WPO Forums

For all the video game commentators and columnists I know and subscribe to, very few often cover the Sega Genesis to any real degree. If we were measuring who won the 16 bit war based on opinion, I think it's clear the SNES is the winner. Which is a shame, cause I found that both systems bring a lot to the table. I originally intended to make this list a Top 100, certainly enough games in the Genesis library for that, but the more I scanned through the list, the more I felt I was half picking games I actually enjoyed, and the other half just games that people would say HAVE to be on the list. If I wanted to do that, it's been done to death. No, if I am to do this, I want it to come from games that I feel made my childhood great. After all, I am the rare breed of kids who didn't grow up with Nintendo. So I have a better eye for gems on the Genesis.

So I pruned the list down to a Top 30 and made a few rules...

- Only one game per core franchise. This means if Sonic has to be the on the list, it can only be one of the core Sonic games. Spinoff games don't count. So for a Nintendo example... You'd have to pick one Mario game, but you can also add Mario Kart.

- Licensed games are exempt from the one per franchise rule, cause sometimes different games are made by different developers. To exclude them simply cause they share the game license would be unfair. So if a movie, for example, has multiple titles, there is no limit to those games being added.

- The games on this list must be in some way Genesis exclusive. Meaning if the game can also be played on the SNES, it cannot be included. Some exceptions will be made if they merit it. But all 30 games on this list are mostly Genesis exclusives.

- I will also refrain from including ports of popular arcade games or older titles as the Genesis has a lot of those, and it wouldn't fit in well with the purpose of this list. Again, exemptions will be made when they merit it.

I will be posting these in this thread one at a time, until I reach the number one game on this list. Please bear in mind, that with all lists, this is subjective opinion, and is not intended to be a conclusive look into the best games on the Genesis. I have played every single one of these games to great length, and found that they're some of the best, however you may mention some other games you would've included yourself, which is fine. I'd like to know what you'd change.

Each game includes when possible a video link to show game play.

Without further ado, My Top 30 Sega Genesis Games.

30. James Pond: Underwater Agent

James Pond is a game which doesn't take a lot of thought to figure out that it's a parody of James Bond. However, the game itself is quite fun, and has a lot of humor throughout. You play as a fish who is an underwater agent. Your primary mode of attack is shooting bubbles to trap enemies and running into them to kill them. Every level has mission objectives, and there are many pipes and openings to get to secret bonus areas, as well as secret warp points. It's a game where a description doesn't do it justice, so if you haven't played it, it's worth checking out at least for a moment.

You're gonna have to see it for yourself anyway, there is no decent quality videos on YouTube for me to show you gameplay so uh... Sorry!

29. Outlander

You might look into this game and say I am cheating. After all this game is also on the SNES. You'd be half right. Both versions are similar in some way, however the Genesis version is so different in such a significant way, that it merits being on this list. From a purely technical standpoint, more innovative shit was happening on the Genesis. The SNES had a far more presentable library however. The game's graphics looked cleaner, the sound clearer. But the Genesis did things that were thought impossible in it's day.

But let's talk about the game itself before we talk about it's differences. This game was originally supposed to be a video game adaptation of Mad Max. However, near completion, the developer was unable to secure the license, and instead changed the title to Outlander. You start the game driving a car with mounted machine gun and rockets, while you fire a sawed-off shotgun from the side windows. You must drive to nearby towns to salvage supplies, fending off the hostiles on the road. If you run out of gas, or make it to a town, the game goes to a side-scrolling shooter, as you fend off wastelanders and find food and gas.

However, the differences stem from the driving portion. In the SNES version you drive from a third person perspective of the car from behind. Typical fare.



The Sega Genesis version on the other hand gave you a first person view of the dashboard.



At the time, this was pretty epic. Looks like shit now, but man, was it immersive.

http://youtu.be/H6I506lXtKQ?t=1m57s

28. Mutant League Series (Football/Hockey)

I am cheating a bit here too cause I am not sticking with one. But both games are pretty similar in style that it's really a matter of whether you want to play Football or Hockey. The Mutant League series is one of the best sets of sports titles on the Genesis, that's truly a shame that the game has never seen a remake on today's consoles. Each game features a fictional arrangement of monstrous teams, and while it plays similar to the most popular sports games on the Genesis, the fun is in the design, and off the wall shit you do. Like actually calling a play to kill the ref, or even bribe the ref to make an unfair call against the other team. This game just oozes style, and speaks of a time when EA wasn't a money grubbing uncreative vacuum. If you've never played this game before, today is as good a day as any.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wghznH7Jtbw

27. Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

When it comes to Looney Toons, their video games are hit or miss. Usually miss. So I wasn't expecting much when I first played this game, but boy did it surprise me. Not only is it a faithful recreation of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons, but it's... FUN. What the fuck? You play as either character, with the main objective being to get to the end of the stage. Catching the Road Runner as the Coyote gives you bonuses, and each character plays differently and even has different stages. It's a great game, if you enjoy the cartoons, it's a must play for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUrsK5SwUgE

26. Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball

An odd concept to be sure. Take Sonic's mascot, and make a pinball game with him. Yet oddly it works well, and it works well cause it takes all the imagination of a Sonic game and makes a pretty epic pinball game with it. There is only four stages, but it's got a progression to it. You need to collect all the emeralds in the large map and proceed to the boss. It's a pinball game with a pulse. Worth a play if you're a Sonic fan, hell it's worth a play even if you aren't. It's on it's own, a great game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNhmNEZ0glM

25. Quackshot starring Donald Duck

Think Indiana Jones starring Donald Duck, and you'll get the gist of this game. Donald sets out with his nephews to find great treasure as illustrated on a map they found. The game, as you'd expect has levels that take place in a lot of varied environments. From the city to Transylvania, to the North Pole, and a Viking Ship. Donald's main attack is a plunger gun, but he also gets new weapons which are made to deal with different enemies and solve puzzles. It doesn't look like much, but it's the design that gets you invested, it's a great looking game, with a memorable soundtrack, and it's worth a play if you can spare a moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnQ8IZk8OzQ

24. The Ren and Stimpy Show Presents: Stimpy's Invention

It's kind of funny, I thought this game was also on the SNES, but to my surprise it isn't. That's funny considering this is the only Ren and Stimpy game on the system, and yet the SNES has several Ren and Stimpy games if I recall correctly. That being said, this is one of the most faithful recreations of a cartoon series I have ever seen. If you like the show, you'll like this game, period. Everything about it shows how much it closely mirrors the actual series, and the game play is fun to boot. The best part is, it's also a great co-op game. 2 players each control Ren and Stimpy, and you even have to work together to solve puzzles. You can still do this in the single player mode, and it surprisingly works well control wise. There's not much else to say, this is the definitive Ren and Stimpy game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmCqwIsl08

23. Scooby-Doo Mystery

What some people never realize is just cause the same game is on both the SNES and Genesis, doesn't mean they're both the same game. In fact, common practice back in the day was for each platform to have their own unique game. It's a shame this concept is no longer exercised. It's fun to see what comes of it. Especially in the case of this Scooby-Doo game. I have played both versions. The SNES version is an action platformer. A fun game to be sure. The Genesis version however, is something completely different. It's similar to old school Sierra adventure games. There are two "episodes", where you control Shaggy with Scooby in tow. You investigate the different rooms, find items, use the items with other items, and attempt to solve the mystery. The game is memorable for the great set pieces and although it only has like two tracks, they're good tracks nonetheless. Both games are great, but given the fact that the Genesis game is actually a mystery solving game, it gets my vote, and a spot on this list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyd214YIhxU

22. The Ooze

If memory serves, The Ooze was the last game I bought for the Sega Genesis before making the leap to the Playstation. Being a kid in the 90's, there was no such thing as game opinion easily referenced on the internet, so you kind of had to look at the box art and try to use that to pick a game. You can easily see why I picked this game, but when I played it, I hated it. Thought it was an awful game. Years later, playing it again in retrospect, it's not bad, in fact, it's pretty damn good. You play as a scientist whom was attacked and injected with something that turned him into a puddle of toxic ooze. You go from level to level fighting enemies and travelling through pipes and solving puzzles. When you kill an enemy it's absorbed and the ooze around you becomes larger, however at the cost of making you a larger target. It's a fairly complex game that requires some maneuvering to master, but it's well worth the effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVgpAxaV_Wc