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Recommend me some genesis hidden gems

Z

zoodoo

Member
I was a snes kid back in the days. I played the major genesis titles like street of rage, golgen axe etc... Never been a sonic fan. I want to explore that console's library more. So far I am interested in:

Beyond oasis: i am a zelda fan and this game seems inspired by it.

alladin: loved the snes version and heard the genesis version is very different.

phantasy star series: I have heard a lot about this series but never played any.

shining forces series: same as phantasy star.

So gaf, any other suggestions? I am not into super difficult games though.
 
P

Phediuk

Member
Adventures of Batman and Robin
Sub-terrania
Mega Turrican
Kid Chameleon
Thunder Force 4
Ranger X
Devilish
Battle Mania Daiginjou
 
M

maxcriden

Member
I recently got a Genesis as a Christmas present from my wife. Lion King is pretty tough so I don't know if it would be of interest to you based in your disclaimer but there is a level select code that helped us. Amazing game. We've also played a bit of Mickey Mania, haven't seen people discuss that one too often - it's obscenely hard from what we've played but as with Lion King it is very fun and has terrific graphics. It also has a level select code which definitely helps (or maybe it was a lives code, but something like that).
 
P

Phediuk

Member
maxcriden said:
I recently got a Genesis as a Christmas present from my wife. Lion King is pretty tough so I don't know if it would be of interest to you based in your disclaimer but there is a level select code that helped us. Amazing game. We've also played a bit of Mickey Mania, haven't seen people discuss that one too often - it's obscenely hard from what we've played but as with Lion King it is very fun and has terrific graphics. It also has a level select code which definitely helps (or maybe it was a lives code, but something like that).
Click to expand...

Yes, Mickey Mania is very good.

Just avoid the SNES version. It sucks.
 
P

Platy

Member
Batman and Robin is different from the NES and it is also the Crysis of Mega Drive games beacause it uses every trick in the book to make it look as 3d and insane as possible


Dinossaurs For Hire is a pretty stylish Contra Clone that is way easier than the Contra series
 
Z

zoodoo

Member
maxcriden said:
I recently got a Genesis as a Christmas present from my wife. Lion King is pretty tough so I don't know if it would be of interest to you based in your disclaimer but there is a level select code that helped us. Amazing game. We've also played a bit of Mickey Mania, haven't seen people discuss that one too often - it's obscenely hard from what we've played but as with Lion King it is very fun and has terrific graphics. It also has a level select code which definitely helps (or maybe it was a lives code, but something like that).
Click to expand...

I did not like lion king game that much. It looks good but i was not too fond of the gameplay.
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman

Banned
All the Disney games but especially Castle of Illusion and Quackshot. They are gorgeous platformers and are not particularly difficult.
edit: they're not hidden gems I guess, but they were not mentioned in the OP.
 
U

Unicorn

Member
Cyborg Justice. Think Armored Core meets Streets of Rage. Has robot dismemberment.

Controls are clunky by today's standards (and even then), but the robot trappings make it almost passable.
 
U

Unicorn

Member
Mutant League Football is fucking amazing.

Mutant League Hockey is also good, especially if you are canadian.

Road Rash 2 is da best.
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman

Banned
cirrhosis said:
Shaq Fu
Sword of Sodan
Click to expand...

2999374-8194131681-dont-.jpg
 
S

SatoAilDarko

Member
Not a specific game recommendation but of you're interested in exploring the Genesis' catalog Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is less than $15 new for 360/PS3 and has three save state slots for each game.

Sonic_Ultimate_Genesis_Collection.jpg


Wikipedia said:
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games (40 total):
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis/The Story of Thor
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: The Tides of Time
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention
Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal
Shining in the Darkness
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic 3D Blast/Flickies Island
Sonic Spinball
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2

Unlockable extra games:
Alien Syndrome (arcade)
Altered Beast (arcade)
Congo Bongo (arcade)
Fantasy Zone (arcade)
Golden Axe Warrior (Master System)
Phantasy Star (Master System)
Shinobi (arcade)
Space Harrier (arcade)
Zaxxon/Super Zaxxon (arcade)
Click to expand...
 
M

maxcriden

Member
Phediuk said:
Yes, Mickey Mania is very good.

Just avoid the SNES version. It sucks.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I didn't even realize there was a version of that game for SNES. But SNES/SF have some good Mickey games, right? I haven't played them but heard good things about magical quest and I want to say there were some Famicom or Super Famicom Mickey games that never made it westward.

zoodoo said:
I did not like lion king game that much. It looks good but i was not too fond of the gameplay.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Maybe Mickey will be more your bag, though I did find it even harder. Anyway, great idea for a thread and I'm very eager to see what people suggest!
 
R

Rock And Roll

Member
The Genesis by far has the superior version of Aladdin, and the SNES is my all time favorite console. Seriously, you'll love it.

Phantasy Star IV is still amazing. You might dig II but it is very grind and there's a lot of random encounters, it definitely hasn't aged well. Phantasy Star III should be avoided.

Edit: no one has mentioned Gunstar Heroes yet. One of the greatest on the Genesis, check it out if you haven't already.
 
P

Phediuk

Member
maxcriden said:
Thank you. I didn't even realize there was a version of that game for SNES. But SNES/SF have some good Mickey games, right? I haven't played them but heard good things about magical quest and I want to say there were some Famicom or Super Famicom Mickey games that never made it westward.
Click to expand...

The Capcom "Quest" series is decent enough, but not as good as Castle/World of Illusion.
 
A

Azure Phoenix

Member
zoodoo said:
Is it different from snes? I remember the snes version being very hard.
Click to expand...
Completely different game, the Mega Drive version is also very tough but aside from being a damn good side-scrolling beat-em-up it's notable for pushing the system beyond all its theoretical limits with effects that the SNES needed the FX chip to produce - showcasing huge sprites, scaling, rotation, transparency and a killer soundtrack by Jesper Kyd. It's honestly one of my favourite games of the 16 bit era.

Other hidden or often forgotten gems I can recommend:

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Cosmic Spacehead (mix between a platformer and point and click adventure)
Cool Spot (not so hidden, but usually forgotten)
Haunting: Starring Polterguy (possess furniture and such to scare families out of a house)
Alisia Dragoon
Power Drive (Europe only, way better than the SNES version)
Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP2
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament
Krusty's Super Fun House
Snow Bros: Nick & Tom (Japan only, stupidly expensive)
Twinkle Tale (Japan only, mortgage your house)
 
P

Phediuk

Member
maxcriden said:
Thanks, I definitely plan to check out Castle/World then!
Click to expand...

As a side note, the Master System version of Castle of Illusion is a different game from the Genesis one, and at least as good, if not better. One of the best SMS games, and Land of Illusion's great too.
 
SmokedMeat

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
Dick Tracy.

No joke, I didn't discover it until generations later as I ignored it back then because who cared about Dick Tracy? But it's a fantastic mix of side scrolling action and shooting mechanics like Nam '75 on the Neo Geo.

https://youtu.be/G6e5qK7sGPQ

I'm also going to go with the very first Shining game, Shining in the Darkness. Often ignored, yet a fantastic first person dungeon crawler that to this day is still better then anything I've played from the genre on PC.
 
V

Valahart

Member
Coincidently I've been on a roll of finishing Genesis games.

I'm not sure which ones are hidden gems because I didn't have a Genesis back then, so I'll list all the ones I've finished but the obviously mainstream ones.

Dynamite Headdy
Gunstar Heroes
Alien Soldier

Treasure can do no wrong for me, all three are absolutely incredible.

Ristar

Incredible platformer, it appeals so much more to me than the Sonic franchise ever has.
 
T

TheDarkKnight774

Member
Rocket Knight Adventures

Rocket_Knight_Adventures_North_American_Genesis_box_art.jpg


An action plafrormer by Konami. It's one of the best games from the Genesis/SNES era but rarely gets brought up. The real star is the constant variety in level design, and level design gimmicks. Elements that most devs would use and flush out in a whole game are used for half a level. Excellent graphics, charming music and super tight gameplay. It's got it all
 
L

lazygecko

Member
Alisia Dragoon is a great fantasy action game where you have little dragon helpers flying around, like drones in a shmup.

HgozygE.jpg


Ranger-X is a novel mech action game that takes some getting used to but is a nice experience when you get a grip on it. Has some of the finest pixel art and attention to detail you'll find in any 16-bit game.

gCeiDjY.png


Generations Lost is a pretty solid cinematic platformer (sort of like Flashback/Another World but more action-oriented) made by a Naughty Dog developer early in his career.

ySQqYUM.png


Sub-Terrania is a unique shooter with Lunar Lander-esque gravity mechanics.

bpZkSsS.png
 
D

Digby

Neo Member
Sub-terrania Is brutal. It should not be recommended if you have rage and/or blood pressure issues.
 
R

Rahvar

Member
I remember Sword of Vermillion fondly. Especially the first time you get to a boss battle and the gameplay changes drastically.
 
R

rudger

Member
Landstalker. Great Zelda like action rpg with some unique puzzles.

If you're trying out Shining Force (which you absolutely should), also try Shining in the Darkness. Same series, but completely different gameplay. First person dungeon rpg. Shining the Holy Ark on the Saturn is the same format.

I always heard good thing a about Herzog Zwei but never had a chance to play it.
 
S

Speely

Banned
Rahvar said:
I remember Sword of Vermillion fondly. Especially the first time you get to a boss battle and the gameplay changes drastically.
Click to expand...

As clunky as it is, I love this game. The music, the battles, everything. So good.

rudger said:
I always heard good thing a about Herzog Zwei but never had a chance to play it.
Click to expand...

Amazing early RTS with super-addictive, easy-to-pick-up gameplay. I lost hundreds of hours to this game playing vs my best friend at the time haha.
 
B

batfax

Member
Lot of good ones already covered, but since you're trying Beyond Oasis because of its Zelda inspiration you should probably look into Crusader of Centy/Soleil and Landstalker too.

And though they were already mentioned, definitely echoing:
Batman and Robin
Gunstar Heroes
Ranger X
Rocket Knight
Tiny Toons: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Alisia Dragoon

and a quick word of advice for Phantasy Star: Work your way backwards from 4, 2, 1. 3 isn't bad, but it's much more loosely connected to the other games. I guess just play it whenever?
 
M

maxcriden

Member
Phediuk said:
As a side note, the Master System version of Castle of Illusion is a different game from the Genesis one, and at least as good, if not better. One of the best SMS games, and Land of Illusion's great too.
Click to expand...

That is definitely good to know, thank you!
 
T

Theslammer

Member
Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars: This is a game that's a bunch of sports -- soccer, basketball, bowling, etc. -- using Tiny Toons characters, and when I played it, it was a LOT of fun.

Aerobiz: This is an airline simulator where you compete with other airlines and try to become the number one company in the world.

Pirates! Gold: I don't think Sid Meier games are necessarily "hidden gems," but I know it's associated with PC, and the Genesis version is pretty awesome. This was my first open-world game, and I loved the hell out of it.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
TheDarkKnight774 said:
Rocket Knight Adventures

Rocket_Knight_Adventures_North_American_Genesis_box_art.jpg


An action plafrormer by Konami. It's one of the best games from the Genesis/SNES era but rarely gets brought up. The real star is the constant variety in level design, and level design gimmicks. Elements that most devs would use and flush out in a whole game are used for half a level. Excellent graphics, charming music and super tight gameplay. It's got it all
Click to expand...

Legit one of the best Gen 4 games period.
 
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