Is the Genesis just not for me?

[Alianger]

You'll probably enjoy Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure. Colorful, has a hub world and it's fairly exploration heavy.

[Kamahl]

Some more:

Beyond Oasis (Zelda + Streets of Rage)


Popful Mail (CD only, amazing)


Quackshot (A gold standard for disney games)


Ecco: The Tides of Time (It's... unique)


Rent a Hero (Even MORE unique)


Be sure to check the videos on the previous page too (there is a limit per post).

Dune and Cobra are sweet Snatcher like games on the Sega CD.

There are lots of games that still need a translation. Surging Aura (Like PS4, but medieval), Hybrid Front, Vixen 357, Record of Lodoss War (CD) (all Strategy RPGs). Shadowrun CD is completely different from the genesis one. It's Snatcher like but with a semi crappy strategy RPG style combat.

As mentioned, if you like Realtime Strategy than Dune 2 on the genesis is a phenomenal version of the game.

[Kamahl]

To wet your appetite for the translations:

Surging Aura (PS4 like)


Hybrid Front (just listen to that music)


Vixen 357 (shame the ingame music isn't nearly as good as the intro)


Shadowrun CD (I want this so bad...)

[Kamahl]

There are also the chinese RPGs, they tend to have lots of stolen content, but graphically they're pretty amazing.

Brave Battle Saga (My favorite one, and the only fan translated. There's also a properly licensed translation of a game called Beggar Prince)

[Gamer Bhoy]

I agree to some extent that a fair amount of games on the MD/Genesis are mostly finish-in-one-sitting-type games. If I'm not too late to recommend any titles that are rather large, allow me to mention a few of my favourites;

Flashback: The Quest for Identity is enormous. The second level is well known for being the largest, time-consuming stage in the game. It's my favourite game on the system and yet I have never finished the game from start to finish. That's how big it was for me back in the day. Sonic 3 is so big that it has it's own built-in save feature. Play it attached to Sonic & Knuckles and you have double that. It also adds great replay value since you can play as Knuckles (if locked onto S&K) and use different routes.

Many RPGs on the system have save features including Phantasy Star IV and, if I remember correctly, The Story of Thor (BEYOND OASIS). If racing games are your thing, Road Rash 1, 2 & 3 have a great password system and the game is pretty deep in content. Not to mention it is just a ton of fun - all three of them.

There are a lot of arcade-style games on the system but if you dig around you will find there are plenty of games that will actually keep you busy. In a nutshell, any game with a password system and a few RPGs and you will have a good time, if a large game is what you crave.

Hope this is at least some form of help. Switching from one console to another is a tricky choice especially when you've devoted yourself to one console for so long.

[Orchid87]

This is what I love about 16-bit generation. Every console provided unique experience. Genesis was the arcade-style gameplay king. I don't want to be rude or something but I think you should stick with the kind of games you like the most. Try Genesis when you have some mindless arcade gaming itch. Tastes change. A year or two ago I thought shmup is the stupidest genre ever, now it is one of my favorites.

[genesisguy]

Maybe the Genesis just isn't for you. And there's nothing wrong with that. I can't get into the SNES I've tried multiple times but I always end up selling whatever little collection of carts I develop. But I still have a SNES and a Everdrive. I think the Genesis and SNES compliment each other well today.

[Firebrandx]

I can't get into the SNES I've tried multiple times but I always end up selling whatever little collection of carts I develop. But I still have a SNES and a Everdrive. I think the Genesis and SNES compliment each other well today.

Thankfully I enjoy both systems, though if I had to pick between the two, I'd take the SNES any day of the week over the Genesis and twice on Sunday. Got both system about a month after they launched and have had them ever since, so it's not a fanboy thing, but rather a personal choice if I had to make it. Anyway, I did get the Mega Everdrive v2, and I'm planning on buying the SD2SNES next. This is my physical cart collection for the SNES right now though:

[Orchid87]

I'd take the SNES any day of the week over the Genesis and twice on Sunday.
...
it's not a fanboy thing

Something does not compute here

[Firebrandx]

Something does not compute here

Because I generally despise Nintendo fanboys. These are the type that ONLY play Nintendo and think everything else is crap. I play and own everything else (not everything technically, but quite a few of the other consoles), but the SNES holds a special nostalgia place for me due to the library being more to my taste.

But to prove my 'diversity', here's my current console collection (I still need a few more like the TG-16 and Saturn):

[The M]

Yeah, basically SNES sticks out better than MD since the library is more diverse thanks to more third-party interaction from Nintendo (I don't take technical issues like colors and sound since MD isn't far behind while its own "limited" capacities helped in both characteristics on some games better than SNES). I sincerely don't know exactly why especifically Sega didn't stick more to third-parties in general (and it didn't need to), but if it did just for some key games, it would have gotten a better library and, as a (dumb) supposition of mine, focused a bit less on spamming more of their own games to be a bit more focused on quality production.

[negative chill]

Hello. I want to ask you all this: is the Sega Genesis just not for me? Also, do you know of any games for it I might like?

Here's my issue. I've played a lot of Genesis games. Very few I really like or want to play again. I find almost all of them way too 'arcade-y'. E.g. very basic and straightforward, very short, not much depth. I much prefer my Super Nintendo and PC Engine so far, because I'm finding a lot more games with depth, more console-oriented titles, and less arcade ports. For example, Space Harrier, Outrun, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, G&G... all way too basic/lacking in depth, for my tastes. Even the console titles like Sonic games, for example, almost feels like they could be arcade games. Sonic definitely feels like it's an arcade game compared to Super Mario World for example, which has a world to explore, lots of going back and forward between levels, exploring etc. Sonic is just an example... I get the same impression from Shinobi, Ristar, Vectorman etc. which feel very much straightforward action games. Good action games, just not for me, not enough depth etc. Just to give you more of an idea of my tastes, I don't like racing games or shooters. I know the Genesis is very popular for its shooters (e.g. Thunderforce, MUSHA) but I really don't like shooters/shoot em ups. They don't grab me at all, too basic, limited? Maybe I am missing something when it comes to shooters (sorry i don't wnt to put the genre down).

I hope this makes sense. I hope people don't think I'm 'bashing' the Genesis. I'm not at all

Sounds perfectly reasonable, just probably a difference of tastes. When the system first came out, it was marketed as a low-cost way to bring Sega's arcade hits home, which explains why so much of it's library is "junk food based" (i.e. relaxing, you don't have to think too much). That being said, there are numerous RPGs for the system, far more than it's been ever given full credit for

In short, it's okay that you may not care for the Genesis, that doesn't make you an inherently bad person. A lot of other consoles hold a special place in my heart besides the Genesis exclusively

[Barone]

Yeah, basically SNES sticks out better than MD since the library is more diverse thanks to more third-party interaction from Nintendo

It's really debatable IMO.
SNES library is *clearly* much stronger in terms of RPG, Puzzle and slow-paced platformers.
I'd give it the edge in terms of Fighting and Racing games as well.

In most of the other genres I see the Mega Drive stronger. Not exactly in terms of numbers of games but how good those games actually are; how many interesting/good/very good/excellent games it has.

I sincerely don't know exactly why especifically Sega didn't stick more to third-parties in general

Given the brand recognition, market share and amount of money Nintendo had; given the juggernaut NEC was; mas, it's kind of miracle how Sega managed to breakthrough with the Mega Drive/Genesis.

[adhere2]

This has basically been said but it sounds like you want more "exploration" games. Adventure RPGs they're called sometimes (basically Zelda-like games). Check out:
Beyond Oasis
Landstalker
Light Crusader
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Shadowrun

Not adventure RPGs but ones that have a lot of exploration:
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Toe Jam and Earl

[The M]

It's really debatable IMO.
SNES library is *clearly* much stronger in terms of RPG, Puzzle and slow-paced platformers.
I'd give it the edge in terms of Fighting and Racing games as well.

In most of the other genres I see the Mega Drive stronger. Not exactly in terms of numbers of games but how good those games actually are; how many interesting/good/very good/excellent games it has.

I was considering by numbers, since in general SNES had more well-known and diverse titles on its list. And RPG, puzzles and the slow platformers also gets a good part of what games had to offer at that time.
By quality and innovation itself, MD and Sega itself tried much more ideas on games in their own way than Nintendo, be it something new or some "response" to any game that Nintendo itself launched or even the third-parties launched.

Given the brand recognition, market share and amount of money Nintendo had; given the juggernaut NEC was; mas, it's kind of miracle how Sega managed to breakthrough with the Mega Drive/Genesis.

Yes, Sega must have had a lot of work in this three-way battle, and considering Sega wasn't much of a underdog, lacking money or in big disadvantages in general picture IMO. Even if it was mostly for developing inside Sega, Okawa could give much money when he was still alive back in the time and the MD was profittable in a "certain" way outside Japan, so I suppose money wasn't the biggest problem. And the Sega brand could rival Nintendo's (at least in America, since in Japan it was behind, although wouldn't say too much). NEC was a huge problem for Sega in Japan, but in Japan alone, the big conflict was mostly America and Europe, and in those areas NEC was lacking too much. The inherent problems in Sega must dragged it from the potential it had to prosper, maybe the innovation from its most memorable games and systems (the latter in a certain extent) were the reasons it still held the company in the market (aside the money concession from Okawa).