What's your all-time favorite Genesis game and why?

A little curious to see what people say for this one. Your ALL-TIME favorite game. Not your Top Ten. Not your Top Five. The game you put above all the rest. And I'm talkin' strictly Genesis here, no Sega CD or 32x. What gets the top spot for you? What game is your all-time favorite for the Sega Genesis? And why?

For me it has to be Streets Of Rage 2. No doubt one of the best beat-em-ups I've ever played. Everything comes into awesome culmination. Between the top-notch frantic gameplay, awesome graphics, excellent techno soundtrack, and overall Jawsumness, it is the Genesis game that I think truly represents the awesomeness of the system, and of SEGA's development teams at the time. :)

Hmm it's a tough one for me between Sonic 2 and X-Men 2 Clone Wars, but I'll go with X-Men because I find myself playing that one a lot more. I'm a big X-Men fan to begin with and this game is everything that I always wanted from an X-Men title, it's got a great cast of characters, gameplay that's polished to perfection, excellent music and fantastic visuals. I remember I played all the X-Men games prior to this one, before it came out and I always had ideas on how they should be improved, then when I got this game I remember being blown away and feeling as though the developers read my mind. Also, playable Magneto! Magneto is BADASS and has always been my favourite X-Men character, and he doesn't disappoint in this game. This game is the perfect combination of 2 of my favourite things in life, the Sega Genesis and the X-Men.

Shining Force II

I've yet to play another Sim RPG that matches it on any level. It's my second favorite game period, only behind Radiant Silvergun, and is the ONLY RPG style game that I have played through more than once. It's also the first game I ever found myself rushing home from school to play as much as I could before we had to take it back to the rental store.

Shinobi III Return of the Ninja Master.

This is my game. Not only my favorite Genesis game, but my favorite video game of any console or any time. I have a big collection, but I could really do without it. I would be perfectly content with just a Genesis and Shinobi III. It's all I really need. The game has become a part of me.

Revenge of Shinobi

It has excellent level design, awesome end bosses (Terminator, Batman, Spider-Man), and tight controls. I've been playing it since I was a kid and I still love playing it today. There aren't many games I can say that about.

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Originally Posted by Baloo

For me it has to be Streets Of Rage 2. No doubt one of the best beat-em-ups I've ever played. Everything comes into awesome culmination. Between the top-notch frantic gameplay, awesome graphics, excellent techno soundtrack, and overall Jawsumness, it is the Genesis game that I think truly represents the awesomeness of the system, and of SEGA's development teams at the time. :)

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THIS ^

As close as anyone has ever come to making the perfect game

I feel like we have this thread every week. Just sticky it.

Sonic 3 when combined with Sonic & Knuckles.

If I cant choose the combined cart i'd say Sonic 2.

I wish my answer was less generic but there's no avoiding it.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles if you count it as a single game and honestly it was always meant to be so why not? It's the first game that I pushed myself to discover every secret and beat it in every possible way. For a time it transformed me into a Sonic fanatic until Sega managed to beat it out of me with its modern offerings (I'm looking forward to Generations though since it's been announced for PC). It's still my favorite 2D platformer in existence. The way the story was wordlessly told really left an impression on me back in the day and I wish Sonic had stayed simple and to the point like this, but I suppose all things change for better or worse. The action was fast but not too insane, the play control was perfect, the level design was even better than its already great predecessors, the graphics were some of the most beautiful of the era on any platform and the music was amazing. I liked the first two Sonic games a whole lot too but this one just completely blew me away.

Honestly it's not my most played Genesis game today, nor is it even the game I have the funnest time with because I've literally played it to death and probably put more hours into it than any other game I've ever owned. These claims may seem lofty but I still consider it the crowning achievement of the console, one of the high water marks of the 16-bit, the peak of the Sonic series and one of Sega's greatest moments, period.

It only trails behind Wing Commander 2 as my favorite game of all time.

Sonic 1. I don't think it's the best game. But you asked personal favorite. Why? I still remember the first time I saw it at a friends house. I didn't even know what a Genesis was. The music, the look, the game play it knocked me out. I got my own Genesis later that Christmas and to this day the opening credits and first levels take me back to that first time I played it at a friends house and that Christmas morning I played it.

Alien Soldier, man... run n gun games where always one of my favorite type of video games and when I first played this. I was blown the hell away. It is a game that I found so unique and creative. The reply for me is top notch, the levels and backgrounds are beautiful looking with some having amazing effects like the blowing wind and deep water match, that pushed the Mega Drive in a strength I honestly didn't know it could handle, let alone do it with no special chips involved. I find the game to be very enjoyable and never gotten bored around playing it. It was my one of my first Japanese Mega Drive games and is a game that I am proud to own.

Alien Soldier its the best Run & Gun on the system w/ amazing graphics, lots of action, and great controls

mS

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Originally Posted by Baloo

A little curious to see what people say for this one. Your ALL-TIME favorite game. Not your Top Ten. Not your Top Five. The game you put above all the rest. And I'm talkin' strictly Genesis here, no Sega CD or 32x. What gets the top spot for you? What game is your all-time favorite for the Sega Genesis? And why?

For me it has to be Streets Of Rage 2. No doubt one of the best beat-em-ups I've ever played. Everything comes into awesome culmination. Between the top-notch frantic gameplay, awesome graphics, excellent techno soundtrack, and overall Jawsumness, it is the Genesis game that I think truly represents the awesomeness of the system, and of SEGA's development teams at the time. :)

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Yup, same here. SOR 2 is what got me into the Genesis back in 2006. From there, my Genesis library has grown to a 100+ titles. Everytime I play it, without exception, I'm amazed. There is so much depth in the movelist for each character, practically unprecedented for a beat 'em up. I love using all four characters and appreciate the diversity of gameplay each character brings to the table. The gameplay is pure smooth gaming bliss. It strikes that perfect balance between being challenging yet fun. There is a raw viseral feel to the combat that makes you feel like a badass laying the smackdown on Mr. X's assortment of thugs. SOR 2 just stands way out as being a perfect 10 game.

Shining Force. I had so much fun with it, love the characters, best ending of all time, and on and on.

Mine is NFL 94 starring Joe Montana. I can't play organized football for real anymore but this game never disappoints me. Every Sunday after watching an NFL game, I like to pick this game up and play it again. I never get tired of it. I really enjoy how each team has a different style of play and even against the computer, it's challenging (on "difficult", at least). I like how you have to use real strategy on offense; going for it on fourth down, even short yardage can get stuffed. I like how you have to play your assignment right on defense; if you don't, one of your teammates is sure to blow his assignment. Oh yeah, and the graphics and sound are excellent, too! I always take this game with me to play on the road with my Nomad. On the few times that I didn't take it, I missed being able to play it and ended up buying it at a second-hand shop so that I could play it. I have four NFL 94 cartridges now. I don't think any shops carrying used Genesis games anymore, though, so now I always make sure to take one with me.

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Originally Posted by djshok

Hmm it's a tough one for me between Sonic 2 and X-Men 2 Clone Wars, but I'll go with X-Men because I find myself playing that one a lot more. I'm a big X-Men fan to begin with and this game is everything that I always wanted from an X-Men title, it's got a great cast of characters, gameplay that's polished to perfection, excellent music and fantastic visuals. I remember I played all the X-Men games prior to this one, before it came out and I always had ideas on how they should be improved, then when I got this game I remember being blown away and feeling as though the developers read my mind. Also, playable Magneto! Magneto is BADASS and has always been my favourite X-Men character, and he doesn't disappoint in this game. This game is the perfect combination of 2 of my favourite things in life, the Sega Genesis and the X-Men.

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Sonic 2 was the first game that I really got into because of the two player mode. I had played Sonic 1 because it came with the system and enjoyed it but it wasn't really the reason I was into Genesis. But Sonic 2 was a blast playing with or against a friend!

X-Men 2 is one of my top ten all-time games! They don't make X-Men games like this anymore but they should. The graphics and sounds are great and all of the characters are fun to play as each plays differently. The level designs are brilliant, like having to escape after blowing up the Sentinel factory or the clever remakes of classic arcade games in various levels like the elevator shaft or mountain climb. This is also a great game to play with a friend. The only thing I wish was that Nightcrawler could teleport someone else like he could in the first game. Otherwise, this game is brilliant!

probably quackshot for me....

i remember playing that game over and over again as a kid....

i can still pick it up now and bring back all those good memories!!!

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Originally Posted by Clessy

I feel like we have this thread every week. Just sticky it.

Sonic 3 when combined with Sonic & Knuckles.

If I cant choose the combined cart i'd say Sonic 2.

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I think the world is coming to an end, because I wholeheartedly agree with you for the first time ever ;)

Seriously, I can't choose between Sonic 2 and Sonic3&K. Besides, I sometimes think of Sonic 2 as the best videogame ever created.
Ever.
Period.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles if they count as one, if not then I cannot easily decide between Sonic3 and S&K. Things lean towards S&K, but only very slightly.
The whole game is full of great huge stages with some nice bit of exploration, awesome music for the most part and cool bosses though many are on the easy side. I like how it all escalates the more you near to the end in S&K, everything becomes bigger and badder, I find it really awesome, none of the previous games come near that.

Revenge of Shinobi
Castle of Illusion
Thunder Force 4
Streets of Rage 2

- I could play all of them again and again without getting tired so it's really not easy to pick just one of them... If I were forced to decide I'd probably go with either Revenge of Shinobi or Streets of Rage 2.

Darius II

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Originally Posted by hipposticks

That's a really tough question. Probably Skitchin', by a hair. I like racing games with combat (such as Road Rash), rollerblading, good chiptunes, sceneries of American cities. I've probably spent more hours on this game than any other Genesis game. It's not without flaws but it's very original and fun.

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Hmmm. I found this at a thrift shop for a buck a few years ago and have never actually played it. Maybe I'm missing out. Thanks for pointing it out.

Sonic 2 because it's better than any other 16-bit game.

Disney's Aladdin. It's the game with which I connect to the most, in general. If I think video games, I think Aladdin on the Genesis first and foremost. But then gain, if you know me, that's no surprise...

...for that reason, I'd still mention a couple more that, if Aladdin was to be the "Speed of Light", then they are as close as physically possible any object can get to the "Speed of Light" (99.999999.......%):

1. Phantasy Star II
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Phantasy Star IV. It's the best game ever.

Shining Force. It still has a magical quality to it that hasn't been replicated in the sequels. It has a perfect dark aesthetic style that was diminished with each new game in the series. The gameplay is still as good as you could want from a game and it hasn't aged negatively in any way. It's also a very unique experience and there's nothing quite like it for SFC or PCE (not even Feda). The only competition the Genesis Shining Force games received was the Game Gear Shining Force games and the first two wound up on Sega CD with enhancements.

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Originally Posted by Black_Tiger

Shining Force. It still has a magical quality to it that hasn't been replicated in the sequels. It has a perfect dark aesthetic style that was diminished with each new game in the series. The gameplay is still as good as you could want from a game and it hasn't aged negatively in any way. It's also a very unique experience and there's nothing quite like it for SFC or PCE (not even Feda). The only competition the Genesis Shining Force games received was the Game Gear Shining Force games and the first two wound up on Sega CD with enhancements.

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will a JP copy of shining force play on a PAL MD with a region switch?

in terms of language - not just the load!

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Originally Posted by Mista_Ed

will a JP copy of shining force play on a PAL MD with a region switch?

in terms of language - not just the load!

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Will play just fine but will always be in Japanese language no matter what settings your switches are.

Flashback. Story is way engrossing, and the puzzle elements are masterfully crafted. Loved the whole "get a job and make money" thing. I thought that was mindblowing when I was a kid.

Later on, I started reading Philip K Dick books and started seeing all these similarities. Cool cool stuff.

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Originally Posted by Zebbe

Phantasy Star IV. It's the best game ever.

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*nods* Uh-huh, uh-huh! It has great graphics, fantastic music, lots of secrets, and the awesomeness that is the Sound Test Mode :)

Sonic 2 because I grew up with it and nothing will ever..ever...ever....EVER top it.

Can't pick one in all honestly. I can narrow it down to about 5 games, maybe, but I don't have a definitive favorite Genesis game...

hmmm I forgot the "why" in my choice
I guess it has to do with the fact that a friend of mine brought the original cartridge to my place one day, and we were in awe because we'd never seen an original Tec Toy cartridge before (piracy was - and still is - rampant in my country).
Only then I knew that Sagaia was in fact Darius II. And I don't know really why.... but it felt better to play the original cartridge than playing the pirate copy we had lying around. The introduction to the BGM in the first stage in the sun still throws chills down my spine every time I hear it. It was - and still is - sheer, pure, undeniable jawsumness.
And Darius II was the first game I bought when I dusted off my MD and decided to start a collection, 4 years ago.

Mine would have to be Zero Tolerance.
Most of that is probably due to playing it with my brother (two tv's) and having my little cousins watch. They love when I burn the little crabs with a flamethrower. Its funny because I just got the game in 2010 and thought I would only be fooling myself if I liked it. It just does something to me that modern FPS games can't. I pick it up and can't stop playing. This game prompted me to import Battle Frenzy. Which I like, but I don't like the atmosphere as much or the level designs. No game can ever top Zero Tolerance for me. My friends think I'm crazy, but will usually humor me and play until the first mini-boss. I've never played the sequel though because I hate emulation. I wish it got put on a cart and released.

It would always be Sonic 3 and Knuckles for me. That game was the definitive Sonic game. It had so many hidden areas, the emerald quests, the chance to play as Knuckles and Tails. So much that made it awesome. The music for the Lava Reef Zone was my ring tone for so long. I love playing it more than any other game (even more than FFVII).

Probably Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The gameplay's fantastic, graphics are great, level design's brilliant, boss battles are some of the best seen in the Sonic series and to top it all off it's got a ton of replay value. Rocket Knight Adventures comes really close though, in fact not too long ago that was my favorite. I've played S3&K again though for the first time in a year and I can't believe I sold it at a garage sale. Stupid, stupid, stupid! *shakes head in disgust with myself*

Streets of Rage 2. On top of bringing back a ton of memories of playing this with friends and family, it is the game I've beaten more times than any other, and I've simply never gotten sick of it. Almost 20 years later, I still completely enjoy giving this game a run, which to me, is a sign of a classic game.

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Originally Posted by Splatterhouse5

Streets of Rage 2. On top of bringing back a ton of memories of playing this with friends and family, it is the game I've beaten more times than any other, and I've simply never gotten sick of it. Almost 20 years later, I still completely enjoy giving this game a run, which to me, is a sign of a classic game.

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I agree with everything you said. Who says beat em ups lack replay value? To me Streets of Rage 2 is as close to perfection as a game can get. Tons of moves, characters all play differently, the graphics pop, the stages environments are great and the music and sfx are amazing.

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Originally Posted by profholt82

Revenge of Shinobi

It has excellent level design, awesome end bosses (Terminator, Batman, Spider-Man), and tight controls. I've been playing it since I was a kid and I still love playing it today. There aren't many games I can say that about.

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I'm still feeling out the Genesis library, but thus far this is probably my favourite game. It's also my favourite Shinobi alongside the first one. Revenge of Shinobi just has this b-movie charm to it that other Shinobis lack, as well as everything you said about the gameplay. The difficulty is tough initially but designed in such a way that rewards practice, and the level designs are interesting enough that you won't get bored even after the 53rd attempt at completing a stage.

if you go to my room you will most likely see Ultimate Mortal Kombat sitting on top of the system belive me i get a great satisfaction after i beat the last tower and take my last shao kahn treasure and then sit back and enjoy the blood fest its just pure awsome MK greatness and the last mk game on the system that game defenetly hold something special in my sick and twisted heart LOL

sonic and knuckles with sonic 3 is up there also shinobi 3 strider and ghouls n ghoust but i cant get enought of the fact that i can sit back and watch my sega do a fatality after another before the credits roll as a big MK fan i think thats blast procesing at its best

=)

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Originally Posted by Zebbe

Phantasy Star IV. It's the best game ever.

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^This! PSIV has absolutely everything (in life), plus more!

Fantastic music, funny dialogue, deep storyline, cool artwork, nice battles...

love, death, healing...

space travel, dimensional travel...

discovering the history and secrets of the Algo solar system, plus communicating directly with the mind of the solar system!

I love that cave with all the talking cats, bc it strikes me as Cat Heaven, as if I'm visiting there to see the spirits of all my beloved cats from throughout my life, hanging around and chatting. lol

Before PSIV, Sonic 2 was my favorite game in the world for like 15 years. Then PSIV blew it out of the water, but to be fair, they're totally different genres, and they're both just about perfect for those genres. I can't demote Sonic 2 especially after all those years of life, so now both games are my #1. :cool:

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Originally Posted by llj

Revenge of Shinobi just has this b-movie charm to it that other Shinobis lack

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Sounds like you need to play Shinobi Legions on Sega Saturn! That game actually has real, b-movie cutscenes! They're really bad though. Maybe closer to like a d-movie. :D