My Personal Top 10 Sega Genesis Games

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Very cool thread! It's really neat getting to see so many people's different opinions on which Sega Genesis games they like best, and since the Genesis is one of my favorite systems I figure I'll toss in my two bits. Here's my personal Top 10 favorites with a few comments on each pick:

 

[DISCLAIMER: The opinions presented below are all the extraordinarily subjective opinions of one particular gamer whom you may or may not agree with. Please take anything he has to say with anywhere from two grains to five pounds of kosher salt depending on your personal sensitivity level.]

 

 

10. Zero Tolerance

Sure the frame rate is a little low, and sure the gameplay is a bit repetitive, but it's still a very fun and playable first person shooter on the Sega Genesis. Let me say that again for emphasis: It's a first person shooter on the Sega Genesis! And, as if that wasn't enough to qualify it for my Top 10 list, it's actually pretty good!

 

9. Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Of the three Shinobi games on the Genesis this one is by far my favorite. The gritty urban atmosphere suits the Genesis' style really well, the gameplay is well balanced and never frustrating, there's none of that "a bird flies in out of nowhere and knocks you off a cliff" bullshit that you'll find in Ninja Gaiden and The Revenge of Shinobi, and the dog is just plain awesome. To be honest, the dog is the main selling point of this game. If you like dogs and you like the Sega Genesis then you can't go wrong with Shadow Dancer.

 

8. Golden Axe II

While most people seem to prefer the original Golden Axe, I like the second one better. There's more variety to the gameplay, the variable spell casting options add strategic depth, and ability to turn around and throw enemies behind you after you grab them makes the difficulty level much more forgiving for people who aren't all that good at beat 'em ups (I.E. me). It's still got that high fantasy vibe that the first game had, and to me this is the quintessential Golden Axe.

 

7. Mortal Kombat II

More characters, more stages, more special moves, more fatalities, and more… well, just about everything! For a Mortal Kombat fan hot off the heels of the original game, what's not to like? The refrickendiculous difficulty level, that's what! As much as I love the early Mortal Kombat games, this one included, the absolutely absurd difficulty level of this game (even on Very Easy) keeps it from getting ranked higher than #7 on my list. The fact that you do need a 6 button controller (or preferably a 6 button Sega Arcade Power Stick) to perform certain special moves and fatalities is a bit of a downer too. Still, crazy difficulty level and special controller requirements aside, it is one of the best games in the Mortal Kombat series; in my very subjective opinion.

 

6. Raiden Trad

People often laud Truxton and M.U.S.H.A. as the best vertical scrolling shoot 'em ups on the Sega Genesis, but as strange as it might sound I like Raiden Trad better. The reason being that (for my tastes) Truxton and M.U.S.H.A. are both just too damn hard! I do own and have beaten Truxton, I've played a fair bit of M.U.S.H.A. via emulation, and both of them just frustrate the hell out of me by the time I get to the later stages. Raiden Trad on the other hand is always a challenging yet very enjoyable experience the whole way through for me, and it's got some pretty awesome music to boot. The song "Gallantry" from Stage 1 & Stage 4 is definitely in the running for my all time favorite 16-bit song, and any avid shmup fan knows how important good music is when you're attempting to exercise godlike reflexes and blow up an entire armada of spaceships all on your own. When I want to play a vertical scrolling spaceship shooter on the Genesis, Raiden Trad is the one I reach for 9 times out of 10.

 

5. Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition

If you're into Street Fighter II then this is the one crammed full of the most Street Fighter II goodness on the Genesis. More characters, more stages, more special moves, and the Hyper mode that allows you to tune the combat speed and get some different move sets for certain characters. I've always been more of a Mortal Komat fan than a Street Fighter fan, but due to the enormous number of times my wife has spent hours mercilessly destroying me in this game I think that Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

4. Castlevania: Bloodlines

I love the Castlevania series as a whole, I love the Sega Genesis, and I love Sega Genesis games with gratuitous amounts of blood and gore. There really isn't anything more I need to say about why I like this game. It's Castlevania, it's crammed full of pixilated evisceration, and it's on the Sega Genesis. There you go.

 

3. Thunder Force III

If I had to pick my all time favorite video game soundtrack then it would be, without question, the soundtrack to Thunder Force III. To my ears every track in this game is an absolute masterpiece of Genesis sound hardware, and the gameplay is just as good. The level designs are all refreshingly creative yet classic in their presentation (you have an ice stage, a fire stage, underwater stage, etc.), the weapon and option variety is wonderful, the difficulty curve is near perfect, and the game plays like a dream. And when I say "a dream" I mean the kind of dream where you win the lottery, marry the love of your life, become a rockstar, and win a lifetime supply of your favorite beverage. Thunder Force III is that kind of dream.

 

2. Mortal Kombat

When I was a kid there was one reason I wanted a Sega Genesis instead of a Super Nintendo: Mortal Kombat. That reason was still just as valid to me a few years back when I got into retro gaming, and I think I made the right call getting a Genesis again. When it comes to fighting games with gratuitous amounts of violence and pixilated gore on an early 90's home gaming console you just won't find a more timeless and shining example than Mortal Kombat on the Genesis. Heads come off, hearts come out, and there's a huge pit of spikes that you can uppercut your opponent down into. This game is everything that was wrong with my generation, and everything that was right about the Sega Genesis.

 

1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles

There's a lot of Sonic games out there. Some are bad, some are good, there's a lot that are just "sort of okay", and then there's Sonic 3 & Knuckles. You take two Sonic games that were pretty darn good on their own, stick them together like some kind of video game Erector Set, and what you get is—in my ever so subjective opinion—the not only the greatest Sonic the Hedgehog game off all time, but quite possibly the best platformer of all time. When linked together through the magic of Lock-On technology, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles combine to form one long cohesive story that is greater than the sum of it's parts. Combining these two games changes the story of both, adds an entirely new level to the end, and quite a few other little goodies that you'll just have to discover for yourself. If you're ever in the market for a Sonic the Hedgehog game then I highly recommend picking up Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, sticking them together, plugging the small tower of plastic into your Sega Genesis, and getting ready for one heck of a ride. Sonic just doesn't get any better than this!

Edited August 30, 2015 by Jin

[gamegalaxy]

 

Believe me it was probably as hard for me to type as it was for you to read. To be fair and honest, I didn't own a SMS when they came out but I do remember my cousin playing PS a little on his, I think he was pretty far in the game tho.

 

I don't remember when I got my SMS, I think it was the late 90's but my issues with PS could have been a number of things. I've played at least 90% of the RPG's pre-5th generation (PS/N64/Saturn), including on handhelds, so I could have just been burned out on them for a bit or maybe I just wasn't digging the gameplay. The late 90's was a dark time for me and consoles cuz I had no interest in the PS1 or the Saturn and the N64 was a big let-down so I was playing a lot of PC games like Need For Speed, Warcraft, & Command & Conquer. Kinda hard to start PS at that point and, as much as I love my Coleco, sometimes I really need to be in the mood to play 3rd gen and older games other than my absolute favs. I do own it so after I run through PS4 I'll check it out again. I tossed GenPlusDroid on my phone and have a few hours in on PS4 now, just because it's outside my budget to buy ATM, not big on playing on emulators tho (they're ok in a pinch).

You can get Phantasy Star IV on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection - Or you can get it on Steam for 2.99 - because the original Cartridge which I luckily have from back in the day I'm SURE is over-priced (I don't even want to look)

[gamegalaxy]

 

 

"... there's none of that "a bird flies in out of nowhere and knocks you off a cliff" bullshit that you'll find in Ninja Gaiden..."

 

ROFL! Thanks for your list and hilarious descriptions - and whether or not you watched my video - I too prefer Golden Axe II over Golden Axe! =) I'll have to try Zero Tolerance - I never have!

[mbd30]

"

9. Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Of the three Shinobi games on the Genesis this one is by far my favorite. The gritty urban atmosphere suits the Genesis' style really well, the gameplay is well balanced and never frustrating, there's none of that "a bird flies in out of nowhere and knocks you off a cliff" bullshit that you'll find in Ninja Gaiden and The Revenge of Shinobi, and the dog is just plain awesome. To be honest, the dog is the main selling point of this game. If you like dogs and you like the Sega Genesis then you can't go wrong with Shadow Dancer. "

 

"Shinobi III" isn't particularly frustrating until the final stages. It's like "Revenge" with better graphics, improved controls and more forgiving gameplay. But I still liked the challenge of "Revenge".

 

"Shadow" is the best for straightforward arcade action and great graphics.

[gamegalaxy]

Thanks for everyone that has posted their lists - I see a lot of similarities! It's fun to see what everyone loves!

[mbd30]

Golden Axe - One of the greatest arcade ports. It doesn't look and sound as nice as the arcade, but it plays so well.

 

Ghouls n Ghosts - Another great arcade port that was a showcase title for the system when it came out. It's not as technically amazing as "Super Ghouls n Ghosts" but it runs smoother and plays better in some ways.

 

Mega Turrican - Fun and not overly frustrating game that is a bit like a linear version of "Metroid" but not quite. One of the stages that is an homage to "Alien" is awesome. Unfortunately the actual cart has become a collector's item and has really gone up in price.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog - I got the Genesis that was packaged with "Sonic" in 1991. It was amazing playing this for the first time after being used to NES graphics.

 

Sonic 2 - Even bigger and better than the original.

 

Starflight - Now you could play "Starflight" without the annoying code wheel. Me and the neighbor buddy stayed up all night playing through this.

 

Castle of Illusion - I never got to play this at the time and only more recently have been playing it in emulation. It's got the usual Disney quality... enchanting graphics and animation with much attention to detail, great music, etc It's also fairly challenging until you know the levels and boss patterns.

 

Revenge of Shinobi - I love a good Ninja game. I have all three Genesis Shinobis and have beaten them all. This one is the most difficult and the controls take some getting used to (you have to get good at doing the flip). I needed to consult Gamefaqs for the maze before the final boss.

 

Shinobi III - The control in this one is so refined compared to "Revenge of Shinobi". This is probably the best and most playable Genesis "Shinobi" overall, even though the challenge is less than "Revenge". But the final stages are still pretty hard.

 

Streets of Rage/Streets of Rage 2 - The second game is a huge improvement over the first in almost every way. However, the original SOR is more balanced in some ways and more of a challenge. You can't cheese your way through the first game like you can with Axel's grand upper in "Streets of Rage 2", and you can't even call the police car pn the last stage. I've beat SOR2, but have been unable to beat SOR1 because of Mona and Lisa on the last stage.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

ROFL! Thanks for your list and hilarious descriptions - and whether or not you watched my video - I too prefer Golden Axe II over Golden Axe! =) I'll have to try Zero Tolerance - I never have!

 

Thanks! I wasn't intending to be funny with my descriptions, I just started thinking "How do I really feel about these games?" and it sort of worked out that way. Your video was great too, and an excellent way to kick off a new YouTube channel. I gave it a Like and subscribed to your channel, and I'll be looking forward to seeing what videos you do in the future. The production quality was very professional, you're well spoken and articulate, and you have a really "easy to listen to" cadence of speaking. Great stuff! What I'd be really curious to know is what your Top 10 list would look like if you included multi-platform games like the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter series. Do you think it would change much?

 

Reflecting on my own list, I think Sonic 2 would have been in there somewhere if it wasn't for the special stages. To date Sonic 2 is the only Sonic game I've ever played that I was never able to collect all the chaos emeralds in because the special stages were just too hard for me to nab more than 4 or 5 of the emeralds, and strangely I had the opposite experience regarding Tails in those stages. Since he travels behind Sonic the only rings he ever collects are the ones you miss, and when he gets hit the only rings he loses are the ones that he collected. It wasn't very often that he'd be able to hold onto those missed rings long enough to make a major difference in whether or not I passed the special stage, but he was helpful now and then. Lastly, I'll echo what others have already said and recommend picking up Comix Zone. It is "balls of steel" hard and I've never managed to beat it, but it's got a wonderfully unique style that you just won't find in any other 16-bit game and can be a lot of fun if you're not the type to get frustrated by ridiculously hard games.

 

 

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is one game other than Phantasy Star IV I know of that features turn based multi-character combo attacks. It's Chrono Trigger on the Final Fantasy Chronicles compilation for the original PlayStation. I do believe that it was originally released on a certain non-Sega brand 16 bit system, but I'm not going to speak the name of that console in the Sega Genesis forum; so I'll just recommend the PS1 version.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Jin

[gamegalaxy]

What I'd be really curious to know is what your Top 10 list would look like if you included multi-platform games like the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter series. Do you think it would change much?

 

 

 

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is one game other than Phantasy Star IV I know of that features turn based multi-character combo attacks. It's Chrono Trigger on the Final Fantasy Chronicles compilation for the original PlayStation. I do believe that it was originally released on a certain non-Sega brand 16 bit system, but I'm not going to speak the name of that console in the Sega Genesis forum; so I'll just recommend the PS1 version.

Thanks for the sub and comments! - AND OH YEAH my list would change with Multi-plats - These are in no particular order really - except Phantasy Star IV still reigns - That game was like a religious experience for me -

 

1. Phantasy Star IV

2. Flashback: The Quest for Identity

3. Out of this World

4. Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition and/or Super Street Fighter II

5. NBA JAM T.E

6. B.O.B.

7. Outrun 2019

8. Golden Axe II

9. Sonic 2

10. Columns

 

I kept some old and added some new ones in - for these multi-plats listed I preferred them over the genesis and that SYSTEM THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED! haha!

 

 

--------------

 

Also you're right! someone mentioned Chrono Trigger - I do have it on the PS1 although I've started two serrate games and never finished it - I definitely will though!

Edited September 1, 2015 by gamegalaxy

[byonddrivn]

You can get Phantasy Star IV on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection - Or you can get it on Steam for 2.99 - because the original Cartridge which I luckily have from back in the day I'm SURE is over-priced (I don't even want to look)

Thanks, I'll try to look into the Ultimate Genesis Collection, no real interest in Steam tho. I haven't played in a couple of days but I was enjoying it, much more than the Sonic games. Sorry guys, maybe I just suck at Sonic or maybe it's that I'm playing it on the Xbox Sonic Collection but I tried Sonic 2 and even without Tails I found it annoying to play so I tried Sonic again and it didn't interest me. I did only play for a couple of hours for a couple of nights each tho. My 5 year old tried it and he liked it but it didn't last long before he wanted to play Burnout 3 for the Xbox again, it's part of why I haven't gotten around to Sonic some more, he's always on Burnout!

 

Still waiting on my link cable for Zero Tolerance.

[G-type]

my favorites are (in no particular order):

Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

Ecco the Dolphin

Ghouls n' Ghosts

Mortal Kombat 2

Toejam and Earl

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Gunstar Heroes

Comix Zone

Aladdin

Contra Hard Corps

[blueyes1181]

...

Cadash

[gamegalaxy]

 

Ghouls n' Ghosts

 

I need to give this game an honest effort to beat - I was bad at it so long ago -

[Flojomojo]

I love the Genesis. My top ten off the top of my head:

 

ToeJam and Earl

Road Rash

Star Control

Dragon's Fury pinball

Vectorman

Golden Axe II

Sonic 2

Skitchin'

Strider

Rolling Thunder 2

[gamegalaxy]

Skitchin'

 

 

Holy Crap! Skitchin' looks awesome! I've never heard of that before!

[Flojomojo]

 

Holy Crap! Skitchin' looks awesome! I've never heard of that before!

Heh, the beauty of retro gaming, where old stuff can be "new to you!"

 

Skitchin' is Road Rash with even more 1990s rad attitude!

[+Cafeman]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/177295-catching-up-again-with-the-sega-genesis-library/?hl=%2Bskitchin&do=findComment&comment=2211473

 

Skitchin' !

[+Black_Tiger]

I'm not crazy about picking absolute favorites and ranking games, but here are ten of my favorite.

 

Shining Force

Monster World IV

Super Fantasy Zone

Beyond Oasis

Phantasy Star IV

Shining Force II

Crusader of Centy

Phantasy Star II

Shining in the Darkness

Valis III

 

 

Sega-CD:

 

Shining Force CD

Space Adventure Cobra

Lunar Eternal Blue

Lords of Thunder

Keio Flying Squadron

Final Fight CD

Shin Megami Tensei

Vay

Snatcher

Popful Mail (Japanese Mega-CD)

[BillyHW]

Snow Bros.

[horseradish]

Good thread. Been rediscovering the Genesis over the past two years.

 

My top picks:

 

1. Streets of Rage 2
   Which is part of a very difficult three-way tie for my favorite all time game (the other's being Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy and Dig Dug Arcade/Famicom/2600)
2. Gunstar Heroes
   Might be the single coolest game I've ever played. The score is the second best in any video game ever, topped only by S.O.R. 2
3. Shining Force II
   I'm not much for RPGs but something about this one had me enthralled from start to end. I see almost no flaws in it. Probably my favorite RPG of all time.
4. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
   I haven't played Revenge but I have a hard time imagining that it's better/smoother than this.
5. Splatterhouse 2
   I love the atmosphere of these games. I'm a huge beat'em up fan and this is one of my favorites. I may even like it more than the first.
6. Streets of Rage
   Incredible. Smooth as hell with an incredible soundtrack. It ranks beneath the top 5 if only because of the controller crushing frustration that comes with Mona and Lisa.
7. Golden Axe I or II
   I mentioned that I liked beat 'em up games right? I'm not a huge fan of Fantasy themed games but this one just plays so well and is one that I actually have memories of playing in an arcade near me growing up. Both the first and second are excellent so I'm ranking them together. I actually don't have that much of an issue with the third either, but it's surly not top 10 quality.
8. Splatterhouse 3
   Harder for me than the others due to the time limit imposed in most levels. I love the exploratory manner of the game and it changed it up a bit. I love the atmosphere and the story. Fantastic game.
9. Contra Hard Corps
   I wish Konami was still this good. Still haven't played Castlevania Bloodlines which I've heard is fantastic as well. I consider Hard Corps to be as good, maybe even better, than Alien Wars.
10. Dynamite Heady
    An amazing platformer that's as weird as it is refreshing and challenging.

Honorable mentions:

• Sonic 1, 2, 3 and Knuckles
• Super Fantasy Zone
• Super Hang On
• Space Harrier 2
• (all s titled games so far hmm)
• Mega Bomberman
• Ghosts 'n Ghouls

Games I need to play:

 

• M.U.S.H.A.
• Alien Soldier
• Castlevania Bloodlines
• Rocket Knight Adventures

I'm sure there's a bunch of other games that I should play as well. That's the best that I could come up with on the spot.

[gamegalaxy]

I'm not crazy about picking absolute favorites and ranking games, but here are ten of my favorite.

 

Crusader of Centy

 

 

 

 

 

I completely agree it's always an impossible task, but still somewhat fun at the same time - I've never heard of Crusader of Centy - I'm very intrigued!!! Thanks for sharing!

[gamegalaxy]

 

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

I haven't played Revenge but I have a hard time imagining that it's better/smoother than this.

Honorable mentions:

 

Games I need to play:

• M.U.S.H.A.
• Rocket Knight Adventures

I agree with what you said about Shinobi III - It's way better than Revenge of Shinobi - Even though that's still a great game - I just think people played that first and it got into their hearts - I also need to play M.U.S.H.A and Rocket Knight

[mbd30]

Some people think that "Shinobi III" is too easy compared to "Revenge of Shinobi." But try to beat it on expert without dying and without using magic. I've beat it without dying on expert, once, and I had to use magic.

[+Black_Tiger]

I completely agree it's always an impossible task, but still somewhat fun at the same time - I've never heard of Crusader of Centy - I'm very intrigued!!! Thanks for sharing!

All it means for me is, my lists will always be a little different. Especially for libraries full of great games.

 

Crusader of Centy/Ragnacenty gets unfairly dismissed as a Zelda LttP clone too often by non-Genesis fans, but it's a very unique experience and has much more over the top effects and variety of artwork than most comparable games of that generation. Most importantly though, it enjoyable to play through.

 

 

 

Some people think that "Shinobi III" is too easy compared to "Revenge of Shinobi." But try to beat it on expert without dying and without using magic. I've beat it without dying on expert, once, and I had to use magic.

This is how I look at all games. Too many cool games are criticized for being too easy, when there are so many ways you can play them. If you barely pay attention while button mashing and feeding unlimited credits into an arcade game, the shortcoming is you, not the game.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Black_Tiger