Playing some hidden/lesser known Amiga gems

[TheDrisk]

I have been playing some hidden (lesser known) Amiga gems, In an upcoming podcast I am doing (RGDS)

Here are the games we will be covering

1. Hudson Hawk
2. Viz
3. Life and Death
4. Roadkill
5. Ruff and Tumble
6. Alien Fish Finger

Certainly been having a blast replaying these gems *even Viz which is a bitt naff lol , but would love if you could share your memories or opinions of these games. Would love to include it in the show.

Incidentally our latest show covers the Shadow of the Beast Trilogy, that you may enjoy.

https://retrogamingdailyshow.libsyn.com/

[chip]

Ruff 'N' Tumble is not an "hidden" gem to be honest, i think it's very popular

[gimbal]

Only Alien Fish Finger qualifies as a lesser known game on that list IMO. Ruff and Tumble especially does not belong there, it frequently pops up on "best of" lists.

[Predseda]

AFF is quite good known here too, we had Lemon / EAB compo and its author was a member of EAB too, while updating his game few years ago.

On the other hand I have never played Hudson Hawk.

[TheDrisk]

Originally Posted by gimbal

Only Alien Fish Finger qualifies as a lesser known game on that list IMO. Ruff and Tumble especially does not belong there, it frequently pops up on "best of" lists.

To those involved in the amiga retro scene I agree , but to many outside that circle these were games that people missed... or at the very least seldom gets chatted about.

[Anubis]

Originally Posted by gimbal

Only Alien Fish Finger qualifies as a lesser known game on that list IMO. Ruff and Tumble especially does not belong there, it frequently pops up on "best of" lists.

Just to confirm young padawn's statement...

[TheDrisk]

Originally Posted by Anubis

Just to confirm young padawn's statement...

I feel we are getting caught up in the term lesser known lol ... really the selection was just some games we love that doesn't get talked about very often

Still replaying these games again... I have been having a blast (although Viz hasn't held up too well in the gameplay department), but the others its been a joy to replay.

[gimbal]

Well you probably have around 3800 more to select from

Viz was never a gameplay wonder to be honest. Joystick murder is what it is.

[str0m]

One of the Viz authors was at a retro event near me last Sunday signing drawings etc

[Weasel Fierce]

I got pretty good at Roadkill back in the day. It definitely has that 90s EXTREME vibe but its a very fun racer. Very unforgiving though!

Ruff n Tumble is one that I think got overlooked a lot at the time, because people were starting to leave the scene but which has gotten the recognition it deserves now.

[Arne]

Ruff'n'Tumble feels like it's one of those games which would've been absolutely bonkers if it had been released around the time of Venus the Flytrap, but as it were, I didn't hear about it until a decade after release when a fellow dev mentioned it on IRC. Same with Alien Fish Finger.
I think I saw Hudson Hawk mentioned in magazines at the time but never played. Never took note of the others.

I guess back in the Amiga days you were kinda isolated... you had the games you had and saw a few in magazines, sometimes just names in fine-print game-list ads... no way to tell how good they were. Then a friend showed up with a new game, not necessarily actually new, but good enough to propagate.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Arne

Ruff'n'Tumble feels like it's one of those games which would've been absolutely bonkers if it had been released around the time of Venus the Flytrap, but as it were, I didn't hear about it until a decade after release when a fellow dev mentioned it on IRC. Same with Alien Fish Finger.
I think I saw Hudson Hawk mentioned in magazines at the time but never played. Never took note of the others.

I guess back in the Amiga days you were kinda isolated... you had the games you had and saw a few in magazines.

Which is why I knew full-well that the first five games existed (and had two of them myself), because they were well covered in magazines It was literally the only thing I had, magazines and coverdisks. A couple of games I got because I just liked the sound of the name, usually it worked out well. But I also got Renegade 3

[alexh]

Depends what you mean by Gems. If you mean best in genre then maybe my suggestions are not true Gems.

BUT I think that there are some 3D Isometric genre games that are lesser known and good fun.

Head Over Heels
Treasure Trap
Airball
Uropa2
Legend
Worlds of Legend
Darkmere

[macce2]

Head Over Heels = a kind of classic !? ?

[Fiery Phoenix]

Treasure Trap is a true gem

[Weasel Fierce]

Yeah, we had magazine reviews and previews or "my friends nephews cousin just got this cool new game".

[fryguy]

Maybe it's just me who missed those games but The Godfather and The Untouchables (the C64 version end scene was even better imo) look quite ok for being licensed games. I havn't tried playing them though

Godfather [ Show youtube player ]
The Untouchables [ Show youtube player ]

[Fiery Phoenix]

The Godfather is a travesty of a licence - prob one of the most missed opportunity licences ever.

[XPD]

Yup, I purchased it many moons ago on release, was such a Robocop rip off and made worse. Took forever to load, and 2s to die.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by macce2

Head Over Heels = a kind of classic !? ?

I considered this a lesser known Amiga game. It is widely known on 8-bits. I've never come across an Amiga copy at bootsales or in collections I've bought.