Most Unique / Clever Games Ever Made - Retro Bird
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.พ. 2024
- With many game developers and publishers sticking to what's safe, in this video we're going to celebrate games that try to be different! I give my personal four choices for the games that I feel are the most unique / clever (that were executed well!).
Most Unique / Clever Games Ever Made / Of All Time - Retro Bird / Most Innovative Video Games
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#retrobird - เกม
Games played: Power Stone (0:00), Ogre Battle 64 (0:25). The rest of the games shown in the video are all named when I talk about them :)
PS2 Arcade ports? Spicy banana? 🌶️🍌 Or poop 💩 Video idea.
@@Teejay_2000Have some respect.
I wish ogre battle 64 wasn’t a gajillion bucks today 😅
Our frothing demand for Retro Bird videos *INCREASES*
-All of us
I never knew how much Bird made me froth until tonight
@@ThePirateCasey😳😳
The game that I immediately think of when I hear most unique/clever is Eternal Darkness for the GameCube. I've never seen another game break the 4th wall as well as it does. Everything from making you think there is a fly on the screen to scaring you that you're -banana- game file is corrupted/deleted.
That game screwed with me almost as much as Psyco Mantis from MGS
Great game. Loves it when the main character head dropped off and you die!!! And it's hallucination
@@The_Badseed- YES! I forgot about that! I fell for that 'put the controller on the table' and freaked out when it moved! Oh man, that was great. Instant fan of Hideo after that.
I was stuck in the game and scary
I've still never played that game, but it's been on the bucket list since it came out.
That's it, I'm getting it now lol
My pick is Toejam & Earl. It's certainly one of the most unique and clever gameplays I've ever experienced in a videogame. It's chill and stressful at the same time, and the mechanic of the gifts is so fun. Plus, a totally 90s soundtrack. And this is coming from someone who grew up with the Super Nintendo
So glad you picked Radiant Silvergun. It deserves way more recognition than just from the few that have had the privilege of playing it. A 5th generation masterpiece
It's been available on Xbox as a download for a while now (via backwards compatibility) and got a Switch release more recently too (including a physical release).
@@RetroBirdGamingyup! I actually downloaded it for the Switch and then a month later, go figure, I got the notification that Limited Run was doing a physical copy… and of course I picked that up too lol. But I actually own a JP Saturn copy that I picked up awhile back before the price skyrocketed. You can never own too many copies of that game! Great video!
I was impressed how few times he died playing!
@@pixelpoppyproductions haha truth. Game is hard as hell too!
It's on sale. 50% off on Switch right now.
For anyone else with ant problems not as fun as Pikmin: planting mint around your house keeps the ants away and smells wonderful!
I might have to try this...
Your writing skills, editing and comedic timing are top notch, man. Every video really is a joy to watch.
I appreciate that!
I still think Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is incredibly clever given that at any given moment, you can transition from it being a 1st-person shooter to a 3D action/platformer - all with a single press of a button.
And the FPS mechanics don't even focus on bullets. You have to "hunt" for your ammunition, be it skunks, wasps, bats, etc. It's such a clever and unique game and, visually speaking, it gets more and more lush the further you get into it. You start off in dusty, ramshackle towns and then eventually BAM! ... you're galloping through serene alpine waterfall vistas.
Love Stranger's Wrath. Love, love, love it! Wish more folks would give it a chance.
Kirby’s Dream Course on SNES is my definition of clever. Spin control, special powers and very competitive two player vs.
For me: Parappa the Rapper, I still remember my feelings the 1st time I started up the demo disk from PSM and seeing Master Chop Chop. Literally WTF!?!?!? Simple game but I remember having a great time playing, singing and drinking with my friends. Even the ones who "didn't like" video games. That is a mark of a GREAT game. ❤ you Fleaswallow
Oh yeah that one. I love it. Also unique & clever.
That was the first time I'd ever played a rhythm game and I had ZERO clue what I was doing.
Kirby's Dream Course for sure! yeah its sort of like golf but not there's soo much more going on to make it stand out as unique! More like golf PVP
How is this guy not more popular? 😂
Youre literally the only youtuber i've ever seen that actually knows how to play NiGHTS, as well as explained the whole point of the bonus time.
I've seen some of the biggest retro gaming youtubers not even realizing this, as they show gameplay of them getting nothing but C grades, and immediately starting the 2nd course after the first Capture.
Bravo my friend, bravo!
Retro bird is a product of a real life gamer who is good at game because banana
One of my favorite “unique” games is Katamari Damacy for the PS2. Such a weird premise, but incredibly satisfying to play. For something clever, I’d go to bat for Kirby Super Star. The game is designed to build on its gameplay as you go through the various included sub-games. It starts out short and sweet, but the next game ramps it up a little more, with some more involved design. The next game is a much more nonlinear one, the next tests you to see if you play the game in a scenario with a hard time limit for each screen. The final main game takes away a key part of gameplay and sees how you can adjust. It’s honestly quite brilliant.
I haven’t laughed a retro gamer video joke in quite some time. What an absolute clever and hilarious joke at 7:50.
I love NiGHTS Into Dreams, the feeling of flying you get playing it is just amazing. I'm honestly not that great at it speedwise because I have too much fun just flying around the stage, seeing the sights and performing loops and flips.
Actraiser is one I always go back to. It is just an odd mix of two different game types. 👍
Solar jet man on NES was a strange one
Solar jet man is just an update of Atari's Gravitar.
@@jackofallgamesTV Or Atari ST Oids.
Days since new Banjo poster was priceless! Well done!
th-cam.com/video/eagEnCQlNMA/w-d-xo.html
He really does put a lot of effort into the videos even for a single, short joke. I don't know where he draws his inspiration from because they're always different.
I think Bionic Commando is pretty clever and unique. It's largely a 2D platformer and your character cannot jump.
I really enjoyed that game as a kid. I remember playing that at the same time I was doing my best to play Metal Gear. I was TERRIBLE at both of them! Both were so far removed from the standard 2D platformer we were used to. I loved that time for video games. It seemed developers didn't know what would make a good game and just threw everything at the wall to see what stuck. Even more so before the NES arrived. They really made some WACKY games back on the old Commodore-64. The glory days of creativity, I'd say.
Definitely a clever game.
Great NES game from the past. Wish us Americans were able to handle the uncensored game with Hitler dying. So much cooler.
"BE ATTITUDE FOR GAINS" - Radiant Silvergun.
Great video!
_"[...] at a time (the Saturn) was basically dead in the US without even getting a funeral, SEGA had to get ready for the next console... funeral."_
I love the _almost-unnoticeable_ pause, there's something about your timing that makes a lot of your jokes land SO much better...
Thanks!
3:25 ...... OH SNAP! the truth of it burns even harder ... love my DC.. cant wait to get a Saturn....
I don't care how goofy it is, Witch & Hero will always be one of my favorite indie games ever. I get such a kick out of introducing it to people and watching them instantly get addicted and playing it for two hours straight.
I thought you were going to say goof troop for snes
Resident evil on ps1 was very unique for its time, I still go back and use tank controls. Catherine on ps3 was definitely thinking outside the box as well.
YEAH!! You playing Ogre Battle 64 Person of Lordly Caliber! That game is easily top 5 on the N64!
I know how competitive that top 5 is, so, if you know, you know. And if you don't then you don't.
I discovered it pretty late but fell in love with it immediately! Now I've beaten it multiple times!
I have that Nights Into Dreams Bundle... I mean, the NTSC one, not the one you showed. But, I bought it for the controller. Don't really get the hype on the game. And I bought the Xmas version just for the collection.
Yeah, Ogre Battle 64 is awesome!
Bionic Commando comes to mind for me. It's one of the first games I remember playing that had an over map that allowed you to travel down different paths plus the limitation of not being able to jump and needing your bionic arm to traverse the levels made it unique.
Death Stranding was a perfect example of a creative game that dared to do something different only to have gamers not understand it or give it a chance until years after it's release.
I liked it immediately while my friends complained about it
It was a high-budget kusoge riddled with propaganda and bad game design decisions.Especually if played after the release, before the patches.
@noop9k I played it at launch with zero problems. Most people hate the plot because they can't comprehend what's going on. Gameplay is solid. I don't know how far you actually made it but the games great and keeps getting better as it goes.
@@blakemarsee4801 It was plagued by UI and AI problems and bad game design decisions. They corrected quite a few things afterwards.
Initially you could not even skip all the repetitive action animations easily. This was insane, absolutely maddening.
Im getting into gaming so much just because It's hard not to continue watching more of these videos, such a charismatic guy!
I member playing captain tsubasa for famicom as a kid. I did not speak japanese, but somehow learned how to play and it was soo soo addictive.
The other game which it was quite different for its time is Asura s wrath. The sound track and character design plus an amazing story. Playing that game for the first time it s a unique experience.
Love ur content! Sheers with naners!
I swear i never laugh so hard as i do when watching your videos. You could talk about manuals for 30 mins and i'd still watch till the last second 😂😂 never change RB ❤
Daytona USA (arcade original) deserves to be on this list, it can be played it auto like a traditional racing game but has hidden mechanics that need to be mastered in manual mode only to truly play it properly and get fast lap times. it feels as much like a puzzle game as a racing game when you understand how the gear you're in directly correlates to the max drift angle of your car before it slows down considerably.
I remember renting Ogre Battle 64 and being angry at first thinking the game sucked but got hooked after the first hour. Secret of Evermore was also unique to me, love the soundtrack and alchemy
I’m playing The Last Door on switch at the moment. It’s in many ways the opposite of clever or unique (gameplay wise), but it gets the job done very well in all its simplicity. The story and the music are unique and great.
Radiant Silvergun is a piece of pure art. I left my 360 on overnight to get 99 lives, did not care one bit.
Freaky Flyers is something I would consider unique, combining Mario Kart, dogfighting, and an extremely edgy early 2000's art style that they absolutely could not get away with nowadays.
I can't argue with any of these! Another one that comes to mind when thinking about unique/clever games that actually play great is the original Super Monkey Ball on Gamecube.
I always look forward to Fridays after work, I work 12 hour shifts and purposely stay up a bit later to watch these since I’m on the East coast haha, keep it up man, love the videos!
Wow. I'll never take 12 hour shifts. Too much & you get tired really fast.
I appreciate it and hope it starts your weekend off right!
I’m going old school on this one. For the NES- Little Nemo The Dream Master, Marble Madness, Abadox, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobalonia(you feed your blob different kinds of jellybeans and he morphs into different objects!), Bubble Bobble, Spelunker, Kickle Cubicle, Pinball Quest, Maniac Mansion,and The Adventures of Lolo, just to name a few😂 I’ll throw in a few N64 titles too, both by Rare, Blast Corps and yes, Banjo Kazooie. 😊 I feel like all of these games were very creative and stood out as different from other games.
Ghost Trick is my pick. Still one of the most unique games ive ever played and probably in my top 10 ever. The possession mechanic gave way for such amazing puzzle solving
I loved that you picked Pikmin as its my favorite series ever. Miyamoto sure knows how to put a uniwue spin on a genre huh
Retro Bird for president 2024!
No one here is gonna talk about how easy you're making a game as tough as Radiant Silvergun look!? That's some impressive skill you got there. Also, great list!
A game I would recommend as clever would probably be a criminally lesser known strategy game called "Bahamut Lagoon". It's praised among hardcore fans of strategy games and rpgs alike and REALLY needs a western release/remaster. The cool thing about it is that the battle field is VERY interactive and you can use your dragons to defeat enemy units in interesting ways. Outnumbered by an army approaching from the forest? Send your firebreather and set that entire forest ablaze! Large river forcing you to take the long way around through enemy territory? Have your icebreather create an ice bridge for you! Enemy pursuing you on said ice bridge? Send in your firebreather to melt it beneath their feet!
We didn't get in the west because by the time the translation would've been complete, the next console gen would've been out. We actually missed out on a quite a few awesome games for this reason. Might make for a good list someday, wouldn't you say?
Recently found channel, and so my comments are late. My first thought on seeing the title was "If a Treasure game is not on the list, it isn't valid" - then it was first one mentioned. Another unique thing about RS is that the weapons level up, and it saves their current level after you die, so if you only get a little way into the game, in addition to learning patterns you weapons slowly improve, letting you get further. It is one of my 5 favorite games of all time.
Just picked up Radiant Silvergun with the Limited Run release for my Switch! I love Treasure Games I'm always amazed how different & unique they all are! I hate waiting all weekend to finally watch your video, but it sure does brighten up my week when I finally get to watch it on Mondays! I liked all your picks & my Clever game would be Mercenary Force on the Game Boy. The cover looks like a weird fireman which didn't yell buy me when it came out in the 90s. But the game play is very unique & in my opinion like if Tetris was a shoot em up.
Great picks! Didn’t knew Mole Mania was by Miyamoto. One of my memorable unique games has to be Comix Zone for the Genesis..nothing quite like it (or at least that i’m aware of). Crazy difficult one too! 😅
For sure Comix zone. So many retro games that they don't even do now.
When I first played comix zone, I couldn't beat the first few levels for many years lol
@@marccaselle8108 That's actually a really hard game.
@@tonyp9313 it is. It took me 25 years just to get to level 4 lol
@@marccaselle8108 The great thing about retro games is that you can play them with Game Genie codes, codes in the game & now Save states & rewind feature
Awesome to see three of my favourite games mentioned in this video and another one I now want to play. Great job, RetroBird.
We're going through a bit of a golden age in clever games now imo - games like Papers Please, Obra Dinn and Inscryption are all very clever and also very fun!
*clever indie games lol AAA not so much
Yeah, indie games are where you'll find a lot of clever ideas nowadays.
The little jab at Rascal... 😂
I remember that one actually gave me some kind of gaming existential crisis. It made me feel depressed, in a "am I just getting too old for video games, or something?" kind of way.
Thankfully, that was absolutely not the case. It was just _bad._
Love your Mole Mania montage! Another gem! Thanks for the video.
5:03 no way 😮😮😮
Just tried gunstar heroes for the first time on my miyoo mini plus. Wow that one is good!! Best retro gaming you tuber hands down
Why the HELL don’t you have more subs?! 😩 Let’s get those numbers up!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Hot Wheels Crash is a unique PC game from the 90s. It's a puzzle game where the goal is to cause the most destruction by launching a hot wheel at the correct spot, time, and speed.
Nice video! I always go back to Braid on my X360 every once in awhile, it's such a unique puzzle platformer with absolutely beautiful art design and a clever twist on the "save the princess" storyline trope.
I just realized that you can write off your banana purchases as business expenses. 🤣
4:34 alright thats a good one i'll give yoy that
Ultima Underworld series. Multiple solutions & ways to tackle every situation in the game. Completely different character types can offer completely different approaches to problem solving. Very satisfying.
Great picks! I'd only heard of half of them
My choice would be the Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan series for the DS. It is a phenomenal rhythm game series that utilizes the DS's unique hardware to great success, and on top of that the sound design in spot-on and each game oozes with charm and personality.
There's also the fan-made spiritual successor Osu!, which is quite good, but the charm and gamefeel of the originals still have me going back to them more.
This man gets it. That's why War God's will always have a place in my heart with all its 90s 3D jankiness 😂
I love NiGHTS and Pikmin and I gasped at the thumbnail❤
Absolutely, Banjo can never get enough love.
Also, I've never played it but I watched a playthrough of outer wilds and it was so amazing. Never seen anything else even remotely close to it in design.
Hey. I played Pikmin 1 recently on the Pikmin 1 and 2 collection on Switch and really liked it. My only complaints is how dumb the Pikmin can be at times getting stuck under bridges or whatnot.
I'd say Dragon Force is my main pick and also Raw Danger and Disaster Report. Never played anything like those two games. Really weird, but fun.
Some of my picks:
Death Stranding
The Lost Vikings
Full Spectrum Warrior
Shadow of the Colossus
Catherine
I like how you go about showing gameplay, very visually cozy.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons comes to mind for me. Brilliant storytelling through the game controls.
I loved that game too. Very cool way of having the controls tie into the story itself.
*Alien Soldier* is another Treasure game with a really unique mechanic. The... fire... phoenix charge... thing... really rewards advanced play. The first few times you play the game, you might barely ever get to use it because you're constantly taking damage. But once you start to "get gud," you learn how to attack with it, get a health pickup, attack with it again, and when and where to target enemies, and then you find yourself blowing through bosses that used to murder you and practically speed running the game.
A very unique and rewarding mechanic for a run-and-gun platformer.
My favorite unique style games are the DK Jungle Climber games on GBA and DS. Great games
In 2003, Viewtiful Joe 1 on the Cube blew me away with its clever gameplay and unique art style.
You reminded me of the time Rare put out a banjo Kazooie 3 teaser trailer , where banjo was using Kazooie as a chainsaw. I've been waiting too bud 😞
Portal - It's kind of easy to take for granted now we've figured it out, but "thinking with portals" really challenged players to consider physics and geometry in ways they'd never done before. It was a real mindbender to get over. It all feels so physical and true to the properties of our world, which is what makes it so satisfying. The time you discover how falling down a hole can help propel you through the air is something else.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - Again, once you know the game, it's easy to overlook how unique it is, but this is a really great way of presenting a 3D score-based game with real creative freedom for the player. High scores ask you to see the best potential in a level layout and push yourself to pull off the most elaborate sequence of tricks over them. While other games were still in an awkward phase with 3D design, THPS had you jumping off ramps and landing on mid-air rails with confidence.
Splatoon - A really smart solution to the unbalanced nature of multiplayer shooters. Even if you can't hit an opponent in time, you can still contribute to your team's success. Enemies can be found by trailing their ink, and laying your own ink creates quick routes for your teammates. The central conceit that these are people who can turn into squids is a stroke of whimsical genius, and all the absurd amount of lore, artwork and music that have come out of the series all spins off from that.
QIX - QIX is a game that's so simplistic, it feels like it should be an ancient part of human culture, but it's something that could only really work successfully as a videogame. Draw lines to box-in the wandering enemies. Each time you break from the border, you're taking a risk, and if you're really daring, you can complete a level incredibly quickly. It's an act of creation, but there's also a bit of stealth to it. There's nothing else quite like QIX. Such an elemental blend of puzzle and action.
Minecraft - Separate yourself from the mania and the widespread cultural impact, and you might start to appreciate what an overwhelming proposal this was to players. Mixing the boundless potential of a never-ending Lego set with the threat of surviving out in the wilderness with nothing in your pockets. Minecraft calls on each player's ingenuity and creativity to make the most of the scenario, and opens their eyes to the value of all the world's resources. We might think of it as a tacky toy these days, but each new Minecraft save is such a huge opportunity.
You have an amazing channel. You put in the time and it shows, very high quality.
Thank you!
Thanks for recommend Mole Mania, never heard of it and kind surprised since is a Nintendo game that you soon or later you would hear it in a reference or in Smash Bros (lol).
I always love a good puzzle game that makes you say: "Ah!".
And about unique games, there are two games not very retro-ish but I always remember in how good and unique were and are: Shadow of Destiny and Crush 3D
Shadow of Destiny is an underrated PS2 (and ported later on PSP) game made by Konami, the game was a 3D story driven game that use time traveling aspects, maybe not an original idea but the execution was pretty neat since each era had different filters and each decision or puzzle solved changed the fate.
Meanwhile with Crush 3D it was a pretty unique puzzle game in which combined and modified the dimensions of the game, depending of the position of the character and camera angle you can change the dimension from 3D to 2D and viceversa, the game also had an intriguing and a little dark storyline on the original PSP version, while in the remake on 3DS sadly the storyline was more family friendly and kind corny but still the game keep it essence.
One of my favorite unique/obscure video games is Azure Dreams for the ps1
Some of the most unique or interesting games for me were:
Legend of Ligia
Baten Kiatos
Amazing island
Pikmin
Wario ware
Have just been replaying Pikmin this week, and having an unreasonable amount of fun. Was surprised by how much it truly makes me feel 12 again 😌. The Gamecube had so many other clever and delightful games, such as Odama, a pinball strategy game with voice commands set in feudal Japan, and Chibi Robo, which I won't attempt to describe here but whose reputation is well deserved!
I use to have a rick and morty nes rom hack of alien syndrome.
It was awesome can't find it anymore sadly. :( Omg I love mole mania!! My uncle took me to the store as a kid and I picked out mole mania. I still have it and I frequently requested muddy to be in smash.
Kirby Bowl/ Kirby's Dream Course is one of my favourite unique games. It's also the only Isometric game I can think of that isn't hurt by the perspective, and it's over very clear about where things are. It's a must own for any super famicom/ snes collector. It's also pretty cheap.
I love me some N64 so I'm going to throw Sin & Punishment into the mix here - I think there might've been a few arcade games that mixed rail shooters with targeting reticles (like Gunblade NY) but there was really nothing like it on a home console.
SO on point about the GameBoy being perfect for puzzle games. To add to your reasons, the portability is a big factor. Also when you are on a bus it is easier to play than like a platformer cos of the bumping around.
Great video, thanks. This feels like the beginning of a series. We would all love to hear your take on more examples. Games that come to mind include Chameleon twist, Snowboard Kids (all time hidden gem), Super Buster Bros, and Katamari Damacy. Like you demonstrated here, I believe its better to avoid obscurity and pick mostly from the mainstream developers. Thumbs up from me, keep it up.
Mole Mania is one of the best unknown games out there.
The serotonin I felt when I saw Ogre Battle 64 during the intro ✨
Radiant Silvergun is fantastic, and that soundtrack. *chef's kiss
As a massive Banjo Fan, I stayed with Smash Bros Ultimate was announced, I looked at my friends and said, “If banjo is in, he’s my main” and the day happened! But, I agree, we need a proper 3rd banjo game…
I never played any of the games you mentioned but they all look good. Two games that come to mind for me that are creative/unique are “it takes two” and “outer wilds”.
great vid, you always give me a good laugh
Great video. Thanks for making it.
I think I'll try Mole Mania.
BABA IS YOU. It's not retro by age, but it is very unique. The puzzles continually provide "aha" moments and become, later on, require some extreme "out of the box" thinking.
Brothers: a tale of two sons gets my vote for originality. Each brother is controlled by a separate thumbstick, which is difficult to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a really enjoyable experience.
Someone else said this too. I agree. Really unique game and I loved it.
Great list - If I had to pick some unique games, the 4 that come to mind are: Haunting Starring Polterguy / Silhouette Mirage / Sonic Spinball / Gravity Rush
Windjammers on the Neo Geo is my pick for a unique and clever game. It blurs the line between a sports game and a fighting game.
Most unique and clever bird the Retro Bird
LOL @ 2:28
Loved the vid, RB.
If you haven't played, I highly recommend Portal (on PC with a high refresh monitor) and also its sequel. They're fantastic! Very clever and exciting first-person puzzle games. I'd say what my favorite level is on Portal 1, but I don't wanna spoil it.
Every video you made naming the Saturn is an amazing video to me
First, keep up the awesome videos! Seriously cool! I was expecting to see Shadow of the Colossus, and your list both surprised and really impressed! Go Pickman and Radiant Silvergun! After watching your video, I would consider Catherine, and possibly Alien/Devil Crush on the tg 16! Keep up the great topics Retro bird!
Gameboy- Avenging Spirit.
SNES- EVO.
Nintendo DS- Ghost Trick Phantom Detective.
Nintendo DS- Electroplankton.
Rez
While perhaps no longer unique due to the many imitations and games it inspired, at the time, Minecraft was extremely unique. The premise is so bizarre it doesn't sound fun but boy is it addicting.
I have to say that Cuphead is one of the most visually unique games I've ever played. The game play may not be anything super unique, but that 30's cartoon art style... I've never seen anything quite like it except maaaybe Mickey Mania. But finding out that the whole game was hand drawn blew my mind. I couldn't believe that hand drawn anything still happened.
I agree. Cuphead is such an outstanding game.
I'll throw in my two cents with two games!:
A few games I think are super unique and have never been replicated I think are-
1st The ooze on sega Genesis. The game falls into no genre whatsoever but feels like a combination of many. The way you manage health vs speed vs power and so on is ingenious and the way you attack is unique and fun too.
2nd sacrifice on the pc from 1999. I know that this channel doesn't focus on old PC games, but if you truly want unique games that is the place to go. Sacrifice is an RTS game made by shiny that plays from a third person perspective. You play as a wizard that summons monsters from 5 different gods (factions) that you can join at different times to create your own personalized army of units and spells.
There's a little too much to explain but the gameplay is fun and unique and the voice acting is superb with many big names in the industry bringing their talents. I can't recommend it enough.
Coming off the top of my head for unique games, I'd go with Guardian Legend for combining a vertical scrolling smhup with Zelda style, top-down exploration. The original Phantasy Star was also unique for bringing some hard scifi to a genre (RPGs) that was then-dominated by medieval fantasy worlds. Then there's Comix Zone, where the world is literally a comic book. How cool is that?