Luke Owen celebrates an important birthday…
Although the console was released in Japan and America in 1989, we here in the UK didn’t get the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis as it was known in the US) until November 30th, 2015. So, it’s the consoles 25th birthday today. At least in the UK. Bet you feel old now!
I first got my Mega Drive for Christmas 1991 with Sonic the Hedgehog, Castle of Illusion and Taz-Mania, and it opened my eyes to the world of video games. Prior to that my brother had a Commodore 64, but that was his machine and seeing as he was six years older than me, I never got the chance to play it. But the Mega Drive was mine. And 25 years on, it’s still my favourite video game console. Does its library of games hold up to the SNES or PlayStation? Probably not. But that doesn’t stop it being awesome.
So let’s celebrate this 25th birthday (making it five years younger than me), and count down the top 16 titles.
For the record, this isn’t in any sort of order.
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Let’s get the obvious game out of the way first, eh? Sonic the Hedgehog is the game that defined the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Prior to its release, the console was bundled with an inferior arcade port of Altered Beast. Sales were good, but they weren’t great. However Sega of America decided to bundle in their newest and hottest game, Sonic the Hedgehog, in place of Altered Beast and sales skyrocketed. He became a pop culture icon and the new face of Sega. And while his first outing is a great example of just how powerful and fun the Sega Mega Drive could be, everything was turned up to eleven with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The levels were bigger and better, Sonic was cooler and faster and the challenge was even greater than before. The whole thing just felt more epic than the last outing, and the game features some of the best music on the Mega Drive. Seriously, the music to Mystic Cave Zone is awesome. Some people may prefer Sonic 3, but from a pure gameplay standpoint, there is none finer than Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
2. Aladdin
There weren’t many instances of games that ended up being better on the Mega Drive than on the SNES, but Aladdin is one of them. With fluid controls, challenging gameplay and a wicked difficulty curve, Aladdin will have you coming back for more and more action. It starts off simple enough, but after just a few levels the game’s unforgiving obstacles begin to ramp up. By the time you reach the Cave of Wonders, you’ll be begging for more lives and continues. But the difficulty doesn’t make it unplayable (unlike the Just Can’t Wait to be King level on The Lion King), and instead just makes the game challenging. With practice, you can make it through the game without losing too many lives. And that’s what makes it a superb platformer.
3. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
While much easier than the above example, Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse is proof that games made for kids can still be entertaining and fun for adults. You play as Mickey going through the titular Castle of Illusion trying to save Minnie from the evil Mizrabel, and along the way you encounter strange locations including a haunted wood, toyland, scary caves and a giant library. The creativity in the level design is what pushes Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse over the edge as one of the best games on the system and although its slow, there’s still enough action to keep you invested. The remake of the game was okay, but it missed some of the magic that made Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse truly special.
4. Earthworm Jim
What other game has you dropping a fridge onto a log to launch a cow into the air in the first two minutes – only for it to play into the games finale when you’ve forgotten about it? Or racing against a crow in an astronaut suit in space? Or competing in a bungee rope competition against a ball of snot? Earthworm Jim is another example of a game that was better suited to the Sega Mega Drive. The console’s gritty sound design meant that Earthworm Jim is also a rare example of a game that *sounds* better on the Mega Drive as well as plays better. The controls are great, the gameplay is challenging and the humour is on point. There are some really tricky levels like Down the Tubes and For Pete’s Sake that will make you want to tear your hair out (Down the Tubes is particularly frustrating), but the game is so fun that you will really push yourself to make it past these harder tasks.
5. Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage was one of the games I played the most on the Mega Drive as my buddy had it as part of Mega Games 2. And while that game was damn fun, it was kicked up a notch with the sequel Streets of Rage 2. With two new characters, new moves and bigger and more expansive levels, Streets of Rage 2 is everything a sequel should be. It is just so satisfying to kick the holy hell out thugs in the streets. Now, is it as good as Final Fight or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time on the SNES? That’s up for debate. It’s certainly slower than both those games (ironic given that was Sega’s main gimmick), but there’s something so enjoyable about Streets of Rage 2 that its almost unfair to compare the three. To this day, it’s amazing that there hasn’t been a reboot to this franchise.
6. Revenge of Shinobi
Also bundled with Mega Games 2 was Revenge of Shinobi. Now, many people would say that Shinobi 3 was the best game of the series of Mega Drive, but personally I think Revenge of Shinobi is much better. The music is better, the gameplay is better and the challenge is better. It also features bizarre cameos from Spider-Man, Godzilla, The Terminator, Batman and Rambo – though all of these were taken out at various points. A great platformer with a decent amount of challenge and a rewarding sense of competition. Great stuff.
7. Quackshot starring Donald Duck
Back to Disney once again with Donald Duck Does Indiana Jones, Quackshot. The game sees you travel all over the world collecting various bits of treasure that will eventually lead to you to the ultimate prize and like Castle of Illusion, the level design, bright colours and fun gameplay is what makes Quackshot standout from the pack. You have the option of which levels you choose to do next as you open up more areas of the map, and there’s a back-tracking adventure quality to it that really opens up your options. However, there is only one route to take, which is a bit disappointing. But with that said, Quackshot rules – and the music is awesome.
8. Guntstar Heroes
What is there to say about Gunstar Heroes that hasn’t been said already? This is madcap platform shooting at its finest, and easily one of the best games on the Mega Drive. It’s also… very Japanese. Meaning, it’s bonkers from almost the word ‘go’. An amazing game.
