From: v089l3s3@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (JER HORWITZ)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Re: WHat are 'essential' carts for Genesis?
Date: 15 Dec 92 23:13:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <BzBFsw.L9r@python.cs.unm.edu>, sandia!marms@unmvax.unm.edu (Mike Arms) writes...
>Streets of Rage - best beat 'em up game for Genesis (SoR2 is twice as
>  big and may be better when it is released)

Name the competition, really. I agree with the comments, but I wouldn't
recommend buying SoR as an essential considering the light difficulty
level. The best things: The special "gun" attacks and the music.

>Kid Chameleon - a really fun platform game, very long

Excellent game that REALLY suffers from not having a stage select of
any sort. I can't recommend it as an essential because it'll sit on
the shelf by the time you get to level 35 or so.

>Castle of Illusion - great platform game

Hardly recommendable for an adult.

>NHLPA Hockey '93 (or NHL Hockey if you want to save a little money)

Agree! Agree! Agree!

>Dragon's Fury (or Devil's Crash MD) - great pinball game

Again, all smiles. Is it essential, though?...

>Thunder Force III - a very good horizontal shooter (Thunder Force IV is out
>  in Japan and is supposed to be great, but hasn't been brought to the US yet)

For shooter loves, TFIV can be no better. I have it - kicks serious butt on
the shooter quality scale.

>Elemental Master MD - another superb shooter by Technosoft, only out in Japan

Not essential... and too easy.

>Herzog Zwei - a great strategy game by Technosoft

For strategy/action lovers, a definite purchase.

>Toe Jam And Earl - a cool game with lots of humor

Hardly. It has humor, but this is not an essential buy and it's really
pretty stupid. It might be one of those, "either like it or hate it"
games but I really hated it.

>My advice, keep your Genesis AND buy a Super NES.  The cost of an extra
>system is not that great compared to the cost of a good number of games.
>Getting a SNES will provide you more opportunity to get or rent high
>quality games.  Somebody said, "Life is too short for crappy games."
>I agree.  Diversity is a big benefit.  There's only so many jewels for
>any game system.  Sometimes the jewels only exist for one particular 
>system.  By owning both, you double your availability for the cream of
>the crop on both systems or take the better version of a game out on both
>systems.  For example: apparently Prince of Persia for the SNES is far
>better than the Sega-CD version; to date, sports games from Electronic Arts
>are better on Genesis than SNES; Smash TV is very good on SNES but is poor
>on Genesis; Desert Strike is very good on both systems but is a little better
>on SNES.  

I'd agree with the majority of what you say, except if he's cash-constrained,
definitely dump the Sega. I own both systems, and I certainly wish I had
dumped my Sega long ago. When you only see one really great game in a whole
year (Sonic 2), you start to get nostalgic about the good old days...

>v089l3s3@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (JER HORWITZ) writes:
>]Unfortunately, there aren't many "essential" games for the
>]Genesis. Your best bet would be Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for
>]action genre, Streets of Rage 2 (I'm assuming it'll be worth
>]the wait) for fighting genre, and Afterburner II for 3-D
>]Genre. A solid shooting game is Target Earth, it's old but great.
> 
>Jer, I strongly disagree with your recommendation of Afterburner II.
>I found this to be a fairly poor game.  No need to a recommend poor game 
>even if it is the best in the sparsely represented 3-D front-shooter genre.
> 

I don't recommend poor games regardless of genre. The game is fast moving
and generally quite fun -- if you don't like that sort of game, then
ignore it. I sincerely doubt G-Loc will better it, unfortunately...
Sega has released tons of poor 3-D games, like Turbo Outrun [Jap], 
Galaxy Force II, IMO the Super Monaco GP games (I sincerely believe,
argue it or not, that these games have little to offer except the
digitized screens. As for "driving quality", there's nothing more
sophisticated than the old Atari Pole Position games - take a look
and compare them. The Genesis Monaco GP is not worthy of sharing
the same name as the arcade game. Afterburner at least has good
psuedo-scaling and fast paced action with good voices.

[ -> Jer Horwitz ] [INTERnet Game Consultant]