Let’s be honest. This was inevitable. My obsession for mini consoles should be well established by now, and I recently purchased the Genesis Mini (and offered my general thoughts here). The only real question was whether I’d keep it simple and rank the games on the Genesis Mini, or expand the list to be a “best of” for the entire catalog of the original console.
I’ve decided to mostly go with the former. I have some thoughts on the games I feel are missing here and really wanted to share them, so I’m going to lead off with those. But I still haven’t experienced enough with the 700-game library to truly put together a proper “best-of” ranking. Sure, it would be useful to neophytes, but I wouldn’t feel super great or confident about it, either.
So instead, here are some thoughts on my favorite games missing from the Genesis Mini, followed by my ranking of the 42 games that did make the cut.
Enjoy!
Let me start by stating there are no doubt a TON of good games I’ve never played — and I would be very much interested in playing! — that could be on here. Games like TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist, Sonic CD, Rocket Knight Adventures, and Virtua Racing fall into this category (as do too many to list).
Two other games I haven’t technically played on the system but have played elsewhere would have made sense here too: NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat II. Each made my list of favorite SNES games, and neither made the SNES Classic. Either would have been a coup for Sega to land in that context.
Speaking of NBA Jam, the Genesis originally gained a foothold in the U.S. thanks to a pretty solid lineup of sports titles. The NHL series from EA gained a ton of attention in the 90’s for good reason, as it was an awesome series. ’93 was famous for its fighting (check out that link), but ’94 was a better game. Either way, it would have been a great inclusion (and I know the rights issues are a factor here, but this is just a wish list, not a “should have been on there” list).
If we’re including EA games, Desert Strike deserves to be here too. The “Strike” games were fun and unique, and that one was my favorite.
Maybe that’s partially a nostalgia pick, but what’s TOTALLY a nostalgia pick is Batman, a game that was short and easy and probably doesn’t hold up, but it was a game I really enjoyed when I was younger.
I think arguments can be made against any of those games, but to me, these are the giant glaring omissions on the Genesis Mini:
Golden Axe II
Streets of Rage
Sonic 3 (& Knuckles).
Coming into this thing, I’d never played the original Golden Axe or Streets of Rage 2, and I really appreciate the opportunity to play them both. But I actually like the other two games (Golden Axe II, Streets of Rage) more. It would have been great to have all of them.
As for the Sonic 3 & Knuckles thing, it’s weird. I get that. But that weirdness is what makes the game(s) more valuable/desired. (To quickly recap for newbies, Sonic 3 was its own game, then Sonic & Knuckles was released as a separate game a few months later, but the quirk to it was that you could connect the games to each other to make one big game: Sonic 3 & Knuckles.)
I’ve heard the soundtrack is a problem, but these games are beloved. Sonic 3 is an incomplete game, so it would have been a mistake to only include it. Maybe it’s difficult to emulate Sonic & Knuckles? Or maybe it’s just the heavy lift of essentially having to create three emulated games instead of just two (you’d need to do each game by itself and then the combined game as well)? I don’t know.
What I do know is each game, despite being essentially half a game, STILL stands on its own. Sure, Sonic 1 and 2 are better (in my opinion), but put these two games together and you’ve got a must-inclusion.
I think they screwed up here.
Anyway, with all that said, I think they did a pretty incredible job overall of assembling the final Genesis Mini game list. Nearly every game here has some kind of value.
The question is, how much?
Read on to find out!
* One caveat: Some of these games I’m not very deep into at all. I suspect several — particularly the RPGs — will grow on me as I progress further. So in other words, please be gentle if I’m dismissive of your favorite game … I might just need some more time with it.
Anyhow, here’s my current ranking of the 42 games on the Genesis Mini.
42. Tetris — This version of Tetris is a curiosity, as Tetris was never given a full release on the Genesis (there’s a convoluted story about a few copies being released by mistake and how they’re super valuable, but how this version isn’t that same version … or something). I understand the decision to include it (I think), but it isn’t good. It’s almost unplayable, in fact. It has the falling blocks in those familiar shapes, just like you remember. But the controls aren’t responsive enough and the speed ramps up too quickly … meaning any planned Tetris marathon will last a mere 5-10 minutes. I had a better version of this game on my flip phone in 2005 (and a better version on my PC in 1989), and I can’t imagine ever wanting to play this again.
41. Virtua Fighter 2 — I’m sure one could make an impassioned defense for this game, outlining the depth of gameplay, its historical value, how much it pushed the Genesis hardware, and so forth and so on. The bottom line for me is that this stripped-down version (gone are the cool polygon graphics and the 3D fighting action) of a classic arcade one-on-one fighter is slow and super ugly to look at, and that just isn’t a good combo for a fighting game (or any game, really).
40. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle — Let’s put aside the rock, paper, scissors battles, which are ridiculous and get old right around the second time you take part in one. This game also provides instant kills (one hit and you’re dead) and demands stupid-precise input on its hit detection, while simultaneously giving you a character who is sort of float-y as he moves about the screen … all of which is just a particular stew I want to take no part of. Alex Kidd is an important piece of Sega’s history, but this particular game makes me want to throw things at people.
39. Sonic Spinball — Woof. I have an idea. Let’s take that cool Casino-themed pinball zone from Sonic 2 and make a game around it. So far, so good, right? Now let’s bugger up the frame rate, take away any sense of speed or chaos, insert random stuff that has nothing to do with the series, and rush it out to satiate Sonic fans (since Sonic 3 isn’t ready yet) to make a quick buck. Yeah, no. It has its fans, but it’s a no for me.
38. Columns — It’s fine. Once again, I must salute the creativity on display while also acknowledging that it’s not a particularly enticing experience to relive over and over again. I mean, sure, everyone was trying to cash in on Tetris at the time and that’s how Columns came to be, but it at least handcuffed the player in a unique way — the falling shapes will not turn or spin. Instead, you can pick what row your column lands and the order of its three colored gems. Within those constraints, one finds an acceptable strategy/puzzle game … just not one that does a lot for me personally beyond a few minutes of distraction.
37. Kid Chameleon — It’s merely so-so to look at and listen to, but you do get a lot of value here as this is a LONG platformer with several different play mechanics incorporated to (attempt to) stave off boredom. The addition of save states here, I’m told, rescues the game from the dumpster heap, but I’ve just gotta say that long doesn’t = good, either. Sure, when we were kids and we had infinite time to play and these games cost $50 each (at minimum), a lengthier game was welcome. Now? I’m old and my time is short. Give me quality over quantity.
36. Wonder Boy in Monster World — I don’t know, man. This series was decently beloved back in the day and it has very recently resurfaced with several sequels doing well in the past few years. So as a time capsule game and/or a reward for Monster World fans, it’s cool that it’s here. As someone who has had little exposure/devotion to the series, it’s decidedly less interesting to play it. This platformer is bright and colorful and plays well and it folds in RPG elements — and that’s cool — but I was playing Keith Courage (a very flawed game) over this back in the day and would honestly rather be playing that now too.
35. Mega Man: The Wily Wars — It plays alright, I guess, and it’s not like the updated graphics are completely terrible, but it’s a hollowed-out impersonation of the experience of playing the first three Mega Man games for the first time on the NES. This was originally released on the Sega Channel, so not a lot of people got to play it at the time (for preservation reasons, that makes its inclusion here a good thing). If you have no experience with Mega Man on the Nintendo, or if you haven’t played those games in a very long time, you will probably enjoy this. Otherwise, it’s a novelty at best.
34. Altered Beast — It’s a janky side-scroller, but its quirkiness (and people’s nostalgia for that) is what makes it endure as an important title (also, it was the pack-in game for the original Genesis). Make no mistake: it isn’t great at all. Still, turning into a cryptid to wreck shop has its charms, for sure. As does its distinctly Genesis sound and feel. Plus, I love the campiness of the enemies talking trash on you. I’m glad it’s here, regardless of its overall quality.
33. Space Harrier II — Like Altered Beast, this game is emblematic of the brand of Sega, a true defining title for that company in that given time and place. And also like Altered Beast, this game is janky as hell and really doesn’t hold up super great. The concept of an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter was ahead of its time in some ways, especially given that you’re this guy with a cannon who can fly for some reason and you’re fighting demons and three-headed turtles. I mean, give it credit for being weird, because it’s definitely that, but the frame rate makes it a tough play.
32. Light Crusader — Can a game be a gigantic dork? Because that’s what this game is. That doesn’t mean it has no value, of course, but Light Crusader is certainly awkward and goofy. Start with the 3D isometric viewpoint, which can be clunky in the best of circumstances. Now add in a blend of RPG, action adventure and platforming elements, and you get the feeling they weren’t sure where they wanted the game to go. True, Landstalker has the same issues, but that game has a cuter design and pulls the gamer in quicker. I’m not writing it off, but for now, it belongs with fellow weirdos Space Harrier and Altered Beast.
31. Ecco the Dolphin — Some people HATE this game. I’m giving it some leeway because of how different and innovate it was, but man, if the first section of the game is any indication, I will curse the day these programmers discovered jellyfish. As implied by the title, you control a dolphin, and the controls of said critter are pretty cool. In no time, you’ll be zipping across the screen and leaping islands and plowing straight into … jellyfish. Ugh. Well, it’s fun UNTIL the jellyfish, I guess.
30. Eternal Champions — Here’s a game that has a devoted group of fans (most of the games in this section of the countdown have a decently sized, nostalgia-fueled fan base). The points this fighter has in its favor are some wacky/interesting character designs (drawn largely and colorfully), a sense of genuine style, and fast gameplay. It’s fun to pick up and knock out a couple of rounds. Still, if we’re being honest with ourselves, it was a Street Fighter II knock-off back then, and it remains one today.
29. Vectorman — The Genesis, if I’m to judge it by the Genesis Mini’s library, was full of so-so platformers that brought different elements to the table and gained themselves a following in the process … but still didn’t totally reinvent the genre or anything. This section of my countdown is absolutely littered with these games. Vectorman at least had a little run and gun to it, and it had a unique visual style, so it earns points for those touches. I’m still not itching to sit down and complete it anytime soon.
28. Monster World IV — It’s cute and it’s certainly packaged better than its predecessor Wonder Boy, but I’ve got the same issues here that I did with that one … there are simply more interesting platformers out there. Now, I will say that I’ve enjoyed this better than I have Alex Kidd or Kid Chameleon (or Wonder Boy), and it’s a hell of a conversation piece as a game that didn’t initially earn an English translation during its debut — it didn’t get that until the Wii era. So yay, people who haven’t been able to play it can now play it (legitimately yay — this is always cause for celebration). It just may not be for me.
27. Dynamite Headdy — Another platformer. Hooray! I am kidding somewhat, because Dynamite Headdy has a little more to recommend it than some of the others lower on this list. The play mechanics, for one, are unique and fun. Your character launched his head at enemies to defeat them, and if that doesn’t sound fun, you’re weird and I don’t want to know you. Also, good news: he acquires different abilities throughout the game. This is a bright and detailed world they’ve built here, too. It can get a little busy, but I generally prefer that to sparse and boring.
26. Comix Zone — This brawler (with an interesting look and theme) has never been high on my personal “must complete this!” list, so despite having access to it on a PS2 disc for nearly two decades, I’ve still not put it through its proper paces. The Genesis Mini contains a better emulation, so I suspect I will eventually get around to finishing it, but putting in a couple of hours with it still hasn’t lit a fire under my ass. I respect its craft, but I just haven’t been able to click with it.
25. Contra Hard Corps — The phrase “run and gun” may well have been coined in response to the Contra series, and it’s more of the same with this title. Manic bullet avoidance is the name of the game in a Contra game, along with brutal challenge. This is probably one of the more creative and difficult entries in the series, and while I can certainly support the former, the latter is giving me problems in my old age (Get off of my lawn!). Still, I see the value here and can understand folks who might want to rank it even higher.
24. World of Illusion — It’s Castle of Illusion! Except bigger! And it’s two-player! It sure sounds like a winning hand, doesn’t it? But something gets lost in translation somewhere. The essence of the game has changed, in part courtesy of the upgrade in graphics, but more critically, the game-play mechanics, which are just plain different. They’re not worse, per se, but certainly enough of a change to alter how this thing plays and feels. It’s a well-crafted game, but it’s missing — for lack of a better term — some of the magic.
23. Ghouls ‘n Ghosts — One of these days, when I’m feeling twitchy/adventurous, I’m going to settle into my chair with a 24-pack of Mountain Dew and commit to advancing past the first level (over the course of many, many, MANY hours) in one of these Ghouls ‘n Ghosts games. It may actually be this one. The NES version, I am convinced, is broken as fuck. The SNES one is marred by absurd amounts of slowdown that make my brain hurt. This one might be the one … it feels like it might be the one. Second level or bust!
22. Landstalker — Given its aforementioned similarities to Light Crusader (3D isometric viewpoint, action adventure, RPG elements, hard-to-manage platforming requirements) you could make the argument that only one of the two needed to be on this system. I would take this one, again partly due to its more cartoony visual style, but also because I like the spin of “I’m after treasure!” rather than your more boring, typical “save the world!” story elements.
21. Shining Force — As opposed to the Landstalker/Light Crusader debate, there should be little debate over this game’s inclusion. Shining Force was a trailblazer in the world of strategy, turn-based RPGs. Genius games like Final Fantasy Tactics wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for this game. I’m super excited about its inclusion on the system for its historical significance, and I’m looking forward to getting deeper into it, but it’s a slow developing game. My guess is this is one of those games that will go up the list the more I play.
20. Beyond Oasis — When navigating 40-plus games in a short period of time — so as to evaluate them for you fine people — games that are different tend to stand out rather emphatically. This game is an overhead action-adventure style game in the tradition of Zelda, but it looks much prettier than that. This is clearly a late-life addition to the Genesis library, as its polish shows, but the game plays well too. I am intrigued.
19. Super Fantasy Zone — This “cute ’em up” — a cutesy sub-genre of the “shoot ’em up” genre — doesn’t play around. Almost instantly, a new user is saddled with an overwhelming desire to give up. That has to do with the way your ship handles out of the gate. Fortunately, you can quickly upgrade (upgrades are handled via collecting coins and shopping for them at a store that pops up from time to time — a unique way to handle this sort of thing), and the game gets going from there. Is anything here ground-breaking? Eh, probably not. But there’s fun to be had.
18. Alisia Dragoon — Again, with such a large library of games, unique = good. At its most basic level, Alisia Dragoon is another platformer. But it’s the play mechanics here that differentiate the game (in a good way!). Our main character shoots lightning out of her hands to attack her enemies, but shooting depletes the attack’s effectiveness. So similar to a game like Legendary Axe, you have to strategize when to charge up your attacks vs. just trying to shoot constantly. It provides a level of depth most other platformers just don’t have.
17. Earthworm Jim — There’s something to be said for polish. Whether it’s the graphics featuring a beautiful, clean look, the animations going above and beyond the basics, the sounds and music providing extra atmosphere, or what have you. Earthworm Jim has all of that and more. It’s a tough game, but its level of attention to detail, at least for that time, was pretty much unparalleled. Also, let me not forget to mention that it’s funny and has a real charm about it. Good stuff.
16. Road Rash II — Just observing the overall look of the game, one would have concerns about it holding up. Those concerns are quickly squashed (or perhaps more accurately, whipped with a chain) when the game gets rolling. The racing itself is fun enough, but the hook of literally fighting your fellow racers is great too. Now 30 years on, it’s a little hard to believe this game works as well as it does (especially for someone with no nostalgia for the game), but it does. There you go.
15. Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition — This is a quality port of Street Fighter II. It’s not going to blow anyone away with its graphics and sound, particularly nowadays, but it’s damn solid. The miracle here is how well it plays despite its stupid system of toggling between punches and kicks via the Start button, a ridiculous concession the programmers had to make at the time to accommodate the Genesis 3-button controller. I can see why some folks have purchased 6-button controllers for their Genesis Minis, as this game alone warrants the cost … but only if you don’t have a workable version of this game elsewhere (such as on the SNES Classic).
14. Phantasy Star IV — I’ve played my fair share of RPGs over the years, and Phantasy Star IV is without a doubt one of the finest in the genre at pulling the player in right from the opening credits. Time will tell just how well the game will ultimately resonate with me, and I have to be pickier about which RPGs I choose to willingly engage in now due to time requirements, but I can guarantee this is one I’m going to put some significant time into. Its quality is evident.
13. Thunder Force III — My twitch response is significantly more effective with a traditional shooter like this rather than a run and gun, so my preference is almost always going to lean in that direction (scroll down for a notable exception). What I like about this game in particular is its overall presentation (graphics and sound) and speed. There’s nothing really wrong here, either. It’s just a good, solid double. You can get far in life cranking out doubles consistently, y’all.
12. ToeJam & Earl — It isn’t to everyone’s liking, and we’ve previously established that just because a mascot is important in a system’s lifespan, it doesn’t mean the game holds up all that well 30 years later (I’m looking at you, Alex Kidd and Altered Beast). But, I am unapologetic about enjoying this game. First of all, it’s communal, which is always a good start. It’s also firmly rooted in a 90’s sensibility. This game, perhaps more than any other on the system, makes me nostalgic about Friday nights playing Genesis as a kid with my friends. I dig its presentation and general oddness. But maybe most importantly of all, a goofy game about aliens trying to fix their ship is a breath of fresh air amid today’s current hellscape of super violent games.
11. Shinobi III — The Genesis couldn’t have a more diverse library (for both good and bad), and that helps it to endure as an influential system to this day. Because of that, though, it’s really hard to pinpoint the games most representative of the system itself (again, credit the curators of the Genesis Mini for mostly getting it right). Shinobi, a platformer featuring a ninja as the protagonist, was one of those series on the Genesis that was both popular and good, and it HAD to be represented here. For what it’s worth, I think Shinobi III is one of the better games here. It’s really fun.
10. Strider — You control a dude in a sort of post-apocalyptic setting, travelling through locales like Russia and the Amazon in what can best be described as true hack-and-slash platforming action. What’s notable is you swing this comically gigantic sword at people to defeat them. This game is big on style, but it was also a clear endorsement of the kinds of things the Genesis could do early in its lifespan (the port on the NES looked like rubbish by comparison), so for historical purposes alone it should rank highly. Good thing it’s also a fun game.
9. Castle of Illusion — This is a platformer starring Mickey Mouse who defeats enemies by bouncing off of them with his butt, an enormously hilarious concept to my four-year-old. There are other pluses. It’s an imaginative, colorful world they’ve built here, befitting Disney’s primary mascot, and it plays very well. And it was one of those “envy” games at its release, inspiring frustration from those of us who had different gaming systems and couldn’t play it. Well, I get to play it now. So, ha!
8. Castlevania: Bloodlines — It’s got that Castlevania DNA, but it’s one of the odder ducks in the series (at least among the early 2D platforming days). Featuring new characters (one of them wields a spear), an updated timeline (we’re suddenly in the 20th century instead of the 1600s), and a globe-trotting aesthetic (most of the other games center around a single castle instead), Bloodlines deserves its reputation for being different. In my view, there are better Castlevania games out there than this one, but it’s still a very worthwhile romp.
7. Darius — Like Tetris and Mega Man: The Wily Wars, this game is an oddity, a side-scrolling shooter originally released in the arcades with a super wide display but now shrunk down and ported over to the Genesis via emulation (how this came to be is a story in itself). Unlike those other two games, this one seriously rocks. I’m sure there are purists out there who hate the truncated screen, but I still found the game completely playable. It’s hectic and fun and looks beautiful … that’s the checklist for a great shooter.
6. Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine — Known as “Puyo Puyo” in Japan, this puzzler involves dropping pieces — similar to Tetris — and trying to match different colored pieces together — similar to Dr. Mario or Columns. Where this game differs is it’s strictly played competitively, either against a human or A.I. You each try to screw the other over by chaining your matches in such a way that a bunch of colorless blobs stack up on your opponent’s screen and dooms them. This competitive aspect to the game demands the game be played at a more frenetic pace than many other puzzlers, causing more errors (and happy accidents) as a result … meaning you may love or hate it on that basis alone. I happen to love it.
5. Streets of Rage 2 — The side-scrolling brawler, as a genre of video game, is responsible for many of my best video gaming memories. I think the reason why is that these kinds of games are super accessible and fairly short, meaning you can more easily experience them communally. Widely considered one of the best brawlers of all time, I must certainly acknowledge that Streets of Rage 2 is excellent, featuring a fabulous soundtrack and great play mechanics. Do I like other games even more? Yes. To wit…
4. Golden Axe — I think you could take the first two Golden Axe games, the first two Streets of Rage games, throw them in a grab bag, randomly choose one, and do amazingly well for yourself. It’s a little like splitting hairs … they’re all four amazing brawlers (I can’t speak for pt. 3 of either series). This one did a great job of establishing that brawling sensibility in a different setting involving dwarves and orcs and magic and whatnot (Thanks, Tolkien!). Gun to my head, I’d rank them SOR1, GA2, GA1, SOR2, so here this game sits, somehow above Streets of Rage 2 (I guess calling in police rocket launcher backup > flaming a guy to death with a dragon > hitting him with a pipe). I stand by my ranking, though I mostly just lament we didn’t get those other two games. Sad face.
3. Sonic the Hedgehog — I’ve seen other lists where people put this game like 30th or some crap, and that makes me irrationally annoyed (their rankings are, after all, their rankings). I guess I just can’t understand that level of disrespect for the O.G. This game established Sonic as a bonafide superstar in gaming, and it was innovative as hell, giving us a platformer purposefully designed for speed runs for maybe the first time ever? (Certainly to this degree.) And it’s not like it’s this ugly thing to look at either (cough Super Mario Bros. 1 cough). Nope. A great-playing, innovative title that has polish and impacted the gaming industry in a major way? Sign me up!
2. Gunstar Heroes — Okay, I finally get it. This run-and-gun side-scrolling platformer has been well-regarded for decades, often making appearances in Genesis best-of lists, always near the top of the heap. Having finally played it, I can now speak to its brilliance and … yep. It’s wonderful. It’s got a good tempo to it, it plays well, is bright and colorful, isn’t too difficult (Hi, Contra!), and all of those weapon combinations keep the game feeling fresh. It deserves all of the praise it has ever received. (It’s just not quite my favorite.)
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — Deciding on No. 1 took me literally no time, because this game has been my No. 1 Genesis game for over 25 years, and nothing I’ve experienced since has ever topped it. It builds on Sonic 1 beautifully, bringing in interesting sidekick/2-player dynamics with Tails, the spin dash (which is a HUGELY welcome addition), better bonus levels, a better overall soundtrack, more creative stage design … I mean, basically everything you’d want in a sequel. It’s perfect, and it’s No. 1, now and forever.
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