From: ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com (Ross Erickson)
Subject: Re: WHat are 'essential' carts for Genesis?
Reply-To: ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com
Organization: Intergraph Corporation
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 05:48:15 GMT

>>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.

Yes, though my 6 year old and I keep coming back to this for the fun
2-player co-op play.  We always have fun playing this.  
>
>>Castle of Illusion - great platform game
>
>Hardly recommendable for an adult.

Woah there, chief!  I have to disagree with you on this.  A couple of
years ago when we first got into video gaming, after Altered Beast,
this was the next video game I bought.  My son and I finished it
together and we had an absolute ball.  I unequivocably recommend this
one as a hall-of-fame game too.  I thought it was wonderful.  In fact,
even now, after I've beaten it several times, I still go back, play
the hard level, and my boys all gather round to watch.  Definitely a
must-have.
>
>>NHLPA Hockey '93 (or NHL Hockey if you want to save a little money)
>
>Agree! Agree! Agree!

Me too!!
>
>>Dragon's Fury (or Devil's Crash MD) - great pinball game
>
>Again, all smiles. Is it essential, though?...
>
Haven't played it, though I'm having fun with Crueball.


>>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.

If you haven't finished III, is IV worth getting still?
>
>>Elemental Master MD - another superb shooter by Technosoft, only out in Japan
>
>Not essential... and too easy.
>
No comment.

>>Herzog Zwei - a great strategy game by Technosoft
>
>For strategy/action lovers, a definite purchase.
>
A Gotta-have...

>>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.
>
Again, if you have kids and they like to play with dad, this is a lot
of fun.  We end up just throwing tomatoes at each other all the time
or planting thorns in front of each other.  Wierd game, but still a
LOT of fun.  Not that great as a single player game.


>>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...

Nah, keep 'em both.  Classics are always fun.
>
>>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.

We've got SMGPI too, and I agree, I was never all that impressed with
it.  It simply didn't have much of a fun factor.

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