10 Must-Own Genesis Games

I was driving my son to daycare this morning and I got to thinking about something. I have a ton of games, being a collector and all. Not everyone has the shelf space that I do, but there's probably a good number of people who want to have a small but respectable collection of games that covers the majority of what is considered "good" on the platform. And I got to thinking, what are the 10 games that should be considered must-own for the Genesis? It's an old enough system that the games are starting to get hard to find, but there's still enough inventory that people can still track down good games for the system. Here's my list (in no particular order) of must-have games for the Sega Genesis:

1. Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim is a truly unique platformer in the sea of platformers on the Genesis. Thanks to a huge dose of funding from toymaker Playmates, this game was designed with toy sales in mind, not necessarily tying into an established property. Because of this, the developers had a whole boatload of freedom to make whatever the hell they wanted. And we end up with launching a cow in the first level:

If that doesn't set the stage, I don't know what will! The artwork and character designs all come from the mind of Doug TenNapel, an artist also known for doing the album art for Christian ska group Five Iron Frenzy. Which, by the way, are an awesome band. Definitely worth checking out.

2. Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Out of all the Sonic games I could choose, I chose Sonic 3 because it really, truly epitomizes the perfection that Sonic Team had achieved with the franchise. This game truly feels like the most complete of all three, even though it was an incomplete game! Everything about the atmosphere on Angel Island screams 90's, but in all the right ways. The bonus stages are super famous, too. So much so, that they brought them back for Sonic Mania. Check out this wave of nostalgia hit me on stream:

Yeah, uh...I was on cloud 9 for a bit there. Back in 1995, this was considered to be some of the best graphics the Genesis had seen yet. And the music, oh my god, the music! The soundtrack on this game slaps. And Michael Jackson, the King of Pop himself, helped write the music for Ice Cap and Launch Pad zones! So yeah, this game had star power on top of the already high quality.

3. Phantasy Star 4

Phantasy Star 4 is one of those games that just hit so many JRPG notes right. I feel like the other Phantasy Star games don't quite have the same panache as this one. The story and setup feel better, the characters are interesting, and the overall vibe just works.

I also love the 90's anime aesthetic here. This is just a mood, you know? And the 16 bit graphics fit in really nicely. There's an attention to detail in this that's just plain hard to top.

4. Any Disney platformer

Realistically, you can put any of the Disney platformers into this slot. Virgin Interactive set a very high bar for companies making licensed games at the time. My personal favorite is The Jungle Book. I got my copy for christmas when I was a kid, and I played the shit out of that game. It was well designed, had a good difficulty curve (even by modern standards, I streamed it last year!), and it was just plain fun! That and it had a great ad campaign to go with it:

The only thing I didn't like about the game was the fight with King Louie and the platforming leading up to it. Sure, it's basically a guaranteed bonus round level, but the problem is with the precise platforming required. One wrong step and you potentially fall to your death. You're also likely to take damage along the way, putting you at a disadvantage before an absurdly tough boss fight. But other than that, this game is great. Also look into Aladdin, as that game is equally as famous.

I debated whether or not to put Jurassic Park in here because The Lion King is the one blemish in the otherwise stellar Disney lineup. Jurassic Park was also fantastic and definitely worth a look.

5. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

It's ironic that Sega owns the rights to Puyo Puyo but still decided to do a spinoff of their own property. That said, Puyo Puyo is a ton of fun, especially if you love puzzle games like Tetris and want something new to scratch that itch.

It also features 2 player competitive play, which is actually a lot harder than you think it is! If you get the chance, definitely do it! It's a wonderful game to go head to head with someone.

6. Ecco: The Tides of Time

Back in the 90's, Dolphins were all the rage. I think Lisa Frank had something to do with it...

Either way, Sega released two games featuring the eponymous Ecco. I've gone back and played both in recent years, and I have to say that the sequel is definitely the better of the two games. Both are challenging, both have their frustrating moments, but I feel like this one is the more polished of the two. Both games also received Sega CD ports. They're functionally the same game, but with a different soundtrack. The Sega CD version definitely has the better sound, have a listen:

7. NBA Jam or NBA Jam Tournament Edition

Frankly, either version is a winner in my book. I know there's a difference between the two, but I don't know or care enough to know the difference. All I care about is setting basketballs on fire and hearing "BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!" in that 16-bit digitized voice clip.

8. Mortal Kombat II

Mortal Kombat was one of those series that just showed up and immediately became popular because of its infamy. I distinctly remember the disdain my parents showed for me playing this game. They REALLY didn't want me playing fighting games. But I still found ways to play. And out of all the MK games at the time, MK3 was my favorite. I loved Kabal. He was always my favorite. Those hook swords he used were so cool! So, why isn't it on the list here? Why did I choose MKII?

There's a very simple reason. The Genesis port of MK3 was grossly inferior to the arcade release. It did not play NEARLY as well. Not to mention there was an almost immediate update to arcade cabinets in the form of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which rendered the console release obsolete. So why MKII, then?

MKII was that first point where Akklaim was really starting to find their own. The first Mortal Kombat may have been a smashing success, but looking back on it, it's horribly clunky. MKII plays better, feels better, and it has a solid roster to boot. It was also the origin of The Dead Pool and The Evil Forest, two of the most iconic fighting game back drops. This is the version to pick, if you have to pick only one.

9. Dynamite Headdy

I know, I know. We've got a lot of platformers on here. But really, there's a good reason for it! There's a ton of great platformers on the Genesis! This one is one of the weirder ones, and that's why I included it.

You can change your head throughout the game to do different things. It's so unique, but also disturbingly challenging! Seriously, Treasure makes tough games in general, and I get it. But holy crap, this game was tough!

10. Toejam and Earl or Toejam and Earl: Panic on Funkotron

Toejam and Earl is a vibe. Just saying. No, really. These games are peak 90's aesthetic. Aliens, weird clashing colors, funky music, this series is a peak 90's jam. I never understood the games when I was younger, so this game is one that I've had to go back to.

Seriously, though. Grab one of these games. They're both fantastic.

And that's about gonna do it for this one. What do you think of my list? Good choices? What would you swap, and why? What should be the next platform to get the 10 games treatment?