R.C. Pro AM is an early Rare developed game, so I snagged a cartridge. It’s pretty advanced for NES and has a cool isometric view. I’m not a huge racing game fan (I can barely stand driving in the real world) but its pretty fun! 🎮
I actually acquired Commando by accident. I bought Bionic Commando and this showed up instead. Hey, it happens! I ended up keeping it, because why not? Never played it until now, but it’s pretty fun arcade vertical shooter. Now, I’ve gotta get the right game… 🎮
Excitebike is another one of those NES games that everyone had for whatever reason (except me, the rental-game-boy). It’s enjoyable, but like most of the NES launch games, it’s pretty basic. The sound effects and main theme are still memorable, at least to me. 🎮
Burgertime is awesome because it’s called BurgerTime. Just look at that box art! The actual game itself is fine; it’s an arcade port that is serviceable on the NES. There were better arcade ports on the NES, but it’s still got its place in the library. 🎮
Super Dodge Ball is more fun than I thought, and I remember renting it back in the day when friends were over. The frame rate is hilariously bad, but it’s still enjoyable. The animations have a humorous and unique style. 🎮
Dragon Warrior (also known as Dragon Quest in Japan) is old by today’s standards. I’m more familiar with much later entries in the series. I can see how this could have been enchanting back in 1989. Also…hoo boy. The box art. 🎮
Columns was the pack-in game my Sega Genesis came with when I got it for my 2nd grade birthday. Of all the games, I got Columns. Nope, not Sonic. Beyond that grudge, it’s an interesting take on Tetris, which was super popular at the time. It’s a fun Sega puzzler, but it’s no Tetris.
The original Sonic the Hedgehog is one of my favorite games ever. I can play through the whole thing without dying (on a good day). I play through it at least once every year. I don’t know why it’s this one I’m always drawn to…maybe it’s the extremely catchy soundtrack? 🎮
Pinball is…well, I won’t bury the lead here: it’s pinball. It’s as basic as you can get for a NES launch game, but it’s still fun. It also didn’t require a trip to the arcade, which was the dream back then: arcade fun at home. 🎮
I went a little overboard in July but got ahold of some awesome stuff. 😎🎮
Castlevania is a classic, but I never had any exposure to it until a few years ago. Nobody I knew had it, and it wasn’t in the game rental stores near me. I wish I had played it sooner, because it’s an excellent action platformer with a killer soundtrack. Difficult, too! 🎮
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a classic, and one of my all time favorites (though I’m an idiot for Sonic stuff). Just like its predecessor, the soundtrack is a huge part of why it’s so universally loved. I can beat this pretty easily these days. 🎮
World of Illusion is a great example of an early Sega classic, down to the box art. In classic Disney game fashion, difficulty can be punishing, so I’ve never gotten too far. It’s a blast to play with someone else, though! Friendly fire is hilarious here. 🎮
Rocket Knight Adventures kicks ass. I played this a lot as a kid and could barely get past the first area. It definitely requires some patience and pattern memorization, but the expressive animation and effects are worth it. One of the best-looking Genesis games. 🎮
Disney’s Aladdin is such an awesome platformer, despite the absolutely insane difficulty curve later in the game. It was surprising that SNES got a version by Capcom that wasn’t quite as good. The animation at the time was groundbreaking for a game. 🎮
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a great example of Sega in its prime, especially when connected to the previously mentioned Sonic and Knuckles. I’ve played through this so many times, and since it has save progress, I’d explore levels, finding every emerald possible. Probably Sonic’s peak, IMO. 🎮
Sonic & Knuckles (especially when combined with Sonic 3) is one of my favorite games ever! You get the full experience when locked on to Sonic 3, but the standalone game is great, too. I remember being so excited to play as a NEW character in a Sonic game…Knuckles! 🎮
X-Men 2: The Clone Wars (not the kind that happen in the Stars) was popular enough to be a Greatest Hit in the Genesis lineup, but I can’t say I love it. Way too much “what the fuck am I supposed to do here?” and uneven difficulty. Great sound effects, though! 🎮
Blaster Master has that classic Sunsoft soundtrack, and for some reason, every kid I knew growing up had this game. It’s a cool platformer/shooter, but in classic NES fashion, the difficulty means I barely saw any of the game. 🎮
The original Final Fantasy is a little hard to play these days (since it’s really old), but it’s still interesting to see the beginning of this the long running series. I’ve played through the remakes many times, but it’s cool to see how the series REALLY started; on the NES! 🎮
