Region-specific games are the bane of fans of all consoles. No matter how many great games come to one’s specific region, there is always a ton more that got left somewhere else. The Genesis is no exception, and there are more awesome titles left in Europe and Japan than you can shake a Menacer at. Second Samurai is one such title, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right now wondering what the heck game it was that we just mentioned. See? That’s what happens when games stay in just one region!
Tag: 1994
Viewpoint
Aicom and Sammy scored a big hit with Viewpoint, an isometric shooter that was big on visuals and hard as nails. Sammy decided that there weren’t enough versions of the game around, so it decided to release the game for several consoles, including our very own Genesis. Sega fans should take note that this is perhaps as close as they’ll ever get to a real Zaxxon sequel. And no, Motherbase 2000 on 32X doesn’t count.
Art of Fighting
Not to be outdone by rival Capcom, SNK released a bazillion fighting series on every platform short of the pocket calculator (though I’m sure it’s probably out there). Among they plethora of brawling goodness unleashed up on button mashers everywhere was the Art of Fighting series, known for its massive sprites and nausea-inducing zoom effect. The game was eventually reprogrammed by Sega and released on the Genesis, and the sprites and zoom were only two things missing that had made the coin-op so popular.
Cannon Fodder
The Amiga has definitely lived up to its namesake where the Genesis is concerned. It’s been quite the friendly machine, providing many quality games that made the jump to the little 16-bitter. Some though, lent themselves better to the conversion than others, and a few have issues that really affect the experience. Take Cannon Fodder, for instance. The tiny sprites and status box really hampered what was otherwise an exceptional version of a classic game. It’s still playable, but how much so will depend on how good your vision is.
Road Rash (CD)
How do you make a great game better? You slap a CD soundtrack and full-motion cut scenes on it! Err…. wait, that’s not it… Well, how about if you add more modes and better visuals? Yeah, I though that might work. Road Rash for the Sega CD does exactly that, and it tosses in the soundtrack and FMV for good measure. Bitter sweet or just plain tasty?