Nintendo NES Games - Hidden Gems Part 2

[@MetalJesusRocks]

We like to deliberately put mistakes into these videos like "astrology/ASTRONOMY"... which compels people to comment on the video, which KZbin then sees as ENGAGEMENT with the audience which then helps drive up views! ....or....it was just an honest mistake ;)

[@marmaluke]

+MetalJesusRocks Haha good save!

[@cuttingonions1232]

ayy lmao

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Luke Marazzi (marmaluke) I know right? I'm a GENIUS! :)

[@JohnRiggs]

+MetalJesusRocks I like both Astrology and astronomy, but not as much as Astro Pops.

[@bryanelliott2107]

+MetalJesusRocks I was gonna say... My immediate reaction was something like, "Ehh, those things don't go together..." Gives me an idea for a story about astronauts in an astrologically operative universe, though.

[@JohnRiggs]

NES Hidden Gems volume 3? Anyone? Anyone? What did we leave out?

[@DpadDanny]

+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Palamedes

[@NickEnlowe]

+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Here's a few ideas: Fantasy Zone, Gargoyle's Quest 2, Air Fortress, Legacy of the Wizard, Kabuki Quantum Fighter, Journey to Silius, Base Wars, Alpha Mission, and Willow.

[@leefischer5814]

Totally Rad, Captain America and the Avengers, and Whomp'em me thinks. But... premium pics nonetheless. I'm too old for this $h!t Riggs, keep up the awesome vids NES 4 life!

[@nickm4779]

Little nemo: dream master, conquest of the crystal palace, bayou billy!

[@michaeldavidson5250]

The Guardian Legend. Amazing game, yet it is so overlooked all the time. Mix Zelda 1 with Gun Nac = The Guardian Legend.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

By the way: The SONG at the end of this video will be available this fall from K-Tel Records for only 6 payments of $9.99!!!

[@Shawn__Martin]

+MetalJesusRocks All that music goodness for only 6 easy payments of $9.99!!! Thats 50% off the retail price I'm sold.

[@daveybones13]

Now MJR I know what you're thinking!... How can we give away this song at such a great deal!!

[@shadycharacter6966]

if you throw in a ronco pocket fisherman I'm sold

[@jansmolinski3431]

If this song would have been bundled with the game, it wouldn't be hidden.

[@Alpha1BDaReaLiSeD]

+David Wainwright the first 1000 SOLD come with a riggs poster

[@johnhancockretro]

Great video. I played Faxanadu ALOT. Beat it back in the day. Great game. Worth saving up at the start of the game to get the death magic.

[@JohnRiggs]

+John Hancock I'd money-grind near the beginning of the game to grab that shield and magic near the beginning.

[@johnhancockretro]

+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games exactly what I do

[@Alienfanatic]

The password system on Faxanadu was a nightmare, though. Instead of common alphabetic letters and numbers, it opted for weird, and easily mistaken, runes. I can't remember how many times I wanted to throw the controller after I'd written it down wrong.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+John Hancock The Immortal John Hancock everybody! A thumbs up from John, is like a KISS on the cheek from Kate Upton... wait. ... that just got weird.

[@johnhancockretro]

+John Gower that is why smart phones rock now :). Take a picture. Or play on Retron 5 and use save state

[@lojakz]

So I've been trying to remember the title to Flying Warriors for years now. Years! I played it once over a long holiday weekend when I was laid out due to torn tendons in my ankle, it was one that we rented, and I couldn't remember the title, and have been trying to remember it for damned near 30 years. So thank you Metal Jesus and John Riggs. Now I can track it down.

[@brucemckinlay9739]

Destiny of an Emperor is my favorite game ever! It has quite a cult following, with many rom hacks from dedicated fans. There's even a program someone made to edit a ton of stuff in the game called Destiny of an Editor.

[@TVsMrNeil]

5:18 "I was such an astronaut nerd. I love astrology." I think you meant ASTRONOMY.

[@Astronomer91]

Ya that made me do a double take

[@masonanglin4443]

+Neil Purcell no he wanted to me an astronaut because he likes reading horoscopes duhhhhhhhh

[@sapientia_et_virtus]

Yeah, it was quite jarring to hear. I haven't heard anyone make that mistake since elementary school. Undoubtedly, no true lover of scientific thinking would conflate pseudoscience with an actual branch of science. I love what these guys do, but that's so embarrassing and cringe worthy I'd have to edit it out if it were me. 🙈

[@scarroll625]

Mercury is in retrograde or some shit lol

[@JTSDAD67]

As a fellow Astro-nerd, I was momentarily triggered.

[@omegaweapon116]

I've been looking for the name of that game I played about 25 years ago and this video finally helped me find it - Flying Warriors. Praise the sun.

[@william0002]

new drinking game: every time metal jesus goes "huh?!" take a shot.

[@Skyrideradventures]

or says "interesting"

[@rmcyborg8334]

Lmao

[@adaw90]

I tried that just now. Now I'm drunk.

[@rmcyborg8334]

I have a hangover

[@jmyers1385]

Great vid! Faxanadu needs more love, that game is fantastic. In 2016 it's a stretch to call anything on the NES a "hidden gem" anymore, but if I had to pick out a few gems that haven't been put on blast on KZbin yet (I could be wrong), I'd probably go with: Air Fortress, Heavy Barrel, Dragon Spirit, Fist of the North Star, Image Fight, Low G Man, P.O.W., and Magic of Scheherazade.

[@seydevilchick8]

No one else does ( hidden Gems ) i love these… you rock!

[@mediagnome80]

Faxanadu is great! I just bought Destiny of an Emperor! Greetings from Finland. Btw, your videos are great!

[@Pixel-dan]

Seriously loving these videos. I picked up Vice: Project Doom on clearance when I was a kid knowing nothing about it, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Really cool seeing it show up on a list like this!

[@rickg8109]

So glad Faxanadu Made the list. A great hidden gem i've been touting for years.

[@kirkula]

How does Riggs only have 10kish subs so far? The dude is entertaining

[@JohnRiggs]

thanks!

[@NukeA6]

I really like the dialogue in Vice: Project Doom. It's like they pulled it off from an action movie script.

[@Akuajin]

Riggs! Metal! I got a whole wall of NES carts to pull from and a few "hidden gem" suggestions for part III! Good stuff guys!

[@thirstyphoenix8075]

all I have to say is you make the best hidden gems videos in my opinion. thanks for all the great content.

[@sixstring8450]

Love this series! Great way to kick off my weekend.

[@neufelb]

I can't believe how I'm always surprised by some games in EACH hidden gems video. And as a bonus, it's always fun to watch.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Neufel-b So glad you like them! Thanks for watching.

[@josueces]

i remember playing a game called "rockin' kats". awesome platformer. another game i played a bunch with my brother was "anticipation". cool board game.

[@RookerVision]

Destiny of an Emperor is easily one of my all time favorite games. The music, combat system and story are all top notch. I especially love how you can recruit a huge variety of Generals throughout the game, all with their own unique sprites. - SK

[@emptysaint]

LOVE these videos! Always helps raise the value of my collection.

[@acdc09]

Power Blade, Solar Jetman, Kickle Cubicle, Little Nemo, Scat, and Shadow of the Ninja are just a few of my hidden gem picks.

[@eightyx]

"I loved astrology" lmao... think you got the wrong word there, bruh

[@emptyspotlight]

I think he meant to say astronomy

[@Michael-ox9tp]

😂 big facts, mans lookin like a human size hotdog

[@millerstainable]

You sound like a blast to hang out with. * cue the grammar police siren *

[@IDiedForYou1776]

Little Nemo Dream Master is an amazing game hidden gem hands down

[@filgaia1]

Faxanadu AND Destiny of an Emperor? Fantastic video!

[@kpag3030]

filgaia1 agreed

[@jkgamerau]

Been binge watching all your NES Hidden Gems video this morning guys......SO GOOD!!! Great content!

[@The_Fat_Turtle]

What video had Metal Jesus going full speed on an elliptical machine? It always makes me chuckle when I see it in the intros.

[@jokatech]

This was amazing. Thanks guys. I really have to pay more attention to the NES. These were all super impressive games.

[@caprilaser3]

Love these hidden gems videos! Some good ones here. I have Vice Project Doom and agree it's a decent game! My recommendations for hidden gems would be Shadowgate, Dejavu, Uninvited, Shatterhand, Heavy Barrel & Burai Fighter.

[@jamiegeysbeek3397]

LOVED Space Shuttle Project

[@Haiongames]

John Riggs the Astronaut: Exploring the vast spaces of the Zodiac signs.

[@daver7178]

So awesome that Faxandu is finally getting some love. I feel like Crystalis needs to be mentioned in these videos as well.

[@MysteriousMrL]

+David Roeseler Absolutely. I was about to post a comment to bring up Crystalis.

[@leomendez3195]

Here some games that are underrated ...........Isolated Warrior ,Clash At Demonhead, S.C.A.T. , Tecmo World Wrestling, Code Name Viper.

[@jmatt781]

Kabuki Quantum Fighter is also a fantastic NES hidden gem. Love that game.

[@kyoku1982]

+jmatt781 Wow, for over two decades I thought I was the only person who had that game.

[@jmatt781]

kyoku1982 Hell yeah! The game is tough, but it is so damn goofy and fun.

[@kyoku1982]

jmatt781 I never thought it was that tough by NES standards (probably because I played it so much as a kid the patterns were burned into my brain). Being a kabuki killing monsters with your hair in a virtual sci fi world somehow seemed less ridicules back in the early 90s.

[@Ruudos]

+kyoku1982 I agree. I can beat it without dying and don't consider that to be a huge feat at all. It's dun to play through every year.

[@jmatt781]

kyoku1982 Yeah, I suck at it, but I still love it, LOL!

[@SweatPantsJoe]

i used the vice project doom artwork as my windows desktop background image at my old job. i got some great reactions from people.

[@crablent3828]

Princess tomato and the salad kingdom was a pretty good adventure game as well.

[@coachdable]

Lol! The epic dad bod's built by beer! Too Funny! Great work fellas!

[@johnnyconsumer]

"Destiny of an Emperor" is my all-time favorite NES game!!! Highly underrated. Glad it was recognized in this video.

[@KacyDaGameNerd]

I dig that SRG cap John. Tiny Toons and Felix the Cat are awesome games.

[@UltimateNinja1984]

These are some of my fav mjr videos ! I may not agree on all, but him n Riggs together just oozes gaming chemistry! The best retro duo on yt!

[@ForkedEye]

I think Bucky O'Hare is a Hidden Gem on NES. No one talks about it, everybody forgets, but it's one of THE BEST NES titles ever.

[@ratburger4408]

Die Hard for the NES is such a hidden gem. It's tough to get used to, but so cool when you do. Great video guys!

[@hayabusa8314]

The SNES game you were thinking about at 10:30 is Metal Marines.

[@Metalhead6520]

+Mega RetroMan nah dawg Metal Warriors.......

[@torgogorgo1888]

+Mega RetroMan Ya considering this is a mech game and the sprite looks like an 8bit version of the first mech you use in Metal Warriors, and the fact that that is a fairly rare SNES game and one of the most expensive on the system, I'd have to agree with Jack that MJR is thinking of Metal Warriors.

[@hayabusa8314]

+Jack Cayman You're right, it is Metal WARRIORS. I tend to get the 2 mixed up. Thanks bro.

[@hayabusa8314]

+Harold Cox-Zucker True. That was my mix up.

[@torgogorgo1888]

It happens. To be fair to you, Metal Marines is probably a bit rarer than Metal Warriors, just not as valuable.

[@cougarkitt]

I'm so surprised no mention of Galaxy 5000! Hands down one of the best racing games for the Nes. Cool graphics, great sound and very playable. It was the influence for Rock and Roll Racing on the Snes. BTW Great show!

[@deathtone1614]

Bucky O'Hare is a good game

[@GameGalaxyshow]

John Riggs seriously seems like the nicest guy you'd ever meet!

[@DreamsOfMorpheus]

5:16 "I was such a astronaut nerd, I loved astrology" lol. I'm sure he meant astronomy.

[@Robert-dv2ot]

+DreamsOfMorpheus Ikr

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+DreamsOfMorpheus We like to deliberately put mistakes into these videos like "astrology/ASTRONOMY"... which compels people to comment on the video, which KZbin then sees as ENGAGEMENT with the audience which then helps drive up views! ....or....it was just an honest mistake ;)

[@gatabootz2106]

Thanks for showcasing XEXYZ!! Growing up that was hands down 1 of my favorites! Great graphics, music, gameplay & difficulty!! That is a Top 10 game for NES for me..Truly a hidden gem that is a diamond in the rough

[@justinandrews520]

Im surprised that Monster in My Pocket hasnt come up on any hidden gems yet. Super fun platformer that is challenging but not overly long.

[@critterwyatt]

Andrew Belet wow yes, that game was awesome!

[@EJayNine]

Great video guys, keep them up!

[@TheIrishBub]

It's astronomy, not astrology. Sorry, but one of my science teachers always got on my case when anyone made that mistake.

[@Cgro2767]

New vid from MJR is a great start to ANY weekend! Great recommendations in here.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+cgro2767 Thanks!

[@darrnellnott07]

yaaay! love this guy!! I need to watch his channel more. I really enjoyed his feature on gamester81's channel a bit ago as well

[@peculiarpreacher9083]

I've just watched last Metal Jesus video, and this one aftereards(7yrs prior) and this guy has not changed at all!!!

[@dieserbombi]

riggs is the beeeeest

[@JohnRiggs]

+dieser bombi How can I be the best when YOU'RE the best!

[@dieserbombi]

nooooooo

[@cooolpotato]

So happy this video started off with Tiny Toons Adventures. My favourite NES game hands down.

[@EposVox]

Really cool games here. Thanks dudes!

[@JohnRiggs]

+EposVox Our pleasure! And I love your channel, too.

[@EposVox]

John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Thanks man :)

[@CLabmusic]

"tiny tune adventures whaaaaaa! tiny tune adventures," will haunt my nightmares. thanks

[@CrazyJoe]

Watching the first 5 mins before I have to wake up my kids. So far so good bros!

[@The_RadicalOne]

Joe!!!!!

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Radical Reggie REGGIE!!

[@CrazyJoe]

Dudes!

[@belfieldj]

Meee!

[@CharlieChinchillaTV]

Us!

[@jcharr1]

I had Xexyz back in the day. It's a lot of fun. I had completely forgotten about it until maybe a couple years ago I was browing my NES ROM collection and was firing up random games to try. Stumbled on Xexyz and was like, "hey I remember this! It's awesome." I remember getting a game magazine that had a Flying Warriors comic in it and reading it in the car on the way home from town with my grandma when I was young. So even though I never actually played it, Flying Warriors brings back good memories for me.

[@HippieMumboJumbo]

Speaking of Tengen games...Super Sprint !!! Its about 1,000x more fun than R.C. Pro Am

[@larrymockridge4653]

Loved me some Faxanadu! "You are free from injury because of the ointment." The most devastating thing in the game is, "Your mantra is in the wrong." Brutal password system!

[@omaramaral7062]

Faxanadu is my favorite game, here is my list of hidden gems: Quantum fighter Whomp em Crash and the boys Nuts and milk

[@branscombe_]

DUDE TINY TOONS. big points in my books for this shout out

[@jaredhammonds8255]

I love metal storm! I have seen it go for as high as $280 by the way. I got mine for 5 bucks! Lol

[@SakuraGraffiti]

Thanks to this video I picked up Vice Project Doom and I have to say that it's up there as one of my favorite NES titles now! Thanks guys!

[@MetallicBlade]

My hidden gem is: Jackal.

[@danielmelvin4525]

MetallicBlade yeah but it's pretty popular though

[@michaelray2119]

These hidden gem videos are awesome please do more!

[@SirRunk666]

John is the most American looking person on the planet.

[@JohnRiggs]

+SirRunk I'll live up to that by wearing stars and stripes zubaz, have an eagle on my shoulder and eating a corn dog next time.

[@SirRunk666]

John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Okay.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+SirRunk 'Merica fuck yeah!

[@retrobitsmx]

XD

[@АлександърТренчев-э2я]

+SirRunk After Guile, lol

[@jexthegamer]

Please do a third part!!!!! You guys are covering some really great games, and there are so many more that are worth mentioning.

[@treble1200]

Oh ma, Tiny Toon Adventures was such a greaaaat game.

[@dannykarbon1936]

I love your channel because all of the guests you have on with you are just so genuine....remind me of my friends from back in high school. :)

[@Brojman]

Astrology or Astronomy? I hope it's the later. lol

[@alderamirez4670]

Latter

[@mistergacado4400]

perfect timing! I'm going to a convention this Sunday which is probably gonna have most of these! Thanks a bunch

[@JohnRiggs]

+Mister Gacado Which convention?

[@mistergacado4400]

+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games A very small one in Illinois called collector con, not worth driving all the way from Seattle to come to, but it's alot better than gamestop.

[@harrisonmode8046]

Ummm..Astrology is not ANYTHING to do with space - that's ASTRONOMY dude.

[@JohnRiggs]

+Harrison Foley "the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world." I don't know of too many celestial bodies in the grand canyon but, you're right, I meant to say Astronomy. I didn't bother correcting myself. Alas, I'm just some dude.

[@Robert-dv2ot]

+Harrison Foley Ikr. They aren't the smartest people.

[@JohnRiggs]

+Rob Allen It's all good. I'm not the smartest person :)

[@chappydeb]

Felix the Cat is such a fantastic platformer! Thanks for remembering it!!

[@randallkern3771]

Master Blaster is quite a gem. Dunno how hidden it is since I grew up with it and all.

[@Locomamonk]

Man, I've beaten VICE like a thousand times, at one point I was doing fanart of it every single day. What a great game.

[@braselthegamer]

I remember when I covered Faxanadu in my NES Hidden Gems list, people tried to call me out saying it was a well known game. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't know anything about it. I totally would have skipped this game due to the box art, too. It looks cool, but it could also easily be from one of those tedious NES RPGs or Strategy games. Great video, guys!

[@JohnRiggs]

+Brasel TheGamer I still think ALL NES games are well known because that's what I grew up with, but now with new collectors and younger gamers getting into the retro scene, gotta keep'em in check. Keep up the good work on your channel, buddy!

[@braselthegamer]

+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Thanks John!

[@storageanddisposal]

Metal Storm has been around 100 for awhile. Glad to see it here! Vice Project Doom is one of my favorites, too.

[@scipio8866]

Faxanadu and destiny of an emperor, great choices. Top NES games imo

[@Deathwish203]

Where was Maniac Mansion??? That game was Epic!

[@skorpius752]

These are some great recommendations. I just started collecting NES games and today I picked up a copy of Faxanadu ($8) and Tiny Toons ($10). I never even heard of Faxanadu but apparently my wife used to play it. Tiny Tunes is a game I played with friends but I never had a copy since they were expensive and I had to really pick and choose. The fact they ripped off the gamplay mechanics from SMB3 is a good thing. I was able to jump right in and start playing fairly well. One hidden gem I managed to luck into today at the local used media buy/sell/trade shop was Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego ($5!). This was the height of edutainment back in the day! I also scored Tengen's Pac Man ($10), Metroid ($25). All carts were very good to excellent condition. I had an NES back in the day, which I sold many years ago. I only had a couple dozen games but most of them were excellent. I am kinda bummed I sold all my stuff but it is a lot of fun starting collecting from scratch. I also spotted a copy of the Space Shuttle game. If it is still there when I go back in a couple of days, I will probably buy it. Probably not something I will spend hours playing but it seems like a neat collectible. Another suggestion I would make is Dragon Warrior. This is an excellent RPG from Square Enix, makers of Final Fantasy. DW is commonly available for around $10.

[@SLagonia]

Holy crap! Someone finally mentioned Space Shuttle Project! This was my favorite game for The NES and my #1 hidden gem and I never see it mentioned by anyone.

[@clintongrenard1126]

Flying Warrior has one of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time and good vibes

[@nickmancini3215]

I'm a new fan. Just discovered you. Metal Jesus rules!

[@CrimsonFox36]

Super Dodge Ball is a fantastic game. It's silly, hectic, very deep, and tons of fun in either campaign or versus.

[@robk8658]

Tiny Toons... Me and my late Mother spent hours upon hours on this game... Thanks for the memories guys! :)

[@justinhavu]

I'm a BIG fan of Faxanadu. Great gameplay and soundtrack. Also, I'd add Maniac Mansion to the list, maybe for part 3.

[@Ruudos]

Hidden gems: - Adventures of Rad Gravity - Th Battle of Olympus - The Incredible Crash Dummies - Low G Man - Tiny Toon Adventures 2 - Willow

[@will3642]

played battle of olympus a lot, probably could pick it back up and find my way through it again..loved it

[@point-xn4tu]

Felix for NES has the perfect difficulty level for its genre. I had so much fun beating it! Because 1. It is actually beatable. Because 2. Each level has enough variation that it continues to be interesting.

[@CanadianRetro]

I feel like you read my mind with two of those games ... Destiny of an Emperor and Spot are highly under appreciated by many collectors. When I got back into collecting, those were two of my must haves. I thought I had might have commented that on the other video (part 1) but I did not see it there. I recall Faxanadu as well. Played it a ton as a kid surprisingly though I do not remember much about it. I should go back and play it as I have it in my collection.

[@blueshotgun017]

Great list, as always. Tiny Toons and Vice: Project Doom (although here in Japan it's called Gun-Dec) are two of my favorites. Hidden gems I think you guys should cover: Air Fortress, Dragon Fighter, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Sky Kid, Robo Warrior, POW: Prisoners of War, Willow, Puzznic, Solstice, Solomon's Key, Fire 'n Ice, Rolling Thunder, and Totally Rad.

[@ricardomora5187]

You deserve many more subscribers than what you have, your really are great

[@johnshulz4482]

thank you for showing faxanadu. one of the best games I've ever played.

[@JohnRiggs]

+John Shulz One of my favorites!

[@johnshulz4482]

John Riggs: RIGG'd Games I snagged a copy a few weeks ago for $6.

[@Breakdown776]

You guys did it again, fantastic list, though I question how hidden Metal Storm is at this point. Very much so back in the day, sure, but on pretty much every collector's radar today (and for good reason, game is awesome, one of my favorites on the console). Super glad to see Faxandu, Flying Warriors, Xexyz and Vice Project Doom get some love. All super fun titles that I personally enjoy immensely. And of course you should do a part 3! There's plenty more great games that don't get that much press out there, and with how the first two have gone I'm sure you will pick wisely. I'll throw a few out here: Kick Master Arkista's Ring Image Fight Solstice Kabuki Quantum Fighter

[@CultOfJim]

Silent Service is an excellent WW2 Sub simulator for the NES. The game play is slow, but there's a lot of thought involved, as you figure out how to deal with Destroyers, when to surface or submerge, and such. You switch between a first person view through the periscope, to map, resource, and damage screens. The game is missing enemy Subs, and a bit closer to game than actual sim, but considering the hardware and time period, it's very well done.

[@Breakdown776]

+The Cult of the Jim I'll agree here, the learning curve is super steep, so most people just crap on it, but it's actually a really fun game once you know what you're doing.

[@CultOfJim]

It's definitely a read the manual first ordeal, fortunately PDFs are online. Even so, much fun figuring out what's best for each encounter on campaign mode- scrag some tonnage with a minimal escort shipping convoy, then bump into two battleships with a handful of destroyers. Think I ran out of everything once, just a couple days from port.

[@PsychomachineryEBM]

Happily someone finally mention Faxanadu, IMO the MOST underrated GEM for the NES. Shame how most of the people, even worse, the kids from today, never heard about this fantastic game.