Sega was a big player in the arcade industry during the ‘80s, but they had trouble breaking into the home console market. The Master System was mired in difficulties, but almost through sheer marketing, it was able to make a sizeable dent in the North American market with the Sega Genesis in 1989.
Mine was a Nintendo household growing up. But surprisingly, in my youthful days on the schoolyard, we never really argued about what was the better console between the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. I don’t know why. It just didn’t matter at my school. Besides, I was spending a lot of time on my cousin’s Genesis right around the corner.
Over the past couple of decades, I’ve grown an affection for Sega’s classic console, helped in part by the distinctive tones of its FM Synth sound chip. The Genesis, perhaps more than any other console, projects itself onto its games. There’s an almost definable Genesis feel that can even creep onto games that were ported from other consoles. There’s nothing quite like it, and the following games prove that.
Before we get started, this list omits Sega CD and Sega 32X games, because I feel those are different topics. I don’t think any would make this list, anyway. I am also only including games that were released in North America for simplicity’s sake. I’m also not going to do honorable mentions because we’d be here all day, but make no mistake that the Genesis has a great library worth exploring beyond these ten games.
10. Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (1992)
The Genesis presented a terrific selection of scrolling shoot-’em-ups, and, truly, there are a few that I could be putting here instead. Some might swear by M.U.S.H.A. or Truxton. I could have also made a deeper cut to Gley Lancer or Eliminate Down. However, I feel Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (perhaps better known by its original name Thunder Force IV) is the most Genesis with its energetic FM Synth soundtrack and heavy use of detailed animations.
This came at a price that will probably make it or break it for some folks: periods of tremendous slowdown. Whether or not a steady framerate is a worthwhile tradeoff for its ambition will depend on perspective. However, for me, it’s worth it just for the stylishness.
9. Jungle Strike (1993)
You can feel free to insert your favorite game from the Strike series here, and a lot of people swear by Desert Strike, but for me, it’s the second game: Jungle Strike. I think that’s mostly because you aren’t just looking at sand the whole time. The first level even takes place in an oddly sparse Washington, D.C.
The Strike games look like they should be all action, as most of the gameplay takes place behind the cockpit of a helicopter. But charging into combat will quickly result in getting your wings clipped. Instead, you have to search out and manage resources, carefully pick away at enemy defenses, and find the most efficient way of dealing with your objectives. For me, it’s one of my favorite relaxation games, and I think that’s largely because the soundtrack is so sparse and the droning of the helicopter helps calm my nerves.
The Strike games also came out on other platforms, but something about playing it on anything but Genesis just feels wrong.
8. Contra: Hard Corps (1994)
Konami didn’t back the Genesis quite as hard as it did the PC-Engine and SNES, but what they did bring to the system was incredible. Contra: Hard Corps is one of its most significant.
As much as I love the clean rigidity of the (NES version) original, Contra: Hard Corps pushes hard from the start and doesn’t stop pushing. Its ridiculous excess starts at the character select screen which features a sunglasses-wearing werewolf with a chaingun arm. Every level piles onto that with things like a battle while sprinting down the highway or riding on a missile. With its ridiculous attitude, it’s a very Genesis take on the series.
It’s also a very difficult one. While the Japanese version was a lot more easy-going – even featuring a life bar instead of the series standard one-hit kills – the North American version gave you a paltry number of lives and continues to reach the end. It’s a tall order, even for veterans of the series.
7. Gunstar Heroes (1993)
The Genesis was the place where legendary developer Treasure first cut its teeth, and it did so with aplomb with Gunstar Heroes. And, like many of Treasure’s games, it’s difficult to really describe in context with other games.
It’s a run-and-gun – that’s the easy part to describe – but it has throws and kicks, as well as a detailed life gauge. You can pick up two weapons, and while you can select between them, the real strategy comes from combining effects. Each level shakes up the gameplay, and boss battles are abundant.
It’s also a blast with two players. The weapon combination system allows partners to strategize with what each will carry. It’s also not as demanding as other games in the genre, so while it isn’t an easy game by any mean, it can accommodate players with a range of experience and familiarity.
6. Shining Force 2 (1993)
The Genesis wasn’t a console known for its RPGs, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have any that were worthwhile. It was, after all, where the Phantasy Star series had its single-player heyday. However, the one that stands head and shoulders above others isn’t even a traditional JRPG, but instead focuses more on turn-based strategy: Shining Force 2. It’s maybe not as deep as Tactics Ogre, but the way it mixes in more traditional world exploration gives the game a feeling of added comfort.
While very similar to the original Shining Force (aside from plot), the sequel improves a number of facets, such as better enemy AI and improved UI. It’s not a significant upgrade, since the original was already a great game; but aside from a more awkward pace, Shining Force 2 does just enough to lift it up even higher.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
I’m not Sonic’s biggest fan by any stretch of the word, but I was around when he exploded into the world. Being a kid at the time, I can tell you that he was one of the coolest characters around. I played a lot of the first two games on my cousin’s Genesis, and I still have a fondness for the SatAM cartoon.
And, to wit, I still really love Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While the first game was a capable introduction, it wasn’t until the sequel that Sega was truly able to harness the hog. There’s more emphasis on crossing distances at high speed and less on careful platforming and waiting for safe moments to jump. The addition of Tails also means that you can play as someone other than the pesky hedgehog, but the Sonic/Tails mode was used more often to shut up complaining siblings who were begging for a turn. It sucked to be the second player, but it was something.
What makes Sonic the Hedgehog 2 endure for me is its interplay of music and gameplay. I really don’t think I’d love Chemical Plant Zone half as much without Masato Nakamura’s compositions.
4. Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994)
The title of my favorite game in the Castlevania series has long remained with the NES original, and I thought nothing would come close to touching it. However, Castlevania: Bloodlines surprised me when I first played it a few years ago.
I already mentioned Konami’s small but fantastic Genesis contributions, and Bloodlines is the peak of that. Like Hard Corps, it resembles the original, but has some of that Genesis edge. There’s a bit of a ‘90s comic book grunge to it. It also takes the action out of Wallachia to roam across Europe in 1917, allowing for more diversity in its levels.
The limited continues is a pretty frustrating inclusion. Unlike Contra: Hard Corps, reaching the end is a bit more of a reasonable expectation, even if it’s more difficult than it should be. I’d also argue that the soundtrack isn’t quite up to series standards at the time, but songs like Stage 4’s Iron Blue Intentions still pop.
3. Streets of Rage (1991)
Streets of Rage is probably the most frequent visitor to my Genesis’ (technically 32X’s) cartridge slot. While Nintendo thought it had a home run with the SNES port of Final Fight, Streets of Rage proved you could still create an incredible beat-’em-up without Mike Haggar.
While Streets of Rage follows the Final Fight formula to an almost suspicious degree, it cleans things up to create a more console-focused experience. The combat is just as solid and impactful, but while the levels have the same sense of grit to them, Streets of Rage really sells its atmosphere with a neon-infused after-hours look to it.
It helps that Yuzo Koshiro composed one of the best 16-bit soundtracks for it, and that it compliments the gameplay. For me, the soundtrack is just as much a part of the overall experience as the fighting. On top of that, Streets of Rage features the best elevator level in the genre and includes a special attack that summons a police car to clear out the area with overwhelmingly excessive force. You just can’t beat these vibes.
2. Streets of Rage 2 (1992)
This was a hard choice. But while I personally prefer to play the original Streets of Rage, that’s mostly a vibes thing. Streets of Rage 2 is a better beat-’em-up overall, even with its less interesting elevator level(s) and lack of Constable Howitzer.
But it’s a bigger and better (in most ways) game. Not only did Yuzo Koshiro provide a brand new soundtrack, his sister, Ayano Koshiro, handled design. It has more characters with better diversity in how they play (sorry, Adam), better variety with its enemies, and much more detailed graphics.
Whether you prefer Streets of Rage or its sequel will depend on your priorities and preferences, but you shouldn’t miss either of them.
1. Rocket Knight Adventures (1993)
While most of the hitters from Konami’s contribution to the Genesis catalog were based on existing franchises, it’s Rocket Knight Adventures that stands as the best. Directed and designed by the director of Contra: Hard Corps and Contra III: The Alien Wars, this little platformer starring a jet-powered, armor-clad opossum seems rather unassuming. But beneath the surface is one of the most inventive games of the era.
Like Contra: Hard Corps, each level alters gameplay with new situations. Things start off rather standard with a grassy field and a burning castle, but there are harrowing minecart rides, an area where you judge your movements based on the reflection you cast on a caustic lake, and a horizontal shoot ’em up sequence through a steampunk industrial city.
It’s the tight design in Rocket Knight Adventures that makes it the best the Genesis has to offer. Level after level, it keeps twisting itself, but never in a way that would alienate the player. Stages like the airship that has you take a detour around the craft’s exterior show a depth of thought that few other games of the era can approach. It’s sometimes overlooked but should never be missed.
Published: Aug 23, 2024 02:52 pm