5 Cult Games From 1994 All ’80s Kids Know Were Perfect From Start to Finish

1994 was a huge year for video games, giving players all-timers like Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, and Final Fantasy VI. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the year’s best-sellers, but if you’re looking to dig a little deeper, there are also plenty of great cult classics from the year. These games didn’t do huge sales numbers, and might’ve even been misunderstood by players and critics at the time, but they’re still worth your time. Here are five cult games from 1994 that you should check out. Keep in mind, this list isn’t the be-all, end-all of cult 1994 games. It’s just a sampling of some of the best.

5) Demon’s Crest

Demon’s Crest is a platform action game from Capcom that’s set in the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series. You play as Firebrand and have to work your way through six levels. However, it’s not a linear adventure. Similar to a Metroidvania, you can jump back into an old level and use newly acquired powers to progress further. That’s important because Firebrand collects Crests, which give him new transformations and abilities that let you access new areas and bosses in each level.

Unfortunately, that complexity of level design made it a relatively tough sell in 1994. In fact, it was reported that more players returned Demon’s Crest than bought it during its second week on the shelves in Japan. That’s not exactly a good sign, but that negativity was overblown. Demon’s Crest is a great-looking SNES game with a fun gimmick. It’s also very easy to play these days, thanks to a release on the Nintendo Classics service in 2020.

4) Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds

Humongous Entertainment was a lot of gamers’ childhood. Between Pajama Sam, Backyard Sports, and Spy Fox, the company owned the edutainment space during the ’90s. It all started with the Putt-Putt series in 1992, but Freddi Fish came along a few years later to prove the developers at Humongous had the juice. If you were in grade school at the time, you’ve likely played this game in the computer lab, but it’s worth including here because it was easy to miss if you weren’t a kid.

Look, I’m not saying Freddi Fish stands up to the likes of Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island, but if you’re looking deep into legendary designer Ron Gilbert’s back catalog, this is one you have to try. Gilbert shows off his flair for creating memorable characters, while keeping it kid-friendly. There are still plenty of jokes for an older audience, but this might be his best family game. Plus, Freddi is the only heroine in the Humongous Entertainment catalog, making it an important game from the famous developer.

3) Lords of the Realm

Impressions Games started with soccer games in the late 1980s, but it quickly switched to making historical strategy games. It’s probably best known for Caesar, but 1994’s Lords of the Realm took the studio’s trademark strategy gameplay further into history, putting players into a medieval setting. You’d join one of several armies and wage a war for the English or German crown. You’ll need to use siege warfare to conquer castles, while also managing your own land, providing a delicate balance that made for great solo and multiplayer combat.

Unfortunately, its slow pace and punishing difficulty kept it from achieving massive sales numbers. It also didn’t help that Warcraft: Orcs & Humans launched a few months later and essentially took over the strategy genre in 1994. Still, if you’re looking for something a little more grounded, this is the game to play. And it wasn’t a complete dud, as Impressions made three sequels over the next decade before the series died off.

2) Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession

Publisher Strategic Simulations, Inc. was one of the great PC RPGs of the ’80s and early ’90s. The team was behind the Panzer General series and gave fans dozens of Dungeons & Dragons adaptations. It’s also worth noting that most of that came after SSI owned the wargaming space in the ’80s. So, it’s fair to say that anyone playing PC games in 1994 probably knew all about SSI.

That all said, Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession was something of a landmark release. It used a very early 3D game engine, which does mean getting around is a bit cumbersome. However, it looked great for the time, and the unique fighting system, which required players to click on enemies with pinpoint precision and perfect timing, was one of the best of the era, once you got your head around it. Topping it all off is a phenomenal adaptation of the Ravenloft story, introducing new players to the horror side of Dungeons & Dragons.

1) Kid Klown in Crazy Chase

Kid Klown in Crazy Chase isn’t trying to do too much, which is what makes it so perfect. There are only five stages, filled with obstacles. Playing as the titular Kid Klown, you have to race through each level, finding all four card suit orbs before reaching the end and kicking away a bomb. If you can’t find them all, you’ll have to start over. That makes memorization important, so you know exactly which balloons to pull to get the orbs.

Of course, if you want to get the good ending, you need to find all four orbs in each level on your first try to earn a Honey Heart. See, the evil Black Jack has stolen your girlfriend, and the only way to get her back is by getting all five hearts. If you don’t, you’ll get one of the other two endings. Developer Kemco is downright devilish with some of its level design, but you won’t get too mad because the animations look great. Seeing Kid Klown‘s eyes pop out of his head when he notices the bomb’s fuse is about to run out is always a laugh. Again, Kid Klown isn’t innovative, but it does nail everything it’s going for, and deserves so much more love.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!