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Under the Radar Games: 29 Best Upcoming Games You've Never Heard Of

• By GamePro Staff
• July 10, 2009 10:49 AM PST
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GamePro sounds off on nearly thirty of the best lesser-known games on the horizon!

With mammoth games lined up for all three consoles like two new Metal Gear Solid games, Uncharted 2, two Halo games, God of War III, and two Mario games for the Wii just to name a few, there's certainly no shortage of blockbuster games coming in 2009 and 2010. But what about all the smaller games that are cool but aren't exactly household game brands?

Join GamePro as we take a look at twenty-nine lesser-known upcoming games you don't want to miss.

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Persona PSP

For: PSP
In a genre populated by spiky-haired protagonists, over-sized swords and rag-tag groups of adventurers, the Shin Megami Tensei series made a name for itself by taking an incredibly unique and considerably darker approach to the traditional role-playing formula in the franchise's North American debut, Revelations: Persona for the original Playstation. While Persona was met with both critical acclaim and a cult following of fans at release, it was often overlooked in favor of the Final Fantasies and Dragon Quests of the world. Thankfully, the good people at Atlus are bringing the game that started it all to the PSP in this complete overhaul of the original Persona title, including a brand new user interface, cinematic cut-scenes, never-before-seen dungeons, and an entirely new localization from the ground up. If you're a fan of the Megaten franchise, or if you simply missed it the first time around, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the September 22nd release of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for the PSP. --Will Herring (follow me on Twitter here!)

C.O.P. The Recruit

For: DS
While open-world gameplay has become a staple in countless contemporary titles, only a handful of games have successfully executed a living, breathing sandbox capable of truly immersing the player. Ubisoft's latest effort looks to captivate and intrigue audiences by offering up one of the deepest real-time worlds to date in their newest adventure, C.O.P. The Recruit. Players fill the shoes of former street racer turned undercover agent Dan Miles as he takes on the criminal underbelly of New York City. "Expansive" is an understatement for this ambitious action title, as C.O.P. will not only feature an impressive, six square mile recreation of New York for players to explore, but will feature NO loading screens, not to mention gameplay that consistently runs at 60 FPS. Throw in about 60 missions, 30 vehicles and over 20 hours of gameplay and Ubisoft may very well have the next definitive open-world action game on their hands. --Will Herring (follow me on Twitter here!)

Muramasa: Demon Blade

For: Nintendo Wii
Even with most of the E3 showroom floor focused on next-gen texture and bump-mapped protagonists, there were few titles that could hold a light to the jaw-dropping, drool-inducing world on display in Vanillaware's Muramasa: The Demon Blade. From the creative forces behind the 2007 sleeper hit Odin Sphere comes an absolutely stunning twist on the action-RPG genre. In this exciting Wii exclusive adventure, players are invited to explore an amazing world of legend inhabited by enchanting Japanese mythology, brought to life through breathtaking hand-drawn environments, characters and animations. As either the warrior princess Momohime or the amnesiac shinobi Kisuke, players will hack and slash their way through this immersive and magical world, tasked with collecting 108 mystical katana, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. --Will Herring (follow me on Twitter here!)

A Boy and His Blob

For: Nintendo Wii
A remake of the 1989 NES game, not to be confused with the DS version which is a sequel, A Boy and His Blob has me wishing it was autumn already. If the idea of having a pet blob that turns into things like a bomb and a blowtorch doesn't immediately win you over, you really need to see this game with your own eyes to be convinced of its cute awesomeness. The NES original A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia may not have been as huge as Super Mario Bros., but it's definitely good to see this inspired series being reinvigorated. --Heather Bartron (Follow me on Twitter here!)

Afrika

For: PS3
So it may not be the most explosion-filled, high energy game on the planet, but you'd be surprised how addicting this oddly spelled game turns out to be. During the first hour, I wanted to shoot myself as I waited for a Hippo to stop yawning so I could snap a photo of it. But when I was awarded a new, more complicated camera and the chance to shoot a Cheetah stalking its prey, I was in it for the long haul. --Heather Bartron (Follow me on Twitter here!)

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

For: Nintendo Wii
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is freaking insanity. Its birth spawns from the strangest of blends, but the outcome is the Wii's greatest fighting game. Try to imagine if Marvel vs. Capcom's crack-cocaine dealer made whoopee with all of Tatsunoko's Japanese production staff and Street Fighter IV's art director while Nintendo execs watched, liked what they saw, and wanted to see that same magical moment recreated on the Wii. That is Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the zaniest fighting game the Wii will ever see. Just look at that screen and tell me it's not beautiful. --Travis Moses (Follow me on Twitter here!)

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

For: Xbox 360, PS3
Relic's new game, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, is friggin incredible. Warhammer 40K fans know they can expect nothing less than what the series is known for: Ork on Ultramarine mega-violence, massive blood-spurting battles, and BFG-type weapons that make World of Warcraft players blush. But one thing long-time fans won't expect is that the game is not real-time strategy. Space Marine is an action-RPG like Devil May Cry where you'll play as a single Space Marine, hacking and slashing through tons of Orks to earn upgrades, such as jetpacks and new weapons, to customize your badass Ultramarine. --Travis Moses (Follow me on Twitter here!)

Shadow Complex

For: Xbox 360
Microsoft's Shadow Complex, developed by Chair, is far too under the radar. I previewed Shadow Complex in GamePro's August issue and then blew up the internets with the extended preview on GamePro.com after Microsoft's E3 press briefing. There's exclusive info you won't find anywhere else. I think this game is rad because it's a side-scrolling shooter that blends my favorite features from several games: Super Metroid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Uncharted, Pitfall, and Gears of War. Imagine Contra on steroids with a next-gen facelift and you'll have a good idea what Shadow Complex is like. --Travis Moses (Follow me on Twitter here!)

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