The Sega Genesis. The glory days of when Sega and Nintendo were actually rivals. Today I present to a blog to compliment my video, The Top Ten Sega Genesis Games You Need To Play. Why not top eleven? Because unlike the Nostalgia Critic, I'm just too lazy to do eleven. What I hope to accomplish with the Blog portion is to give you more details then I can in a ten minute video. And, I hope to get you all to experiance a few games that were overlooked by the public eye.
#10: Beauty and the Beast: Roar of the Beast
First off, this game sucks. It's one of the worst games ever made to capitalize on a movie. Why did I include this game on my list? Just because I want to see somebody actually beat the game. I deemed it impossible when I was thirteen years old, and I still can not beat it seven years later. The main reason why: Enemies will come at you randomly and you can't stop them. You can sluggishly punch or bite them, but that does no good. The Beast can roar... but all it does is freeze the enemy in place for a few seconds. I would like that attack more if I could use it more than three times. This was a game meant to target children, why the hell make it so damn hard?
Why do you need to play it? Prove to me it is beatable mainly. Plus it will give you a level of frustration you never thought possible.
#9: Quackshot
So this Disney game is actually really good. Infact, it's the only Disney game I enjoyed to play before the whole Disney and Squaresoft (Now SquareEnix) mating thing. Plus it helps it was loosely based on DuckTales. I loved that show when I was a kid.
The story behind the game is Donald finds a treasure map inside an old book in Uncle Scrooge's study. Donald quickly sets out to find this treasure, along with the help of Hewey, Dewey, and Lewey; along with many other characters.
The gameplay was fun as well. Donald shoots plungers at the enemies, who I deem as "Mini-Petes", and you can also shoot popcorn and bubbles at them. (It's a Disney game when Disney actually kept things G.) The best part of the gameplay, it has an RPG feel. You need to collect items, go back to locales you've been before, get upgrades to your weapon, solve puzzles, ect.
Why should you play this game? It's a fun and quirky game, it's addicting, and it's actually a good Disney based game.
#8: College Football's National Championship
Yes, I threw in a sports game in my top ten list. And on top of it, it's good ol' American football. Why did I do such a thing. Because, in my honest opinion, this is better than Madden Football.
The gameplay features are identical to Madden though, so why I think it is better than the Madden series is really just thrown out the window. Infact, I expect several Madden fans to yell, "It's a clone!"
Yes it is a clone, but a very good clone. You get to choose from 32 teams in the college ranks. That was impressive back in 1994. I enjoyed it mainly because it was easy to pick up and play. The controls were very responsive, and you had a somewhat large choice of plays to do. All in all, it was a safe and marketable game. I think it spawned one or two sequels.
Why should you play this game? Honestly, coming from a guy who hates sports games, it made that impression on me.
#7: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
What kind of guy would I be not to include Sonic? A sick one. Sonic 2 follows the succes of Sonic The Hedgehog and keeps the gameplay the same. Your main objective is to beat Dr. Ivo Robotnick and stop him from taking over the world.
Sonic 2 added Tails as a playable character, and also sported a two player race mode which was enjoyable. You could also play as Sonic with Tails in the main game, and control Tails with the second controller. Looking back on it, we were so stoked to be able to do that, weren't we?
Sonic 2 is held by fans as possibly the best Sonic game ever made. Many do argue thought that Sonic 3 was. I personally think Sonic CD was, but that's not the point here.
Why should you play this game? It's a 2D Sonic game, y'know, back when Sega made good Sonic games.
#6: Rocket Knight Adventures
This game was one of the best. Konami, I love you! Seriously, the game was just so well thought out and put toghether, it was a masterpiece.
The deal is you play as this Possum who is trying to save a princess from the evil Pig nation. As bad and generic as that sounds, it's a good game. The level designs are very unique, and the gameplay was just plain fun.
Also, there is the point that I discovered. Nobody had heard of the game! I mean nobody I talked to had heard about it (Except the guy I mention in the video). This makes it more of a classic because it's a great game overlooked by many.
Why should you play this game? Just play it and you'll know why I suggested it.
#5 & #4: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
Combining Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles gives you this result. The reason they are put together here as two seperate numbers, when you technically put it, they are seperate games.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles expanded on what made Sonic 2 great. Tails was playable again, though this time the players could make him fly and swim. Knuckles was the new character added to the game, who can climb and glide his way through the levels. He also had his own areas to explore, and a couple times had a completley different level to play through then Sonic & Tails. Knuckles also fought this wierd Egg Robot, not Dr. Robotnik.
Also, the 2 player mode was perfect. Instead of making the levels mini, like Sonic 2 did, Sonic 3 gave it's two player mode it's own levels in which you raced through. And instead of racing through one long level, you got to race through a smaller one that looped, completing laps. The first player to finish five laps won the race.
Why should you play it? Do I have to say why?
#3: Road Rash II
If you have ever played any games in the Road Rash series, you'll understand that the games took the same fate as Sonic did when it went 3D. The games sucked. The original two games for the Genesis used 2d drawn to look 3d, and Road Rash II got it perfect. Now with Road Rash III, EA decided to use the same graphics from the Phillips CD-I game, Road Rash. It honestly looked like crap. This is why I name Road Rash II the best game the series has to offer.
Road Rash II consists of five levels of difficulty, each level gradually getting harder. As each level increases, the tracks get longer, and the AI gets tougher. I want to applaud EA for a minute here. I don't think there has ever been better AI for a game on the Genesis. You fight off other "Rashers" as you attempt to finish in third or above to qualify. You need to do this with all 5 tracks in order to move on to the next level.
Did I mention how much fun it is to punch, kick, club, and whip chains at your fellow Rashers? The best part of this game was it's rating, this is back in the day when viloence in video games wasn't bad, it was funny. The official rating was K-A, which means Kids to Adults, which was later replaced by E for Everyone.
Why should you play it? Fighting while racing is fun!
#2: Sonic 3D Blast
Yes, another Sonic Game. There is only one reason why I put this game here at #2: The game was not the greatest Sonic game ever made. But that should not scare you from playing it.
Sonic 3D Blast is actually a 2D game drawn to look 3D with a camera fixed to help improve this mirage. But if you overlook that, it's a fun Sonic Game. the basics are: Sonic is trying to defeat Dr. Robotnic in this alternative dimension, home to the Flickies. You are trying to save them from his evil plans to take over the world. Simple really...
The best part of the game is that it feels like a 2D Sonic game mostly. And the game was to be our Sonic the Hedgehog 4, but this idea actually worked it's way to what we know as 3D Blast.
Why should you play it? It was overlooked by many, but it is actually a really good game.
Note: This game was re-made for the Sega Saturn as a back-up project from the failed Sonic X-treme. However, the only thing that changed in the Saturn version was the music, so if you want to play it on the Saturn, I'm not stopping you. (Edit: TimADugan pointed out that the Special Stages changed as well, I did not know this. Thanks for the info Tim!)
#1: Outrun 2019
This game went down into the record books as a flop. But I am here to tell you it's not a flop. It's freaking awesome!
If you ever played any of the Outrun games, you would know the whole idea behind it. Your racing to beat the clock pretty much. With each checkpoint you reach, you get a time extension. And the racing track was a branching pathway, you got to decide where to go.
2019 expanded this idea. You get to choose from four stages, each gradually getting longer and adding more branching paths. And some single routes also had branching paths. The best part of the game, the graphics were stunning. The backgrounds look realistic, the cars were detailed, even your rival racers looked amazing. The car you drive was just pure art at it's finest. And apparently in the year 2019, we will all get cars the hit 600 MPH easy.
Now your thinking, "But why was it such a flop?" The main reason, the music. Only a rare few liked it. If your a fan of the Outrun series, you'll know that Outrun tends to remake the same music for each game, while adding new music tracks. Outrun 2019 didn't do this, they decided to drop the old music and make thier own. I liked the music personally. It was fitting for the game, if felt futuristic to me anyway.
One other reason was this game wasn't originally going to be an Outrun game. Originally it was to be titled "Cyber Road" for the Sega CD. It was later moved to the Genesis under the working title of "Junker's High". It was a few months later we saw the final outcome known as Outrun 2019.
Why should you play this game? It was one of the most overlooked games for the Genesis, and it should be given a chance.
With that, I conclude my first blog entry here at TGWTG.com. I hope to have offered a somewhat stimulating read for my first contribution to the site. Thank you for reading, and get out and play some of these games now!
regarding Rocket Knight Adventures... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
im pretty sure this game was renamed Sparkster in europe with it subtitled Rocket knight Adventures... i might have to go digging through all my mega drive stuff to see if its true...
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... written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
im pretty sure this game was renamed Sparkster in europe with it subtitled Rocket knight Adventures... i might have to go digging through all my mega drive stuff to see if its true...
Now that you mention it, I think it was named Sparkster in Europe...
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... written by TylerDirty529 , July 24, 2008
In my opinion, Sonic 3 & Knuckles should've been number 1. However, you had great choices on this list. Lotsa good memories here!
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A little update... written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
Sparkster is the sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures. There is the Genesis Version, which is a direct sequel, and there is an SNES version, which is a spin-off game and has no relation to the original game. I think in japan, the game on the Genesis/Mega Drive was simply called Rocket Knight Adventures II. Talk about confusing...
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... written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
In my opinion, Sonic 3 & Knuckles should've been number 1. However, you had great choices on this list. Lotsa good memories here!
Thank you, and I was expecting a comment like that. I was trying to go for a slightly different list of games than the average classic gamer would choose. I appreciate the feedback. Thank you!
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
Sparkster is the sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures. There is the Genesis Version, which is a direct sequel, and there is an SNES version, which is a spin-off game and has no relation to the original game. I think in japan, the game on the Genesis/Mega Drive was simply called Rocket Knight Adventures II. Talk about confusing...
wow... there really was an ongoing problem with games getting renamed and sequel screw ups through Japan -> USA -> Europe.
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... written by TylerDirty529 , July 24, 2008
Thank you, and I was expecting a comment like that. I was trying to go for a slightly different list of games than the average classic gamer would choose. I appreciate the feedback. Thank you!
Haha, yeah. It's just Sonic 3 is so classic and never seems to get old.
But yeah, I pretty much agree with everything here, it's just my list would've been in a different order.
LOVE the Genesis! =]
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
on another note, was splatterhouse 2 number 11? i can remember playing that at the tender age of like 5 or something. i REALLY didnt know what I was about to be exposed to. probably the smallest parental advisory warning EVER.
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... written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
on another note, was splatterhouse 2 number 11? i can remember playing that at the tender age of like 5 or something. i REALLY didnt know what I was about to be exposed to. probably the smallest parental advisory warning EVER.
Well, if we want to get technical, Ristar was the original #10, but I changed it to Roar of the Beast. So if at all, Ristar would be #11.
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
Ristar was the original #10, but I changed it to Roar of the Beast. So if at all, Ristar would be #11.
that makes sense. wonder if anybody else remembers comix zone too, that game rocked
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Ahhhh Comix Zone written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
Yes, I had originally planned to put the game on my list. But I pulled it after a bit just because I decided to keep the games I actually own on the original cartridges. I felt in order to truly experience that game, I need to buy it and play it on my Genesis. It's the only way to honestly appreciate classic gaming.
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
I felt in order to truly experience that game, I need to buy it and play it on my Genesis. It's the only way to honestly appreciate classic gaming.
it really is the only way. i feel a bit awkward playing them with an emulator using a keyboard... and theres nothing quite like swearing at your console not loading a game due to dust on the chip... i miss those days
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Sonic 3D Blast!?! written by TimADugan , July 24, 2008
I love Sonic and you're right about S3&K, but I'd much rather play Sonic 1 over 3D Blast...heck, I'd rather play Sonic Spinball, and I hate that game.
So, and the Saturn version also had completely different versions of the bonus stages. They were MUCH MUCH better on the Saturn, but the game's still not worth playing just for those.
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Yes 3D Blast! written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
Again, I was trying to put up something different...
So the Saturn version had new special stages? I must of missed that when I played through the game. Of course, I was being lazy and not collecting Chaos Emeralds. Thanks for the info, I'll add that to my blog and give you the credit, TimADugan.
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... written by shingouken , July 24, 2008
The list got off to a bad start.... don't encourage people to play that crap lol. Especially when their are some other titles deserving of a place. James pond, kid chamelian and streets of rage are some examples. It's rightfully dominated by sonic titles and i was very pleased to see rocket knight adventures (i wrote an article about it recently because like you said, it's a forgotten classic.) Overall, nice job
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
James pond, kid chamelian and streets of rage
im surprised theres no mention of golden axe there, or revenge of shinobi. i own one of those 3 in one carts that had streets of rage, revenge of shinobi and golden axe on it, shouldnt that count as some sort of gaming relic now? like some sort of essential action games for the genesis/mega drive?
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... written by shingouken , July 24, 2008
Mega games =) there were a a few mega games collections but yeah pretty much everyone had mega games 2 which had streets of rage + golden axe + shinobi on it
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... written by ScottishInsomnia , July 24, 2008
i had 2 and 3. i think 3 had something like super monaco gp, super thunder blade and alien storm on it, and im surprised they never called it super alien storm. theres another 90s videogame naming phenomenon... the need to have your game title have "super" tagged on the front of it.
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In general response: written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
The games you all have mentioned are superb games, but here's the thing, I was making a list of games that may or may not have been that great in the public eye. I was just voicing my opinions on what I think should be played for the old Genesis.
The list got off to a bad start.... don't encourage people to play that crap lol.
I was trying to be different. I think by making a crappy game #10 helped me be different. Lol!
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What about....? written by JinLee86 , July 24, 2008
What about Cool Spot? Sure, it's nothing more than a company's attempt to promote one of their drinks to gamers, but it was a pretty fun game with great music, great controls, and very addictive. Just like the refreshing thirst quencher 7-Up. ...shit...
Personaly, I was never a huge fan of Sonic aside from the first two games. To me, you played one, you've played them all. Though I respect your choices. His games are loved for a reason, afterall.
Am I the only one who thought Virtual Bart was fun?
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Never played it... written by Mike_Industries , July 24, 2008
I never did play Cool Spot, But as you said, I hear it is a fun game.
Meh, Virtual Bart...
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... written by Necroman , July 25, 2008
Wow, I've been hearing a lot about Rocket Knight Adventures, yet I've never heard of it before. Sounds like that deserves investigating.
Ristar was great, too. Great gameplay mechanic that I haven't seen too many other places.
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... written by Mike_Industries , July 26, 2008
Wow, I've been hearing a lot about Rocket Knight Adventures, yet I've never heard of it before. Sounds like that deserves investigating.
I bet anything that Rocket Knight Adventures was a forgotten title just due to the fact Sonic was highly popular. Add in the Sonic Vs Mario stuff we were going through at the time, it was easy to lose this game.
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