What are some must plays on the Genesis/MD?

[nogden]

I have basically the whole library at my disposal right now and would like to get some recommendations. I really enjoy games like gunstar heroes and earthworm jim, for reference. But I’m willing to try different things too

[Steven]

• Slap Fight MD

• Alisia Dragoon

• Langrisser

• Langrisser II

• The Hybrid Front

• Darius Extra (the new one from a few years ago)

• Darius II

• Xeno Crisis (Dreamcast and PC versions are better, but it was originally developed for MD)

• Lotus II RECS (port of Lotus III from Amiga, runs too fast at 60Hz, but it's still perfectly fine that way)

• Maui Mallard (PAL only, but should work on NTSC region systems through various means)

• Granada

• The Lost World: Jurassic Park (2P is fun here too)

• the other 2 JP games are good too, but the first one is a bit awkward and janky, for lack of a better description

• Kyuukyoku Tiger (lol way harder than the arcade version!)

• Resq (completed but cancelled and never officially released, but the devs put the ROM out there anyway)

• all Shinobi games

• Time Dominator, which you might know as Socket

• Super Fantasy Zone

• Contra US version and Japanese version (they're different)

• Castlevania US version and Japanese version (Vampire Killer) (these are different too)

• obviously every Sonic except maybe Spinball. 3D Blast is fun, so don't let anyone lie to you and say it isn't. Also check out the ROM hack Sonic 3D Blast Director's Cut, which the game's programmer made a few years ago to address some of the criticisms it's gotten over the years.

• various Sonic ROM hacks. There is no end to them, but Sonic 2 and 3&K both have drop dash ROM hacks that are better than the implementation in Origins, and Sonic 3 Complete exists and is mostly better than regular S3&K. Sonic Classic Heroes is basically what Sonic Heroes might be if it actually really good instead of complete shit! All of these ROM hacks work on a real MD/Genesis, but there are many that only work on emulators

• Sailor Moon I guess, maybe

• Alien Solder (VISUAL SHOCK! SPEED SHOCK! SOUND SHOCK! NOW IS TIME TO THE 68000 HEART ON FIRE! For Mega Drivers custom, obviously)

• Dynamite Headdy (overseas versions are kind of fucked, apparently, so play the Japanese version)

• Same! Same! Same!

• OutRun 2019

• CrazyBus because why the hell not

• Battle Mania

• Battle Mania Daiginjou

• Desert, Jungle, and Urban Strike

• Eliminate Down

• Herzog Zwei

• Marble Madness US version for the lolz

• maybe Marble Madness Japan version once your ears stop bleeding from the US version

Tried to avoid the super obvious stuff for the most part, but I think this pretty much covers it. I can keep going if you want, of course.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The MD/Genesis stgs of ZPF and Earthion are awesome to play on real gaming hardware.

If you have access to a KriKzz Mega EverDrive or EverDrive X7 flashcart, versions 2.2.0 and 3.3.0 of the MD/SG Earthion stg rom have been patched with S-Ram saving functionality via the on-board back-up battery to save both high scores & high score initials for posterity -- how cool is that?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[1KMS]

I really enjoy games like gunstar heroes and earthworm jim, for reference. But I’m willing to try different things too

The Adventures of Batman & Robin is Gunstar Heroes adjacent. Kind of "Euro", but so is Gunstar. And Maui Mallard/Cold Shadow is a better Earthworm Jim sequel than EWJ2, but I'd recommend playing the PC version.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Gain Ground

Please play Gain Ground

[Steven]

Earthworm Jim 2 is a giant mess anyway, and yes, you really should play the Windows 95 version of Earthworm Jim. Not the one on Steam, I think that's just the Genesis version in a (probably terrible) emulator. GOG doesn't have it either, just the DOS version. To be clear, you don't want the DOS version either, you specifically want the Windows 95 version. The Sega CD version works as an acceptable substitute. There's nothing wrong with the Genesis version, but the Sega CD and Windows versions are better.

[SuperDeadite]

Divine Sealing

[drauch]

Streets of Rage series. Splatterhouse 2 & 3.

[nogden]

• Slap Fight MD

• Alisia Dragoon

• Langrisser

• Langrisser II

• The Hybrid Front

• Darius Extra (the new one from a few years ago)

• Darius II

• Xeno Crisis (Dreamcast and PC versions are better, but it was originally developed for MD)

• Lotus II RECS (port of Lotus III from Amiga, runs too fast at 60Hz, but it's still perfectly fine that way)

• Maui Mallard (PAL only, but should work on NTSC region systems through various means)

• Granada

• The Lost World: Jurassic Park (2P is fun here too)

• the other 2 JP games are good too, but the first one is a bit awkward and janky, for lack of a better description

• Kyuukyoku Tiger (lol way harder than the arcade version!)

• Resq (completed but cancelled and never officially released, but the devs put the ROM out there anyway)

• all Shinobi games

• Time Dominator, which you might know as Socket

• Super Fantasy Zone

• Contra US version and Japanese version (they're different)

• Castlevania US version and Japanese version (Vampire Killer) (these are different too)

• obviously every Sonic except maybe Spinball. 3D Blast is fun, so don't let anyone lie to you and say it isn't. Also check out the ROM hack Sonic 3D Blast Director's Cut, which the game's programmer made a few years ago to address some of the criticisms it's gotten over the years.

• various Sonic ROM hacks. There is no end to them, but Sonic 2 and 3&K both have drop dash ROM hacks that are better than the implementation in Origins, and Sonic 3 Complete exists and is mostly better than regular S3&K. Sonic Classic Heroes is basically what Sonic Heroes might be if it actually really good instead of complete shit! All of these ROM hacks work on a real MD/Genesis, but there are many that only work on emulators

• Sailor Moon I guess, maybe

• Alien Solder (VISUAL SHOCK! SPEED SHOCK! SOUND SHOCK! NOW IS TIME TO THE 68000 HEART ON FIRE! For Mega Drivers custom, obviously)

• Dynamite Headdy (overseas versions are kind of fucked, apparently, so play the Japanese version)

• Same! Same! Same!

• OutRun 2019

• CrazyBus because why the hell not

• Battle Mania

• Battle Mania Daiginjou

• Desert, Jungle, and Urban Strike

• Eliminate Down

• Herzog Zwei

• Marble Madness US version for the lolz

• maybe Marble Madness Japan version once your ears stop bleeding from the US version

Tried to avoid the super obvious stuff for the most part, but I think this pretty much covers it. I can keep going if you want, of course.

Wow thank you for the list I’m going through it now!

[nogden]

The MD/Genesis stgs of ZPF and Earthion are awesome to play on real gaming hardware.

If you have access to a KriKzz Mega EverDrive or EverDrive X7 flashcart, versions 2.2.0 and 3.3.0 of the MD/SG Earthion stg rom have been patched with S-Ram saving functionality via the on-board back-up battery to save both high scores & high score initials for posterity -- how cool is that?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I really need to check out Earthion, the art in it is amazing. I love how people are still making games for these old consoles with their newfound knowledge

[nogden]

Gain Ground

Please play Gain Ground

Watched a couple videos and I’m about to go play this now because it looks cool as hell

[theclaw]

Rocket Knight Adventures
Burning Force

[Immryr]

Ranger X

[Hazuki]

• Maui Mallard (PAL only, but should work on NTSC region systems through various means)

There's a Brazilian version that runs at 60fps and works in NTSC systems natively.

Also, if you like Mega Man, play Rockman Megaworld (not Wily Wars), because it also runs at 60fps and is much less laggier.

[R79]

Musha Aleste, Thunder Force III and Gaiares are really the only answers you need on a forum like this

Elemental Master is also fantastic walk up a scrolling screen type game, and Ristar as a colourful platformer is a very slick late entry from the Sonic people. RPGs, maybe take a look at Phantasy Star IV?

One to avoid in my view if you're actually buying these: Aero Blasters ~ yeah, it's a fast horizontal shoot-em-up, but it just feels and looks a bit shoddy. I mean if you can get it for a pre 2015 price, cool, but otherwise, use caution.

Back in the day, Hellfire would be a big one, but you have two options for that now just on Switch alone. If you want a completely off the wall suggestion, try Moonwalker..!

[nogden]

Musha Aleste, Thunder Force III and Gaiares are really the only answers you need on a forum like this

Elemental Master is also fantastic walk up a scrolling screen type game, and Ristar as a colourful platformer is a very slick late entry from the Sonic people. RPGs, maybe take a look at Phantasy Star IV?

One to avoid in my view if you're actually buying these: Aero Blasters ~ yeah, it's a fast horizontal shoot-em-up, but it just feels and looks a bit shoddy. I mean if you can get it for a pre 2015 price, cool, but otherwise, use caution.

Back in the day, Hellfire would be a big one, but you have two options for that now just on Switch alone. If you want a completely off the wall suggestion, try Moonwalker..!

How have I never heard of Gaiares? Really cool looking game, about to fire it up now

[BrianC]

Also, if you like Mega Man, play Rockman Megaworld (not Wily Wars), because it also runs at 60fps and is much less laggier.

Bit more confusing than that. AFAIK, the PAL version runs at the same speed as the JP version when the region lock is bypassed to play the game in NTSC and the game always slowed down in places where the NES version doesn't. The retro-bit US re-release removed much of the slowdown and is also native NTSC. The game also has input delay issues not in the original NES game that are fixed in a hack.

[Josh128]

Agree with all mentioned previously. Cant believe nobody mentioned it, unless I missed it, but arguably the greatest /most legendary action game on the system:

Ghouls N Ghosts


Also, I think its mandatory to play this one. It can be finished in probably 10-15 minutes, but I always had a soft spot for it, and its probably sacrilege if you never got to hear "Wise fwom yo gwave" and "Velcome to your doom"from the Genesis' tinny sound hardware with your own ears.

Altered Beast

[BareKnuckleRoo]

• Alisia Dragoon

• Lotus II RECS (port of Lotus III from Amiga, runs too fast at 60Hz, but it's still perfectly fine that way)

• Castlevania US version and Japanese version (Vampire Killer) (these are different too)

Seconding these.

Rocket Knight Adventures and the JP version of Wily Wars are also good recommendations I see people have made.

I'd also add Beyond Oasis (top down adventure with a similar feel to Enix's extremely cool Brain Lord for SNES) as well as Crying: Aseimei Sensou / Biohazard Battle.

I've got a soft spot for Outrunners; it's clearly vastly inferior to playing the arcade version, but 2 player checkpoint racing games for consoles were basically unheard of at the time, so it's interesting from that historical standpoint.

[R79]

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/atomic-runner-chelnov/ Interesting scrolling jump and rotational fire, with all kinds of weapons and some neat art styles. Still a cheap cart last time checked.

https://www.classic-games.net/genesis/m ... esistance/ I don't have this one yet, maybe one day, looks an OK kinda blaster.

Both these sites are great to look up 8-bit, 16-bit and obscure arcade stuff, often have a tab open reading them

[BrianC]

JP version of Wily Wars

Is still flawed. JP version is the same as EU when the EU version is forced to NTSC with region bypass. The slowdown and input issues are issues with the game itself, not a specific region of it. The US versions from Genesis Mini and retro-bit are also native NTSC and the latter removes some of the slowdown (but not the delayed input issues). The fixer upper hack is the best one (other ones add things that should be optional), but I had to edit the header on that one for it to save since they forgot to change the id that makes it get falsely detected as an EEPROM version.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Oh, that's a shame about the issues with it. I'd played it once and enjoyed it but hadn't really played it seriously enough like go for a no death run or to notice the control problems with it. Nice that there's at least some romhacking efforts to try and resolve it.

[Josh128]

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/atomic-runner-chelnov/ Interesting scrolling jump and rotational fire, with all kinds of weapons and some neat art styles. Still a cheap cart last time checked.

https://www.classic-games.net/genesis/m ... esistance/ I don't have this one yet, maybe one day, looks an OK kinda blaster.

Both these sites are great to look up 8-bit, 16-bit and obscure arcade stuff, often have a tab open reading them

Looked up GNG on the link you posted: https://www.classic-games.net/genesis/ghouls-n-ghosts/

Nice review but they really do whine about the difficulty too much. GNG and SGNG are really not that difficult bros, lol. Difficult is GNG Resurrection, which is cheap to the point of not even being enjoyable for someone like me who genuinely loves both GNG and SGNG with all my heart. The 16 bit versions are actually playable, and beatable, in a good way and should not be avoided due to fear of difficulty. I've beaten all 3 on the hardest difficulties, but Resurrection was so cheap that after finishing it I never picked it up again, the jumping mechanics just dont feel right IMO, while I go back to the other two all the time. Two of the greatest 16 bit platformers ever. Battletoads or Ironsword on NES is 10x more difficult than either, IMO.

[R79]

Haha Josh when I saw you mention GnG my first thought was, "that's an insanely hard game", but diplomatically held off saying as such I do have it, but rarely slot it in... a more tolerable platformer for the system would be Magical Hat Adventure, reskinned in the West as Decap Attack IIRC

Lot of Mega Drive stuff was converted from Arcade of course, often cut down for the hardware... another more basic, early cheap one: ESWAT ~ sort of Robocop without the licence

[R79]

Battletoads or Ironsword on NES is 10x more difficult than either, IMO.

Have you ever tried to play Power Blazer on Famicom? Few minutes in and it's pixel perfect vanishing blocks over lava, like a ramped up Rockman 2

[R79]

Lot of Mega Drive stuff was converted from Arcade of course, often cut down for the hardware...

I was thinking of stuff like Forgotten Worlds, and some of SEGA's own ports, but wow, Chelnov home version kinda smokes the original visuals if anyone cares to look at the linked review above (can't seem to link or download the images)

[Josh128]

Haha Josh when I saw you mention GnG my first thought was, "that's an insanely hard game", but diplomatically held off saying as such I do have it, but rarely slot it in... a more tolerable platformer for the system would be Magical Hat Adventure, reskinned in the West as Decap Attack IIRC

Lot of Mega Drive stuff was converted from Arcade of course, often cut down for the hardware... another more basic, early cheap one: ESWAT ~ sort of Robocop without the licence

E-Swat is a good early one and speaking of coin-op conversions, you reminded me of another HUGE CPS1 conversion that actually won game of the year in EGM in 1990:

Strider

The Genesis port is one of if not the best of all its ports, it was highly acclaimed by all accounts. I have to put it on the list of must-plays. Also want to give an honorable mention to Decap Attack now that you mention it!! I had no idea it was a different game called Magical Hat in other regions until you mentioned it just now! I actually have the game and we purchased it specifically due to seeing the colorful graphics in game magazine ads back in the 90's. It does have a special place for me, but I have to say despite being a similar genre, its no Ghouls N Ghosts, lol.

[R79]

It's fascinating looking at the early titles on these systems, and then comparing the late era games on them. Same with Famicom mid '80s to around '93 or whenever Kirby appears on it, which looks more like a 12-bit game, as opposed to say Jaleco's Formation Z which is firmly in the earlier 1980s Atari sort of age, graphics-wise.

Seeing Ristar in action on 16-bit Sega looks more like a basic, early Saturn game, with really fluid animation and detailed background layers. The Sonic games infamously showed how quickly those sprites could move. Pretty much anything with Techno Soft written on will have killer VGM tunes. Check out Devil Crash, nice pinball table simulation... in fact do we have high score threads on here for these type of games

[neorichieb1971]

Rocket knight adventures
Vectorman
Pulseman (Japanese exclusive physical, but if using roms should be on the list).

[R79]

Two I don't personally have on the system (as have them on other consoles), but Cadash is a respected action fantasy platformer with basic RPG elements. You only get two character selections on this version, but the darker graphics look more in line with Taito's arcade original, as opposed to the more colourful PC Engine card (which kept the 4 different players).

Raiden Trad as well seems a fairly competent port of the classic old school Shooter (I've only ever tried it on PS1): https://1cclog.blogspot.com/2010/03/rai ... drive.html <- no doubt a member here past or present I should imagine, full of great info!