That whole no-frills setup of showing yourself playing the games on a CRT with a tasteful spotlight on the controller-that’s one of the most simple yet innovative (and cost efficient!) things I’ve seen a game channel do. Bravo 👏🏼
Thank you! That was exactly the idea with it. It does usually take quite bit of tinkering given how fussy CRTs are to film, but I enjoy it and have gotten it to look better in my newer videos :)
@@dr.decker3623 I remember when the local pawn shop had shelves chock full of old tube TV's for dirt cheap cause flat screens were all the rage. It took me two months to track down a 20'' tube TV when I got back into retro gaming last summer.
As much as people tend to complain about SEGA Genesis re-releases on modern platforms, we at least now have cheap, easy access to the best games in the console's library. I wish the same could be said for the Saturn or Dreamcast... Great video, though definitely bummed Phantasy Star IV didn't make the cut!
That is a great point. If Genesis games weren't so widely available the prices would probably be much higher for original carts. It would be nice if Sega re-released their Saturn and Dreamcast games just as often but most frustrating for me is their catalog of arcade games they ignore. We'll have to see how that Astro City Mini turns out.
Rocket Knight definitely fits as a #1 contender. It was actually treasure's last game at Konami before they formed their own company and made Gunstar Heroes. Great list! (My #1 is alien soldier, tho!)
It's true that some people who would go on to join Treasure worked on Rocket Knight, but it wasn't entirely done by them. Still, I'm guessing your point is that's part of the reason why it's awesome (which I totally agree with!).
@@RetroBirdGaming yeah, definitely a big part of its outstanding quality! And yeah, technically speaking RKA wasn't 100% by treasure devs, but I definitely get the same frantic, always-something-new feel from the design I get from gunstar and headdy!
Sonic 1, Castlevania bloodlines, streets of rage, Aladdin, contra hard corps, ....hmmm I love Tazmania too... let me ponder this nhl 94....this will be editied alot
Haha. Take your time. Aladdin is a solid choice. Always a fun one to play through. Glad to see you mention NHL 94 as well. I almost put that on my list.
Solid List. A game no one has mentioned yet is Beyond Oasis. It's in the running for my favorite genesis game. My only real gripe is that it's too short. However, if you try to 100% the game it will add a few hours to your game play time. Also, Toe Jam and Earl is a game I never get tired of playing and would be in my top 10. The random generated level layouts add a lot of replay value and the game is even more fun when played with a second player. I always appreciated the way they utilized the split screen element when players wanted to venture away from each other - I never understood why this option wasn't incorporated into other 2 player games (like Zombie's Ate My Neighbors, which is just frustrating when playing with a 2nd player). Also, my nostalgia factor for TJ&E is through the roof. The game just oozes early 90's pop culture.
Toe Jam and Earl is TOTALLY the 90s and I love it for that. Beyond Oasis actually crossed my mind when I was making this list (along with Landstalker which I always think of the two together). I figured somebody would mention it and sure enough you did! I'm not sure what I prefer between the Zombies ate My Neighbors camera and ToeJam camera for co-op. I kind of like how in Zombies it forces the both of you to co-operate more, but on the other hand ToeJam is nice for letting you go your separate ways (though I wish the camera transition was a little quicker). I guess I'm happy with both styles!
Absolutely fantastic list, one of the few Genesis lists on RUclips that doesn't contain any head scratching duds. Also giving Earthworm Jim the respect it deserves! ❤️
Fantastic list buddy, Rocket knight is a super solid #1 pick. I always liked Castle of Illusion, The Punisher, and Aladdin. But either way great list man. Keep up the solid work Love your channel
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the channel. Really appreciate it :) Castle of Illusion is always a fun little game to run through. It's got those early Genesis days vibes in all the best ways.
I was always impressed by the text in Shining Force and it wasn't until I eventually learned how these systems worked that I finally understood why - it doesn't use a basic tile renderer and a fixed-width font. It renders the text in software from a variable-width font. It's a subtle thing but given how much the game relies on reading it makes a big impact.
Ghouls and Ghosts is cool but gameplay is stupidly difficult to the point of ruining the game. Even with the rewind feature it doesn’t make it much better. Golden Axe is classic, 3rd one seems to be the favourite so far.
Awesome list! All greats. Kind of a toss up between Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III for me, both great Shinobi games. A couple of others that I like that are missing from your list are Ghostbusters and Castle of Illusion.
What's nice about Ghostbusters is that it was a popular license that actually had a good game made for it. Shadow Dancer is a nice pick as well. The one-hit deaths turn some people off but that game is solid. It's pretty sweet that 3 good Shinobi games came out for the console.
RKA is such a well made game. I've never played Bloodlines but being strictly a Sega guy up till the GameCube back in the day there are a lot of IPs I've not played till recently, like Zelda as well. I'm not a fan of Contra or games that are too difficult, I just don't have the patience, I'm running low on pads as it is. I'd probably swap a few of yours for Chiki Chiki Boys, Robocop Vs Terminator, Alien Storm and Micro Machines. A top 10 is pretty tough! Great video by the way, often these top x game videos have a feeling that you can't argue with it and that those are the top games full stop, but your videos are always open minded and easy going. Great to watch mate.
"Open Minded and Easy Going". Thank you. That compliment means so much because that's exactly what I go for. My mindset has always been that I welcome people having all kinds of different preferences when it comes to gaming because it's such a personal thing. I just love that everyone who watches has such passion for games and that's what matters the most to me. Thank you for watching. I'm glad to have you as a part of the channel.
I used to feel that way about Contra Hard Corps as well, howsoever if you play the Japanese version with a health bar, set to 10 lives and 4 continues and you'll discover how great it is.
So you're the one who stole my toothbrush. Damn you! (angrily shakes fists) Nice list overall. 5 out of the 10 games mentioned are also on my top 10 so we have a similar mindset. Nice fly over shot of the games at the end. :)
Cool to hear our lists have so many similarities and glad you liked the shot of all the games at the end. You'll get your toothbrush back once you've played Thunder Force IV. That's the deal :)
As a super nintendo kid I was surprised by the quality of the games on the genesis, specially from konami. Contra hardcoprs is my favorite and the best run and gun game of all time in my opinion.
Konami, Capcom, Treasure, Sunsoft to a lesser extent, Blizzard, even Sega themselves. Sega has US and European divisions that made good games too as well as Japan. Even EA made good games and not just sport titles either.
@@adamdenardis5438 I agree. Really an awesome system, I wouldn't say that the library is better than the library from the snes, but they are definetely closer than expected. And really there is no reason to enjoy one and not the other.
Yeah hard corps is far better than gunstar, and on equal ground w alien wars. Tough to say which is better. I think alien wars is more grande, but hard corps play style is maybe a bit better.
I need to get on Lightening Force so I can keep my toothbrush! Great list. You picked my favorite Sonic and Shinobi. I'd have to think hard on how to rearrange the list order and include Aladdin, Ghouls n Ghosts, Hyperstone Heist and Beyond Oasis and like you and NES ADDICT say, I'd also have a hard time leaving NHL94 out. Any chance you're thinking about an 11 - 20 video?
Fantastically solid list of top 10 Genesis games. I would have liked to see Strider make the list. The gameplay and graphics of this masterpiece still amaze me to this day.
You did a perfect list... I think the only other one I'd say is TMNT Hyperstone Heist but as the cream of the crop for the best of (the most) accessible genres/games, you did perfect!
Mega Turrican, Sunset Riders, Mazan Saga Mutant Fighter, Gaiares, Fire Shark, Midnight Resistance, TMNT THH, Phelios...just to name a few. Try Gunner's Heaven for the Japanese PS1. It has a Gunstar Heroes vibe.
Like your way of showing game video footage on real CRT TV. Your ending video music really make me think of 80s and early 90s show on TV every time. I started to sing before your video ends. Haha
Thanks for the top ten. It's interesting to see other ppls views. Though I have noticed that most lists tend to leave out EA and code master games like Desert Strike, Road Rash, Madden and Micro Machines. These were some of my favourite at the time (though nothing beats Streets of Rage and Thunder Force 4). I would love to see modern day remakes of these
Yes, Ristar probably would be in a top 20 video! Glad to hear that you're a fellow lover of Rocket Knight! I feel like most of the people who have actually played through it acknowledge it's a great game :)
Great list. I can’t imagine anyone would take issue with it. My guilty pleasure, way back in the day, was Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf. I played the Hell out of that game. The sequels never matched it. Another B-level title that’s better than it looks: Soldiers of Fortune. I know I know, not a classic by any stretch, but that game had great sound effects and solid art direction.
I enjoyed Jungle Strike quite a bit with more level variety and vehicles. But the sequels after that fell off for me. I could play Desert and Jungle Strike all day. I always wanted to play Soldiers of Fortune, it got a nice spread in Nintendo Power which made me curious about it. Guess I'll try it tonight.
Hard to argue against your list. I am fond of Arcus Odyssey, Alisia Dragoon, Aladdin, Truxton, and Beyond Oasis as well and would try to include them either in the top 10 or as honorable mentions
Excellent #1. I didn't play a lot of Genesis games, but Rocket Knight Adventure - just as yourself - is the one I come back to and think about every now and then.
For my romset, I tried to add the Japanese or European name to either the Title or Sub-title so that future me didn't think I was missing games. But for *_Beyond Oasis,_* I used the French name as the sub-title because I thought it sounded cooler: *_The Legend of Thor_* :P
Golden Axe Wonder Boy Toe Jam and Earl NHL 94 Zany Golf Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion Ghouls n Ghosts General Chaos Road Rash 2 Moonwalker So many good games!
Nice list RB. I've loved the Genesis since getting my Altered Beast bundle in 89. Here are some of my picks. The NHL Hockey series is the best. -(They are all great, not just 94.) Streets of Rage 2 Golden Axe Road Rash 2 MUSHA NBA Live 95 ...Keep up the good stuff RB.
Glad you liked it! And yes, the entire NHL series is great on Genesis. I really like '93 in particular. MUSHA has some of my favorite music on the system and is always fun to play through as well. I actually don't own the cartridge for Road Rash 2 but it's on my Genesis Mini so I just play it there.
Sports games seem to get left off these lists. The NHL 94, Tecmo Super Bowl, Madden 92 where the ambulance runs guys over (ha!), and NBA Jam TE are super fun games, especially in couch co-op.
@@mrmojorisin8752 Oh fer sure! Hockey on the NES has 2 great games, Blades and Hockey. I play one with my nostalgia buds, and the other with the kids. I'm a big fatty so when I play with the kids I make my team all fatties. hah!
Not the best games, but I liked Populous, Kid Chameleon, Shadow Dancer, Haunting, Afterburner 2 Desert Strike, and the Phantasy Star series, Shining in the Darkness, and Toejam and Earl. I love the Nes but this was something different. I appreciate that.
Hey, found your channel a couple days ago and really enjoy your videos. 😊 So happy you included Shining Force II, it's one of my favorite games on the Mega Drive/ Genesis. 🙌
I can't believe how much I agree with your list! For instance, agreed with Sonic 2 over 3, Shinobi 3 over Revenge, Shining Force 2 over 1, etc. All great and calculated choices. The only thing I would change is Rocket Knight Adventures. It's great, but not #1 for me. Aladdin would definitely get a slot in the top 10 on my personal list as well.
Some of my favourites: Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Road Rash, Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion, Street Fighter II, Jungle Strike, Aladdin, NHL Hockey, Eco the Dolphin, NBA Jam, FIFA International Soccer.
Phantasy Star 4, Shining Force 2, Shadowrun, Gaiares, Shinobi 3, Warsong, Sonic 2, Dynamite Headdy, Gunstar Heroes, and Rocket Knight Adventures. Just what popped into my head as I considered it, and no particular order.
I would walk 20 minutes to Blockbuster Video to hire Streets of Rage 2 for the weekend. Such a brilliant game. I have so much nostalgia for that gaming period. I loved the MegaDrive.
I like the way you edited the video and the joystick shot playing realtime the games. I give to you a list with other games: - Zombies ate my Neighbors - UMK3 - Rock Roll Racing - Ghouls N Ghosts - NBA JAM - Demolition Man - Sunsetriders - Robocop Vs Terminator - X-men 2 - Adventures Batman & Robin - The Punisher - Boogerman - Wrestlemania The Arcade Game
Holy crap, your list is practically the same as mine but not in the same order from 10 to 1. I would swap out earthworm Jim for Phantasy Star 4, Sonic 2 for Sonic 3&K, Streets of Rage 2 for Streets of Rage 3, and lighting force for Beyond Oasis. P.S I liked your lighting and shot choices in your video.
Man! My new favorite video of yours just because you referenced Surf Ninjas! Haha. I think this may be one of your best videos yet and I agree 💯 with this whole list.
Haha! Yes! I actually started watching it with my wife last night because the reference put me in the mood for it. We still gotta finish it tonight. I don't know how good of a movie it is, but it's very 90s and I love it for that. Plus, it constantly references a Game Gear so how can you go wrong? I also thought it was funny how Shinobi is the game that made me reference that movie and that's the game the kid talks about in the movie.
Very solid list. Decided to rack my brain and try to remember my own top 10. 1. Phantasy Star II (Setting/Story and Music top tier) 2. Phantasy Star IV 3. Landstalker 4. Sonic 2 5. Forgotten Worlds 6. Streets of Rage 1 7. Shinobi III 8. Sword of Vermillion 9. Kid Chamelon 10.Toejam and Earl
Hello from France 🤘😉 i will add golden Axe 2.... Thunderforce 3..... Wonderboy in monsterland ... Quackshot.... Batman.... kid chameleon ...And of course Gynoug (or maybe called wings of wor)👍🏻👍🏻
I finally got my model 1 genesis hooked up via retrovision component cables to a JVC D-series CRT with a pair of analogue speakers, and Rocket Knight Adventures--it took a long time to get everything optimized (not to mention finding a model 1 with a working stereo jack) but it was definitely worth it. These games just feel and look so much better on a tube tv.
That's a very good list. Me, I'd change out Thunder Force 4 for Truxton as I enjoyed it more. But I also seem to like vertical scrolling shmups more, too. And a personal Sega favorite of mine is Space Harrier. So simple, yet so much fun.
Really cool list! Half of mine are the same, but I have to put two Sonic games on the list. From 10 to 1: Castle of Illusion, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Sonic 1, Streets of Rage 2, Sonic 2, Gunstar Heroes, Shinobi III, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Phantasy Star IV, Mega Man: The Wily Wars.
My favorite Genesis game so far has to be The Adventures of Batman and Robin. There's so much action on screen, so many enemies, awesome graphics, plays like a run and gun with cool up close combat animations too, you get to choose from Batman or Robin and it's 2 player.
Cant go wrong with your list, Solid. many of your top ten would be in my top ten. I would throw Road Rash 2 in there somewhere, Vector man and maybe kid chameleon. My favorite shmup on the Genesis was Phelious. 😁✌
Upon collecting for the Genesis, getting Rocket Knight Adventures was one of the games that made me glad I was going on the hunt for the good games in the Genesis library. The controls are super responsive with great level design and very good looking detailed stylized sprites. And the MUSIC! The music on that first stage is one of my all time favorite video game tracks! I think it's my favorite Genesis game as well.
Congratulations for being one of the few youtubers to actually know how to play well Shinobi III, haha! :-D Whenever I see a video on this game, they "more often than not" don't know how to dash and slash with the sword, how to jump-kick, etc ...
I keep seeing people putting Shining Force 2 in their top tens, but my personal preference has always been Shining Force 1? The major issue I had with SF2 is the ridiculous AI since it would send every monster at you at once. This made things both easier and harder since you could just bait the monsters and knock them off one at a time.
A very solid list, RetroBird. Every game on it is a classic and definitely worth playing. Of course, my list is going to be different: 1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles 2. Rocket Knight Adventures 3. Gunstar Heroes 4. Phantasy Star IV 5. Ghouls N' Ghosts 6. Road Rash II 7. Thunder Force IV 8. Castlevania: The New Generation 9. Landstalker 10. Battletoads
I would have included Phantasy Star 4 as well as Phantasy Star 2, Sonic 3&K over Sonic 2, Landstalker (most underrated Genesis game?), Beyond Oasis, Flashback, and I also would have to include a personal favourite and often forgotten metrovania style adventure game: Wonder Boy in Monster World.
Awesome list. My list in no particular order: Arrow flash Sonic 3 (without knuckles) Streets if Rage 2 Phantasy Star 4 Shinobi 3 Lightening Force Elemental Master Contra Castlevania
You picked a lot of the same ones as I did. And Elemental Master, another game from Technosoft with amazing music. I also like Sonic 3 played by itself, only because it makes it quicker to play through the entire game in one sitting. Since you're so into shoot 'em ups, I gotta ask: what would your top 5 for the Genesis be?
@@RetroBirdGaming That's a tough question. I own most o them on the Genesis. But If I had to pick I would say 1) Arrow flash (I love that you ship transforms and you can set the "bomb" attack to charge OR stock) 2) Lightening Force 3) Elemental Master 4) Raiden Trad (It was the first Shmup I ever played) 5) Grind Stormer Those are the ones I find myself replaying most often.
although those are among my favourites, my favourite shmup is an underdog, Bio Hazard Battle ... it just looks and sounds so amazing and the gameplay is on par with any Gradius.
Hello, i see many tops Genesis games in my life but i think, it's the first time in my life...i have nothing to say. Your top is perfect, this games are the perfection of Sega 16 bits area... Dude, thanks for your amazing taste. I agree 100000000%.
Hey Retro Bird! On your recommendation, I recently got Rocket Knight Adventures (CIB). I’ll have to let you know what I think of it as soon as I get the chance to play it!
Great list! I'd have 7 of these on my top 10 as well! I'd replace Earthworm Jim, Rocket Knight and Shinobi with Beyond Oasis, MUSHA and Dynamite Headdy
Fantastic list! My list would be a little different but thats because i mostly played coop games. 1. SOR 2/3 2. NHL 94 3. Aladdin 4. Contra 5. Gunstar Heroes 6. World of illusion 7. Micro Machines 3 8. Mortal Kombat 3 9. Castle of illusion 10. Quackshot
You're one of, if not my FAVORITE youtuber. I always enjoy the content you release. And a big plus for me is that it's "family friendly", and I don't need to worry about any surprises for my little one to see/hear. 👍☺️👍
@@RetroBirdGaming That's light-years ahead and in my opinion, more acceptable that some of these tubers. 👍 Keep up the great work, my son and I love watching your content! (He's a banana lover too, which is why I think he enjoys it so much 😆)
Great selection! Do you think Thunder Force III comes close to IV on how good it is ? I have a Sega Genesis Mini and they included the 3rd one. 8 games of your list are on the mini console, so that is proof they did a good selection of games.
If Nintendo or anyone never owning a Genesis/MD console should definitely use this as a great reference of must have/play games when considering gaming on the Genesis. Honorable mentions: Herzog Zwei, Comix Zone, M.U.S.H.A., Aladdin, Dynamite Headdy, Vectorman, Quackshot, Crusader of Centy, Sonic 3, Mega Turrican, Beyond Oasis, Mystic Defender, World of Illusion, Blades of Vengeance, X-Men 2, Golden Axe II, ESWAT, Alisia Dragoon, Rolling Thunder II, Ex-Mutants, Phantom 2049, Marvel Land, McDonalds Treasure Land Adv., Truxton, Grind Stormer, Landstalker, Shadowrun, Light Crusader, Alien Storm, TMNT Hyperstone Heist, Gaiares…whew, Top 100 perhaps?!
Golden Axe 3 is still my favorite Sege Genesis game. I still can't understand why it wasn't released in the US when the Genesis was peaking in popularity in 1993. The AI was so much smarter, you could take different paths, more diverse enemies, aside from the lame magic, the game was perfect in ever way.
Rolling Thunder 2 and 3 are in my top 10 Genesis games👍 Ive recently bought both games off ebay. I didnt know they existed on the Genesis back in the 90's when i loved the arcade original.
my #1 is Ecco the Dolphin for sure. one of the greatest games ever made and is so unique. Bonanza Bros. is another amazing game that is extremely fun to play with someone else but also fun solo
I definitely agree with sonic 2 as the best in the series. It's a timeless game. Other games on my list were Alladin, zombies ate my neighbors, and of course mortal kombat.
The dude approves of some Tennessee 🤠 ! Btw: I remember playing around trying to get a debug to work on Sonic 2 (never worked) but I did get the oil rig level music to play throughout the game ... It was so long ago . I do remember up c down c left c right c hold a and start for Sonic 1 though
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
That whole no-frills setup of showing yourself playing the games on a CRT with a tasteful spotlight on the controller-that’s one of the most simple yet innovative (and cost efficient!) things I’ve seen a game channel do. Bravo 👏🏼
Thank you! That was exactly the idea with it. It does usually take quite bit of tinkering given how fussy CRTs are to film, but I enjoy it and have gotten it to look better in my newer videos :)
except that good CRT tvs cost about the same as a 4kHD TV lol
@@dr.decker3623 I remember when the local pawn shop had shelves chock full of old tube TV's for dirt cheap cause flat screens were all the rage. It took me two months to track down a 20'' tube TV when I got back into retro gaming last summer.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles is not just my favorite Genesis game, it's my favorite game of all time.
As much as people tend to complain about SEGA Genesis re-releases on modern platforms, we at least now have cheap, easy access to the best games in the console's library. I wish the same could be said for the Saturn or Dreamcast... Great video, though definitely bummed Phantasy Star IV didn't make the cut!
That is a great point. If Genesis games weren't so widely available the prices would probably be much higher for original carts. It would be nice if Sega re-released their Saturn and Dreamcast games just as often but most frustrating for me is their catalog of arcade games they ignore. We'll have to see how that Astro City Mini turns out.
And don't worry about Phantasy Star IV. I'm only one person and SO many people love that game!
Phantasy star iv rom is available through sega classics on steam and switch
Phantasy Star IV tops any Genesis list for me. Always. My favorite game of all time. Genesis really did have so many good games though.
Great List...I might of added a Mortal Kombat game thou.
Rocket Knight definitely fits as a #1 contender. It was actually treasure's last game at Konami before they formed their own company and made Gunstar Heroes. Great list! (My #1 is alien soldier, tho!)
It's true that some people who would go on to join Treasure worked on Rocket Knight, but it wasn't entirely done by them. Still, I'm guessing your point is that's part of the reason why it's awesome (which I totally agree with!).
@@RetroBirdGaming yeah, definitely a big part of its outstanding quality! And yeah, technically speaking RKA wasn't 100% by treasure devs, but I definitely get the same frantic, always-something-new feel from the design I get from gunstar and headdy!
Absolutely!
Yeaaaaa alien soldierrrr👍👍👍👍
HECK YA ALIEN SOLDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sonic 1, Castlevania bloodlines, streets of rage, Aladdin, contra hard corps, ....hmmm I love Tazmania too... let me ponder this nhl 94....this will be editied alot
Haha. Take your time. Aladdin is a solid choice. Always a fun one to play through. Glad to see you mention NHL 94 as well. I almost put that on my list.
Solid List. A game no one has mentioned yet is Beyond Oasis. It's in the running for my favorite genesis game. My only real gripe is that it's too short. However, if you try to 100% the game it will add a few hours to your game play time. Also, Toe Jam and Earl is a game I never get tired of playing and would be in my top 10. The random generated level layouts add a lot of replay value and the game is even more fun when played with a second player. I always appreciated the way they utilized the split screen element when players wanted to venture away from each other - I never understood why this option wasn't incorporated into other 2 player games (like Zombie's Ate My Neighbors, which is just frustrating when playing with a 2nd player). Also, my nostalgia factor for TJ&E is through the roof. The game just oozes early 90's pop culture.
Toe Jam and Earl is TOTALLY the 90s and I love it for that. Beyond Oasis actually crossed my mind when I was making this list (along with Landstalker which I always think of the two together). I figured somebody would mention it and sure enough you did! I'm not sure what I prefer between the Zombies ate My Neighbors camera and ToeJam camera for co-op. I kind of like how in Zombies it forces the both of you to co-operate more, but on the other hand ToeJam is nice for letting you go your separate ways (though I wish the camera transition was a little quicker). I guess I'm happy with both styles!
I love Beyond Oasis but no arguement from me about it's length. Probably like it more because it's all killer no filler like the best Genesis titles.
A game's length typically doesn't bother me so long as it's good, but I can understand wanting a game to be longer if you really love it.
Beyond Oasis is in my top ten such a great game.
Beyond Oasis was a very good Zelda clone.
Absolutely fantastic list, one of the few Genesis lists on RUclips that doesn't contain any head scratching duds. Also giving Earthworm Jim the respect it deserves! ❤️
Glad you liked it :)
Also, my top 10
10. Monster World 4
9. Rocket Knight Adventures
8. Castlevania Bloodlines
7. Streets of Rage 2
6. Shining Force 2
5. Earthworm Jim
4. Alien Soldier
3. Shinobi 3
2. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
1. Gunstar Heroes
Fantastic list buddy, Rocket knight is a super solid #1 pick. I always liked Castle of Illusion, The Punisher, and Aladdin. But either way great list man. Keep up the solid work Love your channel
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the channel. Really appreciate it :) Castle of Illusion is always a fun little game to run through. It's got those early Genesis days vibes in all the best ways.
I have a super soft spot for the Genesis port of the Punisher.
Nice! I've only actually played the arcade version but have seen footage of the Genesis version a ton. Might need to try it out at some point.
I was always impressed by the text in Shining Force and it wasn't until I eventually learned how these systems worked that I finally understood why - it doesn't use a basic tile renderer and a fixed-width font. It renders the text in software from a variable-width font. It's a subtle thing but given how much the game relies on reading it makes a big impact.
I love this observation!
Golden Axe 2, Ghouls and Ghosts, and Super Street Fighter 2 are also some of my favorites!
Nice! Ghouls n' Ghosts is one that I play quite often.
Ghouls and Ghosts is cool but gameplay is stupidly difficult to the point of ruining the game. Even with the rewind feature it doesn’t make it much better. Golden Axe is classic, 3rd one seems to be the favourite so far.
Golden Axe 2 is GOATED 🔥
I've never played Lightening Force.
_Now I can't find my toothbrush !_
*"Dang You, Retro Bird !!!"* 😅
Awesome list! All greats. Kind of a toss up between Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III for me, both great Shinobi games. A couple of others that I like that are missing from your list are Ghostbusters and Castle of Illusion.
What's nice about Ghostbusters is that it was a popular license that actually had a good game made for it. Shadow Dancer is a nice pick as well. The one-hit deaths turn some people off but that game is solid. It's pretty sweet that 3 good Shinobi games came out for the console.
RKA is such a well made game. I've never played Bloodlines but being strictly a Sega guy up till the GameCube back in the day there are a lot of IPs I've not played till recently, like Zelda as well. I'm not a fan of Contra or games that are too difficult, I just don't have the patience, I'm running low on pads as it is. I'd probably swap a few of yours for Chiki Chiki Boys, Robocop Vs Terminator, Alien Storm and Micro Machines. A top 10 is pretty tough! Great video by the way, often these top x game videos have a feeling that you can't argue with it and that those are the top games full stop, but your videos are always open minded and easy going. Great to watch mate.
"Open Minded and Easy Going". Thank you. That compliment means so much because that's exactly what I go for. My mindset has always been that I welcome people having all kinds of different preferences when it comes to gaming because it's such a personal thing. I just love that everyone who watches has such passion for games and that's what matters the most to me. Thank you for watching. I'm glad to have you as a part of the channel.
I used to feel that way about Contra Hard Corps as well, howsoever if you play the Japanese version with a health bar, set to 10 lives and 4 continues and you'll discover how great it is.
So you're the one who stole my toothbrush. Damn you! (angrily shakes fists)
Nice list overall. 5 out of the 10 games mentioned are also on my top 10 so we have a similar mindset. Nice fly over shot of the games at the end. :)
Cool to hear our lists have so many similarities and glad you liked the shot of all the games at the end. You'll get your toothbrush back once you've played Thunder Force IV. That's the deal :)
Was sad about the absence of Phantasy Star 4, but I'm okay with your honorable mention. Great list!
As a super nintendo kid I was surprised by the quality of the games on the genesis, specially from konami. Contra hardcoprs is my favorite and the best run and gun game of all time in my opinion.
Konami, Capcom, Treasure, Sunsoft to a lesser extent, Blizzard, even Sega themselves. Sega has US and European divisions that made good games too as well as Japan. Even EA made good games and not just sport titles either.
@@adamdenardis5438 I agree. Really an awesome system, I wouldn't say that the library is better than the library from the snes, but they are definetely closer than expected. And really there is no reason to enjoy one and not the other.
I had and grew up with BOTH systems and love both!!16 bit era is fantastic in general and you can't go wrong with either system!
@@diegog1853 Very true but the library of the Genesis really is really distinct from SNES and vice versa.
Yeah hard corps is far better than gunstar, and on equal ground w alien wars. Tough to say which is better. I think alien wars is more grande, but hard corps play style is maybe a bit better.
I need to get on Lightening Force so I can keep my toothbrush!
Great list. You picked my favorite Sonic and Shinobi. I'd have to think hard on how to rearrange the list order and include Aladdin, Ghouls n Ghosts, Hyperstone Heist and Beyond Oasis and like you and NES ADDICT say, I'd also have a hard time leaving NHL94 out. Any chance you're thinking about an 11 - 20 video?
I may do 11-20 since there's so many great games for the console. Not sure though. It's definitely difficult to pick an order for all these games.
Fantastically solid list of top 10 Genesis games. I would have liked to see Strider make the list. The gameplay and graphics of this masterpiece still amaze me to this day.
You did a perfect list...
I think the only other one I'd say is TMNT Hyperstone Heist but as the cream of the crop for the best of (the most) accessible genres/games, you did perfect!
shinobi 1-3, shadow dancer, comix zoon, sonic 1-2-3, Earthworm jim 1-2, contra hardcore, castlevania bloodline, streets of rage1-2-3, Road rush 2, vector man 1-2, doom troopers, lion king, tiny toon, gunstar heros, ninja turtles, aladin, sunset riders, alien soldier, atomic runner, ...
All good stuff!
Mega Turrican, Sunset Riders, Mazan Saga Mutant Fighter, Gaiares, Fire Shark, Midnight Resistance, TMNT THH, Phelios...just to name a few. Try Gunner's Heaven for the Japanese PS1. It has a Gunstar Heroes vibe.
All good ones. I especially like the music in Midnight Resistance.
Like your way of showing game video footage on real CRT TV. Your ending video music really make me think of 80s and early 90s show on TV every time. I started to sing before your video ends. Haha
I just bought a genisis this month. I was always a nintendo kid and have no idea what is on a genisis, so this video really helped me out!!!
Your top 10 is basically mine. You nailed everything, for me.
Thanks for the top ten. It's interesting to see other ppls views. Though I have noticed that most lists tend to leave out EA and code master games like Desert Strike, Road Rash, Madden and Micro Machines. These were some of my favourite at the time (though nothing beats Streets of Rage and Thunder Force 4). I would love to see modern day remakes of these
Finally some much deserved love for Rocket Knight. I’m guessing Ristar would have been in a top 20. Great video!
Yes, Ristar probably would be in a top 20 video! Glad to hear that you're a fellow lover of Rocket Knight! I feel like most of the people who have actually played through it acknowledge it's a great game :)
Definetly a must cover topic. Great job R.B.
Great list. I can’t imagine anyone would take issue with it. My guilty pleasure, way back in the day, was Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf. I played the Hell out of that game. The sequels never matched it. Another B-level title that’s better than it looks: Soldiers of Fortune. I know I know, not a classic by any stretch, but that game had great sound effects and solid art direction.
I enjoyed Jungle Strike quite a bit with more level variety and vehicles. But the sequels after that fell off for me. I could play Desert and Jungle Strike all day. I always wanted to play Soldiers of Fortune, it got a nice spread in Nintendo Power which made me curious about it. Guess I'll try it tonight.
Soldiers of fortune was chaos engine in the UK. Great game. Even better on amiga.
Hard to argue against your list. I am fond of Arcus Odyssey, Alisia Dragoon, Aladdin, Truxton, and Beyond Oasis as well and would try to include them either in the top 10 or as honorable mentions
Excellent #1. I didn't play a lot of Genesis games, but Rocket Knight Adventure - just as yourself - is the one I come back to and think about every now and then.
Crusader of Centy (we call it Soleil here in Europe though), Ristar, Story of Thor (Beyond Oasis in US) and Batman.
For my romset, I tried to add the Japanese or European name to either the Title or Sub-title so that future me didn't think I was missing games.
But for *_Beyond Oasis,_* I used the French name as the sub-title because I thought it sounded cooler: *_The Legend of Thor_* :P
@@nikolaikalashnikov4253 lol, well thats a good reason anyway.
Very interesting list. Thank you for the video.
Golden Axe
Wonder Boy
Toe Jam and Earl
NHL 94
Zany Golf
Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion
Ghouls n Ghosts
General Chaos
Road Rash 2
Moonwalker
So many good games!
Yes, so many good ones! Solid List. Glad to see lots of people mentioning NHL 94 :)
Omg road rash 2 🤤
Lightening Force is 7.99 on Switch. It's under the Sega Ages label in the eshop.
Nice list RB. I've loved the Genesis since getting my Altered Beast bundle in 89. Here are some of my picks.
The NHL Hockey series is the best. -(They are all great, not just 94.)
Streets of Rage 2
Golden Axe
Road Rash 2
MUSHA
NBA Live 95
...Keep up the good stuff RB.
Glad you liked it! And yes, the entire NHL series is great on Genesis. I really like '93 in particular. MUSHA has some of my favorite music on the system and is always fun to play through as well. I actually don't own the cartridge for Road Rash 2 but it's on my Genesis Mini so I just play it there.
I just discover this channel. Good stuff! And that theme song rips! 😂👍
Glad that you like it! Thank you :)
Sports games seem to get left off these lists. The NHL 94, Tecmo Super Bowl, Madden 92 where the ambulance runs guys over (ha!), and NBA Jam TE are super fun games, especially in couch co-op.
I went through a top 50 and a top 100. Virtually no sports games. I know sports games don’t age well, but I still love nes Hockey, and any NBA Jam.
@@mrmojorisin8752 Oh fer sure! Hockey on the NES has 2 great games, Blades and Hockey. I play one with my nostalgia buds, and the other with the kids. I'm a big fatty so when I play with the kids I make my team all fatties. hah!
Really enjoy your content Retro Bird, keep up the good work.
Not the best games, but I liked Populous, Kid Chameleon, Shadow Dancer, Haunting, Afterburner 2 Desert Strike, and the Phantasy Star series, Shining in the Darkness, and Toejam and Earl. I love the Nes but this was something different. I appreciate that.
You are correct! Not the best at all.
@@spriles Doesn't mean they weren't fun though.
Shining Force 2!! My #1 Genesis game, still play it to this day!! Good list, thanks for doing this.
Also the EA NHL series were a hit with my friends and I.
Ecco the Dolphin, Kid Chameleon, Hellfire, Mutant League Football, Pirates Gold, Star Control, Sunset Riders
How the hell did I forget about Sunset Riders!? I already made my list and I'm too lazy to edit, damnit lol
Shining Force 1. This was my very first JRPG and it built the foundation for my current love of the Pokémon series.
Hey, found your channel a couple days ago and really enjoy your videos. 😊
So happy you included Shining Force II, it's one of my favorite games on the Mega Drive/ Genesis. 🙌
Happy to hear and glad you found the channel!
Great list and such a great channel to follow! Keep up your good work!
Thank you!
great list. i agree with most of it. personally i would have found a way to squeeze in Gain Ground, Toe Jam & Earl, and Gauntlet IV.
Those are some solid titles as well.
I can't believe how much I agree with your list! For instance, agreed with Sonic 2 over 3, Shinobi 3 over Revenge, Shining Force 2 over 1, etc. All great and calculated choices. The only thing I would change is Rocket Knight Adventures. It's great, but not #1 for me. Aladdin would definitely get a slot in the top 10 on my personal list as well.
Some of my favourites: Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Road Rash, Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion, Street Fighter II, Jungle Strike, Aladdin, NHL Hockey, Eco the Dolphin, NBA Jam, FIFA International Soccer.
Phantasy Star 4, Shining Force 2, Shadowrun, Gaiares, Shinobi 3, Warsong, Sonic 2, Dynamite Headdy, Gunstar Heroes, and Rocket Knight Adventures. Just what popped into my head as I considered it, and no particular order.
I would walk 20 minutes to Blockbuster Video to hire Streets of Rage 2 for the weekend. Such a brilliant game. I have so much nostalgia for that gaming period. I loved the MegaDrive.
I like the way you edited the video and the joystick shot playing realtime the games.
I give to you a list with other games:
- Zombies ate my Neighbors
- UMK3
- Rock Roll Racing
- Ghouls N Ghosts
- NBA JAM
- Demolition Man
- Sunsetriders
- Robocop Vs Terminator
- X-men 2
- Adventures Batman & Robin
- The Punisher
- Boogerman
- Wrestlemania The Arcade Game
Glad you liked it and great list of games!
Hard Corps is amazing. So glad you included it here.
Holy crap, your list is practically the same as mine but not in the same order from 10 to 1. I would swap out earthworm Jim for Phantasy Star 4, Sonic 2 for Sonic 3&K, Streets of Rage 2 for Streets of Rage 3, and lighting force for Beyond Oasis.
P.S I liked your lighting and shot choices in your video.
All right! We think alike and glad you liked some of the shots!
Man! My new favorite video of yours just because you referenced Surf Ninjas! Haha. I think this may be one of your best videos yet and I agree 💯 with this whole list.
Haha! Yes! I actually started watching it with my wife last night because the reference put me in the mood for it. We still gotta finish it tonight. I don't know how good of a movie it is, but it's very 90s and I love it for that. Plus, it constantly references a Game Gear so how can you go wrong? I also thought it was funny how Shinobi is the game that made me reference that movie and that's the game the kid talks about in the movie.
@@RetroBirdGaming right!
Very solid list. Decided to rack my brain and try to remember my own top 10.
1. Phantasy Star II (Setting/Story and Music top tier)
2. Phantasy Star IV
3. Landstalker
4. Sonic 2
5. Forgotten Worlds
6. Streets of Rage 1
7. Shinobi III
8. Sword of Vermillion
9. Kid Chamelon
10.Toejam and Earl
Hello from France 🤘😉 i will add golden Axe 2.... Thunderforce 3..... Wonderboy in monsterland ... Quackshot.... Batman.... kid chameleon ...And of course Gynoug (or maybe called wings of wor)👍🏻👍🏻
All solid games!
I finally got my model 1 genesis hooked up via retrovision component cables to a JVC D-series CRT with a pair of analogue speakers, and Rocket Knight Adventures--it took a long time to get everything optimized (not to mention finding a model 1 with a working stereo jack) but it was definitely worth it. These games just feel and look so much better on a tube tv.
That's a very good list. Me, I'd change out Thunder Force 4 for Truxton as I enjoyed it more. But I also seem to like vertical scrolling shmups more, too.
And a personal Sega favorite of mine is Space Harrier. So simple, yet so much fun.
Great list! I always forget about Thunder Force TBH. I would have thrown TMNT The Hyperstone Heist as well as Robocop vs. The Terminator in there.
Really cool list! Half of mine are the same, but I have to put two Sonic games on the list. From 10 to 1:
Castle of Illusion, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Sonic 1, Streets of Rage 2, Sonic 2, Gunstar Heroes, Shinobi III, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Phantasy Star IV, Mega Man: The Wily Wars.
Great video. I love my Genisis, I havnt played some of these but I want to.
In time. They're very worthwhile :)
My favorite Genesis game so far has to be The Adventures of Batman and Robin. There's so much action on screen, so many enemies, awesome graphics, plays like a run and gun with cool up close combat animations too, you get to choose from Batman or Robin and it's 2 player.
Cant go wrong with your list, Solid. many of your top ten would be in my top ten. I would throw Road Rash 2 in there somewhere, Vector man and maybe kid chameleon. My favorite shmup on the Genesis was Phelious. 😁✌
Oh, I love me some Road Rash 2 and Vectorman! I find it interesting how so many people choose Road Rash 2 as their favorite in the series on Genesis.
Upon collecting for the Genesis, getting Rocket Knight Adventures was one of the games that made me glad I was going on the hunt for the good games in the Genesis library. The controls are super responsive with great level design and very good looking detailed stylized sprites. And the MUSIC! The music on that first stage is one of my all time favorite video game tracks! I think it's my favorite Genesis game as well.
1 per series
1. Ranger X
2. Sonic 2
3. TMNT: Hyperstone Hiest
4. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
5. Spider-Man And Venom: Seperation Anxiety
6. Dynamite Headdy
7. Streets of Rage 2
8. Golden Axe 3
9. Fatal Labyrinth
10. Alien Storm
It's cool to see such a huge fan of Ranger X.
@@RetroBirdGaming I love the controls. I can move left and shoot right. Can't do that on Contra!
Great list! By and by, I would put Shadowrun as one of my top sega games in my personal list.
Congratulations for being one of the few youtubers to actually know how to play well Shinobi III, haha! :-D
Whenever I see a video on this game, they "more often than not" don't know how to dash and slash with the sword, how to jump-kick, etc ...
If you're struggling with Contra, JPN Hard Corps has infinite continues and 3 hits PER life.
Great list, instant sub
Absolutely! It's included on the Genesis mini for those who have one of those as well :)
Contra: Hard Corps is definitely my favourite. It’s right up there with Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Streets of Rage 2.
Yeah, it's such an awesome game!
I agree, Contra Hard Corps is the game that belongs in the Genesis library, An Unfairly difficult game, But I beat it with no deaths one time.
@@tsc2121 It's kind of unplayable for beginners. That's a negative. They could have given the player more lives.
I keep seeing people putting Shining Force 2 in their top tens, but my personal preference has always been Shining Force 1? The major issue I had with SF2 is the ridiculous AI since it would send every monster at you at once. This made things both easier and harder since you could just bait the monsters and knock them off one at a time.
Thanks for the heads-up on Thunder Force 4 and Rocket Knight Adventures 🙂
A very solid list, RetroBird. Every game on it is a classic and definitely worth playing.
Of course, my list is going to be different:
1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
2. Rocket Knight Adventures
3. Gunstar Heroes
4. Phantasy Star IV
5. Ghouls N' Ghosts
6. Road Rash II
7. Thunder Force IV
8. Castlevania: The New Generation
9. Landstalker
10. Battletoads
I would have included Phantasy Star 4 as well as Phantasy Star 2, Sonic 3&K over Sonic 2, Landstalker (most underrated Genesis game?), Beyond Oasis, Flashback, and I also would have to include a personal favourite and often forgotten metrovania style adventure game: Wonder Boy in Monster World.
Awesome list.
My list in no particular order:
Arrow flash
Sonic 3 (without knuckles)
Streets if Rage 2
Phantasy Star 4
Shinobi 3
Lightening Force
Elemental Master
Contra
Castlevania
You picked a lot of the same ones as I did. And Elemental Master, another game from Technosoft with amazing music. I also like Sonic 3 played by itself, only because it makes it quicker to play through the entire game in one sitting. Since you're so into shoot 'em ups, I gotta ask: what would your top 5 for the Genesis be?
@@RetroBirdGaming That's a tough question. I own most o them on the Genesis. But If I had to pick I would say
1) Arrow flash (I love that you ship transforms and you can set the "bomb" attack to charge OR stock)
2) Lightening Force
3) Elemental Master
4) Raiden Trad (It was the first Shmup I ever played)
5) Grind Stormer
Those are the ones I find myself replaying most often.
Nice choices! That makes me feel like I need to give Arrow Flash another chance.
although those are among my favourites, my favourite shmup is an underdog, Bio Hazard Battle ... it just looks and sounds so amazing and the gameplay is on par with any Gradius.
I would put Road Rash 2 on this list.
Awesome top 10 video man!
Glad to hear that you liked it!
Alot of these are good picks but Ristar tops the list for me
Hello, i see many tops Genesis games in my life but i think, it's the first time in my life...i have nothing to say.
Your top is perfect, this games are the perfection of Sega 16 bits area...
Dude, thanks for your amazing taste.
I agree 100000000%.
Great list! I’d also consider Alien Soldier, The Punisher, Splaterhouse 2 or 3 and Mega Turrican
Hey Retro Bird! On your recommendation, I recently got Rocket Knight Adventures (CIB). I’ll have to let you know what I think of it as soon as I get the chance to play it!
Great list! I'd have 7 of these on my top 10 as well! I'd replace Earthworm Jim, Rocket Knight and Shinobi with Beyond Oasis, MUSHA and Dynamite Headdy
I love those three games as well!
MUSHA is #1
Fantastic list! My list would be a little different but thats because i mostly played coop games.
1. SOR 2/3
2. NHL 94
3. Aladdin
4. Contra
5. Gunstar Heroes
6. World of illusion
7. Micro Machines 3
8. Mortal Kombat 3
9. Castle of illusion
10. Quackshot
You're one of, if not my FAVORITE youtuber. I always enjoy the content you release. And a big plus for me is that it's "family friendly", and I don't need to worry about any surprises for my little one to see/hear. 👍☺️👍
Happy to hear it! In a handful of my REALLY old videos I think there is an occasional swear word though. I think like "damn" and such.
@@RetroBirdGaming That's light-years ahead and in my opinion, more acceptable that some of these tubers. 👍 Keep up the great work, my son and I love watching your content! (He's a banana lover too, which is why I think he enjoys it so much 😆)
Yay for Rocket Knight Adventures at number 1! I personally would have loved to see Atomic Runner mentioned somewhere, it's my number 2 :)
Great selection! Do you think Thunder Force III comes close to IV on how good it is ? I have a Sega Genesis Mini and they included the 3rd one. 8 games of your list are on the mini console, so that is proof they did a good selection of games.
It's hard to go wrong with either one. I prefer Thunder Force IV but they're both high up there.
Retro Bird that is nice to know, thanks, man!
Ninjas are still super popular, it's just that the love is hidden; all ninja-like.
I no particular order: SSF2, Golden Axe 3, Sonic 3, International Superstar Soccer Deluxe, Road Rage 3, Splatterhouse 3 (JP), Flashback, Shinobi 3, Sunset Riders, Castlevania Bloodlines.
Amazing review. Hugs from Brazil.
If Nintendo or anyone never owning a Genesis/MD console should definitely use this as a great reference of must have/play games when considering gaming on the Genesis. Honorable mentions: Herzog Zwei, Comix Zone, M.U.S.H.A., Aladdin, Dynamite Headdy, Vectorman, Quackshot, Crusader of Centy, Sonic 3, Mega Turrican, Beyond Oasis, Mystic Defender, World of Illusion, Blades of Vengeance, X-Men 2, Golden Axe II, ESWAT, Alisia Dragoon, Rolling Thunder II, Ex-Mutants, Phantom 2049, Marvel Land, McDonalds Treasure Land Adv., Truxton, Grind Stormer, Landstalker, Shadowrun, Light Crusader, Alien Storm, TMNT Hyperstone Heist, Gaiares…whew, Top 100 perhaps?!
Pretty perfect list, especially number 1!
Golden Axe 3 is still my favorite Sege Genesis game. I still can't understand why it wasn't released in the US when the Genesis was peaking in popularity in 1993. The AI was so much smarter, you could take different paths, more diverse enemies, aside from the lame magic, the game was perfect in ever way.
Awesome picks man :D
Thank you!
Rolling Thunder 2 and 3 are in my top 10 Genesis games👍 Ive recently bought both games off ebay. I didnt know they existed on the Genesis back in the 90's when i loved the arcade original.
my #1 is Ecco the Dolphin for sure. one of the greatest games ever made and is so unique. Bonanza Bros. is another amazing game that is extremely fun to play with someone else but also fun solo
You listed almost the whole sega mini lineup lol i love my sega mini
I just subbed, great content
Welcome aboard!
Excellent top 10
I definitely agree with sonic 2 as the best in the series. It's a timeless game. Other games on my list were Alladin, zombies ate my neighbors, and of course mortal kombat.
Aladdin is a favorite of mine as well and especially because I was (and still am) a big fan of the movie.
The dude approves of some Tennessee 🤠 ! Btw: I remember playing around trying to get a debug to work on Sonic 2 (never worked) but I did get the oil rig level music to play throughout the game ... It was so long ago . I do remember up c down c left c right c hold a and start for Sonic 1 though