Top Ten Sega Genesis Games

[Jmustang1968]

Can I just put Weaponlord ten times?

No, but you can have Ballz 3D followed by Weaponlord nine times.

9. Buck Rogers

I am intrigued. Is Buck Rogers that good, or is there some nostalgia tied to it for you, mustang? Also, I really need to play the Genesis version of Shadowrun at some point.

I think Gen Shadowrun is better than SNES.

Not sure if Buck Rogers is a top 10 gen game, but it is a top 10 one for me. Some of that is nostalgia. But it is really a gold box PC RPG ported over, and done fairly well. It is a very unique experience on a console at the time, and probably speaks to some of my affinity for western RPGs.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I think we had a discussion about this in the racket slack chat recently. But here is mine as of today, I think it could easily change day to day im order.

1. Shining Force 2
2. Streets of Rage 2
3. Phantasy Star IV
4. Pirates! Gold
5. Shining Force
6. Shadowrun
7. Gunstar Heroes
8. Desert Strike/jungle Strike
9. Buck Rogers
10. Gain Ground

This list... This list is so insanely good. Only thing missing in it for me would be Landstalker. Seriously folks, play buck Rogers! The PC ports on the genesis are good stuff. Seriously!

[Nemoide]

• Castlevania Bloodlines
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• Dynamite Headdy
• Phantasy Star IV
• Shining Force II
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
• Space Harrier II
• Streets of Rage
• ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Vectorman

This is a tricky list to make... and I'm going alphabetically rather than actually picking THE BEST. I'm currently on a Sega kick but even though I've played through a pretty good number of games on the console, there are still a ton of classics I'm largely unfamiliar with and a few that I love deeply which I feel aren't that great if I think critically about them (ie Garfield Caught in the Act). I was going to put Earthworm Jim on the list, but I prefer the Sega CD version and that's reason enough to take it off.

[pierrot]

Moonwalker is such a bold choice.

Did you happen to notice that Atomic Robo-Kid was at the top of your list?

I think Gen Shadowrun is better than SNES.

I've heard some people say this before, but not often. I haven't played either of them, though. I've only played the Shadowrun for the Mega CD, which is a far cry from any other Shadowrun game, I'm sure, but was still cool. I usually like gritty cyber punk, though, which makes the fact that I still haven't played Genesis Shadowrun feel more like a badge of shame.

Also, I'm gonna add Buck Rogers to the list now.

This is a tricky list to make...

Right? It's almost inconceivable to me that I didn't have any Sonic games in my list, but at least you've got it covered, Nemoide. One question, though: Hand to your heart, would you say that Space Harrier II stacks up at all with the original Space Harrier?

[alienjesus]

I'm probably going to write this list and then instantly regret all the games I didn't include.

In no particular order, of the ones I have played:

- Gunstar Heroes
- Streets of Rage 2
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Alisia Dragoon
- Chiki Chiki Boys
- Mega Bomberman
- Ranger X
- Rocket Knight Adventures
- Shinobi III
- Monster World IV

[BogusMeatFactory]

Oh man Pierrot, you need to play genesis shadowrun. I, for the life of me, do not understand why folks prefer the snes game. It's isometric camera is to its detriment, features a lot of pixel hunting, has a very luck oriented combat system and the visuals are severely lacking.

Genesis shadowrun has sandbox gameplay, randomly generated quests that are fun to play and feature a variety of gameplay styles from simple fetch quests, to dangerous netruns to high tech corporation infiltration and more! The game also has random events occur as you explore and they offer up tons of choices.

You have such a varied world to explore, from the slums of the barrens, to the high tech shopping centers of the renraku arcology to the salish side native grounds.

The plot itself is also quite enjoyable with a lot of twists and turns that fit a film noir feel.

The biggest draw for genesis shadowrun is going into cyberspace. The game switches from being a top down shooter rpg to a behind the back mmo style combat against computer programs. You build a load out of attack, decode and evade programs to navigate a twisting grid of dangerous security measures. There is nothing more exciting that finding a data node, mining it for all its worth while pressing your luck on whether security will catch on and go into a red alert and do some major damage to you and your deck.

I mean this in all honesty, their cyberspace segments are some of the most fun you can have on a 16-bit system and what makes it even better is that there are tons and tons and tons of computer systems to explore. You can randomly jack in a system, find very specific system codes, or when infiltrating a corporation, you can access their system through their terminals to help plant viruses, access data or manage security by deactivating cameras and disabling alarms.

Why people do not give love to the genesis shadowrun is beyond me.

[Ack]

I think in general the Shadowrun games were glossed over until the recent run of computer games. All of the early '90s games are very different animals (and we don't talk about the FPS), but all three are worth playing on their own merits and for the fascinating world they showcase. I haven't gotten to spend enough time with the Genesis game to add it to a top 10, but odds are if I did ever beat it, it would be up there.

Truth is, I've actually never heard anyone praise the SNES game over the Genesis one, and I've always been told the Mega CD game was the best of the three. I love the Shadowrun world though. That might be an idea for a potential future TR event...

[Nemoide]

This is a tricky list to make...

Right? It's almost inconceivable to me that I didn't have any Sonic games in my list, but at least you've got it covered, Nemoide. One question, though: Hand to your heart, would you say that Space Harrier II stacks up at all with the original Space Harrier?

Of course Space Harrier II isn't as good as the original Space Harrier, but it's as close as the Genesis got! It's not a perfect game but it's a competent enough successor that I still have fun popping in and playing for a bit regularly.
I think I'm in the minority as a defender of all the console ports of super-scaler games (except Super Thunder Blade).

[BogusMeatFactory]

I think in general the Shadowrun games were glossed over until the recent run of computer games. All of the early '90s games are very different animals (and we don't talk about the FPS), but all three are worth playing on their own merits and for the fascinating world they showcase. I haven't gotten to spend enough time with the Genesis game to add it to a top 10, but odds are if I did ever beat it, it would be up there.

Truth is, I've actually never heard anyone praise the SNES game over the Genesis one, and I've always been told the Mega CD game was the best of the three. I love the Shadowrun world though. That might be an idea for a potential future TR event...

Oh the debate over the better shadowrun is very heated and divisive to be sure. As for the Sega cd shadowrun game, it is very much an interactive novel with a grid based and dice based combat system. Lots of dialog, lots of menus. I don't know if I would say it is better than either the snes or genesis. I've been contemplating a category that would put it in the running to be played, but I also have a billion categories to choose from for my month.

[marurun]

My top 10, in no particular order, because it's already hard enough to just pick 10:

1. Gunstar Heroes
2. Phantasy Star IV
3. Streets of Rage 2
4. Bio-Hazard Battle
5. Shinobi 3
6. Rolling Thunder 2
7. Lightening Force (Thunderforce IV)
8. Rocket Knight Adventures
9. Ranger X
10. Contra: Hard Corps