Let's talk about the best of the best Genesis games

I haven't really gotten that super excited feeling about any game since the Genesis days. I still love playing games, but you know that feeling you had as a kid on Christmas morning? I used to get that feeling all the time about new games for my Genesis. Some of my favs were/are:

Ghouls & Ghosts. I played the crap out of this game. Sometimes going through it 5 times in a single day. I just loved everything about it. For it's time, nothing in console gaming had better graphics, sound, or gameplay, IMO.
Later, I even went so far as to get a Supergrafx and G&G. I still think the Genesis version is better. Why? Other than the first levels graphics, the Genesis version blows the SGfx version away, with lots of parallax scrolling and much better sound.

Phantasy Star 2. This was the best RPG at the time, IMO. I think PS2 is the only RPG that I completed about 10 times, from start to finish. Even the superior PS4 I only did 2 times.

Landstalker. When Gamefan actually hyped up great games, this was one of them. Again, there was so much cool stuff going on in this game, I was hooked from start to finish. Everything was so right about Landstalker, that I didn't mind the somewhat flawed isometric platforming parts. If there's one Genesis game I think I will play through again someday, it might be Landstalker.

Please post more. :)

To me, the Genny peaked with Sonic and Knuckles with Sonic 3 locked on.

The game still sits in my genny to this day.

Nothing beats Contra: Hard Corps and Dynamite Headdy.

Nothing.

...except maybe Gunstar Heroes and Gain Ground.

I didn't buy a Genesis until years after it launched... it just never interested me much. That said:

Gunstar Heroes - this is the game that made me realize the Genesis wasn't complete garbage I could ignore. I've played this game a lot. A lot.

Earthworm Jim - while this was a multi-platform release, it was definitely better on the Genesis (but best on the Sega CD). One of my 16-bit favorites, easily.

I'm actually having trouble here. There're a lot of Genesis games I like, such as the Sonic series, Comix Zone, Ristar, etc. But they were just ok, not like omg best games ever.

PS - first one to mention Toe Jam & Earl loses.

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Originally Posted by ChaoofNee

Nothing beats Contra: Hard Corps

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Yes, Hard Corps was excellent. Good call.

1. Toe Jam and Earl - The two player was incredible, random levels, the way the screen split when you chose to take different paths and joined when you got close enough, the way you could totally fuck your partner over with presents, promotions!, I cant say enough good things about this game. Best two player game of the 16 bit era. Single player was slow, and tedious. Mzo loses for having no friends.

2. General Chaos - As good as TJ&E was at co-op, General Chaos was at VS. play. The most dumbed down strategy game ever, and that is a complement.

3. Gunstar Heroes - Better than Contra, and Metal Slug. Puzzle board level was the most creative shoot em up design ever.

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Originally Posted by dave is ok

1. Toe Jam and Earl - The two player was incredible, random levels, the way the screen split when you chose to take different paths and joined when you got close enough, the way you could totally fuck your partner over with presents, promotions!, I cant say enough good things about this game. Best two player game of the 16 bit era. Single player was slow, and tedious. Mzo loses for having no friends.

2. General Chaos - As good as TJ&E was at co-op, General Chaos was at VS. play. The most dumbed down strategy game ever, and that is a complement.

3. Gunstar Heroes - Better than Contra, and Metal Slug. Puzzle board level was the most creative shoot em up design ever.

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I'm gonna have to agree on the 2 player TJ&E. LOTS of fun.

Sonic 2 and Knuckles - Still a blast, even more so than Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
Streets of Rage 1/2 - Some of the greatest music ever in gaming, and some of the most fun beat-em-up action as well.
Saturday Night Slam Masters - barb wire bomb death match!!!
Haunting Starring Polterguy - Magical rotary saws+humans=sickening fun. Here's a game I wish EA would remake, or make a sequel to.
Skitchin' - The same rules applies here.
Road Rash 3 - and here
X-Men - I bought a Genesis for this, and it's still a blast to play.
X-Men 2- Worse visuals than the first, but the controls are more responsive, and you can play as Magneto!
Virtua Racing - I'm still stunned every time I play this game on the Nomad. For 50 cents, this game was so worth it.
Test Drive 2: the Duel - The graphics are amazing, with solid scaling, and the music is fantastic.

Sonic series
Shinobi III - I love Revenge and Shadow Dancer but this is in a league above them and everything else ninja.
Monster World IV - Probably the best 16-bit game left in Japan. This series was the only true Zelda rival I think, much better than Landstalker and Beyond Oasis(although they were good).
Gunstar Heroes
Snatcher - This and Sonic CD made the Sega CD must-own.
Golden Axe - I think it's better than the arcade game(gameplay-wise, not graphically).
Streets of Rage 2
NHL Hockey - I could never get into the 3d sequels as much as this.
Phantasy Star IV

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

X-Men 2- Worse visuals than the first, but the controls are more responsive, and you can play as Magneto!

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This game also had a great soundtrack.
The remixed audio CD was EXCELLENT, too. I miss Sega Tunes.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Virtua Racing - I'm still stunned every time I play this game on the Nomad. For 100 bucks, this game was so not worth it.

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FIXED