The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Thread (NEW)!!!

[stryc9]

Well, I couldn't find the existing thread for this topic using the search function, so I took the liberty of creating a new one

I just spent hundreds of dollars getting some 16 bit stuff up and running, along with a new CRT so I'll be damned if I just sit here and not engage in some top-tier conversation about it that could help justify my ridiculous and highly irresponsible purchases

In all seriousness the cost of the Japanese unit won't break the bank (unless you buy new boxed), but the asking price of some of the more desirable games sure will.

The two Konami franchises Contra and Vampire Killer will set you back about $200 each, but the quality of both will ensure you have no regrets (although you may be eating noodles for while). At least you will be safe in the knowledge that you have the definitive versions of these games as the American and in particular the PAL versions have been altered significantly.

Picked up ThunderForce II and III as well, I think I prefer them to IV funnily enough, the level designs just seem to be more interesting.

I have the CD unit as well, so I am looking for recommendations for all things Sega 16 bit.
What are your thoughts on shooters like Gynoug or Gaiares and the more expensive carts like Gley Lancer and Eliminate Down?

[xbl0x180]

If I had the Mega Drive and Mega CD, the first games I'd be rarin' to get are:

Keio Flying Squadron
Mamono Hunter Yohko (I used to have this one and then threw it away in one my moves!)
Time Gal (also on the PSOne)

[stryc9]

Yeah Keio is on my list no doubt.

Never tried Time Gal but I think I'll leave the FMV games alone for now, as 'good' as a couple of the Japanese ones were.

I haven't seen Mamono Hunter Yohko yet, will have to check out a longplay on Youtube.

As far as Mega CD shooters go, Bari Arm, Keio Flying Squadron, Dennin Aleste and Silpheed appear to be the ones to get.

Annoyingly enough, there are several games on my list that appear to be US only.
These are Viewpoint and Sunset Riders (Megadrive) and I see there is a Mega CD port of Lords of Thunder, and I can't seem to find a Japanese version of that either.

Without going the console mod route, what sort of hoops would I have to jump through to get these softs working on an NTSCJ machine? Back in the day I had a device called the Honey Bee (by Hudson I think) which enabled foreign games to run on a PAL console, albeit at a slower speed with slower music etc. Bleh.

But considering I wanna play NTSC to NTSC I'm assuming any device like this will run the games flawlessly, or is it not quite that simple?

Same with playing Sega CD games. Do the games run properly using a region unlock cart or is there problems?

EDIT: Add Mega Turrican to that list above as well. I think I recall System 11 saying he actually made his own NTSCJ copy of the game, which I find very interesting indeed.

[drauch]

SegaCD games are region free(this ain't true. five year edit!), if I do recall. Also, the Genesis port of Sunset Riders is terrible. Even compared to the SNES port, it's a really dumb-downed version with only a fraction of the levels intact, as well as all the voices removed. It's a really sad port and not worth your time, really.

[Ed Oscuro]

Gley Lancer is blase. Eliminate Down's only problem is its horrifically ugly cover (maybe that was intentional) - it's pretty fun, and if I remember right it's very responsive.

I could go on for a while about MD games I've bought / know about, but I won't unless asked. However, on the shooting side, Elemental Master is probably a must-get title. Sometime I ought to go through my cabinet and see what I've got there in the way of MD / Genesis shooters.

Sunset Riders seems kinda like some of the other arcade-original ports to MD from Konami - terrible, like Lethal Enforcers 1. On SNES, Lethal Enforcers has far better color, some voice, and even a new "training" mode (which is pretty fun actually).

[stryc9]

Gley Lancer is blase.

From what I've played on Kega Fusion, it seemed pretty good, what with all the various option configurations. But it does go for about $180 dollars, so it's not like I'm about to take out a second mortgage just to get that one title.

I could go on for a while about MD games I've bought / know about, but I won't unless asked. However, on the shooting side, Elemental Master is probably a must-get title.

Picked it up and yeah for an earlier release it's pretty good but probably inferior to the ThunderForce series. Solid for a little 4 meg cart anyway.

The thing that blows me away about these games are the full colour manuals, complete with screenshots with scanlines out the ass

[mrsmiley381]

$200 each for Vampire Killer and Contra? Shit, I've always liked Hard Corps for having no life bar in the US and I hear Castlevania is just slightly harder for the US. But it's your money and I know damn well you've at least got some serious looking packages sitting on your shelf. US Hard Corps and Bloodlines, eh, not so much. I also heard from BIL that the Japanese version of Splatterhouse 3 is far more balanced for Japan, so if you're going to play that at all, definitely play the Japanese version.

For those of us who want to save a bit of cash, there are flash carts like the Neo Myth. I had Thunder Force IV (translated) crash on bosses a number of times, and it refuses to boot vanilla Phantasy Star II (but not the script-modified version) and the PSII text Adventures (I think I can burn these to a CD?), but it does seem to have some solid compatibility otherwise.

My personal favorite is MUSHA because I am a retard and Compile was good at making games for retards like myself. Shinobi III is also excellent. Personally, I like it more than Revenge of Shinobi. Yeah, you heard me. I said it.

[BIL]

On the subject of MD Contra and Dracula - I do miss the more jarring "YOU FUCKED UP!" instant deaths in Hard Corps US. The hitpoints aren't an issue as far as mastery of the game goes, though, since the US and JP versions are otherwise 100% identical. If you can clear Hard Corps JP's various routes without taking a hit, you can do the same in US.

Castlevania: Bloodlines is very slightly harder than Vampire Killer, but again it's nothing significant. If you can confidently one-life JP Expert the US increase won't impress. Differences I've noticed that make the US one a bit tougher:

1) damage to player seems a bit harsher (you can get away with taking an extra hit or two in JP).
2) added bats in the penultimate dungeon area of the first stage.
3) the bomb chuckers in Jonathan's route through stage 5 never seem to throw health on Expert.
4) Death doesn't give out healing items.

So yeah, unless you're taking lots of hits and banking on health items to compensate, the US one isn't a significant step up.

addendum 1: Konami code at Dracula's title screen for instant Expert difficulty!
addendum 2: Why couldn't Hard Corps have included VK's option to skip intermissions?!

[louisg]

Yeah, Gleylancer IMO isn't as good as Thunderforce III. It's pretty basic, and fairly dull. Aesthetically, the graphics and music aren't as good either. I can see why someone'd buy it though if they really needed more TF-style gameplay. It's definitely not bad, but it's just not worth the price. Eliminate Down on the other hand is really cool, though I haven't played too far into it (I don't own it).

Shinobi III is also excellent. Personally, I like it more than Revenge of Shinobi. Yeah, you heard me. I said it.

Shadow Dancer is good also. But yeah, I thought Revenge of Shinobi was a mess!

What are your thoughts on shooters like Gynoug or Gaiares

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I thought Gynoug was awful. And I thought Gaiares was awesome, but you need a very VERY high frustration tolerance (it's R-Type style).

If you're looking for more Genesis shmups that are off the beaten path, you could try Phelios. I really enjoy it, though I usually get stuck at the level where you're being chased I don't know why it's not mentioned more. It's a vertical shooter with good variety and a good difficulty curve (challenging, not impossible, and not a cruise 'em up either), though the graphics are fairly basic-- but that didn't stop them from blowing me away in 1990 or so!

And if you have the SegaCD and have any fondness for MUSHA, give Robo Aleste a spin.

Re: Contra HC jp vs. US, I feel like it's pretty clearly balanced for a hit bar. With certain characters, losing certain weapons makes the game nearly impossible in terms of not being able to hit targets anymore, and that sort of thing. Unless you play as Browny (ugh). I can't say that a hit bar is worth $200, but I can say that it's a better game design.

All this talk of expensive games and no mention of Alien Soldier?

[Skykid]

Hipster MCD choice:

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Only Japanese specific Megadrive game I can think of suggesting is Bare Knuckle III; it's way better balanced than its english localization, Streets of Rage III. They wrecked the plot in the latter, censored Ash and screwed up the gameplay by basically doubling (or in some cases like with the whip ladies, tripling) the amount of damage enemies do. The last couple levels of the game are basically just a special spam-fest due to how much health you lose when you're hit (compared to the original having a larger health loss for specials when the gauge wasn't full). The original Japanese version was easier (maybe too easy to some) and generally the more playable of the two.

Music still is garbage compared to the first two games in the series. Oh well, at least the gameplay's pretty good.

[chempop]

Cart:
Gunstar Heroes
Dynamite Headdy
Ristar
Ranger X
Hellfire
Crying/Biohazard Battle
Undead Line

CD:
Heart of the Alien
Snatcher

[stryc9]

Yeah, Gleylancer IMO isn't as good as Thunderforce III. It's pretty basic, and fairly dull.

From what I've played through of it on the emulators, it appeared to be a solid, if uninspired addition to the MD's shooter catalogue. Not too sure about it being worth the inflated price it is currently going for when there are equally good shooters out there for less than a quarter of what GL is worth.
And no, it ain't no ThunderForce III.

All this talk of expensive games and no mention of Alien Soldier?

Alien Soldier is dope, and although I'm not a huge fan of boss rush type games I do happen to have it on the Treasure Box for PS2. God bless M2 for enabling a 240p mode!
Actually the whole reason for me getting the MD in the first place was getting the titles that would never appear in compilations, ie the Konami games, Devil Crash, Alisia Dragoon etc.

Regarding the difficulty differences between the US and Japan in Contra and Vampire Killer, I was aware of this but at first thought that the American one hit one kill thing was a mistake, but now having played through the Jap version I could be wrong. Like BIL says though once you can no miss sections it doesn't matter as much towards mastering the game.

Didn't know about the Expert mode using the Konami code though.

Any thoughts on Crying? I do have an emulator but my gamepad is sticking from all the Crimzon Clover abuse it got and I want some second opinions anyway

[Friendly]

Several of the best games are very expensive, unfortunately.
Eliminate Down, Slap Fight, Twinkle Tale, Gleylancer, Battle Mania 1+2, Vampire Killer, Contra Hard Corps (JP), Snow Brothers, Pulseman, Musha, Snatcher (CD) and Alien Soldier come to mind.

Then there's cool stuff like Splatterhouse 2+3, Rolling Thunder 3 (Genesis exclusive), Thunder Force IV, Elemental Master, Crying (Biohazard Battle), Granada, Empire of Steel, Dynamite Headdy, Magical Hat, Marvel Land, Wardner, Mamono Hunter Yoko, Heart of the Alien (CD), Undead Line, Land Stalker and tons more I can't think of right now.

The reason why many of the Japanese games are so rare/expensive now is because Mega Drive wasn't very popular in Japan (compared to the US/Europe), so many jp titles got relatively small print runs.

[Bloodreign]

All this talk of Genesis/Mega Drive, and no talk of Ristar? For shame, US versions cheaper than the Japanese version by far, Japanese version has an invincibility cheat (don't use it as it sucks out the fun) as well as the cheat to turn on free play making a pretty hard game a tad more bearable.

Also someone mentioned Marvel Land and for the second straight forum, I have to say it's an awesome game as well. Tricky game though, and the game has one cruel warp right before the end of that game that will warp you right back to the games start, just can't remember where it's at near the end of the game.

[RGC]

Great thread! I've been on a bit of a MD kick of late, rebuilding my original collection - around 35 games, which I'd stupidly exchanged for a chunky DS at Japanese launch. Plus, I've been investigating titles that I didn't get to experience first time around, including Contra HC.

Give us an update on what you're playing.

[njiska]

Cart:
CD:
Heart of the Alien

Bonus point to Heart of the Alien as it includes Another World (Out of this World Part I apparently?)

[MX7]

Are there any good dungeon crawlers on the Mega Drive aside from Shining In The Darkness? Some good recommendations in this thread, looking forward to exploring them fully

[stryc9]

There are some quality suggestions in this thread.

Just plumped for the Aleste games and Silpheed to get some more shooters going.
I had Silpheed when I was a kid and although I was wowed by the graphics, the small bosses and lack of enemy variety annoyed me all those years ago.

Funny thing is, with the state of zero gameplay vacuum imposed on modern titles, I'm a lot more tolerant of some older stuff now than I was back then...

[GaijinPunch]

Latest episode of 30 Rock:

I have something to say: I played Avery Jessup in 'Kidnapped By Danger', now available on Sega Genesis.

[Skykid]

Several of the best games are very expensive, unfortunately.
...Pulseman

I actually think Pulseman is quite cheap, no? Good suggestion though, from Gamefreak incidentally.

[Friendly]

Several of the best games are very expensive, unfortunately.
...Pulseman

I actually think Pulseman is quite cheap, no? Good suggestion though, from Gamefreak incidentally.

It's the cheapest on the list, but still above $100 USD. Careful about buying any of those games on ebay, there are currently lots of Mega Drive "repros". Most are obvious, with changed covers (eg, made to look like EU or US releases). Read the auction-texts carefully and have a look at the feedback and what else a seller is offering.

[Skykid]

It's the cheapest on the list, but still above $100 USD

I got one from YHJ within the last 2 years and it was under $20 I'm sure, unless it's suddenly spiked? (Ignoring ebay trends of course.)

[louisg]

Funny thing is, with the state of zero gameplay vacuum imposed on modern titles, I'm a lot more tolerant of some older stuff now than I was back then...

I hate to say it, but it's probably part of getting older. I feel like there are a ton of good download games from small companies and some pretty good retail games too, but for some reason most of them aren't that appealing to me and I'd rather sink time into retro gaming. I'm sure we'll look back at this generation someday with fond memories. I've noticed people getting nostalgic about the PS1/N64 generation-- and if you don't count all the import shmups, that generation was a disaster (imo)!

It's funny what games which were hyped fade away with time, and the good games are remembered. For example, I remember games like Chakan, Ecco, Earthworm Jim, Bubsy, Greendog, and Eternal Champions being very prominent, as well as lots of half-assed superhero licensed games and probably some other Street Fighter clones I've since forgotten. Oh yeah, Time Killers (groan). I don't think any of these have been mentioned even once on this thread.

All this talk of Genesis/Mega Drive, and no talk of Ristar?

Great freaking game. Also, get Sonic CD!

Any thoughts on Crying?

Crying is a pretty decent game. I thought some levels were better than others, but it's pretty original and the pacing actually works out well. Sol Deace is also worth looking into, though it's sloppy in some spots. But, watching a friend play through it, it picks up a lot in the later levels.

Magical Hat

Yeah! I had Decap Attack and thought it was really good.

OK, more suggestions: RoadBlasters (best home port), Wonderboy 4, Panorama Cotton, Formula One (euro one has a save, and all-around it's an amazing F1 sim with very tense races), and I sunk tons of time into Granada. Granada has a lot of rough edges (choppy, slowdown, some weird collisions, some weird enemy AI that seems fudged), but there's something magnetic about it. It's no Metal Stoker, but it's worth checking out at least, especially considering how cheap it is. It's a game I come back to again and again. Oh, and if you haven't played Fire Shark (on hard), go get it. And Puyo Puyo 2 also, one of the only color-block games which you can't spam.

Chaos Engine is also a decent port. And speaking of Gauntlet-likes, Gauntlet 4 is very interesting. It comes with the original 4-player Gauntlet plus original quests (and an incredible soundtrack). And Arcus Odyssey is also a nice game.

And whoever said Mega Turrican-- YES. I thought it was one of the best Turrican games. Again, some rough edges (mostly having to do with boss designs and some enemy placement in later levels), but it's worth playing. And if you like OOTW, get Flashback. I thought it played a lot better and is a similar approach to game design.

There are way too many good games on this system! You'll be busy for a while.

EDIT: Oh, could I add Truxton to the pile? It's a very good port. Then Atomic Runner needs an honorable mention too

And I would also highly recommend getting your Genesis modded for S-Video or RGB. I'm not much of a video snob, but the Genesis composite video output is unusually mushy and distorted for a console of that era. Certain games (Truxton comes to mind ) will go from looking horrible to quite decent.

[JBC]

I know most people probably won't agree, but it's because there's such a divide in the fans of the movie it's based on. The Genesis version is almost completely different from the other versions that were produced and I've always found it to be a wonderful test of skill.

I'll probably be completely alone in this but I find the Genesis/MD version of Alien 3 to be almost perfect.

You have a very clearly defined set of rules in the game and as long as you adhere to them you won't even get hit, much less lose a life. But you have to be on your toes the entire time and never relax, because as soon as you do a xeno will come charging low from the side of the screen to trip you up.

There are only two things that keep the game from being perfect.
1. The Timer. The timer is only forgiving to those who have memorized the level layouts, and in some instances - unforgiving still. This means that every time you reach new heights in the game the timer becomes your greatest foe. Even if you've honed your patience and reflexes to efficiently deal with the aliens AND conserve your ammo it won't matter in the face of inevitable doom. It's a perfect example of "knowledge is power". You can't beat the game without having already memorized the layouts and prisoner locations. There's an example in the game early on where if you follow the path of least resistance to a T, and never make a mistake or get hung up, you'll still end up with only a few seconds to spare on the clock. It's a shame really.

2. Variety.

And that's it. I love everything else about the game and find it to be a perfect challenge. The music is wonderful and it plays like a refined Shinobi with guns.

Here's my favorite track, from stage 4. Great tune.

[BIL]

I was thinking about picking up Thunder Force IV, but the chokey, music-crippling slowdown really turns me off... it's not the sexy Alien Soldier / Hard Corps "that boss I just killed is exploding LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER" blast of climactic overload, where it feels like the hardware is deliberately being lashed within an inch of its life before the speed snaps back into place. It's more like crummy SFC slowdown when there's more than three enemies onscreen in Choumakaimura. :/ Normally I'll get the original cart/disc even if I have good ports for later systems (TF Gold Pack 2, Capcom Generation 2, Treasure Box, etc...) but I think TFIV works a lot better in its silky-smooth Saturn iteration. It looks fantastic even next to the gorgeous Hyper Duel (Saturn mode). Sound effects take a hit, but I never thought the MD ver's were that great anyway.

It's funny what games which were hyped fade away with time, and the good games are remembered. For example, I remember games like Chakan, Ecco, Earthworm Jim, Bubsy, Greendog, and Eternal Champions being very prominent, as well as lots of half-assed superhero licensed games and probably some other Street Fighter clones I've since forgotten. Oh yeah, Time Killers (groan). I don't think any of these have been mentioned even once on this thread.

I remember the mainstream darlings of mid-90s console gaming all too well. In a way it feels like the MD, SFC and PCE are new systems for me, since growing up with their US equivalents there was so much of that long-forgotten crap being feted in the mags, certainly by the time the mascot platformer and generic fighter fads were in full swing. Now when I go looking up new stuff, all that old balls is nowhere to be found. And the good stuff I did know about but never got a chance to play seems even more awesome now that it's not buried between pages of comic book and movie licenses. Remember those EGM "previews" that read like multi-page advertisements for Rocky The Rodent and Awesome Possum? *vomit emoticon*

You could say nothing has changed on that front, of course, but at least I can tune out the mainstream these days. And it occasionally produces great comedy like the Kane & Lynch Gamespot debacle.

[mrsmiley381]

Circuitface, that track you linked from Alien 3 is awesome. Now I'm going to have to play it.

I'm also a fan of Super Hang-On. My experience with the arcade version is limited, but I always played the Genesis version as a kid.

Why have we not mentioned Rocket Knight Adventures? It's like the Vanquish of animal mascot games. Or is Vanquish the Rocket Knight of third-person shooters since it came later?

[Skykid]

I know most people probably won't agree, but it's because there's such a divide in the fans of the movie it's based on. The Genesis version is almost completely different from the other versions that were produced and I've always found it to be a wonderful test of skill.

Can you elaborate on the ver. differences? I always used to love playing the SNES version back in the day, but I didn't realise there was a lot of differences with the Mega Drive. I was planning to pick up a SFC copy at some point (the box is so rad) but I'm happy to have you change my mind on that.

[Ruldra]

I could recommend hundreds of titles, but I'll mention some less known games:

- Shining Force I & II: basically Fire Emblem for the Genesis
- Last Battle / Hokuto no Ken: Fist of the North Star game - great but very tough
- Blackthorne: think Flashback but with a shotgun and a darker theme
- The Immortal: originally made for the Apple II, it's an isometric adventure/puzzle game. Can be hard to get into at first, but it's an excellent game. Has a dark theme, quite challenging and very gory.
- Budokan: kind of a martial arts simulator. Difficult to play but it's great once you get the hang of it.

Check them on youtube if you're interested.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Are there any good dungeon crawlers on the Mega Drive aside from Shining In The Darkness? Some good recommendations in this thread, looking forward to exploring them fully

Fatal Labyrinth's okay I guess, but it's more of a roguelike than a first person dungeon crawler. I can't really think of any other MD/Genesis dungeon crawlers. SNES was better for that because it had Wizardry V released in North America (as well as a Wiz 1-3 Japanese compilation that's got a fan translation), Eye of the Beholder, Arcana, etc...

As far as racing games go, the port of Outrunners was a bit odd (designed to always have splitscreen) but it was okay I guess. Lotus II however was awesome, I pumped so much time into that game (it's also got a DOS version with a couple different tracks). Checkpoint racing Outrun-style or traditional "get into 1st place" lap racing, but you could customize your own set of tracks using a password system that basically set track difficulty, how hilly it was, how tight turns tended to be, how many turns appeared, etc.