Genesis slaughters everything else

[runinruder]

There isn't enough talk about the brilliant Sega Genesis on this forum.  I'll try to get the ball rolling: What are your favorite Gen games?  Here's my top ten:
 
El Viento - I wish the Turbo had an action-platformer with gameplay as smooth and cinemas as dramatic as this one's.
 
Wings of Wor - I wish the Turbo had a shooter with action as intense and a soundtrack as good as this one's. 
 
Shinobi III - I wish Ninja Spirit were this good.
 
Aladdin - I wish the Turbo had a hack-and-slash title with animation as amazing as this one's.
 
Elemental Master - I wish Mystic Formula were this good.
 
Mystic Defender - I wish the Turbo could produce audio as appealing as the stage 2 tune here.
 
Thunder Force II - I wish Gate of Thunder had a level as impressive as stage 8 here.
 
Castle of Illusion - I wish the Turbo's Disney games were this good. 
 
Lightening Force - I wish the Turbo were capable of graphics like these.
 
Bloodlines - I wish the Turbo had a Castlevania game this good. 

Man, Genesis rules.

[GUTS]

Too many for me to list, Turbo and Genesis go back and forth for me as my favorite systems of all time.

The Disney games on Genesis especially slaughtered the Disney games on every other system ever.  Plus Shining force I & II and Phantasy Star II & IV are completely untouchable.

[Joe Redifer]

Wings of Wor - I wish the Turbo had a shooter with action as intense and a soundtrack as good as this one's.

Isn't Chew on Nikki similar?

Castle of Illusion - I wish the Turbo's Disney games were this good.

Hell, I wish any other Disney-based game were this good.  World of Illusion was kind of nice, but I don't think any other Disney game can ever come close to this one.  Not only is it the best Disney-based game ever, it is also one of the best platformers, period.

Lightening Force - I wish the Turbo were capable of graphics like these.

This comment will inflame Keranu's hemorrhoids.  Be careful! 

Bloodlines - I wish the Turbo had a Castlevania game this good.

Why?  Dracula X is already better.

[runinruder]

Wings of Wor - I wish the Turbo had a shooter with action as intense and a soundtrack as good as this one's.

Isn't Chew on Nikki similar?

In some respects, yes.  It's bullet heavy and has similar enemy designs.  But it's more predictable (read: less exciting) than the amazing Wings.  Still good, though. 

Hell, I wish any other Disney-based game were this good.  World of Illusion was kind of nice, but I don't think any other Disney game can ever come close to this one.  Not only is it the best Disney-based game ever, it is also one of the best platformers, period.

Yeah, World was also good.  They really screwed up Fantasia though.

[esteban]

My favorite consoles of all time:
1. NES
2. TG-16 / Genesis
3. Everything else

Genesis does indeed kick ass. So many great, great games.

I think the NES Disney games by Capcom are pretty friggin' kool (i.e. Duck Tales), but I'm not going to argue with what folks have already said about the Genny's Disney games.

Now, I'm not going to list my Top 10 games, but rather some Genny games that I really dig and I think are underappreciated. IMO, this demonstrates how diverse the Gemnny library was and how many awesome games were available, proving conclusively that Genesis slaughters everything else.

In no particular order:

Master of Monsters - I really like the Genny version of this. I don't expect anyone to get excited about this game, but Master of Monsters is fun and the music gets me stoked when I'm playing.

Star Control - Countless hours playing this game, for years, and my brothers / friends / I still enjoy playing this game. What can I say?

Mutant League Football / Hockey - I don't know. I liked playing these games, even though they were corny as hell. I'm not a big sports fan (the only sports games I take seriously are baseball games like Baseball Stars NES). I should probably hate these Mutant League games, but I like 'em. I'm sure Runin is going to lose respect for me upon reading this. Guilty pleasures. Oh well....

Chelnov Atomic Runner - OK, this is a joke, since I know this isn't a good game by any reasonable standard. Nonetheless, I have a soft spot for this goddam game for some reason and Genny is the only way I could play it, thus proving that the Genesis slaughters everything else.

Splatterhouse 2 & 3 - Yeah, I know these aren't the greatest games, but I like the series and you'll only find these two on the Genny. The slaughter continues.

Road Rash - Hell yeah! Simple, but great fun.

Mystic Defender -

[runinruder]

I should probably hate these Mutant League games, but I like 'em. I'm sure Runin is going to lose respect for me upon reading this.

No, no.

I'd already lost all respect for you three seconds earlier when I'd read this:

My favorite consoles of all time:
1. NES
2. TG-16 / Genesis

[esteban]

El Viento - I wish the Turbo had an action-platformer with gameplay as smooth and cinemas as dramatic as this one's.

Now, I don't want to start anything (really!), but I never understood all the cult-love for El Viento! Yes, of course I dig this game (I enjoy Valis II, afterall), but this is El Viento is not "smooth" in a good way! There is an awkwardness to it that never goes away, even when you get used to the controls, play mechanics and start to "run through" the game like a true master (not a "speed run", per se, but rather a "don't stop moving" - run).

The controls are too floaty (almost Bravoman floaty!) and there is no visceral satisfaction when you kill your opponents. I don't think the stage design is particularly good, either. El Viento slaughters Earnest Evans, though.

Don't get me wrong, I like El Viento, but I think El Viento on your list is on par with Chelnov on my list. OK, I'm kidding. But still...



EDIT: I friggin' love the tune that plays during the opening story (when the buildings are smoldering in orange). I don't think that tune gets enough love.

[Turbo D]

TurboGrafx slaughters the Genesis

[Keranu]

The Joe Redifer Appreciation Thread

Before I list my games, I want to fully agree that Genesis by far had the best Disney games ever made, with Quackshot being one of my all time favorite games.

Now onto my killer list:

Crack Down - I wish the Turbo had two player overhead action games with sprites as small as this.

Devilish - I wish the Turbo had games that were original as this

Insector X - I wish the Turbo had shooters this creative and intense with a soundtrack that rocks everything else off the planet. Stage 5 of Gate of Thunder doesn't even compare.

Ka Ge Ki - I wish the Turbo had games published by Sage's Creation.

Kid Chameleon - I wish the Turbo had a game with over 100,000,000 screens!

King Salmon - I wish the Turbo had fishing games.

King's Bounty - I wish the Turbo had strategy games this strategic. Military Madness is a joke.

Phelios - I wish the Turbo had shooters as magical as this one.

Quackshot - I wish the Turbo had platformers as adventurous as this one.

Ranger X - I wish the Turbo could even handle this game.

Rocket Knight Adventures - I wish the Turbo had this much action.

Shadow Blasters - I wish the Turbo had action games this deep.

Shining in the Darkness - I wish Climax Entertainment made games for the Turbo.

Shining Force - I wish the Turbo had games with beepy bloop voices.

Shining Force 2 - I wish the Turbo had a sequal to Solid Force.

Sonic the Hedgehog - I wish the Turbo had games this fast.

Streets of Rage - I wish the Turbo had more and better beat'em ups like this.

Taz - I wish the Turbo had good licensed games.

Toe Jam & Earl and Toe Jam & Earl 2 - I wish the Turbo had games this funky.

[Joe Redifer]

Crack Down - I wish the Turbo had two player overhead action games with sprites as small as this.

Though this game has awful graphics, it is kind of fun in a weird sort of way.  It has two players as well.  And I'd rather play this game any day vs the Xbox360 version.  Ug.

[SignOfZeta]

Hm...I think you need to play more NEC software if you really think the Genesis is all that much better.

The people here love the Genesis to levels of pure delusion, so you are not alone. I'm pretty much the only one here that thinks its the worst Sega system build (except probably the SG1000), but in a way I'm probably better off. Have you seen what complete JP Mega Drive carts go for these days? Its insane!

[runinruder]

Kid Chameleon - I wish the Turbo had a game with over 100,000,000 screens!

Allow me to introduce you to a Last Armageddon dungeon...   

Hm...I think you need to play more NEC software if you really think the Genesis is all that much better.

True, true.  If anything's clear from my posts on this forum, it's that I haven't played many PCE/Turbo games. 

 

[Tatsujin]

i sense a huge quantity of ironic humor in this thread.

[Keranu]

i sense a huge quantity of ironic humor in this thread.

It's humorous, but some of it's true. I do wish the Turbo had more beat'em ups, for example.

[Tatsujin]

It's humorous, but some of it's true. I do wish the Turbo had more beat'em ups, for example.

it may sounds strange, but i think the same, alltough the PCE had a huge library of diverse vs.-beat'em ups, only 10% was/is really usable.
what the system really needed, was more sort of beat'n walks like bare knuckle etc.

a final fight from NEC-AVE would've been very nice!! especially in terms of colors.

[awack]

Yea, the pc engine was lacking side scrolling brawlers, here are the ones i can think of ...no single plane brawlers.

dynasty warriors (tenchi o karu)
double dragon 2
river city ransom
anesan
crest of wolf
golden axe

but i think it was hurting even more in platform shooters like contra or gunstar heroes, lets see what we have,

horror story
browning
turrican
shockman

For the genesis, i think the game that stands out the most for me is ristar, its the total package, great gameplay, color, art, special fx, music and sound.

[Tatsujin]

you're absolutely right concerning the lack of platform shooter awack. and on that point i would like to refer to an old thread about those lost and desired PCE games: https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2158.0

[Keranu]

Another platform shooter is Genji Tsushin Agedama, which is a little different from the typical platform shooter, but still an action packed one. MindRec is also working on their new platform shooter called PC Gunjin which looks jawesome to tha max.

[WoodyXP]

I love the Genny... here's my fav's:

1. Herzog Zwei
2. The Sonic Games
3. Comix Zone
4. Gunstar Heroes
5. Golden Axe
6. Streets of Rage 1 & 2
7. Dune II
8. Desert Strike
9. Splatterhouse III
10. Bloodlines

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

[Tatsujin]

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[SignOfZeta]

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For me the Neo Geo would push the Genesis off the podium.

[Tatsujin]

i never considered the NG AES as a real console. fact is,..

1. it was a real arcade machine (and primarly not concepted to play in the home-liga).
2. the games were too few.
3. the genres were too few.

[ccovell]

Plus the Neo-Geo was 27 1/2-bit.

[Tatsujin]

aight. totally forgot about that!

[esteban]

Plus the Neo-Geo was 27 1/2-bit.

In the arcade it was 31+ bit!

Awesome.

[GUTS]

Haha we're all delusional and runin needs to play more Turbo games, priceless.

Steve yeah the NES has some damned good Disney games too, Ducktales is probably my favorite (pretty much most of the Capcom made Disney games are awesome).  But Castle of Illusion is so good by itself that it could be the only Disney game on Genesis and still be better than every other Disney game ever made put together.  Speaking of Disney games, the Game Gear has some awesome ones too, I've been meaning to track them all down on Master System for ages (like Land of Illusion, Castle is totally different from the Genesis version, Lucky Dime Caper, and about 5 more).

[Keranu]

I loved the Master System / Game Gear Disney games as well.

Call me crazy, but aside from Duck Tales 1 and 2, I can't really think of any other Disney games for NES that I really liked.

[Emerald Rocker]

I'll just add my one or two cents here.

The Genesis was filled with excellent sidescrolling platformers, the likes of which were never found on the Turbo: Shinobi 3, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rolling Thunder 2, and so on and so forth, and I played most of them "back in the day".  I also played a lot of Turbo games "back in the day", like Legendary Axe, but those were kind of lame.  Anyways, on Christmas of 1991, I received a gift: it was a game that I had heard was excellent from magazine reviews but, from the screenshots, I really hadn't been impressed.

Little did I realize the power of the cartridge I held in my hands.  Way more power than I had ever found with a tiny, little chip.

It would be easy at this point to simply spill out fond memories of Annet, Earnest Evans, and all the other characters from El Viento (you've probably already guessed as much, but that's the game I referred to up above),, but I asked myself a question the other day.  "Is this game really that good?  Or am I simply feeling the effects of nostalgia?"

To answer that question, I not only went back and played El Viento again, but also all those other (still great) Genesis games to prove to myself that Annet and company could still pass muster.  I certainly am nostalgic but I have no doubt whatsoever that this really is a genuinely great game.  As a sidenote, I also played a bunch of Turbo games, and promptly regretted it.

El Viento's story begins in the late 1920s after the Empire State Building has been constructed.  When you first begin the game, an extremely stylish cutscene (this game is overflowing with a sense of style on the level of the best Turbo CDs) introduces you to the purpose of this landmark and the characters involved in its construction.  The Empire State Building is not simply a tourist attraction, but rather a tower from which to summon Hastur, the evil god of wind!

The introduction not only establishes the main character (a 17-year-old Peruvian priestess named Annet, who you control) but also the main villains: her Peruvian half-sister Restiana, who (like Annet) carries Hastur's blood within her, and the villainous cultist high priest Henry.  The music from the introduction keeps blazing during the title screen, keeping the adrenaline running up until that eventual tap of the START button.

Although the opening music is anything but subtle, the initial graphics when you first begin are strikingly faded (although still beautiful in that Genesis way) and the buildings in the background are somewhat simplistic.  Fortunately, 1920s hoodlums (with guns, all respectable gangsters need firepower) provide an immediate distraction.  As you intuitively move Annet left and right on the screen, jump, and hurl boomerangs (Annet's primary weapon) at fedora-clad baddies, a realization sinks in: the animation quality is amazing, far surpassing Bravoman on the Turbo! Ribbons fly up into the air from Annet's clothing; individual strands of hair flutter in the wind; arms rise into the air as she falls to the ground.  When you change the direction of a jump in mid-air (movement is very versatile in this game), Annet spins around in such glorious hand-drawn splendour that I often found myself moving and jumping just to admire her beauty.

I did that during Road Rash, too.  I would actually crane my neck to see over hills.  I wish the Turbo had racing games as good as Road Rash.

The approach to visuals in El Viento is quite subtle and extremely clever.  The faded colors establish a 1920s feel (without being overly faded, like, oh, Steel Empire, one of the few bad Genesis games).  As mentioned before, the characters are very well-animated (and actually in a fairly high resolution), making it not only useful but beautiful to hurl magical fireballs to blow stuff up.

"AAAAAAA!!! What the hell was that pixellated mess??  Wait... that was kind of cool!"

When it comes to realism versus style, Wolf Team not only threw realism out the window, they set it ablaze in a glorious cloud of red and orange.  As Annet throws boomerangs, fireballs, shooting stars, bursts of wind, or whatever at enemies, some of her foes (motorcycles, barrels of alchohol, dwarven pirates... dwarven pirates??) will EXPLODE in a giant pixellated cloud of red, yellow, and orange that makes Silent Debuggers' enemy deaths look like pathetic jokes by comparison.  This isn't pixellated like other 16-bit explosions (and I mean true 16-bit, not fake TurboGrafx 16-bit) --- this is hyper-ultra-mega-pixellated!  (For the superlative-impaired, "The explosions are over the top.")  The contrast is shocking since most of the graphics are fairly high-resolution.  It's an ingenious (and once again, stylish!) method for bringing attention and excitement to the gameplay via graphics.  We're not just talking about graphics for eyecandy here: this is masterful use of graphics to enhance your excitement and to increase your desire to blow stuff up!

Of particular note is the fourth level.  While Annet rides a dolphin across the sea, birdmen drop bombs from above (which cause huge pixellated blue splashes).  As you knock off the birdmen, they explode in clouds of red.  Between the red and blue, the screen simply spills over with vibrance and insanity!

Better than the graphics (yet much easier to describe since it's just flat-out awesome) is the music.  It's composed by Motoi Sakuraba (Shining Force 3, Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean) and matches the storyline of the game perfectly.  I wish the Turbo had games composed by Motoi Sakuraba.  The music is filled with bells, chimes, and the clicks of Spanish castanets, an instrument that could not be replicated by the TurboGrafx sound chip.  Nearly every single level's music is memorable, and it is always speeding along in an adrenaline-pumping frenzy.  Just listening to much of the music on its own gives the impression of frenetic, yet mysterious, adventure (which makes sense, since Annet races through temples and buildings all across the country, trying to stop Henry in time...)  The music for the final level (and final boss) is particularly memorable, which helps build excitement for...

...one genuinely moving, and amazing, ending.  The story in El Viento is advanced through cutscenes after each level, introducing not only Annet, Restiana, and Henry, but Earnest Evans (explorer extraordinaire who rescued Annet from the cult two years ago), Zigfried (former enemy, who turned friend during the 'incident' two years prior), and Vincente DeMarco, the mob boss (Earnest's rival, yet unlike many "stock" villains, Vincente actually cares for Annet).  All of this leads up to a final battle that you absolutely must win: not for the fate of the world, but for a much more personal reason (spoilers with-held!).  The only bad thing about the story is that it certainly ends, but will leave you begging for a sequel (which you will never ever find, unless you own the hard-to-find Japanese MegaCD system).

In case you're still not convinced, check out this screenshot:



When I think Great Gaming Moments, I think "the El Viento octopus".

You're probably staring at that screenshot right now and thinking this must be some kind of joke, like when someone pretends to like Shaq Fu, Insector-X, or Blazing Lazers. Trust me — this is no joke. Part of this Great Gaming Moment's magic is how you're riding on Ecco's back through the mercilessly parallaxed ocean, dodging highly resolute hang-gliding mafia men, and then suddenly this ENORMOUS PIXELLATED BEAST slathers itself across your screen like mayonnaise across the Mona Lisa. It's so blatantly ridiculous. It's like the El Viento octopus doesn't realize how wrong its own existence is in such a gorgeously-animated adventure. It's unexpected, it's wacky... and it's cool! El Viento is a lot of things — unpredictably awesome is one of them. Maybe that's why it became a cult classic in both North and South America. That's right — even the hardcore Brazilian contingent digs El Viento.

https://www.honestgamers.com/3625/genesis/el-viento/review.html

Super cute heroine Annet Maya was born in the deepest darkest jungles of Peru (that's why she's got that sexy dark skin), but she spends her time in El Viento searching four of the 48 states (it's 1928, after all) for the evil priest Henry. Two years prior, the godly awesome treasure hunter Earnest Evans — star of his own unforgettable action game — rescued Annet from Henry's bloodthirsty cult and brought her to New York City to live as normal a life as a superheroic grave robber can offer.  I wish the Turbo had games with animation techniques as creative as those employed in Earnest Evans.

Earnest, a classic example of "the accidental superhero", wasn't actually trying to rescue anyone. He was just trying to stop mob boss Vincente DeMarco from stealing and selling ancient Peruvian artifacts. Earnest just happened to stumble across Annet, naked and uncomfortably tied to a cold stone altar, along the way. Then he adopted her, because that's what noble treasure hunters do (unless they're noble hentai treasure hunters). Unfortunately, Earnest's kindness made Annet a target; now she's just another way for Vincente DeMarco to take revenge against his do-gooder rival!

* Special side note: I wish Feed Sluster, hero of PCE Super CD Fiend Hunter, was even half as cool as Earnest Evans.

Anyways, back to El Viento.  Annet won't go down easily, for the creative minds at Wolf Team -- minds far more creative than the people who created tripe like Ghost Manor -- have given Annet a refreshing degree of flexibility and speed.

Look! Annet runs like a girl! That's part of why she's so adorable. Whether its the way her body recoils with each boomerang throw or how she supports herself with one arm when she crouches, Annet embodies hand-drawn feminine grace. And these aren't simple two or three-frame animations: when Annet leaps into the air to avoid gangsters' bullets, she lets her bare arms fly loose, ribbons from her hair and waist flowing with the wind as her skirt lifts ever so slightly in the breeze. After falling back to the ground, Annet's slender legs buckle to absorb the impact. That microscopic attention to detail is part of El Viento's genius, and that's one reason why Annet's been giving lovesick gamers a cruel jones for over 15 years.

Our perky heroine's got more than pretty looks; she controls smoothly, too. Annet's surprising agility helps when mobster-packed cars try to run her down, or when racist white slum tenants drop flowerpots, chairs, and ANGRY TEDDY BEARS on her head. Gardyloo! You never know what treasure they'll trash next; one bum accidentally drops an occasional healing salve between the hammers and vases.  It takes real genius to have a game where villains drop ANGRY TEDDY BEARS on your head, but still be able to take it seriously.  I wish the Turbo had games like that.

After Annet takes down pretty much every hoodlum in New York City, mob boss DeMarco fights Earnest's adopted daughter fair and square, one on one... kind of. When Annet walks through a door in the city — just another door, like all the others — she finds herself in a small, empty room.

La, la, la.

...then Vincente Demarco busts through the wall IN A FRIGGIN' TANK, sending chunks of brick and debris flying through the air! That might seem brutally unfair, but the battle's not quite as imbalanced as it sounds. DeMarco thought he was picking on a helpless little girl, but he's taken on a nimble little sorceress!

Throughout the game, Annet learns five different magics, from a simple fireball to the ultimate Hadouken. By holding the magic button down, Annet gathers her spirit energy in her best imitation of Ryu — but unlike Ryu, she can run and even jump with this big crackling ball of fury cradled in her arms, just waiting to unleash a triple burst of pixellated power. And by "pixellated", what I really mean is that when Annet hurls this glob of gas at an enemy — let's pick something small and unimposing like a vampire bat — the winged little freak EXPLODES in a giant chunky cloud of red, yellow, and orange. This isn't pixellated due to age, this is pixellated due to artistic intent. It's reminiscent of the Atari 2600, and it's a striking contrast to see high-resolution Aryan bikers and dwarven pirates (dwarven pirates?!) burst into gushing puffs of flame.

Early on, these massive explosions are uncommon.  However, "uncommon" is way better than "nonexistent", which is what you'll find in pathetic action games like Keith Courage. By the end of the game, EVERYTHING Annet attacks explodes into a bubbly mess! It's a cool way to further escalate an already exciting game's intensity.  It really provides a STRONG VISCERAL IMPACT whenever Annet kills an enemy.

Gorgeous cinematic sequences cap off each level, adding intrigue to the intensity. To Annet's credit, she doesn't spend these scenes delivering long, brooding speeches about her tortured past or whining about the tainted blood flowing through her veins. This is the life she's chosen, and she deals with everything in her own innocent way. Annet's out to protect everyone she meets, even her twisted sister Restiana — a beautiful blonde sorceress, born from Hastur's blood.

What Annet knows — a sad truth she knows better than anyone — is that the fate of Hastur's daughters is to die. They serve only as a sacrificial vessel from which the dark god is violently reborn. Annet wants to protect her sister from this fate.

But that's not what Restiana thinks. Restiana thinks she's going to inherit untold power, and the dark priest Henry is always there to whisper fork-tongued lies in her ear. There's only one way for Annet and Restiana to settle their differences. Trial by combat — the victor is deemed correct in the eyes of the world!

As a side note, the Genesis outsold the TurboGrafx by millions.  Therefore, the Genesis is deemed correct in the eyes of the world.

Anyways, back to the game.... Sister versus sister. Wolf Team's games are filled with some pretentious and overbearing themes, often delivered with an elephant's grace (can anyone forget shooter Sol-Deace's "CLASH OF OIL AND BLOOD"?). It's no accident that El Viento reflects many of the same ideas. The difference is that El Viento conveys its message in an endearing, subtle manner — through action instead of through ham-fisted poetry. Annet's a single source of light born from darkness, but the game doesn't have to spell that out in bold print across the screen to get the idea across. She's simply a determined young girl who knows the difference between right and wrong. Annet sets out to put an end to the cult and their blackhearted ways because that's what heroes do.

It'll be a tough fight. Restiana's placed some of the craziest traps ever imagined in Annet's way, but it's this variety that keeps the game fresh and fun from start to end. Before Annet reaches her power-hungry sister, she'll have to jump on trampolines and leap over fire-spitting totem poles, or perhaps ride rolling boulders across spike-laden pits. With its crazy mix of enemies and obstacles, El Viento never settles into a dull routine!

When Annet finally faces her half-sister, the physical contrast speaks volumes. Annet's appearance is simple but elegant; she's a dark-skinned, small-chested girl whose wardrobe focuses attention to her midriff. Restiana aims for the obvious glamor points: long blonde hair, heavy blue eyeshadow, and a chest that's practically popping out of its silk restraints. It's a battle of innocence against vanity — and Restiana's pride won't let her listen to Annet's advice. Such drama!  I wish Samurai Ghost had this much drama.

Whether it's German millionaire Zigfried acting as knowing mentor or Annet barely containing her puppy love for Earnest, the colorful cast keeps El Viento's story exciting. Through underground pubs (the bartenders mix a dangerous cocktail) and atop gigantic war zeppelins, Annet has to keep fighting. Annet tries to use her magic to save people, but can she save anyone? Or is her power just another tool for murder? After a return encounter with Vincente DeMarco, the conspicuously scarred mob boss puts Annet's ideals to the test. He'll give up his ambitions... but only if she can prove herself. Annet says she wants to protect people? Then she's got to protect the person she loves most — she has to rescue Earnest Evans from a beautiful but ominous temple hidden deep inside the Grand Canyon.

Cue one of Motoi Sakuraba's most enchanting melodies. As with the game's action, you never know what surprises the music holds — after the thrilling stereophonic boss encounter against DeMarco's latest freak contraption, the next level breaks into a soft, almost flutish piece as Annet explores a temple of such elegance that the previous level's flagrant explosions and absurd boss are soon forgotten. I wish Legendary Axe's temple level had music that good.  By the end of the game, you'll be treated to a fast-paced reprise of the title theme, an intricate industrial montage, and one fantastic final boss track.

From one level to the next, you never know what to expect — one-eyed monsters ripped from Lovecraft's yarns, endless chains of explosives to detonate, old friends reunited, and honorable villains to win over with pure-hearted innocence. El Viento's crowning achievement is in convincing you that it's not predictable and then sucker-punching you in the heart with a sadistically predictable finish.

Not only did El Viento surprise me, but it cruelly forced me to care.

I don't really care about Impossamole.

[Joe Redifer]

Wow, that was an essay.  I figured the blocky graphics in El Viento were a tribute to the SNES.

[CrackTiger]

Some of my favs-

Shining Force I, II and CD
Lunar EB
Snatcher
Cobra
Phantasy Star I - IV
Lords of Thunder
Ghouls N Ghosts
Valis III
Ys III
SFIICE
Target Earth
Doom 32X
Virtua Racing 32X
Virtua Fighter 32X (I assume I'll love it when I finally get it tomorrow)

[TR0N]

Genesis i miss owning that console still i'll list my favorites for it.

Gunstar Heros
Beyond Oasis
PS IV
Zombies Ate My Neighbor
Rocket Knight Adventure
Contra Hardcorps
Cursader of the Centy
Gaiares
SOR2
Castlevania Bloodlines
General Chaos
Road Rash

Just to name a few.

[nat]

Space Harrier II.

[Emerald Rocker]

DecapAttack.

[Keranu]

Rolo to the Rescue.

[Turbo D]

decapattack is one of my favorite genesis games  It was the coolest shit back in the day. I especially like that level where that totem pole chases you, haha.

[TurboXray]

 Revenge of Shinobi -  love the music.

 Gaiares -  WTF! FTW! Best overall shooter on the genesis. Would've been kick ass to see a PCE SCD or SegaCD version or sequal.

 TF3 -  better than TF4(after playing the ocean side level, I turn it off). I can listen to the music for hours.

 eSWAT -  average but still a classic. Love the first boss music.

 Sonic 2 -  Sonic 1 is ok, Sonic 3 - didn't play it, Sonic CD - ugly ass gfx/design but the US opening song is cool.

 Shadow Dancer -  Thank god they didn't port the arcade version. This version is much better.

 Arrowflash -  'cause I like it.

 PS2 -  Best PS game. Period. (PS3 was total trash - HATE that game). Looking forward to PS4

 Valis III -  Valis!

 Shining Force -  the first and last in the series that I played. I don't care for strategy games, but this one kept my interest till the end.

 Streets of Rage -  The first one was kickass, the other ones tried too hard (and had some lame characters). SOR 1 has the best music of the 3.

 Trouble Shooter -  mean ol' sleeper shooter.

 Gunstar Heroes -  very fun, but a bit over rated and reading all the praise for this game gets annoying. It's as if it were made by some polygamist Gods or the mormon Jesus himself..... Jesus!

 Target Earth -  Kickass - kickass - kickass....

 Wings of War -  An amazing shooter.

 Steel Empire -  Another kickass shooter.

[nat]

Sonic 2 -  Sonic 1 is ok, Sonic 3 - didn't play it, Sonic CD - ugly ass gfx/design but the US opening song is cool.

Sonic CD is the best Sonic game ever made.

Recognize, bee-yotch!

[Turbo D]

Ya, I agree, that sonic cd rules!

[nat]

I didn't try Sonic CD for a long long time because lots of people said it was "ugly."

That sure taught me never to listen to "people" since the graphics in Sonic CD are some of the best to be found in a Sonic game.

[TurboXray]

I didn't try Sonic CD for a long long time because lots of people said it was "ugly."

That sure taught me never to listen to "people" since the graphics in Sonic CD are some of the best to be found in a Sonic game.

Hah! I played back when it first came out. Had crappy graphics back, still does now. I really like the music though. I could look past the graphics if the game was fun, but CD version had no soul IMO. It felt like they ran out of ideas. I tried multiple times to get into it, but there was nothing special to draw you in. If you're a Sonic, then you'll probably love it but for your gamer that isn't in love with Sonic, it's probably the worst of the series.

 Sonic CD is to the Sonic series as Bonk 3 is to the Bonk series. Both games are just generic in comparison to their predecessors. Bonk 1 = classic, Sonic 1 = classic, Bonk 2 = great game with much improvements, Sonic 2 = great game with much improvements.

 Bonk 3 and Sonic CD were designed by interns 


 I haven't played much of Sonic 3, but from what I have played - it should have been the Sonic CD game. Btw - I haven't been Sonic CD ( I have for Bonk 3). Maybe you guys can point me to some videos of the later levels.

[Keranu]

I have to completely disagree with tom/Bonknuts there ;) .

Sonic 1 - One of the best games ever made
Sonic CD - Awesome game that's close to the original, but has it's own twists.
Sonic 2 - Decent game, but a little dissapointing to me these days. The level layouts and designs just didn't give me the same impact as the others.

Sonic 1 > CD > 3 > 2 > Knuckles

Or if Sonic 3 & Knuckles count as one game:

Sonic 1 > CD > 3 & Knuckles > 2

[SignOfZeta]

My favorite is Sonic 2. I guess Sonic CD would fall somewhere after that.

[CrackTiger]

I loved the Time Attack mode in Sonic CD.

[Kitsunexus]

Too many for me to list

Agreed. Genesis PWNS.

[Joe Redifer]

Here's my opinion (which is the one that counts):

Sonic 1 - Best Sonic game evar.  I just wish they would have waited a couple of weeks to release it so we could get the scrolling clouds in the first level, the extra layers in the second level and the line scrolling water like the Japanese did.  Still gets a bit tiresome after extended periods, though.

Sonic 2 - Second best Sonic game evar.  Many improvements, but overall it did seem to basically be more of the same (repetition).  However this game shows off the Genesis' super-powerful interlace mode which needs to be seen in order to be believed!  Wow!  Amazing!  Incredible!  320x448 resolution from a home console!  I can't believe we haven't put a man on Mars yet with this kind of sheer power.

Sonic 3 - This had some nice things going for it, but I felt the character art took a HUGE hit.  Look at the title screen.  Just look at it!  Look how awful it is.  Is that even Sonic?  It looks like an unlicensed stuffed animal or something.  Music was good, but it lacked the character that the first 2 Sonics had.

Sonic & Knuckles - This is pretty much a more boring version of Sonic 3 with worse music.  Never let anyone named "Howard" do your music.  When combined with Sonic 3, you get a Sonic game that is entirely too long, however this is remedied by the save feature.  Speaking of the save feature, it must be seen to be believed!  Knuckles didn't have a battery, and neither did the Sonic 3 cart!  How did they save their data?  Through space-age technology!  The save data will never go away.  Again... man on Mars & Sega Genesis.   Who else sees the connection?

Sonic CD - This could have been good, but the framerate hiccups quite a bit and the time-traveling feature really bores me to tears.  It also breaks the flow of the game.  Music is great, though I really hate the first stage music in the US version.  God damn hippies.

Sonic Spinball - This game is enough to make any Sega fanboy switch to anyone else.  It's horrible!

Sonic 3D Blast - Only the mighty Sega Genesis can deliver a game with this kind of power.  Not only did it travel to the future and steal music from Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, but it has Axelay scaling!  Wait... it gets better!!!!  The Axelay scaling is even better than Axelay!!!!!!!!!  I bet this game has already been on Mars

Knuckles' Chaotix - This game is odd but actually really cool once you get used to it.  I think most people were expecting a regular Sonic game which they already had ad nauseum on the Genesis.  Best music of the series!  And polygonal bonus stages that will blow your mind with the extreme technology used.  I was about to make a Mars comment again, but then I realized that the 32X's code name is Mars!  They harnessed the power of the entire planet Mars into the 32X to give us such a fine gaming achievement.  I need to go wipe myself.

[CrackTiger]

I really want to play Knuckles Chaotix. For some reason I skipped it back during the short period that the 32X was current. Maybe they didn't have it for rent in my town or something.

[Keranu]

Hey I always thought Sonic Spinball was pretty cool! It's slow, but unique.

[Joe Redifer]

I can't even play it.  Everything about the game disgusts me.  Talk about "dirty graphics".

[nat]

I really want to play Knuckles Chaotix. For some reason I skipped it back during the short period that the 32X was current. Maybe they didn't have it for rent in my town or something.

Same here.

Although I'm hesitant to buy a 32X just to play it.

And anyone who doesn't like Sonic CD is clearly a douche!

[SignOfZeta]

There is one huge problem with Sonic CD: no spin dash. I wouldn't have missed it except I had already played Sonic 2, and now for me a lack of spin dash just drags the game into the ground.