Yeah, you are probably right. Lots of regulars in the retro threads that still hasnt posted too, despite your plugs.
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GAF Games o' Gen 4 (SNES/Sega Genesis/PC Engine and more) Voting Over
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
Yeah, you are probably right. Lots of regulars in the retro threads that still hasnt posted too, despite your plugs.
Rhomega Beta
Member
I don't suppose there are previous voting/results threads for older gens?
1. Super Mario RPG ; One of my favorite games of all-time. A story where Mario rescuingPeach Toadstool is only the beginning. No random encounters. Grinding isn't completely necessary. One of the best soundtracks of all time. Also great for an introduction to the RPG genre.
2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest ; The sequel ups the ante from the original DKC with the best soundtrack, lighter tone, great environments, and a partner who can glide through the air.
3. Final Fantasy IV ; The best Final Fantasy in my opinion. A story where the hero begins as a villain and tries to right his wrongs. Great soundtrack, wonderful world, cast of characters, and Active Time Battle System. It's the game I try to buy every re-release I can.
4. Super Mario World ; The best of the 2D Marios. Great graphics, the cape power-up is awesome, many memorable levels, tons of secrets, shortcuts, and challenges.
5. Chrono Trigger ; A game that focuses more on presentation. Bigger sprites, move in 8 directions, no separate battle screen, and a wide variety of eras to travel to, my favorite being 12,000 BC.
6. Mega Man X ; A real evolution of the Mega Man series, and the starter of my favorite video game franchise. MMX is a real evolution of the Mega Man design, especially since Mega Man had just been a series of 8-bit games at that point. I love the future aesthetics, armor upgrades, bosses, and soundtrack (I'm looking at you, Storm Eagle).
7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; High-pitched crying and relatively lazy map design aside, I love the bright, colorful nature of this game, even in the caves. The music is upbeat and it relieves stress (mostly). It's just fun to play. Shame the sequels couldn't recapture the magic of the original.
8. EarthBound ; One of the more unique RPGs out there, with its modern setting, psychedelic battles, quirky humor, and great music. Also, no random encounters. The day I first played it was special, and I'll always remember when I first beat the game.
9. Super Castlevania IV ; The best Castlevania until the Metroidvanias. The graphics are great, whipping in 8 directions is great, the level design is great. Can't go wrong with this.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; I'll throw in a Sega game. Sonic 2 has great stages without feeling too frustrating (except you, Aquatic Ruin Zone). I almost beat it too!
x. Final Fantasy VI
x. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
x. Mega Man X3
x. Super Metroid
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Donkey Kong Country
x. Super Mario Kart
x. Star Fox
1. Super Mario RPG ; One of my favorite games of all-time. A story where Mario rescuing
2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest ; The sequel ups the ante from the original DKC with the best soundtrack, lighter tone, great environments, and a partner who can glide through the air.
3. Final Fantasy IV ; The best Final Fantasy in my opinion. A story where the hero begins as a villain and tries to right his wrongs. Great soundtrack, wonderful world, cast of characters, and Active Time Battle System. It's the game I try to buy every re-release I can.
4. Super Mario World ; The best of the 2D Marios. Great graphics, the cape power-up is awesome, many memorable levels, tons of secrets, shortcuts, and challenges.
5. Chrono Trigger ; A game that focuses more on presentation. Bigger sprites, move in 8 directions, no separate battle screen, and a wide variety of eras to travel to, my favorite being 12,000 BC.
6. Mega Man X ; A real evolution of the Mega Man series, and the starter of my favorite video game franchise. MMX is a real evolution of the Mega Man design, especially since Mega Man had just been a series of 8-bit games at that point. I love the future aesthetics, armor upgrades, bosses, and soundtrack (I'm looking at you, Storm Eagle).
7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; High-pitched crying and relatively lazy map design aside, I love the bright, colorful nature of this game, even in the caves. The music is upbeat and it relieves stress (mostly). It's just fun to play. Shame the sequels couldn't recapture the magic of the original.
8. EarthBound ; One of the more unique RPGs out there, with its modern setting, psychedelic battles, quirky humor, and great music. Also, no random encounters. The day I first played it was special, and I'll always remember when I first beat the game.
9. Super Castlevania IV ; The best Castlevania until the Metroidvanias. The graphics are great, whipping in 8 directions is great, the level design is great. Can't go wrong with this.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; I'll throw in a Sega game. Sonic 2 has great stages without feeling too frustrating (except you, Aquatic Ruin Zone). I almost beat it too!
x. Final Fantasy VI
x. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
x. Mega Man X3
x. Super Metroid
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Donkey Kong Country
x. Super Mario Kart
x. Star Fox
This thread deserves more love.
1. Final Fantasy VI ; Timeless classic. The opening scene through the snowy Narshe mountains left such an unbelievable impact on me as a kid. Its sprite work hasn't aged a day. It has a huge cast - yet, almost each and every character is well developed with their own back stories and convictions. And Nobuo Uematsu's score is really one a kind.
2. Super Metroid ; Master-class in level design and the real forefather to the "Metroidvania" genre today.
3. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Sort of underrated nowadays. Every console Zelda up to SS (bar Majora's Mask) built or used the foundation that LTTP brought forth with it's innovative Light & Dark world concept. And the hookshot. Where would we be without the hookshot?
4. Chrono Trigger ; The perfect JRPG with flawless pacing, a lovable cast and one hell of a soundtrack from Mitsuda (mostly) & Uematsu.
5. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ;
6. Mega Man X ;
7. Super Mario World ;
8. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
9. Donkey Kong Country 2 ;
10. Final Fantasy IV ;
1. Final Fantasy VI ; Timeless classic. The opening scene through the snowy Narshe mountains left such an unbelievable impact on me as a kid. Its sprite work hasn't aged a day. It has a huge cast - yet, almost each and every character is well developed with their own back stories and convictions. And Nobuo Uematsu's score is really one a kind.
2. Super Metroid ; Master-class in level design and the real forefather to the "Metroidvania" genre today.
3. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Sort of underrated nowadays. Every console Zelda up to SS (bar Majora's Mask) built or used the foundation that LTTP brought forth with it's innovative Light & Dark world concept. And the hookshot. Where would we be without the hookshot?
4. Chrono Trigger ; The perfect JRPG with flawless pacing, a lovable cast and one hell of a soundtrack from Mitsuda (mostly) & Uematsu.
5. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ;
6. Mega Man X ;
7. Super Mario World ;
8. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
9. Donkey Kong Country 2 ;
10. Final Fantasy IV ;
NipplesAndToes23
Member
But I think when we did an age poll on here most people on here were in their thirties.
still, you were probably getting an allowance and able to get stuff on your own at the very least when you were 13 in the psx/n64 era (i could at least walk to blockbuster and get games that way), which is way different from being a lot younger and having to rely on your parents much more.
1. Earthbound - Along with Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, these three make up the "Holy Trinity" of SNES RPGs (at least those released in the west - I much prefer Dragon Quest V to both). Earthbound, despite its outdated graphics even by 1994 standards, manages to capture a feeling of adventure that is very hard for companies today to do, even with their 4k graphics and open worlds. The game is just downright hilarious, a wonderful variety of locations, has great music, and is overall a complete JRPG package. I've replayed this game around 4-5 times, and this is coming from someone who loves the other SNES JRPG masterpieces, but is satisfied with just one playthrough. The only downside that I can think of is that the pacing somewhat gets too much on a fast track to Giygas in the 2nd half - I much preferred the slower paced 1st half of the game.
2. Super Metroid
3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
4. Gunstar Heroes
5. Dragon Quest V
6. Final Fantasy IV
7. Chrono Trigger
8. Super Mario World
9. Donkey Kong Country 2
10. Super Ghost and Ghouls
I liked the Genesis/MD but the SNES was just dominant. That top 3 are neck and neck.
2. Super Metroid
3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
4. Gunstar Heroes
5. Dragon Quest V
6. Final Fantasy IV
7. Chrono Trigger
8. Super Mario World
9. Donkey Kong Country 2
10. Super Ghost and Ghouls
I liked the Genesis/MD but the SNES was just dominant. That top 3 are neck and neck.
Anihawk have you posted your thread in the other retro-threads of the consoles available for this poll?
If not you should do it.
Some GAF retrogamers may not see your thread but have a subscription on said threads.
i only did it for snes/genesis. i wasn't aware of any others.
There are a bunch of link in the thread "Retro-GAF Unite!" by IrishNinja:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=555654
Oh and any reason you have written PC Engine 2 instead of SuperGrafX?
01. Street Fighter II (SNES)
Comment: Easily the most iconic fighting game of all time.
02. Super Hang-On (MD)
03. Mortal Kombat II (SNES/MD)
04. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD)
05. Super Mario World (SNES)
06. Comix Zone (MD)
07. Ristar (MD)
08. Streets of Rage (MD)
09. Revenge of Shinobi (MD)
10. Bonk's Adventure (PCE)
Do arcade and console games count as different SKU's in this list? I mean, technically SF2 is an arcade game, but I mostly played it on SNES so I just put SNES as the platform.
Comment: Easily the most iconic fighting game of all time.
02. Super Hang-On (MD)
03. Mortal Kombat II (SNES/MD)
04. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD)
05. Super Mario World (SNES)
06. Comix Zone (MD)
07. Ristar (MD)
08. Streets of Rage (MD)
09. Revenge of Shinobi (MD)
10. Bonk's Adventure (PCE)
Do arcade and console games count as different SKU's in this list? I mean, technically SF2 is an arcade game, but I mostly played it on SNES so I just put SNES as the platform.
I almost feel the various versions of SF2 should all be counted towards the version that gets the most votes, since the vote is going to be so split and thus screw all versions out of the top spots.
I saw you posted in all the console threads, but there is still the 90s PC-thread as well: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1214023
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
How about Chrono Trigger, where the game is basically a port rather than a remake?
Will there also be a NES/SMS generation vote?
Shambalakan
Member
1. The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Genesis version) ; It had everything I wanted from a Batman game. great gameplay, amazing visuals and character designs, awesome music and some of the best villains and missions in any 2D Batman game, with a challenging difficulty.
2. Comix Zone ; This game was ahead of its time without a doubt.
3. Contra: Hard Corps ; An ultra fun game with amazing boss fights and levels. best Contra after the original one.
4. Mortal Kombat 3 ; Still the best MK.
5. TMNT: Turtles in Time ; I didn't have SNES those days and only played The Hyperstone Heist and really loved it, but years later played Turtles in Time and it was even better than Genesis version.
6. Streets of Rage 3 ; 1 and 2 were great too, but 3 was the best in my opinion. lots of good memories with it.
7. Sunset Riders ; Best western game before RDR. playing this game with my brother was really fun!
8. X-Men 2: Clone Wars ; One of the best comic games of all time. it had lots of great characters and levels, and it was very difficult!
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
10. Street Fighter II
2. Comix Zone ; This game was ahead of its time without a doubt.
3. Contra: Hard Corps ; An ultra fun game with amazing boss fights and levels. best Contra after the original one.
4. Mortal Kombat 3 ; Still the best MK.
5. TMNT: Turtles in Time ; I didn't have SNES those days and only played The Hyperstone Heist and really loved it, but years later played Turtles in Time and it was even better than Genesis version.
6. Streets of Rage 3 ; 1 and 2 were great too, but 3 was the best in my opinion. lots of good memories with it.
7. Sunset Riders ; Best western game before RDR. playing this game with my brother was really fun!
8. X-Men 2: Clone Wars ; One of the best comic games of all time. it had lots of great characters and levels, and it was very difficult!
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
10. Street Fighter II
The order is almost random between the top 3. For the rest...yeah, it´s random too 
Honorable mentions: Super Soccer, F-Zero, Star Fox.
Not sure about the release dates of some Neo Geo games and didn´t own a Mega Drive that´s why the list is SNES exclusive.
- Super Mario World: Platform perfection + exploration. This is the game I usually measure all platfomers against.
- A Link to the Past: My first Zelda (not counting the game & watch one lol), as I said in the Nintendo top10 thread warping to the top of the pyramid and discovering the game was just beginning is the biggest surprise any game has given me.
- Super Metroid: No other game has come close to replicating the feelings I got when playing this for the first time.
- Super Castlevania IV: IMO the game with the best music ever and I still hold this opinion. Awesome graphics and environment.
- Super Mario Kart: Best multiplayer game of the gen.
- Super Probotector/Contra: Awesome game and one of the most spectacular ever.
- TMNT: Turtles in Time: Varied locations, a million of different enemies, a huge moveset, lots of animations...and a blast to play!
- UN Squadron: My favorite shoot´em up, loved the separate mission approach and the possibility to buy different powerUps, change pilots...It´s just a slight edge over Axelay for me.
- Street Fighter II: THE fighting game.
- Secret of Mana: I loved all the sidequests and stories.
Honorable mentions: Super Soccer, F-Zero, Star Fox.
Not sure about the release dates of some Neo Geo games and didn´t own a Mega Drive that´s why the list is SNES exclusive.
1 - Ys Book I & II (pc engine/turbografx cd-rom)
One of the first games to me that made use of music and voice acting along with graphics and gameplay to produce a dramatic story of good vs evil. the music alone especially the redbook will probably sell to you. Composed by Yuzo Koshiro.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFTGYa_evXgK-r2yeG3wToCez2t1p8ww
2 - Final Fantasy VI
One of the many top tier SNES rpgs. takes a while for the game to open up but when it does it feels epic and the characters are brought to life with drama and mystique.
3 - Daichikun Crisis
A very underrated and little known game outside of japan and I think it quite possible be one of the hidden gems in the pc engine's library which sadly needs a translation. Daichi Kun crisis is a simple farm sim game where you take control of anthropomorphic animals where you fight to save your land from invading monsters. Someone along the line a mysterious woman by the name of Jaren appears and befriends everyone and begins to form mountains till one day they begin to erupt and out pours ash and monsters.
Throughout this game you grow and sell crops (tomatoes and corn and the seasons have an effect on their growth).
There is a town port which opens for trade during certain times of the year. Here you can buy upgrades, tools, food, medicine, crops and sell them too.
You also have something called a Geiger Terra forming Machine which helps you form land create rivers which you can strategically place to slow the monster invasion into your territory. Bare in mind the monsters like to attack this machine and replacing it is expensive and you will also need to purchase fuel for it when the town port opens for trade!
You will also need to micro manage your friends who will help you battle monster invasions and clear the toxic ash away.
They will also become injured and they could take weeks to recover so keep an eye out on everyone's health including your own!
You will also have to plant tree saplings and return vegetation back into the land and once you fill the land full of trees 75% coverage the bosses seal weakens and you will have to face a one VS one boss brawll!
I wonder if this influenced the harvest moon games?
http://www.tg-16.com/Daichi_Kun_Crisis_FAQ_Guide.htm
4 - Ganbare Goeman / Legend of the mystical Ninja (Super Famicom/SNES)
Back when Konami just made games fun and colorful. This has great gameplay, multi player action, music and graphics in one lengthy action game.
5 - Shining Force II (Genesis/megadrive)
fantastic strategy war game set in a fantasy setting. The music has great energy to it and I feel this is much better than the first game. Every scenario is fun to play.
6 - Monkey Island II
This game has great humor and warmth to the text. Really engaging game.
7 - Parodius from myth to laughter
The gameplay in this just feels perfect and flows fast and fluid, and again shows the amazing imagination of Japan's Konami developers.
8 - Legend of Xanadu kaze no Densetsu
amazing JRPG for the pc engine CD-ROM. The traditional overworld style graphics is put together with action platforming this game is equal to some of great SNES JRPG territory of graphics.
9 - Dungeon Explorer
Fantastic gauntlet style game with equally fantastic music. One of Atlus early action RPGs and sets the tone for that distinctive pc engine sound. It's dark and moody and many multi tap hours were spent on the multi player.
10 - Super Mario World
it's just kind of perfect. Certainly for me a system seller.
One of the first games to me that made use of music and voice acting along with graphics and gameplay to produce a dramatic story of good vs evil. the music alone especially the redbook will probably sell to you. Composed by Yuzo Koshiro.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFTGYa_evXgK-r2yeG3wToCez2t1p8ww
2 - Final Fantasy VI
One of the many top tier SNES rpgs. takes a while for the game to open up but when it does it feels epic and the characters are brought to life with drama and mystique.
3 - Daichikun Crisis
A very underrated and little known game outside of japan and I think it quite possible be one of the hidden gems in the pc engine's library which sadly needs a translation. Daichi Kun crisis is a simple farm sim game where you take control of anthropomorphic animals where you fight to save your land from invading monsters. Someone along the line a mysterious woman by the name of Jaren appears and befriends everyone and begins to form mountains till one day they begin to erupt and out pours ash and monsters.
Throughout this game you grow and sell crops (tomatoes and corn and the seasons have an effect on their growth).
There is a town port which opens for trade during certain times of the year. Here you can buy upgrades, tools, food, medicine, crops and sell them too.
You also have something called a Geiger Terra forming Machine which helps you form land create rivers which you can strategically place to slow the monster invasion into your territory. Bare in mind the monsters like to attack this machine and replacing it is expensive and you will also need to purchase fuel for it when the town port opens for trade!
You will also need to micro manage your friends who will help you battle monster invasions and clear the toxic ash away.
They will also become injured and they could take weeks to recover so keep an eye out on everyone's health including your own!
You will also have to plant tree saplings and return vegetation back into the land and once you fill the land full of trees 75% coverage the bosses seal weakens and you will have to face a one VS one boss brawll!
I wonder if this influenced the harvest moon games?
http://www.tg-16.com/Daichi_Kun_Crisis_FAQ_Guide.htm
4 - Ganbare Goeman / Legend of the mystical Ninja (Super Famicom/SNES)
Back when Konami just made games fun and colorful. This has great gameplay, multi player action, music and graphics in one lengthy action game.
5 - Shining Force II (Genesis/megadrive)
fantastic strategy war game set in a fantasy setting. The music has great energy to it and I feel this is much better than the first game. Every scenario is fun to play.
6 - Monkey Island II
This game has great humor and warmth to the text. Really engaging game.
7 - Parodius from myth to laughter
The gameplay in this just feels perfect and flows fast and fluid, and again shows the amazing imagination of Japan's Konami developers.
8 - Legend of Xanadu kaze no Densetsu
amazing JRPG for the pc engine CD-ROM. The traditional overworld style graphics is put together with action platforming this game is equal to some of great SNES JRPG territory of graphics.
9 - Dungeon Explorer
Fantastic gauntlet style game with equally fantastic music. One of Atlus early action RPGs and sets the tone for that distinctive pc engine sound. It's dark and moody and many multi tap hours were spent on the multi player.
10 - Super Mario World
it's just kind of perfect. Certainly for me a system seller.
Xanada?
oops Xanadu
Spieler Eins
Member
1. Super Metroid ; The level-design, atmosphere and replayability of this game are still unmatched. Only in controls modern Metroidvanias might be a little tighter, but apart from that, Super Metroid remains one of the pillars of the entire subgenre and action adventures in general. This is how you do an immersive experience.
2. Super Mario World ; A new generation of Mario that not only refined platforming mechanics, but also introduced so many new things to discover. There's tons of replayability because of all its different ways to finish this game alone. It also defined a new style for the series that is timeless, despite its simplicity.
3. Chrono Trigger ; Apart from the legendary soundtrack and top-tier spritework, I wasn't that fond of the game during my first playthrough. However, it liked it more with each new time I've finished it. You really start to appreciate how clever the story is built (despite not looking all that deep immediately), the unmatched pacing and general design that was way ahead of its time. Many RPGs should also learn from this game how to get your point across in ,,merely" 20 hours.
4. Kirby Super Star ; When it comes to core mechanics, Kirby is both one of the most fast paced and yet tighest platformers of this era. On top of that, there's a great variety in game design that ranges between Metroidvania and Megaman. It's the best Kirby game, plus Kirby on his own was still funnest when he was a stoic killing ball instead of a smile factory.
5. Streets of Rage 2 ; An audiovisual masterpiece, which captures all the good things about its era. On top of that, the brawling gameplay is fun whether you simply button-mash your way through, or you want to discover more profound playing styles.
6. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master ; The action in this game is incredibly diverse, yet not a single stage feels tacked on or not in line with the core mechanics. Only a few bottomless pits feel cheap and out of place, but other than that, this title actually offers an amazing balance between high difficulty and fairness.
7. Donkey Kong Country 2 ; It improved upon its predecessor in every way. The level design is much better, more varied, it's packed with much more content and it defined Rareware's signature style.
8. Contra III: The Alien Wars/Super Probotector ; Memorable action setpieces made this a classic, even though the bird's eye view stages feel redundant.
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ; The next Sonic games might be better adventures, but Sonic 2 simply has better levels. It's the best one in asking for your ability of controlled speed to get most out of jam packed stages, without relying too heavily on trial and error for the most part.
10. Harvest Moon ; The original blend of economics simulator and adventure. It would still be one of the best in its series (and genre), if big parts of its virtual winters and autumns wouldn't be such a drag and constitute one third of its content. Other than that, you're still going to be immediately hooked by your digital farm work.
x. Phantasy Star IV ; Another tightly paced RPG that's still fun to play, but unfortunately brought down by archaic menus that mostly consist of acronyms which are only understandable through trial and error or using a guide.
x. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; It has a standout presentation, which is noteworthy on its own, and offers an unique spin on the platformer genre, which unfortunately in some places is more of a not-so-exciting collecta-thon.
x. The Story of Thord/Beyond Oasis ; This slightly more action orientated Zelda clone not only brings a nice battle system into the mix, but also unique puzzles (revolving around the elements in each environment). The graphical fidelity is some of the best in the gen, but the soundtrack unfortunately kills a lot of the atmosphere. I don't know what they were planning with the music, but the console clearly couldn't handle it.
Wall of shame (yet to play - if ever): Final Fantasy VI, Hard Corps, literally every Capcom game of the generation, Illusion of Gaia trilogy, PC Engine
there will not. it was tried a few years back as part of a general 80s vote and had few responses.
D.Lo
Member
Agreed, I had a hard time choosing which one to add. I chose World Warrior because it was truly the most important one, and highest selling one (and the one I played to death), but it will likely split with Turbo and they will cancel each other.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Frankly I'm a little shocked and disappointed at the lack of response for this thread.
Hmm. To be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge fan of this generation. It was when I was still a little kid, so I had no money to buy games for myself. So most of my interaction with games from this generation comes from looking back years down the line, and while they hold up better than most NES games, I don't think most of them hold up as well as people like to believe. Like, they're not bad games, but most of them just don't stand out as particularly great. Also, I think the Genesis is almost complete garbage. So I had a little trouble coming up with 10 games for this list.
But anyway...
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 ; The best 2D platformer ever... until Tropical Freeze came out. It's perfect in many ways. Perfect soundtrack by Dave Wise. Perfect level design that introduces a new mechanic in pretty much every level, develops that mechanic in many interesting and unexpected ways, and then doesn't let it outstay its welcome. A surprisingly dark and moody art style for a game about cartoon monkeys. This game easily sits at the top of my list.
2. Super Metroid ; A classic. The first two games in the series were alright for their times and their respective systems, but Super Metroid is what molded the series into what I love.
3. Donkey Kong Country 3 ; Not as perfect as DKC2, but still a fantastic platformer in its own right.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Like with Metroid, the first two games in the series were alright, but this third game is really what defined the series for years to come.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ; Took the greatness of LttP and managed to squeeze a lot of it into a tiny Gameboy cartridge. The game suffers a little bit from the Gameboy's control scheme, as jumping into the menu to change items constantly was a hassle. But it's still really great overall.
6. Donkey Kong (Game Boy) ; I played this game on a whim. I thought it was just a straight conversion of the original Donkey Kong, and I was curious how that worked out. Then you "beat" Donkey Kong and... nope! Turns out you're only like a fraction of the way through the game. That was one of the coolest surprises I've encountered in a game. Also Mario has a bunch of crazy awesome new moves, some of which were later adopted in Mario 64.
7. Super Mario World ; Better than Mario 3 in some ways, not as good in others, but all around still an excellent platformer.
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; The only game on the Genesis I'd consider particularly great. Three characters to play as and two games worth of content makes this a huge game.
9. Kirby's Dream Land 2 ; This is kinda my nostalgia pick. I admit it hasn't held up all that well, and Superstar and Dream Land 3 are probably overall better games. But Dream Land 2 was the one I had as a kid, and one of my most played games back then, so I've gotta put it on here somewhere.
10. E.V.O.: Search for Eden ; An extremely underappreciated gem. If you're unfamiliar with the game, it's essentially a 2D platforming action RPG about evolution. You start as a fish, then you jump to the age of amphibians, then the age of dinosaurs, and so on. The major mechanic is that you evolve your character when you level up. Do you upgrade your jaws to make your bite attack stronger? Your fins to swim faster? Do you choose a big and strong body, or a small and quick one? And all of these changes visibly happen on your character. Essentially, it's not just a game where you get to play as a dinosaur, but one where you get to build your own dinosaur to play as. It's a lot of fun.
But anyway...
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 ; The best 2D platformer ever... until Tropical Freeze came out. It's perfect in many ways. Perfect soundtrack by Dave Wise. Perfect level design that introduces a new mechanic in pretty much every level, develops that mechanic in many interesting and unexpected ways, and then doesn't let it outstay its welcome. A surprisingly dark and moody art style for a game about cartoon monkeys. This game easily sits at the top of my list.
2. Super Metroid ; A classic. The first two games in the series were alright for their times and their respective systems, but Super Metroid is what molded the series into what I love.
3. Donkey Kong Country 3 ; Not as perfect as DKC2, but still a fantastic platformer in its own right.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Like with Metroid, the first two games in the series were alright, but this third game is really what defined the series for years to come.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ; Took the greatness of LttP and managed to squeeze a lot of it into a tiny Gameboy cartridge. The game suffers a little bit from the Gameboy's control scheme, as jumping into the menu to change items constantly was a hassle. But it's still really great overall.
6. Donkey Kong (Game Boy) ; I played this game on a whim. I thought it was just a straight conversion of the original Donkey Kong, and I was curious how that worked out. Then you "beat" Donkey Kong and... nope! Turns out you're only like a fraction of the way through the game. That was one of the coolest surprises I've encountered in a game. Also Mario has a bunch of crazy awesome new moves, some of which were later adopted in Mario 64.
7. Super Mario World ; Better than Mario 3 in some ways, not as good in others, but all around still an excellent platformer.
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; The only game on the Genesis I'd consider particularly great. Three characters to play as and two games worth of content makes this a huge game.
9. Kirby's Dream Land 2 ; This is kinda my nostalgia pick. I admit it hasn't held up all that well, and Superstar and Dream Land 3 are probably overall better games. But Dream Land 2 was the one I had as a kid, and one of my most played games back then, so I've gotta put it on here somewhere.
10. E.V.O.: Search for Eden ; An extremely underappreciated gem. If you're unfamiliar with the game, it's essentially a 2D platforming action RPG about evolution. You start as a fish, then you jump to the age of amphibians, then the age of dinosaurs, and so on. The major mechanic is that you evolve your character when you level up. Do you upgrade your jaws to make your bite attack stronger? Your fins to swim faster? Do you choose a big and strong body, or a small and quick one? And all of these changes visibly happen on your character. Essentially, it's not just a game where you get to play as a dinosaur, but one where you get to build your own dinosaur to play as. It's a lot of fun.
swarley64
Member
Likewise :-(Frankly I'm a little shocked and disappointed at the lack of response for this thread.
1. Streets of Rage 2 ; Still the greatest beat-em-up of all time and I still go back and play it every few months. Just pure fun and the difficulty is nicely balanced (unless you play on Mania) unlike any of the arcade beat-em-ups from the same era.
2. Sensible World of Soccer ; The most joy I've ever had playing a football game.
3. Street Fighter 2 ; I first saw this played on an Amiga of all things and I was hooked even then. I later found that the console versions were much better and a love of the genre was born.
4. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; Huge game and the best level design in the entire series combine to make this my favorite platformer of the generation and maybe ever. Levels have a great balance of speed combined with exploration, add that to having 3 playable characters who can access their own routes through and there's a lot to see.
5. Civilization ; The beginning of a long addiction
6. Lemmings 2 ; The original is usually the more popular but I prefer the sequel for the greater range of Lemming abilities. Also unlike Lemmings 1 I was actually able to beat every level.
7. Final Fantasy VI ; I haven't played many RPG's from the era as it's not really my genre but this stands out regardless.
8. Monkey Island 2: Lechuck's Revenge ;
9. Sim City 2000 ;
10. Shinobi III ;
Honorable mentions
Super Mario World
Sonic 2
Streets of Rage 1
Mortal Kombat II
Micro Machines 2
Lemmings
There are of course many games on many platforms I've never got round to trying yet. I was only young. Some of the above are multiplatform, I assume we're combining them?
2. Sensible World of Soccer ; The most joy I've ever had playing a football game.
3. Street Fighter 2 ; I first saw this played on an Amiga of all things and I was hooked even then. I later found that the console versions were much better and a love of the genre was born.
4. Sonic 3 & Knuckles ; Huge game and the best level design in the entire series combine to make this my favorite platformer of the generation and maybe ever. Levels have a great balance of speed combined with exploration, add that to having 3 playable characters who can access their own routes through and there's a lot to see.
5. Civilization ; The beginning of a long addiction
6. Lemmings 2 ; The original is usually the more popular but I prefer the sequel for the greater range of Lemming abilities. Also unlike Lemmings 1 I was actually able to beat every level.
7. Final Fantasy VI ; I haven't played many RPG's from the era as it's not really my genre but this stands out regardless.
8. Monkey Island 2: Lechuck's Revenge ;
9. Sim City 2000 ;
10. Shinobi III ;
Honorable mentions
Super Mario World
Sonic 2
Streets of Rage 1
Mortal Kombat II
Micro Machines 2
Lemmings
There are of course many games on many platforms I've never got round to trying yet. I was only young. Some of the above are multiplatform, I assume we're combining them?
RowdyReverb
Member
1. Doom ; hugely influential title and I played it for years
2. Super Mario World ; My favorite game for the SNES.
3. Super Metroid ; I was a late comer to this one, but I love the genre it popularized
4. Mega Man X
5. Mortal Kombat II ; a true klassic
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
7. Wolfenstein 3D
8. Super Mario Kart
9. Final Fight
10. Tetris & Dr. Mario ; my favorite tetris
2. Super Mario World ; My favorite game for the SNES.
3. Super Metroid ; I was a late comer to this one, but I love the genre it popularized
4. Mega Man X
5. Mortal Kombat II ; a true klassic
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
7. Wolfenstein 3D
8. Super Mario Kart
9. Final Fight
10. Tetris & Dr. Mario ; my favorite tetris
PeterBazooka
Member
1. Super Mario World / SNES
2. Zelda: A Link to the Past / SNES
3. Super Metroid / SNES
3. Dracula X / PC ENGINE CD
4. Final Fantasy IV / SNES
5. Sonic the Hedgehog / MegaDrive
6. Street Fighter 2: The World Warior / SNES (Street Fighter at home..? What? I remember a buddy telling me he played this at some other kids house and I seriously thought he was bullshitting me until I went over saw it for myself. I couldn't believe it. System seller.
7. Ecco the Dolphin / MegaDrive
8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / SNES
9. Monster World IV / MegaDrive
10. R-Type III: The Third Lightning / SNES
2. Zelda: A Link to the Past / SNES
3. Super Metroid / SNES
3. Dracula X / PC ENGINE CD
4. Final Fantasy IV / SNES
5. Sonic the Hedgehog / MegaDrive
6. Street Fighter 2: The World Warior / SNES (Street Fighter at home..? What? I remember a buddy telling me he played this at some other kids house and I seriously thought he was bullshitting me until I went over saw it for myself. I couldn't believe it. System seller.
7. Ecco the Dolphin / MegaDrive
8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / SNES
9. Monster World IV / MegaDrive
10. R-Type III: The Third Lightning / SNES
Tye The Czar
Member
- DOOM(PC) - Not only did this define first-person action games and introduce modding, but it firmly established the trend of PC gaming's fidelity and complexity outperforming console gaming by a significant margin. No. Doom DEFINED PC gaming as a whole.
- Chrono Trigger(SNES) - It's an RPG that introduces so many amazing ideas that you wonder why even so few modern JRPGs struggle to implement them. Chrono Trigger is one of the Ur-examples of the strengths of JRPGs, tight pacing, a memorable cast, and elegant-but-finely-tuned combat. It also helps that it started the trend of New Game +.
- Ultima VII: The Black Gate(PC) - If Chrono Trigger perfectly demonstrates JRPG's strengths, then Ultima VII has done likewise. A fantastic morality system, truly mature subject matter, and painstaking amounts of detail that you can interact with. Also like Chrono Trigger, there are few, if any Western RPGs that have captured Ultima VII's design brilliance.
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) - Forget SMW. Yoshi's Island is the best Mario platformer on the SNES. No amount of crying baby Mario will change my feelings for it. The way each level introduces new concepts and ways to play with its existing systems foreshadowed the design trends that Nintendo would build on in much of their later games.
- Final Fantasy VI (SNES) - Still one of the best narratives and soundtracks to grace any RPG.
- TIE: Super Metroid & Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)- Both were great turning point for the series, and action-adventure games as a whole. While Zelda was massively popular and influential, Super Metroid had to wait several years thanks to being overshadowed by Donkey Kong Country's graphics. Both games are perfect examples of gently guiding a player through a massive world, making sure they experience the best they have to offer.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles(Mega Drive) - The apex of the 2D Sonic. One of the greatest displays of Mega Drive's power and Sega's ability to go toe-to-toe with Mario, if only for a single generation.
- Ys: Book I & II (TG-16/ PC Engine) - A brilliant port of Falcom's influential RPG series, Ys was one of the first console games to introduce extensive voice acting and redbook synth rock with simple-but-satisfying bump combat. Call me crazy, but I still prefer it over the Chronicles remake.
- The Secret of Monkey Island(PC) - Monkey Island 2 may have a bigger world and better music & visuals, but the original game has what matters the most: great puzzle design that almost always makes sense while being humorous.
- Contra Hard Corps(Mega Drive) - Along with Contra 4, the apex of the series, full of mind-blowing setpieces, sublime powerups and branching paths. Just make sure if you're going to play it, pick up a hack containing the original, balanced Japanese difficulty and improved translation.
Runner-ups:
- Donkey Kong Country 2 & 3
- Super Mario World
- YU-NO: The Girl Who Chants Love At the End of the World
- Secret of Mana & Seiken Densetsu 3
- Actraiser
- Terranigma
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
- Streets of Rage II
- Bare Knuckle III
A Link to the Past
Banned
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1. EarthBound (SNES) ; Not just my favorite SNES game, but also my favorite game overall. Gameplay is certainly not its strong suit, but it is more than serviceable to one of the most unique and interesting worlds I've ever seen.
2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) ;
3. Super Metroid (SNES) ;
4. Chrono Trigger (SNES) ;
5. Mega Man X (SNES) ;
6. Super Mario World (SNES) ;
7. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB) ;
8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) '
9. Final Fantasy Adventure (GB) ;
10. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PCE) ;
Allan Holdsworth
Member
The only library I have explored thoroughly in this gen is the SNES one, and even then I still have a few games to play. Most notably Goemon 2-4, but I greatly dislike playing games while checking at FAQs so I'm still waiting for fan translations; and Marvelous: Another Treasure Island, which did get a fan translation. I have played almost nothing on Genesis (except Shinobi III on 3DS recently but while a pretty good game, it wouldn't make my top 20, and the Sonics but I never liked them much) and PC-Engine, and only the biggest games on GB. There's too many modern games (and from other gens) to play so I don't know if I'll ever catch up.
Unfortunately my memory is hazy in most of them so I can't give detailed reviews.
1. Demon's Crest ; top of the line action platformer with exploration aspects
2. Hagane ; challenging action platformer
3. Skyblazer ; non-linear action platformer
4. Sutte Hakkun ; mind-bending action puzzler
5. Super Adventure Island II ; action platformer with metroidvania elements
6. Famicom Tantei Club Part II ; haunting adventure game
7. Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures ; Sonic done right
8. Violinist of Hamelin ; platforming with partners
9. Sparkster ; Rocket Knight Adventures reloaded
10. For The Frog The Bell Tolls ; the prequel to Link's Awakening
x. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
x. Super Metroid
x. Super Mario World
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
x. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
x. Kirby Super Star
x. Mega Man X
x. Super Castlevania IV
x. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Unfortunately my memory is hazy in most of them so I can't give detailed reviews.
1. Demon's Crest ; top of the line action platformer with exploration aspects
2. Hagane ; challenging action platformer
3. Skyblazer ; non-linear action platformer
4. Sutte Hakkun ; mind-bending action puzzler
5. Super Adventure Island II ; action platformer with metroidvania elements
6. Famicom Tantei Club Part II ; haunting adventure game
7. Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures ; Sonic done right
8. Violinist of Hamelin ; platforming with partners
9. Sparkster ; Rocket Knight Adventures reloaded
10. For The Frog The Bell Tolls ; the prequel to Link's Awakening
x. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
x. Super Metroid
x. Super Mario World
x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
x. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
x. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
x. Kirby Super Star
x. Mega Man X
x. Super Castlevania IV
x. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
timetokill
Banned
Just posting to subscribe.
So I can remember to do this.
Don't worry I'm not reserving because that's stupid
So I can remember to do this.
Don't worry I'm not reserving because that's stupid
Anihawk needs to get on this!
Frankly I'm a little shocked and disappointed at the lack of response for this thread.
So am I, this is the best gen imo, and should be popular to vote on at a gaming board like gaf.
Quite a few bombs dropped in this little statement. Not holding up well? Genesis being complete garbage? I was a kid back then to, and have played most of the games after becoming grown up and having my own money, but I still find it the best gen.
I have a feeling this will get your vote disqualified, should probably change it.
You taste is interesting to say the least. Need to check out a few of those!
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
SMFH
timetokill
Banned
Frankly I'm a little shocked and disappointed at the lack of response for this thread.
Lot of Playstation babies on GAF, so their exposure to this gen is pretty limited. Also, GOTY threads for non-current years are obviously not as topical, fans of these games have long cooled on them and so aren't passionately writing up rants about why it's the greatest or worst thing ever, and (sad to say) there's not much for console warriors to latch onto, especially the Sony fans. Add it all up and you get less participation.
timetokill
Banned
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ; Smooth, silky perfection. I could take up the whole character count limit talking about this game. It grabs you from the word "go" and doesn't let up, with a world that is totally engrossing and gameplay that feels wonderful. When I finished the game I felt like I truly knew the place I was playing in, that I'd discovered it all and it was a part of me, and that's a feeling I've always adored from the Zelda series. Also, the soundtrack is incredible. The Castle Theme in this game is one of the best pieces of videogame music ever written.
2. Chrono Trigger ; Perhaps the most fondly remembered RPG from before the 32-bit era, and for good reason. Charming characters, an awesome time-traveling plot, fantastic graphics and a soundtrack packed with earworms. The battle system felt fun and refreshing, battling directly on the world map, and the combinations of characters made them feel cohesive in a way that I didn't get from other RPGs. Finally, the melancholy aspects of the story as well as the moments of triumph really left their mark on me.
3. Super Mario World ; Let me put it this way: up until New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U came out, this was the best 2D platformer ever made. To hold that crown for over 20 years is pretty incredible. But that's how good this game is.
4. Earthbound ; One of the most touching, affective games I've ever played. The humor disarms you, making you susceptible to being overwhelmed by emotion. The best thing I can say about this game is that it has a sincerity that echoes through it, and it feels like you're sharing in a cherished memory with its creators.
5. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis ; My favorite LucasArts game, I actually never owned it. Every couple of weeks my parents would play cards with some old friends of theirs, and I'd be left to playing videogames or something at their house. My dad's friend's NES selection was weak (NARC sucks btw) but he had a newish PC and this game on it. I fucking loved every second of it, the voice acting, the puzzles, the graphics and the feeling of jetsetting all over the world. My dad's friend would give me some hints at the puzzles in the beginning, as I was 8 and he figured the game would be too tough for me. When I started getting close to his progress, I remember hearing him tell my dad, "That's it, I'm not giving him any more hints! He's almost past me!" That only drove me on further, and when I passed him was one of my proudest moments as a young gamer.
6. Phantasy Star IV ; I was a Genesis kid growing up (not that you could really tell from this list) and Phantasy Star was always the go-to "comeback" to the SNES lineup of RPGs. Truth be told, I never really got into them until IV. I loved the setting, the characters, and the little anime panels that would show up during cutscenes. I always loved those in early games, from Ninja Gaiden's cutscenes on the NES to seeing them in this game. This game was truly epic and
7. Myst ; This game completely enthralled me when it came out. I loved that it respected my intelligence, and was obtuse and mysterious. The whole concept was like brain candy to me. I even read the first book because I was so absorbed in the mythos of the game world. This is one of the first games where I felt like I was actually "there" in another world. Mesmerizing.
8. Shadowrun ; This game was really weird at the time, but the noir style and cyberpunk world immediately drew me in. The way objects are used in the game (as topic starters in conversation) is underutilized in games today in my opinion. Such a cool atmosphere and inventive gameplay that really blew me away at the time.
9. NHL '94 ; I used to play a ton of sports games during this generation, as I had friends across the street (three brothers) that made multiplayer sports games really engaging and fun. This was probably my favorite. It came out on my 9th birthday. My Los Angeles Kings were heading to the Stanley Cup Finals and we had serious hockey fever. This game felt like it had such depth, and I delighted in crushing dudes with massive hits from Fleury. Ultimately this is one of my favorite sports games ever made, after Baseball Stars on the NES.
10. Earthworm Jim ; Anybody that knows me on GAF knew this would appear on here! This game on Genesis was a true delight. The character was quirky and fun, and the animation was incredible. Just watching Jim's idle animations was a treat. It's one of the few games that I like despite not always being mechanically great. It just charmed the hell out of me.
The Next 10 (unranked)
x. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
x. Breath of Fire II
x. Super Punch-Out!!
x. Street Fighter II
x. Gunstar Heroes
x. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
x. Super Metroid
x. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB
x. Super Soccer
x. Final Fantasy VI
2. Chrono Trigger ; Perhaps the most fondly remembered RPG from before the 32-bit era, and for good reason. Charming characters, an awesome time-traveling plot, fantastic graphics and a soundtrack packed with earworms. The battle system felt fun and refreshing, battling directly on the world map, and the combinations of characters made them feel cohesive in a way that I didn't get from other RPGs. Finally, the melancholy aspects of the story as well as the moments of triumph really left their mark on me.
3. Super Mario World ; Let me put it this way: up until New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U came out, this was the best 2D platformer ever made. To hold that crown for over 20 years is pretty incredible. But that's how good this game is.
4. Earthbound ; One of the most touching, affective games I've ever played. The humor disarms you, making you susceptible to being overwhelmed by emotion. The best thing I can say about this game is that it has a sincerity that echoes through it, and it feels like you're sharing in a cherished memory with its creators.
5. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis ; My favorite LucasArts game, I actually never owned it. Every couple of weeks my parents would play cards with some old friends of theirs, and I'd be left to playing videogames or something at their house. My dad's friend's NES selection was weak (NARC sucks btw) but he had a newish PC and this game on it. I fucking loved every second of it, the voice acting, the puzzles, the graphics and the feeling of jetsetting all over the world. My dad's friend would give me some hints at the puzzles in the beginning, as I was 8 and he figured the game would be too tough for me. When I started getting close to his progress, I remember hearing him tell my dad, "That's it, I'm not giving him any more hints! He's almost past me!" That only drove me on further, and when I passed him was one of my proudest moments as a young gamer.
6. Phantasy Star IV ; I was a Genesis kid growing up (not that you could really tell from this list) and Phantasy Star was always the go-to "comeback" to the SNES lineup of RPGs. Truth be told, I never really got into them until IV. I loved the setting, the characters, and the little anime panels that would show up during cutscenes. I always loved those in early games, from Ninja Gaiden's cutscenes on the NES to seeing them in this game. This game was truly epic and
7. Myst ; This game completely enthralled me when it came out. I loved that it respected my intelligence, and was obtuse and mysterious. The whole concept was like brain candy to me. I even read the first book because I was so absorbed in the mythos of the game world. This is one of the first games where I felt like I was actually "there" in another world. Mesmerizing.
8. Shadowrun ; This game was really weird at the time, but the noir style and cyberpunk world immediately drew me in. The way objects are used in the game (as topic starters in conversation) is underutilized in games today in my opinion. Such a cool atmosphere and inventive gameplay that really blew me away at the time.
9. NHL '94 ; I used to play a ton of sports games during this generation, as I had friends across the street (three brothers) that made multiplayer sports games really engaging and fun. This was probably my favorite. It came out on my 9th birthday. My Los Angeles Kings were heading to the Stanley Cup Finals and we had serious hockey fever. This game felt like it had such depth, and I delighted in crushing dudes with massive hits from Fleury. Ultimately this is one of my favorite sports games ever made, after Baseball Stars on the NES.
10. Earthworm Jim ; Anybody that knows me on GAF knew this would appear on here! This game on Genesis was a true delight. The character was quirky and fun, and the animation was incredible. Just watching Jim's idle animations was a treat. It's one of the few games that I like despite not always being mechanically great. It just charmed the hell out of me.
The Next 10 (unranked)
x. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
x. Breath of Fire II
x. Super Punch-Out!!
x. Street Fighter II
x. Gunstar Heroes
x. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
x. Super Metroid
x. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB
x. Super Soccer
x. Final Fantasy VI
RadarScope1
Member
This thread REALLY needs more Donkey Kong 94. C'mon people.
I'll be voting here eventually. Gotta get my thoughts together.
I'll be voting here eventually. Gotta get my thoughts together.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Finally finished my list. I think I might edit later though; those gifs of Earthbound and Final Fantasy IV are kind of big. I might switch Tiny Toons out too since I have not played it in years, though I don't feel comfortable putting Zombies Ate My Neighbors there since I only played it once, yet I only played Earthbound and Super Metroid once too...
I really like the game, but is it really a top 10 game though?
Brian_FETO
Banned
1. Streets Of Rage - My all time favorite game. Incredible soundtrack and visuals. I prefer it to 2 by quite a large margin (2 is still great though)
2. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - My personal favorite 2D platformer. Best looking and sounding Sonic game
3. Super Hang-On - Despite being tough as nails, I love the music and the sense of speed is nuts
4. Mega Bomberman - Favorite multiplayer game on Genesis. Ice level for life son
5. Paperboy (Genesis) - Played this way too much to not mention it lol. Another multiplayer staple in our house growing up.
2. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - My personal favorite 2D platformer. Best looking and sounding Sonic game
3. Super Hang-On - Despite being tough as nails, I love the music and the sense of speed is nuts
4. Mega Bomberman - Favorite multiplayer game on Genesis. Ice level for life son
5. Paperboy (Genesis) - Played this way too much to not mention it lol. Another multiplayer staple in our house growing up.
timetokill
Banned
I'm seeing that people on GAF weren't much for PC games
Dr. Feel Good
Banned
1. Super Mario World
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
5. Kirby's Dream Course
6. Super Mario Kart
7. Joe & Mac
8. The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
9. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kongs Quest
10. Super Mario All-Stars
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
5. Kirby's Dream Course
6. Super Mario Kart
7. Joe & Mac
8. The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
9. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kongs Quest
10. Super Mario All-Stars
I like alot of the point and clicks of the time, but feel many of the strategy games doesnt hold up that well (Populous, Civilization, Sim City), and the action-games being pretty boring compared to their console counterparts (Commander Keen etc). You could always make the case for stuff like Doom, which was hugely influential, and I loved back in the day, but i guess the recent surge of shooters just make me like this game less. So at least that is my perspective. I did have Monkey Island 2 on the list though!
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Well I didn't even have a computer in my house until 2006.
This is so hard, since I began gaming in earnest during this generation and everything is magical in retrospect. But here goes:
1. Phantasy Star II - Sure, the fourth installment was the best overall, but II was my first RPG love and I think that it was a very important game for the generation. Huge, wholly bewildering, and awesome even when cursing at the labyrinthine dungeons and encounter rates. When I think back to exactly when I fell in love with videogames, it's because of this one.
2. Shining Force II - Just an amazing overall game and a great journey that shone in execution; full of great characters and moments, with a battle system I adored. So many replays.
3. Earthbound - Changed my ideas about what games could be. Forever classic.
4. Chrono Trigger - Turned up everything awesome about JRPGs to eleven and blew me away. One of the "perfectest" games I have ever played to this day.
5. Herzog Zwei - Baby's first RTS and a game I spent SO many hours playing against my best friend, complete with some of the craziest shit-talking I have ever done. Something about the maps and the rhythm of production, light resource management, and attack made this game one of my favorites of the generation.
6. Super Metroid - Just one of the best side-scrolling anythings I have ever played. This game sucked me in quickly and didn't let me go. I was up into the wee hours with all the lights off just absorbed with it for a long time.
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - How could I not love this game?
8. Gunstar Heroes - Just an amazing game all-around and one of my favorite pure-action games from the generation.
9. Shadowrun (Genesis) - Was and am a big cyberpunk fan, and despite some hiccups, this game really nailed the atmosphere and attitude of the genre. Love at first byte. (Sorry)
10. Landstalker - A badass game with badass gameplay and big ole boots. Even in an isometric view that was questionably-implemented, it was still one of the best adventures I went on in the 16-Bit era.
1. Phantasy Star II - Sure, the fourth installment was the best overall, but II was my first RPG love and I think that it was a very important game for the generation. Huge, wholly bewildering, and awesome even when cursing at the labyrinthine dungeons and encounter rates. When I think back to exactly when I fell in love with videogames, it's because of this one.
2. Shining Force II - Just an amazing overall game and a great journey that shone in execution; full of great characters and moments, with a battle system I adored. So many replays.
3. Earthbound - Changed my ideas about what games could be. Forever classic.
4. Chrono Trigger - Turned up everything awesome about JRPGs to eleven and blew me away. One of the "perfectest" games I have ever played to this day.
5. Herzog Zwei - Baby's first RTS and a game I spent SO many hours playing against my best friend, complete with some of the craziest shit-talking I have ever done. Something about the maps and the rhythm of production, light resource management, and attack made this game one of my favorites of the generation.
6. Super Metroid - Just one of the best side-scrolling anythings I have ever played. This game sucked me in quickly and didn't let me go. I was up into the wee hours with all the lights off just absorbed with it for a long time.
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - How could I not love this game?
8. Gunstar Heroes - Just an amazing game all-around and one of my favorite pure-action games from the generation.
9. Shadowrun (Genesis) - Was and am a big cyberpunk fan, and despite some hiccups, this game really nailed the atmosphere and attitude of the genre. Love at first byte. (Sorry)
10. Landstalker - A badass game with badass gameplay and big ole boots. Even in an isometric view that was questionably-implemented, it was still one of the best adventures I went on in the 16-Bit era.
Pretty much how threads about this era go on GAF. People mostly list the stuff they managed to get their hands on in their youth without having done much research. Admittedly, US SNES had one of the greatest launch windows of all time which means great stuff was readily available to cheap, uninformed parents of the era which skews the results quite a bit...
Shout outs to the guy leading with Demon's Crest since that list is front loaded with interesting choices.
EDIT: unique stuff from piggychan and Shambalakan based on your 1 and 3 I think we just became best friends.
orfax
Member
Oh man, Amiga is not PC. Disappointed OP.
My systems in this period of time are the Amiga, SNES, PC and Gameboy. And visiting the occasional arcade.
Anyway this was the period that I discovered the Japanese RPG. Here are my top 10
1. Final Fantasy VI - I love the magic and tech mix. I love the music, especially the final boss song (Dancing Mad). This is my favorite game of all time (along with Baldur's Gate 2). This game brought me to the world of importing, as it was never released in my country. I played it with a convertor which caused the map to not display in certain situations.
2. Doom - There are a few games I consider exceptionally visionary, and this is one. The fast paced not stop action, the violence all make this game one of the best. I have come back to it more than any other game. I bought a PC for this game.
3. Angband - OK this is an odd choice. There is no other game I have spent more time on than Angband. I was obsessed with it during my University years. It took what was Moria and expanded on it. More levels, more monsters. Unique monsters, unique armor and weapons. And everything under control of the evil RNG.
4. The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past - This was my first Zelda and my first game I bought for my SNES. I originally rented it as I was baby sitting my cousin and thought he might like it. After we played it I went straight to the shop and bought it. I love the exploration and stayed up many nights completing this.
5. Final Fantasy IV - I played this after 6, (imported, as it was not available in my country). Again another epic, but this worked fully with my convertor so no glitches. The biggest thing I remember about this game, is on the final boss Zeromus, it came down to me having to hit it otherwise I was dead from his next attack. It was thrilling.
6. The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening - I couldn't believe they could fit a full Zelda into a gameboy game. Wonderful stuff.
7. Lufia 2 - Rise of the Sinstrals In my country this was just called Lufia as we never got the first. This games ending made me feel real sad. It is the only game to have ever done that.
8. Terranigma - I played Quintet's previous game (Illusion of Time) which I liked but not loved, however this game improved on everything.
9. Super Mario World - While not as great as Super Mario 3, this is still one of my favorite games. It is so polished.
10. Black Crypt - Unfortunately Dungeon Master doesn't fall into the timeline, but Black Crypt does and it is equally as great. It takes the DM game style and plays around with it (every level is not just going down).
Others that didn't quite make my top 10.
X. Lemmings
X. Frontier: Elite 2
X. Donkey Kong Country
X. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
X. Stunt Car Racer
X. Emerald Mine 2
X. Rick Dangerous
X. Prince of Persia
There are so many Amiga games I loved from that era, but a few that just miss the 1988 start time.
My systems in this period of time are the Amiga, SNES, PC and Gameboy. And visiting the occasional arcade.
Anyway this was the period that I discovered the Japanese RPG. Here are my top 10
1. Final Fantasy VI - I love the magic and tech mix. I love the music, especially the final boss song (Dancing Mad). This is my favorite game of all time (along with Baldur's Gate 2). This game brought me to the world of importing, as it was never released in my country. I played it with a convertor which caused the map to not display in certain situations.
2. Doom - There are a few games I consider exceptionally visionary, and this is one. The fast paced not stop action, the violence all make this game one of the best. I have come back to it more than any other game. I bought a PC for this game.
3. Angband - OK this is an odd choice. There is no other game I have spent more time on than Angband. I was obsessed with it during my University years. It took what was Moria and expanded on it. More levels, more monsters. Unique monsters, unique armor and weapons. And everything under control of the evil RNG.
4. The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past - This was my first Zelda and my first game I bought for my SNES. I originally rented it as I was baby sitting my cousin and thought he might like it. After we played it I went straight to the shop and bought it. I love the exploration and stayed up many nights completing this.
5. Final Fantasy IV - I played this after 6, (imported, as it was not available in my country). Again another epic, but this worked fully with my convertor so no glitches. The biggest thing I remember about this game, is on the final boss Zeromus, it came down to me having to hit it otherwise I was dead from his next attack. It was thrilling.
6. The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening - I couldn't believe they could fit a full Zelda into a gameboy game. Wonderful stuff.
7. Lufia 2 - Rise of the Sinstrals In my country this was just called Lufia as we never got the first. This games ending made me feel real sad. It is the only game to have ever done that.
8. Terranigma - I played Quintet's previous game (Illusion of Time) which I liked but not loved, however this game improved on everything.
9. Super Mario World - While not as great as Super Mario 3, this is still one of my favorite games. It is so polished.
10. Black Crypt - Unfortunately Dungeon Master doesn't fall into the timeline, but Black Crypt does and it is equally as great. It takes the DM game style and plays around with it (every level is not just going down).
Others that didn't quite make my top 10.
X. Lemmings
X. Frontier: Elite 2
X. Donkey Kong Country
X. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
X. Stunt Car Racer
X. Emerald Mine 2
X. Rick Dangerous
X. Prince of Persia
There are so many Amiga games I loved from that era, but a few that just miss the 1988 start time.
Bjoern the Smexy
Member
I'm from Germany, so all imported games in this list come from the US. There are no Japanese imports in this list.
1. Chrono Trigger (imported); It doesn't get better than this in that particular generation. It's definitely THE 4th gen game I can regularly go back to without any problems. It's the perfect RPG for me and has the highest place in my heart thanks to its intelligent time travel theme.
2. Terranigma ; It's super close to Chrono Trigger in terms of awesomeness, but not quite close enough, mainly because of its "just good enough" soundtrack. The story though is fantastic. The graphics and gameplay as well. Better than it has any right to be.
3. Parodius ; I love shmups and Parodius is my favorite shmup of all time. I played it first on a demo station when it was released and was immediately in love. The humor, gameplay and graphics really sold me on the game. Sadly not my parents though. It took me another 12 years before I finally owned my very own copy and I fell in love with it all over again.
4. Secret of Mana ; My first ever JRPG (we didn't have many of these in Europe) and one of my favorites. I didn't understand much of the story back then (and still don't for some parts) but the gameplay was what hooked me and the fact that I could play it with my brother was another big plus.
5. Gunstar Heroes ; The only MegaDrive game that I actually loved back then. It was fun to play with friends. The fasst paced action was a definite turn-on for me, but I didn't like the sounds and music very much (still don't because I really dislike the sound of the MegaDrive's soundchip). Everything else about it was awesome though and I still play it from time to time.
6. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
7. Super Street Fighter II
8. Lufia (aka Lufia II - Rise of the Sinistrals) ; Just for clarification: Lufia I never came out in Europe, Lufia II did though, under the name "Lufia". I specifically mean the second game in the series.
9. Demon's Crest
10. Mega Man X
x. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
x. Super Mario World
x. Illusion of Time/Illusion of Gaia
x. Soul Blazer
x. Breath of Fire II
x. Unirally/Uniracer
x. SimCity (SNES)
x. Kirby's Fun Pak/Kirby Super Star
x. ActRaiser
x. Final Fantasy III/VI (imported)
x. Gradius III (SNES) (imported)
x. Earthbound (imported)
x. Super Castlevania IV
1. Chrono Trigger (imported); It doesn't get better than this in that particular generation. It's definitely THE 4th gen game I can regularly go back to without any problems. It's the perfect RPG for me and has the highest place in my heart thanks to its intelligent time travel theme.
2. Terranigma ; It's super close to Chrono Trigger in terms of awesomeness, but not quite close enough, mainly because of its "just good enough" soundtrack. The story though is fantastic. The graphics and gameplay as well. Better than it has any right to be.
3. Parodius ; I love shmups and Parodius is my favorite shmup of all time. I played it first on a demo station when it was released and was immediately in love. The humor, gameplay and graphics really sold me on the game. Sadly not my parents though. It took me another 12 years before I finally owned my very own copy and I fell in love with it all over again.
4. Secret of Mana ; My first ever JRPG (we didn't have many of these in Europe) and one of my favorites. I didn't understand much of the story back then (and still don't for some parts) but the gameplay was what hooked me and the fact that I could play it with my brother was another big plus.
5. Gunstar Heroes ; The only MegaDrive game that I actually loved back then. It was fun to play with friends. The fasst paced action was a definite turn-on for me, but I didn't like the sounds and music very much (still don't because I really dislike the sound of the MegaDrive's soundchip). Everything else about it was awesome though and I still play it from time to time.
6. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
7. Super Street Fighter II
8. Lufia (aka Lufia II - Rise of the Sinistrals) ; Just for clarification: Lufia I never came out in Europe, Lufia II did though, under the name "Lufia". I specifically mean the second game in the series.
9. Demon's Crest
10. Mega Man X
x. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
x. Super Mario World
x. Illusion of Time/Illusion of Gaia
x. Soul Blazer
x. Breath of Fire II
x. Unirally/Uniracer
x. SimCity (SNES)
x. Kirby's Fun Pak/Kirby Super Star
x. ActRaiser
x. Final Fantasy III/VI (imported)
x. Gradius III (SNES) (imported)
x. Earthbound (imported)
x. Super Castlevania IV