"Obscurities" of Gamecube..

[GetterBeam]

What with the system pretty well settled, I'm toying with the idea of weening myself off of my anime set buying project just a BIT here and there to pick up some Gamecube games for cheap providing each looking to situate. Though, I'm open to other games(games in other genres since this list is kinda stacked) outside of these few that I'm either unfamiliar with(I'm well aware of(once had) Symphonia, Arcadia, and stuff on that level of notoriety), or suffered a cruel fate at the hands of the anime backburner. General opinions are good, but also I'm wanting to get a feel for what a "good/great deal" ballpark cost for each would be. All I know to look on is ebgames.com and amazon.com since I hardly ever seem to find myself around any applicable brick and mortar stores these days. Without further ado:

-Summoner: Goddess Reborn?
-LOTR: Third Age game?
-Perhaps both Baten Kaitos games?
-Virtua Quest?
-Phantasy Star Online Ep I+II Plus (very tempted)

[AbeChinchilla]

Simply put.

The Baten Kaitos games are amazing. Buy them both. The second game, "Origins" is a prequel. Relatively easy to find "Origins" new ($39.99). You might be able to call and find a Toys R Us store with leftover copies of Baten Kaitos (the first one) for $10.

Some of the nifty gameplay from "Origins." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6SUZPGxvNE)

[LordGeo]

Evolution Worlds is the only dungeon-crawler I actually liked. The characters are fun, and the gameplay, though simple, works really well.

I would easily watch an Evolution anime if one was made...

[GetterBeam]

Hmmm...all 3 of those can apparently be had in seemingly "good" quality, by my standards, via amazon.com used for a tidy sum of $51. Seems like a worthy deal?

Keep em coming please...I'll need to weigh all of this very carefully against my massive thread over in anime recs. :D

[Nyanyaan]

Evolution, Tactics, Summoner and even the first Baiten Kaitos I'd suspect should be available in the $15 and under range in any area with several EB/Gamestops, just contact one, talk to a manager on duty and they should be able to check other near locations. BK Origins as noted should still be readily available new.

If you are truly looking for some of the 'rare' GC titles, I'd suggest adding such titles as Cubivore, Gotcha Force and the Hello Kitty GC game to your list. I think the last two may have been TRU exclusives when new.

If you don't already have it, Eternal Darkness also is one to look for. It is a little uncommon, but should be findable in the $20-25 range.

[DeadlyMessiah]

Don't forget Eternal Darkness.

[jejune]

I'd say Gladius is a pretty good SRPG from what I've played of it (about 5 hours). Standard but enjoyable - if you can get it for under $10 you can't go wrong.

Now I have strange tastes, so take what I say with that in mind, but I'll toss out a huge recommendation for Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. It's a 2D platformer with 3D graphics, and you control it with a set of bongo drums that comes with the game.

You hit the right drum to make DK go right, left for left, both to jump, and you clap your hands to grab things. It sounds dumb but it is without a doubt the most fun I have ever had with a video game. It is easy to play and get a good way through, but you have to develop some serious skills with the bongos to string together combos and earn enough points to get to the highest levels.

I got it on special for $10 at ebgames, but they marked it right down after the special ended so it should still be available cheap - I know they still have the separate bongo controllers marked down to $5.

Cannot give this game a high enough recommendation, but I'd say to read up on some reviews to be sure you'd like it.

[Lego]

Don't forget Eternal Darkness.

The one game that actually freaked me out, a solid buy.

[Johnny]

Get yourself a Freeloader and get Kururin Squash. It's a puzzle game where you need to direct a spinning stick through a course. Sounds crap but is really great fun. PA and the like have it but as it's a bit of a cult game, most places are still charging over the price it should sell at ($40 or so when it shouldn't really be that high, but it's definitely worth it).

[GetterBeam]

Already had and totally went through Eternal Darkness back when it came out...good times.

One thing I probably should've mentioned, but didn't because even around here it is too "bizarre" of a gaming inclination to have, is that I generally aim for games these days that "would/could not" wind up on speeddemosarchive.com . Last 2 games I got were both X-Men Legends games for example. For excellent, cash saving reasons, watching a good speedrun or 100% run kinda eliminates any desire I have to further play the games in question along those lines.

I got $100 to throw at either this, my giant thread in recs, or maybe some sort of combo. While it would only put a relatively small dent in the anime recs thread, with this one I think it could KO just about everything...leaving me with the gaming "to-do" of perhaps a PS2 or definitely, eventually a Wii. Weighing in which would provide more bang for buck would be appreciated.

That said, any impressions on Summoner or maybe the Future Tactics game? Future tactics seems to have launched at 19.99 so it kinda makes me feel iffy on the "deal quality" of it relative to the other games I listed. Gamefaqs seems to have mixed reviews for it and most other games on my list...and I always tend to somehow come out on a strange end of the stick with that. Overall thoughts?

[The Creation]

you should DEFINITELY get Baten Kaitos Origins. it's one of the BEST rpgs i've played. great story, great voice acting, great characters (only 3 playable ones so plenty of development.) GREAT combat system (at first i was skeptical, card battle? but it's truly innovative and FUN to play,) great graphics/music.

overall just a great experience for me, and i didn't even play the first game (different but slower card battle system.) i can still understand the story perfectly so not a big deal.

buy from amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-045496963484-Baten-Kaitos-Origins/dp/B000GIPJ8E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0261367-5537627?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1185661914&sr=8-1) for $30. don't make the same mistake as i did with xenosaga III which is out of print now so i had to pay more to get it new. and i was hoping for a Greatest Hits re-release..

for the ULTIMATE gameplay trailer, see here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNafL7Q7XWs)

another game i recommend is Ikaruga, a shoot em up. but best of luck finding it new at a reasonable price (i only buy games new.)

[mifuneral2]

I may be in the minority, but I did not enjoy Batan Kaitos very much. I found the nature of the card battling to be far too random. Getting through a boss battle alive was up to pure chance. I'm willing to give it another chance at some point, but it turned me off initially.

[The Creation]

if you are talking about Origins. yes i agree the battles can be pretty random and you are not always guaranteed to set up a powerful combo. HOWEVER, you do have the control over your deck. the first thing everyone MUST learn in this game is how to properly customize his card deck.

and to give the battle system some credit, it's not always random, if you work well with your spirit (the game will explain), the upcoming cards chosen will be to your advantage (see the video i posted, the gamer was lucky, but the chances of getting a high combo are moderately high.)

and i never once felt the game was being unfairly difficult. if all else fails, you can always switch to "wait" mode anytime, making things much more manageable.

[mifuneral2]

I was talking about the original game, but I'm sure Origins is pretty much the same.

[GetterBeam]

Well, would it likely fall in my favor that I beat the crap out of/enjoyed both Lost Kingdoms's for the GCN in times past?

Seems to be a 50/50 split. Close to 50/high 40's would get me Baldur's Gate: DA, Future Tactics, and Gladius...the other 50ish would get both Baten's and Evolution Worlds.

I'm fairly iffy about including Summoner and Third Age into the mix.

I'm stronngly considering ordering the first combo of the above tomorrow.

Also, randomly, had ANYBODY ever heard of Lady Sia for GBA? Seems like it'd be cool outta nowhere.

[Nyanyaan]

Nearing $50 still seems a bit on the high end for those first three, I'd make sure you are getting complete case/manuals and good quality disks for that price.

I would have mentioned Ikaruga, but that one is so hard to find and likely overpriced to boot. Last I had checked around it was a $35-45 just for a playable disk sort of thing.

And for the believe it or not file, some of the GC sports titles (especially the college ones) actually have rarity and value.

Spirts and Spells is an interesting little Maximo-like game that is worth checking out. Chaos Field and PN03 are two shooters that fall into many peoples love it or hate it lists. Geist and Killer 7are another two to also check into if one is trying to put a collection together.

[GetterBeam]

Yeah, all the price stuff I mention is based on listed as having case, manual, disc in good shape..."Used: Like New" essentially. Shipping adds up as usual though...can't be helped---that's amazon.com used for ya.

Ikaruga and PN03 I've already seen ripped apart nicely on SDA and Superplay.co.uk so there's no need to get either. I'm just hoping amazon.com works out proper as far as the sellers go on this...it has went great anime dvd wise but this'll be the first game foray and it just seems like there's more that can go awry. Can't do much when the description mentions the right stuff and the seller is highly rated though...tomorrow'll see how it goes.

[ooga]

Gladius was a great game. I have for for the Xbox not the Cube and it rocks.
One game that is seriously underrated is "Beyond Good and Evil". Grab it if you can find it.

[GetterBeam]

Heh, SDA already let me experience Beyond Good & Evil...there's even some other folks working on additional runs for it.

I went ahead and ordered Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Gladius, and Future Tactics: Uprising last night. So now all that remains is to see what, if any, out of the rest of the list is worth a go. I'd only have $20 until late next week to front for it though.

I've heard the Baten games are pretty much one shots with no significant replayability though...any truth to it? Replayability is a big deal to me...being able to go about things very differently. That'll be the big factor to consider among the rest of the competition.

Edit: While I'm still hoping to get input on these other games that people have yet to weigh in on, and the last few questions I've asked, here's another bombshell that just dropped in my mind: What about Phantasy Star Online Ep I+II Plus? Going rates on Amazon frighten the hell outta me in R1 anime proportions, but people seem to love this game for the single player...and it seems like it'd definitely eat lots of hours. Used in allegedly good quality (as my standards go from above) would be in the mid-high 80's....

Also, likely not considered a bombshell, what about Virtua Quest? I did a double take when I saw that it could be bought substantially cheaper NEW rather than Used on Amazon. FWIW, I did play and beat the crap out of Hybrid Heaven back in the day.

[The Creation]

one thing you should be aware of is that BK Origins is the prequel to BK, so these two games share a similar world and some parts are even reused. though i haven't played BK 1 i am glad i got Origins first. already beat it 2 times and since i love the characters, the story, and the battle system so much i will probably start another playthrough in the near future.

i've watched BK 1 gameplay videos, many of them are so slow that replaying would indeed seem like a chore, however origins offers a completely different card battle system, and a fast paced one at that. but that's just my opinion.

[Mateo_home]

I think I'll add in Custom Robo. Basically it's a fun underrated game where you customize a robo and battle with it. I know this came before but unfortunately, it's basically the same as the one on the DS. However this one features 2-on-2 battles, you don't polish your robo, and the theme reminds me of that of the crappy Gamecube Pokemon games where you travel in a dump whereas the DS theme reminds me of those crappy new Mega Man games. But in the end, the one on the DS is better due to online gameplay.

But to me if you find it and you like robots or the franchise, it's worth the twelve bucks (or even less). The controls are a little iffy, but it's still an enjoyable game.

[GetterBeam]

I went ahead and ordered Evolution Worlds this morning for a grand total of $14. I'll update the OP with the remaining games in the running...and hopefully people will weigh in on the rest in the list. Next game buying window probably won't be until end of next week, and that would assume I don't resume my Help Destroying Sets/long project to enough of a degree.

[Chloe]

Sorry I am late to the thread GetterBeam, curse my Lurker nature! :P I would have warned you against Evolution:Worlds. Not that it wasn't fun, but it is highly repetitive. Some of the more common creatures are highly annoying as well, doing things like paralyze your characters a lot,etc. for $14 it isn't bad, just don't go into it with very high expectations. Skies of Arcadia: Legends was vastly superior to it by comparison, even with the high number of random encounters.

I have the Phantasy Star I + II Plus. I don't have it hooked up for online play, so I have only had the single player mode to go by. While there is not enough diversity in the loot you get to suit me(Diablo may have spoiled me forever in that regard.), I have had a ball with game. Which reminds me, My racaseal has just the last dungeon/boss to beat to finish that, but I am kind of scared to go on. A most excellent game, All of the classes I tried were fun, and played very differently, so good replay value there.

Edit: Forgot to second Beyond Good & Evil, even if you have seen it. Was a great find for me.

Some other titles I like, though note some are quite frankly oddballs: Super Monkey Ball 2(way better then the first one IMO),Pikmin, Paper Mario: 1000 year door, and Cubivore are quite fun. Bloodrayne was a guilty pleasure bloodbath type game for me too. :D

[GetterBeam]

I think I'll be ok on Evolution Worlds...I get a semi-Fushigi vibe on it based on some mixed user reviews...thus I should be in decent shape.

PSO Plus plug arrives at last! :D I'd also be going at it offline, though the chance is there for some live co-op down the line. It'd be like $87 IIRC offhand---if that seller vanishes then the prices soars to well over $100.

Heh, Cubivore is the only one that hasn't been SDA'd yet...or at least I think at least one of the Bloodrayne's has been watched in all its campy fun by me.

Some other folk advising me have warned me against the Batens on account of no real replay features to speak of...that WOULD take the cost down quite a bit since they are the most expensive outside of PSO Plus.

I guess I really need to hear more on Summoner: Goddess and LOTR Third Age...the big obscurities it seems(Well, aside from Virtua Quest with its eyebrow raising pricing situation). I have a sneaking suspicion LOTR might be some turn-based fun but have no replay....but I need confirmation from somebody.

I'm heavily leaning towards PSO Plus as things now stand, but 80odd bucks and do a good bit of anime damage versus one game....arrgh the decisions!

[GetterBeam]

Evolution Worlds arrived yesterday in perfect condition and the price for PSO Plus actually went DOWN a bit, and with a seller that did me right before to boot, so I went ahead and snagged it for $78 as opposed to the ~$90 it was looking like it'd be before hand...which would've delayed me being able to order it until the end of next week. Yay! Gladius is hard as hell and pretty addictive, and baldur's Gate dark alliance really opened up to me once I gave the ole' Block button a whirl...it was pretty rough prior to that.

From here, I'll either KO the baten's, summoner, third age, virtua quest, some combination of, or none of...depending I guess on how the prices swing and if people's recommendations solidify overall one way or another towards each.

[Senel]

I loved Evolution on Dreamcast, but didnt they cut a lot of the content from the first game when they merged both together for Gamecube?..

[GetterBeam]

I would guess they did to some degree...but I'm fairly sure I've already crossed into the Evo 2 category and I didn't really feel left wanting all that much.

That said, Gre Nade exudes awesomeness from every pore...I'm positive he is an amalgamation of several different anime and/or game characters based on how his moves play out, the special touch the VA adds to it, and so forth. Gre Nade alone is worth the entire game I'd say...

PSO is a bit rough trying to get into from when it showed up earlier this week...doesn't help that there isn't shit for guides for it on gamefaqs save a bunch of DC ones that are probably still valid on many things---but I suspect the revisions and additions of the whole EpI+II Plus changes the game.

Leaning towards a buy for Summoner, Baten's, and Third Age (Third Age kinda less so). Master plan is likely to get all of them over the next few weeks bit by bit, then do holiday shopping, then get the hell back on the anime train before it derails and stuff on my massive to do list become casualties.

:Getting a PS2 when I can find it for a bit cheaper new is also somewhere in the works...and I can already FEEL the swarming mess of games (RPG's prolly)I'll have to go through all over again in another topic at that time:

[Chloe]

By PSO, you mean the Episode I+II Plus? I just finally got around to beating down the last mission and final boss this past weekend; he was a wuss. Depends on what class and level you are playing I would guess though. At least on the beginning levels, you can always go and level up to beat the bosses. What else is giving you a hard time in that game? It seemed fairly easy to play, and I suck at these kinds of games, to be honest. Maybe the class you are playing is giving you trouble?

[LordGeo]

I loved Evolution on Dreamcast, but didnt they cut a lot of the content from the first game when they merged both together for Gamecube?..


Yeah, as in they cut out the second three dungeons or so, so Evolution 1 is only 3 dungeons long. I'd say it was for the best.

[GetterBeam]

By PSO, you mean the Episode I+II Plus? I just finally got around to beating down the last mission and final boss this past weekend; he was a wuss. Depends on what class and level you are playing I would guess though. At least on the beginning levels, you can always go and level up to beat the bosses. What else is giving you a hard time in that game? It seemed fairly easy to play, and I suck at these kinds of games, to be honest. Maybe the class you are playing is giving you trouble?

Yeah, Plus is what I got.

I probably should clarify a bit. I can feel, and from comments on the side, that they game has a fair bit of "complicated" aspects to it woven deeper into the game, like the various MAGs and whatnot. Granted, I did get smacked down via the first boss a few times, and have restarted several times to try and feel my way through the various styles in the game. I guess, compared to say baldur's gate: DA, it is a bit more overhead to slog through when trying to figure out what playstyle ya feel like.

Though, the fact that it keeps wanting to only save on the Slot 1 card is pretty damn annoying since it is a regular one without much space on it and the Big Black in Slot 2 would be ideal. Granted, I just need to copy and switch some other stuff over, but it has been a bit annoying.

First character attempt is a RAcast, for the sake of shooting stuff up and play Real Type. Felt kinda underwelmed at the very pedestrian traps though I can see uses. Sampled a bit of the magic class...definitely a bit different. Still need to try some kinda Melee...thinking of the Dagger wielder.

[Chloe]

I/m not sure what to say about the RAcast, since I usually play very small characters. Those big guys move differently. Did you finish all the quests before trying the first boss? You need to be level 5 or 6 before trying him. The higher your level the better, obviously. Personally I think the androids in general are really strong, my Racaseal is what I finished the final boss with, and I felt stupid for being scared of him before I tried it.

[GetterBeam]

I had managed a couple quests...then the guild loaded another set of which I could only manage a few. Like that timed DNA collection one where there was only one enemy that "counted" towards the large scale it wanted...no way was I gonna be able to manage that yet in time without even being past the first boss.

PSO will get a refocus soon enough I'm sure though...on the big mem card. Been slogging through Dark Alliance Extreme mode these past few days.

[Mr. Spiffy-Pants]

I know it's been said, but I have to reiterate:

"Eternal Darkness" is an awesome Gamecube game. It's regretable that Silicon Knights have moved on to other projects because this game deserves a sequel BADLY. To anyone who hasn't played it, this game is just too good! If you own a GameCube or a Wii, it's a must-own! You can find it used for $10, if I'm not mistaken. Pick it up, start playing on a dark, stormy night with no lights on, and prepare for the occasional freak-out. Classic title!

[GetterBeam]

Yep, I endorse Eternal Darkness as well. Purple magic FTW!

Also, :fanfare:

GCN, for the foreseeable futures at least, is DONE for me. Just placed my final order this afternoon for Baten Kaitos, Baten Kaitos:Origins, Summoner: Goddess Reborn, and LOTR: Third age.

The total for all in hopefully decent quality as the rest: A cool $77. THAT'S...good value.

Barring something else jumping out at me that I haven't thought of just yet, the focus will shift immediately to Christmas shopping, then back to anime...until PS2 finally hits that magical $99 New---which I WANT to believe will happen sometime by the end of this year all things considered. If the current scattershot Playstation Obscurity thread survives and thrives that long it'll save me the trouble, else I'll create a laser focus one down the line then.