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#10 Greatest Group 17 video games, ranked – Destructoid

Based in late December 1990 within the UK, Group 17 is among the oldest recreation builders and publishers that’s nonetheless energetic at present. They’ve launched every kind of video games throughout a number of a long time. However which is perhaps the most effective Group 17 video games of all time? We record our favorites on this rating.

That are the most effective Group 17 video games?

Group 17 managed to get via the 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit eras unscathed, and the corporate remains to be releasing fairly profitable and memorable titles at present. We have now thirty-five years of video games to undergo, so there are positively quite a lot of video games which have been forgotten and, maybe, justly so. However which of them would possibly nonetheless be value having a look at? Listed below are our picks.

10. Yoku’s Island Specific

A level in Yoku's Island Express
Picture through MobyGames

Among the many many early video games launched within the first 12 months of launch of the Nintendo Swap, Yoku’s Island Specific in all probability stands alone as being one of the distinctive. In a refreshing mix of pinball mechanics and platformers (and no, this isn’t Sonic Spinball fortunately…), the participant controls the tremendous cute bug Yoku, guiding them via obstacles and challenges.

Thanks to scrub graphics, infectious music, and gameplay mechanics which will be fairly simple to choose up and play but in addition tough to grasp, that is nonetheless one nice Swap title to choose up on the eShop. Maybe is perhaps time for a sequel on the Swap 2?

9. Going Below

Two characters speaking
Picture through Team17

There may be nothing worse than being an intern, feeling such as you’re simply getting used for essentially the most menial and degrading duties within the workplace, when you’re truly there to be taught. Developed by Aggro Crab, Going Below takes that disquieting feeling and brings it over to a zany and quirky Diablo-like dungeon crawler. Make your approach via the stays of failed startups, relationship websites, and cryptocurrency.

Together with a novel artwork fashion plus an unique theme, Going Below additionally options completely useful and interesting fight mechanics, with a little bit little bit of roguelite thrown in for good measure. The jokes would possibly positively be hit and miss, with a number of misses, however they by no means break the ambiance or get in the way in which of the gameplay.

8. Stunt GP

Racing on a track
Picture through MobyGames

Unjustly forgotten at present, this Dreamcast and PC recreation, together with its often-forgotten PlayStation 2 port, was launched on the worst attainable time. In 2002, the craze of the choice racing recreation (bear in mind POD, Rollcage, Wipeout 2079, and so on?) was slowly dying. Due to this fact, it acquired rapidly misplaced within the superabundance of video games, however that was a destiny it by no means actually deserved. With twenty-four totally different tracks to carry out some lethal stunts on, this was one fairly severely enjoyable expertise, regardless of its general brevity.

Developed by a small staff inside Group 17, this was considered one of their final hurrahs earlier than transitioning to being principally a writer of video games developed by different groups. Easy to choose up and play, and extremely advisable for its co-op break up display screen mode. To make issues worse, at present Stunt GP is sort of tough to simply choose up and play together with being unavailable on any official digital storefronts.

7. Superfrog

A frog in a factory level
Picture through Team17

Within the wake of the launch of Sonic the Hedgehog and its fast rise to glory, together with that of the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, many dwelling computer systems had been watching in jealousy. However it was most positively the Amiga to obtain essentially the most 2D platformers after 1991, with Superfrog by Group 17 in all probability being one of many few that also stands the take a look at of time.

Management a frog with superpowers that may additionally fly, via the usage of power-ups like wings, plus pace up or down by ingesting drugs. Basic 2D platformer gameplay that has aged fairly gracefully. The sport was remade in 2013 in an HD model which was out there on Steam however has been since delisted. At this level, there’s sadly no authorized method to play Superfrog.

6. Alien Breed

A player hunting down aliens
Picture through MobyGames

Half Gauntlet, half unofficial Aliens-tie in, Alien Breed was the primary huge hitter by Group 17 and one of many causes the corporate was placed on the map again within the Amiga days. With a top-down view of the motion gameplay and a thick ambiance with no music however solely foreboding sounds of equipment, Alien Breed introduced fairly a novel expertise for the early 90s.

The unique was rapidly adopted by a number of different titles, reminiscent of Tower Assault. Whereas the second recreation maintained the identical gameplay as the unique, the third went full-on 3D, a traditional FPS and alien-hunting expertise. The sport was additionally rebooted within the early 2010s, making it one other trilogy, that is extra difficult than Star Wars at this level! However if you wish to know the place all of it started, there is no such thing as a higher place to begin than this suspenseful motion recreation.

5. Yooka-Laylee and the Unimaginable Lair

Yooka and Laylee standing on a lighthouse
Picture through Team17

Whereas the unique Yooka-Laylee title was a fairly competent try to convey again that traditional late 90s 3D platformer loopy, the sequel went one step past. Protecting that very same stage of excessive problem, Unimaginable Lair brings the participant a fairly tasty combine of getting to attain particular objectives in ranges, generally fairly totally different from merely finishing them, whereas accumulating skills that can change how the degrees truly work.

Unimaginable Lair carefully follows the fashion of traditional 2D platforms of the previous, not a coincidence that a part of the staff labored on the Donkey Kong Nation sequence. In case you had been ever a fan of the style, you will see that a refreshing take and an all-new problem to attempt to take care of.

4. Overcooked

Chefs in the kitchen

One of many first nice unique video games that introduced again the traditional co-op expertise, Overcooked brings two (or extra) cooks to a number of utterly wacky kitchens the place they should battle in opposition to all varieties of obstacles and challenges to convey patrons their valuable meals. Strive to not fall into lava, keep away from the ice and attempt to slice these carrots and onions as quick as attainable.

The one-player mode nonetheless exists, however this time we wouldn’t suggest it. Regardless of the existence of a sequel of the larger and higher selection, ten years down the (kitchen) line Overcooked will nonetheless convey that very same pleasure to whoever decides to sit down down on the sofa and play. Now that’s one type of nostalgia we are able to all agree on.

3. Dredge

A boat sailing between trees
Picture through Team17

Within the depths of the ocean, nobody can hear you scream, however they will positively hear your boat creaking because it desperately tries to flee an enormous monster within the fog. Behind the comfy face of a pleasant little fishing recreation, Dredge hides the soul of one of many scariest horror video games launched in the previous couple of years. Through the day, merely go forward and promote your fish to the native market to purchase upgrades on your boat, however then when the solar units, get able to watch out of what’s lurking at nighttime.

Within the stillness of the night time, your boat should take care of Eldritch horror hiding at nighttime and foreboding fog. This isn’t a full-on horror expertise, as there are not any jumpscares, as a substitute the sport brings a robust sense of dread. With 5 islands to discover, plus much more via its totally different DLCs, the easy gameplay loop of Dredge will stay on in lots of gamers’ minds.

2. Blasphemous

A huge devil like boss
Screenshot by Destructoid

Typically, it’s not simple to clarify what a recreation does fantastically proper, because it does not likely reinvent the wheel. Certainly, Blasphemous, developed by the Spanish staff The Recreation Kitchen, is a traditional side-scrolling 2D motion recreation. Kill enemies, achieve new powers, unlock new locations to go, and dispose of giant and scary bosses. To this point, there can be actually no motive to clarify its second place.

However due to its ambiance, the writing, the music, and the way in which it superbly incorporates spiritual symbols from Catholicism whereas exposing the horror beneath, Blasphemous stands other than all of its friends. Virtually six years later, and after a wonderfully competent sequel, it nonetheless stands supreme as the most effective examples of the style.

1. Worms Armageddon

A level in Worms Armageddon
Picture through Team17

If anybody has heard of the title Group 17 then they’re additionally in all probability conscious of Worms. The sequence is among the most consultant of the early days of the co-op period, earlier than the web, the place pals would play one in opposition to the opposite attempting to make their worms staff go increase. Among the many many video games within the sequence, Armageddon nonetheless stays to today, the most effective examples.

By permitting unbelievable customization, from the flag to the sound results of every worm, together with presenting very entertaining recreation modes and ultra-wacky situations, Armageddon offered one thing for everybody to get pleasure from. Even in single-player, it was a wonderfully acceptable expertise, and no one would suggest enjoying Worms by yourself! Sadly, the sequence then misplaced its approach after 2003. If you need to play one Worms recreation at present, convey your post-apocalypse to the sphere and be a part of the wormy military.


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