In today’s age of 3d graphics, massive processing power, and entire development teams dedicated to a single game release, there will always be something magical about the Sega Genesis and the era of 16 bit gaming. Debuting in 1989, the Genesis would go on to change the face of gaming forever. The look of the Genesis is slick. It has a sci-fi device look (although I would not equate it to anything that Cylon or Vulcan Technology would produce) which adds to the mystique of this amazing system. The Super Nintendo was the Genesis’s nemesis and main competitor, and although it was the more popular system of the day, it has not gone on to develop the cult following that the Genesis has over the last 5-10 years. There are a few clear and obvious reasons for this…

• Appearance: The Genesis wins hands down over the SNES The Genesis is masculine and has lines like the classic cars of the 50’s and 60’s. The SNES looked sterile and like something you’d find hanging on a hospital room wall.
• Best Mascot: Sonic makes Mario look silly. Sonic is cool, Mario is a bad Italian Stereotype. I’m Italian..trust me, this Mario guy bothers me.
• The Games: Genesis games were geared towards older gamers, and not children. Given that, the popularity of the Genesis has since soared as 80’s gamers in their 30’s and 40’s look for that nostalgic gaming experience. In contrast, jumping on blocks and moving mushroom heads (Super Mario) is not likely going to hold the interest of a 30-40 year old very long.
• Leading the Way: Let’s not forget that the Sega Genesis/CD was the first system to sport an edge of your seat first person shooter experience on a home console with the game Lethal Enforcers. It also was the only home system to give us the blood experience with games like Mortal Kombat and the over the top Fighting in the NHL Hockey gaming series. Nintendo gave us the dumbed down, “no blood” version which watered down the game to appease the politically correct masses and targeted gaming audience.( 5-12 year olds)

  The fact remains that this 16 bit wonder cannot compete with the consoles of today in terms of overall graphics, depth, and performance. The great thing about the 16bit Genesis library is that the gaming industry was in its infancy at the time, and the rules were being made and broken with each release. 3d graphics were talked about a lot, but still off on the horizon. How can anyone forget the ominous music of Altered Beast and Golden Axe, the sense of a true open ended space adventure with Starflight, or the wonderment of impaling your best friend in Mortal Kombat These were golden times, and to this day these games are fun to play, and a testament to the quality of these classic efforts. There were some pretty awful titles as well. Considering that you could drop up to 50.00 on a game, there were times you’d feel totally ripped off when a game did not meet expectations.

Some of the more horrific duds were memorable for all the wrong reasons..

• Dark Castle: I actually liked the gothic music in this one…until I realized that it was the only soundtrack I’d ever hear. The game play was horrible. The controls would drive you mad, and you’d get killed constantly. This is one of the worst titles for this system.
• Joe Montana Sports Talk Football: This one is comical. The announcer’s voice is barely audible, and there’s a crowd noise which sounds more like TV static than it does a cheering audience. The control is horrible as well. It’s no wonder that Madden Football buried this series in short order.
• Time Killers: This was the worst fighting game on the Genesis, bar none. Truly a disaster. The Graphics, game play, and sound all wet the bed. An abomination.
• F22 Interceptor: I really wanted to like this one. A flight sim where you could fly tactical missions and kick butt? Cool! What a pile of Junk. The graphics were simple to a fault, the sound samples very poor, and  game play that was predictable and boring. This one was one of the bigger disappointments in that I had such high hopes looking at the packaging. (which was the only thing positive about this effort)

The subject of 16 bit gaming, and the Sega Genesis, is one that is near and dear to my boyish heart.  There’s a special feeling when I reach for the plastic cartridge in the rectangular box, one that has never escaped me.  It’s a magical place where the limits of the system never failed to push the limits of the imagination, where the inability to save-state in some games only pushed you harder to beat and master your favorite boss. I welcome your comments and plan to follow up with specific game reviews in the near future. If you have a  favorite 16 bit gem on the Snes or Genesis, I’d certainly like to hear about it. 

D