You can only pick 3. Desert Island Sega Genesis

[GrandAmChandler]

Desert Island Sega Genesis! YOU are stranded on a desert island alone, with a console, power adapter, TV Hookups, TV, and one standard 3-button controller. There is a crate with EVERY game imaginable inside. However you can only pick 3 cartridges. This includes homebrew games, but there are no multi-carts, compilation carts (Super Mario All-Stars, Mega Man Anthology, etc.) accessories, game enhancers, or anything else out of the ordinary present. You have 3 games to pick from for what may be the rest of your life. Which three do you choose?

Today's Desert Island is Sega Genesis. Pick 3 valid cartridges, and explain your reasoning for each one! Include pictures of cartridges, screenshots, or whatever else you would like to display! This thread will only be as good as you make it, so lets see some effort!

-GAC-

[buzz_n64]

Sonic 2
Great Sonic game, really developed the Sonic game play greatly. Brought in cool 2 player features, and awesome new levels.
http://retrozoid.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/sonic-2-md.jpg

Sonic 3
Possibly my favorite Sonic game. Cool power ups for Sonic, unlock-able stuff with Sonic & Knuckles, superb graphics, and cool music.(Michael Jackson tunes. Yeah!)
http://www.ulillillia.us/images/vgSS/S3K007.jpg

Super Street Fighter II
My favorite Street Fighter game, enough said. (Playable with 3 button controller, but very limited, still would choose this title)
http://exophase.com/images/misc/Super-Street-Fighter-II---The-New-Challengers.jpg

[SEGA]

only a 3 button controller?!

columns iii
roadrash 3
shadowrun

[mobiusclimber]

Phantasy Star II - So I can maybe one day finally beat it.
Shadowrun - Cuz being able to play as one of three different characters gives the game a lot of replay value.
Dragon's Fury - This game never gets old.

... I wonder if I wouldn't swap PSII for a Sonic game. But then I'd have to choose which one, which is impossible. LOL

[kupomogli]

Castlevania Bloodlines and Phantasy Star 4 are a must. If Sega Genesis also includes Sega CD and 32X, then Dark Wizard as well. If it's Sega Genesis only then Sword of Vermilion.

Castlevania Bloodlines
Phantasy Star 4
Sword of Vermilion / Dark Wizard (Sega CD)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/kupomogli/cvbl-lv2.gif

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/kupomogli/phantasy-star-iv-4-_002.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/kupomogli/sword-of-vermilion_03.png

[jonebone]

Sonic 2

Theme Park
http://gamervision.com/images/covers/g06783iogy5.jpg


Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
http://www.mksecrets.net/images/kolumn/issue07/image12.png

[thom_m]

- Sonic 2 - I love the game, and never got all the emeralds without cheats, so that would be a good time killer;

- Gunstar Heroes - superb game, and really difficult to beat on the hardest mode, so the challenge will always be there

- Kid Chameleon - long and fun, and also one of my all-time favorite games.

That said, I feel myself compelled to declare to the world that mobiusclimber has the coolest avatar on the whole planet.

EDIT: I'm a stupid asshole and forgot about Kid Chameleon. My former third game was Toejam and Earl and it's delicious random world mode, but I just rememberd KC and just had to change it, or I'd hate myself forever and feel like an ungrateful bastard towards one of my favorite games. If it's against the rules, please tell me and I'll restore the original post.

[JimmyDean]

Bloodlines, Sonic 2, and Gunstar Heroes.

[NessFreaK]

Shining Force II -- Great rpg, my favorite on the genesis. Long enough to be fulfilling.
Sunset Riders -- One of my favorite arcade style side scrolling shooters, challenging enough to keep me playing.
Theme Park -- Pretty much infinite replay value... debated between this and columns.

[tom]

One needs a good woman on an island:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=193643&g2_serialNumber=2

some platform fun:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=193725&g2_serialNumber=2

and pretending your island is full of monsters:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=193690&g2_serialNumber=2

[Howie6925]

Mine would be:

Starflight
Road Rash 2
Kid Chameleon

All good games, the ones I played the most when I had my genesis hooked up.

[Voliko]

Shining Force - I love this game, much more than II for that matter.

Castlevania Bloodlines - Classic Castlevania gameplay on the Genesis.

Phantasy Star IV - The best RPG on the system, everything about it is awesome!

[ScottK]

Shining Force

Warsong

Death Duel

[pseudonym]

Sonic 3
Castlevania Bloodlines
Shining Force 2

[Natty Bumppo]

Shining Force II
Master of Monsters
Shove It!

All of them offer a lot of replay value - the first two you can alter your choice of forces to try different strategies. And Master of Monsters will also allow you to play against yourself (or selves if you choose) if you really want an opponent capable of matching your innate skill.

Shove it is a large game - and you can always replay it to find the best possible solutions (in terms of the number of moves).

[moocolon]

Pirates!
Shining Force
Phantasy Star 2

[Sabz5150]

Starflight: Open ended space exploration and combat. GTA and Star Trek have a baby!

Star Control: What else do you need to say? Strategy, combat, fun!

Thunder Force IV (Lightening Force): I never tire of playing this.

[Sabz5150]

Starflight

:cheers:

[The 1 2 P]

Spider-Man: Because up until that point it was the greatest Spider-Man and superhero game ever made.

TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist: This was just a fun action adventure side scroller and when a friend joined in it made it even better.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3: No proper Genesis list can ever be made without having atleast one Sonic game thrown in. While the first three were all excellent, I'd go with the last true sequel.

[bigred5687]

i would have to go with these:
Phantasy Star IV
Shining Force
Zombies ate my Neighbors

[walrusmonger]

sonic 1 (still my favorite, just sooo classic)
zombies ate my neighbors
streets of rage (either 2 or 3)

[Howie6925]

:cheers:

Thanks man, funny I was also going to put star control as my number 2.

[allyourblood]

Crusader of Centy (Love the vibe of this game!)
Shining Force II (In my top 5 RPGs ever)
Lightening Force ('cause I have yet to complete it and it's probably gonna take me a while)

Those are my desert island 3, but they're not necessarily my favorite Genesis games ever... but they might be...

[Breetai]

Phantasy Star IV
Shining Force II
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (it is ONE game, dammit... ONE GAME CARTRIDGE. I WILL SUPER GLUE THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE ONE. Do not tell me otherwise!!!)


Yeah, pretty much the same list as everyone else... but these games are THAT good.

[goatdan]

Fun to think about... mine are a little different...

Spider-Man / Venom: Maximum Carnage - I owned this beat 'em up for the SNES and bought it again for the Genesis. It's tough as nails, but extremely fair. With branching storylines and various playable characters a perfect game -- I have beaten it multiple times, but I go back to it every so often to relearn it all and remember why I love it so much. Perhaps the best beat 'em up ever made, period. And that may be my favorite genre, so that one is a given.
Toki: Going Ape Spit - I don't know why, but this is my favorite platformer from an arcade to home console, and easily my favorite Genesis platformer.
6 Pak - I assume the compilations we can't choose are from other platforms of the games for the system. This often overlooked title includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi, Columns and Super Hang-On, which means a great puzzler, two great beat 'em ups (to change off when I get sick of Maximum Carnage) and my favorite puzzler for the console. If I can't choose this one due to it being 6 games, I'd probably just go with Columns straight up... but since it is just a regular cart, I say I can choose it! Also, if you just want to get into playing the Genesis, keep your eyes peeled for this cart. Streets of Rage by itself usually costs at least the cost of what just this cart sells for. The best deal in Genesis games :)

[retroman]

Golden Axe
Super Tecmo Bowl 3 Final Edition
HardBall 94
Mad replay value....gonna be there a long time..

[MASTERWEEDO]

6 Pak - If allowed, I mean, it was a common cart.

Theme Park - i loved this game, played it for so mant hours.

Sonic 3 - Best Game on the system

Mutant League Hockey- if 6 Pak isnt allowed - best sports game ever.

[Baloo]

We just had a thread like this over at Sega-16, heh. My picks are:

Sonic 1
TMNT: Hyperstone Heist
Sports Talk Baseball

Honorable Mention: Shining in the Darkness

[allyourblood]

The 6-pak is definitely out. It's a compilation cart of sorts. I think it defeats the spirit of the original post.

[Spartacus]

Pinball never seems to play exactly the same way twice and Dino Land is one of my favorite pinball games that I enjoy every time I play it.

Herzog Zwei is a slow paced RTS that makes me feel like I might actually have a chance at winning, though I never do. Still fun.


Metal Fangs is my 3rd favorite 16 bit racing game, but it's my favorite to play single player. Given a team of 3-4 racers, you're kept busy switching around the track to take individual control of each racer to launch attacks on the opposing racers or to try to save a vehicle getting pummeled. Winning races provides cash for replentishing ammunition or several other RPG-ish upgrades including increasing the AI of your racers. Weapons, armor or speed would seem to be the most logical improvments, but AI improvments in the game are extremely noticable and make the imperative of controlling individual racers for obvious decisions much less necessary. Deciding whether to spread the improvments slowly amoungst the whole team or to concentrate on making 1 or 2 super vehicles is fun yet agonizing at the same time.

[runinruder]

El Viento
Wings of Wor
Shinobi III

[Compute]

I don't count 6pak as a single game, since all of the games were available individually. Otherwise my desert island 1 would be a flash cart with enough space for every genesis game. :P

With that in mind, here is mine:

Columns
Road Rash 2 - I really liked 3, but 2 just feels more smooth to me
Mutant League Football

There are so many more I would like to put on this list, but these are 3 titles I keep coming back to.

[davepesc]

Phantasy Star IV and
Shining Force II

are easy choices. after that, it is tough. Starflight is great, but once you know the ending, it's a short game. Gunstar Heroes would cover shooters. Shadowrun is good also, but I've got RPGs pretty well covered. I could also go sports with an NHL game. I guess I would have to round out the trio with

Gunstar Heroes

[PresidentLeever]

Do the rules assume we have access to other consoles with three games each? If that's the case I'd go with these:

1.
Panorama Cotton - One of the best rail shooters and there's lots of replay value in the form of alternate paths, difficulties and unlockables. It'd also cheer me up with its presentation.

2.
Langrisser II – For the time a huge number of possibilites for character customization, lots of secrets and a good challenge. Takes forever to beat as well. Either this or Shining Force II in the second spot.

3.
Thunder Force IV – Never beaten this on hard or above so. Not the MD shooter for me but I'd get bored with MUSHA or TF3.

...OR Columns III - Super addictive and challenging. Perhaps I could teach some monkeys to play this with me in 5 player mode.

[jedimind7]

Streets of Rage 2(my favorite beat em up and one of my favorite video game sound tracks)

Pulse Man(Kind of a crazy choice being that i've never played it but this game looks awesome and since im stranded on an island I might as well try a new game)

Ristar(Great game, who wouldnt want to take that with them?)

[8bitgamer]

Castlevania Bloodlines
Space Invaders '91
Sonic 3

[jcalder8]

It saddens me that I'm the first one to pick it:

NHL 96: I picked this one because they finally brought fighting back. I know I'll be spending about 30 of the next 60 years of my life playing this one.

As for my other two........

I don't know, I probably wouldn't play them over NHL anyway so I'll just say that I'd close my eyes and leave it up to God what other two games I get. What can I say I'm Canadian :-D

[AB Positive]

Hmm, difficult for me, there's too many greats...


Ugh...


Sonic 2/Starflight/Landstalker would be my choice right now...


but I'd be missing PSIV, Shining Force 1 and 2, Shining in the Darkness... :(


Still that'd be my top 3 right there if I had to. Sonic 2/Starflight/Landstalker.

[Sothy]

Shaq Fu
Last Battle
and a 2nd copy of Shaq Fu in case the first got lost

[TheGam3r]

Sonic The Hedgehog
NHL 94 - I love hockey and Hartford, Quebec and Winnepeg are still there.
Gunstar Heroes

[CMA Death Adder]

Simple:

** Snow Bros. because it provides endless fun.
** Street Fighter II' Special Champion Edition because I love fighting games.
** Beggar Prince (http://www.beggarprince.com/) because it's my legacy. :)

[spoon]

1. Streets of Rage 2
This is my second favorite game of all time. Great gameplay, graphics, replay value and music. What more could someone ask for?

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
So much to see and do. Great platform title with amazing music and graphics. My first Genesis title as a kid.

3.Toss up between Road Rash 2 and NBA Action '95.

Road Rash is a game that never gets old no matter how many times it's played. Something satisfying about pulling a guy or girl off a motorcycle with a chain while speeding 100+ mph and dodging traffic.

NBA Action '95 was a very underrated sports title for the Genesis.
Although it has it's flaws, it had a great selection of teams and kept great stats. It kept track of your players current performance via hot and cold. Above all else, it was fun and a blast to play. Probably the single most important thing about a sports game. Or any game for that matter.


Honorable mentions to General Chaos, Mutant League Football and Super Street Fighter II.
These games are great with another player. Still fun 1 player, just not the same.

[Night Driver]

Sonic 1
Road Rash 1
NHL '94

[Atarileaf]

Road Rash
Road Rash II
Road Rash III

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Phantasy Star IV
Lightening Force
Shinobi III

[MachineGex]

I broke my picks into three different categories so I would have a wide range of genres.

My first category was racing and this was the only easy pick for me.
Micro Machines is a franchise that immediately popped into my head and the best one(for Genesis/MD) I think is "Micro Machine '96". It is very much like Micro Machines 2 only it has a track editor/creator! This way, I could build a new track every day and play it. It would keep the game fresh.

The next pick was not very easy because I am not too familiar with any of the three titles even though I own them. The choices were "Hezog Zwei, Pirates! Gold, and General Chaos. I would have to play all of them alittle more to make a choice but I have to have a thinking game in my mix.

So, I have a RACING game, a STRATEGY category, and that leaves a fun PLATFORMER/RUN&GUN category.

So for the PLATFORMER/RUN&GUN category, the choices I came up with were: Dynamite Headdy, Marvel Land, Lost Vikings, Ristar, Contra Hard Corps, Earth Worm Jim, GunStar Heroes, Rocket Knight Adventures.

So here is my final three choices...
RACING: Micro Machines '96
STRATEGY: General Chaos
PLATFORMER/RUN&GUN: Pirates! Gold

OK, I cheated on the Platformer catergory. But, how can you not pick a Pirates game if you are stranded on a desert island.

Micro Machines'96 video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlDDBYXtZ5w&feature=related
General Chaos video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBEELuubT_E
Pirates! Gold video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrGcUbn_ZYY&feature=related

[nebrazca78]

Ok, here we go. I decided to abandon fast-action games like shooters or platformers which tend to be short. Even the longest ones can be gone through very quickly once you know the patterns and levels. I wasn't anticipating getting rescued so I was in favor of games that would provide the most content before having to replay them as well as the highest replay value.


1. Might & Magic: Gates To Another World

I am just going to pull my entire reasoning on this one stright from the DP guide: "There are over 250 weapons, 250 unique monsters, nearly 100 different magic spells and 8 character classes to choose from here, pretty high-end for its time. Promises over 100 hours of gaming."

100 hours of gaming plus so many different weapons, enemies and spells? Sign me up. Plus there are 8 character classes so you can go though it 7 more times with a new twist every time after you beat it.

2. PGA Tour Golf III

It was a close race between PGA III and World Series Baseball. But the fact that PGA III is basically the pinnacle of the PGA series and also has eight full courses was the clincher. That's a lot of replay value and you can always do better at golf. Even if you played this game every day for the rest of your life you would be unlikely to get an eagle or better on every hole, especially when you factor in having to do it on EIGHT courses. I could have easily gone with World Series Baseball though, no two baseball games are ever the same, plus you get what, 30 teams to play with? And baseball has that "fast action" aspect that golf doesn't. I guess I'm still on the fence with this one.


3. Populous II: The Tribes

Most people know about Populous, a fun and challenging real-time strategy game. Why not go with the sequel, which has 1000 maps to challenge plus tons more spells? Plus when you play through the first time you will only see a tiny fraction of the maps which gives you insane replay value. If you like strategy games this is an excellent desert island game.




And by the way if picking the Genesis 6-pak was allowed I would definitely have to put that one in there. I don't know what I would bump but the 6-pak is a lock. Also if Sega CD games were also allowed I would bump the Genesis 6-pak for the 5 in 1 CDX version of the Sega Classics compilation. Gotta have my Super Monaco GP.

[DevilRy]

Addam's Family
LandStalker
Gunstar Heroes

almost picked:
Phantasy Star IV
Streets of Rage 3

[Auto-Fox]

Alright. Here we go:

- Ranger X: Possibly the best platform shooter I've ever played. Period.
- Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Because no Genesis collection is complete without it. Also to use with my third choice.
- Sonic & Knuckles: Because you can't finish Sonic 3 without it.

Also, if I could get away with it, I'd have a Game Genie to keep things interesting. Not sure if that counts as a game or not.