Building a library of essential games

[madcrow]

After wanting one for over twenty years, I finally went out and bought a Sega Genesis. It's a Model 2 unit and its quite clean and works fine. The problem now turns to getting games. I'd ideally like to set this up in the video game area of a local SF convention that I volunteer with, so fast action and two-player games are my biggest area of interest. I already have Sonic 2, NBA Jam and SF2 CE (picked because those were my favorite games as a kid playing on my friends' Genesis) and I'm eyeing Road Rash II, SoR 2 and one or two Sega acrade classics like OutRun or Super Hang-on. What else would people recommend that's fun, common and cheap?

[alextheman]

After wanting one for over twenty years, I finally went out and bought a Sega Genesis. It's a Model 2 unit and its quite clean and works fine. The problem now turns to getting games. I'd ideally like to set this up in the video game area of a local SF convention that I volunteer with, so fast action and two-player games are my biggest area of interest. I already have Sonic 2, NBA Jam and SF2 CE (picked because those were my favorite games as a kid playing on my friends' Genesis) and I'm eyeing Road Rash II, SoR 2 and one or two Sega acrade classics like OutRun or Super Hang-on. What else would people recommend that's fun, common and cheap?

Vectorman 1

[Kamahl]

Shinobi 3

[4Runner]

^^I agree on Shinobi III. The music rocks!

[Alianger]

Platform/Action:
Alisia Dragoon
Disney's Aladdin
Earthworm Jim Special Edition (SCD)
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Comix Zone (Hard)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Kid Chameleon (Hard)
Mega Turrican
Pulseman (JP/VC)
Shinobi III, Shadow Dancer, Revenge of Shinobi (slower paced)
Rocket Knight Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - co-op
X-Men 2: Clone Wars - co-op

Shoot 'em up:
Battle Mania Daiginjou (JP)
Bio-Hazard Battle
Elemental Master
Eliminate Down (JP)
Gaiares (Hard)
Gley Lancer (JP)
M.U.S.H.A./Aleste: Full Metal Fighter Ellinor
Panorama Cotton (JP)
Super Fantasy Zone (E/JP)
Thunder Force III, Thunder Force IV/Lightening Force
Undeadline (Hard)

Run 'n Gun:
Adventures of Batman & Robin - co-op
Alien Soldier (E/JP)
Contra: Hard Corps (JP version gives each player 3 hit points) - co-op
Gunstar Heroes - co-op
Ranger X
Rolling Thunder 2 (co-op), Rolling Thunder 3
Twinkle Tale (JP)

Other:
Dodge Danpei/Dodgeball Kuy Kid (JP)
Dragon's Fury
General Chaos - co-op and vs.
Herzog Zwei
Lost Vikings - co-op, slow paced
Mega Bomberman
Micro Machines '96, Micro Machines Military
NHL '94-'96 - co-op and vs.
Puyo Puyo 2
Pengo (JP) - similar to Bomberman
Road Rash 2, Road Rash 3
Rock 'n Roll Racing - also check out the V15 hack (4-player mode and more)
Sensible Soccer (Better on Amiga)
Streets of Rage 2, Streets of Rage 3/Bare Knuckle 3 (Easier version with many differences, mostly for the better)
ToeJam & Earl - co-op, slow paced
TMNT: The Hyper Stone Heist
Win 'n' Liz
Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyôtô Toitsusen (JP) - co-op and vs.

Some of the above aren't common.

[Kamahl]

Just noticed your list lacks Ristar Alianger.

Shame on you.

[Alianger]

OP requested fast games but I guess I wasn't quite consistent anyway, so here are some great slower paced platformers:
Dynamite Headdy
Ristar
Quackshot

[BA Black]

Earthworm Jim
Aladdin
basically any Streets of Rage game
Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles are also just incredible games.
Strider
Shining Force and Shining Force II

[Pyron]

lol nobody talk about castle of illusion and world of illusion ?

its a shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Moirai]

Super Fantasy Zone!

[cleeg]

Sonic 1 fo sho.

[Pyron]

those who have not been mentioned but you must to have in your collection!

splatter house 2, 3
el viento
power rangers the movie
atomic runner
truxton
beyond Oasis / the story of thor ●
gynoug / wings of wor
crusader of centy
phantasy star 4
vapor trail
altered beast
golden axe 1, 2 and 3
burning force
flashback
Joe & Mac
light crusader
langrisser 2
moonwalker
mickey mania
monster world IV
Wonder Boy in Monster World
rolling thunder 2

and much more.. but these and all mentioned until now you must have!

[kubilus1]

Fun, common, and cheap? Get the Genesis 6 pack. Comes with Shinobi I, SoR, Super Hangon, Sonic 1, Columns, and Golden Axe.

Great suggestions above, though not all of them that easy to get a hold of. I might also add:

Arcus Odyssey (cheap fun two player co op)
first Road Rash is worth owning (dirt cheap)
Aerobiz (4 player airline simulator)
Alien Storm (like Golden Axe, but with Aliens)
NHL '94 (best hockey of the 16 bit era)
Gauntlet IV (Gauntlet with an RPG mode)
Granada (single player but lots of action)

Those can all be had pretty inexpensively.

[retrospiel]

Some Mega Drive / Genesis games I'd recommend:

• Starter Pack / Essentials
  
  

  Castle of Illusion
  Quackshot
  World of Illusion
  Revenge of Shinobi
  Streets of Rage 1+2
  Wonder Boy in Monster World
  Shining Force
  Phantasy Star 4
  
  6-Pak has quite a few of the must-haves on 1 cart (Golden Axe + Shinobi + Streets of Rage + Sonic 1 + Columns)

• Shmups
  
  

  It would indeed be easier to list the bad games. Here are the good ones anyway:
  
  Horizontal:

  • Aero Blasters aka Air Buster
  • Arrow Flash
  • Battle Mania aka Trouble Shooter
  • Battle Mania 2
  • Crying aka Bio-Hazard Battle
  • Darius II aka Sagaia
  • Eliminate Down
  • Forgotten Worlds
  • Gaiares
  • Gleylancer
  • Gynoug
  • Hellfire
  • Insector X
  • Koutetsu Teikoku aka Battle Wings aka Steel Empire
  • Sol-Deace
  • Super Fantasy Zone
  • Thunder Force 3
  • Thunder Force 4
  • Whip Rush 2222 AD
  • Wonder Boy 3: Monster Lair
  • Zero Wing

  
  
  Vertical:
  

  • Dangerous Seed
  • Elemental Master
  • Fire Shark
  • Granada
  • Musha Aleste
  • Phelios
  • Raiden Trad
  • Slap Fight MD
  • Truxton
  • Twinkle Tale
  • Twin Cobra
  • Twin Hawk
  • Undead Line
  • Vapor Trail
  • Verytex

• Imports
  
  

  The following games would be what I would consider the best Japanese exclusives. All of them are perfectly playable without any knowledge of Japanese.
  
  Action
  

  • Bare Knuckle III
  • Golden Axe III
  • Monsterworld IV
  • Pengo
  • Pulseman
  • Sailor Moon
  • Rockman Megaworld / Mega Man: The Wily Wars
  • Alien Soldier
  • New Zealand Story
  • Mega Panel
  • Puyo Puyo & Puyo Puyo 2
  • Snow Bros.
  • Yu Yu Hakusho
  • High School Soccer feat. Kunio Kun
  • Magical Taruruuto-Kun
  • Magical Hat
  • Gouketsuji Ichizoku / Power Instinct
  • Devil Hunter Yohko
  • Rainbow Islands Extra
  • Dodgeball Danpei
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Wani Wani World
  • Dahna - Megami Tanjou

  
  
  
  Shmups
  

  • Battle Mania 2
  • Gleylancer
  • Super Fantasy Zone
  • Panorama Cotton
  • Dangerous Seed
  • Darwin 4081
  • Undeadline
  • Slap Fight MD
  • Eliminate Down
  • Twinkle Tale
  • Twin Hawk / Daisenpu
  • Wonderboy in Monsterlair
  • Verytex
  • Zero Wing

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

Nice list guys but he isn't looking for a definitive list of games regardless of price. Rather he's looking for common games that are not only but cheap! Time to edit your list(s) boyos!