My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #1 + More

Hey there. Welcome to the final part in my Top 50 Favourite Mega Drive games list. Every day for the past 50 days I’ve been revealing one game per day, in my biased opinion, my favourite games on this absolutely amazing console. I’ve had a blast, reminiscing over these 49 amazing games. I hope you’ve enjoyed it too, and maybe remembered some games you may have forgotten before, or even, found new games in this list you never heard of, and enjoy. We’re at the end now.

Here’s quick recap of my list from #50 to #2…

• #50 - Columns III – 1993 - ***1/2 
• #49 - World Cup Italia '90 – 1990 - ***1/2 
• #48 - Virtua Fighter 2 – 1996 - ***1/2 
• #47 - Jurassic Park – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #46 - Road Rash III: Tour de Force – 1995 - ***3/4 
• #45 - FIFA International Soccer – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #44 - Mega Bomberman – 1994 - ***3/4 
• #43 - Golden Axe III – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #42 - Micro Machines – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #41 – Columns – 1990 - ***3/4 
• #40 - Zombies Ate My Neighbours – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #39 - Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #38 – Flicky – 1991 - ***3/4 
• #37 - Taz in Escape From Mars – 1994 - ***3/4 
• #36 – Aladdin – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #35 - Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle – 1989 - ***3/4 
• #34 - Sonic 3D Blast – 1996 - **** 
• #33 - Streets of Rage 3 – 1994 - **** 
• #32 - Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II – 1992 - **** 
• #31 – Lemmings – 1992 - **** 
• #30 - Golden Axe – 1989 - **** 
• #29 - Mortal Kombat – 1992 - **** 
• #28 - Splatterhouse 3 – 1993 - **** 
• #27 - Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991 - **** 
• #26 - Theme Park – 1994 - **** 
• #25 – Ghostbusters – 1990 - **** 
• #24 - Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament 96 – 1995 - ****1/4 
• #23 - Blood Shot – 1994 - ****1/4 
• #22 - Super Hang-On – 1988 - ****1/4 
• #21 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – 1994 - ****1/4 
• #20 - Gain Ground – 1992 - ****1/4 
• #19 - Street Fighter II: Championship Edition – 1992 - ****1/4 
• #18 – Worms – 1995 - ****1/4 
• #17 - Speedball 2 – 1990 - ****1/4 
• #16 - Super Monaco GP – 1990 - ****1/4 
• #15 - Shining Force II – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #14 - Streets of Rage – 1991 - ****1/2 
• #13 - Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #12 - Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #11 - Ultimate Mortal Kombat III – 1996 - ****1/2 
• #10 - World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck – 1992 - ****1/2 
• #9 - Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament – 1994 - ****1/2 
• #8 - Michael Jackson's Moonwalker – 1990 - ****3/4 
• #7 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #6 - Shining Force – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #5 - The Revenge of Shinobi – 1989 - ****3/4 
• #4 - Quackshot starring Donald Duck – 1991 - ****3/4 
• #3 - Streets of Rage 2 – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #2 - Sonic and Knuckles – 1994 - ****3/4

Okay then, this is it. My favourite game on the Mega Drive is…

#1 – Gunstar Heroes

Released: 1993

Genre: Action

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: Black’s Dice Maze. It’s just lots and lots of fun.

Yes, my favourite Mega Drive game is Gunstar Heroes. I don’t think any game since Gunstar Heroes has been able to compactly put so much chaos on screen while maintaining a decent flow of entertainment. I really mean that. This game has so much stuff going on, you shoot through hundreds and hundreds of bad guys, but it just doesn’t get old, doesn’t get boring, and doesn’t get stale. It’s so entertaining, and the game has a brilliant sense of humour, awesome music and the sound quality is absolutely sublime. This game is so exhilarating it’s incredible. It’s simply one of the most action pumped games ever made and is a thrill to play, even 19 years later. Gunstar Heroes is a game you simply have to experience before you die. It’s such a shame the game isn’t acknowledged more, in comparison to other games in this list. Nothing against those games. But Gunstar Heroes is simply one of the best games ever made, and is my favourite game ever to be released on the Mega Drive.

Well that’s it! We’ve finished! I hope you’ve enjoyed this list, and reminiscing over these brilliant games, games released between 1988 and 1996, the epitome of 2D gaming. I love all 50 of these games and I’m sure there’s something in this list for everyone. If there’s any games here that have given you some great memories, please, comment below. Is there any games on here you’ve never played before and it being on this list made you try it? Let me know, comment below.

If you know me personally, you know I’m a stats guy, and here are two interesting graphs you may like.

This graph really interested me. I didn’t take into consideration the year of each game’s release until the list was fully complete. The year 1993 having 13 entries out of 50, that’s over a quarter of the list, was an intriguing statistic. It makes sense though. Sonic 1 was released in 1991, and that really set the Mega Drive off to not only compete but to equal Nintendo at one point in the video game wars. Two years later and game after game after game was released that were outstanding. I’m not really surprised that most of my favourite games were released in 1993, but it’s very interesting. If you were wondering, the earliest released game in this list is Super Hang-On, the only game released in the year 1988, and the latest game was Sonic 3D Blast, which was released on November 30^th 1996. Nine years of video games. Amazing.

This graph isn’t surprising at all, but it’s still cool to see what genres were included the most. No surprise really that its action and platformers that dominate my list. There were some awesome action games out on the Mega Drive, and five of the 10 platformers are Sonic games. Beat ‘em ups were high in tally inclusion as well, which isn’t surprising either as there were some solid beat ‘em ups on the Mega Drive.  I wasn’t expecting so many racing games mind, but it goes to show that racing games were pretty good on the Mega Drive too. My favourite genre of game is the RPG, but, as mentioned a few times, the Mega Drive really didn’t do RPGs, hence the lack of tally in the list.

To conclude, the Mega Drive is one of the best consoles ever made, and it’ll always have a strong place in my heart. It was my first ever console, and it really opened my eyes to the beauty of video games. It changed my life, quite simply. I love the Mega Drive. One day, I’d love to own all 50 of these games, preferably in Mega Drive format (bar Columns III, Golden Axe III, Splatterhouse 3 and Gain Ground, which weren’t released on the Mega Drive in the UK). It’s a long-term ambition, one I’ll hopefully be able to achieve when I can afford to! Thank you so much for joining me in this countdown. I’ve had a blast doing this list; it’s always a pleasure doing these listings. I hope you got something out of it too. Until next time!

If you liked this article you might want to read:

• Streets of Rage (Old School Game Review)
• Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (Game Review)
• My Top 10 Favourite Levels on Platformer Games (Listing)

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #10 - #2

Here we are. The Top 10. My ten favourite Mega Drive games. What will make the list? What classic games make the list? Are there any surprises? Let’s find out...

#10 – World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Released: 1992 
Genre: Platform 
Rating: ****1/2 stars 
Best Moment: Just playing two-player mode, it’s one of the best if not THE best two-player games ever made.

As I say above, this game is just absolutely amazing in two-player mode. It’s so much fun, you and a mate, going through this World of Illusion. It’s a very short game, but the imagination, the jubilations, the music, everything about this game is just so much fun. Disney is world renowned for its amazing ability to make children’s films so great, and if there was one game that translates the feeling of watching a Disney film into game form, this is it. It’s that simple. This is simply one of the best kids games ever made. I dare any one to suggest otherwise.

#9 – Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament

Released: 1994
Genre: Racing
Rating: ****1/2 stars
Best Moment: Climbing through the League pyramid to the top. It can be very frustrating but the payoff at the end is great when you finally get there.

My favourite racing game on the Sega Mega Drive is Micro Machines 2. It’s possibly my favourite racing game of all time to be honest. I absolutely adore this game. For me, a racing game doesn’t always have to be about it technically being great, or the graphics being smooth and realistic, a racing game has to be fun. And I don’t find that many other racing games as fun as this. The different vehicles are great, the races are crazy, the characters all have their own little quirky personalities and the music is really smooth. Micro Machines 2 is the ultimate Micro Machines game and is simply one of the best racing games ever made. I truly mean that.

#8 – Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

Released: 1990 (1991 in the UK) 
Genre: Beat ‘em Up 
Rating: ****3/4 stars 
Best Moment: Indisputably, making your opponents dance to death. The different dance sequences on each level are all just beautifully animated and are quite funny at times.

What? Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker at #8 in my favourite Mega Drive games list? Damn right it is. Have you played this game before? If you haven’t, you have no right to question why I rate this game so high. If you have played the game, I reckon you’d understand why. It’s an absolutely fantastic game, and yes, I do rate it at ****3/4 stars out of five. Sure, Michael Jackson ‘rescuing little children’ is questionable in 2012, but back in 1990 none of the sexual abuse allegations were in existence really. Forget that though, what you have is an absolutely brilliant Michael Jackson video game experience. Everything that was great about Michael Jackson is beautifully represented in this game. The dance moves, the ‘magic persona’, the suits, the enemies (based on the movie Moonwalker), and most importantly, the music, it's all here, and it’s so so good. You really have to play this game if you haven’t before. Check out this video below. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

#7 – Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Released: 1992
Genre: Platformer
Rating: ****3/4 stars
Best Moment: The special stages, Sonic 2 has the best special stages in Sonic history.

Another Sonic game bites the dust in my list. In the main series only Sonic and Knuckles remains. Is it in my list at all? If so, how high? We’ll see. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is simply one of the most exhilarating platformer experiences of all time. Sega did very little wrong with Sonic 2, the 20 levels (in comparison to Sonic 3’s 12 levels) make this the most of any Sonic title on the Mega Drive, and for the most part, the levels are pretty damn sweet. The addition of Tails was quite nice, just so you had the choice of being someone else, although playing with both Sonic and Tails one-player can be very annoying. I really don’t know what to say about Sonic 2 because chances are you have played it and know about how good it is anyway. Sonic 2 is simply one of the best platformers of all time. I love it.

#6 – Shining Force

Released: 1992 (1993 in the UK)

Genre: RPG

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: Like Shining Force II’s entry, nothing really stands out. It’s just simply one of the best RPGs ever made.

I’ve placed the original Shining Force towards the top of the mountain for many reasons. Firstly, it’s better than the second game in the series, which was a brilliant game in its own right. Why? I just love the characters more, the story is better, and, honestly, the second entry didn’t really experiment much from the original. The original Shining Force is simply one of those games you have to play. Really. It’s a shame the Shining Force series never really developed much after the third game, which wasn’t fully released in the West, a terrible terrible shame, because while the formula has been done by other game series, Shining Force I feel did it best. The balance and variety of the characters, the different tactical approaches you can do in the game, a lot of it was pretty damn amazing for 1992. Final Fantasy was lagging by this point in the RPG games, in my opinion tactically, and that’s where Shining Force’s strongest point lies. Shining Force is a game you simply have to play, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

#5 – The Revenge of Shinobi

Released: 1989 (1990 in the UK)

Genre: Action

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: Going against Batman and Spiderman on Stage 6. It’s really cool, and a set of totally unexpected cameos in the game.

This entry once again is another example where nostalgia places a game higher in my list rather than a game’s technicality. The third game in the series (at #12 in this list) is a far superior game technically; it improves on the amazing blueprint in this game in nearly every way. But I just can’t place this game any lower, it feels perfectly right at #5 in my list of favourite games. Why? I can’t tell you how many hours, how many times, I have completed this game. It’s embedded as one of my favourite games of my childhood. Besides, it’s so so cool, and I can promise you, not many games were as cool back in 1989. Golden Axe was released in this same calendar year, and it’s my very strong opinion that the action available in this game is far superior to that in GA, no disrespect. So yeah, The Revenge of Shinobi, simply, is one of the best games of all time, and my fifth favourite on the Mega Drive.

#4 – Quackshot starring Donald Duck

Released: 1991 
Genre: Platformer 
Rating: ****3/4 stars 
Best Moment: Getting the red plunger. Seriously. I love firing that weapon and climbing walls. Also the Egypt level is awesome too, and was featured in my list of favourite platformer levels ever, a list you can read here.

I have zero shame placing a Disney game at #4 in my list of favourite Mega Drive games. If you’ve ever played Quackshot, chances are you understand fully its placement this high on this list. Quackshot is just one of the best adventure platformer games ever. This game is just jam-packed full of amazing levels, great cameos by other characters associated with Donald Duck, and it can be a tough game to crack at times too. It’s one of my favourite ever platformers, and in my opinion, the best game Disney have ever released. If you’ve never played this game before, you’re missing out big time.

#3 – Streets of Rage 2

Released: 1992 (1993 in the UK)

Genre: Beat ‘em Up

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: Taking out Abadede in the Baseball Stadium. He’s probably the toughest boss in the game and really kicks your ass.

What do I need to say about Streets of Rage 2 that hasn’t already been said before? Seriously, I’m finding it hard to describe anything about this game that you probably don’t already know. It’s just the best beat ‘em up ever made. I don’t think many people would dispute that. SoR1’s formula was absolutely fantastic, but this put all the great things about the original game and set it all to overdrive. SoR3 took many risks and tampered with the difficulty, so therefore opinions on the game are mixed, but SoR2 is by far the most balanced game in the series. And it’s the best beat ‘em up ever as I said, playing on your own or with a friend, it doesn’t matter, this game survives the test of time ridiculously well. I play this game frequently, and it’s 2012. Not many games released 20 years ago or earlier are as replayable now as Streets of Rage 2. What a game.

#2 – Sonic and Knuckles

Released: 1994

Genre: Platformer

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: I love gliding with Knuckles. Lots of fun. I also really love Flying Battery Zone. One of the best Sonic levels ever made.

Yes it’s true. Sonic and Knuckles is my favourite Sonic game. If I were to include Sonic 3 and Knuckles together as one whole game however, that game would completely wipe the floor out of this list. But the games were released separately, so I’ve covered them separately. But even separate, Sonic and Knuckles is still my favourite Sonic game, and it’s just so much fun. There’s so much action, the level design is top notch, the game is decent in length, using Knuckles is really cool and the music as always is just awesome. Sonic 3 and Knuckles to be honest would be one of the few games I’d ever give five full stars. But as for Sonic and Knuckles on its own, it’s absolutely brilliant, an incredible experience, and is, on its own, my second favourite Mega Drive game.

We’re almost there. Want to know what my favourite Mega Drive game is? I’ll reveal tomorrow!

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

 

My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #30 - #21

20 down, 30 to go. I hope you’re enjoying the list so far!

#30 – Golden Axe

Released: 1989 (1990 in the UK) 
Genre: Beat ‘em Up 
Rating: **** 
Best Moment: The magic sequences, as I said for the entry for GA3, they’re just so cool, even by today’s standards.

I’m sure a lot of you would rate Golden Axe higher than the 30th best game on the Mega Drive. I suppose in an unbiased list I would put this game higher. I do really like the Golden Axe series, but I prefer other games, that’s all. One thing that’s not for dispute is how legendary this game is; only the Streets of Rage games can compare in the beat ‘em ups on the Mega Drive. And I don’t think they’ve ever beat the original, all three games are good but I think this one is simply the best.

#29 – Mortal Kombat

Released: 1992
Genre: Fighting
Rating: ****
Best Moment: A bit of an odd one, but just booting the game up! I love the music and intro section, it’s perfectly done and it’s just so cool.

Well, what can I say about Mortal Kombat that hasn’t been said already? It’s just simply one of the best fighting game series of all time. Not bad for a Street Fighter ripoff huh? Mortal Kombat was so influential; it pretty much started horror and gore in video gaming. Not many games really did it, or at least, brought it to commercial gaming until Mortal Kombat did. But even taking the controversy away from the game, it’s still fantastic. The fighting was decent, the music absolutely brilliant, and the fatalities are just well, iconic. Mortal Kombat is a true classic.

 

#28 – Splatterhouse 3

Released: 1993 (Never released in the UK)
Genre: Beat ‘em Up
Rating: ****
Best Moment: Putting on the Terror Mask and using your superpowers, it’s just really cool if not a little gruesome, or it by 1993 standards anyway!  

Yes... I emulated this. How else could I play it? It was never released here in the UK. The Splatterhouse series was one I discovered only a good three years ago I’d say. They’re pretty good; combining horror and beat ‘em up elements made a great game. I’ve heard the Splatterhouse remake was pretty poor, but the three Splatterhouse games were all good, and the third was probably the best. Why? Because of two things; firstly the horror. This is a really horrific game, especially for back in 1993. Some of the things that can happen are pretty grim, and some of these things weren’t really done in such detail back at this time in video game history. And secondly, adding a time limit to every level anted up the panic levels somewhat. You really wanted to get to the end of each level in the time limit as you knew there would be horrible consequences if you failed. Splatterhouse 3 was a really awesome game, it really should be ported to the UK sometime in the future; I’d love to download it on Xbox Live Arcade!

#27 – Sonic the Hedgehog

Released: 1991

Genre: Platform

Rating: ****

Best Moment: Believe it or not, getting a Chaos Emerald! They’re really hard to get in the first game, it’s always an accomplishment to be honest.

There will be mixed reactions to Sonic being only at #27. Some of you may not understand, while others will. If you don’t understand, there’s a very simple reason – Sonic got far better in its sequels. The original Sonic is a classic and it’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong, but if you’ve played any of the sequels on the Mega Drive it’s amazing how much better they are than the original. Sonic 1 is a great game however, hence the 4 star rating, and it did transform the platformer genre dramatically at the time, only to trump itself over and over again with its sequels. That’s my take on it anyway. One thing is for sure, is that Sonic 1 is a game you must play before you die. It’s still more than playable now, I still play it once in a while and it just never gets old.

#26 – Theme Park

Released: 1994 
Genre: Simulation 
Rating: **** 
Best Moment: Building a full park, full of awesome rides and other bits and it being really full of customers... when business is really booming.

Do-do-do, do-do-do do do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do do do-do, do do-do do do... okay it’s not that fun writing that out but that tune really sticks in your head when you play this game... or even think of playing it! If you’ve played this game before I’m willing to bet money that the tune is in your head right now! Theme Park was awesome, it was such a different game at the time being a simulator, and a Theme Park simulator at that! It was just so awesome at the time, building your own Theme Park, and it felt quite realistic and ground breaking for its time. It’s a shame other versions of Theme Park did very little to add to the formula and only really updated the graphics, and the series has been pretty much lost to obscurity since. But it was still a great game, and is still good to put on once in a while!

We’re at the half way point now in the Top 50. Here’s a recap from #50 to #26...

• #50 - Columns III – 1993 - ***1/2
• #49 - World Cup Italia '90 – 1990 - ***1/2
• #48 - Virtua Fighter 2 – 1996 - ***1/2
• #47 - Jurassic Park – 1993 - ***3/4
• #46 - Road Rash III: Tour de Force – 1995 - ***3/4
• #45 - FIFA International Soccer – 1993 - ***3/4
• #44 - Mega Bomberman – 1994 - ***3/4
• #43 - Golden Axe III – 1993 - ***3/4
• #42 - Micro Machines – 1993 - ***3/4
• #41 – Columns – 1990 - ***3/4
• #40 - Zombies Ate My Neighbours – 1993 - ***3/4
• #39 - Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers – 1993 - ***3/4
• #38 – Flicky – 1991 - ***3/4
• #37 - Taz in Escape From Mars – 1994 - ***3/4
• #36 – Aladdin – 1993 - ***3/4
• #35 - Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle – 1989 - ***3/4
• #34 - Sonic 3D Blast – 1996 - ****
• #33 - Streets of Rage 3 – 1994 - ****
• #32 - Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II – 1992 - ****
• #31 – Lemmings – 1992 - ****
• #30 - Golden Axe – 1989 - ****
• #29 - Mortal Kombat – 1992 - ****
• #28 - Splatterhouse 3 – 1993 - ****
• #27 - Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991 - ****
• #26 - Theme Park – 1994 - ****

Up to date? Cool. Well let’s start the second half of my countdown of my personal favourite Mega Drive games!

#25 – Ghostbusters

Released: 1990
Genre: Action
Rating: **** stars
Best Moment: The bosses. They’re a lot of fun and challenging in different ways.

What a game Ghostbusters was. I don’t know anyone else that’s played this personally, the Mega Drive version of Ghostbusters was different to the more popular versions released on the NES and Game Boy, but I really liked this. Really liked it. It was quite a hard game but challenging enough to be more than enjoyable, and the different guns you can buy were a lot of fun. The levels were usually harder than the bosses, which were really entertaining to go against and were animated incredibly well. I’d highly recommend you play this.

#24 – Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

Released: 1995 
Genre: Racing 
Rating: ****1/4 stars
Best Moment: Constructing a really well designed track. I remember making a really awesome slippy slidey track that was tough as nails but was a lot of fun to race on.

Calling this game an update on Micro Machines 2 is a little unfair. The tracks are different and the custom track builder makes this a separate game on its own in my eyes. They really did pull all the stops to make this the most complete Micro Machines game ever back in 1995, and boy it was fantastic. Making your own tracks was just such an awesome tool, I loved trying to make tracks on this game. And the character roster was pretty big too. Micro Machines 96 packs a mean punch, and is probably the most complete Micro Machines title ever released... just not the best.

#23 – Blood Shot

Released: 1994
Genre: FPS
Rating: ****1/4 stars
Best Moment: Destroying an armed plasma node at the end of a level, and getting back to the start of the level in the time limit given.  It gets harder and harder as the levels go on.

I don’t know how many of you have played Blood Shot, which was also known as Battle Frenzy. It’s a British FPS game. I don’t think you realise how rare that is. Not only is this a Mega Drive game that’s a first person shooter, but it was made in Britain. Not many FPS games existed at the time, and as Blood Shot goes, it’s a pretty damn good FPS. Some say that Doom was THE first person shooter for the early nineties, and I don’t dispute that. But Doom wasn’t a Mega Drive game. What was the best FPS for the Mega Drive? We got Blood Shot. Not as good, but it’s pretty solid, and well worth a play if you haven’t played it before.

#22 – Super Hang-On

Released: 1988 (1991 in the UK)

Genre: Racing

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: When you approach a tough turning with three other motorbikes in front of you, and you take them all on in one go. It’s a difficult and risky manoeuvre.

I never knew Super Hang-On was released in 1988, well even earlier, in 1987 if you include the Arcades. It’s a lot older than I realised, and it makes me respect the game that much more. Sure, there might be far more technical motorbike games out there. Road Rash for instance, combines the blueprint Super Hang-On brought forward, and added violence to the mayhem. But... I don’t think there was a motorbike game in the 16-bit era that replaced Super Hang-On. And this game came out in 1988, three years before the Mega Drive truly boomed as a force to be reckoned with, after Sonic made the console so attractive to video game makers. Even by 1996, when the console pretty much died, no motorbike game that was released since on the console replaced it. That’s eight glorious years of gaming. That’s impressive, and it shows you how good this game was. And is. I still play it once in a while, it’s still playable now. It’s just a great game; it just has to go down as one of the most important and best motorbike games ever made.

#21 – Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Released: 1994

Genre: Platform

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: Hydrocity Zone Act 2. I named my Top 10 Platformer Levels of all time on this site (go here to read it) and that was rated at #1. It’s truly the best platformer level of all time; an absolute blitz of pace, beautiful scenery, awesome music and it epitomises what’s so amazing about the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

You may be equally as surprised to see Sonic 3 as low as it is as you may have been of how low Sonic 1 was. Why is Sonic 3 rated out of the Top 20? Well, as much as I love Sonic 3 (and trust me, I love Sonic 3) I prefer other Sonic games on the Mega Drive. Do you know what the main problem with Sonic 3 is? It’s too short. It’s the shortest Sonic game on the Mega Drive; it only has 12 levels. That’s just ridiculous really. And there are some awesome levels on here (Hydrocity as mentioned above being absolutely amazing) but is it really that good a game, when Sonic 2 and Sonic and Knuckles gave you far more bang for your buck? Sonic 3 as a game is truly incredible; it’s one of the best Mega Drive games ever. But it is just too damn short. Sorry.

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

 
For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #50 - #41

Hey there and welcome to my newest video game listing. I’ve done a few large listings on this site, but not one on video games in general. Today I start my homage to the Sega Mega Drive and its brilliance.

The Sega Mega Drive while not the first console I ever played, was the first console I properly ever owned. I was a late comer to games as well, only getting the Sega Mega Drive back in 1998 unbelievably. I wasn’t that big on games until then, and even though the Mega Drive was mine from 1998, I quickly appreciated its excellence. I may have played it later than everyone else, but I approached each game like it was released when it was released, because I never really dealt with games as good as those before. It was a year later before I discovered late again, the Playstation, and moved onto that console. But despite discovering the PS, I still played my Mega Drive, discovered other games and appreciated them despite moving onto 3D games with much bigger experiences. Overall the Playstation is definitely my favourite console of all time, but the Mega Drive isn’t far behind. It truly was a phenomenal console and deserves any praise it gets.

This is going to be a 50 day listing. Now I’ve been reluctant to do another 50 day listing again after doing one 50 and one 100 day listing in the past with mixed results, but I’ve decided I will make another attempt at one. There are two reasons why I’m making this a 50 day listing; firstly because I believe a list like this is worthy of 50 days coverage. It’s rare that I do a 50 listing as I said; I’m reluctant to do them anymore, so I’m going to pick and choose them wisely. This deserves it. Secondly, it’s because of my personal situation; I’m going through a lot at the moment, just started a new job, moved house, separated from my wife and we also have a newborn and our near-four year old to take care of separately. I just don’t have the time to write much at the moment, so the idea is to stretch this project forward and hopefully make time in the 50 days to write more quality work.

Enough about that, here’s my Top 50 Favourite Mega Drive games! Enjoy!

#50 – Columns III

Released: 1993 (2008 in the UK)

Genre: Puzzle

Rating: ***1/2

Best Moment: Nothing particularly, it’s very colourful though. Playing against up to 4 people can be fun.

Columns III probably missed most of you, if you lived in the UK. It was released in America and Japan, and only saw release 15 years later in the UK when released on the Virtual Console on the Wii. But... I confess. I played this on Emulator. And it’s really good. Is it an improvement on Columns? Yes, overall I’d say so actually. But it lacks the nostalgia and classic touch that the original has. I’ve never played Columns II so I can’t comment on that, but the third game was fun, as it added a more competitive element, whilst it looked pretty damn gorgeous for 1993 graphics as the colours stand out really well.

#49 - World Cup Italia '90

Released: 1990

Genre: Sports

Rating: ***1/2

Best Moment: When you score, and you get the still of a man celebrating. It’s the same man each time, just with different skin colours and jerseys. It’s truly awful but I love it.

That’s my opinion on this game in general actually. It’s truly awful but I love it. This game has the privilege of being the first Mega Drive game I ever played. As I said, I got my console in 1998 and it was part of the Mega 6 collection that had much better games on it too. All six games make this list, and this is the lowest rated of the six. This game is pretty poor overall, but then again, in 1990 there weren’t that many good quality football games. That would be the case for a few years yet, before FIFA really got off the map. But it’s still playable if not a little too easy once you know how to play properly. It still has a good place in my heart and is fun to stick on once in a while, for giggles more than anything else.

#48 – Virtua Fighter 2

Released: 1996

Genre: Fighting

Rating: ***1/2

Best Moment: Knocking your opponent out of the ring. It can be difficult in the later difficulties and you feel pretty good when you pull it off.

This game was released on the new Sega Saturn console that was the hottest thing around at the time, but because the Mega Drive was still really popular they released a version of it on there. It was definitely inferior, but still packed a decent punch. The Virtua Fighter series had a lot of fans, and still does, maybe I’m rating the game too low for some of you on this list but it’s because I’m just not that big a fan of the series. One thing though for certain, it’s possible this game had the best graphics of any Mega Drive game due to its very late release in the life of the console and its actual spot on the Sega Saturn.

 

#47 – Jurassic Park

Released: 1993

Genre: Action

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: Beating the first level! Seriously, this game was so tough, playing it for the first time good luck beating the first level, never mind progressing far on your first go!

This game was really good, really really good. But it was tough as nails. It’s one of the hardest games I remember ever playing. It was fun though, and they did the Jurassic Park film justice in honesty. The dinosaurs are tough in different ways and the game looks fantastic. The game is definitely worth a go if you haven’t played it before. But as I’ve said a few times, it’s a really hard game!

#46 – Road Rash 3: Tour de Force

Released: 1995

Genre: Racing

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: Just knocking someone off their bike. It’s a great feeling; it’s what made Road Rash stand out from other motorbike games.

The Road Rash games were all pretty decent, although the differences between the three released on the Mega Drive was minimal. I remember preferring the third one the most, as they had a good selection of weapons, looked slickest and I liked the fact that there were 7 tracks to race on but that you only go through 5 of them, depending on how you play the game. It gave the never changing formula a bit of diversity, as the games barely changed from one to another.

#45 - FIFA International Soccer

Released: 1993 
Genre: Sports 
Rating: ***3/4 
Best Moment: Scoring. Scoring was awesome as you ran towards the crowd and look at the titantron which had some cool little images put across it. You could also make random noises on screen by pressing the buttons on your controller.

Ah, the FIFA series. So long and illustrious. But things didn’t start off to great for the game series. Football quite simply, wasn’t a very good video game in the 2D eras of video game history. But FIFA was very successful despite this, mainly because of its brand name as the governing body of world football. FIFA International Soccer can be called FIFA 94, not that it matters, but the subsequent FIFA games barely changed anything in the blueprint this game had. The graphics were almost identical, the teams were only slightly updated. I know some of you may think, “yes but the same applies to FIFA now on a yearly basis”, but trust me, enough tweaks are made per year nowadays in comparison to the early days. That’s why the original, FIFA International Soccer, is the only game in this list, as it’s the original and probably the best.

 

#44 – Mega Bomberman

 

Released: 1994

Genre: Action

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: Timing is impeccable in this game, and when you time to release that bomb on that enemy and they walk into it in the most perfect of timing, you feel so good inside.

There were games in the Bomberman series released before this and after this but for me, this is the best one. The plot was simple enough, the graphics were colourful and bright, and the action and powerups were good. The enemies and bosses were fun and diverse too. But the Bomberman series has always had its flaws, and I’ve always thought while the concept is good, it’s nothing really mind blowing. Also you can’t help hate yourself when you screw up and trap yourself in a corner with a bomb. Man, very few games make you feel like worse of a fool I can tell you! But Mega Bomberman was pretty damn good, and I’d recommend this game in the series over any other. Mistake!

#43 – Golden Axe III 

Released: 1993 (2009 in the UK)

Genre: Beat ‘em Up

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: Even by the third game in the series, using the magic is still awesome and is the highlights of the game.

The third Golden Axe game also wasn’t released in the UK, until it was put on the Sega Mega Ultimate Collection a few years ago. Yes... I also played this on emulator... am I a bad person? Anyway... similar to other game series in this list, Golden Axe also suffers from a lack of change in its sequels. Once again like other game series, Golden Axe’s trilogy is great, none of the three games are bad, but very little separates them. Golden Axe II isn’t in this list marginally, but the third was better and the first was the best. The best thing that GA3 did was add pathways that you could select and continue the game down. It made the game experience that bit more personal as you could have had a different set of levels to progress through one play through from the next. But the core game play never changed really, and that’s why it’s this low in the listing.

#42 – Micro Machines

Released: 1993

Genre: Racing

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: Nothing beats the awesome air time you get on certain jumps in a race. It just feels awesome. Also, using the tanks and blowing up the other tanks by shooting them down was fun as hell.

Micro Machines was a great series of games. The toy company really did have a great formula and a great concept in the early part of the nineties. Unfortunately technology and 3D gaming occurred and their style of game play died because it never fit in a modern video game environment.  But the top-down view made the games a very interesting experience. The first in the series wasn’t the best, but the formula was there and they just improved on that later on. The first Micro Machines game is definitely worth playing though, it’s a damn good game.

#41 – Columns

Released: 1990

Genre: Puzzle

Rating: ***3/4

Best Moment: When playing Arcade mode and you get the big triple diamond jewels, they could be a real life saver and if placed on a ground tile, you get a huge points boost!

Columns is a classic game. Sure, Tetris may be the king of puzzle games, but if you had a Sega Mega Drive I’d be almost certain you had played Columns at least once. It’s simple concept, very iconic music inspired by Greek mythology and two player competitive play that made the game so popular. Sure, it’s not the most original puzzle game ever, but it was the most approachable and popular. And it ticks all the boxes that a puzzle game should.

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!