The Video Game Critic

Ones I played the most were:

World Series Baseball
NHL 95
Sonic 1
Mortal Kombat
Altered Beast

Hardly an inspiring list I know, since all of those games except Altered had better sequels (or a better previous game in the case of NHL 95, as most people considered NHL 94 the best).

Alright here is what I think is the absolute best of the best. Only listing console exclusives. This is the stuff that makes me glad to own a Genesis.

1. Toejam and Earl - This funky fresh adventure captures everything great about the Genesis. It's completely absurd, totally unique, and just absolutely cool. One of my favorite two player co-op games and always a treat to come back to. When I think of the Genesis this is the type of experience that comes to mind. Totally off the wall, but amazing.

2. Castlevania: Bloodlines - The best 16-bit Castlevania game available (yes this is better than the overhyped Super Castlevania IV). Fast paced, brutal action, bloody encounters, whip attacks, and inventive stages/bosses make it one of the most memorable experiences on the Genesis.

3. Shining Force II - The Genesis shines much more in the action/arcade arena, but it does have a few deeper RPG/experiences. This is one of them. Outstanding game.

4. Gunstar Heroes - Arguably the best run n' gun game ever made. This fast pace, explosive, action-fest really showcases all of what makes the Genesis great.

5. Ghouls n Ghosts - I've always been a huge fan of this Capcom series and I think this Genesis port is outstanding. It has the most even difficulty and I find myself coming back to it again and again. It might just be because Halloween is looming, or it might just be worth the 5 spot.

This was tough...so many good games left off the list. I could have easily swapped in a Streets of Rage, Rocket Knight Adventure, MUSHA, Herzog Zwei, Splatterhouse 3, Shinobi etc....

Thinking about it even more, I don't think I'd even rate a Sonic game in the top ten.

Breaker wrote:4. La Russa Baseball 95

Whoa, I don't think I've ever seen anyone rate that game highly. What do you like about it?

As for my list, I don't pretend to know what the "top 5" games on the system would be in some objective sense; I only know what I've enjoyed, which would look something like this:

Gain Ground
Marble Madness (Tengen/JPN, not the lousy Electronic Arts port)
Granada
Light Crusader
Golden Axe II

On another day, the list might look very different -- for instance, I'm rather fond of Landstalker, Shining in the Darkness, El Viento, Jewel Master, and Warrior of Rome II -- but that's a solid baseline.

goldenband wrote:

Breaker wrote:4. La Russa Baseball 95

Whoa, I don't think I've ever seen anyone rate that game highly. What do you like about it?

Super straightforward, realistic outcomes ('cause I'm a stats nerd), real players, games are quick, and you can save at any point.

These are easily the games I've invested the most time into on the Genesis. I still play all of them regularly.

1. Earthworm Jim

Perfect. Perfect! And it's absolutely a Genesis game first and foremost; the SNES version is slicker, but playing it quickly makes it clear that the levels were designed around 320-pixel visibility, not 256.

2. The Misadventures of Flink

Impossibly beautiful, as is everything that Henk Nieborg's done. It's unbelievable that one man created every tile and sprite in this massive game, on top of designing all of the levels. Very nearly my favorite, but as lovely as this game is, Earthworm Jim's craziness is just plain more fun.

(The Critic's clueless review of this one needs a complete rewrite!)

3. Ecco the Dolphin

What I really like about this game is the free imagination of its design. The game is built around being a dolphin, not shoehorning the dolphin into easy, pre-existing gameplay types. It reminds me of the blank-canvas creativity of early computer games, but with the technology to bring its ideas to their full potential.

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Platform games have an unfortunate tendency to have gameplay specifically driven by level design, with running and jumping simply a means toward completing the levels. Out of those blessed exceptions that revel in the joy of motion itself, the original Sonic games take that pleasure the furthest, and the second one marries it to the best level design in the series.

5. The Steel Empire

Of the many shoot-em-ups on the Genesis, the Internet seems to reserve its greatest worship for those exclusive to Japan, but I'll take this over a Gleylancer or Eliminate Down in a heartbeat. One of the best ever, no matter how badly steampunk's been run into the ground since then.

1. Shinobi III - Hands down, my favorite Genesis game. I play it at least once every two months. Incredibly fun and technically impressive.

2. Castlevania: Bloodlines - Of course a Castlevania game is gonna be on my list. In fact, my tastes have changed over the years. I like this game even more than SCV IV!

3. Rocket Knight Adventures - Fantastic action platformer and one of the best of the 16 bit era.

4. Streets of Rage 2 - Second only to TMNT IV (SNES) for best beat em up of the generation.

5. M.U.S.H.A. - Possibly the best game in the Aleste series. Just because it's an easy shmup doesn't mean it doesn't earn its reputation as an excellent title.

6. Monster World IV - I just couldn't cut this game! Some fantastic exploration elements and great combat. Easy to see where WayForward got their inspiration for the Shantae series.

For the record, I also wanted Shining Force II, which is probably my favorite SRPG of the generation. Also, if the Sega CD was eligible, this list would be very different; put Snatcher and Lunar: Silver Star somewhere near the top.

Great topic!

Great list JWK! At one point mine looked very similar, but I scrapped it and started a new one. Choosing five is brutal! Pretty shocked to see your comments about Bloodlines. I remember back when you did those awesome Castlevania Retrospectives you weren't quite as enamored with the game as I was. Glad to see you've come around on it! Might I ask what provoked the change?

Based solely upon the limited games I owned and enjoyed and in no particular order

The Lost Vikings
Earthworm Jim
Toe Jam & Earl
Phantasy Star II
Toe Jam & Earl 2 ( total guilty pleasure)

Honorable mention to Ecco and Out of This World. I enjoyed Sonic games, but they personally had limited replay value to me. Played the first one the most when I got it with the system along with Batman.

Luigi & Peach wrote:Toe Jam & Earl 2 ( total guilty pleasure)

Why a guilty pleasure? It's not unique the way the first one is, but it's still a great game.

Stalvern wrote:

Luigi & Peach wrote:Toe Jam & Earl 2 ( total guilty pleasure)

Why a guilty pleasure? It's not unique the way the first one is, but it's still a great game.

It always felt like more like a kids game than the first one. You're right about it not being unique as the first one, but I felt it put a fun spin on the standard platform even if it is pretty easy to beat (unlike the first which I didn't beat until college). I also have fond memories of this game. My 3 brothers growing up were significantly younger than me, but this was the first game one of them was able to co-op play with me (and he actually helped find the funkopotomus' last item). Later, in college and in my 20's my wife and I would regularly play this game. It's easy to beat and doesn't take itself to seriously, but it's just a fun game to play.