1989-early 1990 Genesis titles: Your most or least favorites?

Pretty sure there's a similar thread somewhere, but I'm too lazy to check now. Well, lately I've been quite interested in early Genesis games for some reason. Not just launch titles, but late '89 and early '90 releases too. For example, I've been playing Zoom! and Last Battle a lot and can't seem to stop despite both being very mediocre games, maybe I'm starting to like them? I guess one thing that fascinates me about many early Genesis games is the sound quality used in some titles. Some games like Altered Beast, Super Thunder Blade, and Phantasy Star II have sort of a depressing or melancholy sound quality (not the songs themselves, but maybe the sound engine used in each game). I guess I also like the early games because they feel like games made for the 90's but with a touch of the 80's (Zoom! fits this description perfectly).
Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on, but where else was I gonna put that stuff :p? Anyway, my favorite early era Genesis game would be Revenge of Shinobi. Not just for the challenging gameplay and music, but also because it seemed quite epic for a Genesis game as early as 1989. Eh, so what titles were your most/least faves from this era?
P.S. Is it right to be wasting my time on Last Battle?

In no particular order.

1989:
My most? Forgotten World, Mystic Defender and Truxton.
My least? Arnold Palmer, Alex Kidd, Last Battle, Super Hydlide, Herzog Zwei

1990:
My most? Lakers vs Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, Granada, Strider, Burning Force, Atomic Robo-Kid
My least? Sword of Sodan... i hate it. CyberBall, Darwin 4081, Bimini Run, Hard Drivin', Zany Golf, Budokan, Techno Cop, Stormlord, Shadow Blasters, Rastan Saga II, Pat Riley's Basketball, Klax, Target Earth

Some of them are very late 1990.

From 1989, the ones I enjoyed the most were Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Thunder Force II, Revenge of Shinobi, and Golden Axe. The ones I enjoyed the least, were Tommy Lasorda Baseball, Last Battle and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.

From early 1990, the ones I enjoyed most were Herzog Zwei, Mystic Defender, and Truxton. The ones I enjoyed the least were Air Diver, Pat Riley Basketball, and Phantasy Star II.


I know, I know... I listed PS II. But back in the day, the game just didn't click with me as much as the original SMS game did. The dungeons felt like they were too expansive, and took forever to fully explore because of how open the hallways and rooms were. I can appreciate the game these days, but back then, it just bugged me.


Of course, all of those games had their asses handed to them with Thunder Force III and Strider. I spent a lot of time on both games (TF III at my home, Strider at a friend's), and everything else got left behind for a while.

I'm starting to appreciate Last Battle. Sure, it's probably among the worst first-party games of that era (beaten IMHO by Super Thunder Blade) but its amusing. I like most of the first party games, except for the sports ones simply because I don't care for the genre, but they're good for what they are. On the other hand, I always liked Zoom and never understood the hate for it.

(1989)
Most: Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Thunder Force II, Revenge of Shinobi, Forgotten Worlds, Mystic Defender, Herzog Zwei
Least: Curse, Last Battle, Super Hydlide, Sword of Vermilion, Super Thunder Blade

(1990)
Most: Thunder Force III, MUSHA, Gaiares, Elemental Master, ESWAT, Fire Shark, Burning Force, Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
Least: Heavy Unit, Phantasy Star III, Darwin 4081, Bimini Run, Final Zone, Techno Cop, Stormlord, Rastan Saga II, Atomic Robo-Kid, Sword of Sodan, Twin Hawk, XDR

Zoom is a pretty fun co-op game, just not a favourite of mine.

Edit: A similar game to Last Battle that I sort of like is Thunder Fox, from 1991 by Taito.

nobody mentioned ghostbusters yet ?
its a mid 1990 game ( june 29 in japan ) and its one of the better earlier megadrive games as well as the best ghostbusters game till the 2009 game

I don't understand the hate for Atomic Robo Kid. I always enjoyed it and made it up to the last boss (whom I failed to defeat). It's the best port of the arcade original that you can get and while hard, is a very enthralling shmup.

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Originally Posted by The Coop

I know, I know... I listed PS II. But back in the day, the game just didn't click with me as much as the original SMS game did. The dungeons felt like they were too expansive, and took forever to fully explore because of how open the hallways and rooms were. I can appreciate the game these days, but back then, it just bugged me.

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I get that. Good as PS2 was, there were some very significant stylistic and thematic changes from the way the original was, and I too found it a bit jarring. A lot of the fairy tale charm the original had just wasn't there.

And those dungeons were downright devilish, I don't know if I'd have ever gotten through some of them without the included hint book.

Despite all that, I'd still put it on my favorites list, along with Revenge of Shinobi, Ghouls n Ghosts, Super Hydlide. Though I don't think I have the patience for Super Hydlide if I tried to play it today.

I'm not sure what I'd put on my least favorites. Last Battle and Mystic Defender I guess, just because I never could manage to finish those. I didn't hate them or anything though, at least not back then. I don't know if I could stand to play them today or not.

My favourite titles from 1989 : The Revenge of Shinobi, Golden Axe, Herzog Zwei, Mystic Defender, Rambo III, Ghouls'n Ghosts, Thunder Force II, Tommy Lasorda Baseball

My least favourite titles from 1989: Super Thunderblade, Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf


In 1990 there was alot more titles to choose from ...
My favourite titles from 1990: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, Shadow Dancer, M.U.S.H.A, Ghostbusters, Gairaes, Elemental Master, Rainbow Islands Extra, Midnight Resistance, Phelios

My least favourite titles from 1990: Shove it! The Warehouse Game, Klax, Ishido: The Way of Stones, Slaughter Sport, Air Diver

Pro tip for Last Battle: You can move alot faster past any given level if you jump and while in the air move back, then forward.

Pro tip 2 for Last Battle: Level up as quick as you can by defeating stage enemies multiple times. You can do this by walking back and forth in any given level.

Pro tip 3 for Last Battle: In the dungeons, you can knock the flying axes out of the air if you time your punch or kick.

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Originally Posted by SEGA.GENESIS1989

My least favourite titles from 1990: Shove it! The Warehouse Game, Klax, Ishido: The Way of Stones, Slaughter Sport, Air Diver

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Not a big puzzle fan, I see. I could agree with the last two, though. Pretty boring games if you ask me.

Favorite: Phantasy Star II

Least Favorite: John Madden Football

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Originally Posted by 5233

Not a big puzzle fan, I see. I could agree with the last two, though. Pretty boring games if you ask me.

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To quote Dave Hester ... Ye-e-e-e-e-p! I would have to be dying of complete boredom before I would consider playing any of these titles! Anyone want to play a game of Checkers instead? :p

Air Diver has some really nice visuals, but its too hard. It's one of those "you die and you go back to the beginning" games and I've never been a fan of those.

Man, this thread reminds me of how many awesome games came out during those first two years in the U.S.

Besides my favorite, Phantasy Star II...

...Honorable Mentions:
-Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
-Forgotten Worlds
-Herzog Zwei
-The Revenge of Shinobi
-Sword of Vermilion
-Truxton
-Fire Shark
-Granada
-M.U.S.H.A.
-Midnight Resistance
-Space Harrier II
-Phelios
-Shadow Dancer
-Thunder Force III
-Wonderboy III: Monster Lair

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

Favorite: Phantasy Star II

Least Favorite: John Madden Football

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You trying to be funny or really stupid with your least favorite?

Favorites: 1989: Golden Axe, Super Thunder Blade, The Revenge of Shinobi, Altered Beast, Rambo III
Least Favorites: Alex Kidd, Tommy Lasorda Baseball

I'm just going to say that Last Battle and Super Thunder Blade aren't very good games, but they do have a decent soundtrack. For example, the chapter 2 theme in LB and the level 3 theme in STB are some pretty good tunes.

I'm introducing a new category for this; my, "Middle of the Road" group. These are the ones I played a fair bit, but didn't really love a lot, or hate to the core. They're ones that were just fairly good to a little below average to me.

1989- Rambo III, Super Thunder Blade, Altered Beast, Forgotten Worlds, Super Hang-On, and Arnold Palmer's Tournament Golf.

Early 1990- Zoom!

My middle of the road titles from 1989: Altered Beast, Space Harrier II, Alex Kidd in Miracle World

My middle of the road titles from 1990: Atomic Robo-Kid, Battle Squadron, DJ Boy, Rastan Saga II

Middle of the road 1989: Super Hang-on, Revenge of Shinobi, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Rambo III. Very good games, but don't touch me
Middle of the road 1990: Dj Boy, Dynamite Duke, Dick Tracy, Castle of Illusion, Ghostbusters, and the majority of the Shmups of this years!

I love to notice the diversity of opinions out there regarding the Sega library. Even in its first two years.

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Originally Posted by Falucho

Middle of the road 1989: Super Hang-on, Revenge of Shinobi, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Rambo III. Very good games, but don't touch me
Middle of the road 1990: Dj Boy, Dynamite Duke, Dick Tracy, Castle of Illusion, Ghostbusters, and the majority of the Shmups of this years!

I love to notice the diversity of opinions out there regarding the Sega library. Even in its first two years.

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castle of illusion is a true classic and ghostbusters isn't half bad either, why are you saying both are middle of the road

Least favorite, Arnold Palmer Golf, Last Battle, Super Thunder Blade (sort of like that one). Wasn't Kid Chameleon also in the first 2 years of the systems life? If so, didn't care much for it either.

Stuff I like:
Ghouls N Ghosts - feels so good to play, it really is devilishly delightful to play.
Forgotten Worlds - for all the stuff they cut out, mainly some stages, it's still a blast to play.
Alex Kidd - yes most folks hate it, I find it charming, though the die in 1 hit element and what feels like random elements to me (the flying bike thing) might throw some off, the latter throws me off.
Revenge of Shinobi - it stars a ninja, who fights, well ninjas, and deadly female ninjas dressed as nuns.
Rainbow Islands Extra - I was late to the party with that game as I didn't know of it's existence thanks to being an import, till many years later I played it in emulation and got to try it out. I got a copy now, but there's missing music and it plays more like the original Rainbow Islands (the arcade one had a different way to get secret items in the hidden rooms inside of a boss room, the original was always the same items in the same rooms) than Extra despite it having the original game in it. The original game however seems to be missing the hidden 3 worlds and true last boss.
Ghostbusters damn me for not picking this one up when I first got my Genesis in 98, it's actually a fun Ghostbusters game, especially after that bomb on NES that wasn't worth shit.
Thunder Force 3 - awesome Tecnosoft shmup, great soundtrack, nice difficulty balance.
Dick Tracy from what I've played of it in emulation over the years, I enjoy how the game has two elements to it, the standard side scrolling levels with enemies on one plane, and the other one where enemies could be on two different planes, found that unique back in the day.
ESWAT- this one took a little while to grow on me, there was the arcade version, but it played so differently from it's arcade big brother that it threw me off. In time I grew to like it for what it was.
Shadow Dancer another changed from it's arcade version, plays much like the original arcade Shinobi. Sure it was no Revenge of Shinobi, but it was action packed, you carried a useful canine companion, plus the bonus stages had you jumping off a building all the while shooting ninja stars at ninjas on their way up.

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Originally Posted by knicksfan89

castle of illusion is a true classic and ghostbusters isn't half bad either, why are you saying both are middle of the road

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I know they are good games, and you can't really compared them with stuff like Dynamite Duke, but i don't connect with them. I beat it and never comeback. May be they can still grown on me, but isn't the time now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Falucho

Middle of the road 1989: Super Hang-on, Revenge of Shinobi, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Rambo III. Very good games, but don't touch me
Middle of the road 1990: Dj Boy, Dynamite Duke, Dick Tracy, Castle of Illusion, Ghostbusters, and the majority of the Shmups of this years!

I love to notice the diversity of opinions out there regarding the Sega library. Even in its first two years.

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middle of the road my ass
ghostbusters was one of the best 1990 releases and the best ghostbusters game released untill the 2009 game

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Originally Posted by KitsuneNight

middle of the road my ass
ghostbusters was one of the best 1990 releases and the best ghostbusters game released untill the 2009 game

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it sure was

Super Thunder Blade and World Championship Soccer deserved the same fate as those 2600 E.T carts. :D

Hey, this is a really interesting thread, because I got my Mega Drive in, say, 1992, or maybe late in 1991, just when the Sonic era hat begun. I do remember that I looked at SEGA's back catalogue and some of the games thrilled my, but i wasn't actually in touch with them. I had Alien Storm, which is from 1991, but looks like 1990 ... and, well, I liked it a lot.

So from what I know today I'd go with Phantasy Star II, Castle of Illusion, Decap Attack, Super Hydlide, Crack Down. Yes, the latter two do suffer from mini sprites, but their gameplay is good fun.

Most: Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Super Hydlide, Phantasy Star 2 n 3, Shadow Dancer, Last Battle
Least: Sword of Sodan , Rastan Saga , Tecnocop,

I've been drooling over the MD's back catalogue for more than a year before buying my MD in 1992. Discovering the earlier years in retrospective has been A LOT of fun since then. Of course I could not afford to buy every last one of the pre-Sonic era games back in the 90s so there are still a few I discover today that I've missed out on or didn't give a fair chance. My most recent discovery is Altered Beast which I always thought of as a very bad game but as it turns out it actually is rather impressive for a game from 1988. It's a true classic.

Super Thunderblade on the other hand definitely is awful.

Dynamite Duke is fun, but it's too short and doesn't offer much replay value. Castle of Illusion and Revenge of Shinobi are far superior, I think.

My biggest gripe with DD was that Sega didn't add anything for the home release. The game would have been so much better if they had added an original mode or something, with new levels and enemies or weapon types. A barebone arcade release was cool, but the game's over by the time you really get into it.

1989: Revenge of Shinobi, Ghouls n Ghosts, Golden Axe

1990: Columns, Castle of Illusion, PSII, Shadow Dancer

Another 1990 release I've been getting into lately is After Burner II. I'd say its got some darn good music, some of the best on the Genesis that I've heard.

Hmm. Funny how the first post on each page is from me.

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Originally Posted by Diablo Griffin

Hmm. Funny how the first post on each page is from me.

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Because you have your settings on "Linear- Newest First" instead of "Linear- Oldest First." This can be changed by clicking on "Settings" along the top, then "General Settings" on the left side. In "Thread Display Mode" is where you'll find the box to change.



Also, just a general statement I want to make for this thread. Games that came out in Summer, Fall and Winter of 1990, are not "early 1990." Think April or earlier for this, since then you start hitting mid-1990. I know, I know... "piss off Coop." But it was bugging me and I had to say something, dammit :lol:

^
Good statement! Basically the endpoint for games mentioned on this thread is when the packaging for Genesis games changed in mid 1990 (with "16-Bit Cartridge" under the slightly larger Genesis logo).

Pretty sure After Burner II and Super Monaco GP were out on Genesis during August~September 1990.

Got them both near the end of summer and those games would tide me over til the release of TF III, Strider and Sword of Vermilion in the fall (the big 3!)

I would have bought Sword of Vermilion had it not been so expensive. I distinctly remember looking at the back cover of the game and saying to myself,"I want this" only to discover that the game store was selling it for $80.00!

Someone needs to fact check the After Burner II release date. I've seen some sources claim it was January 1990.

I've seen March of 1990 listed as its release date in the past.

^The USPTO lists it as November of 1990.

my most favourite games from 89-90 are alex kidd revenge of shinobi, tommy lasorda baseball lakers vs celtics and ghostbusters yes castle of illusion was good but it was released where I live in early 91 so it doesn't count

sword of vermillion. I like it.

This won't break any new ground, but among those early titles, Forgotten Worlds, Thunder Force II, and Revenge of Shinobi are my favorites. Least favorites? I don't know man; there are a lot of awful Genesis games.