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Weirdest games you've never played!
- SkyHighGam3r
- Mar 22, 2021
- 5 min read
One could argue that video games are inherently weird and unique. They bring together cultures and ideas in ways that only a mere 50 years ago people would have deemed impossible, a fleeting dream that would never be realized. With this explosive mix of creativity and experience comes wild chaos and sheer beauty. In fact, many revere video games as not just electronic entertainment, but interactive artistry. Certainly, there's no shortage of games to cite to support this idea either.
This month though, we aren't here to talk about the finer beauty of gaming. We are here to talk about the strange, the 'out-there', the eccentric games that arise from this wonderful clash of technology and art. All those oddball games that stand out and make you say to your friends "You have got to see this!" These games represent that yearning we have to express unique ideas and moments in ways that others can share with us. They represent the wild beauty of creativity unleashed, and all the weird stuff that happens as a result.
Platform: Sony PlayStation
Year: 1995
Holding the Guinness World Record for "First Platform Video Game in True 3D" Jumping Flash! was something truly special in 1995. While the graphics may not be as impressive today as they were back then, the concept is as wacky as ever. You play in first person as a giant rabbit-robot making your way through a variety of levels, shooting various enemies with your laser cannons or jumping on them as you traverse the floating platforms to get the jump-pods scattered throughout. Collect enough, and you complete the level.
The game was successful enough to warrant 2 sequels, "Jumping Flash 2", and a 3rd Japanese exclusive game called "Robbit Mon Dieu". There was even a mini-game for the short-lived Sony PocketStation peripheral, a miniature handheld gaming memory card made to compete with Sega's VMU cards. Whichever entry in the series you decide to play though, you're sure to have a hoppin' good time.
Platform: Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast Year: 1991
Rent-a-Hero is one of those games that is just 'so Sega'. It's part top-down adventure, part fighting game, and all around weird. The overall gist of the game has you playing as the new kid in town, and when you order a pizza for your family's housewarming party you are instead given a power-suit granting you super-strength. Not weird enough? Well, it turns out you actually have to pay for the suit, and so you begin working as a hero-for-hire: a rent-a-hero! Sadly, the game never officially left Japan, so many of us have missed out on the zaniness. However, there are fan translations online for the Sega Genesis version. Speaking of versions, there's also Rent-a-Hero No. 1 for the Sega Dreamcast. A graphical update that also adds a female protagonist option. Past that, there's even an update to that version porting it over to the Microsoft Xbox. This particular version was originally going to be released in the west before being canceled very late in its localization. Notably, though, the official translation was eventually uploaded to the internet for those with physical XBOX consoles.
Platform: Sony Playstation 2 Year: 2002
Do you like Anime? Giant Robots? Godzilla style fights with large-scale destruction? Well then, this game might be for you. Robot Alchemic Drive takes some of these fairly common trends and tropes and does something completely unique with them. In the game, you play as one of 3 chosen protagonists and it's your job to stop the big bad guy attacking the city. Best of all you have a massive robot at your disposal to do so. So what's the twist? Well, rather than controlling the robot directly like you would in most games, you control the human character, who's controlling the massive robot, via remote control. If that sounds weird, that's because it is. It's almost like controlling an RC car where you'd stand on the sidelines and operate the controls to watch the action happen. So, now you are using a controller, to operate a person on-screen, who's standing on a building, operating a giant robot with a remote control. It's really one of those games you have to experience to fully understand, but if you can get behind the unique concept you're in for an interesting experience you just won't get anywhere else.
Platform: Nintendo 64, Playstation Year: 1998
Space Station Silicon Valley is goofy, it's charming, and best of all it's tons of fun. The whole premise is as weird as they come. You crash-land on the titular space station, which has essentially become a zoo of cyborg animals, for lack of a better explanation. You play as a robot, or rather with your body destroyed from the crash, you play as a robot's sentient, walking, micro-chip. In this form, you can do little more than crawl around, but you do have one special ability. You can take over the body of any of the animals on the space station. This leads to a great deal of gameplay variety, and you'll see yourself playing as half the animal kingdom as you make your way through the various levels taking on a myriad of tasks. It's an absolute blast finding new creatures to test out, seeing what new moves or traversal options you now have at your disposal with every body change. Another great aspect of the game is its very jovial nature about everything. There's plenty of humor right from the get-go with the opening crash sequence being a standout moment in the title.
Platform: Sega Dreamcast Year: 2001
Chances are that you have used typing tutor software at some point in your life. The need for typing in our modern world cannot be understated; to the point it's become a staple skill of all classrooms. With this in mind, it's not too strange that there have been a plethora of 'typing games' to hit the market. Even Nintendo got in on the action with "Mario Teaches Typing" at one point in the 90's. However, there is no title in this genre that deserves your attention more than the phenomenal Typing of the Dead.
"Typing of the Dead" is basically a re-tooled "House of the Dead 2". Except instead of 'shooting' zombies with light-guns, you actually 'type' them to death with your keyboard. Each time an enemy pops up on screen, a word or string of letters will show up in front of them that you will have to type out quickly. With each keystroke, you will see the zombies get blown to bits in a visceral and satisfying fashion. Bosses, on the other hand, present you with more of a challenge by throwing in sentences and punctuation that you must key out quickly in order to defeat them. While this may not sound particularly exciting on paper, there is something undeniably special and addicting about this gameplay structure. While certainly not a mainstream success, the appeal of the game hasn't gone unnoticed either; with the spinoff having garnered a sort of cult following. In addition to the Dreamcast original, there are both Arcade and PC ports of the game. In Japan there was even a direct sequel "Typing of the Dead 2" that was actually a conversion of "House of the Dead 3". There's even a 3rd entry in the series for PC - itself a conversion of "House of the Dead - Overkill". One of the best things about the game though is it also has a training mode. So people who aren't familiar with touch-typing can learn the skill. When viewed as a whole, and played from time to time it is an absolutely excellent way to pump up your WPM (Words Per Minute) score on your resume. Now, who said playing games wouldn't help you get a job?!
There's no shortage of unique, strange, and outright ridiculous games, and quite honestly, would we really have it any other way? No doubt you have your own personal list of strange, yet beloved titles both on your shelf and in your heart. Share these titles with the world, spread that weirdness around.
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