REACHED THE MIDDLE OF THE MAIN STORY.
Team Shanghai Alice for obvious reasons.
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Ice-Pick Lodge, the makers of the wonderful games Pathologic (http://www.pathologic-game.com/eng_index.htm) and The Void (Tension) (http://www.tension-game.com/index_en.php). Their games are pretty much the definition of games as art, and both tell excellent stories. (Considering that my current avatar is artwork from The Void, my love for IPL is fairly obvious)
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Studio e.go & Blue Impact (http://www.studio-ego.co.jp/)
18+ warning, past that one might end up in nsfw territory. :-\
With there were translations so I knew what was going on.
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No one mentioned Nippon Ichi?
Didn't know if they counted as mainstream. But I should've pieced that one together, seeing as only one of my friends (who is really into anime and strategy RPGs) ever talks about the series <_<
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Studio e.go & Blue Impact (http://www.studio-ego.co.jp/)
18+ warning, past that one might end up in nsfw territory. :-\
With there were translations so I knew what was going on.
the only good game Studio e.go made was IZUMO 2 ok