Sega Genesis (and Sega systems), help me to see the light.

[smokehouse]

Ok, let me start off with this. My name is Jon and I’m a former Nintendo fanboy. For years I hated all things Sega and hated them blindly. Back in it’s glory days, I had played the Genesis from time to time and never really gave it a chance

Fast forward to the late 90’s and I started to see the error in my ways. I bought a Master System, I bought a Genesis and Sega CD, hell I even bought a Dreamcast in 2000. I’ve bought many games for these system many of which were thought of to be the crown jewels of the systems. (Take in mind I have had MANY other titles as well)

Master:
Double Dragon
R-Type
Phantasy Star

Genesis:
Gunstar Heores
Sonic 1&2
Castlevania Bloodlines
Contra Hardcore
Streets of rage 1&2
Phantasy Star II
Columns
Aladdin
Shadowrun

Sega CD:
Snatcher
Final Fight CD
Shining Force CD
Lords of Thunder
Lunar Silver Star
Vay

Dreamcast:
Resident Evil Code Veronica
Marvel-vs-Capcom 2
Sonic Adventure
Jet Grind Radio
Phantasy Star Online

Of all these games I like only really Streets of Rage 2, Columns, Final Fight CD and Snatcher. I just don’t see it. I have a large collection of NES and SENS titles that I think are absolutely amazing and all I could come up with on these systems is 4 titles? To me the genesis is still sub-par when directly compared to the SNES. Direct comparison of titles like the ones mentioned below come out with the SNES on top (at least to me).

Castlevania Bloodlines to Super Castlevania IV
Contra: Hard Corps to Contra III
Phantasy Star II to Final Fantasy II
Genesis Shadowrun to SNES Shadowrun


There are many more but I don’t want to waste your time. I really want to like these systems but I simply can’t. I’m no longer a fanboy and I keep trying to love these systems like many of you guys do and I can’t (especially the DC but now I've sold it due to lack of love).

Any advice?

[snes_collector]

If you find games for it cheap, buy it. You may find some other titles you like, and the games you don't like you could sell them on here, and atlease get your money back(probably and a little extra.) Hey you never know, you may find some games you like

[davepesc]

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

[Gigadeath]

You should have played those when they were new. That's the moment in which games strike us and our silly minds, the moment when we are young and we see beautiful things for the first time.

For me its the same, only reverse.

The only things I bear to play are Megadrive games, even now. I bought a SNES, with all the Mario, Metroid, Final Fantasy you can think of and resold it on eBay within a month for 25 euros, shouting "fuck this shit in the ass"; after 5 minutes I was already playing Sonic and SOR2 like there's no tomorrow.

It's like imprinting for animals, you gotta play them when you're 13.

[Damaramu]

There are many more but I don’t want to waste your time. I really want to like these systems but I simply can’t. I’m no longer a fanboy and I keep trying to love these systems like many of you guys do and I can’t (especially the DC but now I've sold it due to lack of love).

Any advice?

Sell them immediately.

If you're not feeling it with those games you mentioned, you probably never will. Give someone who never had a Genesis or Sega CD a chance to enjoy them, as it seems you are unable to!

With that being said, I will gladly purchase your Sega CD games, as I am trying to build a collection for that super fun system!

[diskoboy]

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Truer words have never been spoken.

You don't like Jet Grind or PSO??!! Blasphemy!!! *Squirts holy water in eyes*

Joking - Sega really just has a dedicated fanbase... Most of us "sega fanboys" have liked Sega before they even put out a console. Playing Space Harrier in '85 turned me into a fanboy. I was a true Sega fanboy until the end of the Saturn's life. That's when I realized that Sega of America was no longer in control, and SOJ was making monumental mistakes (still are, if you ask me).

As my dad would say, "That's why they make Fords and Chevy's"

[Melf]

Everyone's entitled to their own tastes, but you have no idea what you're missing.

[Push Upstairs]

Of all these games I like only really Streets of Rage 2, Columns, Final Fight CD and Snatcher. I just don’t see it. I have a large collection of NES and SENS titles that I think are absolutely amazing and all I could come up with on these systems is 4 titles?

Well, I can only see myself owning a handful of SNES games.

I don't hate the SNES, and i played it regularly alongside my Genesis, but there just isnt any overwhelming love for the SNES library.

However i can collect Genesis titles like there is no tomorrow.

You can't force "liking" any system. You had to like something either Sega or Nintendo did before you ended up buying thier system/games.

I myself loved "Outrun" & "Turbo Outrun" and that continues today.

[luffy744]

*stands up in the middle of the crowd*

I'm luffy744, and I was a Nintendo fanboy. From 1987 when I was four years old, until 1999 when I broke down and bought a PSX for Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy Tactics, I lived and breathed Nintendo. NES, Super NES, Gameboy, N64, Gameboy Color where all there was to gaming (along with my occasional adventures into PC gaming in the early 90's over a friend's house) as far as I was concerned. Yes, I played the Turbografx-16, I played the Sega Genesis, but they just didn't hold a candle to the mighty N in my eyes. It sure felt weird playing my PSX for the first year or so, but all the RPGS... I just couldn't resist. But I had started to break away from the N.

Then summer 2001 I believe it was. Sega officially ended production and support for the Dreamcast, and Amazon was getting rid of them for $99 a pop, with a huge selecion of $10-20 games. I'd heard nothing but ravingly good things about this Sega system, but I was still reluctant. The Genesis and Sega CD, try as they might, never really impressed me. I completely skipped over the 32X and Saturn. I put in the order: $144 + $15 shipping got me a brand new Dreamcast, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi and Jet Grind Radio.

Funnily, the first thing I popped into the machine when it arrived was the demo disc it came with, and I just picked the first entry listed: Dead or Alive 2.

I sat there staring for about a minute and just went . It was bloody GORGEOUS! Imagine jumping from Zelda: Majora's Mask, Gran Turismo and Resident Evil 2.... to Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi. I had no idea Sega fans had been so spoiled graphics-wise for two years.

I got over the graphics shock quickly enough, and found the gameplay of almost every DC game I played to be stunning. Sonic Adventure 1-2, Soul Calibur, Shenmue, Grandia 2, tons more. The Dreamcast was basically a huge smack upside the head, showing me just how much I'd missed out over the years by ignoring Sega. And, like I usually do, I just managed to miss the boat; about 6 months after that the DC was dead and buried (US release-wise), and Sega was out of the hardware business. But they did not die in vain (Yes, I know they still make games for current and next gen systems, but it's just not the same; Come on, would anyone here argue that Toe Jam & Earl 3 and Sonic Heroes are even a hundredth as good as the Genesis originals?), the Dreamcast completely opened my eyes to the greatness of Sega, and I've been catching up ever since.

[Xizer]

You haven't experienced the awesomeness of the Dreamcast until you've played Rayman 2. The DC version is the best out of all of them The PS2 version is actually uglier than the DC version - it suffers from a significant lack of anti-aliasing.[/i]

[Julio III]

I can easily understand you prefering the SNES and Nes over the Master System and Mega Drive but the Dreamcast I just can't understand. Get a Dreamcast, pop in Shenmue and thats all you'll need for a while. Then go try Rez, Samba de Amigo, even ChuChuRocket or something.

For me, the MegaDrive love was got from Sonic originally but mostly endless 4player sessions of Micro Machines 2.

[smokehouse]

I guess I totally missed the Dreamcast boat. I had one for years and finally sold it last month. Games like Sonic, Crazy Taxi and JGR just seemed like no brainer titles to me that go boring quickly. I think it is a Ford or Chevy thing. I’ve tried to like Sonic titles but I feel like I’m simply running around aimlessly for no reason.

I think that Sega titles must appeal to different types of people. By saying different I mean different from me. So used to Squaresoft titles, Phantasy Star I, II and Online seemed slow and cumbersome, especially Online and I did give that title quite a bit of time (say 20+ hours).

The DC did have some amazing graphics but I found many of the games to simply be “In your face extreme!!!”, I lost my interest quickly. I did play RE through. In the end the DC went so that I could raise funds for my Neo collection.

Oh well. I’ll keep my Genesis/Sega CD and possibly I’ll give it a try some 10 years from now. Who knows, maybe then I’ll enjoy it more.

[anagrama]

If you don't like Gunstar Heroes or Jet Set Radio, then you have no soul.

[Vroomfunkel]

Hmm, you've got a way to go yet before you should write off Sega:

Genesis: Dynamite Headdy, Rocket Night Adventures, Toejam and Earl 1 & 2 (personally I think 2 is the only decent one, but weight of opinion seems to be against me here ..), Phantasy Star IV, Alien 3, Alien Soldier

Sega Cd - Sonic CD and Snatcher are the only truly compelling games on this system, to my mind. Other than that, forget it.

Saturn - you can't say you've given Sega a chance without indulging in some Saturn goodness. Saturn Bomberman, Death Tank Zwei, Panzer Dragoon trilogy, Mr Bones, Burning Rangers, Nights into Dreams, Shining Force 3, Astal ... and that's before you even start on the huge wealth of yummy imports!

Dreamcast - Samba De Amigo was where it was all at for me with the DC. And Space Channel 5 (both parts). There wasn't much else that gripped me - although Dave Mirra BMX in 'pain' mode was quite a laugh (OK, and Ikaruga was pretty cool). But I never did get round to playing Jet Set Radio, so perhaps that is my loss.

Vroomfunkel

[CosmicMonkey]

I too was a Nintendo fan boy. From the age of 8 I was playing my NES. Then GB, SuperFamicom, N64 and GBA. I did however have a MD for a short while. At that time, Nintendo could do no wrong. But my SFami, Super Play mag and US N64 helped me to see the light. By the end of the N64 I was a bit sick of Nintendo. Plus, I'd grown up a lot.

I eagerly anticipated the launch of the DC and got one asap. I then got a white Jpn Saturn and the 2 machines I always wanted when I was younger, but could never have: a PC Engine DuoR and a NeoGeo.

And now there's only an N64 in the house, and it's not even connected. I'm in the process of sorting out a MD/Mega CD for the dining room, but thinking of sneaking a SFami Jr in there too. Thing is, I really can't think of any number of SNES games I really want. I truly love SMW, but I don't think I could play through it again. For the millionth time. I got Zelda:aLttP for the GBA and can't see me getting that. Other than say, Contra 4, Castlevania and Axelay I can't think of many other games I want.

In fact, my last bit of Nintendo fan-boyism died this year. I'd always hated Sony for the whole SNES CD fiasco and also what they've done to the games industry. I then admitted to myself that Sony haven't done anything wrong, they've just brough gaming to the mass market, and in fact there's some bloody great Jpn-only 2D wonderfullness on the PSX. So I went and got a PSone.

Nintendo are great, but I've been there and done it. Now I'm gonna spend the next 15years (or so...) catching up with what I missed from the last 15years.

[Ulticron]

My reccomendation is to try the Saturn. I grew up a Nintendo fanboy too until the 32 bit era. I felt dissapointed by the N64, so I read the specs on the Saturn and the Playstation, and ultimately bought the Saturn. It was my first Sega console and it changed my mind.

Suggested games:
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Bug Too!
Nights Into Dreams
Dark Savior
Albert Odyssey
Magic Knight Rayearth
Virtua Cop


If you're not happy w/Sega after playing those games, then I can honestly say you will most likely never be happy with them.

[jdc]

I started with the N64 and then quickly went forwards and backwards at the same time. Forwards as things progressed but backwards after I joined DP. I picked up the Genny and started buying games like mad. I liked the vivid graphics but many of the games just sat there because I found them to be too difficult. I pared it back and now I have a library of Genny RPGs along with a few favorites of other genres. Ditto with my NES. The only major system that I've never owned is the SNES, so I can't compare. I'll most likely pick one up this winter after my new gaming room is finished being built.

Anyhow....Sega. I was running my own game shop at the time of the Dreamcast launch. I could NOT understand why someone would come into my store, stand mezmerized as they watched Soul Calibur running in glorious 128 bit.....and then proceed to the counter to buy the "new" PSX 9001 Dualshock Playstation. This happened over and over again. I was floored. I think that that was the day that I wrote the general public off as a mass of idiots. I swear it was.

Don't give me ANY bullshit about people not buying Dreamcasts because Sega "burned" them before.....that sorry-ass worn out lame excuse doesn't wash with me. My take on the situation was that people were afraid of moving from the safety of Playstation franchises into uncharted Dreamcast waters. They didn't recognize many of the titles and so chose the ones that they DID......Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider and Resident Evil. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. That's why the Dreamcast didn't do as well as it should have.

I ended up supporting the Dreamcast as best as I could and became a store where Sega fans felt at home. We had wonderful Dreamcast sessions in the shop nearly every evening. Make no mistake....with 3 TVs, the Playstation and N64 were running as well. I sold over 200 Dreamcasts in the December of launch year alone and this is a small city. Then came the launch of the PS2 and you could see things plummet for the "Swirlie". The Dreamcast kicked the shit out of the PS2 in the eye candy department, that we all know. But yet again, it was comfort in familiar franchises that did it. You ended up being able to get your old Playstation favorites in 128 bit, not to mention backwards compatibility. Sega just sort of stood there and let Sony kick them in the balls. There was no aggressive advertising campaign to "fight" against the PS2. That's when I knew that Sega had thrown in the proverbial towel. In the end the only action that the Dreamcast saw was from bargain hunters and burn monkeys. The system rose so high in such a short time and fell even faster. Shame.

In these days of the internet, fanboyism can be a deadly thing. Word and opinion travels even faster than it did before. People used to have to find out for themselves whether a console or game was right for them by actually playing it. Now they just hop onto the 'net and let the voices of others tell them whether it "sux0rz" or not. It's fairly ridiculous when you think about it.

I like hanging out on DP because it's one of the few "safe havens" for people who like to have more than one choice at their disposal. Let's hope that THAT never changes!

[Jumpman Jr.]

I am with you too. I've never really liked playing any Sega console, but for some reason, I have a crazy drive to collect for them. I've recently been buying huge amounts of 32X and SMS games, but don't really like playing them. x_x

[googlefest1]

id still say your a nintendo fanboy at heart

you dont want to give up those childhood memories of being a sega hater

i would sugest just thinking of the games as "games" and not as sega or nintendo or any other corporate entity - stop ascociateing them with somekind of club or cult and mabey then your enjoyment will change -- becasue you'd be looking through unbiased eyes

if you like one particualr control pad try to modify one to work on both systems -- then it also would give you the feeling of the games being on one system OR would help you forget the "its the other one" sentiment

if you are realy compelled to sell of all your sega stuff -- give me a PM and well try to deal

[chaoticjelly]

smokehouse... yes.. I was just going to say... WHY no Sega Saturn.. theres a world of amazing imports out there :P

I was a Nintendo kid too when I was younger.. SNES and Gameboy were all I owned.. but my friends.. they had the amazing power of Sega.. and now.. now I see the LIGHT

All of the arguments about how SNES was better.. pff ;-) there are some class games that never loose their appearl, but the Megadrive just seems os much better now, and Sega in general seems to be geared towards the core gamers.