those are being listed under "pc"
-
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GAF Games o' Gen 4 (SNES/Sega Genesis/PC Engine and more) Voting Over
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
those are being listed under "pc"
1. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.
My favourite game ever, best in the series, and one I've returned to every year for nearly 25 years. It gave the template for the Zelda games that follow it, and is packed with stuff to do- the game world has something to find or interact with on every screen. Also my favourite opening in gaming too- that rainy night is incredibly memorable and evocative, leaving the bright colours and main theme kicking in only when you leave the first dungeon. It gives you a weapon, a reason to adventure, an emotional hit and points the way forward all in the first five minutes. Just a masterpiece, anyone interested in game design should study it, and anyone that loves games should at least give it a try.
2. Super Metroid
I didn't get around to play this until 2012 (it was really expensive at launch in the UK due to being packaged with a guide in a big box) but I'm so glad I did- it's another great example of adventure game design. My favourite element is that through use of the visor and other equipment, you find your own way forward inch by inch, just walking won't do it. It really makes you feel like an explorer forging your own path.
3. Megaman X
Exemplifies the SNES trend for games to be 'like the NES game, but bolder, better-looking, faster etc'. Another one I return to regularly, Capcom really made Megaman feel like a powerful robot upgrading himself here, with the armour upgrades on top of the boss weapons.
4. Super Probotector/Contra III
5. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
6. Castlevania IV
7. Streets of Rage 2
8. Secret of Mana
Classics like FFVI and Chrono Trigger weren't available in Europe, so this was my introduction to JRPGs instead. The sadder moments in the game (like being thrown out of your village at the start) really struck a chord with me.
9. Super Mario World
10. Starfox
My favourite game ever, best in the series, and one I've returned to every year for nearly 25 years. It gave the template for the Zelda games that follow it, and is packed with stuff to do- the game world has something to find or interact with on every screen. Also my favourite opening in gaming too- that rainy night is incredibly memorable and evocative, leaving the bright colours and main theme kicking in only when you leave the first dungeon. It gives you a weapon, a reason to adventure, an emotional hit and points the way forward all in the first five minutes. Just a masterpiece, anyone interested in game design should study it, and anyone that loves games should at least give it a try.
2. Super Metroid
I didn't get around to play this until 2012 (it was really expensive at launch in the UK due to being packaged with a guide in a big box) but I'm so glad I did- it's another great example of adventure game design. My favourite element is that through use of the visor and other equipment, you find your own way forward inch by inch, just walking won't do it. It really makes you feel like an explorer forging your own path.
3. Megaman X
Exemplifies the SNES trend for games to be 'like the NES game, but bolder, better-looking, faster etc'. Another one I return to regularly, Capcom really made Megaman feel like a powerful robot upgrading himself here, with the armour upgrades on top of the boss weapons.
4. Super Probotector/Contra III
5. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
6. Castlevania IV
7. Streets of Rage 2
8. Secret of Mana
Classics like FFVI and Chrono Trigger weren't available in Europe, so this was my introduction to JRPGs instead. The sadder moments in the game (like being thrown out of your village at the start) really struck a chord with me.
9. Super Mario World
10. Starfox
Sorry Sega fans...
1. Chrono Trigger
Perfect pacing, great cast and superb soundtrack. You all know this one.
2. Super Metroid
Awesome atmosphere, no hand holding but still never cryptic. Great boss battles and has my favourite ending of any game.
3. Yoshi's Island
Best looking 2D game ever and also the best 2D platformer of all time.
4. Earthbound
5. Mega Man X
6. Donkey Kong Country 2
7. Final Fantasy VI
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
9. Snatcher
10. Zombies Ate My Neighbours
1. Chrono Trigger
Perfect pacing, great cast and superb soundtrack. You all know this one.
2. Super Metroid
Awesome atmosphere, no hand holding but still never cryptic. Great boss battles and has my favourite ending of any game.
3. Yoshi's Island
Best looking 2D game ever and also the best 2D platformer of all time.
4. Earthbound
5. Mega Man X
6. Donkey Kong Country 2
7. Final Fantasy VI
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
9. Snatcher
10. Zombies Ate My Neighbours
if it's a game on those platforms in that era, it's all good.
well snes can be up to 1999 (already saw thracia 776).
gen 5 had pc/arcades as 1994-1999, but the psx, n64, and game boy had games until 2001.
gen 6 had pc/arcades as 2000-2005, but the ps2 had exclusives in 2010.
for gen 7, i'm considering the period to be 2006-2012.
1. Lunar: The Silver Star (Sega CD): turn-based JRPGs were my favorite genre in the early '90's, and this one delivered everything I wanted in a CD-based system - glorious soundtrack, the most catchy attract mode ever, animated cutscenes, and a storyline with a 'grand adventure' theme rather than overly dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1BNr1UVLAo
2. Phantasy Star IV (Genesis): as much as I love the Final Fantasy series, I do get frustrated by the reset of the world and storyline each time out, apart from Cid and the summons. IV was not only a superlative RPG in its own right, with fun vehicles, macros for battle, and another great soundtrack - it also managed to weave together the stories and heroes from previous entries in the series - even the weird part III.
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Super NES): I'm still a bigger fan of the original on NES, but those light world / dark world puzzles were very satisfying to solve, and the thunderstorm introduction was jaw-dropping at the time.
4. Super Metroid (Super NES)
5. Phantasy Star II (Genesis)
6. SimCity (Super NES)
7. Final Fantasy II (Super NES)
8. Street Fighter II Turbo (Super NES)
9. Mortal Kombat II (Super NES)
10. Ghouls N Ghosts (Genesis)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1BNr1UVLAo
2. Phantasy Star IV (Genesis): as much as I love the Final Fantasy series, I do get frustrated by the reset of the world and storyline each time out, apart from Cid and the summons. IV was not only a superlative RPG in its own right, with fun vehicles, macros for battle, and another great soundtrack - it also managed to weave together the stories and heroes from previous entries in the series - even the weird part III.
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Super NES): I'm still a bigger fan of the original on NES, but those light world / dark world puzzles were very satisfying to solve, and the thunderstorm introduction was jaw-dropping at the time.
4. Super Metroid (Super NES)
5. Phantasy Star II (Genesis)
6. SimCity (Super NES)
7. Final Fantasy II (Super NES)
8. Street Fighter II Turbo (Super NES)
9. Mortal Kombat II (Super NES)
10. Ghouls N Ghosts (Genesis)
i'll be counting them separately but under the 'sonic and knuckles 3' banner.
After some heavy thinking and soul searching...
1. Super Metroid; Is the most complete 2D game of all time IMO. Forget about generation. It has mood, fantastic gameplay, and an incredible score. The only slight about it is that some of the bass tracks kinda don't deliver the punch they could compared to synth sound chips. Other than that, it is overwhelming the greatest 2D game I've ever played, and that's something I'm not in the habit of saying of old Nintendo titles as I am a MegaDrive fan at heart. Link to the Past? Pffft, weak. Mario? Lame. It's mostly those games that will get mentioned in the top spot, but Super Metroid is the real best SNES game. Everyone else who says otherwise is wrong.
2. Sonic 3 & Knuckles; Okay, okay... this might sound hyperbolic, but this game's music alone is better than most entire games. There. I said it. It is THE number why if you think you are getting into "retro gaming" and you got your little CRT that you found on Craiglist and you plugged in the audio into it... You've royally fucked it all up. Get an external audio setup and let that bass kick you in the face. Anyway, the game plays silky smooth. The playable characters are truly a joy to explore with. Then there's the graphics, which are quite amazing. It'll stand toe to toe with the best of SNES. Lots of in game cinematics which exhibit articulate detail are part of the fun. Bosses are also noteworthy and cleverly thought out. Metal Sonic was just awesome to see. Just basically this game did everything right. People who say Sonic 2 was the best are also wrong.
1. Super Metroid; Is the most complete 2D game of all time IMO. Forget about generation. It has mood, fantastic gameplay, and an incredible score. The only slight about it is that some of the bass tracks kinda don't deliver the punch they could compared to synth sound chips. Other than that, it is overwhelming the greatest 2D game I've ever played, and that's something I'm not in the habit of saying of old Nintendo titles as I am a MegaDrive fan at heart. Link to the Past? Pffft, weak. Mario? Lame. It's mostly those games that will get mentioned in the top spot, but Super Metroid is the real best SNES game. Everyone else who says otherwise is wrong.
2. Sonic 3 & Knuckles; Okay, okay... this might sound hyperbolic, but this game's music alone is better than most entire games. There. I said it. It is THE number why if you think you are getting into "retro gaming" and you got your little CRT that you found on Craiglist and you plugged in the audio into it... You've royally fucked it all up. Get an external audio setup and let that bass kick you in the face. Anyway, the game plays silky smooth. The playable characters are truly a joy to explore with. Then there's the graphics, which are quite amazing. It'll stand toe to toe with the best of SNES. Lots of in game cinematics which exhibit articulate detail are part of the fun. Bosses are also noteworthy and cleverly thought out. Metal Sonic was just awesome to see. Just basically this game did everything right. People who say Sonic 2 was the best are also wrong.
Yeah I understand, I guess it's just that I associate this time playing games like Mario Kart just as much as the aforementioned Warcraft 2. That said, Warcraft 2 probably would not have been able to run on a SNES, but it did get a PSX port. So I guess in that regard it's fair. I guess it becomes a little more troublesome with something like Killer Instinct. Its arcade release was in '94 which doesn't count, yet the later SNES port (released in '95) does count.
swarley64
Member
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; The best Zelda game, and probably the best game I've ever played. A masterpiece of world design, pacing, the exact right mix of linearity and exploration, and it set a new standard for storytelling in games.
2. Super Mario World ; Fantastic gameplay and abilities, amazing art-style that still hold ups today, and the joy you get from finding secret exits and filling in the map has sadly never been replicated. For most platformers, the map-screen just winds up being a simplistic level select menu; but in SMW, the map-screen felt like a living, breathing world.
3. Final Fantasy 6
4. Chrono Trigger
5. Super Metroid ; I still need to go back and finish this game someday. As a kid I only got up to the underwater boss before I had to give it back to my friend, I probably didn't realize just how good this game was. Looking back as an adult I'm able to recognize that this game has some of the best atmosphere and exploration that will ever be achieved in the medium. A true classic.
6. DOOM ; No one else seems to be voting for this, I hope people don't forget that this is eligible!! Everything about this game was incredible, but the cyber-demon boss in particular is forever seared into my memory.
7. Final Fantasy 4
8. Street Fighter 2
9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
10. Sim City (SNES)
x. Illusion of Gaia
x. Secret of Mana
x. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
x. Donkey Kong Country 2
x. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
x. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
x. Donkey Kong (1994, Game Boy) ; I played this for the first time in 2013, it holds up amazingly well!
x. Mega Man X
x. Kirby's Dream Land ; This might just be nostalgia, but I probably beat this game 20 times when I was a kid.
x. Super Mario Kart
x. Kirby Superstar
x. Tetris Attack
2. Super Mario World ; Fantastic gameplay and abilities, amazing art-style that still hold ups today, and the joy you get from finding secret exits and filling in the map has sadly never been replicated. For most platformers, the map-screen just winds up being a simplistic level select menu; but in SMW, the map-screen felt like a living, breathing world.
3. Final Fantasy 6
4. Chrono Trigger
5. Super Metroid ; I still need to go back and finish this game someday. As a kid I only got up to the underwater boss before I had to give it back to my friend, I probably didn't realize just how good this game was. Looking back as an adult I'm able to recognize that this game has some of the best atmosphere and exploration that will ever be achieved in the medium. A true classic.
6. DOOM ; No one else seems to be voting for this, I hope people don't forget that this is eligible!! Everything about this game was incredible, but the cyber-demon boss in particular is forever seared into my memory.
7. Final Fantasy 4
8. Street Fighter 2
9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
10. Sim City (SNES)
x. Illusion of Gaia
x. Secret of Mana
x. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
x. Donkey Kong Country 2
x. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
x. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
x. Donkey Kong (1994, Game Boy) ; I played this for the first time in 2013, it holds up amazingly well!
x. Mega Man X
x. Kirby's Dream Land ; This might just be nostalgia, but I probably beat this game 20 times when I was a kid.
x. Super Mario Kart
x. Kirby Superstar
x. Tetris Attack
D.Lo
Member
1. Super Metroid. The greatest game ever made is of course the greatest game of the generation in which it was released.
Unparalleled in game design at release, and rarely matched ever since. Perfectly played against multiple expectations at several points (eg the elements of the original Metroid that were integrated), perfectly subtle storytelling cues, brilliant world design, gameplay and sound top of class.
2. The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening. Scaled down from Link to the Past, but also more tightly design and an amazing achievement on the hardware. Defined Zelda going forward by integrating more of a story and being full of memorable characters as well as all the tropes set by LTTP.
3. Yoshi's Island - sublime design.
4. The Legend of Zelda - Link to the Past - Epic, clever and packed with so much stuff.
5. Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo - the best action platformer ever made. Insane attention to detail.
6. Akumajou Dracula/Castlevania IV
7. Contra Spirits/Contra III/Super Probotector
8. Ganbare Goemon 3 - Brillant Zelda-like with brilliant platforming stages in place of the dungeons. And one of the first fully staged comedy games (well, series, but 3 really took it to become a proper sitcom type thing). Genius.
9. Super Mario World - the game that set the tone for the generation. Before it (and before the SNES) the generation was just NES+ and/or cut down arcade games. Fully-realised worlds (in an action game!) with a sense of place and scale vastly beyond mere level by level linear platformers. It also has probably the best Mario gameplay ever.
10. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior - a total game changer. Redefined multiplayer and set the industry in a whole new direction. DLC-esque 'sequels' were less impactful even if they were more refined.
Honourable Mentions
Snatcher (Mega CD version) - truly used the new tech available to create a very cool fictional world.
Gradius II (PC Engine)
Bare Knuckle 2/Streets of Rage 2
Axeley - maybe the best looking/sounding game of the gen?
Spiggan
Parodius Da
Zero Wing (both versions)
Vampire Killer (Castlevania Bloodlines)
Gunstar Heroes
Assault Suits Valken
Super Ghouls and Ghosts
Prince of Persia (SNES version)
Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (SNES versions)
Unparalleled in game design at release, and rarely matched ever since. Perfectly played against multiple expectations at several points (eg the elements of the original Metroid that were integrated), perfectly subtle storytelling cues, brilliant world design, gameplay and sound top of class.
2. The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening. Scaled down from Link to the Past, but also more tightly design and an amazing achievement on the hardware. Defined Zelda going forward by integrating more of a story and being full of memorable characters as well as all the tropes set by LTTP.
3. Yoshi's Island - sublime design.
4. The Legend of Zelda - Link to the Past - Epic, clever and packed with so much stuff.
5. Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo - the best action platformer ever made. Insane attention to detail.
6. Akumajou Dracula/Castlevania IV
7. Contra Spirits/Contra III/Super Probotector
8. Ganbare Goemon 3 - Brillant Zelda-like with brilliant platforming stages in place of the dungeons. And one of the first fully staged comedy games (well, series, but 3 really took it to become a proper sitcom type thing). Genius.
9. Super Mario World - the game that set the tone for the generation. Before it (and before the SNES) the generation was just NES+ and/or cut down arcade games. Fully-realised worlds (in an action game!) with a sense of place and scale vastly beyond mere level by level linear platformers. It also has probably the best Mario gameplay ever.
10. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior - a total game changer. Redefined multiplayer and set the industry in a whole new direction. DLC-esque 'sequels' were less impactful even if they were more refined.
Honourable Mentions
Snatcher (Mega CD version) - truly used the new tech available to create a very cool fictional world.
Gradius II (PC Engine)
Bare Knuckle 2/Streets of Rage 2
Axeley - maybe the best looking/sounding game of the gen?
Spiggan
Parodius Da
Zero Wing (both versions)
Vampire Killer (Castlevania Bloodlines)
Gunstar Heroes
Assault Suits Valken
Super Ghouls and Ghosts
Prince of Persia (SNES version)
Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (SNES versions)
10. Tetris ; Yes, Tetris on the GB. It was awesome.
9. Super Metroid ; It's aight.
8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; It's aight v2.
7. Mega Man X ; Slowdowns suck.
6. Chrono Trigger ; Great music. Except one hah.
5. Final Fantasy IV ; The first FF with a good story. Has some of the best boss music in Dreadful Fight (Four Fiends).
4. Final Fantasy VI ; My favorite real Final Fantasy. Has a diverse cast and I like pretty much all of them. Suplexing a train, come on. Love the tonal shift in atmosphere that happens later on. The second half of the game with Celes and that cutscene, amazing.
Figaro Castle
Decisive Battle
3. Final Fantasy Adventure ; Has to be my favorite action RPG. It's old as heck but that's a testament to how modern ARPGs games just suck. Just kidding. Made me cry as a kid with its ending. The MC really did go on to some fantastic adventures. He made unforgettable relationships with all sorts of people to rescue the FeMC. Even today I remember how incredible the side characters and their stories were. Relative to the game's length you don't stay with them for long but what a huge impact they had on me. Has a better story than 99% of games out there. Seriously.
Field Theme 1
Boss Music 2
Final Boss Music
2. Final Fantasy Legend II ; I struggled so hard as a kid to finish this. Believe me, I tried. Probably did over five playthroughs and I kept getting stuck at this boss near the end. You know the one. It's only until a couple years ago I went back and finished the whole thing.
My favorite area in the game, and while I don't agree with it in practice, is Venus' world. Here, she rules the city as the most dazzling matriarch. Only the beautiful are allowed to live in its ornate walls. While the city is pleasing to the eyes, its citizens are anything but. Some of the most shallow characters I've met reside in this city. It's kind of incredible how they're convinced that their good looks has brought them such fortune. And it probably has, just like reality. Outside the walls are people who are unsightly or have defects and so they have sought refuge in the jungle. It's a stark contrast here where camaraderie is ever present. There's a story arc where a guy who used to live in the city gets thrown out for getting a scar. His girlfriend is then about to be wed to another guy, as per Venus' orders. True love prevails and the girl scars her own face with a knife so she can live free. I think this was the moment in my kid life where I found out I was quite the sucker for sappy stories like these.
Field Theme 1
Town Theme 1
Boss Music 1
1. Final Fantasy Legend III ; Legitimately one of the best RPGs ever. Has everything you could ask for; decent battle system, fair difficulty, large open world that isn't a pain to explore, and the pacing of the story couldn't be any better. You time travel on this spaceship called the Talon. It also happens to be the best and coolest looking mode of transportation in gaming.
The game starts you off with Arthur, Curtis, and Gloria as the three orphans sent from the future with the hope that they can save the world's present and future. The main source of the world's troubles come from the Water Entity which is a giant floating urn that slowly floods the world. It also brings forth countless monsters which raid human villages and leaves human civilization in ruins. Together with Sharon, the granddaughter of the elder who raised the orphans, the four of them set off to look for Units, parts of the time traveling ship. It's usually only the four of you, but every once in a while a fifth party member bandwagons along. Most of them happen to be familiar faces, and the best thing about them is that they aren't one-offs. You might meet them in the past where they aren't quite the same character as they were in the present. Same deal with the future. The goofy kids you played with in the present grow up to be strong warriors with their own convictions. Every single person in the game has a role to play, big or small doesn't matter.
Like its predecessors, the party members can eat the meat of the monsters they beat or install robot parts, letting them transform into their enemies. This adds some variety in party building because monsters, cyborgs, beasts, humans, etc all have their pros and cons like some classes can't use abilities, or the stats are locked in, no advantage in wearing equipment, and so on. You're totally free to switch it up the party too so if a set up's not working out, just eat different meat. I usually have at least one human because they're pretty good in boss fights in that their damage is optimized for 1v1 fights. Sprites (the fairy monsters) are nice to have for healers. I do whatever for the last two party members. Beasts can be the monks of the game for their martial arts, mutants are the magic casters, cyborgs are freakishly strong depending on their equipment so really, there's a lot of freedom for all kinds of situations.
Such a great game, enough said. brb gonna look for my cartridge.
Boss Music 1
Field Theme 2
Talon
Final Dungeon
yo that's a lot of Final Fantasy. The top three aren't legit FFs though.
9. Super Metroid ; It's aight.
8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; It's aight v2.
7. Mega Man X ; Slowdowns suck.
6. Chrono Trigger ; Great music. Except one hah.
5. Final Fantasy IV ; The first FF with a good story. Has some of the best boss music in Dreadful Fight (Four Fiends).
4. Final Fantasy VI ; My favorite real Final Fantasy. Has a diverse cast and I like pretty much all of them. Suplexing a train, come on. Love the tonal shift in atmosphere that happens later on. The second half of the game with Celes and that cutscene, amazing.
Figaro Castle
Decisive Battle
3. Final Fantasy Adventure ; Has to be my favorite action RPG. It's old as heck but that's a testament to how modern ARPGs games just suck. Just kidding. Made me cry as a kid with its ending. The MC really did go on to some fantastic adventures. He made unforgettable relationships with all sorts of people to rescue the FeMC. Even today I remember how incredible the side characters and their stories were. Relative to the game's length you don't stay with them for long but what a huge impact they had on me. Has a better story than 99% of games out there. Seriously.
Field Theme 1
Boss Music 2
Final Boss Music
2. Final Fantasy Legend II ; I struggled so hard as a kid to finish this. Believe me, I tried. Probably did over five playthroughs and I kept getting stuck at this boss near the end. You know the one. It's only until a couple years ago I went back and finished the whole thing.
My favorite area in the game, and while I don't agree with it in practice, is Venus' world. Here, she rules the city as the most dazzling matriarch. Only the beautiful are allowed to live in its ornate walls. While the city is pleasing to the eyes, its citizens are anything but. Some of the most shallow characters I've met reside in this city. It's kind of incredible how they're convinced that their good looks has brought them such fortune. And it probably has, just like reality. Outside the walls are people who are unsightly or have defects and so they have sought refuge in the jungle. It's a stark contrast here where camaraderie is ever present. There's a story arc where a guy who used to live in the city gets thrown out for getting a scar. His girlfriend is then about to be wed to another guy, as per Venus' orders. True love prevails and the girl scars her own face with a knife so she can live free. I think this was the moment in my kid life where I found out I was quite the sucker for sappy stories like these.
Field Theme 1
Town Theme 1
Boss Music 1
1. Final Fantasy Legend III ; Legitimately one of the best RPGs ever. Has everything you could ask for; decent battle system, fair difficulty, large open world that isn't a pain to explore, and the pacing of the story couldn't be any better. You time travel on this spaceship called the Talon. It also happens to be the best and coolest looking mode of transportation in gaming.
The game starts you off with Arthur, Curtis, and Gloria as the three orphans sent from the future with the hope that they can save the world's present and future. The main source of the world's troubles come from the Water Entity which is a giant floating urn that slowly floods the world. It also brings forth countless monsters which raid human villages and leaves human civilization in ruins. Together with Sharon, the granddaughter of the elder who raised the orphans, the four of them set off to look for Units, parts of the time traveling ship. It's usually only the four of you, but every once in a while a fifth party member bandwagons along. Most of them happen to be familiar faces, and the best thing about them is that they aren't one-offs. You might meet them in the past where they aren't quite the same character as they were in the present. Same deal with the future. The goofy kids you played with in the present grow up to be strong warriors with their own convictions. Every single person in the game has a role to play, big or small doesn't matter.
Like its predecessors, the party members can eat the meat of the monsters they beat or install robot parts, letting them transform into their enemies. This adds some variety in party building because monsters, cyborgs, beasts, humans, etc all have their pros and cons like some classes can't use abilities, or the stats are locked in, no advantage in wearing equipment, and so on. You're totally free to switch it up the party too so if a set up's not working out, just eat different meat. I usually have at least one human because they're pretty good in boss fights in that their damage is optimized for 1v1 fights. Sprites (the fairy monsters) are nice to have for healers. I do whatever for the last two party members. Beasts can be the monks of the game for their martial arts, mutants are the magic casters, cyborgs are freakishly strong depending on their equipment so really, there's a lot of freedom for all kinds of situations.
Such a great game, enough said. brb gonna look for my cartridge.
Boss Music 1
Field Theme 2
Talon
Final Dungeon
yo that's a lot of Final Fantasy. The top three aren't legit FFs though.
1. Snatcher ; Where to begin? Snatcher is so far ahead of it's time and so well rounded that I am amazed it came out in the 4th Gen. Voice acting at levels that even Gen 6 couldn't consistently hit and visuals on another level to anything else at the time, in my opinion. One of Kojima's shining moments.
2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ;
3. Clock Tower ;
4. Mega Man: Wily Wars ; I love THIS game. The rendition of MM 1-3 is beautiful and the music gets such an unfair rap jesus. Yes there are a few slowdown issues, but I otherwise think this is THE way to play Mega Man 2, 3 and the additional AWESOME stages.
5. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins ;
6. Super Mario World ;
7. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood ;
8. Legendary Axe ; I really like the TurboGrafx-16 though I still need to really get more into it's library. Other than Castlevania, this game is my favourite thing on the system thus far.
9. Chrono Trigger ;
10. Super Mario All Stars ;
2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ;
3. Clock Tower ;
4. Mega Man: Wily Wars ; I love THIS game. The rendition of MM 1-3 is beautiful and the music gets such an unfair rap jesus. Yes there are a few slowdown issues, but I otherwise think this is THE way to play Mega Man 2, 3 and the additional AWESOME stages.
5. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins ;
6. Super Mario World ;
7. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood ;
8. Legendary Axe ; I really like the TurboGrafx-16 though I still need to really get more into it's library. Other than Castlevania, this game is my favourite thing on the system thus far.
9. Chrono Trigger ;
10. Super Mario All Stars ;
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Absolutely correct on this account. Rare challenged you in ways DKC didn't and added more gimmicks to the levels to keep things fresh.
4. super mario kart; the ONLY good MK game. I only wish you could have used the character 'special' powerups yourself instead of just the A.I
You straight trippin on this one fam. I like Super Mario Kart too, but to dismiss the seven other games like they were poorly designed or barely playable is some ol' bullshit.
TheMightyJerkules
Member
1. Phantasy Star 4 ; My favourite JRPG ever. Maybe it's because the original was my first RPG that I was so hooked by this game.
2. Super Mario World ; This game is timeless. Beautiful evolution of the Mario formula. Plus Yoshi.
3. Donkey Kong Country ; This was the game changer in the 16-bit wars. Beautiful game, excellent soundtrack, plus you play as the ape himself.
4. Doom ; Evolved and popularized the FPS genre, LAN play, and Mods. Gaming was never the same after Doom.
5. Devil's Crush ; In my opinion the best video game pinball game ever made. I can sink hours in to this game even today. Plus, the music was incredible. The bonus levels, and roaming enemies provided a cool element that couldn't be done in a real pinball table.
6. Street Fighter 2 ; Just classic in every way. Need only to look at the imitators that followed to realize the impact this game had.
7. Earthworm Jim 2 ; Exceptional and varied platforming, unique, and funny as hell. There was really nothing like Earthworm Jim.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Turtles in Time ; Loved this game back in the day. Years later I would spend many an hour laying waste to the foot clan with my eldest son. Best side scrolling beat em up of the era in my humble opinion.
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; Blast Processing! The second game in the series was the pinnacle IMO. Got give a vote to the guy who gave Mario a run for his money, even if it didn't last.
10. Mortal Kombat 2 ; Finished
2. Super Mario World ; This game is timeless. Beautiful evolution of the Mario formula. Plus Yoshi.
3. Donkey Kong Country ; This was the game changer in the 16-bit wars. Beautiful game, excellent soundtrack, plus you play as the ape himself.
4. Doom ; Evolved and popularized the FPS genre, LAN play, and Mods. Gaming was never the same after Doom.
5. Devil's Crush ; In my opinion the best video game pinball game ever made. I can sink hours in to this game even today. Plus, the music was incredible. The bonus levels, and roaming enemies provided a cool element that couldn't be done in a real pinball table.
6. Street Fighter 2 ; Just classic in every way. Need only to look at the imitators that followed to realize the impact this game had.
7. Earthworm Jim 2 ; Exceptional and varied platforming, unique, and funny as hell. There was really nothing like Earthworm Jim.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Turtles in Time ; Loved this game back in the day. Years later I would spend many an hour laying waste to the foot clan with my eldest son. Best side scrolling beat em up of the era in my humble opinion.
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; Blast Processing! The second game in the series was the pinnacle IMO. Got give a vote to the guy who gave Mario a run for his money, even if it didn't last.
10. Mortal Kombat 2 ; Finished
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
A bit sad that I will not be able to judge the SNES Fire Emblem games, yet, getting my first one on my next birthday.
So, with that said:
1. Yoshi's Island ; The game my username comes from, so no surprise it is still my favourite game ever made. The game basically is the 2D prototype of the 3D collectathon games and got everything right from the get-go. Yoshi's versatile capabilities allow for a varied and unique level design, demanding platforming skill, timing, will for exploration and even some light puzzle solving skills. The point system for the levels with its amazing reward of hard-as-nails extra levels allowed for an interesting scaling of difficulty and the presentation is wonderful. I even prefer the GBA version a bit, due to the Yoshi voices and six additional levels, the visuals are better on SNES though.
2. Super Mario World ; Second best 2D Mario, right behind NSMBU. Introducing Yoshi, ghost houses, a world map full of surprises and creative alternative exits. The game physics are absolutely incredible and have only ever been beaten by the NSMB series by including more athetics into Mario's play style. Super Mario World is distilled fun and can be played over and over again, with no sign of wear.
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; One of the first games I have ever played, on my cousins Mega Drive (now mine). This game is where Sonic really really started being incredible. Fantastic pacing, fast gameplay, responsive controls, creative level design, unique look and sound, Sonic 2 is one amazing game that I enjoy so much that I still play through this game reliably several times per year. Also, I have a ton of copies of the game: On Mega Drive, on Saturn, on GameCube, on Xbox 360, on Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Would buy again.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; down here? Well, if the competition is that strong.. A Link to the Past has the best overworld in the series (up until Skyward Sword at least, SS has it beat with its environmental puzzles), which combines density with exploration. Moreover, this game really defined the awesome Zelda formula and is the real basis for the series up until now. Fantastic dungeon design and satisfying mechanics make this one amazing game.
5. The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening ; Technically even more impressive, and atmospherically perferred, but a bit clunky with its two-button layout. Link's Awakening is the paramount achievement of Game Boy game design and the whole team can only be applauded. Link's Awakening has ALttP beat in terms of dungeon design even.
6. Super Metroid ; Super Metroid took a mediocre NES game and made an incredible SNES exploration based Action-Adventure out of it. The thoughtful level- and upgrade design makes for a timeless classic and an amazing experience. Not only on the first run through, but also on subsequent ones.
7. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; Sonic 3 went a bit overboard with enemies and broke the amazing flow of Sonic 2 a bit, but it also comes with the better platforming sequences and still is a great adreanline rush. Being only a tad weaker than the best Mega Drive games is still a strong achievement.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets ; Revisiting A Link to the Past with well-paced time limited design, new interesting dungeons and the well known classic ALttP gameplay. A shame most will never experience this game.
9. Lufia 2 ; Best 16 bit RPG. Fantastic dungeon design full of challenging puzzles and a sympathic atmosphere make this a true gem.
10. Super Mario RPG ; Bringing Mario into the RPG genre was executed so masterfully that one could think Mario was designed to be an RPG hero. The combination of traditional FF-like RPG gameplay with Mario's more skill based gameplay was genius and rightfully spawned one of the longest running RPG series.
x. Sonic the Hedgehog ; Often too slow, but still very iconic and establishing a lot of what made Sonic 2 one of the best games ever made
x. Sonic CD ; The weaker and a bit confused alternative world Sonic 2. Still a must-have
x. Soleil ; surprisingly good Zelda clone
x. Shining Force 1 ; considerably better than part 2.
x. Donkey Kong Country 2 ; Such a big step up from the often clunky first DKC and sporting amazing level design
x. Super Mario Land 2 ; My first own game (besides Duck Tales 2, which also is fantastic, and Power Rangers as well as Asterix & Obelix, which were the ultimate shit)
x. F-Zero ; Fast and with an amazing presentation. This is rightfully in the shadow of its 3D successor, but it layed the foundation for the best racing series ever.
x. Rock & Roll Racing ; Not a huge fan of isometric racing games, but this one was so tight and so fun, it deserves to be named. Best Mega Drive racing game I have played.
x. Super Mario Kart ; Another sub-genre spawning game with great track design and ideas.
x. Tetris Attack ; A great puzzle game idea and Yoshi's Island aesthetics on top of that. Great stuff!
x. Tetris on Game Boy ; Junkie-material.
x. Super Mario All-Stars ; What a value. Great remakes of the best 8 bit games.
x. Commander Keen 4 ; I really like the Keen series and would love to have a console port. Commander Keen 4 was my favourite among the series, featuring nice platforming and level design, as well as a memorable visual design.
So, with that said:
1. Yoshi's Island ; The game my username comes from, so no surprise it is still my favourite game ever made. The game basically is the 2D prototype of the 3D collectathon games and got everything right from the get-go. Yoshi's versatile capabilities allow for a varied and unique level design, demanding platforming skill, timing, will for exploration and even some light puzzle solving skills. The point system for the levels with its amazing reward of hard-as-nails extra levels allowed for an interesting scaling of difficulty and the presentation is wonderful. I even prefer the GBA version a bit, due to the Yoshi voices and six additional levels, the visuals are better on SNES though.
2. Super Mario World ; Second best 2D Mario, right behind NSMBU. Introducing Yoshi, ghost houses, a world map full of surprises and creative alternative exits. The game physics are absolutely incredible and have only ever been beaten by the NSMB series by including more athetics into Mario's play style. Super Mario World is distilled fun and can be played over and over again, with no sign of wear.
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; One of the first games I have ever played, on my cousins Mega Drive (now mine). This game is where Sonic really really started being incredible. Fantastic pacing, fast gameplay, responsive controls, creative level design, unique look and sound, Sonic 2 is one amazing game that I enjoy so much that I still play through this game reliably several times per year. Also, I have a ton of copies of the game: On Mega Drive, on Saturn, on GameCube, on Xbox 360, on Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Would buy again.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; down here? Well, if the competition is that strong.. A Link to the Past has the best overworld in the series (up until Skyward Sword at least, SS has it beat with its environmental puzzles), which combines density with exploration. Moreover, this game really defined the awesome Zelda formula and is the real basis for the series up until now. Fantastic dungeon design and satisfying mechanics make this one amazing game.
5. The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening ; Technically even more impressive, and atmospherically perferred, but a bit clunky with its two-button layout. Link's Awakening is the paramount achievement of Game Boy game design and the whole team can only be applauded. Link's Awakening has ALttP beat in terms of dungeon design even.
6. Super Metroid ; Super Metroid took a mediocre NES game and made an incredible SNES exploration based Action-Adventure out of it. The thoughtful level- and upgrade design makes for a timeless classic and an amazing experience. Not only on the first run through, but also on subsequent ones.
7. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; Sonic 3 went a bit overboard with enemies and broke the amazing flow of Sonic 2 a bit, but it also comes with the better platforming sequences and still is a great adreanline rush. Being only a tad weaker than the best Mega Drive games is still a strong achievement.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets ; Revisiting A Link to the Past with well-paced time limited design, new interesting dungeons and the well known classic ALttP gameplay. A shame most will never experience this game.
9. Lufia 2 ; Best 16 bit RPG. Fantastic dungeon design full of challenging puzzles and a sympathic atmosphere make this a true gem.
10. Super Mario RPG ; Bringing Mario into the RPG genre was executed so masterfully that one could think Mario was designed to be an RPG hero. The combination of traditional FF-like RPG gameplay with Mario's more skill based gameplay was genius and rightfully spawned one of the longest running RPG series.
x. Sonic the Hedgehog ; Often too slow, but still very iconic and establishing a lot of what made Sonic 2 one of the best games ever made
x. Sonic CD ; The weaker and a bit confused alternative world Sonic 2. Still a must-have
x. Soleil ; surprisingly good Zelda clone
x. Shining Force 1 ; considerably better than part 2.
x. Donkey Kong Country 2 ; Such a big step up from the often clunky first DKC and sporting amazing level design
x. Super Mario Land 2 ; My first own game (besides Duck Tales 2, which also is fantastic, and Power Rangers as well as Asterix & Obelix, which were the ultimate shit)
x. F-Zero ; Fast and with an amazing presentation. This is rightfully in the shadow of its 3D successor, but it layed the foundation for the best racing series ever.
x. Rock & Roll Racing ; Not a huge fan of isometric racing games, but this one was so tight and so fun, it deserves to be named. Best Mega Drive racing game I have played.
x. Super Mario Kart ; Another sub-genre spawning game with great track design and ideas.
x. Tetris Attack ; A great puzzle game idea and Yoshi's Island aesthetics on top of that. Great stuff!
x. Tetris on Game Boy ; Junkie-material.
x. Super Mario All-Stars ; What a value. Great remakes of the best 8 bit games.
x. Commander Keen 4 ; I really like the Keen series and would love to have a console port. Commander Keen 4 was my favourite among the series, featuring nice platforming and level design, as well as a memorable visual design.
Kaji AF16
Member
1. Alien Soldier (Treasure, 1995, Mega Drive);
The swansong of the mythical 16-bit generation: months before Playstation revolutionized the video game industry, the Mega Drive was saying goodbye with one last gem. Technically amazing. Impeccable, precise gameplay. A very "before its time" design; the things your character can do are amazing, but so are the challenges that await you . Fast, fierce, defiant.
2. Doom (id Software, 1993, PC); Legend. One of the most influential and culturally impactful videogames in history. Besides, the best cover of all time: I have it framed over my gaming TV.
3. Streets of Rage 3 (Sega, 1994, Mega Drive);
Legendary beat 'em up from the mid-90s, with a very well composed electronic soundtrack and mechanics that rendered its rival franchise, the once dominant Final Fight, obsolete. The simple but refreshing ability to run, details like its bosses-turned-secretly playable characters (Shiva and Roo), and its excellent graphics gave me unforgettable gaming sessions.
4. Mortal Kombat II (Midway, 1993, Mega Drive);
MK shocked the world with its" photorealistic" graphics and its violence. Its successor must have been one of the main topics of conversation among between me and my elementary school friends in 1992 and 1993. I 'll never forget my gratification when I actually got this highly anticipated title. Going to the arcades and playing a coin using the formerly mysterious Reptile was a dream come true. Looking back, MK2 represented the end of the early heyday of the franchise, which IMO would eventually weaken.
Almost twenty years later, I returned to that childhood dream with the great MK9 and MKX.
5. Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (Acclaim, 1994, Mega Drive);
A technically average beat 'em up. However, it came with two aces up its sleeve that proved irresistible to my elementary-school self: a rocking soundtrack (to this day, I still whistle and hum several of its songs) and the videogame recreation of an interesting Marvel saga, including one of my favorite characters... Venom. It also used a narrative resource which by then interested me a lot: the forced alliance between the hero (Spider-Man) and the symbiont, which by then was walking on the edge between justice and killings .
6. Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu (Bandai, 1992, SNES);
An obscure RPG, unknown even to most fans of Dragon Ball. I played and recommended it ad nauseam. I discovered some secrets that few people in the world must know (for example, powering Piccolo up consecutively using two different types of items when you are near the end of the game, for example).
Its "mathematical" fighting system and its Battle Power ratings -faithful to the original material- struck me deeply and gave me endless hours of fun .
Every so often I replay sections that I find particularly gratifying, as the fight against Vegeta and Nappa or the final battle in Namek. A very difficult to find gem.
Even if I acknoledge its limitations, it will always be a very special game to me.
7. Ecco the Dolphin (Novotrade, 1992, Mega Drive);
Beautiful. Haunting. Unforgettable.
8. Robocop vs. Terminator (Virgin, 1994, Mega Drive);
When I was 11 I saw this game on a 20-inch screen, back in my neighborhood. The quality of the graphics and the interaction between two characters who not only interested me widely, but seemed destined to cross their paths coming from completely different fictions, led me to beg my parents for them to buy me the Mega Drive.
9. Comix Zone (Sega, 1995, Mega Drive);
Impressive visuals, great gameplay. Awesome grunge-inspired music by the talented Howard Drossin (another soundtrack that I fondly remember).
10. Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition (Capcom, 1993, Mega Drive);
I could only rent my games. In a very "Marge Simpson-esque" moment, my mother bought me Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition instead of getting me my longed Mortal Kombat II.
I lamented her mistake for a while. However, the error got me closer to the Street Fighter saga, which until then I had only experienced briefly in the arcades or through clones in my also Third-World clone NES. I would eventually lost track of the franchise until IV, but that cartridge with M. Bison and Guile fighting in the cover became my only (and, by default, best) game bought for my beloved Mega Drive, and eventually earned a little place in my heart.
Honorable mentions:
x. Sonic the Hedgedog 2 (Sega, 1992, Mega Drive); I have to play all of them again. If asked which is the absolute pinnacle of the saga, I would still choose 2.
x. Earthworm Jim (Shiny, 1994, Mega Drive); Extremely fun and well made.
x. Chrono Trigger (Square, 1995, SNES); Great memories. That Akira Toriyama designs...
x. Phantasy Star IV (Sega, 1993, Mega Drive); Epic, powerful RPG.
x. General Chaos (EA, 1994, Mega Drive); Underrated, forgotten, incredibly fun.
x. Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master (Sega, 1993, Mega Drive); Exquisite design and gameplay. I miss Sega´s legendary portfolio...
The swansong of the mythical 16-bit generation: months before Playstation revolutionized the video game industry, the Mega Drive was saying goodbye with one last gem. Technically amazing. Impeccable, precise gameplay. A very "before its time" design; the things your character can do are amazing, but so are the challenges that await you . Fast, fierce, defiant.
2. Doom (id Software, 1993, PC); Legend. One of the most influential and culturally impactful videogames in history. Besides, the best cover of all time: I have it framed over my gaming TV.
3. Streets of Rage 3 (Sega, 1994, Mega Drive);
Legendary beat 'em up from the mid-90s, with a very well composed electronic soundtrack and mechanics that rendered its rival franchise, the once dominant Final Fight, obsolete. The simple but refreshing ability to run, details like its bosses-turned-secretly playable characters (Shiva and Roo), and its excellent graphics gave me unforgettable gaming sessions.
4. Mortal Kombat II (Midway, 1993, Mega Drive);
MK shocked the world with its" photorealistic" graphics and its violence. Its successor must have been one of the main topics of conversation among between me and my elementary school friends in 1992 and 1993. I 'll never forget my gratification when I actually got this highly anticipated title. Going to the arcades and playing a coin using the formerly mysterious Reptile was a dream come true. Looking back, MK2 represented the end of the early heyday of the franchise, which IMO would eventually weaken.
Almost twenty years later, I returned to that childhood dream with the great MK9 and MKX.
5. Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (Acclaim, 1994, Mega Drive);
A technically average beat 'em up. However, it came with two aces up its sleeve that proved irresistible to my elementary-school self: a rocking soundtrack (to this day, I still whistle and hum several of its songs) and the videogame recreation of an interesting Marvel saga, including one of my favorite characters... Venom. It also used a narrative resource which by then interested me a lot: the forced alliance between the hero (Spider-Man) and the symbiont, which by then was walking on the edge between justice and killings .
6. Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu (Bandai, 1992, SNES);
An obscure RPG, unknown even to most fans of Dragon Ball. I played and recommended it ad nauseam. I discovered some secrets that few people in the world must know (for example, powering Piccolo up consecutively using two different types of items when you are near the end of the game, for example).
Its "mathematical" fighting system and its Battle Power ratings -faithful to the original material- struck me deeply and gave me endless hours of fun .
Every so often I replay sections that I find particularly gratifying, as the fight against Vegeta and Nappa or the final battle in Namek. A very difficult to find gem.
Even if I acknoledge its limitations, it will always be a very special game to me.
7. Ecco the Dolphin (Novotrade, 1992, Mega Drive);
Beautiful. Haunting. Unforgettable.
8. Robocop vs. Terminator (Virgin, 1994, Mega Drive);
When I was 11 I saw this game on a 20-inch screen, back in my neighborhood. The quality of the graphics and the interaction between two characters who not only interested me widely, but seemed destined to cross their paths coming from completely different fictions, led me to beg my parents for them to buy me the Mega Drive.
9. Comix Zone (Sega, 1995, Mega Drive);
Impressive visuals, great gameplay. Awesome grunge-inspired music by the talented Howard Drossin (another soundtrack that I fondly remember).
10. Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition (Capcom, 1993, Mega Drive);
I could only rent my games. In a very "Marge Simpson-esque" moment, my mother bought me Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition instead of getting me my longed Mortal Kombat II.
I lamented her mistake for a while. However, the error got me closer to the Street Fighter saga, which until then I had only experienced briefly in the arcades or through clones in my also Third-World clone NES. I would eventually lost track of the franchise until IV, but that cartridge with M. Bison and Guile fighting in the cover became my only (and, by default, best) game bought for my beloved Mega Drive, and eventually earned a little place in my heart.
Honorable mentions:
x. Sonic the Hedgedog 2 (Sega, 1992, Mega Drive); I have to play all of them again. If asked which is the absolute pinnacle of the saga, I would still choose 2.
x. Earthworm Jim (Shiny, 1994, Mega Drive); Extremely fun and well made.
x. Chrono Trigger (Square, 1995, SNES); Great memories. That Akira Toriyama designs...
x. Phantasy Star IV (Sega, 1993, Mega Drive); Epic, powerful RPG.
x. General Chaos (EA, 1994, Mega Drive); Underrated, forgotten, incredibly fun.
x. Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master (Sega, 1993, Mega Drive); Exquisite design and gameplay. I miss Sega´s legendary portfolio...
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ;
Beyond a doubt one of my most vivd gaming experiences ever. The world of Hyrule that I'd spent countless hours in on the NES was brought back to life in stunning color and detail - the world felt alive, expansive and enchanted. It's easy to look back at it today and see all the limitations, but back then, The Lost Woods truly was a place of wonder, the sad boy in the glen playing an ocarina was an alluring mystery and the looming mountains in the north felt like a truly frightening place. I spent weeks and months playing this game, using the shovel to dig up every inch of the map, finding every piece of heart and every secret. The best part is that the game still holds up incredibly well today thanks to fantastic dungeons and awesome music.
2. Super Metroid ;
A genre-defining game, literally. Every 'Metroidvania' game strives to capture some of the magic of Super Metroid. Introducing tighter controls and an automap, this game turned a somewhat obtuse 8-bit series into something truly remarkable. The atmosphere is dense, the map is brilliantly designed and my god did that voice sample in the intro blow me away the first time I heard it.
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3. Final Fantasy VI ;
An achievement in terms of storytelling and character development, Final Fantasy VI still stands the test of time as one of the best ensemble storys of all time. There are so many great scenes here, from the Phantom Train and the submerged Figaro Castle to the Opera House and Shadow's Memories. Oh, and not the mention the bad guys winning and destroying the world. That's right, Kefka might perhaps be the game's shining star as one of the most iconic and chaotically evil villains ever. This was my first Final Fantasy game and it still holds a special place in my heart.
4. Super Mario World ;
The best platforming game of all time and the best Mario game ever. Yes, the cape breaks a lot of the levels, but that doesn't really detract from the fantastic level design, the amazing visuals and what is arguably the best soundtrack of all time. The later levels, especially the Star Road and Special levels are fantastic. This game also features my favorite overworld map of any Mario game and I think it's a shame that Nintendo has failed to capture any of the adventure and whimsy of SMW's overworld. I love the bonkers implications of Donut Plains, Vanilla Dome, and Chocolate Island, or the mysterious air of Forest of Illusion. Secret exits was a brilliant addition to the Mario formula and while later games have relied on Star Coins for replay value, I miss hidden exits and branching paths in the map.
5. Toe-Jam & Earl ;
A randomly generated rogue-like for the Genesis about a pair of Earth stranded, hip-hop loving aliens. Throw in a co-op mode and a bit of weird humor and you've got one of the best games of all time. Okay, so the controls are a bit weird and wonky, but the stiffness adds somewhat to the charm and makes those jumps all the more tense.
6. Day of the Tentacle ;
I just played through the remastered version of this game and it still holds up incredibly well. Tentacle is often praised for its funny writing, but just as important to its status as a classic game is its fantastic design. Almost every single puzzle finds that perfect balance between clever and challenging, with a perfect amount of hints strewn across the dialogue. The three party system adds to the dynamic of the puzzles with a layer of complexity that in less skilled hands would make the game arduous and obscure. Combined with the funny scenarios and gorgeous art, this game is a timeless classic.
7. Shadowrun ;
Cyber-punk games might be a dime a dozen today, but back in the SNES days they were a rare thing. Good luck we got one as good as Shadowrun, bringing the world of the pen and paper RPG alive on the SNES with an awesome soundtrack (dat bass), great characters and interesting systems.
8. Super Castlevania IV ;
My god, the music in this game. I feel like the SNES sound chip was designed for Castlevania IV. Beautiful visuals, imaginative stages (the gold level!) and full 360 degree whip control, what more do you need?
9. Secret of Mana ;
A fantastic co-op action RPG. Pretty light on story and character development but makes up for it with a beautiful world with fun combat and nice progression mechanics.
10. Street Fighter II ;
Amazed at the time that I could be playing what felt like an arcade game at home on my SNES. Everything has already been said about SFII and while later iterations certainly improved on the formula, this is the game that introduced fighting games to the world and made dragon punches and combos part of gaming vocabulary.
StrangeRoboMemory
Member
1. Chrono Trigger - Probably the single best example of the creativity and big emotion that this gen was capable of. Large, bright, colorful sprites, fast-paced and deep RPG action, unforgettable soundtrack that can still bring tears to my eyes, and, for my money, the most memorable RPG cast ever.
2. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - This game truly captured my imagination in every way. A mini-masterpiece of atmosphere, charm, challenge, and adventure.
3. Super Mario World - Almost flawless 2D gaming experience, filled with secrets and surprises.
4. Terranigma - I had the good luck to play this for the first time last year, and I was absolutely shocked by the incredibly smooth feel of the combat, the scope of the story, the ambition of the art design, and the excellence of the music. A complete and total crime that this never came to the US.
5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Misunderstood at the time, now I can clearly see that it is completely genius and one of Nintendo's finest moments.
6. Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting - The ultimate expression of Capcom's CP board. 2D fighting brilliance with the iconic characters and heart-pounding music that made Capcom the King of 90s arcade action.
7. Metal Slug - Run and gun nirvana. The later games would be bigger and wilder, but the first one remains an unfiltered heavy metal, chunky, explosive masterwork.
8. Streets of Rage 2 - Challenging, stylish, chillingly excellent soundtrack, constant high stakes action. The absolute pinnacle of co-op beat-em-ups.
9. Snatcher - Atmosphere to the nines, haunting imagery, first game where you can sadly call up your ex-wife in the barely suppressed hopes of reconciliation?
10. Ys Book 1 & 2 - Epic adventure, addictive action, blazing soundtrack.
x Super Castlevania IV
x Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x Final Fantasy III
x Gunstar Heroes
x Contra: Hard Corps
x Phantasy Star IV
x Lunar: The Silver Star
Note that this list is heavily weighted to consoles, since most PC games I played were post-1993...
2. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - This game truly captured my imagination in every way. A mini-masterpiece of atmosphere, charm, challenge, and adventure.
3. Super Mario World - Almost flawless 2D gaming experience, filled with secrets and surprises.
4. Terranigma - I had the good luck to play this for the first time last year, and I was absolutely shocked by the incredibly smooth feel of the combat, the scope of the story, the ambition of the art design, and the excellence of the music. A complete and total crime that this never came to the US.
5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Misunderstood at the time, now I can clearly see that it is completely genius and one of Nintendo's finest moments.
6. Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting - The ultimate expression of Capcom's CP board. 2D fighting brilliance with the iconic characters and heart-pounding music that made Capcom the King of 90s arcade action.
7. Metal Slug - Run and gun nirvana. The later games would be bigger and wilder, but the first one remains an unfiltered heavy metal, chunky, explosive masterwork.
8. Streets of Rage 2 - Challenging, stylish, chillingly excellent soundtrack, constant high stakes action. The absolute pinnacle of co-op beat-em-ups.
9. Snatcher - Atmosphere to the nines, haunting imagery, first game where you can sadly call up your ex-wife in the barely suppressed hopes of reconciliation?
10. Ys Book 1 & 2 - Epic adventure, addictive action, blazing soundtrack.
x Super Castlevania IV
x Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x Final Fantasy III
x Gunstar Heroes
x Contra: Hard Corps
x Phantasy Star IV
x Lunar: The Silver Star
Note that this list is heavily weighted to consoles, since most PC games I played were post-1993...
Star Falcon
Member
One of the absolute hardest to narrow down to 10. So many great games, however all of the following are close to my heart:
1. Doom ; Groundbreaking, and changed everything afterward. I played so much Doom back in the day I could probably still draw the layouts to most of the levels from Phobos. It's a timeless game, and the grandfather of probably the most popular genre of video game today.
2. Contra III: The Alien Wars ; With the run & gun gameplay firmly locked, this episode of the Contra series plays homage to all the great action and science-fiction movies of the 80s - Terminator, Rambo, Blade Runner, Alien, Predator - you name it and chances are there is a nod to it in C3. Must have played through it close to a hundred times, it's one of my favourite games of all time.
3. Chrono Trigger ; Had all the narrative charms of a Final Fantasy game, with a more endearing cast and enjoyable combat system to put it ahead of the rest of the JRPG pack. Has all the ingredients you want in this kind of game - massive world, gripping story, endearing soundtrack and memorable encounters.
4. Final Fantasy V ; This iteration of the 'job system' remains my favourite progression system in any titles in the series. That aside, it still holds up strong elsewhere and is the most replayable of the series. The narrative also started to take itself a little less seriously, with welcome comic relief characters giving the game that extra little flavour over its predecessor.
5. Super Turrican 2 ; A solid run & gunner with possibly my favourite soundtrack of the generation. Both Super Turrican games were solid, but i slightly preferred the more traditional, arcade like flow of the sequel over the less-linear first game.
6. Final Fantasy VI ; Has the strongest narrative of all the Final Fantasy games, and a solid cast of characters that endear themselves to anyone who plays through the game.
7. Tetris ; My very first game was Tetris on the Game Boy. The game play is still as relevant today as it ever was - its the definition of a 'classic'.
8. Street Fighter II ; Much like Doom is to FPS, Street Fighter II feels like the forerunner of the fighting game we know today. Still has the best characters.
9. Final Fantasy IV ; Another solid entry in the Final Fantasy series - eclipsed by the two games following it but still better than 99% other stuff out there.
10. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 ; Another series that defined the era and eras to come, with UMK3 being the best release in the generation for the series.
1. Doom ; Groundbreaking, and changed everything afterward. I played so much Doom back in the day I could probably still draw the layouts to most of the levels from Phobos. It's a timeless game, and the grandfather of probably the most popular genre of video game today.
2. Contra III: The Alien Wars ; With the run & gun gameplay firmly locked, this episode of the Contra series plays homage to all the great action and science-fiction movies of the 80s - Terminator, Rambo, Blade Runner, Alien, Predator - you name it and chances are there is a nod to it in C3. Must have played through it close to a hundred times, it's one of my favourite games of all time.
3. Chrono Trigger ; Had all the narrative charms of a Final Fantasy game, with a more endearing cast and enjoyable combat system to put it ahead of the rest of the JRPG pack. Has all the ingredients you want in this kind of game - massive world, gripping story, endearing soundtrack and memorable encounters.
4. Final Fantasy V ; This iteration of the 'job system' remains my favourite progression system in any titles in the series. That aside, it still holds up strong elsewhere and is the most replayable of the series. The narrative also started to take itself a little less seriously, with welcome comic relief characters giving the game that extra little flavour over its predecessor.
5. Super Turrican 2 ; A solid run & gunner with possibly my favourite soundtrack of the generation. Both Super Turrican games were solid, but i slightly preferred the more traditional, arcade like flow of the sequel over the less-linear first game.
6. Final Fantasy VI ; Has the strongest narrative of all the Final Fantasy games, and a solid cast of characters that endear themselves to anyone who plays through the game.
7. Tetris ; My very first game was Tetris on the Game Boy. The game play is still as relevant today as it ever was - its the definition of a 'classic'.
8. Street Fighter II ; Much like Doom is to FPS, Street Fighter II feels like the forerunner of the fighting game we know today. Still has the best characters.
9. Final Fantasy IV ; Another solid entry in the Final Fantasy series - eclipsed by the two games following it but still better than 99% other stuff out there.
10. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 ; Another series that defined the era and eras to come, with UMK3 being the best release in the generation for the series.
yeah there's definitely some wonkiness about it. it was the only way to keep from too much overlap in these threads. same thing with the game boy - it splits into two (really using pokemon as the starting point for the gen 5 era of its games).
aygomyownroad
Member
1) Doom. A little game most may not know (Sarcasm), released on Shareware during this gen and went on to become a legend.
2) Super Mario World. Was always hard core Sega, but I bought it on WiiU, and its amazing how well it held up Didn't know anyone with the game at the time, but such a massive game size wise and a great challenge.
3) Sonic the Hedgehog. Original and still the best, great levels, great music and my first console game so will always be high on any list. Also It had the best Sonic Special stage.
4) Micro Machines V.2 a cartridge with extra ports? up to 8 players on 4 controllers? Madness! Played in to the very very early hours of the morning with friends on sleep overs. Never had a game like it since, great premise superbly executed.
5) Toejam and Earl. A great game of exploration and randomness. amazing game and I still do the music for the lift between the levels when I'm in actual lifts (by myself)
2) Super Mario World. Was always hard core Sega, but I bought it on WiiU, and its amazing how well it held up Didn't know anyone with the game at the time, but such a massive game size wise and a great challenge.
3) Sonic the Hedgehog. Original and still the best, great levels, great music and my first console game so will always be high on any list. Also It had the best Sonic Special stage.
4) Micro Machines V.2 a cartridge with extra ports? up to 8 players on 4 controllers? Madness! Played in to the very very early hours of the morning with friends on sleep overs. Never had a game like it since, great premise superbly executed.
5) Toejam and Earl. A great game of exploration and randomness. amazing game and I still do the music for the lift between the levels when I'm in actual lifts (by myself)
Nocturnowl
Member
Cheers as always to AniHawk (and Schala for the OST equivalent thread) for taking control of these generation vote threads, it's a lot of work I'm sure.
This one's gonna take some thought to narrow down on both sides.
This one's gonna take some thought to narrow down on both sides.
Hellshadow
Member
1. Doom ; This game and it's sequel consumed my high school years. I'm lucky I graduated lol.
2. Super Metroid ; Would somebody please make Metroid Dread, thx.
3. Final Fantasy IV ; I like this better than VI for some reason, god tier soundtrack.
4. Final Fantasy VI
5. Super Mario World ; Best 2d mario ever.
6. The 7th Saga ; I loved this RPG for some reason. Refresh your memory here.
7. Super Mario Kart
8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
9. Secret of Mana
10. Chrono Trigger ; This gen is pretty good if this game is #10.
2. Super Metroid ; Would somebody please make Metroid Dread, thx.
3. Final Fantasy IV ; I like this better than VI for some reason, god tier soundtrack.
4. Final Fantasy VI
5. Super Mario World ; Best 2d mario ever.
6. The 7th Saga ; I loved this RPG for some reason. Refresh your memory here.
7. Super Mario Kart
8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
9. Secret of Mana
10. Chrono Trigger ; This gen is pretty good if this game is #10.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Which game won last year?
generation 5: the legend of zelda: ocarina of time | soundtrack: castlevania: symphony of the night
generation 6: resident evil 4 | soundtrack: shadow of the colossus
AaronB
Member
1. Super Mario World The pinnacle of 2D platforming
2. The Legend of Zelda]: A Link to the Past Really 1B, deserving of GOAT status
3. Chrono Trigger A phenomenal rpg; perhaps the best of the era
4. Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior Sequels did more, but the original was the truly groundbreaking one
5. Tetris Simple, addictive gameplay
6. Streets of Rage 2 I never played these growing up, but I must admit this is probably the best of the beat-em-ups
7. TMNT: Turtles in Time Another phenomal beat-em-up; I really like this genre
8. Final Fantasy VI (3 US)
9. Earthbound
10. Super Metroid
x. Final Fight 3
2. The Legend of Zelda]: A Link to the Past Really 1B, deserving of GOAT status
3. Chrono Trigger A phenomenal rpg; perhaps the best of the era
4. Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior Sequels did more, but the original was the truly groundbreaking one
5. Tetris Simple, addictive gameplay
6. Streets of Rage 2 I never played these growing up, but I must admit this is probably the best of the beat-em-ups
7. TMNT: Turtles in Time Another phenomal beat-em-up; I really like this genre
8. Final Fantasy VI (3 US)
9. Earthbound
10. Super Metroid
x. Final Fight 3
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
1. Shining Force II ; Shining Force is the game that got me into video games for good. I played some games before, occasionally, but Shining Force is what really turned me into a gamer. Shining Force II cemented that further, and was just such an amazing improvement and remains, to this day, one of my all-time favourite games.
2. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium ; My first turn-based RPG (other than SF which is more of a tactical RPG) and still one of my favourites! Replayed it recently and it holds up marvelously well. I was drawn into the epic story, fun fast-paced battles, exploration of 3 different planets, and its kick-ass sci-fi/fantasy art direction/setting and soundtrack.
3. Final Fantasy VI ; Quite possibly the greatest JRPG of all-time. I am glad its ranking gives it the same amount of points as Phantasy Star IV because it's really hard to choose one as my favourite FFVI was the overall package; amazing and memorable ensemble cast, glorious OST, excellent dungeons and world-building, and so many great and unforgettable moments. I prefer the combat of FFV, but in terms of overall experience, FFVI triumphs over the rest.
4. Super Metroid ; The genre-defining game is still quite possibly the best of its kind as of yet. The atmosphere, map design full of secrets, OST, art direction... a timeless masterpiece.
5. Beyond Oasis ; The Genesis's answer to Zelda, and I actually prefer it; the combat was infinitely superior, I preferred the setting and main character, and I thought the uses of the elemental spirits for combat and puzzle solving to be quite groundbreaking and clever. Nice OST too!
6. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master ; One of the greatest side-scrolling action/platformer ever made, with superb controls, varied level design, badass bosses, and still challenging without being as punishing or frustrating as some similar games of its time. Oh and the graphics and music were fantastic too!
7. Wonder Boy in Monster World ; I like to say, "this is like Zelda 2, but fun". xD An amazing, tightly crafted side-scrolling action-adventure with some light RPG elements, vibrant and colourful environments, an interconnected map, tons of secrets, cool bosses and puzzles... seriously, this game is amazing and should be hailed as a classic just like Zelda and Metroid.
8. Castlevania: Bloodlines ; My favourite non-Igavania Castlevania. The art direction and soundtrack are both absolutely phenomenal, and each level is just brilliantly designed. This is Classicvania perfected.
9. Ristar ; My favourite pure platformer of all time. Yes, better than Sonic and Mario. The level design. The music. The gorgeous, colourful graphics. The awesomely cute protagonist with the best idle animations ever. The fluid controls and clever grab mechanic. That infuriatingly hard last boss that gave me cold sweats but felt so satisfying to defeat. I still remembered the last boss's theme song ages later, so much it is carved into my skull.
10. Shining Force ; I had to give a spot to this one even if its sequels largely improved on it (except maybe in character designs, as I've always been fond of Yoshitaka Tamaki's art), simply because it's the game that I credit for getting me into video games. Being a young kid who had trouble gitting gud at the harsh, challenging games of the 8-and-16 bit periods, a turn-based game where I could take my time and didn't insane reflexes was perfect for me, and I loved the sword-and-sorcery fantasy world with its colourful cast, monsters, explorable towns, and epic soundtrack. I replay it, and its sequels, every few years, whenever I'm in need of nostalgic "comfort gaming". I love you Shining Force. <3
Honourable mentions, in no particular order:
x. Gunstar Heroes
x. Vectorman
x. Landstalker
x. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
x. Sonic 2
x. Chrono Trigger
x. Super Castlevania IV
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Final Fantasy IV
x. Doom
x. Actraiser
x. Contra 3
x. Streets of Rage 2
Also, ctrl + f'ed a few titles, and disappointed that no one so far has mentioned Ristar, Wonder Boy in Monster World, or Beyond Oasis. Come on GAF, don't disappoint me!
2. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium ; My first turn-based RPG (other than SF which is more of a tactical RPG) and still one of my favourites! Replayed it recently and it holds up marvelously well. I was drawn into the epic story, fun fast-paced battles, exploration of 3 different planets, and its kick-ass sci-fi/fantasy art direction/setting and soundtrack.
3. Final Fantasy VI ; Quite possibly the greatest JRPG of all-time. I am glad its ranking gives it the same amount of points as Phantasy Star IV because it's really hard to choose one as my favourite
FFVI was the overall package; amazing and memorable ensemble cast, glorious OST, excellent dungeons and world-building, and so many great and unforgettable moments. I prefer the combat of FFV, but in terms of overall experience, FFVI triumphs over the rest.4. Super Metroid ; The genre-defining game is still quite possibly the best of its kind as of yet. The atmosphere, map design full of secrets, OST, art direction... a timeless masterpiece.
5. Beyond Oasis ; The Genesis's answer to Zelda, and I actually prefer it; the combat was infinitely superior, I preferred the setting and main character, and I thought the uses of the elemental spirits for combat and puzzle solving to be quite groundbreaking and clever. Nice OST too!
6. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master ; One of the greatest side-scrolling action/platformer ever made, with superb controls, varied level design, badass bosses, and still challenging without being as punishing or frustrating as some similar games of its time. Oh and the graphics and music were fantastic too!
7. Wonder Boy in Monster World ; I like to say, "this is like Zelda 2, but fun". xD An amazing, tightly crafted side-scrolling action-adventure with some light RPG elements, vibrant and colourful environments, an interconnected map, tons of secrets, cool bosses and puzzles... seriously, this game is amazing and should be hailed as a classic just like Zelda and Metroid.
8. Castlevania: Bloodlines ; My favourite non-Igavania Castlevania. The art direction and soundtrack are both absolutely phenomenal, and each level is just brilliantly designed. This is Classicvania perfected.
9. Ristar ; My favourite pure platformer of all time. Yes, better than Sonic and Mario. The level design. The music. The gorgeous, colourful graphics. The awesomely cute protagonist with the best idle animations ever. The fluid controls and clever grab mechanic. That infuriatingly hard last boss that gave me cold sweats but felt so satisfying to defeat. I still remembered the last boss's theme song ages later, so much it is carved into my skull.
10. Shining Force ; I had to give a spot to this one even if its sequels largely improved on it (except maybe in character designs, as I've always been fond of Yoshitaka Tamaki's art), simply because it's the game that I credit for getting me into video games. Being a young kid who had trouble gitting gud at the harsh, challenging games of the 8-and-16 bit periods, a turn-based game where I could take my time and didn't insane reflexes was perfect for me, and I loved the sword-and-sorcery fantasy world with its colourful cast, monsters, explorable towns, and epic soundtrack. I replay it, and its sequels, every few years, whenever I'm in need of nostalgic "comfort gaming". I love you Shining Force. <3
Honourable mentions, in no particular order:
x. Gunstar Heroes
x. Vectorman
x. Landstalker
x. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
x. Sonic 2
x. Chrono Trigger
x. Super Castlevania IV
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Final Fantasy IV
x. Doom
x. Actraiser
x. Contra 3
x. Streets of Rage 2
Also, ctrl + f'ed a few titles, and disappointed that no one so far has mentioned Ristar, Wonder Boy in Monster World, or Beyond Oasis. Come on GAF, don't disappoint me!
Cow Mengde
Banned
1. Uncharted Waters New Horizons - It's an open world RPG on the SNES with some strategy mixed in. You can play the game any way, whether it's through trading, fighting, or adventuring, although only one of those will get you to the ending. The world is just regular old planet earth, but the hidden discoveries come at random, so you never know what you'll find in the game. The trading is filled with depth complete with manipulating the game's economy. There are plenty of ships, and tons of ways to customize them to your needs. This game is available on SNES and Sega Genesis. If by some miracle this game wins, it's a win for both consoles.
2. Fire Emblem Thracia 776 - Hardcore strategy RPG. The flow of the story is more like the traditional Fire Emblem. Incredibly difficult, but also very rewarding. I love capturing and living off the enemies in this game. It also has the best defense chapters out of the series.
3. Tetris Attack - One of the best puzzle games ever made. Playing against a friend is a blast, and watching crazy combos being pulled off is amazing.
4. Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy Wars - This game has a ton of features that defines modern Fire Emblem. It brought skills, weapon triangle, second generation, and NON-creepy pairings.
5. Super Mario RPG - The best RPG on the SNES. The combat is actually fun, and and the story is funny. The combat really changed the way I saw RPGs. You feel more like your button presses matter when you earn a victory in this game. The music is fantastic, and I still like the graphics.
6. TMNT: Turtles In Time - What can I say? One of the best brawlers on the SNES. The combat is satisfying, and the boss battles are all pretty unique. Lots of moves for the turtles to pull off. Throwing enemies at the screen anyone? How many games have tried something similar since? Great with friends.
7. Terranigma - Wonderful action RPG. Touching story, beautiful soundtrack. Weird and memorable usage of the SNES special effects. The combat is really smooth, and the bosses are challenging. Lots of puzzles too.
8. Metal Slug X - Wild, wonderful, crazy shooter from SNK. A lot of powerups, co-op, and tons of gameplay mechanics. I also love its sense of humor.
9. Kirby Super Star - Kirby game with tons of abilities. Some of my favorite powers are from this game. Also fun co-op. Lots of gameplay variety.
10. Actraiser - Part hack and slash, part city building sim. I would have rated the game higher, but the city building part isn't as smart as people make it sound. You just build and follow the story. There's no wrong way to build a city in this game. Just do whatever. As an action game, it's wonderful. Even though I think the city building is poor, it is what sets this apart from all the other action games.
Honorable Mention
Super Mario World - I freakin' suck at platformers. This is why some of the more popular choices weren't in my list. I know the game is brilliant, but the game also evokes fear because of my constantly dying as a kid. The gameplay is amazing. Finding all the secret exits was cool, and I love the overworld map. One of the best overworld maps ever. So many areas to explore.
Gunstar Heroes - It's not like I wanted to exclude Sega Genesis games, I know the system has tons of great games, but I rarely played it as a kid. Gunstar Heroes was a favorite of mine with my friends. Notice I mention co-op a lot. I didn't have a lot of games as a kid, and I played with my friends a lot, so co-op was important to me.
I've noticed several people voting SSF2T but going by the rules in the OP this game wouldn't actually qualify. The arcade release was in 1994, computer releases started in 1995 and it was only ever ported to Gen 5 and up consoles/handhelds.
For SF2 it'd need to the original, Turbo/CE/SCE or Super only.
For SF2 it'd need to the original, Turbo/CE/SCE or Super only.
Oh my god... my favorite generation of gaming. This is gonna be a toughie...
1. Phantasy Star 2
My favorite game of all time, from my favorite series of all time. The original Phantasy Star was the game that made me fall in love with the RPG genre (though I did love Final Fantasy 1, and enjoyed Dragon Warrior 1 before that), wanting me to get into game design just to recreate that planet-spanning journey that was so far ahead of any other 8 bit game. The sequel takes things in a much darker direction, where citizens have become complacent due to an AI catering to their every whim, but then that AI goes awry. Dark, moody sci-fi storylines weren't very common in RPGs of that era (and still not too common today).
The dungeons take resource management and the 'war of attrition' to its absolute limits, with sprawling mazes full of twists and turns, and regular encounters that can wreak havoc on you if you're not careful. Basically, it's extremely punishing in terms of dungeon and encounter design, and every single accomplishment you make seems to 'reward' you with a tragedy - whether it be
. The ending still rings on my mind.
2. Dragon Quest 5
Without a doubt, the DQ series is one of my absolute favorite in all of gaming. They sum up everything I love about RPGs, with its iconic monster designs and music, and it's more intimate storylines... where you get wrapped up in a series of small and heartfelt vignettes en route to your overarching goal (which is usually a pretty basic "defeat the ultimate evil". Unlike the other big RPG series, it's extremely consistent in quality, and each game makes incremental changes to the ones that came before it. Though even in a series so consistent in quality, I still have a favorite, and that is this one.
The most profound part of DQ5 is the fact the story is told over the lifespan of your character - from being a child all the way to marrying and raising kids. Tragedy befalls you constantly, from
. The gameplay has that excellent balance DQ is known for - dungeons that slowly wear you down as you try to manage resources, some light puzzling, challenge and monsters that slowly ramp up in difficulty. Not to mention it has a few new twists... like getting monsters to join you.
3. Chrono Trigger
Considered by many to be the greatest RPG ever made, and it's easy to see why. The team up between 2 of the best RPG designers in the business, crossed with a world-class soundtrack (one of my favorites) and beautiful graphics far ahead of any of its contemporaries. Classic RPG conventions are polished to a sheen, and the story wavers between lighthearted time-travel escapades and darkly serious drama. Clever setpieces abound and the relentless pacing (almost) never lets up.
The level of complexity and challenge may not be as high as gameplay-focused RPG obsessives might like, but that's not the point. Some gameplay innovations like New Game Plus have influenced so many games across many genres.
4. Zelda: Link to the Past
While Breath of the Wild looks to freshen things up (though, to be honest, I don't know if I'm really feeling its open world nature or crafting or western influence), most games in the series have used this as the template. There's a reason for that, it's one of the most brilliant and most polished titles in the series, with nary a flaw. Level design is a lost art nowadays (with some exceptions) but Nintendo is one of the few companies that haven't forgotten about it, back in the day they were already so ahead of everyone else as this game shows.
5. Final Fantasy 5
My favorite game in the series, and that's due to the flexibility of the Job system. You can be so creative with how to take care of encounters. Not to mention I have a soft spot for the music, the inter-dimensional travel, the interesting puzzle-filled dungeons, and the more lighthearted tone of the story (that makes the poignant scenes hit even harder)...
6. Super Metroid
Level design and atmosphere so influential that people are still influenced by it. Beautiful graphics, stunning music, and tons of secrets around every turn. Rewards many different play styles, from speedrunning and sequence breaking to wanting to comb each area for secrets. Never gets too boring or meandering unlike many games influenced by it. And yeah, I'll reiterate how good the atmosphere and sense of place is.
7. Phantasy Star 4
For many people, it's their favorite game in the original series. It's certainly the easiest one to get into due to being less obtuse and more polished than its forefathers. While I prefer 1 and 2, I still have utmost respect for the title. The manga-style cutscenes were innovative for the time, and made the rather traditional storyline stand out more. Combat was extremely fast and responsive, and being able to program macros to automate battle was a fresh feature. Music was a mix of upbeat RPG themes with industrial, metal, and rave influence. The game was also loaded with references to the past PS games, effectively wrapping up the series (and even managing to connect the seemingly-unrelated PS3 to it). While not as memorable as PS1 or 2, it's still a fantastic end to the quadrilogy.
8. Gunstar Heroes
There are people who think the game is a bit too gimmicky to have a place on the 'best action games' list but I don't care... it's the interesting gimmicks and novelty that makes the game for me. Bosses who have different attacks based on difficulty level, a varied moveset that was beyond most other action games of its time (throwing enemies, bodyslamming enemies, sliding, wall jumping), mix-and-match weapons, and a lighthearted charm are why I keep coming back. Not to mention the hilarious 2 player mode.
9. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
The best "Classic-vania" for me. Shows that the PC Engine could keep up with the SNES and Genesis with ease, along with a fantastic redbook audio soundtrack, intricate multi-path level designs, beautiful spritework (some of which was recycled for 15 years!), and imaginative set-pieces.
10. Streets of Rage 2
I'm not a huge beat-em-up guy, but SOR2 stands up above and beyond them all. Not only is the gameplay fast, responsive, and a giant leap over the original, but the aesthetic is incredible. Strolling through a neon-lit city or going to some more surreal dungeons (like one based off the Alien movies, or a Pirates of the Carribean influenced movie rides, or a secret fighting arena underneath a baseball diamond) makes me want to keep playing to see what's next. Being balanced for consoles, the game isn't also filled with cheap deaths designed to eat away at your quarters like the glut of arcade brawlers from the 90's. But what really puts this game on the list for me is its soundtrack. House music is my favorite genre and I think the SOR series was one of my first exposures to the genre. The influence of 90's club records on Yuzo Koshiro fit the capabilities of the Genesis FM synth like a glove, and its probably one of my all time favorite game soundtracks. The original SOR also has a stunning soundtrack, as well.
Runners Up
There are so many runners-up I can't even count - Super Mario World, Terranigma, Sonic 3+Knuckles, Streets of Rage 2, Alien Soldier, Lufia 2, Live A Live, Air Buster, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy 4 and 6, Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean, Final Fantasy Adventure, Zelda: Link's Awakening, Shining Force 1 and 2, Soldier Blade, Rocket Knight Adventures, Ys Book 1+2, Ys 4: The Dawn of Ys, Yoshi's Island, Emerald Dragon, Super Mario RPG, Earthbound, Mega Man X, Exile, Blazing Lazers, etc. But these are games I frequently find myself going back to.
1. Phantasy Star 2
My favorite game of all time, from my favorite series of all time. The original Phantasy Star was the game that made me fall in love with the RPG genre (though I did love Final Fantasy 1, and enjoyed Dragon Warrior 1 before that), wanting me to get into game design just to recreate that planet-spanning journey that was so far ahead of any other 8 bit game. The sequel takes things in a much darker direction, where citizens have become complacent due to an AI catering to their every whim, but then that AI goes awry. Dark, moody sci-fi storylines weren't very common in RPGs of that era (and still not too common today).
The dungeons take resource management and the 'war of attrition' to its absolute limits, with sprawling mazes full of twists and turns, and regular encounters that can wreak havoc on you if you're not careful. Basically, it's extremely punishing in terms of dungeon and encounter design, and every single accomplishment you make seems to 'reward' you with a tragedy - whether it be
watching a father murder his daughter in a case of mistaken identity, the destruction of a planet by an out-of-control satellite, the tragic death of Nei
2. Dragon Quest 5
Without a doubt, the DQ series is one of my absolute favorite in all of gaming. They sum up everything I love about RPGs, with its iconic monster designs and music, and it's more intimate storylines... where you get wrapped up in a series of small and heartfelt vignettes en route to your overarching goal (which is usually a pretty basic "defeat the ultimate evil". Unlike the other big RPG series, it's extremely consistent in quality, and each game makes incremental changes to the ones that came before it. Though even in a series so consistent in quality, I still have a favorite, and that is this one.
The most profound part of DQ5 is the fact the story is told over the lifespan of your character - from being a child all the way to marrying and raising kids. Tragedy befalls you constantly, from
watching your father die in front of you, to getting sold into slavery, to being turned to stone unable to watch your kids grow up
3. Chrono Trigger
Considered by many to be the greatest RPG ever made, and it's easy to see why. The team up between 2 of the best RPG designers in the business, crossed with a world-class soundtrack (one of my favorites) and beautiful graphics far ahead of any of its contemporaries. Classic RPG conventions are polished to a sheen, and the story wavers between lighthearted time-travel escapades and darkly serious drama. Clever setpieces abound and the relentless pacing (almost) never lets up.
The level of complexity and challenge may not be as high as gameplay-focused RPG obsessives might like, but that's not the point. Some gameplay innovations like New Game Plus have influenced so many games across many genres.
4. Zelda: Link to the Past
While Breath of the Wild looks to freshen things up (though, to be honest, I don't know if I'm really feeling its open world nature or crafting or western influence), most games in the series have used this as the template. There's a reason for that, it's one of the most brilliant and most polished titles in the series, with nary a flaw. Level design is a lost art nowadays (with some exceptions) but Nintendo is one of the few companies that haven't forgotten about it, back in the day they were already so ahead of everyone else as this game shows.
5. Final Fantasy 5
My favorite game in the series, and that's due to the flexibility of the Job system. You can be so creative with how to take care of encounters. Not to mention I have a soft spot for the music, the inter-dimensional travel, the interesting puzzle-filled dungeons, and the more lighthearted tone of the story (that makes the poignant scenes hit even harder)...
6. Super Metroid
Level design and atmosphere so influential that people are still influenced by it. Beautiful graphics, stunning music, and tons of secrets around every turn. Rewards many different play styles, from speedrunning and sequence breaking to wanting to comb each area for secrets. Never gets too boring or meandering unlike many games influenced by it. And yeah, I'll reiterate how good the atmosphere and sense of place is.
7. Phantasy Star 4
For many people, it's their favorite game in the original series. It's certainly the easiest one to get into due to being less obtuse and more polished than its forefathers. While I prefer 1 and 2, I still have utmost respect for the title. The manga-style cutscenes were innovative for the time, and made the rather traditional storyline stand out more. Combat was extremely fast and responsive, and being able to program macros to automate battle was a fresh feature. Music was a mix of upbeat RPG themes with industrial, metal, and rave influence. The game was also loaded with references to the past PS games, effectively wrapping up the series (and even managing to connect the seemingly-unrelated PS3 to it). While not as memorable as PS1 or 2, it's still a fantastic end to the quadrilogy.
8. Gunstar Heroes
There are people who think the game is a bit too gimmicky to have a place on the 'best action games' list but I don't care... it's the interesting gimmicks and novelty that makes the game for me. Bosses who have different attacks based on difficulty level, a varied moveset that was beyond most other action games of its time (throwing enemies, bodyslamming enemies, sliding, wall jumping), mix-and-match weapons, and a lighthearted charm are why I keep coming back. Not to mention the hilarious 2 player mode.
9. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
The best "Classic-vania" for me. Shows that the PC Engine could keep up with the SNES and Genesis with ease, along with a fantastic redbook audio soundtrack, intricate multi-path level designs, beautiful spritework (some of which was recycled for 15 years!), and imaginative set-pieces.
10. Streets of Rage 2
I'm not a huge beat-em-up guy, but SOR2 stands up above and beyond them all. Not only is the gameplay fast, responsive, and a giant leap over the original, but the aesthetic is incredible. Strolling through a neon-lit city or going to some more surreal dungeons (like one based off the Alien movies, or a Pirates of the Carribean influenced movie rides, or a secret fighting arena underneath a baseball diamond) makes me want to keep playing to see what's next. Being balanced for consoles, the game isn't also filled with cheap deaths designed to eat away at your quarters like the glut of arcade brawlers from the 90's. But what really puts this game on the list for me is its soundtrack. House music is my favorite genre and I think the SOR series was one of my first exposures to the genre. The influence of 90's club records on Yuzo Koshiro fit the capabilities of the Genesis FM synth like a glove, and its probably one of my all time favorite game soundtracks. The original SOR also has a stunning soundtrack, as well.
Runners Up
There are so many runners-up I can't even count - Super Mario World, Terranigma, Sonic 3+Knuckles, Streets of Rage 2, Alien Soldier, Lufia 2, Live A Live, Air Buster, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy 4 and 6, Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean, Final Fantasy Adventure, Zelda: Link's Awakening, Shining Force 1 and 2, Soldier Blade, Rocket Knight Adventures, Ys Book 1+2, Ys 4: The Dawn of Ys, Yoshi's Island, Emerald Dragon, Super Mario RPG, Earthbound, Mega Man X, Exile, Blazing Lazers, etc. But these are games I frequently find myself going back to.
I loathe blue shells.
I wish they were erased from existence. Main reason why i'm not a fan of post super mario kart games.
1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; Such a huge and awesome game, truly the best of 2d platforming.
2. Phantasy Star IV ; The greatest rpg of the 16-bit era had a female heroine, story told by comic-cutscenes, awesome music and a great battle system.
3. Shining Force 2 ; A colorful srpg with a likeable cast and great battles.
4. Sonic 2 ; Sonic now had a 2 player mode, one unlike anything I had seen before. Die as much as you'd like and return when Sonic runs away from you. The little brother-mode of its time was nice backup during boss battles.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog ; Sonic was fun, colorful and the level design rocket. Little did I know I would like all the sega mega drive sequels even better.
6. Shining Force ; Great strategy with a little less personality than the sequel but it still had great battles.
7. Gunstar Heroes ; Fast colorful action with cool bosses and fun weapons
8. Streets of Rage 2 ; Best beat-em up of the 16-bit era with an awesome soundtrack and great co-op.
9. Final Fantasy Vi ; Great story with nice spritework and a huge world for the time.
10. Chrono Trigger ; Nice character designs with interesting time travel and a fun battle system.
2. Phantasy Star IV ; The greatest rpg of the 16-bit era had a female heroine, story told by comic-cutscenes, awesome music and a great battle system.
3. Shining Force 2 ; A colorful srpg with a likeable cast and great battles.
4. Sonic 2 ; Sonic now had a 2 player mode, one unlike anything I had seen before. Die as much as you'd like and return when Sonic runs away from you. The little brother-mode of its time was nice backup during boss battles.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog ; Sonic was fun, colorful and the level design rocket. Little did I know I would like all the sega mega drive sequels even better.
6. Shining Force ; Great strategy with a little less personality than the sequel but it still had great battles.
7. Gunstar Heroes ; Fast colorful action with cool bosses and fun weapons
8. Streets of Rage 2 ; Best beat-em up of the 16-bit era with an awesome soundtrack and great co-op.
9. Final Fantasy Vi ; Great story with nice spritework and a huge world for the time.
10. Chrono Trigger ; Nice character designs with interesting time travel and a fun battle system.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Does the DS version count?
NipplesAndToes23
Member
1. Yoshi's Island ; Yoshi's Island is my favorite 2D platformer. The game is just such a joy to play. It has a unique art style that separates it from anything else out there, wonderful catchy music, and level design that keeps you engaged from start to finish. The game even offers some challenge by going after all the collectibles which reward you with challenging secret levels. Yoshi's Island has a child-like innocence to it that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
2. Earthbound ; I played this game last year and it's been my only playthrough to date, but one playthrough was all I needed to put this game in my top ten of all time. Earthbound always interested my growing up. I always remembered it having the largest most ostentatious box in game stores, but although I wanted to see what this game was all about I unfortunately never had the chance until 2015. I came with positive expectations, but I could never know how much I'd end up enjoying it. Earthbound has interesting writing. It is weird, funny, scary and also sad. The game encompasses many moods and instills them well. The setting and many subjects in its writing plays on American culture. You'll be taking note of many references throughout the game.
Aside from the story and writing, Earthbound is a challenging game. The beginning of the game will be a struggle, but things will start to ease up on you as you progress, but there will be tense battles throughout where you're quite not sure if you're able to win. The game's inventory system also encourages you to use as many items as you can.
The only negatives I can give this game is that they are pretty much no sidequests and the fuzzy pickles photographer got old after a while.
Overall, Earthbound is a fantastic game that pulls in and never let's go.
3. Final Fantasy IV ; This game is often ranked as my second Final Fantasy. This entry in my favorite game series is my favorite out of the 16-bit era. It has a strong soundtrack, a rotating cast, challenge, and a story that keeps you engaged until the end.
4. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest ; Damn! I didn't expect this game to be this good. I rented this for just a hot minute back in the dizzle and never really had a chance to experience in full. That changed last year however and I experienced a game with the epitome of level design. This is some of the best damn level design I've ever witnessed in games. The game challenges you without being cheap, it introduces gameplay gimmicks that make each level stand out and even makes boss fights in this genre memorable. Now, the game might have just a tad too much collectables for you to get in order to experience the bonus world, but other than that, it is gaming excellence!
5. Kirby Super Star ; Unfortunately, this is still to this day the only Kirby game I've played, but damn if this game isn't fun. Played this game with my big brother a lot when I was a child, then introduced it to my little brother when I became an adult and played it a lot solo many times afterward. This game is all around tight. The gameplay is simple, but fun, the artstyle is cute, and the music is incredible. Each of the different "games" within the game feel different enough from each other to keep things interesting. My favorite three would have to be Milky Way Wishes, the treasure hunting Great Cave Offensive, and Gourmet Race. It still bugs me that Gourmet Race is the only mode in the game that isn't two player. I would like to play the Ultra version for DS one of these days.
6. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ; This was my first rpg game and what a great game to start the genre with. It was pretty much on the easy side, so it was good on that sense for a child, but it's presentation and game design are what really made it. The game has a really charming story and humor about it that keeps you engaged til the end along with some wacky characters and plenty of sidequests. This game marked the start of Super Mario rpgs and laid the ground for the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series' combat systems. Like many others I would really love to see a sequel to this game, but unfortunately this is unlikely to happen, especially given the course of Paper Mario nowadays.
7. Super Metroid ; I also played this for the first time last year. A game with a great sense of atmosphere and it provides a lot of challenge. The controls take a bit to get used to and a mechanic at the end of the game doesn't work as intended, but otherwise a very well-made game.
8. Mortal Kombat II ; It was between this, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat III for this spot and I decided on this because this game is most present in my memory mainly due to spending the most time with it out of any others and I have a particular childhood memory associated with it. I still remember the combination for Reptile's fatality.
9. Tiny Toons Wacky Sports Challenge ; I don't remember how I came across this relatively unknown licensed sports game, but I'm glad I did. It's a neat little mini game collection starring the characters from the 90s Tiny Toons cartoon. There may be too many mini games that require the tapping of the A button, but they're all still fun and the game has some very nice sprite work.
10. Super Mario All-Stars ; My first game for the SNES. A collection and port of the first 3 Super Mario Bros. games plus the original Mario Bros. snuck into Super Mario Bros. 3 and the unreleased Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels. Enough games here to keep you busy for months. The only reason that it's this low is because it's a port and wouldn't be fair to rank higher than the others.
x: Super Street Fighter II Turbo
x ; Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
x ; Super Mario Kart
x ; Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Editing this later.
1. Super Mario World ; Has any game achieved as sublime a sense of game feel as Super Mario World? Running, jumping and flying all feel perfectly tuned here. Remarkably, it combines those platforming mechanics with sandbox-esque level design and an impressive array of player/object/enemy interactions that encourages player experimentation to a degree hardly seen in a platformer since (as the more straightforward, gimmick-based design ethos would soon become the genre's standard). Add a clean, timeless visual style and some of the most hummable Mario music ever composed, and you have my favorite game of the generation.
2. Chrono Trigger ; A journey through the ages, for the ages, with an unforgettable cast of characters and my favorite soundtrack of the generation.
3. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ; This charming and funny RPG was my first in the genre and is still one of my absolute favorites. Clever integration of Mario mechanics into both level traversal and its battle system.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Fond memories of roaming Hyrule for hours upon hours and discovering its secrets in what was my first of many adventures as Link.
5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; Some of the most creative and refreshing platforming I've ever played.
6. Super Mario Kart ; Favorite multiplayer experience of the generation, but it was tons of fun by myself, too.
7. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; Refined what I liked about Sonic's brand of gameplay before the series started to go off the rails for me with Sonic 3.
8. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals ; A JRPG/Zelda hybrid that kept me engrossed for many dozens of hours with its astounding amount of content.
9. Street Fighter II ; The original version gets the nod for being the one I played by far the most. Classic.
2. Chrono Trigger ; A journey through the ages, for the ages, with an unforgettable cast of characters and my favorite soundtrack of the generation.
3. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ; This charming and funny RPG was my first in the genre and is still one of my absolute favorites. Clever integration of Mario mechanics into both level traversal and its battle system.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Fond memories of roaming Hyrule for hours upon hours and discovering its secrets in what was my first of many adventures as Link.
5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; Some of the most creative and refreshing platforming I've ever played.
6. Super Mario Kart ; Favorite multiplayer experience of the generation, but it was tons of fun by myself, too.
7. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; Refined what I liked about Sonic's brand of gameplay before the series started to go off the rails for me with Sonic 3.
8. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals ; A JRPG/Zelda hybrid that kept me engrossed for many dozens of hours with its astounding amount of content.
9. Street Fighter II ; The original version gets the nod for being the one I played by far the most. Classic.
1. Final Fantasy VI ; This one is a no-brainer for me. Was a kid so I didn't have a glut of money to buy it outright, but I easily spent $200+ renting it over time (and starting new game every time). One of the timeless games I could play until I'm dead and gone.
2. Doom ; Shareware was a good way to get this game out there and people hooked. Pretty badass game for an eleven-year old kid.
3. Chrono Trigger ; I miss old Squaresoft.
4. Super Mario World ; What's there to say about perhaps the best 2d platformer period?
5. Phantasy Star IV ; Still the only Phantasy Star game I've played all the way through, sorry II fans. Was a wonderful journey with some emotional punches for a kid to go through. Pretty sure I drew Alys fanart back then =p
6. X-Wing ; Played the everloving shit out of this game, was crazy being able to whittle down an Assault frigate/Star Destroyer basically solo. But man was the save system unforgiving if you didn't go back into dos and copy your pilot profile after every friggin mission lol.
7. Ecco the Dolphin ; Beautiful, haunting game. I could swim around that first area for hours jumping around in the water.
8. Earthbound
9. Sam and Max Hit the Road ; Great humour and good overall adventure game.
10. Sunset Riders ; Bury me with my money.
x. TMNT Turtles in Time
x. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Lufia 2
x. Super Metroid
x. Shining Force 2
x. Street Fighter II
x. Mortal Kombat II
x. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
x. Secret of Mana
x. Super Mario RPG
x. Breath of Fire
x. Illusion of Gaia
x. NBA Jam
x. Top Gear 2
2. Doom ; Shareware was a good way to get this game out there and people hooked. Pretty badass game for an eleven-year old kid.
3. Chrono Trigger ; I miss old Squaresoft.
4. Super Mario World ; What's there to say about perhaps the best 2d platformer period?
5. Phantasy Star IV ; Still the only Phantasy Star game I've played all the way through, sorry II fans. Was a wonderful journey with some emotional punches for a kid to go through. Pretty sure I drew Alys fanart back then =p
6. X-Wing ; Played the everloving shit out of this game, was crazy being able to whittle down an Assault frigate/Star Destroyer basically solo. But man was the save system unforgiving if you didn't go back into dos and copy your pilot profile after every friggin mission lol.
7. Ecco the Dolphin ; Beautiful, haunting game. I could swim around that first area for hours jumping around in the water.
8. Earthbound
9. Sam and Max Hit the Road ; Great humour and good overall adventure game.
10. Sunset Riders ; Bury me with my money.
x. TMNT Turtles in Time
x. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Lufia 2
x. Super Metroid
x. Shining Force 2
x. Street Fighter II
x. Mortal Kombat II
x. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
x. Secret of Mana
x. Super Mario RPG
x. Breath of Fire
x. Illusion of Gaia
x. NBA Jam
x. Top Gear 2
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; One of my favourite games of all time and my first couch coop experience. Me and my big brother used to take turns of.being Tales, was more fun on the special levels. They have never captured the speed and sense of fun from this game. The soundtrack is one of the best ever as well.
2. Super Mario World ; I feel a bit like this is cheating putting this on the list as I was a Mega Drive kid and my only experience prior to virtual console of this game was playing it at my friends house and deciding it wasn't as good as Sonic. That being said I've replayed the game on virtual console and it is up there with the greatest platforming ever so can't not leave it on the list. Still not as good as Sonic...
3. Streets of Rage 2 ; My Mum and Dad hate this game because I never owned it. Anytime they rented a video from Blockbuster we would ask if we could rent Streets of Rage 2 and NBA Jam, we were always disappointed if they brought back the first game because it wasn't as good as 2. This game was just so much fun, beat the crap out of guys Smash a bottle on their head then accidentally call for a bazooka shot when there was only 1 guy left and get a dead arm from your big bro because you should have kept it to the end.
4. Aladdin ; Taken from a time when licensed games were actually good, the love that went into this game was amazing and they really captured the fun of the film, the genie level in particular is amazing.
5. Road Rash 2 ; High speed bike races where you take out your enemy with a cattle prod, nuff said.
6. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe; I really wish they would make an up to date version of speedball, it was a fantastic game. For the uninitiated it was a sports game where you got points for scoring and for hitting certain points on the court by throwing the ball about and generally beating the crap out of your opponents with RPG type upgrades in between games and a transfer market. You also got points for injuring the other team. It was an absolute blast.
7. NBA Jam; I've never been a big basketball but this game was just pure fun, the arcade essential made it accessible to plebs like myself and the ball going on fire when you streaked was almost as great as the fantastic commentary that went with it.
8. NHL 94 ; tight gameplay, glass smashing, face breaking action made this game amazing. EA sports used to be GOAT and this was their crown jewel.
9. The Lion King ; similar to Aladdin, this was incredible, the stampede level was amazing but the I just can't wait to be king level with monkey throwing, giraffe jumping action was fantastic.
10. Golden Axe ; similar to Streets of Rage in gameplay but with lizard riding, golden Axe was amazing. I always played as the wee dwarf guy because I am a short arse so can relate.
x. Totham and earl ; wacky craziness, and humour this game was so much fun just for the purpose wackiness
x. Micro Machines 2: turbo tournament; Incredible fun, the original easy to pick up hard to master, the snooker table levels were solid.
x. Street fighter 2: Turbo ; haven't enjoyed any fighter as much as this game from Eddie Honda 1000 hand slap to perfecting M Bison's full move set, so K uch fun.
x. Legend of Zelda: a link to the past ; just sticking this is here because I'm sure it deserves to win the overall 1St place but for she I have never played it. I have played every iteration since though and I love Zelda so really need to play the game that most have as a challenger to OOT as GOAT.
There are so many more games that I will have missed that I loved about this gen. It was the gen that got me into gaming and will forever be the 1 that makes me most nostalgic.
2. Super Mario World ; I feel a bit like this is cheating putting this on the list as I was a Mega Drive kid and my only experience prior to virtual console of this game was playing it at my friends house and deciding it wasn't as good as Sonic. That being said I've replayed the game on virtual console and it is up there with the greatest platforming ever so can't not leave it on the list. Still not as good as Sonic...
3. Streets of Rage 2 ; My Mum and Dad hate this game because I never owned it. Anytime they rented a video from Blockbuster we would ask if we could rent Streets of Rage 2 and NBA Jam, we were always disappointed if they brought back the first game because it wasn't as good as 2. This game was just so much fun, beat the crap out of guys Smash a bottle on their head then accidentally call for a bazooka shot when there was only 1 guy left and get a dead arm from your big bro because you should have kept it to the end.
4. Aladdin ; Taken from a time when licensed games were actually good, the love that went into this game was amazing and they really captured the fun of the film, the genie level in particular is amazing.
5. Road Rash 2 ; High speed bike races where you take out your enemy with a cattle prod, nuff said.
6. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe; I really wish they would make an up to date version of speedball, it was a fantastic game. For the uninitiated it was a sports game where you got points for scoring and for hitting certain points on the court by throwing the ball about and generally beating the crap out of your opponents with RPG type upgrades in between games and a transfer market. You also got points for injuring the other team. It was an absolute blast.
7. NBA Jam; I've never been a big basketball but this game was just pure fun, the arcade essential made it accessible to plebs like myself and the ball going on fire when you streaked was almost as great as the fantastic commentary that went with it.
8. NHL 94 ; tight gameplay, glass smashing, face breaking action made this game amazing. EA sports used to be GOAT and this was their crown jewel.
9. The Lion King ; similar to Aladdin, this was incredible, the stampede level was amazing but the I just can't wait to be king level with monkey throwing, giraffe jumping action was fantastic.
10. Golden Axe ; similar to Streets of Rage in gameplay but with lizard riding, golden Axe was amazing. I always played as the wee dwarf guy because I am a short arse so can relate.
x. Totham and earl ; wacky craziness, and humour this game was so much fun just for the purpose wackiness
x. Micro Machines 2: turbo tournament; Incredible fun, the original easy to pick up hard to master, the snooker table levels were solid.
x. Street fighter 2: Turbo ; haven't enjoyed any fighter as much as this game from Eddie Honda 1000 hand slap to perfecting M Bison's full move set, so K uch fun.
x. Legend of Zelda: a link to the past ; just sticking this is here because I'm sure it deserves to win the overall 1St place but for she I have never played it. I have played every iteration since though and I love Zelda so really need to play the game that most have as a challenger to OOT as GOAT.
There are so many more games that I will have missed that I loved about this gen. It was the gen that got me into gaming and will forever be the 1 that makes me most nostalgic.
Didn't realize the entirety of Neo Geo library was included, now it's even harder.
I will probably push out of the top 10 Street Fighter 2 due to this.
You should really specify the version since the SNES game and Mega Drive game are totally different games.
I will probably push out of the top 10 Street Fighter 2 due to this.
I suppose the SNES version.
You should really specify the version since the SNES game and Mega Drive game are totally different games.
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
1. Streets of Rage 2 ; Still the greatest side scrolling beat-em-up of all time on a home console and stands up well even today. While there are certainly similar games with greater depth, to have this on a home console in the nineties - something better than what was in arcades - was simply mind blowing. I could wax lyrical about this game for days.
2. Gunstar Heroes ; Treasure's first and defining game. There's more creativity in a single level of Gunstar Heroes than most games can manage in 20+ hours today. Simple wonderful and the fact it pushed the Megadrive in directions thought impossible is further testament to Treasure's wizardry.
3. Super Mario World ; While I prefer Super Mario Bros. 3 this is still a very special game that sets a very high standard for 2D platformers.
4. Super Mario Kart ; Still the greatest Mario Kart of all time. 8 is a very good game but the king is still in Mode 7.
5. Street Fighter II ; Not sure this needs explaining, the ground zero of the fighting game movement.
6. Super Metroid ; Arguably the best Metroidvania ever made and a masterclass of game design.
7. Sam and Max Hit the Road ; The only adventure game that really made me laugh. It holds up pretty well today, too. Well worth seeking out if you have any desire to play a genuinely funny videogame.
8. Wild Guns ; The cart is hideously expensive for a reason. A really great take on the Cabal style of shooter. Brilliantly stylish.
9. Sonic 2 ; The best Sonic game ever. Perfect blend of speed and exploration.
10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Best Zelda game. A great showcase of what the SNES was capable of too. What a belter.
2. Gunstar Heroes ; Treasure's first and defining game. There's more creativity in a single level of Gunstar Heroes than most games can manage in 20+ hours today. Simple wonderful and the fact it pushed the Megadrive in directions thought impossible is further testament to Treasure's wizardry.
3. Super Mario World ; While I prefer Super Mario Bros. 3 this is still a very special game that sets a very high standard for 2D platformers.
4. Super Mario Kart ; Still the greatest Mario Kart of all time. 8 is a very good game but the king is still in Mode 7.
5. Street Fighter II ; Not sure this needs explaining, the ground zero of the fighting game movement.
6. Super Metroid ; Arguably the best Metroidvania ever made and a masterclass of game design.
7. Sam and Max Hit the Road ; The only adventure game that really made me laugh. It holds up pretty well today, too. Well worth seeking out if you have any desire to play a genuinely funny videogame.
8. Wild Guns ; The cart is hideously expensive for a reason. A really great take on the Cabal style of shooter. Brilliantly stylish.
9. Sonic 2 ; The best Sonic game ever. Perfect blend of speed and exploration.
10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Best Zelda game. A great showcase of what the SNES was capable of too. What a belter.
Waddle Dee
Member
1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
The absolute pinnacle of it's genre! A near flawless combination of heavily nuanced mechanics and level design that encouraged smart, experimental use of it's mechanics. Levels are huge with plenty of paths without being confusing or overly big. Bosses are simple but diverse and enjoyable. Multiple characters and special stages encourage many replays and the game's presentation is nothing short of marvelous. A definite masterpiece for the ages!
2. Ristar
Honestly, I feel this is the most overlooked platformer of all time. It was a close call between this and S3&K! Ristar is amazing for many of the same reasons as well. Ristar has one unique move: the ability to stretch his arms out to grab onto things to pull towards him, or pull himself towards them. The game runs with this basic concept all the way to the end and is always bringing new, exciting uses of it to the table. Combine the great gameplay with gorgeous visuals that show off some stellar dream-like environments and you have a truly magical game.
3. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Few side scrolling action games from this era gave you as many fun moves as this one. Shinobi III is a memorable journey full of variety and cool, over the top boss fights! It also has a difficulty curve that is as smooth as butter regardless of the difficulty level you selected at the start. Plus, it's got some pretty bitching music.
4. Donkey Kong Country 2
Honestly, I firmly consider the first Donkey Kong Country to be a pretty shit game that got a pass due to it's amazing visuals. So, with that said, it was really shocking for me to find out that DKC2 wasn't just an improvement, but one of the best games of it's time. The level design is smart and focused and every element of the game gets its chance to shine.
5. Kirby Super Star
I'd be lying if I said this was still Kirby's best outing, but damn if it isn't a fantastic one. Loads of powers and plenty of interesting modes to try them out in makes this a very replayable game. I've spent countless hours in the Arena mode!
6. Comix Zone
Comix Zone is unique enough by just the visuals alone... but it's also one hell of a genre mixer. Ever played a game that was both a beat'em up and a sort of point and click adventure game without the pointing and clicking?
7. Alien Soldier
The one Treasure game that too few talk about. An excellent boss rush with out of this world enemy designs (seriously, what in the fuck are some of these guys supposed to be!?).
8. Vectorman
Fancy tech is the least impressive thing about this game! A fast and dynamic shooter/platformer with lots of secrets and variety.
9. Street Fighter 2 Turbo
Best version of the revolutionary SF2, in my book at least. Pretty much an essential fighting game.
10. Super Mario Kart
The original that kick started one of Nintendo's best franchises!
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v Honorable Mentions v
Link to the Past
Doom II
Streets of Rage 2
Yoshi's Island
The Adventures of Down Under Dan
The absolute pinnacle of it's genre! A near flawless combination of heavily nuanced mechanics and level design that encouraged smart, experimental use of it's mechanics. Levels are huge with plenty of paths without being confusing or overly big. Bosses are simple but diverse and enjoyable. Multiple characters and special stages encourage many replays and the game's presentation is nothing short of marvelous. A definite masterpiece for the ages!
2. Ristar
Honestly, I feel this is the most overlooked platformer of all time. It was a close call between this and S3&K! Ristar is amazing for many of the same reasons as well. Ristar has one unique move: the ability to stretch his arms out to grab onto things to pull towards him, or pull himself towards them. The game runs with this basic concept all the way to the end and is always bringing new, exciting uses of it to the table. Combine the great gameplay with gorgeous visuals that show off some stellar dream-like environments and you have a truly magical game.
3. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Few side scrolling action games from this era gave you as many fun moves as this one. Shinobi III is a memorable journey full of variety and cool, over the top boss fights! It also has a difficulty curve that is as smooth as butter regardless of the difficulty level you selected at the start. Plus, it's got some pretty bitching music.
4. Donkey Kong Country 2
Honestly, I firmly consider the first Donkey Kong Country to be a pretty shit game that got a pass due to it's amazing visuals. So, with that said, it was really shocking for me to find out that DKC2 wasn't just an improvement, but one of the best games of it's time. The level design is smart and focused and every element of the game gets its chance to shine.
5. Kirby Super Star
I'd be lying if I said this was still Kirby's best outing, but damn if it isn't a fantastic one. Loads of powers and plenty of interesting modes to try them out in makes this a very replayable game. I've spent countless hours in the Arena mode!
6. Comix Zone
Comix Zone is unique enough by just the visuals alone... but it's also one hell of a genre mixer. Ever played a game that was both a beat'em up and a sort of point and click adventure game without the pointing and clicking?
7. Alien Soldier
The one Treasure game that too few talk about. An excellent boss rush with out of this world enemy designs (seriously, what in the fuck are some of these guys supposed to be!?).
8. Vectorman
Fancy tech is the least impressive thing about this game! A fast and dynamic shooter/platformer with lots of secrets and variety.
9. Street Fighter 2 Turbo
Best version of the revolutionary SF2, in my book at least. Pretty much an essential fighting game.
10. Super Mario Kart
The original that kick started one of Nintendo's best franchises!
v Honorable Mentions v
Link to the Past
Doom II
Streets of Rage 2
Yoshi's Island
The Adventures of Down Under Dan
Earthpainting
Member
1. Final Fantasy VI ; Final Fantasy VI is as ambitious as it is bold. The cast of characters is massive and they all feel very distinct due to their classes, musical motifs and characterisation by multiple creative juggernauts of that company. There’s plenty of flexibility still in the mechanics that allow you to customise them to your own liking if you really want to though. The best part of the game is how it is paced though. All the scenes and set pieces are close together, and the game’s forward momentum makes you blaze through them. You don’t really get much time to take things in, unless the story calls for it, which helps drive home how the first lead character gets pulled into this conflict, and helps illustrate the determination of the other leads. I replayed this game only last year, and I had an absolute blast. One thing I noticed was how it employed several unconventional storytelling mechanics, and how this game has surprisingly good dungeon design for a Squaresoft RPG.
2. Chrono Trigger ; A lot of what I liked about Final Fantasy VI applies here as well, but Chrono Trigger feels even more laser-focussed on its vision. Conceptually it’s a game that makes fantastic use of its medium. It’s also a game that changed how I play and look at games, since it made me aware of how I play them. It’s probably also the most accessible game on my list, so if you were to play only one of them, I’d say this is the one to check out.
3. Terranigma ; Quintet is a developer that makes weird games, often with strong themes of nature, technology, religion and philosophy, and Terranigma is encapsulates all of this. It’s a game about reviving the planet (our Earth), and guiding its evolution. You get to see how an ever-changing world affects others, and ultimately yourself. Pretty powerful experience.
4. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ; I like to think that this entry marks the first “modern” Zelda game in the series. Due to the game’s hardware limitations, different accents had to be placed on the Zelda formula. The focus on action was toned down, and puzzles, characterisation, and dungeon designs suddenly became more important than ever.
5. Mega Man X ; I was a big Mega Man fan, and X was the evolution the franchise desperately needed to stave off stagnation. It allowed the predictable elements of the series to get rebooted, and the greatly expanded move-set completely changed how these games were played.
6. Gargoyle’s Quest ; I don’t know what went on in Capcom’s minds when they decided to make a spinoff of that one Ghosts and Goblins enemy that everyone loathed, but I’m glad they went ahead and did it. This game is a cute mixture of RPGs and platformers, with some interesting takes on traversal. Since you play as a gargoyle (it’s more like an animate grotesque than a gargoyle, but whatever), your movement is often based on vertical surfaces. You can stick to walls indefinitely, and some clever level design allowed them to do some cool stuff like make floors optional.
7. Earthbound ; I heard someone describe Earthbound as a child’s imaginative play session, where the inclusion of new friends, with their own ideas, can make their stories spin in wild directions. I felt like it was pretty accurate, since Earthbound is all over the place, in an endearing and innocent way. I’ve learned over the years that this is very much a “love it or hate it” title, so your mileage may vary though.
8. Treasure of the Rudras ; A strange, but very interesting RPG that came out quite late on the system. Its two most obvious features are a magic system that makes you craft your own spells by learning and combining words, and that there are multiple campaigns to play, which weave in and out of each other during select moments.
9. The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls ; I didn’t discover this title until only a few years ago when it came out on the Virtual Console, but I’m really glad that I did. It’s quirky adventure game with light puzzle elements. The closest comparison is Link’s Awakening if you take out the combat. Heck, Link’s Awakening even has a cameo of this game’s version of Gary Oak. If you are looking for a light-hearted and simple game, it’s absolutely wonderful.
10. Yoshi's Island ; While it is not without its flaws, it’s hard to deny the game’s excellence. It was bursting with ideas right from the start, and it never stopped until the the credits dropped.
No honourable mentions from me (sorry, Bloodlines and Super Metroid). I have to draw the line somewhere, or else I’d still be thinking of games I liked past the deadline.
2. Chrono Trigger ; A lot of what I liked about Final Fantasy VI applies here as well, but Chrono Trigger feels even more laser-focussed on its vision. Conceptually it’s a game that makes fantastic use of its medium. It’s also a game that changed how I play and look at games, since it made me aware of how I play them. It’s probably also the most accessible game on my list, so if you were to play only one of them, I’d say this is the one to check out.
3. Terranigma ; Quintet is a developer that makes weird games, often with strong themes of nature, technology, religion and philosophy, and Terranigma is encapsulates all of this. It’s a game about reviving the planet (our Earth), and guiding its evolution. You get to see how an ever-changing world affects others, and ultimately yourself. Pretty powerful experience.
4. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ; I like to think that this entry marks the first “modern” Zelda game in the series. Due to the game’s hardware limitations, different accents had to be placed on the Zelda formula. The focus on action was toned down, and puzzles, characterisation, and dungeon designs suddenly became more important than ever.
5. Mega Man X ; I was a big Mega Man fan, and X was the evolution the franchise desperately needed to stave off stagnation. It allowed the predictable elements of the series to get rebooted, and the greatly expanded move-set completely changed how these games were played.
6. Gargoyle’s Quest ; I don’t know what went on in Capcom’s minds when they decided to make a spinoff of that one Ghosts and Goblins enemy that everyone loathed, but I’m glad they went ahead and did it. This game is a cute mixture of RPGs and platformers, with some interesting takes on traversal. Since you play as a gargoyle (it’s more like an animate grotesque than a gargoyle, but whatever), your movement is often based on vertical surfaces. You can stick to walls indefinitely, and some clever level design allowed them to do some cool stuff like make floors optional.
7. Earthbound ; I heard someone describe Earthbound as a child’s imaginative play session, where the inclusion of new friends, with their own ideas, can make their stories spin in wild directions. I felt like it was pretty accurate, since Earthbound is all over the place, in an endearing and innocent way. I’ve learned over the years that this is very much a “love it or hate it” title, so your mileage may vary though.
8. Treasure of the Rudras ; A strange, but very interesting RPG that came out quite late on the system. Its two most obvious features are a magic system that makes you craft your own spells by learning and combining words, and that there are multiple campaigns to play, which weave in and out of each other during select moments.
9. The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls ; I didn’t discover this title until only a few years ago when it came out on the Virtual Console, but I’m really glad that I did. It’s quirky adventure game with light puzzle elements. The closest comparison is Link’s Awakening if you take out the combat. Heck, Link’s Awakening even has a cameo of this game’s version of Gary Oak. If you are looking for a light-hearted and simple game, it’s absolutely wonderful.
10. Yoshi's Island ; While it is not without its flaws, it’s hard to deny the game’s excellence. It was bursting with ideas right from the start, and it never stopped until the the credits dropped.
No honourable mentions from me (sorry, Bloodlines and Super Metroid). I have to draw the line somewhere, or else I’d still be thinking of games I liked past the deadline.
i am cool with games done on an emulator service (like virtual console), but more or less remakes from later generations might not be indicative of the original project.
Really like to find out about games like this Ive never heard about, looks cool!
Btw, how come not more people are voting in the best gen? Still only on page 2.
i think a lot of people here are too young to remember it well, or they didn't play in it at all. the psx/n64 era is probably the starting point for a lot more.