I've seen "best games" lists for the Genesis leave them off for vastly inferior games.
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Sega Genesis games. I looked for long lists each at least 50 games long, that were ranked. I assigned points based on rank and added them all up. I was left with 16 lists, 396 unique games and 1,465 total entries.
Rolling Thunder 2 & Rolling Thunder 3 finished just outside the top 100.
I also run a weekly Retro Video Game Poll on Reddit. The original Rolling Thunder ended up the #76 best game of the NES/Master System era (ending up between Ghosts 'n Goblins and Renegade).
Most 2d Castlevanias since SotN have been easy, but they're designed that way to allow the player to choose their own difficulty. If you want a more challenging experience equip lower level weapons. Not everyone needs to beat the game with the Claimh Solais.
That reminds me of an interview about Super Mario World I read recently (it might have been Miyamoto). Anyway, I always thought World was "too easy", and I found myself just flying over most of the levels and "missing" a lot of the game. Anyway, they said World was designed so that hardcore players could choose to skip those big "power switches" that unlock the help blocks. This never occurred to me before and I am eager to replay it, this time without the switches, for a hopefully more satisfying challenge.
In an era when most consoles were notoriously hard to develop for, PS1 made things easy. It's no wonder it became the home to so many 3'rd party titles back then.
Another huge reason is that Nintendo went with cartridges for the N64 instead of CDs. Most developers saw the opportunities of CDs (full orchestration for one).
Cartridges were also much more expensive to produce, Nintendo made all of the cartridges controlling the manufacturing, and they demanded a large minimum initial order for each game, which made it a big gamble for developers. If a game flopped they lost a ton, and for small developers their very existence was at stake, just over the performance of one game released on the N64.
I always like it when complex and technical subject matter can be distilled into something a layman can understand.
There was only that one paragraph (that described a bit in-depth how exactly it was used, using technical terms) that went over my head, but it was brief enough that I know that info is just "not for me", and you're right, I got the general idea. And it was a nice article.
Rezon has also been called, perhaps, the worst soundtrack in video game history. With an annoying 4-second loop. For the whole game, except I think at bosses.
I'm a sucker for Japan-exclusive games, but even I draw the line at blatant Fighter's History-esque ripoffs.
There's always sales. I'll definitely grab it when it goes on sale. They published Cotton Reboot! and a year and half later it was 60% off. If Cannon Dancer follows that pattern, it will eventually be available for $12.
I keep reading about people being nostalgic for this movie. Yes, me and all my friends rushed out to see it. But on my school's playground, we were all unanimous that it was a piece of crap.
Switch plays all (ok most) of the Nintendo games ever made, but that's cheating. I think you have to judge consoles by the game library that originated on it. If you only count Switch games made after 2017? Then it doesn't look so hot.
I've always preferred 2D games to 3D, and the SNES was the best ever console for 2D gaming, before everything went 3D.
A while ago I googled for lists of the Best Beat'em Up games. I looked for ranked lists at least 25 games long. I found 5 qualifying lists, assigned points based on rank and added it all up. I was left with 58 unique titles.
Here are the top 25 games without a main entry on this page:
I was a kid through the NES era and just before, my first system was ColecoVision and loved playing Atari 2600 at my cousins' house.
I traded my Sega Genesis for a week to a friend in return for his Game Boy. I believe he had Tetris, Spider-Man & Metroid. Just about immediately, I couldn't wait to get my Genesis back.
The tiny, blurry, pea-soup screen meant you couldn't play it unless you crouched directly under a lamp light. Maybe it was passable entertainment at school recess or on a car/bus trip or waiting for your turn at a birthday bowling party, but even a Tiger electronic handheld game could manage that. I'd honestly rather play 2600 on a tv than play Game Boy.
So, to answer the question: "Are Game Boy Games Still Worth Playing In 2023?" I didn't think they were worth playing in 1989.
But the Advance games look a lot better, and are comparable to SNES games, so I'm excited to check those out.
I buy games, lots and lots of games... But pirating is 100% legitimate if the game isn't available to be purchased anywhere in the marketplace. If the copyright holders don't like it, then don't let your IPs become abandonware. Put them up for sale, and we'll buy them.
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Sega Genesis games. I looked for long lists each at least 50 games long, that were ranked. I assigned points based on rank and added them all up. I was left with 16 lists, 396 unique games and 1,465 total entries.
True Lies ended up tied for #313 best Sega Genesis game. I guess it's a VERY hidden gem?
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Neo Geo games. I looked for ranked lists at least 25 games long. I ended up finding 7 qualifying lists with 132 unique games and a total of 410 separate entries. I assigned points based on rank and added it all up.
Here (in order) are the games from that Top 25 that didn't get an entry here:
Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 (enhanced version of Metal Slug 2)
The Top 10 were:
1.) Streets of Rage 2 / Bare Knuckle 2
2.) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
3.) Sonic the Hedgehog 2
4.) Contra: Hard Corps
5.) Gunstar Heroes
6.) Sonic the Hedgehog
7.) Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
8.) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
9.) Shining Force II
10.) Beyond Oasis / The Story of Thor: A Successor of the Light
All of them except for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles are available on the Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online and/or the Sega Genesis Classics Collection.
@WeltraumDreamer "Never heard of it, but since I'm a Gradius and R-Type fan, I will give it a try."
A while ago I searched the Internet for lists of the best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games. They had to be ranked lists, at least 50 games long. I found 16 qualifying lists, assigned points based on rank and added it all up.
I ended up with 397 unique titles and 1,465 entries.
Gaiares ended up a Top 60 Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game. It finished just above Panorama Cotton which was another shmup recently released on the Switch.
Comments 183
Re: Random: Street Fighter 6 Seemingly Confirms Final Fight's Metro City Is In Canada
Bryan Adams is such a thin-skinned tool that he sued Allmusic.com to remove reviews of his albums.
Come at me Bryan!
Re: The Making Of: Rez - Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Timeless Masterpiece
Puzzlingly, the original PS2 release has a "78" on MetaCritic, with multiple later releases each receiving an "89".
Re: Run 'N Gun Sequel Rolling Thunder 2 Coming To Switch & PS4 Later This Month
sdelfin wrote:
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Sega Genesis games. I looked for long lists each at least 50 games long, that were ranked. I assigned points based on rank and added them all up. I was left with 16 lists, 396 unique games and 1,465 total entries.
Rolling Thunder 2 & Rolling Thunder 3 finished just outside the top 100.
I also run a weekly Retro Video Game Poll on Reddit. The original Rolling Thunder ended up the #76 best game of the NES/Master System era (ending up between Ghosts 'n Goblins and Renegade).
Re: 'Cyber Citizen Shockman' Getting First Western Release Later This Month
From video it looks like a cheap Master System platformer.
But I'm a sucker for Japan-exclusives so...
Re: Anniversary: Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow Turns 20 Today
Utena-mobile wrote:
That reminds me of an interview about Super Mario World I read recently (it might have been Miyamoto). Anyway, I always thought World was "too easy", and I found myself just flying over most of the levels and "missing" a lot of the game. Anyway, they said World was designed so that hardcore players could choose to skip those big "power switches" that unlock the help blocks. This never occurred to me before and I am eager to replay it, this time without the switches, for a hopefully more satisfying challenge.
Re: 20 Years After Atari's E.T., Another Company Made The Same Mistake
As a young kid I picked up the Green Planet book in a bargain bin sale. It was very exciting to read about E.T.'s planet.
I'm sure it's crap now, but it fired my imagination then.
Their first "E.T." game got a MetaCritic "46" and the second a "50".
Re: The PlayStation Performance Analyser, Ken Kutaragi's Secret Weapon In The 32-bit War
JayJ wrote:
Another huge reason is that Nintendo went with cartridges for the N64 instead of CDs. Most developers saw the opportunities of CDs (full orchestration for one).
Cartridges were also much more expensive to produce, Nintendo made all of the cartridges controlling the manufacturing, and they demanded a large minimum initial order for each game, which made it a big gamble for developers. If a game flopped they lost a ton, and for small developers their very existence was at stake, just over the performance of one game released on the N64.
Re: The PlayStation Performance Analyser, Ken Kutaragi's Secret Weapon In The 32-bit War
GravyThief wrote:
There was only that one paragraph (that described a bit in-depth how exactly it was used, using technical terms) that went over my head, but it was brief enough that I know that info is just "not for me", and you're right, I got the general idea. And it was a nice article.
Re: Hard-To-Find NES Classic Hammerin' Harry Is Getting A Physical Re-Release
I'm a sucker for Japan exclusives so I'll gladly buy it when it hits the eshop.
Re: 32 Years Later, Blatant R-Type Clone Rezon Finally Comes To Home Consoles
Rezon has also been called, perhaps, the worst soundtrack in video game history. With an annoying 4-second loop. For the whole game, except I think at bosses.
I'm a sucker for Japan-exclusive games, but even I draw the line at blatant Fighter's History-esque ripoffs.
Re: A Bunch Of Old Dungeons & Dragons Games Are Now Available On Steam
Spelljammer & Deathkeep seem to have been received negatively, but I'm picking up all the others.
Re: Cannon Dancer's Digital Release Date Slips To April 13th
Geostyle wrote:
There's always sales. I'll definitely grab it when it goes on sale.
They published Cotton Reboot! and a year and half later it was 60% off. If Cannon Dancer follows that pattern, it will eventually be available for $12.
Re: Museum Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Super Mario Bros.: The Movie With Special Exhibit
I keep reading about people being nostalgic for this movie. Yes, me and all my friends rushed out to see it. But on my school's playground, we were all unanimous that it was a piece of crap.
Re: Wii U And 3DS eShop Closure Is Removing Access To The Wider Goemon Series
IGN ranked Legend of the Mystical Ninja the #32 best SNES game.
I read another article about Goemon games yesterday and added Mr. Goemon to my Switch wishlist. I'm a sucker for Japan exclusives.
Re: Banshees Of Inisherin Gets Turned Into A Video Game, And You Can Play It Right Now
Well...at least I can tell you the movie is great. Along with Everything Everywhere All at Once they are my 2 favourite films of the year.
It was down year for blockbuster entertainment, but those 2 picked up the slack wonderfully.
Re: Atari Acquires The Rights To Arcade Classics 'Berzerk' And 'Frenzy'
I run a weekly retro video game poll on Reddit. Berzerk ended up the #9 best game of the Atari era, between Pitfall! and Ms. Pac-Man.
Re: Valve Is Offering 96 Percent Off A Bundle Of Its Most Famous Titles
I owned some of these already, but am happy to have the rest for next to nothing.
Thanks for posting!
Re: Random: Pizza Chain Founded By Atari's Nolan Bushnell Will Stop Using Floppy Disks This Year
@JayJ
Last time I was there, they had a Space Invaders / Qix machine. Good times.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Nintendo System Of All Time?
Switch plays all (ok most) of the Nintendo games ever made, but that's cheating. I think you have to judge consoles by the game library that originated on it. If you only count Switch games made after 2017? Then it doesn't look so hot.
I've always preferred 2D games to 3D, and the SNES was the best ever console for 2D gaming, before everything went 3D.
Re: "We Basically Had To Bribe The Producers" - The Origin Of EA Sports
I still say "BOOM! He's on his back"! like...daily.
John Madden's in-game commentary is burned in my brain.
Re: CAVE Story: The Chronicles of DonPachi, The Shmup Series That Changed Everything
In the latest Shmups Forum Annual Poll:
8 of the top 25 were Cave shmups.
Re: Best Beat 'Em Ups Of All Time
A while ago I googled for lists of the Best Beat'em Up games. I looked for ranked lists at least 25 games long. I found 5 qualifying lists, assigned points based on rank and added it all up. I was left with 58 unique titles.
Here are the top 25 games without a main entry on this page:
Re: Poll: Are Game Boy Games Still Worth Playing In 2023?
I was a kid through the NES era and just before, my first system was ColecoVision and loved playing Atari 2600 at my cousins' house.
I traded my Sega Genesis for a week to a friend in return for his Game Boy. I believe he had Tetris, Spider-Man & Metroid. Just about immediately, I couldn't wait to get my Genesis back.
The tiny, blurry, pea-soup screen meant you couldn't play it unless you crouched directly under a lamp light. Maybe it was passable entertainment at school recess or on a car/bus trip or waiting for your turn at a birthday bowling party, but even a Tiger electronic handheld game could manage that. I'd honestly rather play 2600 on a tv than play Game Boy.
So, to answer the question: "Are Game Boy Games Still Worth Playing In 2023?" I didn't think they were worth playing in 1989.
But the Advance games look a lot better, and are comparable to SNES games, so I'm excited to check those out.
Re: Talking Point: Where Do You Stand On "Ethical Emulation"?
I buy games, lots and lots of games...
But pirating is 100% legitimate if the game isn't available to be purchased anywhere in the marketplace.
If the copyright holders don't like it, then don't let your IPs become abandonware. Put them up for sale, and we'll buy them.
Re: Random: Why Acclaim Almost Killed This Arnold Schwarzenegger Video Game
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Sega Genesis games. I looked for long lists each at least 50 games long, that were ranked. I assigned points based on rank and added them all up. I was left with 16 lists, 396 unique games and 1,465 total entries.
True Lies ended up tied for #313 best Sega Genesis game.
I guess it's a VERY hidden gem?
Re: Best Neo Geo Games
A while ago I googled for lists of the best Neo Geo games. I looked for ranked lists at least 25 games long. I ended up finding 7 qualifying lists with 132 unique games and a total of 410 separate entries. I assigned points based on rank and added it all up.
Here (in order) are the games from that Top 25 that didn't get an entry here:
Re: Retro-Bit Announces Battletoads & Double Dragon And Gleylancer Reprints
I'd buy Battletoads & Double Dragon on Switch in a second!
Re: GamesMaster Returns For A New Series Next Year
As a Canadian, I had never heard of the series until the reboot. I watched and enjoyed all the new ones!
Re: Gallery: Checking Out Retro-Bit's 'Battletoads & Double Dragon' And 'Avenging Spirit' Reissues
There is still no Battletoads on Switch.
Sometimes life just doesn't make sense...
Re: Hardware: The Taito Egret II Mini Is A Doorway Into True Gaming History
Jungle King / Jungle Hunt / Pirate Pete is a true Taito classic.
Re: Gaiares Is Getting A Physical Re-Release With The Help Of The Kid Who Promoted It 31 Years Ago
@rob7979
The Top 10 were:
1.) Streets of Rage 2 / Bare Knuckle 2
2.) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
3.) Sonic the Hedgehog 2
4.) Contra: Hard Corps
5.) Gunstar Heroes
6.) Sonic the Hedgehog
7.) Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
8.) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
9.) Shining Force II
10.) Beyond Oasis / The Story of Thor: A Successor of the Light
All of them except for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles are available on the Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online and/or the Sega Genesis Classics Collection.
Re: Gaiares Is Getting A Physical Re-Release With The Help Of The Kid Who Promoted It 31 Years Ago
@WeltraumDreamer
You're welcome!
Re: Gaiares Is Getting A Physical Re-Release With The Help Of The Kid Who Promoted It 31 Years Ago
@WeltraumDreamer "Never heard of it, but since I'm a Gradius and R-Type fan, I will give it a try."
A while ago I searched the Internet for lists of the best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games. They had to be ranked lists, at least 50 games long. I found 16 qualifying lists, assigned points based on rank and added it all up.
I ended up with 397 unique titles and 1,465 entries.
Gaiares ended up a Top 60 Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game. It finished just above Panorama Cotton which was another shmup recently released on the Switch.