Ikaruga, Just one of the Eight Games from the 2000s You Forgot About

1. Road Trip Adventure (2002)

Road Trip Adventure is a PlayStation 2 driving game. The game is part job simulator and part racing game. In this game, your job is to race your way to the presidency. You travel, complete side quests, upgrade your vehicle and complete races. The President in Road Trip Adventure will give his position to anyone who can beat him in a race. The game has a soccer minigame, a casino section and an ability to get a job delivering things like ramen or pizza.

Road Trip Adventure, in North America, had two radio stations: one station was MIDI music, unfortunately miscredited, and the other station had four songs. Three of the songs were from the band Push Kings and one song was from The Waking Hours. 

Road Trip Adventure is also known as Choro-Q in Japan, where it’s an immensely popular franchise. I loved this game growing up, and I’d love to see either a remake, a remaster or a continuation in North America. If you like the zaniness of Grand Theft Auto and the customization of Rocket League, check out Road Trip Adventure. 

2. Karous (2006 – 2007)

Karous is a shoot ‘em up released in arcades in 2006 and released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2007. The game is known as the last official Dreamcast game. The somber aesthetic and the revenge-based storyline emphasize the end of the Dreamcast era. 

Karous has the same gameplay mechanics as Radirgy (Radio Allergy). Both games were developed and published by MileStone Inc. Given that MileStone Inc. became defunct in 2013, the best chance of playing a future Karous title is through a spiritual successor.

3. Spec Ops: The Line (2012)

Released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2012, Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter. It’s one of those games that show rather than tell the horrors of war. The game is also one of those games that tells players that war and violence aren’t things to take lightly.

The game reminds me of the Hotline Miami duology with how wanton violence takes a toll on the characters. Spec Ops: The Line wasn’t commercially successful when it came out. The game being banned in the United Arab Emirates due to its portrayal of Dubai and the licensed music make a rerelease very unlikely. Spec Ops: The Line is another game that would benefit from a spiritual successor. 

4. Ikaruga (2001)

Ikaruga was released in arcades in 2001 and released on every major console since the Dreamcast. The game has a polarity system with puzzle mechanics, making it difficult for shmup newbies. With seven ports (Skyrim has about eight), Ikaruga is considered one of the best shoot ‘em ups ever by shmup fans and casuals alike. Why is it considered forgotten?

Ikaruga is a game that lots of gamers know about, but not many people play the game.  The bright side is you can buy and play the game on most modern consoles and PC. Please check out Ikaruga when you get the chance. The game is often on sale via Steam.

5. Dark Cloud (2000)

Dark Cloud, and its 2002 sequel Dark Cloud 2, are PlayStation 2 games. Dark Cloud is a very unique RPG where you build a city and fight monsters. Dark Cloud 2 is also known as Dark Chronicle in Japan and has the same gameplay mechanics as Dark Cloud. 

I’m more familiar with the demo to Dark Cloud 2 where you fight a boss, play a picture minigame and play the first game’s first area. I remember screenshotting Kotaku’s X (formerly Twitter) bio that said, “Play Dark Cloud 2.” It’s probably the truest thing they ever said. 

6. GrimGrimoire (2007)

I remember GrimGrimoire reviewed on G4’s X-Play, where one of the reviewers described the main character as “Harry Potter but a girl.” GrimGrimoire was Vanillaware’s answer to StarCraft and has the signature hand-drawn 2-D art that Vanillaware is known for.  GrimGrimoire also has a rerelease called GrimGrimoire Once More.

7. Bastion (2011)

Despite Bastion being one of SuperGiant Games’s most successful titles, it is a game that doesn’t get a lot of attention. Solid gameplay, beautiful graphics, multiple endings and a great soundtrack make Bastion a title worth mentioning today. 

8. Amplitude (2003) 

Amplitude is the predecessor to rhythm games such as Guitar Hero, Rockband and Audiosurf. I remember playing the PS2 demo to Amplitude and failing miserably to match the rhythm. Like many rhythm games, Amplitude had licensed music, but its soundtrack stood out to me. Amplitude’s futuristic aesthetic amplifies the experience.

Conclusion

These underrated games deserve more recognition. These games may not have been immediate commercial successes, but they definitely left behind lasting memories. Remembering games of the past establishes efforts for game preservation, leading to more memories being created.

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