We all know that the SNES eventually won the 16-bit war but there were a few killer apps that gave the SNES a run for it's money other than Sonic the Hedgehog. So if you're looking for a list of Sonic games you're in the wrong place. These are just the games that, in my opinion, were the reason my SNES needed a buddy to sit next to on those cold lonely nights. So with that here's my list. SEGA!
08. Mutant League Hockey/Football: They are tied at this spot because they were both Genesis exclusives from Electronic arts. Both games have fantastic graphics and great game play. If you were familiar with EA's NHL series on the 16-bitters than you know what to expect but then you start to see the carnage. You can actually lose or forfeit the game if you run out of players even if you are leading in points. It makes for added stress and fun for all. Same goes for football but plays less like Madden 92/93 and more like the original Joe Montana Football. (EA actually made Joe Montana Football because Sega's own football game was falling behind schedule...long story for maybe another time.) EA used that fun engine though and churned out one heck of a bloody fun football title. Pun intended. As with most EA 16-bit titles you'll have to find the real games on Ebay or google emulators for the fun.
07. Moonwalker: Yeah, yeah, Michael Jackson little kids blah blah blah... This game was weird, different, and just all around a fun play through. You actually move around in a Castlevania type world as Michael Jackson taking people out with blasts of glitter and smooth dance moves while searching for all the missing little girls hiding in dumpsters and car trunks. The sound is actually decent and the songs sound better than what you might expect. The animation is tight and is nearly as good as those found in Sega's Aladdin or Flash Back. Sometimes if your good enough to remember which kid to find first Michael will have a chance to catch a shooting star and turn into a destructive robot of doom. It doesn't last long but it does reveal the hiding children for you while you obliterate the enemies on screen with heat seeking missiles and lasers! It's only let down is the final boss fight with Mr. Big where you are in a cockpit and you are trying to shoot Mr. Big in his own space ship...which was just stupid. Other than that this game is one of the most memorable experiences of the 16-bit generation. It's not found on any new platform so either get the real thing or have a fun half hour or so on your emulators. Even just for the LOLZ.
06. Gunstar Heroes: SNES had Contra 3 and it's a beauty but Genesis had this gem and it's just as fun if not a little better. Not only could you shoot everything but you could combine different weapon combos and experiment with different weapons which made it fresh with each play through. The game featured crazy effects with zooming and rotation that people thought was only possible on the SNES. This game proved the Genesis could do just about everything the SNES could do and at a faster frame rate. Treasure made an unforgettable gem and you can get it on XBLA and I think it's also available on the Wii. Beware, it's not on the Sonic Genesis Collection that was released a few years back. Have no idea why but what a mistake.
05. Gaiares: The game rocked the hell out of players with killer graphics, sound, and soundtrack. Game play was tight and never let up. It was different in that you would actually "yoshi-like" suck enemies in and transform them into powers and the more of the same kind of enemy you sucked in the more powerful the weapon became. As far as I know the only way to play this is with the original console or emulation. I'd love to see someone snag the license and see an HD remake.
04. Road Rash 2: The reason I go with RR2 is because it featured two player simultaneous play and Road Rash 3 seemed a bit choppy in comparison even though those graphics may have looked a little more realistic. RR2 was fun, brutal, and addictive like an RPG where you would win races to build up your stats or buy a new bike altogether to hang with the more difficult races ahead. I can't believe this game hasn't seen some type of HD remake as it's a classic through and through. Best bet is an emulator or be a hero and buy the real one on a real Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console!
3. General Chaos: Two on Two mini war strategy. Simple to pick up and so addictive that you couldn't put the controller down. Every time you thought you were done you wanted just one more go at it. The characters were vibrant and colorful and the animations were hilarious. Definitely more fun with a buddy on the couch. Again your best bet would be an emulator because it's an old Electronic Arts title.
2. Toejam and Earl: Another game that's more fun with two players. Basically you survive earthlings on 25 levels to find missing pieces to your space ship. Once you find them you're free to go home. The animations, sounds, and gameplay were some of the most memorable of the era. So many little hidden things were in the game that you may not see until your 3rd or 4th play through. Falling asleep reading a book and the only way to wake your guy up is to hammer on the controller until the game screams "wake up!" after multiple whispered ones. The random times Earl's pants drop around his ankles revealing his boxers and playing with icarus wings to find hidden locals were just a couple of the great things you'll experience. It's available on Sega Vintage Collection on XBLA along with Toejam and Earl 2 which is fun in it's own right.
01. Streets of Rage 2: People will be quick to point out Final Fight 2 or Final Fight 3 or Rival Turf or what have you but they all paled in comparison. The game featured more moves, more playable characters, multi-scrolling backgrounds, more on screen enemies at one time, and a killer sound track that players still talk about today. Streets of Rage one set the bar with it's two player destruction and Streets of Rage 2 amplified everything and made it better. Streets of Rage 3 had even more features to the game play including a run attack similar to Golden Axe. Streets of Rage 3 just didn't have quite as good of sound track of it's predecessor and the new character Dr. Zan in place of Max was
kind of bittersweet to die hard fans. If you can find it there is a home made game called Streets of Rage Remake. It's worth it to track it down on google if you can but Sega has went out of it's way to take it down. So good luck. If you find it though it's worth it! You can get all three titles on Sega's Vintage Collection download on XBLA or PSN.
Thanks for reading my blog and feel free drop some games for me to try if you think there are any I may have missed out on.
Moonwalker
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Nice list! I love the Genesis. I don't know if you liked RPGs but the Phantasy Star series was way ahead of its time. One of the first sci-fi RPGs, and not to mention the graphics. Phantasy Star was doing this http://takegame.com/rpg/pic...
when Nintendo was still doing this http://www.consoleclassix.c...
Also, I know everyone gives the credit to games like FF:Tactics and Fire Emblem, but Shining Force 1 and 2 did the whole "grid based RPG" waaaay before the rest (at least, outside of Japan).
Again, nice list!
There's actually a lot of Genesis games SNES didn't have even besides this list
Comix Zone
Ristar
Vectorman 1 and 2
are some other good ones
No love for Thunder Force IV or MUSHA Aleste? Two essential shoot em ups!
contra hard corps, alien soldier, light crusader, castlevania bloodlines, dynamite heady, landstalker, crusader of centy(soleil), beyond oasis(story of thor)...all amazing games, so many gems on that console