 SEGA GAAAAAAA DRUNK! Anything and everything to do with the Super Nintendo has always been my main hobby ever since its launch in North America back in 1991, so as a result of that, I ended up missing out on a ton of other stuff that was around at the same time. Thanks to this channel project thing that I've been doing the past several years, I have a convenient excuse to dive into a lot of those games for the first time, so I thought, hey, maybe it might be useful to give some perspective on the best games the Genesis has to offer from the viewpoint of someone without any kind of nostalgia for the games, just looking at them from a bit of a modern viewpoint based on how they've held up over time. Yeah, I've done some videos like this before, but hey, people like lists, and when putting this one together, I had a really, really tough time picking out the best games, and many sleepless nights and tears were shed when certain games were left off. Alright, maybe not, but still, it's tough to leave outstanding games like Rystar, X-Men 2, Musha, Beyond Oasis, and many others off of this video. Of course, that doesn't mean I think that they're bad games, obviously, just that I think that these 13 are better. 13. Alien Soldier. This is the game I had the toughest time deciding on whether or not should be on this video because it can be a pretty inaccessible game for some people. The controls are a bit weird. You choose four weapons out of 60Us, A selects the weapon, B shoots, and C jumps. While you can change your shooting mode from free range to fixed by pressing down and A at the same time, you can also press the B button twice at the right time to turn enemy projectiles into health, and there's also a dash attack, you can hover, put all this together and it can be pretty tough to get the hang of. But once you do, this game is friggin' incredible. It's like one huge boss run featuring some of the weirdest creatures you'll ever see. Alien Soldier was only released in cartridge form in Japan and PAL territories, and it was only made available in North America via the Sega channel, but if you want to play it today, it's on the Sega Ages Collection, Vol. 25, and on Steam as well for like a dollar, so what are you waiting for? Go check this one out. 12. NHL 94. You're damn right I'm putting a sports game on this list, and why not? NHL 94 was revolutionary at the time, and it remains one of the most popular retro games to this day. It's an excellent multiplayer game, it's easy to get the hang of with fast, responsive, and immediate controls, and you don't even need to be into hockey to enjoy it. The controls here are almost like shoot-em-up controls, where you're dodging and juking your way past your opponent, avoiding hits while trying to deliver your own, all while trying to sneak the puck past the goaltender. NHL 94 continues to be the standard by which all other sports games are measured. 11. Pirate's Gold. I admit I'm a little biased towards this game, because when I first sat down to play it a few years ago, I was expecting something pretty lousy. I mean, it's a home console port of a pretty massive PC game. But man, oh man, this game is just so much fun. It's an open-world exploration game where you can trade goods, recruit a crew for your ship, capture cities, duel other captains, seek out buried treasure, and lots of other stuff. It's surprisingly flexible in allowing the player to choose what they want to do and how they want to play, and it's done in a very player-friendly way, making things reasonably easy to figure out. Pirate's Gold is one of those games where if you sit down to play it, you better make sure you've got a few hours free, because it's really hard to put down. 10. Herzog's Vi. This game is way ahead of its time. It combines a bunch of different genres and game styles. We got shoot-'em-up mechanics. We got top-down run-and-gun stuff. We got real-time strategy. You can transform from a fighter jet to a mech. You can have combat units created and order them to attack the enemy base, and you can either play against the computer or against a second player. The action here is really fast, with no pauses to think about anything. You just gotta make your decisions and keep moving. Herzog's Vi is a great example of a game that's totally unique to the Genesis alone. There's nothing else on any other 16-bit console that can compare to this one. 9. And the same could be said about Thunder Force IV, a horizontal-scrolling shoot-'em-up that's arguably the best of its kind on the Genesis, and that's saying something because there are tons of great shooters in this library. You've got ten levels total, although you can play the first four in whatever order you'd like. You collect tons of different weapons, you can flip between at will, but really, this is just really well-made and a very well-balanced game. The balance of speed is perfect while keeping the game challenging, the visuals are great, the soundtrack is awesome, and in a nice bonus, you can even move the screen up and down to reveal more of the world you're destroying. It's always a tough call to pick the best shoot-'em-up on the Genesis, but my go-to is Thunder Force IV. 8. Castlevania Bloodlines, one of the very best action platformers on the Sega Genesis. You get two playable characters, one with a traditional Castlevania whip, but one with a spear, and what really stands out here is the level design. There's six levels, but they may differ depending on which character you choose, and some of the settings here are just awesome, as you can see. Bloodlines does a great job pushing the Genesis to its limits, like this tower that slowly rocks back and forth, or these spinning platforms that eventually lead to this cool-ass-looking boss fight, and of course, the usual Castlevania motif is represented as well, where you have to climb through a clock tower. Even if you don't usually dig Castlevania, Bloodlines is still a must-play. 7. Fantasy Star IV. Here's a turn-based RPG that can hang with the very best of its era. If this game were released for the Super Nintendo, you could easily argue that it belongs in the top five, along with the likes of Final Fantasy VI, Earthbound, Mario RPG, and Chrono Trigger. So, what makes this game stand out along the likes of those names? For me, it's the sheer scope of the story. Your planet somehow got reduced to a desert, with monsters popping up everywhere, and it's up to you and your party to figure out what the heck has happened, and how to stop it. The way the story is told through manga-style panels makes this game appear from a visual sense, unlike any other 16-bit game, and the soundtrack here adds a ton to the experience. The combat is great too, always keeping things interesting with up to five party members, allowing you to learn up to 14 combination techniques. If you dig science fiction and turn-based role-playing games, Fantasy Star IV is an absolute must-play. 6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Some might think this is a little low, but we'll get to that later. This is just a classic case of a sequel doing everything it should to improve on the original game. Now, the original Sonic isn't on this list, but it's still a pretty dang good game. But Sonic 2 took that game's strengths and made them the focus of this game, like building the levels around Sonic's speed, making the player rely on Twitch controls and memorization. Some people try and approach Sonic like it's a Mario game, where you try and hop and bop your way, picking your spots and taking your time, and that's not really how classic Sonic games work. Here, it's a bit more about being able to explore and find hidden areas without losing your momentum, and it kind of reminds me a little bit of Donkey Kong Country 2. But yeah, Sonic 2 is a perfect case of a game where the more you play, the better you get, and the more fun it is. 5. Streets of Rage 2, easily one of the best beat-'em-ups ever made because it's got the best control scheme of any beat-'em-up ever. Yeah, Streets of Rage 2 has a lot going for it, from the visuals to the atmosphere to the soundtrack, but what makes this game as good as it is is its layers of complexity. When you first play this one, you'll see you've got your usual punches, kicks, jumping attacks, and weapons, but the further you get, you'll be able to intuitively figure out all this other stuff that you can do. There's combos, throws, and enough suplexes here to make Brock Lesnar blush. And in addition to that, there's four playable characters here that all play differently, lending this game a ton of replay value. Make no mistake, Streets of Rage 2 is THE total package. 4. Shinobi 3 Return of the Ninja Master. If there's any kind of game I love playing, it's an action platformer where your character is overpowered to the gills with tons of moves, abilities, and special weapons, and can absolutely crush all enemies before them. That's what Shinobi 3 is all about. There's just so many different attacks you can unleash at any time, like a sword dash, a mid-air dash, plus you can scale walls, and unlike its predecessor, there's no one-hit deaths here. You have a life bar, so you can take tons of chances to try all sorts of crazy stuff. The level design does a great job complementing your abilities, even throwing in some goofy stages like being able to ride a horse and even surf. Shinobi 3 is just plain fun. It's as simple as that. 3. Shining Force 2. This game was given the unenviable task of simplifying and streamlining something as detailed and complex as a strategic turn-based RPG, but it managed to pull it off brilliantly. This game manages to be a perfect introduction for someone that's always wanted to try this kind of game, while still providing plenty of substance and meat on the bone, so to speak, for any veteran strategy RPG player. You can end up with as many as 28 people in your party, everything from warriors to archers to knights to wizards, all that good stuff, and the game pulls it off, keeping the pace relatively brisk without overwhelming the player with too many options. Shining Force 2 is brilliantly balanced and designed, and everyone should try it out at least once. 2. Sonic 3. You know what I said about Sonic 2? Well, that goes for Sonic 3 as well. This game takes everything from its predecessor, fills in even more detail, and extra areas to explore adds little touches like allowing Tails to fly for a bit, adds some new power-ups like a fire shield, which makes you immune to fire, an electric shield which acts like a ring magnet and allows Sonic to double jump, and a water shield that gives you unlimited air underwater. There's a new special stage that's even better than what's featured in Sonic 2, and the level design stays consistent overall so there's no huge changes, only minor tweaks and additions that make the game that much more fun to play. In addition to all that, you can also plug a Sonic 3 cart into the Sonic & Knuckles cart, which unlocks a ton of extra stuff. Sonic 3 is a great time, and it would be the best Genesis game ever if it weren't 4. 1. Gunstar Heroes. I mean, when you're doing a list of the best Sega Genesis games, it would feel almost criminal not to pick a game made by Treasure. They did such an incredible job developing titles for Sega, everything from Dynamite Heady to the aforementioned Alien Soldier, and I mean they even made a McDonald's game for God's sake, and it's actually really good. But yeah, Gunstar Heroes in particular is an absolutely exhilarating playthrough, and the reason I picked it for number one is because it takes full advantage of everything the Genesis does well. We've got massive explosions, huge boss sprites, tons of speed, tons of gameplay variety, creative level design, and when I think of Sega Genesis, I think of the visuals this game brings to mind. This game is a masterpiece from both the technical and design standpoint, plus it's just plain fun. I mean, you get four different weapons, and you can combine any two to create your own weapon, which creates some unique shot types that lend themselves well to each part of the game, depending on where you are. I can't rave enough about this game, it's just so much freakin' fun. I've beaten it three times now, and you know what? I think I'll go play it again right now. Alright, I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.