The world's premier resource for SEGA's arcade and console hardware legacy!
One thing Genesis owners could count on was a steady stream of games, courtesty of Renovation. The prolific publisher covered all the bases, from action/RPGs like Arcus Odyssey and Wanders from Ys to that most recognizable of Genesis genres: the shmup. The company that gave us Gaiares also released a few arcade ports, and among them was Vapor Trail, a vertical shooter that was big on action and bosses. Is it worth adding to your library?
We’re big fans of Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, which is the American version of the first Puyo Puyo game by shooter masters Compile. Needless to say, the sequel is well-loved too, and one never gets tired of tossing those poor little Puyos onto an unwitting foe’s side of the screen. Packed with lots of greats modes and the gameplay the series is famous for, Puyo Puyo Tsu is a Japanese exclusive that’s worth tracking down.
Aside from the obvious clown character, I’m still wondering what the tie-to McDonald’s is here. It’s strange to see the fast food chain have its license used without any references incorporated into the game, and I suppose that it was just as enamored of Treasure’s magic as everyone else was. You have to admit, the two are an incredible way to sucker gamers into what’s essentially a run-of-the-mill platformer with an all too-happy protagonist.
See, I knew that if we looked hard enough we’d find a Double Dragon game on the Genesis that’s worth playing. It took the addition of the three Battletoads, but I think we might have a winner here. Tradewest’s aptly named Battletoads & Double Dragon pits the three action-loving amphibians and Billy and Jimmy Lee against the powerful team of the Dark Queen and the Shadow Boss.
While NES owners were relishing the awesome experience that was Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Genesis gamers were left wondering why they never got to play Technos’ long-awaited sequel. It turns out that the localization gods were looking out for us, and The Mega Drive port just plain stunk. The NES version was an incredible adaptation that made the most of the hardware, while the Pal Soft translation went out of its way to do everything wrong.