Top 20 Game Gear Games

[beamish13]

I don't own enough to make any judgments. O_O

[Pressure Cooker]

My personal favorites would have to be these 4:

1. Jurassic Park 1
2. Psychic Force
3. Revenge of Drancon
4. Dragon Crystal

I loved the gameplay for the GG Jurassic Park than any of the other ones for Genesis and Super Nes, although Ocean's Jurassic Park SNES game is spectacular.

[Goodwill Hunter]

Game Gear has more sucktacular games than most systems, so research them carefully before buying (unless you're just looking to rack up collection numbers of course!). There are only two games I can enthusiastically recommend:

Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya (my favorite handheld RPG)

Pengo - a great arcade translation

Other than that, you're on your own....oh, one more thing, avoid GG Smash TV like the plague!

Rich

[michael]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Sonic.
I love that game!

[Arcade Antics]

Pengo!!!

Also, the GG version of Bakku Bakku is quite nice.

[oesiii]

Sonic Drift 2 manages to hold my attention for awhile. Fun racing game ala Mario Kart.

[Kid Fenris]

Aleste 1 and 2 (aka Power Strike) are both excellent shooters, and probably the best of their kind on any handheld.

Hey, I thought I was the only one who liked Psychic World!

[Kid Fenris]

I just realized that my sister would never forgive me if I didn't mention Crystal Warriors, a rather good strategy/RPG that she was quite fond of.

As for regular RPGs, Defenders of Oasis and Phantasy Star Gaiden aren't bad, though the latter's only available in English via a translated ROM.

[Pressure Cooker]

man, Kid Fenris...I love Psychic World.
It was one of the first GG games my mom bought me.
I love the storyline and gameplay and I feel like playing it RIGHT NOW...

[Six Switch]

Shinobi,Pengo(I love that little game)and all the Sonics. :/ :D ;)

[Tetsu]

Fantasy Zone, Aladdin and Gunstar Heroes! Good luck finding that last one!

[Six Switch]

Gunstar Heroes

Wasn't that only for Genesis?Or am I wrong? X_x x_x :/

[Raccoon Lad]

FANTASY ZONE????!!!!

Now, I love Fantasy Zone 1 and 2 on the SMS more than most anyone, but Fantasy Zone Gear is a VERY poor game. The camera dosen't center on the player very well, leaving you travelling full speed against the edge of the screen and right into enemies that you only have a fraction of a second to respond to. Plus the game dosen't have a built in story (like all the other Fantasy Zone's) Opa Opa's Son (the player) is really wide for some reason, and the ending REALLY sucks. As Fantasy Zone fan, I was quite disappointed.

But for some good games, I really enjoyed Woody Pop.

[Tetsu]

argh, I posted a long reply but my comp timed out before I could post it. but the gist of it was:

@Raccoon Lad: I thought FZ on GG was a blast, the scrolling didn't bother me much, and I played this version before I knew the story modes on the SMS versions existed, so I didn't miss them.

@Six Switch: Gunstar for GG is Japanese only, I had an opportunity to try it out once. It is the same game, with bigger sprites and less onscreen action simultaneously. But it was still pretty cool.

Finally, Alladin for GG follows the movie EXACTLY. Better than the Genesis version, much better than the SNES version. It even has dialogue directly taken from the movie, and in game cinema scenes that help the storyline progress. In short, it's like playing a side-scrolling, 8-bit version of the movie.

[Six Switch]

@Six Switch: Gunstar for GG is Japanese only, I had an opportunity to try it out once. It is the same game, with bigger sprites and less onscreen action simultaneously. But it was still pretty cool.



That is so cool!It is my fav Genesis game and now I must own it! :D :o ;)

[ubersaurus]

That version got ported to the Master System too in Brazil...I don't know of anyone who owns it though.

[ubersaurus]

Though lame as a mega man game, the Mega Man for game gear was actually a good GG game.

[WiseSalesman]

Do game gears require a mod chip or anything?

[Tetsu]

@WiseSalesman: Dunno if Game Gears require mod chips...for what? Playing games from other regions? Dunno, prolly not, since no other system short of the Turbo Express does.

@Six Switch: Act fast! Only 22 hour left!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1943393861

[ubersaurus]

Well shit, I want that ;p

[lionforce]

I thought Virtua Fighter Animation, Shining Force, and Defenders of Oasis were pretty good ;)

[Arqueologia_Digital]

SHAPES AND COLUMNS
SONIC
SHINOBI
ALADDIN
PENGO

The best GG games i think

[Magus]

I would have to go with Dragon Crystal.

[congobongo]

I happened to pick up Shinobi and Chakan today. Haven't spent much time with either but from what I saw they both looked good. Especially Shinobi. I expected it to look/feel like the SMS Shinobi (which I like) but to my suprise it looked way better. Wish I could play that one on my SMS.

[digitalpress]

Let's create an "official list" for use on our Rarity Lists (http://www.digitpress.com/lists.htm) page. This topic had started at one time and was lost on our forum crash last September. Housecleaning says we NEED this online, now.

So what are your favorite US-released Game Gear games? If you feel a game needs to be added to this list, tell us which you would remove to make room for it!

Aladdin (Disney's)
Baku Baku
Bust-a-Move
Castle of Illusion (Mickey Mouse)
Crystal Warriors
Defenders of Oasis
Dragon Crystal
Fantasy Zone
Fatal Fury Special
Game Gear Aleste (& 2)
Jurassic Park
NBA Jam
Pengo
Psychic World
Road Rash
Samurai Shodown
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya
Shinobi
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic Triple Trouble
Streets of Rage 2
Super Columns
Super Space Invaders
Tails' Adventure
Vampire: Master of Darkness
Woody Pop

For the complete list of games (perhaps just to jog your memory), check out the Rarity Lists page here:
http://www.digitpress.com/lists.htm

[hezeuschrist]

Dragon Crystal and Joe Montana Football... yes!

[ManekiNeko]

How's about we add Tails Sky Patrol (Jpn), Shinobi, and Frogger (proto) to that list?

JR

[thekeepr]

I'm a big GameGear fan...and like playing these games.....
Road Rash,any of the Disney titles, especially Castle of Illusion w/MM & Deep Duck Trouble.....so Joe, thats 3 games, I'll let you pair it down. The Keeper.

[Arcade Antics]

Super Space Invaders
Fantasy Zone

[ubersaurus]

Sonic Triple Trouble
Bust a move

[anagrama]

A GG list without Columns is like a Gameboy list without Tetris

[digitalpress]

A GG list without Columns is like a Gameboy list without Tetris

Which one... Columns? Or Super Columns?!

Choose carefully. If you choose wrong it could mean the end of the world as we know it! (and I feel fine)

[Kroogah]

Super Columns. Though the original is more common.

[Gamereviewgod]

Samurai Showdown????? Hello??? Anyone????

[ManekiNeko]

Pengo is outclassed by a Japanese Game Gear release called Ninku Hiroyuki. It's essentially the same game, but with bigger, better graphics and the Ninku license. It's a shame it's not emulated yet.

JR

[Gamereviewgod]

Fatal Fury Special and Streets of Rage 2. Outstanding ports.

[Jorpho]

Is Land of Illusion not superior to Castle of Illusion?
________
Creamy orgasm (http://www.fucktube.com/video/31799/no-work-involved-for-her-creamy-orgasm)

[Ed Oscuro]

Samurai Showdown????? Hello??? Anyone????

A little late coming, but I'd like to say No. Just Say...

I admit the intro's turning me off, but the Neo Geo Samurai Shodown's intro shouldn't be treated like that. Strangely enough, the Takara logo changes from the Japanese to the English version of the Game Gear game.

What do y'all think about The Game Gear Shinobi games?

[Dire 51]

I've always had a soft spot for Vampire: Master Of Darkness, blatant Castlevania ripoff that it is.

Ed - I thought the two GG Shinobis were okay. Give me the 8 and 16 bit console versions or the arcade games over them anyday.

[Ed Oscuro]

Ah, same that I thought...though I haven't been able to do anything of note in them.

There's some real strange stuff in there as well.

Phantasy Star Gaiden seems fun, but the system's really quirky. You have to enter something strange to view the map, for example.

From the S games, a couple I looked over just because I saw familiar names:

Stargate. A well-nigh unintelligible game; you stack sequences of similar symbols that you rotate as they fall. Sort of a spiritual grandfather to that N64 Tetris cube game, but there's less sense to it. Lots of luck, and sometimes things seem to happen by magic (works both ways).

Spiderman. An Akklaim game, it SUCKS. Oh My Goodness. Just jumping about the first level, I see play mechanics that don't match what you should be able to do (spiderman's pretty damn weak, did you know that?) things on the ground that look like items but are actually mines, for whatever reason, and some really bad animation.

Star Trek The Next Generation. A game where you seem to be stuck on the bus from Speed, except it's the Enterprise. No brakes, just turn up, down, left, right. Shoot at stuff flying past. There might be a plot.

Star Trek Generations. The exact same graphic for the ship flying by as the Next Generation title. Not much else to say.

Virtua Fighters Mini - Pai Chen. Games like this make my skin crawl. There's lots of graphics, and they seem well done (though I absolutely hate that art style...) but what kind of game is this? It's...graphics. When you press a button some inane little thing (usually two things) moves. And then it stops. You can press a number of times and it seems you have to if you want to see what's next. It sucks. I can't believe this is a real Sega title. It SUCKS.

Yeah, I bet this isn't the place for those, but I had to get that all off my chest. I feel lighter now.

[JackDark]

In my meglomaniacal opinion, Tail's Adventure and Fantasy Zone Maze are the best Game Gear games. Along with Phantasy Star Gaiden and Phantasy Star Adventure (but they're not domestic so I guess they don't count.)

[atomicthumbs]

All really great games, true... BUT, don't forget this one...


NBA JAM

I've spent hours, no, let me rephrase that, many a battery playing this game on the can or in my bed. Love it!

[RetroYoungen]

I've always been a fan of Sonic, and I can't recommend Sonic Chaos enough...

But Sonic 2 sucked. Bad. I HATED that game.

Also, I've had quite a bit of fun with X-Men. Not the prettiest game, and not the best game, but a fun delusion for a little while.

[JackDark]

I'd have to say:

Tails' Adventure
-Great platformer, with power ups and puzzles.

Phantasy Star Gaiden
-It's Phantasy Star!

Sylvan Tale
-Cool little Zelda-ish game.

Jurassic Park
-The only fun JP game I've ever played.

Phantasy Star Adventure
-More Phantasy Star!

[ArnoldRimmer83]

I recommend Aleste, Power Strike 2, Pengo, and both Shinobi games.

[davidsellscheaper]

defenders of oasis = best game gear game.

[skoldpadda]

Excellent... after Day 5 of Sniderman's contest, I really needed this thread. :D

[briguy578]

I would add Sonic Chaos, definately one of the better Sonic games for game gear.

Sonic 2 was pretty good too, don't know if its a top 20 though.

[Gapporin]

Game Gear Aleste was a domestic title? Humm, never knew that.

[RCM]

aerial assault. I love that fuckin game!

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Cryomancer]

Gunstar Heroes

[Cauterize]

i cant believe the first sonic game isnt in here, thats one game i cant put down!

[Avatard]

I enjoyed Sonic 2 and Sonic Chaos (too easy though, but atleast you can play tails solo which is fun. I also liked Echo the Dolphin a lot. I don't like sports games but I did enjoy NBA Jam, it worked out quite well on the GG.

Strangly enough, I've never played Columns....

[EnemyZero]

had to throw in the obligatory song quote didnt ya joe

[motley6]

World Series Baseball is probably the best handheld baseball game I've ever played. Many late nights in junior high playing that game.

[forgotten fans]

I hate Dragon Crystal, whether it be on the GG, MS, or on Genesis called Fatal Labyrinth.

I would add Wonder Boy 3 to the list, as Dragon's Trap is a great game.

[SinCityMarv]

Opinions please? One of the flea markets near me has several Game Gear units, dirt cheap. I was thinking of grabbing one or two and would like to know which titles to look out for. Im not too into "rarity", for me its more about a quality game.

Any opinions (or Game Gear games for sale/trade for that matter..) are greatly appreciated.

Thanks. :)

-JD

[LifeGame]

Shining Force no doubt, but it can be expensive a little.

[digitalpress]

Note: several threads merged, in case you have become disoriented.

*_*

[DigitalSpace]

My favorites include Sonic Chaos (my personal favorite Sonic on the GG), Tails' Adventure, Mortal Kombat, Devilish, NBA Jam, and Columns.

[j_factor]

I am going to focus mainly on exclusive games here.

Sonic Triple Trouble is the only 8-bit Sonic game not also available on Master System, and it happens to be the best of them all. Very good graphics for the system, and great gameplay. Even the music is good.

Defenders of Oasis is a terrific Game Gear exclusive RPG, and unlike most GG RPGs, was actually released in English. Why they bothered with Japan-only RPGs on a system that bombed in Japan remains an irritating mystery to me.

Speaking of RPGs, Crystal Warriors is an incredibly good strategy-RPG. It's better than the GG Shining Force game. Really well-made, with a great battle system.

RC Grand Prix is the system's only exclusive racer. As you can surmise from the title, it's along the same lines as RC Pro-Am.

Both GG Shinobi games are completely unique to the system, and are awesome. Kind of along the same lines, there is a Ninja Gaiden for Game Gear which is also completely different from any other Ninja Gaiden (including the SMS one).

Halley Wars is a surprisingly good vertical shooter. The GG Aleste games are also good.

Super Columns might be the definitive version of classic Columns gameplay (Columns 3 changed it around completely). For some reason it was only on Game Gear.

Game Gear was home to 3 exclusive X-Men games. The best is the second, subtitled Game Master's Legacy. But all three are worth playing.

Pengo is a great port of an arcade game from 1982.

Both Jurassic Park and The Lost World are rather good for GG, and different from all the other games with the same title. The first Jurassic Park might be the same for Master System, but I've never played the SMS version. The Lost World was the final GG release worldwide.

Arena: The Maze of Death is an interesting case. Released later in the system's lifespan (1995), this game was created from the ground-up for Game Gear, and doesn't exist on any other system, and it's not based on any other IP either. It's a unique action-adventure game with an isometric perspective.

GG-exclusive rip-offs:
If you want to see a weird attempt at ripping off Metroid, Tails Adventure fits the bill. It's more linear than Metroid, but has the same basic gameplay elements. There's a good rip-off of Cadash in the form of Ax Battler (in which you wield a sword, but whatever). Woody Pop is the best Arkanoid rip-off ever made.

16-bit Ports:
At the time they sold the system, but in this day and age, there's really not any reason to bother with GG ports of Genesis games. With a couple of exceptions. Ristar is worth it just because of how good of a port it is. Dynamite Headdy is worth it because it has differences in levels and gameplay (as well as making the transition rather well). Lemmings might be worth it, as it's pretty much just as good as any version. Urban Strike is interesting because of how "advanced" of a game it is. Super Return of the Jedi is kind of interesting for being a port of a 16-bit game that was only available on SNES. Galaga '91 is the system's only TG16 port. And Baku Baku is a Saturn port that somehow works out well.

SMS Ports:
Generally speaking, I would recommend SMS versions over GG versions when available. However, if you don't have an SMS or Power Base Converter and have no intentions of getting either, the GG versions are usually fine. Here's a few games from that category I would recommend. First off, Wonderboy: The Dragon's Trap is an incredible game (also available for TG16 as Dragon's Curse). Secondly, Vampire: Master of Darkness (aka In the Wake of Vampire) takes a page from Castlevania but is one of the best 8-bit action games ever. Third, Bram Stoker's Dracula is a great fast-paced action game, and actually much better than the 16-bit versions (which were a different game). There's also Revenge of Drancon, a weirdly-titled port of the original Wonderboy; Fantasy Zone, the classic shooter; Sonic 1, 2, and Chaos; and Dragon Crystal, a very odd mix of RPG and puzzle. GG didn't have all that many SMS ports considering the hardware (I guess because of the Master Gear converter).

Edit: Nevermind, I made this post before it was merged into the Top 20 thread.

[Dreamcast]

Shonobie II (how ever you spell it)

Road Rash
AND
NBA JAAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DigitalSpace]

My Game Gear collection has increased quite a bit since I made my original response a couple posts back. I can't make any suggestions as to what should be added/removed from the top 20 list, but I can share my current favorites.

-Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
-Columns
-Devilish
-Dynamite Headdy
-Halley Wars
-Jurassic Park
-Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
-Legend of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
-The Lost World: Jurassic Park
-Mortal Kombat
-Mortal Kombat II
-Ms. Pac-Man
-NBA Jam (it's slower, but still fun)
-Slider
-Sonic Spinball
-Sonic The Hedgehog
-Sonic Chaos
-Sonic Triple Trouble
-Streets of Rage
-Streets of Rage 2
-Super Monaco GP
-Super Off Road
-Tails' Adventure
-Tom and Jerry: The Movie (Yes, the movie sucked, but I was surprised to discover that this was a pretty decent platformer, despite the short length)
-Woody Pop (well worth checking out if you like Arkanoid and such)
-World Series Baseball
-X-Men: GamesMaster's Legacy

[hellfire]

dont forget cool spot

[koshichka]

There was a point in my youth when the Game Gear was the most advanced video game technology we had in my house, so I'm familiar with a lot of what's coming up in this thread...

- Dragon Crystal was my first roguelike. As in, before I even knew of the term or what it meant. I just knew I loved it.
- Psychic World was okay, but I remember beating it in about a day after getting it, and trading it to FuncoLand to get some other game soon afterward.
- Fantasy Zone Gear was enjoyable, even if only because I hadn't played any other version of the series.
- I definitely remember a terrible Spiderman game. The photo-taking system was kinda cool I guess, but there's this one level where the second it starts you just get pinned in the corner by lightning bolts until you die.
- The Sonic games for it I definitely enjoyed, but again, we didn't have a Genny back then...what can I say, they did the job.
- Defenders of Oasis, yes, amazing RPG...'Uy-OY-sta!' I bet I could knock on my brother's door at any point today and imitate that genie, and he'd make a sad-nostalgic sound in response...
- AERIAL ASSAULT! I was just thinking over games I had and wondering if that one was gonna show up in this thread or not...can't remember what set it apart from other shooters of the same kind, but again, I had fun with it...
- Shining Force was one of my brother's games, we both liked it...pretty awesome, and this was long before turn-based-strategy/RPG hybrids came to be such a prominent genre
- Woody Pop, forget if I ever beat it, but definitely played a lot.
- Ax Battler - Okay, it has about as much in common with Golden Axe as the PS2 'Dark Alliance' games had in common with Baldur's Gate, but it wasn't bad.

This thread makes me wanna go dig up the rest of my GG stuff in the closet and see if I forgot anything especially awesome...definitely played the hell out of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, but it was pretty sad that this was in the "need two copies" days, plus it didn't help that the Game Gear link cable was kinda hard to find...eventually got one, not sure if we even have any games around that we've got two copies of :/

[digs in closet] Not too much else worth mentioning...except Space Harrier. Another game that's pretty kickass if you're not too familiar with the other versions of it. Some part of my memory is remembering the scratchy lil voice going "Get ready!"

[Baloo]

OK, these are my Top 20 Game Gear games:

Bust-A-Move
Columns
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Deep Duck Trouble
Gunstar Heroes (Import)
Joe Montana Football
Land of Illusion
Legend of Illusion
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
NBA Jam
Sonic Blast
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Triple Trouble
Streets of Rage 2
Tails' Adventure
Tempo Jr.
The Lucky Dime Caper

I love the Game Gear to death, but boy does it have a shitty library. At least there are some really good ports and some great SEGA games on it.

[GameBoyGeek]

Fantasy Zone, Aladdin and Gunstar Heroes! Good luck finding that last one!

Actually gunstar hero's isnt that uncommon in my neck of the woods. I've come across it several times recently.

I dont know about 20 games for the game gear but my faves are as follows.

Batman returns
Sonic 2
Mega Man
Mortal Kombat

And hands down one of the best games not only on the system but in the series it spawn from, Might Morphin Power Rangers. Best game period in my opinion.

[ssjlance]

I only have one Game Gear game. Gunstar Heroes. If you like the Genesis version, the Game Gear version is worth picking up. Same basic game, although with some different/missing levels. Really fun game, although the Genesis version is definitely superior (surprising, huh?).

[kandied91z]

-Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
-Columns
-Mortal Kombat
-Mortal Kombat II
-Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic Triple Trouble
Deep Duck Trouble
Joe Montana Football
The Lucky Dime Caper
Fifa 96
TV Tuner

can't remember the rest i have..

[marvelaugusts]

I use to have console of Sony Playstation, according to me the top 4 gear game in this console are:
# Final Fantasy VII
# Gran Turismo 2
# Final Fantasy VIII
# Tomb Raider II

[PresidentLeever]

Power Strike 2
Ristar
Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
Popils
Road Rash
GG Shinobi 2
Shining Force 2
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic the Hedgehog
Wonder Boy III
Jurassic Park
Super Return of the Jedi
Power Rangers: The Movie
Woody Pop
GG Shinobi
Super Columns
Tails' Adventure
Mega Man
Factory Panic
Sega 4-in-1: Tennis

Top JP games:
Sylvan Tale, Gunstar Heroes, Royal Stone, GG Aleste, Shining Force 3, Kishin Douji Zenki, Lunar, Ninku 2,

[jordanteater]

Here is a great list of Game Gear games: www.listoid.com/list/214 You can vote up ones you like and add more that are missing.

[disorderlyvision]

I haven't played a large amount of Game Gear games, but of those I own Sonic triple trouble, Tales adventure, shining force sword of H?, Dynamite Headdy, and ristar are all decent

[DeseoParadise]

Sonic
Sonic 2
Fatal Fury Special
Castle Of Illusion
Asterix And The Secret Mission
Tails Adventures

[susonjoy]

I play the gear games rarely. I play mostly the game "Dragon Crystal" which is my one of the favorite game. In this game the players will have the number of hit points available and also the some of the games I play are Fantasy Zone,Fatal Fury Special, Crystal Warriors etc.