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Rambo III and other forgotten about licensed games that faded into obscurity

VGEsoterica

Member
You would think a game based on a super popular franchise wouldn't manage to fade into obscurity...but it happens a lot! For some reason or another the games are basically totally missed / forgotten about by the people who would probably enjoy them the most. Which is a huge bummer but hey...it happens!

Take for example Rambo III from Taito. Awesome franchise, awesome arcade game developer, super fun game...and its basically extinct on arcade floors and finding a PCB is NOT easy. Which is a major bummer as it's a legit fun game that both Rambo fans and arcade run and gun fans would love.

But that got me thinking...what do you have Gaf? Give me your best games based on a franchise / license that people dont know exist / forgot existed. Stuff like the Die Hard exclusive on the PC Engine or Darkwing Duck on the TurboGrafx....that kind of obscure weirdness

 
Hmmm, not sure how "obscure" or forgotten it is, but I had an amazing time with Nightmare on Elm Street for NES.


206832-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-nes-front-cover.png



 
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intbal

Member
3aMbmYC.jpg


Arkham Asylum came out 4 years later and became the standard "Batman Game" style that everybody thinks of.
But this interestingly crafted movie tie-in was pretty fun with gameplay that was very much a proto-arkham, with a better batmobile section.
It's a shame Microsoft couldn't get it added to backwards compatibility. I imagine a lot of gamers would rediscover this gem at 4K.
It does work on X360's BC system, but without enhancements.
 

Neff

Member
Whenever '89 Batman comes up in videogame circles the admittedly awesome NES version always seems to dominate the conversation and nobody ever mentions the (imo superior) Mega Drive or Game Boy versions-

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Sunsoft was absolutely on fire back then. There was a weird PC Engine maze-'em-up Batman game which wasn't bad either.
 

SpiceRacz

Member
hook-cover.jpg


Great action platformer for the SNES/Genesis/Sega CD. The Sega CD version has the orchestral soundtrack from the movie and voice acting. It was developed by the same team that did Sky Blazer and it shows. The gameplay is very similar.

Whenever '89 Batman comes up in videogame circles the admittedly awesome NES version always seems to dominate the conversation and nobody ever mentions the (imo superior) Mega Drive or Game Boy versions-

wBJtJR.jpg


zGwwhf.jpg


Sunsoft was absolutely on fire back then. There was a weird PC Engine maze-'em-up Batman game which wasn't bad either.

Fun fact: the TG16 version of Batman actually uses a track from the NES version.

 

Neff

Member
Man I absolutely love SNES Hook, very underrated. The Sega CD version is great but I love hearing the SNES chip pull off John Williams flawlessly. The Super Star Wars Trilogy is awesome for the same reason.

Fun fact: the TG16 version of Batman actually uses a track from the NES version.



Yep, it's a great mix. But not as good as

 

Dev1lXYZ

Member
Many great times with Rambo III on the Genesis when I was a kid.

Digitized stills and music that sounded very good for the time. It’s still holds up for what it is.
 

A.Romero

Member
Cliffhanger, a platformer game based on a movie by Sly Stallone

A game published by Sony on SNES before they got into the video game market.

Not very good but remember playing it as a kid and being really tough. Don't think I managed to finished it.
 

The Alien

Banned
'Brave' the video game.

Hear me out, played with my daughter. Actually a really solid twin stick shooter where u can build up your character. It's got some light puzzle elements and the movement/jumping is actually pretty decent. I was surprised at how very decent the game actually was. But, yeah...into obscurity at this point.
 

Doczu

Member
I have fond memories of Donald Duck's Playground on the C64.

Fun minigames, buying shit for your nepgews to play with.


Om that note i just remembered i also liked the JB: License to Kill c64 game.

 
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frogger

Member
I remember mastering Rambo III arcade with 1CC. I was masterful. Another good Rambo based arcade is Devastator by Konami, that one is too hard to ICC.
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
Cliffhanger, a platformer game based on a movie by Sly Stallone

A game published by Sony on SNES before they got into the video game market.

Not very good but remember playing it as a kid and being really tough. Don't think I managed to finished it.
I played that game on the genesis. It was really awful.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
I wish they still did weird movie tie-in games.
Like Platoon the video game or Nightbreed.
Days of Thunder was an obvious tie-in I guess but you don't really see any nowadays unless it's a kids film.
 

RAIDEN1

Member
For me Metal Gear 5 could have been the modern day Rambo 3.....set in Afghanistan, against the Soviets....working in tandem with the local mujahadeen... instead of it just being the barren waste-land of a game that it was....
 
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Another Rambo


Sega's 2008 lightgun game. Given a decent budget and heavily utilizes the license yet rarely seen outside of Japanese arcades and never received a home release. As such, quickly faded into obscurity.
 
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ManaByte

Member
Another Rambo


Sega's 2008 lightgun game. Given a decent budget and heavily utilizes the license yet rarely seen outside of Japanese arcades and never received a home release. As such, quickly faded into obscurity.


I think it only came to the US in the Gameworks arcades, and there were only a couple of those. That's where I saw it.
 

01011001

Banned
Universal Soldier on SNES


this is literally just Turrican with altered levels. and after the first intro level it does also simply look like Turrican and uses straight-up turrican music :D
 
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coffinbirth

Member
M.C. Kids (McDonaldland in Europe) for NES.
A really weird, and surprisingly good platformer that I discovered randomly via emulation.



Not sure how forgotten about it is, but The Warriors is one of the absolute best games based on a movie I have ever played. Rockstar totally nailed it with this one. Would love a remaster.

 

TheHTIC

Neo Member
I think it only came to the US in the Gameworks arcades, and there were only a couple of those. That's where I saw it.

I only ever saw it once in China in a new arcade that had opened up. Never seen it again.

I played this at Dave and Buster's it was pretty fun but I was mesmerized by the Halo Fireteam Raven. Never even knew it existed before then
 

gela94

Member
mhmm nobody posted the obivious and correct answer, Sailor Moon Another story:


Its beyond me why this game never got an official translation or a new game especially with the anniversary a few years back and the new anime??
There are million of fans, male and female all over the world.
 
As a very young child, I really loved the Alf game on the Sega even though I barely watched the sitcom.



Reading about it now, it seems most people hated it (which is understandable). 😂

I had this wack-ass ALF game on our IBM Franklin PC from Sears:


As for Rambo 3 I had this on Sega Genesis


Was fun enough, but came off as pretty shallow even to my 8 year old self. We'd pop it in every once in a while. The faux 3D exploding bow vs Hind scene felt epic at the time.
 
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