There are so many great games that release across all platforms, but inevitably, some will be overlooked. While they may be good experiences, they will often be overshadowed by newer games that come out around the same time. There's never enough time to play everything, so new titles will garner most of the attention.

But when things finally slow down during the year, it's the perfect opportunity to revisit some overlooked and underappreciated games. Here are five underrated games that are actually good and deserve a second look. You might end up thanking yourself later for taking the time to go back and play them.

5 Freedom Planet

This vibe hits differently

In 2014, an indie game named Freedom Planet was developed and published by GalaxyTrail Games for multiple platforms. As a whole, the game is a massive homage to the Sonic the Hedgehog series in more ways than one. Not only are the heroes anthropomorphic animals that fight against villains, but the gameplay follows a similar design. Freedom Planet's Lilac might not be as fast as Sega's blue hedgehog, but she's a dragon with abilities that allow her to punch and kick through enemies and obstacles. The same goes for the supporting cast, all of whom have big personalities that fans of the Sonic games will enjoy seeing.

However, the best aspects of Freedom Planet come from its presentation and clever twists on scenarios seen in a few Sonic the Hedgehog games. The entire soundtrack is a fantastic ensemble of tunes that set the atmosphere unique to each stage, which complements the colorful and detailed environments and characters. But when the action of the boss battles begins, it's the notable details littered throughout the screen that make Freedom Planet such a fun game to play through. Running with a giant machine that's attacking you, as your allies run alongside you via motorcycle and plane to help you, all the while an amazing soundtrack blasts loudly, is a very fun way to set up a boss battle.

4 Ghouls 'n Ghosts

A better sequel than you remember

The Ghosts 'n Goblins series is notorious for its relentless difficulty and unforgiving level design. However, the sequel to the 1985 Capcom classic gave players a little extra breathing room while still maintaining a fair level of challenge. Ghouls 'n Ghosts was released for arcades in 1988 and for the Sega Genesis in 1989. The game follows Arthur and his quest to rescue the princess from the legions of monsters and mythological beasts. Although there are only six levels in total, Ghouls 'n Ghosts continues the infamous series tradition of making players go through the game twice to see the true ending of the story.

What made the original game so difficult was how restricted players were in their movement and limited abilities. Ghouls 'n Ghosts not only enables you to throw weapons in four directions, but also boosts Arthur through a larger arsenal and magical armor he can pick up. These additions don't take away how challenging the game can be, but it definitely provides a better sense of fairness when tackling the many platforms and monsters within each stage. The magic armor gives Arthur a second ability with each weapon, allowing him to deal more damage or clear out groups of enemies. For anyone thinking about exploring the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, this is the best game to start out with. There was also a version of Ghouls 'n Ghosts for the Super Nintendo, titled Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, that had different changes to both the levels and new abilities. However, both games are very different from one another, and the Sega Genesis version is the better of them.

3 WWF WrestleMania 2000

A little extra attitude and flair

Nowadays, you'll hear wrestling fans say that the best WWF wrestling games of all time are WWF SmackDown on PlayStation or WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64. But just before those games were released, the best wrestling game of the time was WWF WrestleMania 2000. This N64 wrestling game was the first to have the WWF license for a title using the famous AKI engine, which was also used for both WCW vs. NWO World Tour and WCW/NWO Revenge years prior. Unlike the games that were already out, WrestleMania 2000 offered an experience for wrestling fans that capitalized on the popularity of the WWF Attitude Era, which included many rising stars that would go on to be wrestling legends. It looked and sounded more like the WWF shows that were airing every week, which wasn't yet possible for games that had the WCW brand on them.

Getting into a match and squabbling was quick and easy with the use of the AKI engine, which helped make WrestleMania 2000 a bona fide hit with WWF fans. Combining that with all the outrageous wrestlers, epic grapple moves, and wild matches from WWF programming was a recipe for success on the Nintendo 64. But what made WrestleMania 2000 unique compared to the sequel that came after was the features it included. Players could see full entrances from their favorite wrestlers, just like on television. Still, you could also create new tag teams and stables that could enter the ring together, adding to the game's authentic-feeling presentation. This was absent from WWF No Mercy a year later, despite the wrestler roster being updated at the time. Some wrestlers could still have a full in-ring display, but it wouldn't be a full entrance that WrestleMania 2000 was able to showcase.

2 Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith The Game

It has the high ground

Before the release of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith in theaters, Star Wars fans got a peek at the film by playing the game on PlayStation 2 and Xbox. However, nobody expected a movie tie-in game to play as well as it did, which was a lot rarer back then. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith was a perfect storm of timing and fun design, which happened to be filled with tons of battle droids and lightsabers. On top of that, you also don't have to experience the game alone, since two players can team up as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the game's cooperative missions. It may not have shown the full story of the movie, but Revenge of the Sith still had the high ground with a good amount of content to satisfy every Star Wars fan's anticipation.

And yet another part of the game's charm comes from the Duel mode, which almost feels like an entirely different game latched onto it that was fun and addictive to play with a friend. Many fans of a galaxy far, far away would point to titles like Jedi Outcast or Jedi Academy as having the best lightsaber combat. But Revenge of the Sith takes a different approach that feels like a competent Star Wars fighting game, letting you pick from a roster of characters from the movie and clashing on different stages. This is further expanded upon by bonus missions that let you control other characters, and even an unlockable alternate ending to the story of Revenge of the Sith. Simply put, this game was impressive, most impressive.

1 Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

The definitive version of a classic?

Capcom has a habit of revising and re-releasing some of its biggest games. This started with the multiple releases of the iconic Street Fighter II, which had seven additional updated releases. The final version of the game is Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, which compiles most of the popular updates from previous versions into one big remix of the game. Those who have been playing Street Fighter II could feel secure with their favorite characters and their moves, but still have a few new tools to try out and explore in matches. In addition to that, two more characters were added to the roster, Evil Ryu and Violent Ken, to round off the classic roster to a beefy 20 characters in total to fight with.

However, Ultra Street Fighter II fares a lot better with its presentation options and added features. Players can switch between the classic visuals and the new HD Remix style, which offers an updated look for all characters and stages. The same also goes for the music, which has the entire soundtrack of Super Street Fighter II Turbo remixed. Like other Capcom games, Ultra Street Fighter II has a Gallery to explore and a Color Edit mode to tinker with, letting players customize the looks of their favorite characters before taking them online. A character can have up to 10 different color edits to use in all the game's modes. For what feels like a definitive version of this arcade classic, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is as good as it could possibly get.

Another round of play

You might not always get to appreciate a game when it first comes out, but not every game deserves to be forgotten because of it. Some games, like the underrated ones on this list, definitely deserve your time invested in playing them. The experiences they offer are great enough that most people would actually love to play them. But even if there isn't enough time for them now, there can always be some time open later, when you can finally revisit them for another round.