The 100 Best Sega Genesis Games

A solid adventure platformer co-produced by anime studio Gainax.

Hardly arcade perfect but captured a lot of the arcade classic's magic.

All your base are belong to us.

It took a few years after the console's launch but Zero Tolerance proved that first person shooting in the style of Doom was capable on the Genesis.

Wise Fwom Your Gwave!

If the sprite art style looks familiar it's because the artist would go on to create the Cho Aniki series.

Based on the famous manga/anime mech series, this game featured some of the most fluid character animations on the Genesis, most notably in the boss fights.

Surprising that this is the only Bomberman game on the Genesis, let alone a port that was handled by Wonder Boy studio, Westone.

You can't help but think this was a precursor to WayForward's Shantae series.

A worthy follow-up to EA's Desert Strike, now with the ability to control more than just the helicopter.

Plays a bit like "reverse Tower Defense," complemented by one of the better soundtracks on the Genesis.

Take one of the countless side scrolling shooters on the system, then add gravity.

By the time this was made, there were already so many shoot 'em ups for the Genesis that no U.S. publisher wanted to take a chance on it. Still a darn good shooter.

Namco's Rolling Thunder series always did a much better job making a James Bond adventure better than any 007 side scrolling game out there. And it included Shinobi-style balcony jumps.

This is just one of a number of games on the list inspired by The Legend of Zelda and it's also the most literal take. Go further along this list to see similar games that were more than just Zelda clones.

Many other Genesis basketball games have better frame rates, but this one is noteworthy for being the first game with the NBA license as well as many of the players' signature moves.

Not exactly an optimized 16-bit quality leap over the NES games, but we were just happy enough to have the first three games in a single Mega Drive cartridge.

One of the best parts about this futuristically slick manga-styled shooter was the apocalyptic twist near the end of the first mission.

The best installment of an Indiana Jones-inspired trilogy that included Earnest Evans, El Viento showcased some of Motoi Sakuraba's (Tales series, Valkyrie Profile) earliest work. H.P. Lovecraft fans will also spot a Cthulhu reference or two.

Not only did this improve on the classic Splatterhouse formula by giving the player more freedom to explore, it actually has a lot in common with the 2010 reboot in terms of story and gameplay.

Developer Treasure had a great streak of Genesis/Mega Drive games and that included this side scrolling run and gun title that holds the record for most boss fights in its genre (31 of them). It only has two difficulty settings: super easy and super hard.

One of the best parts of this top-down arcade port was the Metal Gear Solid-like ability to stick to walls. In this case it was to avoid gunfire.

Co-designed by famed developer Mark Cerny, this was one of the high points of the U.S.-based Sega Technical Institute.

This Batman game by Sunsoft stayed surprisingly faithful to the 1989 film. It might have sold more if not for the fact that the back of the box showed screenshots from the NES version.

Did you know this steampunk shooter was originally based on Hayao Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky?

One of the better top-down shooters was actually this game adaptation of True Lies. Give it 15 minutes and you can see how it requires more thinking and strategy than your average shooter.

A fine Disney follow-up to the critically praised Castle of Illusion, this game finds Donald playing explorer, armed with a gun that shoots plungers.

This action-RPG showed a stylistic change for Treasure as it displayed a more European RPG look.

SNES owners got Turtles in Time while we got The Hyperstone Heist. Both have their strengths with Hyperstone considered to be the harder of the two.

If you're going to make a game out of 1990's Operation Desert Storm, at least make it a good game. Electronic Arts did just that and managed to spawn four sequels.

One of the few Genesis games that effectively balanced arcade and strategy gameplay. It also let the player pick different teams of soldiers, each consisting of different classes. With an adapter, four players can play on the same team against the computer.

Yet another Treasure title. This game's protagonist threw his own head as his weapon and could use different abilities by having other specialized heads.

I bought this the day it came out, expecting a port of the arcade version. I was wrong but I wasn't disappointed either although the box art is rather questionable.

Sadly, this was the only 16-bit outing by unofficial Sega mascot Alex Kidd. While endearing in its visual design and cute rock, paper, scissors showdowns, Enchanted Castle was also difficult for not having a life bar; one hit and Alex Kidd lost a life.

More than a Castlevania knock off, this has as much anime-style drama during the game play as it does during its cut-scenes.

One of the few gaming exercises in literal corporate warfare. While rebooted in 2012 as a first-person shooter, the original game was an isometric, fast paced action-strategy game that also includes R&D toward cyborg upgrades and new weaponry.

This might look and play like Konami's answer to Sonic the Hedgehog, but it also has many of the aesthetic qualities of the company's 16-bit Contra series, thanks to having the same lead designer, Nobuya Nakazato.

While there are other Mickey Mouse games on the Genesis with better production values, this one had the best soundtrack, precise controls and was simply the most charming of the bunch.

The Genesis/Mega Drive certainly wasn't short of pseudo-3D shooters like Space Harrier II, Super Thunder Blade, Burning Force and Galaxy Force. Panorama Cotton wins out for being the most technically impressive and for having a witch.

This game about a pair of alien rappers gained a cult following after its initial release, enhanced tremendously by its two player cooperative gameplay.

One of the better post-Tetris falling piece puzzle games for the Genesis.

Yes, it was a side scrolling shooter paradise on the Genesis. This game's Japanese title? Crying.

Puyo Puyo wasn't seen as marketable to 1993 American gamers so Sega rebranded it as a Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off starring Sonic's nemesis.

Funny, the more this game ages, the more youngsters laugh at the concept. That is until they find out that it's actually a good game. The music is more than recognizable not to mention, the slew of MJ's moves.

Capitalized on the popularity of the first game and became a sequel specially designed for the Genesis.

Genesis owners might not have been able to enjoy the technical wizardry of Super Castlenia IV on the SNES, but at least Bloodlines provided a dark tour of Europe and two heroes: one with the classic whip and another with a spear.

This is the pinnacle of the Wonder Boy series. Very accessible action-RPG gameplay, incredible soundtrack and endearing visual style.

Hands-down the most soothing puzzle-action game available on the Genesis.

Not only did EA have a sense of humor, the developer/publisher was happy to reuse the Madden '93 engine and make the most of it with a post-apocalyptic football concept, right down to the land mines and bribable refs.

Felt like the kind of strategy game you graduated to after beating Shining Force II. Also happened to be one of the first game projects for character designer Satoshi Urushihara.

Also a Game Freak production (you can already start seeing the Pokemon hair). To call it Mega Man-meets-Sonic the Hedgehog would not be a negative simplification.

Vectorman's pre-rendered 3D models and involving 2D action gameplay made it easy for gamers to forget that the game even had an eco-friendly message.

It's arguably the number one EA property long overdue for a reboot.

To think: all that fuss over animated blood helped the Genesis hold its own against the SNES. This was one of the more fully featured versions available for the console.

If you enjoy the 4th wall-breaking shenanigans of Viewtiful Joe, then this game is for you.

One of the greatest achievements in arcade-to-console porting and the best game on the Genesis you can beat in 15 minutes

The only downside to the brilliance of Sonic the Hedgehog was the subsequent wave of mascot-based platformers that came out later. Bubsy? Aero the Acrobat?

This fast-paced action-RPG is worth checking out if only to compare it with the PSP remake, Ys: The Oath in Felghana.

The concept of this humanoid star evolved from the same design talks that gave birth to Sonic the Hedgehog. He was even considered to replace Sonic as Sega's mascot in the mid-90's.

Took chances by introducing features not seen in the original game. Shiny Entertainment succeed by keeping it equally funny with mini games that felt relevant to Jim's universe.

It might look dated today, but the game's animation went a long way in making players feel like they were reenacting the animated film.

The best Genesis launch title also makes for a fitting set of training wheels before tackling the more difficult SNES Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts.

If you know this game like the back of your hand then it shouldn't be difficult to clear the remake of the Sky Sanctuary level featured in last year's Sonic Generations.

An epic isometric action-RPG that would've ranked higher if not for the tricky depth perspective made the platforming very challenging.

Another instance where the Genesis version was superior to the SNES version, aided by the development talents of BlueSky Software, which would go on to create Vectorman.

It's still mind blowing that much of the blueprint of the real-time strategy genre came from this, a console game.

Calling this shooter 'hard' is an understatement, but it is beatable believe it or not.

I remember being first disappointed that this wasn't a sequel to Shining in the Darkness. Turned out I would end up loving this SRPG even more.

You actually don't start as a one-man army, but after the dramatic opening cutscene, your four mech-flying wingmen get toasted, leaving this stellar shooter in your hands.

Sonic 3 was originally designed with an isometric view which would ultimately become Sonic 3D Blast. Sonic 3 was also initially designed to have Sonic & Knuckles in the same cartridge.

Still regarded as one of the best sports games ever made, there's even an active tribute site aptly named nhl94.com.

Just like Revenge of Shinobi but with a faster pace, propelled by horses and hover boards.

By merely seeing the lava level in print media previews, you just knew how great it would look once you saw it in motion.

Ancient's first solo effort on a new IP transcended its superficial Legend of Zelda comparisons, supported by yet another memorable soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro. Link can only wish he had the support of elemental spirits like Prince Ali had in Beyond Oasis.

Set 200 years in the future, Target Earth casts you as a massive Mech, who must defend Earth from an incoming cyborg invasion; think Contra with sci-fi elements, like a jetpack and 14 futuristic weapons. And like Contra, Target Earth is fiendishly difficult. Fortunately, it’s available on Nintendo Switch Online, which gives you rewind powers that didn’t exist when the game launched in 1990.

Again, you pilot a mech, and again, you’re fighting against the invading forces of your home planet. But Ranger X stands out for its intangibles. Let’s start with the environments and backgrounds. This game has some of the most evocative, beautiful scenery possible, given the technical limitations at the time. And every frame of the game feels packed, with bullets, bombs, and explosions going off everywhere. It’s mayhem, and it feels exactly like what it is: an intergalactic fight to the death.

There are two ways to play Sonic the Hedgehog games. The first, more casual way is to run and keep running, taking advantage of Sonic’s speed to overcome the numerous obstacles in your way. The second is to take things slowly and find all the nooks, crannies, and hidden passageways in each massive, multitiered level. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, by expanding the already massive levels, encouraged you to do both. It’s the rare sequel that exceeds the original, in nearly every way.

The first Phantasy Star didn’t sell especially well, because it launched on the earlier Sega Master system. It was Phantasy Star II on the Genesis that put the franchise on the map, with a sprawling sci-fi theme, an involved story about the fate of the Algol Star System, and a cautionary conservation lesson about humankind’s greed and recklessness. It was boundary-pushing for its time and was so involved and complex that it came with its own strategy guide.

The cinematic Ninja Gaiden series was a Nintendo exclusive. Revenge of the Shinobi was Sega’s answer to it, featuring large sprites, an aggressive somersault attack, mystical ninjutsu superpowers, and enemies that burst into flames when you killed them. You play as Joe Musashi, who must infiltrate and destroy the Zeed criminal organization, as reprisal for his master’s murder and his wife’s kidnapping.

There are so many Contra-inspired games on this list, and so of course, we had to include Contra: Hard Corps. Set five years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars, Hard Corps has you choose one of four distinct characters, who then goes on the classic “shoot everything that moves” rampage that made Contra famous. The gameplay has a few new wrinkles, like a sliding move and the ability to carry up to four weapons at a time. But at its core, it’s still Contra, complete with massive end-boss battles. There’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.

Streets of Rage 2 is an iconic beat ‘em up—debatably the best game of the franchise, and hands-down the best beat ‘em up on the Genesis. Again, you’re taking down the mysterious Mr. X, who’s hiding out on a private island after kidnapping Adam Hunter, the hero from the first game. The sheer variety of enemies means you never get bored, and everything, from the atmospheric settings to the sprites of the main characters is beautifully animated. Plus, there’s a bumping techno soundtrack behind it all.

The Shining Force franchise was the gold standard of strategic, turn-based combat long before Fire Emblem. And the second installment was the best of the lot. The MVP of the game is Peter, a phoenix who revives if he dies in combat, and calls down sonic rings and hurricanes on his foes. There are 30 characters in all, only 12 of which can be in your active party at once. There are many ways to achieve victory, and you’ll find yourself trying them on multiple playthroughs.

Considered by many to be the finest RPG available on the Genesis, Phantasy Star IV received a muted reception upon its release. And perhaps that’s because everything about it is excellent, and thus, nothing stands out. The graphics and sound are wonderful. The story is a mystery, and we learn about our characters’ motivations over the course of hours. And the fighting is both unique and complex. You determine all your characters’ actions at the beginning of a turn, which allows you to link them together for more devastating combos. And if you find a combo you like, you can hotkey it to a macro function, so you can use it whenever you’d like.

When gamers discuss the coolness factor that the Sega Genesis had in the ‘90s, they’re discussing games like Gunstar Heroes. On a fundamental level, it’s a side scrolling shooter. But you can also grapple your opponents and toss them around. You can perform a sliding tackle. You can perform a flying kick. You can put your guard up to deflect your opponents’ attacks. You can combine two weapons in order to make a new one. There’s a fantastic interplay between these different elements, and the cartoonish visual presentation is the cherry on top.