Is there anyone like me at all who just cant get into Genesis games?

[Urzu402]

Except for Castlevania Bloodlines i cant seem to get into Genesis games. mainly because most games use like oversized sprites for main characters and dont feel as polished possibly as SNES games what would be some Genesis games i would like?

[kedawa]

I have no idea where you're getting this 'oversized sprites' thing from, but it would help if you could maybe provide some idea of what type of games you have in mind, just to narrow things down.

Some of my personal faves are;

Castle of Illusion
Shinobi III
Shadow Dancer
Gunstar Heroes
Ranger-X
Strider
Ristar
Streets of Rage
Gaiares
Sonic 2
Burning Force

[HappehLemons]

Sounds like you're suffering from crazy

[Urzu402]

i'm talking about like Sonic and Ristar. where the sprites are generally huge, its hard for me to explain what i am talking about because i dont know many Genesis games i was an SNES kid........ but i had both systems go figure that one......

[Fuyukaze]

*raises hand*
I'm Fuyukaze and I too have Genesis-rectile disfunction.
I dont know why. It's got RPGs, it's got strat games, it's got shooters, and everything else I like in gaming but I'm just not fond of the system. Maybe it's the sound, or maybe it's the controls. Maybe it's something else I cant think of but I simply dont enjoy the system.

[Urzu402]

or maybe it could be i just dont like the pseudo 3d effect of the sonic games, i sort of like them, but i just cant get into them and play them seriously like i could an SNES game like Mario world, Ristar would probably be the same way....

[kupomogli]

The big sprites thing is something I dislike in games as well. However, the Genesis is a really good system. Here are some games you may like.

Strider This has bigger sprites than the arcade game. Not much, but yeah. The other thing is the majority of the game looks better graphically(the beginning background looks much better on the arcade version though.) This game has quite a few bugs in it but overall it's a good action platformer.

Gunstar Heroes The best action/platformer on the Genesis. No overly large sprites on this game either.

Phantasy Star 4 One of the best RPG titles of the 16 bit era. Unfortunately, this is one of the few great RPGs for the system(don't forget to try out Shining Force also.)

I won't list anymore as there are tons of "Good Sega Genesis games" threads under different names, but yeah. It's got a lot of good games, it's just that the list isn't as large as the SNES list due to the fact that Nintendo had a huge monopoly going on.

[vivaeljason]

I don't remember Genesis character sprites being all that much bigger than SNES sprites. I mean, in *some* games the sprites are larger than the average SNES game, but it's not like Sonic takes up a lot of the screen or anything like that.

And I don't know what you mean by "polished." While I prefer the SNES (obviously), I think Genesis games were really well done in general. You need to clarify.

[Aussie2B]

Genesis sprites definitely skew larger than SNES sprites, but a lot of Genesis fans take that as a positive. Some people prefer more proportional, realistic sprites over the SD, chibi-ized SNES sprites, which tend to lean more cutesy too. There are plenty of exceptions of course, but that's the general trend.

[Urzu402]

Games i want to get for genesis

Gunstar Heroes
Contra Hard Corps

[k8track]

Here you go, bud.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/search.php?searchid=4132217

[BHvrd]

Maybe it's the sound

I would say that's probably it. Genesis games in general have very inferior sound to their SNES counterparts cause I honestly get ill hearing some of the games. Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam would be two of the best comparisons. Imo most Genesis games sounded like a cat being swung by the tail.

[jb143]

I used to feel that way but it was mainly because all I really ever had to play were Sonic games where you have 3 buttons that all make you jump. I also didn't like the original controller, it feels to huge to me. But with a smaller controller and a bigger selection of games it's now the system that I play the most.

[PresidentLeever]

mainly because most games use like oversized sprites for main characters and dont feel as polished possibly as SNES games what would be some Genesis games i would like?

Wouldn't that be a bigger problem in SNES games what with the lower resolution on most games?

The only time I could see big sprites as a problem would be in action games where the camera control is poor. Such as Earthworm Jim, Aladdin or Vectorman.

I think the MD games were more polished in a few select genres, namely Run & Guns, Shooters and Action Platformers. If you're into RPGs then you might want to check out the Sega CD.
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/segacd/2009/06/the-sega-cd-mega-cd-rpg-library.html

[Gameguy]

I would say that's probably it. Genesis games in general have very inferior sound to their SNES counterparts cause I honestly get ill hearing some of the games. Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam would be two of the best comparisons. Imo most Genesis games sounded like a cat being swung by the tail.
It also depends on the system they're played on, some versions have poorer quality components than others. The sound may not be as good as the SNES, but it's not all that bad IMO(if you get a decent version of the system).

[Ed Oscuro]

I find one point from the OP interesting, that of "oversized sprites."

For collision-based games (basically every single one), having a giant character that runs into stuff quicker and has less room to play with than on the SNES (taking the OP's argument) definitely can make things more challenging.

That said, I don't really see a ton of difference between, say, Risky Woods Genesis and Wolf Child on the SNES. There are also plenty of great Genesis games which don't suffer from cramped quarters - all the Shinobi games come to mind for instance. (Actually I think Joe in Shinobi III / Super Shinobi II is probably about the same size as Simon from Super CV IV, and considerably thinner than John "Chuck's fat brother" Morris from Bloodlines (but maybe a bit taller). Just pulling those out of deep-freeze memory though, I could be wrong.

[Thrillo]

That's funny, I always thought of the SNES as having larger sprites due to the games I grew up with, such as Bugs Bunny's Rabbit Rampage and Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions. Now those were some huge character sprites!

[vivaeljason]

That's funny, I always thought of the SNES as having larger sprites due to the games I grew up with, such as Bugs Bunny's Rabbit Rampage and Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions. Now those were some huge character sprites!

Now that you mention it, I remember the Looney Tunes games for both systems having enormous sprites. Taz-Mania for Genesis was absolutely nuts, but Road Runner's Death Valley Rally for SNES may take the cake.

[Richter Belmount]

Why should it matter what system a game is on , if its good?

[j_factor]

Try Wiz 'n Liz. Not because it's the best Genesis game, but the sprites are tiny.

Actually I never thought Genesis sprites were bigger than SNES on average. I think that's the first time I've even heard that. I've always found that the SNES often has "fatter" sprites.

Here's a quick example of what I'm talking about. This is a screenshot from X-Men 2 (Genesis), showing Psylocke:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2hxt2sm.jpg

And this is a screenshot from X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES), also showing Psylocke.

http://i45.tinypic.com/esj51x.jpg

The Genesis sprite is a reasonable approximation of how she was drawn in the comics. The SNES sprite looks like an Amazon woman.

[Ed Oscuro]

The SNES sprite looks like Cammy with the red badge in the wrong place.

[Kitsune Sniper]

The Genesis sprite is a reasonable approximation of how she was drawn in the comics. The SNES sprite looks like an Amazon woman.

No, that's just "Capcom style". Several of their fighting games from the era featured that chunky build.

I grew up disliking the Genesis, but these days I admit that it was a mistake. Sure, it has a fair load of crapware... but there's some hidden gems, as well.

[Rob2600]

i cant seem to get into Genesis games. mainly because most games use like oversized sprites for main characters

You must be thinking of the TurboGrafx-16:

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/800/800480/china-warrior-virtual-console-20070628045400885-000.jpg (http://wii.ign.com/articles/800/800480p1.html)

[BetaWolf47]

It's rather interesting that you singled out oversized sprites as a reason you prefer SNES. Even though that distinguishes Genesis games from SNES games, are you sure that's really the reason? Could it have something to do with the darker graphics, and the FM sound?

Whether or not a game is good, playing a different system than you're accustomed to does take some adjustment. If you want a hint, play Castlevania Bloodlines for a good while and then move onto other games.

This would definitely help me. When I get a system I never owned back in the day, I need one "breakthrough game" to help condition me towards the "feel" of the system. In other words, if I got an Atari 2600, I couldn't go right into it's hidden gems. I'd need to play some games more like what I'm used to, like Pitfall! first, to adjust me to the graphics, sound, and controller of the system.

[Arkhan]

what games have you tried, its possible you grabbed a buncha bullshit games...?

try out rocket knight adventures, arlisia dragoon, mystic defender, contra, battletoads, maximum carnage....

I dunno, whats wrong with big sprites?

what about gaiares, phelios, street fighter? Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion was mention, and thats a good one too....

[j_factor]

No, that's just "Capcom style". Several of their fighting games from the era featured that chunky build.

It's not just Capcom, I've seen it in other games too, like Super Double Dragon. (Even if it were "the Capcom style", Capcom made a lot of games for SNES, so it still fits.) And there's also the fact that the SNES resolution is more squarish, so when you're playing it on a TV the image is more stretched horizontally. Thus making everything appear a bit shorter and fatter. Here is Mutant Apocalypse again, but resized to a 4:3 ratio.

http://i49.tinypic.com/m8daoy.jpg

Those thunder thighs are even chunkier than before.

[Ed Oscuro]

You must be thinking of the TurboGrafx-16:

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/800/800480/china-warrior-virtual-console-20070628045400885-000.jpg
Well played. LOL

The Shadow for SNES has some pretty big sprites - nothing outrageous like SMW II bosses though.

[Game Freak]

I too don't like the Genesis. I grew up on a SNES and got my first genny a few years ago. I liked sonic, but not many of the other games I had have such lasting potential for me. I recently got some RPGs though, so i may change my mind. I generally think it's the sound, it's too tinny. Also the controller response is god awful IMO. Even when i play with the smaller rerelease controllers its terrible

[old_skoolin_jim]

I feel I need to mention how (as a counter-argument) SNES games just felt "slower" to me in general. Compare Ghouls & Ghosts to its SNES equivalent and while the SNES may have graphics & sound, it just doesn't feel as "peppy". Some other games that follow this example? How about Out of this World (load times in a cartridge?? Seriously??), Super SF2, and I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.
That's where blast processing made all the difference!

[Gentlegamer]

The Genesis sprite is a reasonable approximation of how she was drawn in the comics. The SNES sprite looks like an Amazon woman.Could be an artifact of the horizontal resolution stretching to fill the screen. This could be checked by playing the game via emulation "unstretched" to see if it looks right that way.

[Urzu402]

it could also be disproportioned spriteds too or something i just cant explain.....

[-hellvin-]

Why is the genesis awesome? Well....

Adventures of Batman & Robin
Aerobiz Supersonic
Air Buster
Aladdin
Alisia Dragoon
Alex Kidd in Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Castle of Illusion
Castlevania Bloodlines
Comix Zone
Contra: Hard Corps
Cool Spot
Crusader of Centy
Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: Tides of Time
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim 2
Elemental Master
Eternal Champions
Fireshark
Flashback
Flicky
Forgotten Worlds
Gain Ground
Gaiares
Gauntlet IV
General Chaos
Ghostbusters
Ghouls N Ghosts
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Granada
Gunstar Heroes
Jurassic Park
Kid Chameleon
King's Bounty
Landstalker
Lightening Force
M.U.S.H.A.
Mega Bomberman
Mega Turrican
Micro Machines
Mysitc Defender
Out of this World
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star IV
Pirates Gold
Pitfall the Mayan Adventure
Punisher
Quackshot starring Donald Duck
Ranger-X
Red Zone
Revenge of Shinobi
Ristar
Rocket Knight Adventures
Rolling Thunder 2
Shadow Dancer
Shadowrun
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shinobi III
Soldiers of Fortune
Sonic
Sonic 2
Sonic 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Spider-man
Splatterhouse 2
Splatterhouse 3
Star Control
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Strider
Thunderforce II
Thunderforce III
Toejam & Earl
Toejam & Earl: Panic on Funkatron
Toy Story
Truxton
Valis III
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Warsong
Wiz n Liz
World of Illusion
X-Men
X-Men 2
Zombies ate my Neighbors

Those are just some of my favorites. There's an absolute plethora of gaming fun to be had with this system. I could go on and on, but those are my picks out of all the games I can see from here. What should you take away from this list? Well, try them all and tell me the you're unable to get into the system then.

[Kid Fenris]

Try Wiz 'n Liz. Not because it's the best Genesis game, but the sprites are tiny.

Actually I never thought Genesis sprites were bigger than SNES on average. I think that's the first time I've even heard that. I've always found that the SNES often has "fatter" sprites.

Here's a quick example of what I'm talking about. This is a screenshot from X-Men 2 (Genesis), showing Psylocke:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2hxt2sm.jpg

And this is a screenshot from X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES), also showing Psylocke.

http://i45.tinypic.com/esj51x.jpg

The Genesis sprite is a reasonable approximation of how she was drawn in the comics. The SNES sprite looks like an Amazon woman.

The Genesis sprite looks like a Rob Liefeld abomination, which is, sadly, how a lot of X-Men comics were drawn in the 1990s.

I think Kitsune is right: the Super NES sprite is bigger because it's by a Capcom artist who has a thing for relatively large and realistically muscular women. It's supposedly the same guy that came up with Cammy and Alien vs. Predator's Linn Kurosawa. Maybe it's Daigo Ikeno, but I don't remember.

[tomaitheous]

Both pics with the correct pixel aspect ratio of NTSC:
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9765/esj51xaspect.png
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8247/2hxt2smaspect.png

In the snes one, she's even wider/fatter than you think, while the Genesis one is skinnier after the correction (assuming that pic was the *real* res of the Genesis game, and not using low res (256x224) and just simply scaled to 320x240 like some people/emulators tend to do.)

[josekortez]

I didn't like Genesis much at all when I was younger, but lately I like it better than SNES due to the fact that there are better shmups that run much faster due to the faster processor.

[j_factor]

Could be an artifact of the horizontal resolution stretching to fill the screen. This could be checked by playing the game via emulation "unstretched" to see if it looks right that way.

The first shot was unstretched, then my post after that shows it stretched (which is how it looks when you play it normally). Since almost all SNES games use that resolution, that kind of stretching is prevalent on SNES (some Genesis games use that resolution too, but a minority), which would account for an overall appearance of "fatter" sprites.


I feel I need to mention how (as a counter-argument) SNES games just felt "slower" to me in general. Compare Ghouls & Ghosts to its SNES equivalent and while the SNES may have graphics & sound, it just doesn't feel as "peppy". Some other games that follow this example? How about Out of this World (load times in a cartridge?? Seriously??), Super SF2, and I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.
That's where blast processing made all the difference!

I'm not sure how much of that is due to "blast processing". Nintendo have a general proclivity towards "slower" games (and I guess they design their hardware accordingly :p). Whenever I play a game like Super Mario World (which I still like, mind you), I find myself holding down the run button the entire time. To me it would be better if they dispensed of the run button and just made him move that fast.

[Damaramu]

Mutant Apocalypse Psylocke always annoyed me due to her tiny head. I mean, look at it. It's a proto-Bayonetta. And they drew her way too beefy.

I don't really care for Genesis Psylocke either. A little TOO spindly.

[vivaeljason]

I feel I need to mention how (as a counter-argument) SNES games just felt "slower" to me in general. Compare Ghouls & Ghosts to its SNES equivalent and while the SNES may have graphics & sound, it just doesn't feel as "peppy". Some other games that follow this example? How about Out of this World (load times in a cartridge?? Seriously??), Super SF2, and I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.
That's where blast processing made all the difference!

I will say that in a lot of cases, when the same game was released for both systems, the Genesis port usually played a lot faster (though this might be in my head). I always remember playing NBA Jam on my Genesis and it feeling more like the arcade version. Same for Mortal Kombat (along with other reasons besides speed of play). Sometimes, the "slower" pacing of the SNES was better, of course, but when I want a game that moves fast for both systems, I tend to go Genesis.

[tomaitheous]

I think *some* of this slower/faster business is just in your guy's head. 99% of these games run on a 60hz tick basis. It's one thing to "slowdown" in a game, it's quite something else to *purposely* use a lower fixed point number for movement/scrolling. That has nothing to do with the processor itself. That would be a design decision by the programmer or such. :smash:

And j_factor, you've got the wrong res size for that stretched snes image. You've over stretched it :P

[chrisbid]

the slowness felt in snes games is also due to a slightly more loose controller on the snes

[Kitsune Sniper]

The Genesis sprite looks like a Rob Liefeld abomination, which is, sadly, how a lot of X-Men comics were drawn in the 1990s.

I think you're giving ol' Rob a bit too much credit. She looks more like something based on a Jim Lee drawing. If Rob had drawn her then we wouldn't be able to see her feet, she'd be grimacing like hell, and one arm would be smaller than the other. :p

[poloplayr]

Thank God. This is something I've been carrying inside far too many years. Oh how I have tried and tried to fall in love with the Mega Drive/Genesis. But for some reason I can't. It may very well be the fact that I was a Super Famicom/SNES whore back in the day (and still) but to me the Sega platform's games felt so soulless. Worse graphics on average and worse music. Please don't point to the fact that Aladdin has nicer animations than its SNES version, etc, etc. These examples are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Interesting that someone brought it up.

[AB Positive]

Well even as a huge Sega fan, the one thing I can never defend well is the sound. You had to really put effort to get great tunes out of the Genny. Now, many people did - look at Climax's games, the Sonics and of course the greatest Genny game intro music ever: Starflight.

However when you halfass on the Genny it sounds like you never tried.

The SNES has better tunage overall but good god I agree on the slowness. Good thing you don't really need speed in RPGs or I'd probably put little time into mine.

[j_factor]

I think *some* of this slower/faster business is just in your guy's head. 99% of these games run on a 60hz tick basis. It's one thing to "slowdown" in a game, it's quite something else to *purposely* use a lower fixed point number for movement/scrolling. That has nothing to do with the processor itself. That would be a design decision by the programmer or such. :smash:

I don't think we were talking about technical differences, just gameplay differences.


And j_factor, you've got the wrong res size for that stretched snes image. You've over stretched it :P

Did I? I see the image you posted is 288 x 240. I've never heard of that resolution. That's an aspect ratio of 6:5. I though it was always 4:3.

Anyway, I don't get why people are bashing the Genesis sound. I always thought it had much better music, but much worse sound effects and voice samples. *shrug*

[tomaitheous]

I don't think we were talking about technical differences, just gameplay differences.

Well, some people get confused and automatically think it's because the SNES' slower processor.



Did I? I see the image you posted is 288 x 240. I've never heard of that resolution. That's an aspect ratio of 6:5. I though it was always 4:3.

PC monitors/LCDs tend to display square pixels. On an NTSC set, the pixel isn't always square. And none of *these* game systems output square pixels. So a 320x240 square pixel image on a typical PC, is larger than what the Genesis is outputting. That's the res after the ratio has been corrected for. Not just programming, but I have an extensive background in working with video/film/etc and PCs. Genesis NTSC 320x224(which you pad to 240 before scaling, or offset the difference in scaling) has a pixel aspect ratio of ~0.9. Low res (and the same res as SNES) uses a pixel aspect ratio of ~1.125. When viewed on a square pixel display. For the sake of numbers, pce low res is the same as MD/SNES low res. PCE mid res is 0.843 pixel aspect ratio, and high res is 0.45 ratio. Of course, scaling the 320x240 high res Genesis loses some pixels. You can up scale to double the res and still keep all the ratios intact; 576x480 works and no system looses any pixels in the conversion.

Also: interlaced pics of 480i have a different pixel aspect ratio than the 240p modes.

[MachineGex]

Castle of Illusion
World of Illusion
Quackshot
Give these three a try. They all feel like SNES games to me.(meaning the have nice bright graphics with solid gameplay)

If you dont like the above games, try:
Marvel land
Gunstar Heroes
Comix Zone
Rocket Knight Adventure
McDonals's Treasureland Adventure
*Plus a ton of shooters!

If you dont like any of the above then give up.

[apogee_vgc]

I can't get into them either, they are waaaay too small, now a neogeo cartridge, that I could get into! In all honesty many of my favorite games are also from the genny library.

Hetzog Zwei ( split the video output and tape off respective sides of the screen for fair play)
Thunderforce III (compare that one to the SNES)
Castle of Illusion
Phantasy Star series
Shining Force games
Gunstar Heroes
Strider
Comix Zone

[j_factor]

PC monitors/LCDs tend to display square pixels. On an NTSC set, the pixel isn't always square. And none of *these* game systems output square pixels. So a 320x240 square pixel image on a typical PC, is larger than what the Genesis is outputting. That's the res after the ratio has been corrected for. Not just programming, but I have an extensive background in working with video/film/etc and PCs. Genesis NTSC 320x224(which you pad to 240 before scaling, or offset the difference in scaling) has a pixel aspect ratio of ~0.9. Low res (and the same res as SNES) uses a pixel aspect ratio of ~1.125. When viewed on a square pixel display. For the sake of numbers, pce low res is the same as MD/SNES low res. PCE mid res is 0.843 pixel aspect ratio, and high res is 0.45 ratio. Of course, scaling the 320x240 high res Genesis loses some pixels. You can up scale to double the res and still keep all the ratios intact; 576x480 works and no system looses any pixels in the conversion.

Also: interlaced pics of 480i have a different pixel aspect ratio than the 240p modes.

I must be missing something. My computer monitor, which is what I'm staring at right now, does display square pixels. So if we're attempting to replicate how it looks on a TV, shouldn't the shot be wider? The physical dimensions of my TV screen are a ratio of 4:3, and the image from my console takes up the entire screen. If I measure the image you posted, not in pixels but in cm, the width to height ratio is significantly more square than 4:3.

[tomaitheous]

I must be missing something. My computer monitor, which is what I'm staring at right now, does display square pixels. So if we're attempting to replicate how it looks on a TV, shouldn't the shot be wider? The physical dimensions of my TV screen are a ratio of 4:3, and the image from my console takes up the entire screen. If I measure the image you posted, not in pixels but in cm, the width to height ratio is significantly more square than 4:3.

The dimensions of your monitor is irrelevant, because... these pics *aren't* viewed full screen. If they were, you'd have to take into account that factor and correct for it (by clipping or padding, etc). That's an important piece of information to know for pixel artists and programmers alike. Photoshop has support for custom pixel aspect ratios, just for this problem (after effects and premiere too).

And, the pic for the SNES shot *is* wider. 288 pixels is wider than 256. It's the Genesis higher res mode that has a pixel aspect ratio that's less than 1 (0.9 to be more precise) VS the snes and GEN lower res @ 1.125. The pixel aspect ratio is determined by the dot clock (pixel frequency). The number of pixels onscreen doesn't necessarily mean much.

[Nescollector]

Why is the genesis awesome? Well....

Adventures of Batman & Robin
Aerobiz Supersonic
Air Buster
Aladdin
Alisia Dragoon
Alex Kidd in Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Castle of Illusion
Castlevania Bloodlines
Comix Zone
Contra: Hard Corps
Cool Spot
Crusader of Centy
Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: Tides of Time
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim 2
Elemental Master
Eternal Champions
Fireshark
Flashback
Flicky
Forgotten Worlds
Gain Ground
Gaiares
Gauntlet IV
General Chaos
Ghostbusters
Ghouls N Ghosts
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Gunstar Heroes
Jurassic Park
Kid Chameleon
King's Bounty
Landstalker
Lightening Force
M.U.S.H.A.
Mega Bomberman
Mega Turrican
Micro Machines
Mysitc Defender
Out of this World
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star IV
Pirates Gold
Pitfall the Mayan Adventure
Punisher
Quackshot starring Donald Duck
Ranger-X
Red Zone
Revenge of Shinobi
Ristar
Rocket Knight Adventures
Rolling Thunder 2
Shadow Dancer
Shadowrun
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shinobi III
Soldiers of Fortune
Sonic
Sonic 2
Sonic 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Spider-man
Splatterhouse 2
Splatterhouse 3
Star Control
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Strider
Thunderforce II
Thunderforce III
Toejam & Earl
Toejam & Earl: Panic on Funkatron
Toy Story
Truxton
Valis III
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Warsong
Wiz n Liz
World of Illusion
X-Men
X-Men 2
Zombies ate my Neighbors

Those are just some of my favorites. There's an absolute plethora of gaming fun to be had with this system. I could go on and on, but those are my picks out of all the games I can see from here. What should you take away from this list? Well, try them all and tell me the you're unable to get into the system then.


This is an awesome list. Love the Genesis, only the Nes holds a higher spot in my heart. Yeah, coming off the nes, the sprites were large and kick a##, felt like an arcade system. I would add Granada to the list :)

[j_factor]

The dimensions of your monitor is irrelevant, because... these pics *aren't* viewed full screen. If they were, you'd have to take into account that factor and correct for it (by clipping or padding, etc). That's an important piece of information to know for pixel artists and programmers alike. Photoshop has support for custom pixel aspect ratios, just for this problem (after effects and premiere too).

And, the pic for the SNES shot *is* wider. 288 pixels is wider than 256. It's the Genesis higher res mode that has a pixel aspect ratio that's less than 1 (0.9 to be more precise) VS the snes and GEN lower res @ 1.125. The pixel aspect ratio is determined by the dot clock (pixel frequency). The number of pixels onscreen doesn't necessarily mean much.

But the point was to show how the game looks on a TV (except smaller so as not to have huge images). My TV screen has 4 inches of width for every 3 inches of height. If I attempt to blow up your image to the size of my TV, it's not going to match up. My TV is wider.

[tomaitheous]

But the point was to show how the game looks on a TV (except smaller so as not to have huge images).

Uhm.. that's exactly was I showed you. The SNES and Genesis image (288x240 image) as it would appear on your 4:3 TV. Look, I don't know how else to explain to you what I already have *without* derailing this thread. If you're confused as to what PAR is and how it works, I suggest a read up on it. Or maybe create a new thread?

[kupomogli]

Here's that Genesis thread. Same thread, just this one is about the Genesis sucking and what games are good, this other is about the Genesis is amazing and what games are good.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137455

[Haoie]

Outside of Sonic, well, what else is really great?

Shocking lack of RPGs, sad!

[Push Upstairs]

I always recommend "Streets or Rage 2", but I'm biased as I compare every other game of that style to SOR2.

I'd also recommend:

Road Rash (the 2nd actually)
Dragon's Fury
Shinobi 3
Gunstar Heroes
Micro Machines


the slowness felt in snes games is also due to a slightly more loose controller on the snes

Either my controller is heavily used, or the d-pad is just mushy. No matter which, "Turtles in Time" is less precise because of it.

[j_factor]

Uhm.. that's exactly was I showed you. The SNES and Genesis image (288x240 image) as it would appear on your 4:3 TV. Look, I don't know how else to explain to you what I already have *without* derailing this thread. If you're confused as to what PAR is and how it works, I suggest a read up on it. Or maybe create a new thread?

I understand what PAR is. But what I'm saying is, even though it's accurate as to the number of pixels, that's not how it actually looks on a TV screen, simply because it's not the same shape.

[Dire 51]

Well even as a huge Sega fan, the one thing I can never defend well is the sound. You had to really put effort to get great tunes out of the Genny. Now, many people did - look at Climax's games, the Sonics and of course the greatest Genny game intro music ever: Starflight.

However when you halfass on the Genny it sounds like you never tried.
I have to agree with that. I've noticed too that the further into the Genesis' lifespan you go, the worse the music sounds overall. At the beginning it was really good, almost arcade-like. But towards the end, it was like they didn't even care anymore.

At any rate, love the Genesis, have mine hooked up right now, got my kids a Model 2 for Christmas (it's their first console) along with the 6 Pak (can't go wrong with six classics on one cart), Ms. Pac-Man, Thunderforce II (they're my kids, they're gonna have at least one shooter LOL ), Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck and a few "donations" from my collection: Quackshot, World of Illusion and Sonic 2. Of course, they'll be able to use games from my collection too, almost like checking out a book from a library.

The only thing I need is controllers. The one the system came with is a generic six-button that seems to only work half the time. Since none of the games they'll be using require six-button controllers, I need to track down a couple of classic 3-button controllers. Anyone got any they're willing to part with? PM me.

[Ricochet]

Who dares talk about Sega in this manner? Who dares discuss the merits of the Genesis? Who dares talk ill of its SOUND?!

Yes, there are people like you, OP, we called them "Nintendo kids" and we generally left them to their peach princesses while we grinded it out in Golden Axe. Have you ever played Golden Axe? Do you have any idea how much of that game actually takes place on the back of a giant turtle??

[MachineGex]

Someone mentioned "Out of this World". Great game, but the Genesis version has very sloppy controls compared to the SNES. No way I would play this on a Genesis if I had a SNES laying around. I just had a helluva time getting the jumps right in the gnensis version.

I do love all the Micro Machine games that came out on the Genesis that were never on the SNES. They are PAL, but most work great on a NTSC system.

[-hellvin-]

This is an awesome list. Love the Genesis, only the Nes holds a higher spot in my heart. Yeah, coming off the nes, the sprites were large and kick a##, felt like an arcade system. I would add Granada to the list :)

added, thanks for reminding me, I don't have that one in this room so I didn't see it ;D.

I'm sure there's many more too....

[chrisbid]

we called them "Nintendo kids"



that's sugar coating it :D

[Rickstilwell1]

The one thing that makes it harder to get into most Genesis games is that less Genesis games have save batteries than Super Nintendo games. That meant most Genesis games had to be beaten in one setting except for the RPGs and a select few others like Sonic 3 and some sports.

I like Genesis better when I'm in for some quick action and I like Super Nintendo better when I want to play video games all day.

[Push Upstairs]

I have to agree with that. I've noticed too that the further into the Genesis' lifespan you go, the worse the music sounds overall. At the beginning it was really good, almost arcade-like. But towards the end, it was like they didn't even care anymore.

Supposedly, in the later years some music creation kit called GENS ( I think) was used, and that was kinda the lazy man's way of cranking out music.

I agree that you had to work to make the Genesis sound chip sing, but it sounds great when someone does.

[Melf]

Outside of Sonic, well, what else is really great?

Shocking lack of RPGs, sad!

This is quite untrue. Not every RPG was made by Square, you know. The Genesis and Sega CD overall have about as many RPGs on them as they do shooters (almost 80).

[kainemaxwell]

*raises hand*
I'm Fuyukaze and I too have Genesis-rectile disfunction.
I dont know why. It's got RPGs, it's got strat games, it's got shooters, and everything else I like in gaming but I'm just not fond of the system. Maybe it's the sound, or maybe it's the controls. Maybe it's something else I cant think of but I simply dont enjoy the system.

Maybe the Genesis just doesn't have that "charm" so to speak the SNES has with its titles, that extra oomph if you will.

[Baloo]

IMO, the Genesis has more charm than the SNES. The SNES is great and all, but the games just aren't as fun it seems for me. I don't play my SNES nearly as much as I do my Genesis.

The Genesis to me seemed the more original system. The games were more creative, unique. You had Sonic, you had Comix Zone, Toejam and Earl, Gunstar Heroes, there was nothing like those on the SNES.

[PresidentLeever]

Someone mentioned "Out of this World". Great game, but the Genesis version has very sloppy controls compared to the SNES. No way I would play this on a Genesis if I had a SNES laying around. I just had a helluva time getting the jumps right in the gnensis version.


I have both and they control equally bad. The only notable difference apart from the sound is that the SNES has load times before each scene. Sometimes several seconds.



The Genesis to me seemed the more original system. The games were more creative, unique. You had Sonic, you had Comix Zone, Toejam and Earl, Gunstar Heroes, there was nothing like those on the SNES.

Ever played Mario World, Contra III or Final Fight? Those games inspired 3 of the 4 games you mention.
You're on the right track with Toejam & Earl though. I'd add Herzog Zwei, General Chaos, Ranger X, Road Rash, Ecco and of course the sequel.

[Ed Oscuro]

I think you're giving ol' Rob a bit too much credit. She looks more like something based on a Jim Lee drawing. If Rob had drawn her then we wouldn't be able to see her feet, she'd be grimacing like hell, and one arm would be smaller than the other. :p
Don't forget: Any single part of her body would be wider than her waist.

Haha, I just found something on NeoGAF about a deal to make a movie about Youngblood and sombody chimed in: "would be great fun if in the movie they never showed any of the actor's feet"

I understand what PAR is. But what I'm saying is, even though it's accurate as to the number of pixels, that's not how it actually looks on a TV screen, simply because it's not the same shape.
A rectangle. Both screens are a bloody 4:3 rectangle! :above me: That's what Tom is saying. Yes, the actual "pixels" aren't the same width onscreen, but we all know that.

What's wrong with the pic comparison is that the Capcom pic is letterboxed, when it shouldn't be. But even fixing it slightly makes psuedo-Cammy taller in that pic (I think she might end up slightly taller yet if you took away those bars, unless Tom fixed for that, didn't compare heights).

[Rob2600]

IMO, the Genesis has more charm than the SNES.

The Genesis to me seemed the more original system. The games were more creative, unique. You had Sonic, you had Comix Zone, Toejam and Earl, Gunstar Heroes, there was nothing like those on the SNES.

SNES games with charm, just off the top of my head:

Earthbound
Joe & Mac
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Plok
Pocky and Rocky
Super Mario RPG
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

[Ed Oscuro]

Who dares talk about Sega in this manner? Who dares discuss the merits of the Genesis? Who dares talk ill of its SOUND?!

Yes, there are people like you, OP, we called them "Nintendo kids" and we generally left them to their peach princesses while we grinded it out in Golden Axe. Have you ever played Golden Axe? Do you have any idea how much of that game actually takes place on the back of a giant turtle??
This post will help kids grow some chest hair, or make them swoon, maybe both at once. Recommended reading.

[Leo_A]

Could someone explain to me the stuff being talked about with the Genesis and SuperNes having different aspect ratios?

They're both standard 1.33/4:3/Academy ratios since they display full screen on televisions of the era that were all that aspect ratio.

How can one be different from the other? They're both the same.

[DuckTalesNES]

So I saw the Sonic Sega Ultimate Collection for XBox360 and it seems to have almost every Genesis game you'd ever want. However, are there other major Genesis releases that aren't on it that anyone would recommend?

I noticed however that Castlevania Bloodlines wasn't on it. Has this game been re-released at all? I don't own a Genesis and I'm not sure I want to pick one up for just a handful of games.

[Arasoi]

I was an NES/SNES kid. Like a lot of kids at the time I noticed the better color palette of the SNES and believed the sound to be better at that time as well. For something claiming to be the next best thing SNES delivered, it was a better console hardware wise than the Genesis in the sense that the games looked and sounded better.

Getting back into classic gaming and collecting years later, when those comparisons were less relevant I really began to appreciate the Genesis as a console for it's own merits. At the time of it's release it mimicked a lot of late 80s arcade game hardware very well in terms of graphics and sound. It was no system 16, but at the time it must have felt like a huge leap in quality mimicking the arcade to go from an NES or SMS to a Genesis.

There are a lot of quality arcade game ports for the Genesis from the time, and back then that is what counted most and was a huge selling point for it. As an example Toaplan ported some of their best arcade titles such as Fire Shark, Truxton, and Hellfire over and they are great ports. The flagship "Genesis only" titles that came later like Sonic and Vectorman and Comix Zone were great games as well, and for those willing to explore the library a lot of great games are on this system in all categories.

[Gentlegamer]

Anyway, I don't get what the OP is saying, because while I only had Nintendo, I loved Genesis, too. It was awesome back then how my friends could play SNES at my house then go to another's to play Genesis. That was probably the last time there was a console gen with two consoles of that high quality that actually had different libraries.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Mutant Apocalypse Psylocke always annoyed me due to her tiny head. I mean, look at it. It's a proto-Bayonetta. And they drew her way too beefy.

I don't really care for Genesis Psylocke either. A little TOO spindly.

Children of the Atom Psylocke for me please!

Can't get into Genesis? Sorry dude, your dead inside. :p

You guys have to admit, Yuzo Koshiro played the Genny like a harp from hell. :D I guess you have to like synthesizers to be all giddy about FM.

Great tunes off the Genny hardware: All the Streets of Rage 2 compositions, Vampire Killer 1999 in the BGM test on Contra Hard Corps and some of the Shinobi 3 BGMs are fantastic. I think it was just that a few knew how to compose for the games and most were just winging it or phoning it in. Midi was the big new deal, yet they still emulate syths via software or DSP hardware. I personally wouldn't utilize midi scoring. Too "animatronic goon band-ish" for me.