Regardless of whether you call it the Mega Drive or the SEGA Genesis, everyone can pretty much always agree that there’s plenty of amazing games to choose from on SEGA’s landmark platform. Thanks to the 2D graphics and often simplistic mechanics, plenty of Genesis games have been received a lot more positively as the years have gone on. Arguably, some of those games even more so than anything on the PS1, SEGA Saturn or N64. With that in mind, we’re looking at the Genesis games that have aged pretty well. No, this list doesn’t include Sonic 1, 2, or 3, even if they have aged beautifully, because nobody really needs to hear more about Sonic and the Genesis do they?
1. X-Men 2: Clone Wars
In hindsight, X-Men 2: Clone Wars sounds like some sort of unholy collaboration between Marvel and Star Wars, though considering both are owned by Disney at this point, let’s stop talking just in case someone from Disney is watching.
A platformer, which was the style at the time, X-Men 2: Clone Wars adapted the Phalanx storyline that was happening within the comic books, with big baldy himself Charles Xavier sending the X-Men out to a Sentinel manufacturing facility in the middle of nowhere. The Phalanx, an alien hive mind of sorts that behaves like a highly infectious techno-organic virus, has begun assimilating organisms to take over the world, and it’s up to Beast, Psylocke, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Cyclops to save the day. Oh, and Magneto, because the leader of the Brotherhood can’t rule the Earth if the Phalanx take his home of Exodus. The enemy of my enemy, and all that.
While X-Men 2: Clone Wars received mixed reviews at the time of release in 1995, its stock has risen considerably in the years, with many retrospective reviews commenting on the beautiful graphics and killer soundtrack. However, it’s the pick up and play gameplay that’s the real winner for this game. The controls are easy to learn, while each character has their own unique abilities that help them in both combat and platforming. Compared to other comic book games of the time where character selection felt like a cosmetic choice rather than a mechanical one, X-Men 2: Clone Wars feels like it graduated top of the class and its days aren’t future-past. We’ll workshop that. Apocalypse.
2. Phantasy Star IV
These days, the Phantasy Star series is mostly known as an MMORPG franchise, bringing together thousands of players for the common goal of completing raids and building houses, apparently. Before the advent of ethernet cables and that awful dial-up connection noise though, Phantasy Star was SEGA’s equivalent of Final Fantasy, offering turn-based RPGs on the Master System and SEGA Genesis. These four games have been received pretty well over the years, but most would tend to agree that the first two or three games have been dated a bit more than other RPGs of the time period. Phantasy Star IV: The End Of The Millennium on the other hand has only improved in the estimation of many, and considering it was already a pretty well received RPG, you know it’s aged well.
The conclusion of a story surrounding the Algol Star System, despite being set about 1000 years between the events of both Phantasy Star II and III, Phantasy Star IV starts on Motavia, a once thriving planet that’s begun to deteriorate as ancient technology fails and mutant aberrations called biomonsters have been springing up like hipster coffee shops in newly gentrified urban areas. This is possibly the most boomer joke we’ve ever written, enjoy it. Anyway, you’ll gather a band of hunters to find out the source of the planet’s ills, uncovering a threat to the entire star system in the process.
The turn-based combat and exploration are still brilliant today like they were in the 90s, but the improvements Phantasy Star IV made to its own formula, such as combo attacks and the manga quality art for cutscenes and conversations, have helped cement Phantasy Star IV as a greatest of all-time contender.
3. Beyond Oasis
Turns out that it wasn’t just the console that was subject to name changes depending on the region it was being sold in, as some of the games went through the process too. In this instance though, North America might have got the better name, as Beyond Oasis feels like a more accurate title for this game than The Story Of Thor, its name here in Europe. I mean, Beyond Oasis doesn’t even have a dude swinging a tiny little hammer. Whose story is it? Because it certainly isn’t Thor’s.
Mythical nonsense aside, while Beyond Oasis doesn’t have any real ties to Norse mythology, it does showcase SEGA’s pretty viable alternative to Nintendo’s The Legend Of Zelda series. Wait, maybe that’s why it was called The Story Of Thor, following The Blank Of Blank naming formula of Zelda. Don’t mind us, we’re just going to trademark “The Tale Of F-Zero GX Getting A Remaster Pretty Please”.
And now we wait.
Set in the titular land of Oasis, players control the warrior Prince Ali who has recently gained possession of a golden armlet that belonged to an ancient wizard. Suddenly, a vision of flame tells him that an evil-doer is going to use a silver armlet to spread chaos, and that Ali needs to unite the four elemental spirits to save the land. The gameplay pretty closely follows the Zelda format, playing out like an action adventure as Ali explores the world, finding dungeons filled with new weapons and elemental spirits to recruit, and while the homework copied version of Zelda’s gameplay might not be Beyond Oasis’ best feature, the incredible graphics have ensured that this game has remained a highlight of the SEGA Genesis well into the 2020s.
4. Vectorman
Honestly, we could make a whole point of how Vectorman has aged incredibly well based purely on its plot alone, which starts with humanity leaving Earth behind thanks to unchecked pollution, while robots have been left to clean up the mess. The obvious plot comparisons to Wall-E come to screeching halt when one of the robots basically straps themselves to a nuke and becomes the tyrant WarHead, but it’s clear that Vectorman’s plot was more forward thinking than other video games of the time. Clearly, the fine folks at both SEGA and Blue Sky Software (not to be confused with Blue Sky Studios, the team behind Ice Age) were concerned about the environment being ravaged and the dangers of AI in control of human weaponry way before they became some of the most common talking points of the 2020s.
Metal Gear Solid 2, eat your heart out.
Admittedly, Vectorman’s gameplay isn’t quite what makes it such a timeless classic, though the 2D shoot ‘em up gameplay is just as competent as many other games from the SEGA Genesis. However, it’s Vectorman’s graphical qualities that make it such a wonderful game, with the animation of Vectorman himself or the several beautiful backgrounds found during the level that helped prove that the SEGA Genesis still had some juice in the tank at the tail end of its life cycle.
Shame that SEGA have basically left Vectorman to rot in the vaults in the years since, as this original game stands among the best that the Genesis has to offer. The sequel is pretty good too, if you like shooting bugs instead of robots.
5. Alien Soldier
Can we get through one of these lists without hyping up Treasure just a little bit? I mean, probably, but it wouldn’t be as fun. Besides, Treasure lived up to their name by being one of the most imaginative and innovative developers of the SEGA Genesis era. They might have been a bit of a buried treasure for some, but for those willing to do a bit of digging, Treasure was the byword for incredible quality games. As for the best Treasure game on the Genesis, most would tend focus on games like Gunstar Heroes or Dynamite Headdy, both of which are excellent in their own right and deserve to feature on these lists, but we’re focusing on a Treasure game that doesn’t get the love it deserves sometimes: Alien Soldier.
A shoot ‘em up that’s been compared heavily and favorably to Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier’s baffling plot of human/animal hybrid terrorists and the game’s protagonist, Epilson-Eagle, living as a parasite inside a young boy isn’t why this game is timeless, though it is absolutely bonkers. Instead, Alien Soldier feels like one of the earliest versions of a boss rush style game, with 25 levels of run and gun gameplay mostly defined by some incredible boss fights. The animation that Treasure utilizes for these fights is nothing short of technological wizardry, creating some of the most memorable enemies on the entire console. Meanwhile, players could choose their weapon loadouts after every continue, adding more strategy and depth to what could have been a simple yet brutally difficult shooter.
If you want to see where the DNA of Cuphead originated, Alien Soldier is a great starting point.
6. Virtua Racing
Racing games typically either age beautifully, or they age like milk that’s been left on a sunbed. Typically, it’s the more realistic racing games that tend to age the worst, as either the handling starts to feel dated, or the graphics have been rendered awful by the passage of time. Virtua Racing sits more in the former category, which is just as well as it’s considered to be the racing game genre’s first proper foray into the third dimension, though I will always remember that arcade game in Dawn of the Dead, and while the handling takes plenty of getting used to for the average player, the gameplay is just as fun now as it was on the Genesis in the 90s. Quite frankly, the fact that Virtua Racing was even able to run on the Genesis possibly proves that SEGA dabbled in the dark arts at one point, though the trade-off was that Virtua Racing retailed at $100 at launch. Oof.
The incredible blocky graphics have certainly aged compared to the lavish production values of most modern racing games, but that doesn’t mean that Virtua Racing has lost a step in the aesthetics department. The bright colors certainly help, and the fact that this is the first 3D racing game of its kind means all the Gran Turismo’s and Burnout’s of the world have this game to thank. Still, the influx of indie racing games like Hotshot Racing, Formula Retro Racing and Super Retro GP have proved that there’s plenty of nostalgia and love for games like Virtua Racing.
Virtua Racing might not have a lot of tracks, but it does boast plenty of heart, and you can’t deny that. However, it doesn’t have the iconic music from Daytona USA, so it’s clearly an inferior game. We don’t make the rules.
7. The Adventures Of Batman & Robin
While DC animated projects can be a mixed bag in terms of quality, especially with some of DC’s more recent efforts (that Injustice adaptation was wank, for starters), pretty much everyone can agree that the original Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s stands among the best superhero shows ever made. The animation style, particularly with regards to the city of Gotham, was unlike anything else of the time period, while the show was anchored by two perfect performances in Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and Joker respectively. Shockingly, the tie-in video game, named The Adventures Of Batman & Robin after the show’s second season rebrand, has also aged pretty well, and that’s largely based on the aesthetics.
The gameplay has earned its fair share of criticism, being derided as a fairly simplistic “throwing batarangs ‘em up” that also manages to be frustrating and difficult at the same time. The amount of enemies you have to deal with and the health of many of the bosses takes the mick at a certain point, but the graphics, especially the colors and 3D effects on the level backgrounds, pushes the tech of the Genesis in ways few other games did. Artistically, the developers of The Adventures Of Batman & Robin had a huge standard to live up to, given the TV shows incredible success, but this game manages to stand on its own with impressive visuals that many thought the Genesis wouldn’t be capable of.
8. Streets Of Rage 2
You want a pretty reliable way to make a game timeless? Just make a 2D beat ‘em up. While you’re all probably racing to the comments to find examples of more recent 2D beat ‘em up that sucked more than a Henry Hoover, the legendary beat ‘em ups of the SNES and Genesis era are just as much fun to play now as they were back in the 80s and 90s. Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Golden Axe and more are all still incredibly fun to play, but perhaps the best of the best is Streets Of Rage 2. While the first game is a bit too simplistic in its graphics and gameplay compared to other beat ‘em up games of the time period, Streets Of Rage 2 is a massive improvement over its predecessor.
Despite saving the city in the last game, Axel and Blaze are forced into action again when previous game comrade Adam is kidnapped by Mr X. With goons on the streets again causing chaos, Axel and Blaze, alongside newcomers Max and Skate, take to cracking skulls in order to achieve justice. The soundtrack alone has been regarded among some of the best music ever created for video games, which is definitely a bold claim, but the gameplay is where Streets Of Rage 2 improved immeasurably, with new options like Blitz Attacks and character specific special moves ensuring there was more to offer skilled players.
If you want to experience the best that the Streets Of Rage series has (pre-SoR 4, anyway), Streets Of Rage 2 might just be the best beat ‘em up on the Genesis. Hang around until the end of the video for a neat little easter egg.
9. Shining Force 2
The SEGA Genesis certainly boasted its fair share of RPGs, but one sub-genre in particular that was well-represented on SEGA’s console was the tactical RPG. Made famous by games like Tactics Ogre and others, the Genesis’ Shining Force 2 was perhaps the console’s best take on the tactical RPG genre, with most of the reviews at the time considering it to be an instant classic.
Just like Tactics Ogre and the Ogre Battle series as a whole, Shining Force 2 is actually just one part of the wider Shining series, which has nothing to do with blood gushing from an elevator, and instead boasts dungeon crawlers, action RPGs and tactical RPGs, but Shining Force 2 is perhaps the best known and most loved entry in the whole series.
Like other RPGs, Shining Force 2 sees you assembling a party to go out and save the world, with players controlling the Shining Force leader Bowie. Battles play out on a square-based grid, with characters able to move and perform one action on their turn, and Bowie needs to be protected at all costs otherwise it’s game over. While the graphics aren’t really the best that the SEGA Genesis has ever seen, the gameplay ideas and structure shown in Shining Force 2 have aged like fine wine.
The gaming industry has seen a huge wave of tactical RPGs dropping across all platforms in recent years, but a lot of the ideas and DNA can be traced back to games like Shining Force 2, making them “Shining” examples of games that have aged wonderfully.
Not our best work, that.
10. NBA Jam
Talk about lightning in a bottle when it comes to NBA Jam, hey? Midway managed to capture the perfect formula of licensed sports games with NBA Jam in 1993, offering licensed players and teams along with simple to learn gameplay and over-the-top antics and hidden characters. Who doesn’t want to see professional basketball players square off against the likes of Bill Clinton? Okay, so some aspects of NBA Jam might not have aged as well as others, but this 2v2 version of hoops offered a recipe for sports games that has seemingly fallen by the wayside, at least when it comes to the licensed offerings. We can always rely on a Mario sports game to bring the silly by the bucketload, thankfully.
NBA Jam and the improved Tournament Edition both offered that beloved over-the-top take on 2v2 basketball, with Tournament Edition in particular adding the titular tournament mode, new players to choose from and a whole new slew of Easter Eggs for players to discover. After T.E. though, the NBA license split between Midway and Acclaim, with Acclaim taking the NBA Jam name in a more sim direction, while Midway’s NBA titles would try to replicate the arcade nature of those first NBA Jam titles to lesser success.
Both would ultimately flounder, and while 2K have tried to replicate the arcade-like gameplay of NBA Jam with the NBA Playgrounds games, nothing quite managed to hit the same as hearing Tim Kitzrow screaming “boomshakalaka” when you hit a slam dunk.
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