@@rmcoutinho A lot of the games he talks about are ones he emulates, and when he does buy them it's for the sake of collecting (and probably a few from before he knew any better lol)
Rocket Knight Adventures is one underrated action classic that could never be matched. Not even the sequels nor the recent digital only Rocket Knight could get that good.
RKA isn't underrated at all. Not very known these days, but it sold well back in the day and has received nothing but praise from anyone that played it. Glowing reviews too.
Ristar is so incredibly underrated and I’m so sad it was released near the end of the Genesis and failed to find a good audience as it’s so worthy of a sequel!!!
Feel like sega made the public feel they discontinued supporting the genesis did ristar an injustice . They should have rolled with the idea of the svp lock on cartridge And not do that damn 32x & took all the resources making the Saturn the best operating system they could have 😊
5 Star games/Hidden Gems: -- Pirate's Gold -- New Horizons -- Shadowrun -- Starflight -- Herzog Zwei -- General Chaos -- Toejam and Earl -- Mutant League Hockey -- Star Control
Where's Lightening Force (Thunder Force IV)? Ranger X? Vector Man? Gleylancer? Gaiares? Phantasy Star IV? Aladdin? Alisia Dragoon? Shining Force II? Dragon's Fury? Ecco? Earthworm Jim? Cool Spot? Comix Zone? And I know it's an after-market title, but Bitmap Bureau's Xeno Crisis is absolutely five stars on the Genesis, as well.
This is why I find Genesis rankings so hard to follow. Most of these creators don't seem to have a good grasp on the Genesis library. I'm new to the Genesis, as I just played the hell out of all the Nintendo consoles to the point that I had to look somewhere else for new good games. *I* was surprised a lot of these never showed up on the list. I'll have to check out that homebrew. Seems like they made it for a lot of other systems as well.
As a kid in the early 90's...X-Men and Grunge was everything to us. The cards, the comics, the cartoons. The original game was fun to play but X-Men 2 is just perfect. The controls are crisp and the music is just a unique mood...I still play it to this day! This list is legit ✔
Dynamite Headdy is one of the Genesis's best games no one brings up. The idea of a puppet using his head to attack surreal enemies is very creative. It's Treasure, after all, coming a killer soundtrack and technical tricks that pushed the Genesis to its limits. However, it is pretty difficult at times, but trust me, the journey is absolutely worth it!
I always loved the game Comix Zone!!!¡¡¡ Fighting through the pages of a comic and seeing what the bad guy was going to draw next was always super fun!!!¡¡¡ Wish they made a sequel to it!!!¡¡¡
Kid Chameleon got me to buy it by advertising its 100 levels -- I still remember this. What made me adore it, however, is the exploration. The convoluted level routing and all the secret exits were great for replayability in its time.
So sad Ranger X didn’t make the list. Graphics, Sound, an amazing freedom of movement. Not many games back then allowed you to shoot forward while walking backwards.
Hidden Gem is Light Crusader. Nobody seems to know about it but it’s a personal favorite. Music is amazing, world is mysterious and well made, game play and puzzles are awesome. All around fantastic
I rented that when I was about 13 and was disappointed cos I expected another JRPG where you go from town to town etc. It was more a dungeon crawler/puzzle type game. It's in later life like now, I realise how I was probably just too young to understand it's genius at the time. I'm looking forward to giving it another go sometime soon.
Here is a list of 25 5-star games for the Sega Genesis. I was careful not to list anything you have already covered while hitting every genre sans one. What's funny is I could easily make another 25 5-star game list for the Sega Genesis without even trying. 5-star Genesis games- 1. Desert Strike 2. Thunder Force IV 3. TMNT: Hyperstone Heist 4. Ranger X 5. Phantasy Star II 6. Phantasy Star IV 7. Beyond Oasis 8. Shining Force 9. Shining Force II 10. Shining in The Darkness 11. Strider 12. Ghouls n' Ghosts 13. Herzog Zwei 14. M.U.S.H.A. 15. NHL 94 16. Mutant League Football 17. Mutant League Hockey 18. Crusader of Centi 19. Ecco The Dolphin 20. Shadorun Bonus- 1. Zero Tolerance 2. Outrun 3. Toe Jam and Earl 4. Super Fantasy Zone 5. Comix Zone I would love to see a part 2 with at least some of these included.
I didn't have a Genesis as a kid and these videos help a lot! One game I did discover as an adult was Castle of Illusion. I decided to give it a try after the remake came out on PS3 some dull Easter day and have made it a tradition to play through every Easter since!
Thank you so much for covering my suggestion of B.O.B! I agree with you regarding the critique. Maybe it’s just nostalgic for me as my friends and I always played it back in the day just to see if we could manage to get further. Definitely worthy of your upcoming hidden gem video though. General Chaos that was mentioned by another person in the comments is definitely a hidden gem. The Lost Vikings is also an amazing game that should be mentioned as a five star game. Not sure if it’s considered a hidden gem, but you should definitely mention it in a future video.
AHHH I just mentioned this. Crusader of Centy/Soleil is amazing, one of the best games on the platform. My mum threw out my copy and now it's worth a fortune >_
One game that is NEVER mentioned on things like this is Crusader of Centy AKA Soleil/Ragnacenty. It's a Link to the Past clone but with a really unique mechanic where you combine different animal companions to get different powers and mix and match them in unique ways. Have you played it? It's genuinely great and it's honestly one of my favourite Genesis games and I'd rate it 4.5 stars at least.
Yeah, it was called Soliel here in Oceania, and I rented/played it a few times. It was great, but I remember beating it in a couple of days. I'll never forget battling through a sparse and difficult maze of a desert level in the middle of nowhere and then you run into Sonic sunbathing 😎
Rocket Knight Adventures was a blind impulse buy for me as a kid. My mom suddenly said I could pick out a game at Walmart one day, and that's what I picked for some reason. Definitely wasn't disappointed!
My honorabke mention for 5star would be air diver, i mean, stealth fighter jet game on late 80's? Come on man, thats cool. The music are awesome, and the boss entrance actually pretty menacing
My thoughts on each: B.O.B.> I agree. More of a 4-star game than 5-star. But like you said, it's quite good and was very charming when it came out. A great kid/preteen-appropriate game. Bonanza Bros.> Again, good game, but in that 3.5 to 4-star range. It's very late 80s/early 90s arcade and does what it does well. But it doesn't quite clear the 'timeless classic' hurdle. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse> I used to agree with you on this one. The game was an early Genesis release so it's a bit rough around the edges graphically compared to later Disney releases, and I agree it's absolutely too easy, definitely a game for kids. I figured people were overrating it through nostalgia. But if you play it on hard mode, that's where the hidden fun in this game is. You'll be surprised. Makes it a worthy playthrough even for us hardcore gamers, requiring a surprising amount of strategy and thought to complete, all without being too frustrating. Before, a 3.5 out of 5. After playing through Hard mode? 5 out of 5, easy. Castlevania: Bloodlines> Yep, 5/5. Especially Eric Lecarde mode. I personally put it ahead of Super Castlevania IV. Golden Axe II> I would give this a 4.5/5. Fantastic game. Haunting starring Polterguy> Probably a 4/5. The quirky computer game feel of 90s EA isn't for everyone, but it's a truly unique experience. Rocket Knight Adventures> 4/5. I feel this one's overrated. The rocket pack gimmick is a bit clunky and Konami was doing better stuff in the 90s. Still, a great game worth owning. Flashback: The Quest for Identity> 4.5/5. When it came out, was a 5/5 for me. But it hasn't aged too well. Still amazing and way better than even its own remake. Gunstar Heroes> 4.5/5. While an amazing game graphically, it doesn't quite have the same level of polish as Contra's best offerings to reach the 5/5 heights. High Seas Havok> Perhaps Data East's best offering in the 16-bit era since Joe & Mac, but it still has that clunky play control that plagued so many of their titles holding it back. It's better than average, which is better than most of Data East's games. 3.5/5. Kid Chameleon> Lots of levels and feels like an early 90s PC platformer. But unfortunately it's archaic and gets boring long before I can complete all the levels. 3/5. Landstalker> 3.5/5. The perspective didn't do it any favors. It does feel very "mid-90s Genesis", which is a good thing for people who were there to experience it, but it's hard to get younger folks into this game now-a-days vs. something clearly 5-star like Shining Force II or Sonic 2. Moonwalker> 3.5/5. While it's fun to master the controls and moonwalk your way through the game as smoothly as possible, it's just a hunt and collect that didn't do anything groundbreaking. Powermonger> lol, agreed. Never played it and probably never will. Road Rash II> I would give this a 4/5. It's my favorite of the Road Rashes on Genesis, but they are all plagued with poor 3D and poor framerate. I love the soundtrack to this, but Road Rash on 3DO is much easier on the eyes and ears. Sonic 2> 5/5, yep. IMO the best game in the entire franchise. Totally agreed on the minigame, too. The halfpipe was amazing. Shinobi 3> 5/5, agreed. It doesn't get much better than this on the Genesis. Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin> 2.5/5. Streets of Rage 2> 5/5. X-Men> 3/5. Way too clunky for its own good and the powers weren't well implemented. X-Men 2> Fortunately the sequel fixed all the problems the original had and is probably a 4.5/5.
Something that was fun with X-Men 2 is the way that for the starting stage, you would never know who you were going to be playing as each time you started up the game.
Admittedly I’m a little biased for Moonwalker to be a five star game. That game is very important to me, so much so that I bought a prototype of it that actually has the full thriller song intact and I dumped it a few years ago. Check it out sometime!
Soleil (aka Crusader of Centy) is a 5 star game. A bit like Zelda, but I preferred it. Empire of Steel (aka Steel Empire) is great too. Skitchin', also. There's tonnes of legitimate five star games on the Genesis/Mega Drive.
One of my favorite hidden gems is Starflight! It's one of my favorite space exploration sims out there. I love zipping around the galaxy interacting with aliens and exploring countless planets. The Genesis has so many great games! Love the videos!
Yes, you're allowed to sing along while playing Moonwalker, but only if it's the Weird Al versions. For obscure titles worth a look, I think Cyborg Justice is pretty neat; it's a Brawler where you build a robot to fight others, but you can rip their arm off and steal it or even rip off their torso and drain it for extra health and lives. Jewel Master is a fairly straightforward Platformer, but with a neat ring system that you can mix and match for different attacks.
What? No _Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force II, Thunder Force III_ and/or _IV, Ranger-X, Gaiares, Herzog Zwei, Granada, Battle Mania Daiginjō, MUSHA, Truxton, Alien Soldier, Atomic Runner, Panorama Cotton, Ecco the Dolphin, Monster World IV, Dynamite Headdy,_ or even _Contra: Hard Corps?_ I call *SHENANIGANS!*
Was looking for this comment before I posted it. 100% on this game. So many late nights playing this with my dad. I sold a ton of games a few years back, but this one I just couldn't let go.
The fact that you could easily make another vid on 5 Star genesis games just speaks to the quality of the system. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is at the top of my list!
I think Kid Chameleon is 5 stars more because it's replay value. There are so many levels and so many paths to reach the final stage, that turns it in a brand new game evertime you play it. About Shinobi III, I have to mention that it has a KILLER soundtrack. If you have a friend that likes prog rock/metal, just say to him that you discovered a new band, but, put the "Shinobi III OST" to play instead. 😉
Streets of Rage 2 is maybe my favourite Mega Drive/Genesis Game. This few seconds in the Video, hearing that awseome Soundtrack was just enough making me want to play it right now. 🥰
A list of my choices for 5-star titles: Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra Hard Corps, Dynamite Headdy, Golden Axe 2, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star IV, Ristar, Rocket Knight Adventures, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Sonic 3, Streets of Rage 2, and Thunder Force IV
I wonder why nobody remembered Phantasy Star IV. For me, a definitive version of this game on Mega Drive/Genesis. A masterpiece directed by the late Rieko Kodama. No mention of Shining Force, either I or II, is a matter of concern - at least, for me. Other games I'm remembering fondly are: Herzog Zwei, Thunder Force IV, Mega Turrican, among others.
The only game I personally saved money and bought, instead of being gifted, was Story of Thor, Beyond Oasis, it's very nice-looking and lets you stab, slash, kick, summon spirits and clear mazes. Sucks to 100% because of challenging platforming, but for the most part great. You can get infinite fire sword and crossbow, turn zombies to ash and other enemies into tasty steaks.
I'm glad you mentioned Gunstar Heroes, in that same line for your next video I think nobody talks about it's "younger brother" Alien Soldier. Made also by Treasure as a swan song for the Sega Genesis in the run-n-gun genre!
Thank you for mentioning Haunting Starring Polterguy. It's one of those games I show people when discussing unique gameplay in dire need of revisiting. That said, there WAS a game that came out in the early 2000's called Ghost Master. It was an obvious homage, but I never felt the desire to give it a shot because it LOOKED like it was from the early 2000s', ya know?
I know the controls are a bit confusing, but I think Comix Zone deserves five stars. It's a very unusual experience and has quite good graphics, and I just remember loving it when I was younger.
Amen to the love for Haunting! I loove that isometric art style, and I love odd duck games like that where the only real point is to watch various gags. Others in this category, which would be AMAZING if you did a vid on: Cosmic Osmo, Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time, the McPixel series...I really can't think of many others. Sorta the OG Lego Island
Man, that xman reset. My little brother LOVED the comics/cartoon and spent hours trying to get past the reset. I don't know how he figured it out, maybe in a magazine, but even with being stuck for so long he loved the idea and it is one of his favorite games.
I saw bonanza Bros. on the thumbnail and I got so excited. Bonanza Bros. is and has been my favorite genesis game for a WHILE. I just love everything about it and not to brag but I've gotten pretty good at it over the years.
A lot of Disney games were 5 star I feel: Aladdin, Lion King, Mickey and Donald, World of Illusion. There were also great games like Tiny Toons Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure which were super fun.
Castle of Illusion may be the most nostalgic Genesis game from my perspective! It was (and still is) among my favorite games where you play as Mickey Mouse and it was actually really good!
Along with Landstalker I also enjoyed Crusader of Centy (Soleil in Europe) very much. In comparison it‘s easier, shorter and targets a younger audience, but nevertheless it is an excellent game.
Great glasses err…. Video dude! For your next hidden gem you should bring up “Midnight Resistance”, it’s very little known but it starting to have a strong following.
For me EA was legendary on Genesis. Soo many of their games are my favorites on the system. Mutant League Football, Jungle Strike, General Chaos, Skitchin, the ridiculous number of EA Sports games especially NHL. But also games like Sonic 2 and 3, Alladin and Jurrasic Park. Legendary system.
I have obtained Phantasy Star 2,3 and 4 today, so I have much gaming to do, the science fiction setting is especially exciting! This is my debut on the Sega scene, and I am very sure I won't regret it!
Castle of illusion is one of those gems that has such a nostalgic feeling for me especially now my mother died three months ago😢. She bought me the megadrive castle of illusion version. Magical times ❤
Rocket Knight Adventures is my favorite Genesis game. Glad to see it included. Surprised that no Contra Hard Corps was on there, though. And another favorite, Ranger-X, would have been a great inclusion.
"Haunting Staring Polterguy" is definitely a 5-star! I am so surprised that no one suggested it! The Switch would be a perfect system for a remake due to its originality.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
All the 1-Star Genesis games - ruclips.net/video/v1JijecjYyM/видео.html
You forget NBA jam, NHL 94, and shadow dancer and phantasy star 4
Why do buy the 1 stars games?
I have Flashback on PS4.
i like the new glasses
@@rmcoutinho A lot of the games he talks about are ones he emulates, and when he does buy them it's for the sake of collecting (and probably a few from before he knew any better lol)
No Phantasy Star and no Shining Force is shocking.
It’s a travesty is what it is lol.
In no way is Landstalker better than PS4 or SF2.
@@jeffstromberg8918 yes, it is.
Phantasy Star 4 isn't just amazing, it holds up. Played it again recently and the story and gameplay are both still REALLY good.
@@DJ4xI’ve recently started PS4 again and you are right. PS4 still holds up today, but I would absolutely love an update of the entire PS series.
Rocket Knight Adventures is one underrated action classic that could never be matched. Not even the sequels nor the recent digital only Rocket Knight could get that good.
This is definitely nothing but straight up FACT spitting 💯
I don't think rocket knight is underrated at all. It's pretty highly regarded by anyone that knows about it.
@Invidente Konami needs to bring all four of their Rocket Knight games to modern consoles in a compilation.
I agree :)
RKA isn't underrated at all. Not very known these days, but it sold well back in the day and has received nothing but praise from anyone that played it. Glowing reviews too.
Contra Hard Corps and Splatterhouse 2 need to be on this list!
Also agree yet Contra hard corps is very hard...harder than all the Contras on nes and super nes
@Master Roshi True but it was great flexing material.
Atleast nowadays we have access to the easier Japanese version
Ristar is so incredibly underrated and I’m so sad it was released near the end of the Genesis and failed to find a good audience as it’s so worthy of a sequel!!!
On the game gear too!
Feel like sega made the public feel they discontinued supporting the genesis did ristar an injustice .
They should have rolled with the idea of the svp lock on cartridge
And not do that damn 32x & took all the resources making the Saturn the best operating system they could have 😊
5 Star games/Hidden Gems:
-- Pirate's Gold
-- New Horizons
-- Shadowrun
-- Starflight
-- Herzog Zwei
-- General Chaos
-- Toejam and Earl
-- Mutant League Hockey
-- Star Control
-- Buck Rogers
-- Soldiers Of Fortune
Where's Lightening Force (Thunder Force IV)? Ranger X? Vector Man? Gleylancer? Gaiares? Phantasy Star IV? Aladdin? Alisia Dragoon? Shining Force II? Dragon's Fury? Ecco? Earthworm Jim? Cool Spot? Comix Zone?
And I know it's an after-market title, but Bitmap Bureau's Xeno Crisis is absolutely five stars on the Genesis, as well.
Thunderforce IV was absolutely epic
This is why I find Genesis rankings so hard to follow. Most of these creators don't seem to have a good grasp on the Genesis library. I'm new to the Genesis, as I just played the hell out of all the Nintendo consoles to the point that I had to look somewhere else for new good games. *I* was surprised a lot of these never showed up on the list. I'll have to check out that homebrew. Seems like they made it for a lot of other systems as well.
Comix Zone is trash. All style, no substance.
@@kingstarscream320 That's a weird way of saying it just wasn't for you but ok
A bit sad that Shining Force II wasn't on this list, but it's okay--it'll always be a 5 star in my heart
Desert Strike ,Jungle and Urban strike need to make this list.
I remember renting those. Back then, Electronic Arts had a nice library.
Yup
1995 the SEGA CD version was Cancelled Super Strike Trilogy.
As a kid in the early 90's...X-Men and Grunge was everything to us. The cards, the comics, the cartoons. The original game was fun to play but X-Men 2 is just perfect. The controls are crisp and the music is just a unique mood...I still play it to this day! This list is legit ✔
Yeah dawg!! It was great and I loved my Genesis
Dynamite Headdy is one of the Genesis's best games no one brings up. The idea of a puppet using his head to attack surreal enemies is very creative. It's Treasure, after all, coming a killer soundtrack and technical tricks that pushed the Genesis to its limits. However, it is pretty difficult at times, but trust me, the journey is absolutely worth it!
I totally agree, Dynamite Headdy is my favorite Genesis game.
Agreed, it also has an incredibly underrated soundtrack.
De cap attack in Europe?
Japan rom better
Yeaaaaaaa, couldn't agree more! Glad you said it cos I was about to comment something similar.
I always loved the game Comix Zone!!!¡¡¡ Fighting through the pages of a comic and seeing what the bad guy was going to draw next was always super fun!!!¡¡¡ Wish they made a sequel to it!!!¡¡¡
Totally! I was VERY disappointed that there wasn't a "superhero form" level, sequel or whatever.
@@GYTCommnts Sketch Turner for Smash.
Can't believe Toejam and Earl wasn't mentioned. That game is an absolute gem. Same with Herzog Zwei
Absolutely loved both of those. Very unique.
@@cmdc778 being a huge fan of both but primarily leaning towards SNES, I think Genesis had the better 2 player experience overall.
@@whosaidthat84 I was lucky enough to have both consoles growing up. I never really thought about that before, but I think it’s a valid point.
@@cmdc778 kinda came to that realization recently myself.
You guys should hug 🫂
Ghouls & Ghost ( genesis port ) &
Aladdin ( genesis version ) are 5 🌟
games imo. AWESOME VIDEO!! 👍
Kid Chameleon got me to buy it by advertising its 100 levels -- I still remember this. What made me adore it, however, is the exploration. The convoluted level routing and all the secret exits were great for replayability in its time.
Kid Chameleon in my opinion should have had a game genie bundle lol. I will say I learned to read when I was 6 because of that game and the game genie
So sad Ranger X didn’t make the list. Graphics, Sound, an amazing freedom of movement. Not many games back then allowed you to shoot forward while walking backwards.
Gotta add Zombies Ate My Neighbors. I love this game and its different, challenging, fun and stressful every time!
Hidden Gem is Light Crusader. Nobody seems to know about it but it’s a personal favorite. Music is amazing, world is mysterious and well made, game play and puzzles are awesome. All around fantastic
LOVE this game. But newer gens were coming out as it was released, so it’s overlooked.
I rented that when I was about 13 and was disappointed cos I expected another JRPG where you go from town to town etc. It was more a dungeon crawler/puzzle type game. It's in later life like now, I realise how I was probably just too young to understand it's genius at the time. I'm looking forward to giving it another go sometime soon.
“Games that you rented that seemed like a fever dream and no one talks about them” is the perfect description lol
Here is a list of 25 5-star games for the Sega Genesis. I was careful not to list anything you have already covered while hitting every genre sans one. What's funny is I could easily make another 25 5-star game list for the Sega Genesis without even trying.
5-star Genesis games-
1. Desert Strike
2. Thunder Force IV
3. TMNT: Hyperstone Heist
4. Ranger X
5. Phantasy Star II
6. Phantasy Star IV
7. Beyond Oasis
8. Shining Force
9. Shining Force II
10. Shining in The Darkness
11. Strider
12. Ghouls n' Ghosts
13. Herzog Zwei
14. M.U.S.H.A.
15. NHL 94
16. Mutant League Football
17. Mutant League Hockey
18. Crusader of Centi
19. Ecco The Dolphin
20. Shadorun
Bonus-
1. Zero Tolerance
2. Outrun
3. Toe Jam and Earl
4. Super Fantasy Zone
5. Comix Zone
I would love to see a part 2 with at least some of these included.
Don't trust a list without Quack Shot...
I'm surprised I didn't see Shadowrun on the list. Pretty good game, I used to play a lot just for the decker.
My man.
That's a game I still go back to. Soooo much depth and replayability.
I didn't have a Genesis as a kid and these videos help a lot! One game I did discover as an adult was Castle of Illusion. I decided to give it a try after the remake came out on PS3 some dull Easter day and have made it a tradition to play through every Easter since!
Nobody ever talks about Ghostbusters for Genesis. That was my 2nd Genesis game ever and I felt so accomplished once I beat it
Thank you so much for covering my suggestion of B.O.B! I agree with you regarding the critique. Maybe it’s just nostalgic for me as my friends and I always played it back in the day just to see if we could manage to get further. Definitely worthy of your upcoming hidden gem video though. General Chaos that was mentioned by another person in the comments is definitely a hidden gem. The Lost Vikings is also an amazing game that should be mentioned as a five star game. Not sure if it’s considered a hidden gem, but you should definitely mention it in a future video.
Glad to see Landstalker represented :)
Surprised Crusader of Centi wasn't mentioned, but given its rarity I suppose that makes sense.
AHHH I just mentioned this. Crusader of Centy/Soleil is amazing, one of the best games on the platform. My mum threw out my copy and now it's worth a fortune >_
😮@@Ashfold_Eberesche
Chakan: The Forever Man Primary audience was adults, dark story, supernatural evils, duel with death himself....
Riggs I love your retro reviews nostalgia is just bliss. Only watch your retro channel
One game that is NEVER mentioned on things like this is Crusader of Centy AKA Soleil/Ragnacenty. It's a Link to the Past clone but with a really unique mechanic where you combine different animal companions to get different powers and mix and match them in unique ways. Have you played it? It's genuinely great and it's honestly one of my favourite Genesis games and I'd rate it 4.5 stars at least.
Yeah, it was called Soliel here in Oceania, and I rented/played it a few times. It was great, but I remember beating it in a couple of days. I'll never forget battling through a sparse and difficult maze of a desert level in the middle of nowhere and then you run into Sonic sunbathing 😎
Rocket Knight Adventures was a blind impulse buy for me as a kid. My mom suddenly said I could pick out a game at Walmart one day, and that's what I picked for some reason. Definitely wasn't disappointed!
My honorabke mention for 5star would be air diver, i mean, stealth fighter jet game on late 80's? Come on man, thats cool. The music are awesome, and the boss entrance actually pretty menacing
Thanks for including haunting. I could not remember the name of that game but I remember renting it from the video store numerous times. Loved it.
Yes such an underrated game
My thoughts on each:
B.O.B.>
I agree. More of a 4-star game than 5-star. But like you said, it's quite good and was very charming when it came out. A great kid/preteen-appropriate game.
Bonanza Bros.>
Again, good game, but in that 3.5 to 4-star range. It's very late 80s/early 90s arcade and does what it does well. But it doesn't quite clear the 'timeless classic' hurdle.
Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse>
I used to agree with you on this one. The game was an early Genesis release so it's a bit rough around the edges graphically compared to later Disney releases, and I agree it's absolutely too easy, definitely a game for kids. I figured people were overrating it through nostalgia.
But if you play it on hard mode, that's where the hidden fun in this game is. You'll be surprised. Makes it a worthy playthrough even for us hardcore gamers, requiring a surprising amount of strategy and thought to complete, all without being too frustrating. Before, a 3.5 out of 5. After playing through Hard mode? 5 out of 5, easy.
Castlevania: Bloodlines>
Yep, 5/5. Especially Eric Lecarde mode. I personally put it ahead of Super Castlevania IV.
Golden Axe II>
I would give this a 4.5/5. Fantastic game.
Haunting starring Polterguy>
Probably a 4/5. The quirky computer game feel of 90s EA isn't for everyone, but it's a truly unique experience.
Rocket Knight Adventures>
4/5. I feel this one's overrated. The rocket pack gimmick is a bit clunky and Konami was doing better stuff in the 90s. Still, a great game worth owning.
Flashback: The Quest for Identity>
4.5/5. When it came out, was a 5/5 for me. But it hasn't aged too well. Still amazing and way better than even its own remake.
Gunstar Heroes>
4.5/5. While an amazing game graphically, it doesn't quite have the same level of polish as Contra's best offerings to reach the 5/5 heights.
High Seas Havok>
Perhaps Data East's best offering in the 16-bit era since Joe & Mac, but it still has that clunky play control that plagued so many of their titles holding it back. It's better than average, which is better than most of Data East's games. 3.5/5.
Kid Chameleon>
Lots of levels and feels like an early 90s PC platformer. But unfortunately it's archaic and gets boring long before I can complete all the levels. 3/5.
Landstalker>
3.5/5. The perspective didn't do it any favors. It does feel very "mid-90s Genesis", which is a good thing for people who were there to experience it, but it's hard to get younger folks into this game now-a-days vs. something clearly 5-star like Shining Force II or Sonic 2.
Moonwalker>
3.5/5. While it's fun to master the controls and moonwalk your way through the game as smoothly as possible, it's just a hunt and collect that didn't do anything groundbreaking.
Powermonger>
lol, agreed. Never played it and probably never will.
Road Rash II>
I would give this a 4/5. It's my favorite of the Road Rashes on Genesis, but they are all plagued with poor 3D and poor framerate. I love the soundtrack to this, but Road Rash on 3DO is much easier on the eyes and ears.
Sonic 2>
5/5, yep. IMO the best game in the entire franchise. Totally agreed on the minigame, too. The halfpipe was amazing.
Shinobi 3>
5/5, agreed. It doesn't get much better than this on the Genesis.
Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin>
2.5/5.
Streets of Rage 2>
5/5.
X-Men>
3/5. Way too clunky for its own good and the powers weren't well implemented.
X-Men 2>
Fortunately the sequel fixed all the problems the original had and is probably a 4.5/5.
Something that was fun with X-Men 2 is the way that for the starting stage, you would never know who you were going to be playing as each time you started up the game.
Love the long videos, very chill, I listen as I fall asleep to get my mind off of work or stress. Thanks for the content!
How is there no Shining Force? Soleil? Streets of Rage? Aladdin?
John Riggs is my 5 star
Admittedly I’m a little biased for Moonwalker to be a five star game. That game is very important to me, so much so that I bought a prototype of it that actually has the full thriller song intact and I dumped it a few years ago. Check it out sometime!
Soleil (aka Crusader of Centy) is a 5 star game. A bit like Zelda, but I preferred it.
Empire of Steel (aka Steel Empire) is great too.
Skitchin', also.
There's tonnes of legitimate five star games on the Genesis/Mega Drive.
I'm so glad that Riggs gives the proper credit to Haunting Starring Polterguy-- such an underrated gem.
One of my favorite hidden gems is Starflight! It's one of my favorite space exploration sims out there. I love zipping around the galaxy interacting with aliens and exploring countless planets.
The Genesis has so many great games! Love the videos!
100%, Starflight is so cool
Yes, you're allowed to sing along while playing Moonwalker, but only if it's the Weird Al versions. For obscure titles worth a look, I think Cyborg Justice is pretty neat; it's a Brawler where you build a robot to fight others, but you can rip their arm off and steal it or even rip off their torso and drain it for extra health and lives. Jewel Master is a fairly straightforward Platformer, but with a neat ring system that you can mix and match for different attacks.
I love Landstalker. Such a unique experience. I played through it for the first time a couple years ago and it ruled.
One of my go to underrated games in my youth was General Choas. It's simplistic but just fun overall
Yes! One of my staple genesis games growing up! I played the heck out of that and still enjoy it
Always got stuck playing as H.A.V.O.C. Lol
What? No _Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force II, Thunder Force III_ and/or _IV, Ranger-X, Gaiares, Herzog Zwei, Granada, Battle Mania Daiginjō, MUSHA, Truxton, Alien Soldier, Atomic Runner, Panorama Cotton, Ecco the Dolphin, Monster World IV, Dynamite Headdy,_ or even _Contra: Hard Corps?_ I call *SHENANIGANS!*
Gotta give my vote to the Shining Force games. Super playable today.
If you like shining in the darkness, give Arcana a try for SNES. Super good, auto map feature, and music that will live rent free in your head lol
King’s Bounty.
An amazing tactical RPG game with a unique flow and dozens of interesting troops to use.
Was looking for this comment before I posted it. 100% on this game. So many late nights playing this with my dad. I sold a ton of games a few years back, but this one I just couldn't let go.
Bonanza Bros. Is absolutely one of my favorite games of all time!
Whew. REALLY glad you switched the glasses back. That was a frightening three seconds! Haha. Great video, as always.
haha, hey!
Wow! I was in the video! Thanks for featuring the game I suggested!
The fact that you could easily make another vid on 5 Star genesis games just speaks to the quality of the system. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is at the top of my list!
Kid Chameleon has over 100 levels… thankfully they’re generous with warps
I think Kid Chameleon is 5 stars more because it's replay value. There are so many levels and so many paths to reach the final stage, that turns it in a brand new game evertime you play it.
About Shinobi III, I have to mention that it has a KILLER soundtrack. If you have a friend that likes prog rock/metal, just say to him that you discovered a new band, but, put the "Shinobi III OST" to play instead. 😉
Streets of Rage 2 is maybe my favourite Mega Drive/Genesis Game. This few seconds in the Video, hearing that awseome Soundtrack was just enough making me want to play it right now. 🥰
Lmao! First thing I thought with those glasses was it's just a bit too much John...
You gave me a chuckle and also a good video!
A list of my choices for 5-star titles: Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra Hard Corps, Dynamite Headdy, Golden Axe 2, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star IV, Ristar, Rocket Knight Adventures, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Sonic 3, Streets of Rage 2, and Thunder Force IV
There was a Rocket Knight Adventures game for the SNES, but it was the sequel and named Sparkster. I played it back then. It is awesome too.
I think there was a Rocket Knight 2 for Genesis as well, but they were two different games
It sucked!
Gunstar hero was a huge game for me during my childhood. As of this past Christmas my original copy still works! Glad it made the list
I guess BOB could be a 5 star game if you had 5 copies of it
Moonwalker on the arcade is even more awesome 👌
I’m playing “Crusader of Centy” right now, and oh my, the quintessential S-tier, 5-star, hidden gem.
Dude I got that game for a steal back in 04 off ebay for 15$ complete in box!🤯
I wonder why nobody remembered Phantasy Star IV. For me, a definitive version of this game on Mega Drive/Genesis. A masterpiece directed by the late Rieko Kodama. No mention of Shining Force, either I or II, is a matter of concern - at least, for me. Other games I'm remembering fondly are: Herzog Zwei, Thunder Force IV, Mega Turrican, among others.
It's on the switch genesis emulator
Lol thanks for the shoutout! Power Monger came from Bullfrog, of Populous and Theme Park fame.
The only game I personally saved money and bought, instead of being gifted, was Story of Thor, Beyond Oasis, it's very nice-looking and lets you stab, slash, kick, summon spirits and clear mazes. Sucks to 100% because of challenging platforming, but for the most part great. You can get infinite fire sword and crossbow, turn zombies to ash and other enemies into tasty steaks.
Beyond Oasis was my first thought.
Rolling Thunder 2 never gets mentioned,great fun in 2 player..so happy that it was included in the Mini2
I'm glad you mentioned Gunstar Heroes, in that same line for your next video I think nobody talks about it's "younger brother" Alien Soldier. Made also by Treasure as a swan song for the Sega Genesis in the run-n-gun genre!
Lmao, I loved the little clip of SoR2. When talking 5 star Genesis games that's probably the easiest, "let it into the VIP lounge" game for me too.
Beyond Oasis, Shining Force II, Phantasy Star IV
I think T-2 Arcade is a 5 star game. Never beat it but can't help but love it!
Your mullet was awesome and I wish you would have grown mutten chops too 😀. Your cut now looks awesome bro. Keep up the amazing videos!
Thank you for mentioning Haunting Starring Polterguy. It's one of those games I show people when discussing unique gameplay in dire need of revisiting. That said, there WAS a game that came out in the early 2000's called Ghost Master. It was an obvious homage, but I never felt the desire to give it a shot because it LOOKED like it was from the early 2000s', ya know?
I know the controls are a bit confusing, but I think Comix Zone deserves five stars. It's a very unusual experience and has quite good graphics, and I just remember loving it when I was younger.
Great list. Robocop Vs Terminator is a 5 star game in my book. Revenge of Shinobi all day as well.
Bonanza Bros is an incredible game. One of those ones that's easy to learn, but difficult to master. A co-op fave
It's brilliant,was a childhood favourite..me and my sister loved it. I now play it with my little boy, loves it.
Amen to the love for Haunting! I loove that isometric art style, and I love odd duck games like that where the only real point is to watch various gags.
Others in this category, which would be AMAZING if you did a vid on: Cosmic Osmo, Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time, the McPixel series...I really can't think of many others. Sorta the OG Lego Island
Definitely looking like a cartoon villain with the glasses at the start 😂 let’s get more of it
Man, that xman reset. My little brother LOVED the comics/cartoon and spent hours trying to get past the reset. I don't know how he figured it out, maybe in a magazine, but even with being stuck for so long he loved the idea and it is one of his favorite games.
Even if you're not a sports guy, you have to have NBA Jam TE on this list. That game was SO much fun.
I saw bonanza Bros. on the thumbnail and I got so excited. Bonanza Bros. is and has been my favorite genesis game for a WHILE. I just love everything about it and not to brag but I've gotten pretty good at it over the years.
A lot of Disney games were 5 star I feel: Aladdin, Lion King, Mickey and Donald, World of Illusion. There were also great games like Tiny Toons Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure which were super fun.
TMNT The HYPERSTONE HEIST John Riggs! 6 Stars ! That and TMNT Fall of The Foot Clan literally screams 90’s video game heaven!
Castle of Illusion may be the most nostalgic Genesis game from my perspective!
It was (and still is) among my favorite games where you play as Mickey Mouse and it was actually really good!
Games missing from the list that are definitely 5 stars:
-- Crusader of Centry
-- Phantasy Star IV
-- Beyond Oasis
-- Herzog Zwei
-- Shining Force 2
Along with Landstalker I also enjoyed Crusader of Centy (Soleil in Europe) very much. In comparison it‘s easier, shorter and targets a younger audience, but nevertheless it is an excellent game.
This is probably one nobody else would pick, but Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is infinitely replayable imo.
I'm very surprized to not see a single shooter on this list.
Surely some of the Thunder Force games would fit here!
Gunstar heroes was on there
Thanks for reviewing all these nostalgic games I love your contents👍
Toejam and Earl needs to be on every "best of" list and is an easy 5-Star in my opinion.
Watching this video is like taking a walk through my childhood
15:33 Looks like your wish of a new 2D Shinobi is about to get granted.
Great glasses err…. Video dude! For your next hidden gem you should bring up “Midnight Resistance”, it’s very little known but it starting to have a strong following.
For me EA was legendary on Genesis. Soo many of their games are my favorites on the system. Mutant League Football, Jungle Strike, General Chaos, Skitchin, the ridiculous number of EA Sports games especially NHL. But also games like Sonic 2 and 3, Alladin and Jurrasic Park. Legendary system.
skitchin?
@@jameskrack196 Hell yes.
@jameskrack196 its a game similar to Road Rash but on rollar blades.
I apologize for not subscribing earlier. Appreciate the content!!! 10/10
I have obtained Phantasy Star 2,3 and 4 today, so I have much gaming to do, the science fiction setting is especially exciting! This is my debut on the Sega scene, and I am very sure I won't regret it!
Castle of illusion is one of those gems that has such a nostalgic feeling for me especially now my mother died three months ago😢. She bought me the megadrive castle of illusion version. Magical times ❤
Shining Force is a 5 star game. Some people say Shining Force 2, but the first is the one I always want to come back to.
Rocket Knight Adventures is my favorite Genesis game. Glad to see it included. Surprised that no Contra Hard Corps was on there, though. And another favorite, Ranger-X, would have been a great inclusion.
"Haunting Staring Polterguy" is definitely a 5-star! I am so surprised that no one suggested it! The Switch would be a perfect system for a remake due to its originality.
Thanks John, I've really been enjoying your content lately
Thanks for including "Haunting" in this list!
You're show just speaks to me. Great production. To the point. Keep it up .