A platform with thirteen trillion games which everyone bought and a few hidden gems that nobody bought.Isn't that always the way?

Contra: Shattered Soldier - Mix the awesome sidescrolling shooter action of Contra with the unrelenting difficulty of Ikaruga and this is the result.While there's only six stages in the game, they're all very tough, requiring hours of practice and memorization to make it through with a high score (which is mandatory in order to get the "good" ending and unlock the last two levels).It'll kick your ass for hours as you try to make it through, but you'll still somehow have fun playing it.

Dark Cloud 2 - The first Dark Cloud was touted as Sony's "Zelda Killer" launch title; while it didn't garner anywhere near that level of fame, it still managed to be decently fun in spite of its flaws (most notably that several characters were almost unusable due to thelir long attack animations).Dark Cloud 2, however, fixes everything the first game got wrong, then takes a few more steps and improves it even further.Not only are your characters far more versatile and easier to control, there's several new mechanics added in; ridepods, item invention, fishing, fish combat, and golf minigames, and a vastly improved weapon system where a weapon breaking doesn't erase hours of effort.Easily one of the best dungeon-divers out there.

God Hand - People always rave about Devil May Cry, and I just do not see the thrill.A game with a horrid control setup, awful camera angles, and gameplay that requires no strategy outside of mashing the attack button.Not to mention that Dante's a prime example of the obnoxious "macho guy hero" archetype that I hate.

So yeah, I was the only one excited about God Hand while my friends continued to play that crap.Not only is God Hand a far better game for its simple, responsive control setup and fully customizable combo system, it perfectly satires the genre in general.Rife with cartoonish villains and equally over-the-top attacks (ranging from hammering enemies' heads into their bodies to sending them flying into the sunset with a single kick), it's well worth playing just to see what weird foes you'll be facing next.There's no shortage of them, either; you'll fight clowns, wrestlers in gorilla suits, tall punks that recite Mike Tyson quotes, and even big fat guys who fly headfirst at you while completely defying gravity (a nod to Street Fighter's E. Honda), and that's just a few of them.

The game also has more than its share of challenge; try to just rush in and throw punches and you'll get clobbered every time.Mastering the dodging mechanic is mandatory, as is using guard breaks and conserving your (somewhat scarce) God Reels and God Power until you're absolutely overwhelmed; you definitely don't want to be without them when half a dozen enemies are rushing you all at once. Moreover, the game actually adjusts the enemies' AI depending on how well you're doing - if you're effortlessly dodging and pummeling enemies they'll become stronger and more aggressive to compensate, and if you're the one taking a beating (or dying) they'll become weaker.
The advantageto this is that you are better rewarded for defeating enemies at higher difficulties; the more tough enemies you defeat and the fewer continues you use, the more money you earn at the end of a stage.Which, personally, I find a lot more enjoyable than a game that harshly punishes you for making a single mistake by setting you back more than half an hour.

Gradius V - Gradius meets Treasure.If you're even slightly familiar with either of those names, you've got a good idea of what to expect here - wild gameplay, stellar visuals and tons of challenge.Proof that the shoot-em-up genre isn't dead yet.

Grandia III - Not the greatest RPG in terms of story or characters, but it definitely has one of my favorite combat systems.Similar to previous games, by attacking your enemy with a powerful move as their turn approaches, you can delay their turn or even cancel it entirely (which turns out to be a mandatory tactic in most boss battles); it also rightfully serves to make larger groups of enemies more dangerous than one big, powerful one (as you can easily cancel any special moves they may attempt).However, Grandia 3 adds another twist to this formula; enemies who are hit with a cancelling attack can literally be lauched into the air; if another character then attacks the airborne enemy, they'll follow up with a powerful mid-air combo attack.Moreover, other characters can even follow up that attack, juggling the enemy higher and higher into the air and inflicting greater damage.Not only is it helpful for enemies with high defenses an HP, it's also just fun to watch.

Other facets have also been improved, such as the mana eggs (which can be equipped to power up spells, or converted into scrolls containing spells) and the fact that your "canceling" special attacks now don't have to be powered up to maximum level before they can be fired off in an instant.The numerous new skills (such as regaining MP after being hit by magic) also add some interesting new strategies to the game.

Phantom Brave - Mostly ignored due to Disgaea's earlier release, which is unfortunate as I actually ended up liking it more.Powering up in the game is primarily achieved through "Fusion" - fusing two characters and/or items together so that one ends up with some of the abilities and stats of the other. The game's unique style of environmental hazards (slippery and bouncy terrain) and lack of being bound to a grid were also interesting features.I got a lot more in-depth on the game's features in my review here on the Thing, so go ahead and check that out if you want more info.

Rogue Galaxy - Imagine Star Ocean.Now take out the stupid characters, dumbass story about evil angels and the worst plot twist ever written, and throw in a story about being a space pirate.While you're at it, add in a cool combat system that has far more depth to it than bashing the Square button over and over.Presto, you've got Rogue Galaxy.The game even has similar in-battle challenges and customizable weaponry, as well as a sidequest that allows you to create new items to be sold in shops (which some of the best gear in the game can only be gotten through).I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I'm doing another DMC/God Hand-esque comparison, and Rogue Galaxy is the clear winner in every category.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant - I enjoyed the first Shadow Hearts (in fact, it convinced me that the Playstation 2 actually had some hope for the RPG genre), but its sequel was the biggest and best of the series.Retaining the same sense of humor and unique combat system that drew me to the first one, Covenant also has a much greater emphasis on side-quests; every character has several sidequests that can be used to unlock their best skills, as well as their best weapons and armor.Better, most of these can actually be done as an aside to the main game; you don't have to wait until the very last hours of the story in order to access and beat all of them.Even if you don't go that route, though, very few areas in the game can't be returned to, whch means you can always come back later and finish anything you missed the first time.

Suikoden V - Not only is it an underappreciated game, it's my absolute favorite RPG on the platform.Returning to the familiar six-person combat system seen in the first two games after 3 and 4 took it into the land of unnecessary and cumbersome changes, the game also featured a great storyline and some of the greatest characterizations ever; for every archetypal character you meet there's three more totally unique ones.

Yakuza - Somehow this one slipped by without notice, which is unfortunate as it's actually a really good game.It plays somewhat similarly to Shenmue, only with much less detective work and a lot more busting heads; nearly any object in the environment can be picked up and used as a weapon, and you have a large variety of throws, kicks and punches to utilize, as well as some good old-fashioned gunfights.Of course, it also keeps the Shenmue trademark of having a surprisingly deep storyline in spite of all this.