When people find out that I'm a gamer, they immediately start talking about the newest big game such as Destiny, Battlefield, Call of Duty, etc... and they look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I've never played any of those. Their looks get even more incredulous when I list the games that I do play, as most have never heard of them before, because I love quirky, low budget games that often go unnoticed by the majority of people.
If you are like me, and enjoy niche games, check out the following list of the top niche games of 2014. (Please note, this list is only made up of games that I own and have played, there are many games missing from this list simply because I haven't had a chance to play them yet)
12. To Love-ru Darkness: Battle Ecstasy (PS Vita [Japan Import])
To Love-ru Darkness: Battle Ecstasy is a game based on the manga and anime To Love-ru Darkness. In this game, you play as Yuuki Rito and have to fight through various floors of a dungeon to rescue the series' heroines.
While the game doesn't do anything new or unique, it is a fun experience for fans of the anime/manga. Besides hacking and slashing through the dungeons, you will also be able to interact with the heroines via the Vita's touch screen and rear touch panel, and view events and choose the girls's clothing back at Rito's house (which acts as a hub),
The Limited Edition also comes with a bed sheet featuring Golden Darkness, which is a nice bonus!
11. Monster Monpiece (PS Vita)
Monster Monpiece is a card battle game that offers a unique card 'leveling up' feature. You play as May Esperio who is training to become a 'monster girl' master. After her best friend, Elza, becomes 'lost' during an encounter with a stranger, you set out to save her by using your monster girl cards to do battle!
The card fights are pretty fun and there is a large selection of cards to choose from in order to build your ultimate deck, with plenty of rare cards to find as well. The art work on the cards is very nice, even though some artwork was left out of the North American and European releases. Each card has three levels and in order to level them up, you have to rub the Vita's touch screen and rear touch panel at the same time, which is pretty awkward.
This rubbing mechanic has become the butt of many jokes around the internet and it will ensure that you do not play this game in public...
10. Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed (PS3, PS Vita, PS4)
Akiba has been invaded by vampire-like creatures called Synthisters and it is up to you and your friends to defeat them and restore peace. Oh yeah, you have also been transformed into a Synthister. Synthisters share the same weakness to sunlight that vampires have, so in order to defeat them, you must expose them to the harsh rays of the sun... by ripping their clothes off!
The combat consists of attacking either the head, torso, or legs of and enemy to weaken that article of clothing and when enough damage is dealt you can rip it off leaving those pesky Synthisters in their undies to get fried by the sun. They can also rip your clothes off as well, so watch out!
This game accurately recreates Akihabara, Tokyo's otaku cultural district, and also features actual flyers from shops in Akiba. There are a variety of customization options for your character including weapons, clothing, walking style, and accessories.
9. Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus (PS Vita)
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus (a follow up to the 3DS game, Senran Kagura: Burst) features four competing ninja schools who enter a battle royale for supremacy. Each of the schools offer 5 playable characters each having a unique play-style. There are story modes for each school as well as for each character.
The combat is very fun and addictive and as you damage an opponent their clothes rip and tear, eventually falling off. Each character can also transform into their shinobi version which grants special abilities.
You can customize each character's outfit and accessories in both their normal and shinobi attire and they will remain that way even while playing through another character's story.
For a game whose main selling point is fan service, I was actually surprised by the stories of each girl and school. Some were just goofy fun while others had a very good message.
8. Bullet Girls (PS Vita [Japan Import])
Bullet Girls is a very similar game to Senran Kagura, but instead of ninjas and martial arts, you have girls battling each other with guns, bazookas, and grenades. Much like Senran Kagura, when you or your enemies receive damage, it is shown by the destruction of your clothing.
I had a lot of fun with this game even though I usually stay away from shooters. The missions varied from 'take out all the enemies' to 'protect your container', and the amount of unlockables kept me playing until I had all of the weapons and clothing. It was a relatively easy platinum trophy, as well.
7. Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star (PS3)
In Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star, the player follows two sets of characters: Delta and Casty, whose goal is to protect humanity and save the world, and Ion & Earthes, who are trying to find Ion a way home to Earth. The player can interchange between both pairs and soon discover a way to combine their story lines and strengths to eventually solve the mystery that shrouds their ongoing struggle.
I am still in the process of playing this game but I am enjoying the story and characters tremendously. This is the first 'Ar' game that I have played so I am hoping to go back and play some of the previous entries when I complete this one.
I really like the 'Dive System' where you can dive into the subconscious of other characters to learn more about them and unlock new song magic.
6. Atelier Rorona Plus: Alchemist of Arland (PS3, PS Vita)
Atelier Rorona Plus is a remake of the original Atelier Rorona with updated graphics and various improvements. As Rorona, you are given the task to save the town's alchemy shop and the game consists of various modes of play. You must interact with the citizens of the town to raise your reputation, explore various "dungeons" to gather materials, and make items at the alchemy shop.
There is also a time management aspect to the game but it isn't too imposing. Each activity takes up a certain amount of days and you have to make sure you keep the deadline for the requests from the castle.
I really liked how they simplified the quests for the individual towns folk. Instead of finding each character individually, now you can just accept their requests at Esty's desk like the rest of the requests. The character models also look a lot better than the original.
5. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 (PS Vita)
The original Hyperdimension Neptunia game for PS3 wasn't the best. While it had a good story with great humor, the battle system was slow and not very fun. With the next two games in the series, mkII and Victory, they heavily improved the battle system and continued to provide fun characters and great humor.
Re;Birth 1 is a complete remake of the original with the battle system of Victory. These games are fun because they don't take themselves too seriously and are essentially a parody of the console wars. Each goddess and their city (Planeptune, Lowee, Lastation, and Leanbox) are based on Sega, Nintendo, Playstation, and Xbox and they compete to earn shares and eventually team up to take on the evil Arfoire who represents piracy.
4. Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd (PS3, PS Vita)
Project Diva F 2nd adds various improvements over its predecessor including double star notes, linked star notes, and an overall difficulty increase. In the first game I could play on hard pretty easily, but on F 2nd, normal mode gave me quite a challenge.
In my opinion, the song selection doesn't seem to be as good as the first, but I still enjoyed this game enough to import it and then buy it again when it was released in North America. Luckily, SEGA added the option to import your save data from the Japanese version for those of us that did buy both versions.
If you enjoy vocaloid or rhythm games, be sure to check this game out!
3. Fairy Fencer F (PS3)
Fairy Fencer F is made by Compile Heart who also makes the Hyperdimension Neptunia games. You can see the similarities in the battle system, environments, and enemy designs, but this game does have a unique feel to it. I really enjoyed each character's personality and their interactions with one another. The story does have a bit more seriousness to it than the HDN games although all the usual elements remain (humor, fan service, etc...).
The soundtrack is also amazing with music composed by Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame.
2. Demon Gaze (PS Vita)
In Demon Gaze, you play as Oz, a young man with the power of the Demon Eye that allows him seal demons and use them in battle. This game is a first person dungeon crawler with a nice difficulty level. There were several times that I had to grind for a few levels before being able to beat a certain boss. That may be a turn off to those who don't like 'grindy' RPG's but I actually enjoy it.
This is another game with great characters with good humor, fan service, and some serious parts. I especially liked the character named Prometh who works as the mortician and can revive your fallen party members.
I liked how you had to rent a room at the inn, which is the main hub in the game, to increase your party's size and how the furniture that you place in each room affects the stats of that party member.
1. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc & Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Dispair (PS Vita)
I bought a Vita back in March and Danganronpa 1 was the first game I bought for it and was immediately hooked!
The first game centers around a group of 'ultimates' who attend Hope's Peak Academy, the most elite school in the country. Each of the students are the absolute best in their fields of expertise, but you play as Makoto, an average high school student who happened to win a lottery, thereby becoming the 'Ultimate Lucky Student.'
Since graduating from Hope's Peak ensures a life of success Makoto is excited to begin his new school life there. Upon arriving, everything starts spinning around and he passes out. When he awakens, he finds himself alone in a classroom that has some strange things. All the windows have been sealed with large metal plates and there are monitors and security cameras everywhere!
While investigating the school he comes upon the other students who have been summoned to the gymnasium where a robotic teddy bear named Monokuma tells them they can either remain trapped in the school for the rest of their lives where all their needs will be provided for or they can murder one of their fellow students to 'graduate' and be released.
The game switches between several modes, the day to day mode where you talk to your classmates and explore the school, the murder investigation mode where you must obtain all the evidence you can after a classmate has been murdered, and the class trial mode where you must figure out 'whodunnit.'
If you correctly guess the killer then they are executed but guess wrong and everyone else is executed while they get to go free.
The trials are the meat of the gameplay with various quick thinking mini games that you must complete in order to advance the trial. They can last a good while (an hour or two per trial), but the dialogue and stories are well written so you'll want to keep playing to find out the mystery of Hope's Peak Academy.
The sequel takes place on a tropical island and has a similar set up to the first but they have added new sections to the trials along with a few other new things.
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Those are my favorite niche games from 2014, what games did you enjoy?
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