It's possible that if you were of the proper age when the Sega Genesis games were launched in 1989 (at least in North America), you may think that it was the greatest video game system ever created. Some of it is undoubtedly a result of nostalgia, but the Sega Genesis is unquestionably responsible for some of the most memorable gaming experiences of the last several decades. It gave us Sonic The Hedgehog, who is probably one of the greatest video game characters of all time, as well as the Sonic The Hedgehog controller, which has six buttons and is perhaps the finest gaming controller ever created.
In case you'd want to take a journey down memory lane to relive some childhood memories or learn a little bit about gaming back in the day, we've prepared a list of some of the greatest Sega Genesis games for you to choose from. Check out our selection of the top ten games in the section below and let us know if we've overlooked anything significant.
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1. Altered Beast
A story that takes place in ancient Greece, in which you play the part of a character who has been selected by Zeus to save his daughter Athena from the evil Neff. In order to do this, you have the power to transform into a dragon, a bear, a tiger, a wolf, and a golden wolf, which helps to keep the battles interesting.
2. Castlevania: Bloodlines
The announcement by Konami that a Castlevania game will be released on a Sega system after being only available on Nintendo consoles for so many years piqued the interest of many fans. Bloodlines ended up being one of the best games to be published on the PlayStation system in its history.
3. Comix Zone
Even now, the art style of Comix Zone remains distinct. In keeping with the title, it is set inside the comic book world, with characters speaking via speech bubbles. Stretch Turner is trapped in his own world, and he and his buddy, Roadkill, must battle their way out of this situation.
4. Disney’s Aladdin
This side-scrolling shooter, developed by Virgin Games USA, was really the first game to include hand-drawn animation. The premise is straightforward: beat your opponents with a scimitar or apples. It may come as a surprise to learn that, excluding Sonic games, this is the most popular Sega Genesis title of all time.
5. Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
You don't need to know anything about the storyline of this game, which is about a scientist named Dr. Robotnik who transforms the inhabitants of Beanville into robots. It has a similar gameplay pattern to Tetris, and it is famously tough, much like many other games from the same period.
6. Earthworm Jim
While it may seem odd to be an earthworm that wears a robotic suit to battle the bad guys on paper, Earthworm Jim is everything but strange in person. With its rich visuals and innovative level design, this game was a step ahead of its time when it was released. The sequel is equally as excellent as the first.
7. Ecco The Dolphin
The idea for this game is one of the most outlandish we can come up with. You take on the role of Ecco The Dolphin, the main character, who utilizes a time machine to go back 55 million years in order to rescue his fellow dolphins from extinction. Combat takes occur in the water as well as on a spacecraft, as you would expect.
8. Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
As the protagonist of Ghouls 'N Ghosts (the sequel to Ghosts 'N Goblins), you take control of Knight Arthur, who is pursued by a winged Satan and forced to marry his love interest Princess Prin Prin. Your objective is to make your way to the castle where she is being held in order to reclaim her.
9. Golden Axe
Several of the games on this list are side scrollers and/or beat 'em ups, but Golden Axe stands apart from the crowd since it incorporates aspects from the fantasy genre. Following the popularity of this game, many sequels and spin-offs were created, which is always a goal for a creator.
10. Gunstar Heroes
Gunstar Heroes is a thrilling game that was created by a group of Konami developers who were dissatisfied with the way their initial concepts were being received. It was after they had gone that Treasure was created, and then it was this game. In the run-and-gun genre, it's considered a classic.