Megadrive/Genesis Appreciation Thread

[Team Andromeda]

Christ, didn't we have this argument months ago, Muse?

Not wanting to turn this topic into a MD Vs SNES flame war, but to say the SNES blew the MD out of the water is just rubbish!

The SNES couldn't compete with the MD when it came to games like Gunstar Heroes, Streets of Rage 2 and Shinobi - and let's not even get onto the subject of shooters. Area 88 aside, the SNES was really lacking in this area, whereas the MD had brilliant shooters to spare. The laughable level of slowdown in some SNES shooters gives the impression that the machine is totally broken!

For arcade-style kicks, the MD ruled supreme. The MD even got an incredible version of Street Fighter II (eventually).



The SNK snaplocks came well after the days of the MD. Compare the cheap and horrible original NeoGeo cases to the MD ones (a better and more fair comparison) - the MD cases are far better.

While I liked the Snes move than MD. Its Laughable for a start, to compare MD cases to the Neo Carts. The Mega Drive cases were miles better than the sh8t Cardboard boxes Snes games came in (Most of my MD cases are still like new, unlike the Snes boxes).

And to try and make out the Snes was better when it came to shooters and Arcade ports is just taking the piss.
The MD 68000 CPU was a dream for shooter and Arcade fans.
Thunder Force 4 literary pissed all over all Snes shooters, and for that matter most Arcade and Neo Geo ones as well

[melody]

I do think that the SNES is just as good as the MD for arcade games but Thunder Force 4 is simply the best 16bit shooting game around, I can't think of any game that comes close to it.

Here are a few essentiels:

Rocket Knight Adventures
Not the hardest game around but the levels are very varied and there are lots of boss fights!


Ristar
A very special game!


Shadow Dancer
Way better than the Master System and arcade games. I personally think this is the best Shinobi game around.


Shining Force
Quite a simple strategy game especially compared to Fire Emblem but still a lot of fun. It recently came out on GBA.

[muddy]

What are the recommended shooters on the MD?

I already have Gaiares & Panorama Cotton (think I probably made a mistake buying this..) in place for my system arriving.

Gaiares is one of the HARDEST shooters you'll play on the MD. I love it to bits... oh yeah, and it's 14 minute intro!

[strawdonkey]

Contra Hard Corps is supposedly excellent too, but costs a pretty penny these days.

Isn't that the same game as PAL Probotector?

[Leon Retro]

The Megadrive boxes are excellent. They just feel and look so right, the perfect game box. The Snes had stupid weak card-board boxes that couldn't handle any abuse. I love Japanese SFC boxes, but if they were plastic it would be much better!

My reason for buying the MD was Sonic1. I persuaded my brother that the machine was too good to be without, and he looked at the screenshots in Mean-Machines and agreed. We then convinced our parents to get one from an importer at a console market with Sonic1, Castle Of Illusion and Wrestle War. All three of these games were magnificent. Sonic provided so much joy to me, my brother and our mates, as did the majestic COI and the funny Wrestle War.

The next games we bought were from our friendly local importer. Streets Of Rage ... what a brilliant game. The amazing music and detailed visuals had me and my best mate gripped until we beat it. Then my Brother got Alien Storm. This is another sensational colourful action packed experience- in fact... it's one of my favourite MD games, I could play and complete it three times a week and never get bored.

Other notable titles include, PGA Golf and EA Hockey. These two were like a drug, I played them nearly every day after school. Sonic 2 was a great moment in gaming, the 3D bonus levels... WOW!!!


Then at the end of 91, I witnessed the SFC in action, and I fell in to an hypnotic trance that dominated my life for 5years.

Despite whatever anyone says, imo the SFC destroyed the MD in every way. At the time the machine made the MD look 2nd rate- like an Amiga. SFC games just looked sharper, crisper, more vibrant. The games had this fresh cutting-edge quality that shone through in all the A-Grade titles. It was the colour, the effects, the amazing sound-chip that enabled breath-taking games. F-Zero was literally gob-smacking- the crisp 3D-esque world, the speed, and the booming music. Contra3 was packed full of action and effects, and the music was once again astonishng. Then you had many other classic titles, Actraiser, CastleVania4, SuperMarioWorld, PilotWings etc... All these games had an extra special quality that defined a new era in graphics and sound.

The SFC had a brilliant Joypad, a design classic. It went on the deliver SF2&Turbo that gave people the arcade experience in the home. Then came SuperMarioKart, Star Fox, Secret Of Mana, Axelay, SupeMetroid, Yoshis Island, plus soooo many more AAA games I could write for hours!

The MD has many games fantastic games, and a lot that I am still discovering such as one of my new favourites Crying/Biohazard Battle. Both machines played host to lots of titles that defined the 16bit era, but the one that made the era for me was without doubt the SuperNintendo!



Without doubt the King of consoles, and long may it reign!

[muddy]

please, start a SNES appreciation thread. this is all about the MD.

[Duddyroar]

Shadow Dancer - Way better than the Master System and arcade games. I personally think this is the best Shinobi game around.

YES YES YES! Finally someone else who likes Shadow Dancer! I prefer it to Shinobi too. It was just so much more action-packed and the one-hit deaths made it a little more tense, too. And you gotta love the doggie.

please, start a SNES appreciation thread. this is all about the MD.

Did you just read Kingston's post???

[Mu5]

Despite whatever anyone says, imo the SFC destroyed the MD in every way.

I used to have respect for you mate. I used to think you posted sensible comments until you posted that nonesense!!!

[babs]

YES YES YES! Finally someone else who likes Shadow Dancer! I prefer it to Shinobi too. It was just so much more action-packed and the one-hit deaths made it a little more tense, too. And you gotta love the doggie.

Shinobi was one-hit too, you had the bounce off an enemy effect too but that's in Shadow Dancer.

Sadly I still remember the caption from a screenshot of Shadow Dancer from the Mean Machines review, where the player was using magic.

"Getting down with Joe Musashi"

[muddy]

Did you just read Kingston's post???

yes I did, why?

[wheelaa]

The SFC had a brilliant Joypad, a design classic.

Maybe a design classic..but I like to actually play games and the 6 button md pad is just about the best there is!

[Mu5]

"Getting down with Joe Musashi"

[eastyy]

Years ago i used to do a swap with a mates snes for a month or so
Swapped my megadrive with
Rocket knight adventures
thunder force 4
gunstar heroes
streets of rage 2
sonic3
dragons fury
flashback
eternal champions
gynoug
hellfire
ristar
And a few other games i cannot remember

For his snes which had
starfox
super punch out
killer instinct
donkey kong country 1 2
weapon lord
vortex
stunt car fx
super mario
zelda
blackhawk (i think)
street fighter 2 turbo
and a few other games
Thing is we never had a comment afterwards about which console we thought was best just went back to playing our own consoles.
Think in the end we apprecated each console for what it had.At school it was always the same the one console we had was better then everyone elses and we do not want to admit the good qualitys of another persons console.

Though the guy that bought a 3do....we knew it was going to be a failure he would not admit it though.

[Duddyroar]

Shinobi was one-hit too, you had the bounce off an enemy effect too but that's in Shadow Dancer.

I meant Revenge of Shinobi/Super Shinobi, which had an energy bar.

yes I did, why?

Cos he just spent an entire paragraph praising the SNES!

but I like to actually play games and the 6 button md pad is just about the best there is!

Amen to that! Best pad ever! Shame it wasn't with the system from the start, I can't use the standard 3-button MD pad anymore...it feels far too chunky when you've been using the beautiful 6-button one...

[Duddyroar]

Let's not forget this baby:



Best arcade stick ever! I still have mine from the early 90's! When my friends came over to play Golden Axe there was the endless debate about who got to use the Arcade stick!