Showing posts with label Top 50. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top 50. Show all posts

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Sunday, August 26, 2018

The Top 50 Sega Master System Games of All-Time (Part One: #010-#001)

The final installment of a special five-part series examining the best Sega's 8-bit home console had to offer ... with the number one SMS game of all-time, at long last, REVEALED!


By: Jimbo X
JimboXAmerican@gmail.com
HEY! Looking for the series in its entirety? You can check out all of the installments in the countdown in the links below:
PART ONE (#010 - #001)
PART TWO (#020 - #011)
PART THREE (#030 - #021)
PART FOUR (#040 - #031)
PART FIVE (#050 - #041)
A lot of people, to this day, tend to overlook the Sega Master System. Considering the NES outsold it like, 250-to-1 in the North American market, though, it’s certainly understandable — however unfortunate.

While Sega’s Genesis forebear didn’t get anywhere close to realizing the lofty heights of its 16-bit older brother, that’s not to say the SMS was devoid of quality 8-bit titles. In fact, the Master System had a ton of solid-to-very-good-to-downright-excellent titles in its library, which is usually lost in the shuffle because a.) relatively few people in the States ever played that many games on the console to begin with and b.) most of the really good, top-tier SMS games never made it to the U.S., and we’re only released in Europe and Japan. Thankfully, the advent of emulation has broken the 30-year-old regional divide, and now all of us can play the breadth of the SMS library anytime we want … if not fit the whole dadgum software pantheon on a single 2GB thumb-drive.
Having spent about a year or two playing every single game released on the SMS, I decided to take it upon myself to drum up a list of the top 50 games to ever make an appearance on the Master System. If this sounds like something we’ve done before, it’s probably because we’ve been doing this shit every year since 2012, covering everything from the Dreamcast, the Sega CD and the Game Gear to the TG-16, the Neo-Geo and the Atari freakin’ Lynx. So yeah, the same old song and dance applies here, I suppose. But before we get to the list itself, a few housekeeping notes:
Rule numero uno: only officially licensed game released in the U.S., Europe and Japan were eligible for consideration. So that means no homebrews or those weird-ass TecToy ports from Brazil were included in the running.
Rule numero dos: when applicable, all of the games included on the countdown are the U.S. versions of the games. And if it’s a game that was only released in Europe or Japan, I vouched for the European iteration of the game over its Nippon counterpart.

Rule numero tres: only games that were completed and went to retail are eligible, so no unreleased games or tech demos were eligible neither.
Rule numero cuatro: and lastly, as a subjective countdown, your list is sure to differ and you’ll probably disagree with the bulk of my selections. So if you’re mad that I didn’t put enough Alex Kidd games on this thing, feel free to create your own top 50 list and make it more entertaining to read than mine. And if that’s something you’re unable to do, well, I reckon I just plain don’t give a shit what you think, homey.

Alright, with all of those pleasantries out of the way, who's ready to get this list rollin'? That’s right … literally everybody on the planet, ever.
#010
Master of Darkness (1993)
Developer: SIMS
Publisher: Sega
Those of you who recall our Game Gear countdown from a few years back no doubt remember how much we sang the praises of this one, and ultimately, the home console iteration is every bit as good as its portable kindred — if not even better. While an unabashed Castlevania clone, it’s undoubtedly one of the best Castlevania imitators ever, and, in some facets, can even be said to best Konami’s venerable series at its own game. With its almost Hammer horror-like atmosphere, there’s no denying Master of Darkness brings the ambiance, and the long, intricately designed stages definitely gives the game a bit more replay value than its genre contemporaries on the SMS. And come on — like anybody could ever not enjoy a game where you get to wack wax monsters with boomerangs …

#009
Bubble Bobble (1991)
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Sega
Now this is a rare SMS game that not only outdoes its counterpart on the NES, but positively outclasses it in every way. Not only does this iteration of Taito’s classic kill-em-up have better visuals than the one in the Ninny, it also packs in almost twice as much content; whereas the NES iteration had a relatively paltry 112 levels, the SMS version offers a whopping 200 stages! This is a much truer to the coin-op experience, without question, with slicker controls and a more energetic sense of speed. Factor in a phenomenal two-player mode and you have what is pretty much the Criterion Collection version of the beloved single-screener right here.

#008
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts (1988)
Developer: Sega R&D2
Publisher: Sega

This is definitely one of the best-looking games on the SMS … and thankfully, it has the gameplay chops to match its aesthetics. While it’s not quite the breathtaking technical marvel that its Genesis big brother was, this is still a very admirable port of the arcade classic, with great animations, tremendous controls and — of course — a lot of button-grinding challenge that’ll test the mettle of even the most hardcore action platformer enthusiasts. Sure, the boss fights might be a little minimalist in terms of presentation, but on the whole this is a very impressive “downgrade” that looks, feels and plays much better than it probably had any right to. And if nothing else, it absolutely kicks the crap out of the iteration NES owners received … and it’s not even debatable.

#007
Walter Payton Football (1989)
Developer: Sega R&D2
Publisher: Sega
Up until Tecmo Super Bowl, this was easily the best American football game released on a home console. Of course, it’s sans the NFL license, so you won’t be able to play as any “real” players, save Sweetness himself. But even then the game gives you a good 25 different teams to choose from, each of which have their own (moderately) different playbooks. And for its time, this game gave you an insanely complex football system, complete with a good 30 or so offensive and defensive plays and the option to run reverses and counters. With its proto-Madden vertical P.O.V., you might have a few blind throws every now and then, but there’s no denying how much fun running the ball and playing D is. And to this day, this game might just have the best “kicking” system I’ve ever played in a pigskin sim; for hardcore virtual football fans, that facet of the title alone is probably worth going out of your way to experience.

#006
Bonanza Bros. (1991)
Developer: Sega C.S., I.T.L.
Publisher: Sega
A decade before the first Grand Theft Auto game was released, this absurdly fun Sega original allowed children of all ages to experience the joys of committing virtual felonies. Remember that one episode of The Simpsons where Bart played Larry the Looter, an arcade game where he took on the role of an armed burglar? Well, that’s LITERALLY what Bonanza Bros. is, and even now I’m not sure how this one escaped the wrath of Tipper Gore and pals back in the day. Granted, losing the two-player mode sucks, but the core gameplay here is just so fun (and unexpectedly great) that even as a solo affair only it’s still a hoot and a half. The level layout is outstanding and the proto-stealth action gameplay is astonishingly intense; indeed, this might just be one of the most nerve-racking games you’ll ever play in 8-bit form. All in all, Sega did a bang-up job porting this one to the SMS; multiplayer or no-multiplayer, this is still an immensely enjoyable, incredibly unique action-platformer you owe it to yourself to play if you haven’t, for whatever stupid-ass reason.

#005
Battle Outrun (1989)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
There’s been a lot of Outrun games over the years, and this fairly obscure SMS offering is easily one of the best entries in the long-running franchise. In fact, I’d go as far as to call this SMS “exclusive” the greatest version of Chase H.Q. ever made. Eschewing the usual fanciful and carefree aesthetics and attitude of the beloved, vaporwave-inspiring series, Battle Outrun is a more intense, action-oriented, pseudo vehicular combat offering in which you drive all over America trying to takedown all sorts of varied villains and criminal elements … all while avoiding swapping paint with innocent bystanders or crashing into a parade of barrels somebody just left there in the middle of the freakin’ interstate. Owing more to Spy Hunter than its canonical predecessors, in a way Battle Outrun feels like an 8-bit precursor to Burnout, complete with some ultra-gratifying, white knuckle thrills and chills as you narrowly avert yet another automotive disaster. With superb controls and a ton of replay value, this isn’t just one of the best racing games on the Master System … indeed, it’s one of the best 8-bit console racers ever.

#004
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1993)
Developer: I.T.L.
Publisher: Taito
One look at Rainbow Islands is enough to turn off just about any seasoned gamer. But as the old saying goes, you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, because this game — despite its nauseatingly saccharine visuals — is actually one of the most addictive and engaging titles on the SMS. Really, it all begins with the game’s brilliant control scheme, which makes “rainbow hopping” one of the most satisfying mechanics you’ll experience in any 8-bit platformer. You know how Iceman skates around on frozen bridges in the old comics and cartoons? Well, this game gives us what is probably the best interactive representation of that in any medium, and you will have yourself a hoot and a half just slipping and sliding all over the game’s pastel-hued levels. Yes, the audiovisual component may not be the best on the SMS, but there is no denying the intrinsic greatness of the gameplay here. Factor in hours worth of gameplay and some ingeniously designed stages — plus one of the best two-player experiences to be found on the Master System — and you undoubtedly have a winner on your hands with this one, no matter which genre of gameplay is your familiar bread and butter.

#003
Sonic Chaos (1993)
Developer: Aspect
Publisher: Sega
The greatest Sonic handheld game of all-time translates to the SMS just fine, and I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of folks out there who’ll think this one plays even better with the Master System control pad. The music is a bit bland, but the graphics and animation are top-tier, and holy hell, does this one bring the pure platforming bliss in buckets. Sticking tightly to the traditional (read: winning) Sonic formula, the gameplay revolves around huge, spacious levels comprised of multiple branching paths, so while it is fun as all hell blasting through the stages at top speed, if you want to explore the level and really soak up everything it has to offer, you’ll definitely have to play this one two or three times before you uncover everything the designers left in there for you to find. While Chaos might not rival the Genesis classics in terms of overall quality, you’re still getting a tremendous little package right here — if for some some stupid reason you missed out on this one back in the day, now’s the perfect time to atone for your 8-bit era sins.

#002
Sensible Soccer European Champions (1993)
Developer: Eurocom
Publisher: Sony Imagesoft
Pretty much every console ever in history has received some permutation of Sensible Soccer at some point, and the version on the Master System is every bit as good as it is on the Genesis, the SNES and the Game Gear. Neophytes to the venerable footy series may not take the micro-sized sprites series at first glance, but even newbz are guaranteed to be awestruck by the staggering amount of content this game delivers, including some team and play-editing features that even by today’s standards would be considered quite in-depth. Of course, the real draw of Sensible Soccer, however, is it’s instantly accessible and immediately engrossing soccer action, and once you get the hang of the control setup, you’ll be hooked for life. What NHL ‘94 and Tecmo Super Bowl are to hockey and football games, respectively, Sensible Soccer is to the World’s Game; this isn’t just the best sports game on the SMS by a far margin, one could argue that it’s the one game on the system that will give you the most replay bang for your buck, as well.

#001
Power Strike II (1993)
Developer: Compile
Publisher: Sega

How about that — the very same game that  (almost) topped my list of the 50 best Game Gear games of all-time also tops my list of the top 50 SMS games of all-time. What are the odds? Whereas the original Power Strike on the Master System could be considered a slight disappointment considering Compile’s pedigree, its PAL-only sequel more than makes up for it. For starters, the visuals in this game are flatout gorgeous, with some of the most detailed sprites and eye-pleasing backgrounds of any game on the system. But where this game truly shines is in its gameplay. Simply put, I can’t fathom how the Master System was able to technologically contain the sheer amount of action going on-screen throughout this game. Yes, there is some flicker here and there, but by and large the frame rate on this sucker barely dips at all, which is quite the programming feat considering all of the nonstop explosions and projectiles flying across the screen at seemingly every conceivable second. Of course, me being a huge SHMUP fan and all, I can’t say that all gamers will enjoy this one as much as I did, but if you have a knack for old-school, arcade shoot-em-up fun, this is easily the best investment you could possibly make for your SMS. Simply put, if you’ve got a Master System, you NEED to have this cartridge in your library … and preferably, quite close to the entry slot, because I assure you, you will be playing this one frequently.
Kudos my hero, leaving all the best ...

The Top 50 Sega Master System Games of All-Time (Part Four: #020-#011)

Part four of a special five-part series examining the best Sega's 8-bit home console had to offer!


By: Jimbo X
JimboXAmerican@gmail.com

HEY! Looking for the series in its entirety? You can check out all of the installments in the countdown in the links below:
PART ONE (#010 - #001)
PART TWO (#020 - #011)
PART THREE (#030 - #021)
PART FOUR (#040 - #031)
PART FIVE (#050 - #041)
A lot of people, to this day, tend to overlook the Sega Master System. Considering the NES outsold it like, 250-to-1 in the North American market, though, it’s certainly understandable — however unfortunate.

While Sega’s Genesis forebear didn’t get anywhere close to realizing the lofty heights of its 16-bit older brother, that’s not to say the SMS was devoid of quality 8-bit titles. In fact, the Master System had a ton of solid-to-very-good-to-downright-excellent titles in its library, which is usually lost in the shuffle because a.) relatively few people in the States ever played that many games on the console to begin with and b.) most of the really good, top-tier SMS games never made it to the U.S., and we’re only released in Europe and Japan. Thankfully, the advent of emulation has broken the 30-year-old regional divide, and now all of us can play the breadth of the SMS library anytime we want … if not fit the whole dadgum software pantheon on a single 2GB thumb-drive.
Having spent about a year or two playing every single game released on the SMS, I decided to take it upon myself to drum up a list of the top 50 games to ever make an appearance on the Master System. If this sounds like something we’ve done before, it’s probably because we’ve been doing this shit every year since 2012, covering everything from the Dreamcast, the Sega CD and the Game Gear to the TG-16, the Neo-Geo and the Atari freakin’ Lynx. So yeah, the same old song and dance applies here, I suppose. But before we get to the list itself, a few housekeeping notes:
Rule numero uno: only officially licensed game released in the U.S., Europe and Japan were eligible for consideration. So that means no homebrews or those weird-ass TecToy ports from Brazil were included in the running.
Rule numero dos: when applicable, all of the games included on the countdown are the U.S. versions of the games. And if it’s a game that was only released in Europe or Japan, I vouched for the European iteration of the game over its Nippon counterpart.

Rule numero tres: only games that were completed and went to retail are eligible, so no unreleased games or tech demos were eligible neither.
Rule numero cuatro: and lastly, as a subjective countdown, your list is sure to differ and you’ll probably disagree with the bulk of my selections. So if you’re mad that I didn’t put enough Alex Kidd games on this thing, feel free to create your own top 50 list and make it more entertaining to read than mine. And if that’s something you’re unable to do, well, I reckon I just plain don’t give a shit what you think, homey.

Alright, with all of those pleasantries out of the way, who's ready to get this list rollin'? That’s right … literally everybody on the planet, ever.

#020
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Developer: Aspect
Publisher: Sega
Since this game dropped a couple of days before the Genesis iteration, technically, this game marks the first appearance of Tails in an interactive medium — just thought you autists would appreciate knowing that little tidbit of pointless trivia. Of course, this downgraded version of Sonic 2 is nowhere near as good as the timeless Genesis classic, but it’s certainly a MUCH better version of the game than the version released on the Game Gear. Not only does this one have better graphics and sound than the portable iteration, it also has SIGNIFICANTLY smoother controls and tighter gameplay; and even better, the in-game physics aren’t royally screwed, so you actually STAND a chance of getting past that dreadful robo-lobster boss that no doubt resulted in many a Game Gear launched against a wall back in the day …


#019
Gain Ground (1991)
Developer: Sega AM1
Publisher: Sega
Part Gauntlet and part Galaga, Gain Ground is a pretty unique arcade title that probably should’ve gotten a little bit more appreciation and acknowledgement than it received back in the day. Technically a single-screen kill-em-up, it’s your job to dispatch a horde of enemies across 50 levels using damn near 20 different characters with a variety of special powers and attacks. It’s actually a surprisingly deep game, with a robust combat system that actually necessitates a little bit of cognitive skill (and not just lighting fast button presses) to advance to the next round. Throw in a great two-player mode — and even a few system-exclusive stages — and you have all the makings of an underrated gem well worth traveling off the beaten path to experience.

#018
Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (1987)
Developer: Sega Am7
Publisher: Sega
Yes, the best Alex Kidd game on the SMS isn’t a pure platformer, but this weird, tongue-in-cheek adventure offering that plays more like Maniac Mansion than Super Mario. Granted, not all of the puzzles are all that engrossing (be warned, folks, this game includes at least one arithmetic quiz), but the weird, quirky humor and exploration-based gameplay certainly makes it stand out from the deluge of Super Mario wannabes on the system. In fact, the size and scope of High-Tech World almost makes it an 8-bit Shenmue, right down to the kooky characters you can chat with, all of the trinkets you can collect and even the occasional impromptu kung-fu battle. And for those of you that can’t stand the thought of commanding A. Kidd without some jumping, rest assured the game does have quite a number of more traditional platforming levels — and in my humblest of opinions, they’re among the best to be found on the Master System, to boot.

#017
Rescue Mission (1988)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you what is far and away the best Light Phaser game to be found on the Sega Master System. Not only does this one stand head and shoulders above stuff like Rambo, I can’t think of a single light gun game on the NES that outdoes this one, and that includes Duck Hunt. Rather than give us yet another brain-dead blast-a-thon, Sega actually gave us a title that requires a little grey matter here, as the whole game revolves around you playing bullet-spittin’ protector of a medical convoy as it makes its way around the train tracks surrounding an unmitigated war zone. Of course, this being a Light Phaser game and all, that means ambushers galore are all over the screen, and it’s your duty to help clear the screen of any obstacles (be they breathing or otherwise) so the Red Cross can do their due diligence. With exquisitely laid out levels and some edge-of-your-seat firefights, this is definitely a gripping and engrossing little affair right here — it might not look like it, but this is definitely one of the more surprisingly addictive games to be found on the SMS.

#016
R-Type (1988)
Developer: Compile
Publisher: Irem
Of course, this iteration is nowhere near as good as the arcade version (or the TG-16 port, for that matter), but it’s still a damned fantastic, 8-bit translation of the seminal space SHMUP. While the game isn’t devoid of flaws (whenever there’s a lot of action onscreen, it unfortunately tends to suffer from significant slowdown and flicker), on the whole there isn’t much to complain about here. The sprites look great, the animations are fantastic, the tempo is great, the controls are silky smooth and the core gameplay is undeniably satisfying. Some of the technical compromises are disappointing (all of the boss fights, for example, take place in front of static, uni-colored backdrops and some of the arcade effects, like the explosions, are omitted), but overall, this is a rock-solid genre offering that (mostly) gives you everything you could want out of an 8-bit shoot-em-up.

#015
Batman Returns (1993)
Developer: Aspect
Publisher: Sega
Yes, Aspect made a Batman Returns title on the Game Gear, but this one is nothing like it — and trust me, that’s not just a good thing, it’s a great thing. This one plays a lot like the classic Sunsoft Batman on the NES, with a little bit of Bionic Commando thrown in for good measure. The stages are huge and well-designed, with ample opportunities to monkey around with all of the most beloved Bat-gadgets (the grappling hook, the Batarangs, so on and so forth.) The controls are very smooth and the animations are certainly above average, and unlike most action-platformers on the SMS, this one actually provides a pretty stiff degree of challenge without ever becoming too frustrating. The boss fights are a little bit of a letdown, but beyond that, this is a really solid sidescroller that’s worthy of at least one or two playthroughs.

#014
Bomber Raid (1989)
Developer: Sanritsu
Publisher: Activision
Yep, it’s the sequel to Atari 2600 classic River Raid, and even on system glutted with top-quality SHMUPs, this stands out as one of the better genre offerings on the SMS. Eschewing that whole “I have to collect a new gas can every two seconds to stay aflight” hook, this is a more straightforward shooter that looks and feels more like 1942 than Yar’s Revenge. The colors are bright, the sprites are chunky and detailed, the music is above average and the core gameplay, anchored by some damn near spot-on controls, is very satisfying. It doesn’t do a whole lot new for the shoot-em-up genre, but what it does provide is an instantly gratifying, hard-to-put-down arcade action experience so gripping, you’re unlikely to want to plow through this one only once.

#013
Sagaia (1991)
Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Taito
The name might throw you off, but make no mistakes  — this sucker is a downright stellar port of Darius II in everything BUT formal title. Of course, this version does sacrifice a few levels from the arcade original and truncates a couple of stages, but you still get 12 action-packed “zones” to blast through, complete with some of the most enjoyable (and intimidating) SHMUP boss fights you’ll find on the console. Factor in the beautiful animations, the gorgeous visuals, the rocking soundtrack and some of the most blisteringly fast gameplay to be found on the SMS and you have all the makings of an overachieving “downgrade” any and all genre enthusiasts would be wise to check out.

#012
Scramble Spirits (1988)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
This shrunken down part of one of Sega’s most underrated arcade offerings of the late 1980s is easily one of the most impressive technical wonders on the SMS … and it MORE than brings the gameplay goods to complete the package. If you’ve ever played stuff like 1941 or Xexyz you know exactly what to expect here. Although this cartridge only packs about half an hour worth of content, the product is presented in such a well put-together package that I have a hard time believing anybody will want to gun through it for just one solo run. With great graphics, smooth controls and some truly challenging boss fights, this is easily one of the Master System’s best SHMUP offerings; genre fanatics owe it to themselves to track this one down.

#011
Ninja Gaiden (1992)
Developer: Sega CS
Publisher: Sega
This game is NOTHING like the subpar Game Gear offering, thankfully. Indeed, this game looks and feels like a long-lost NES game, and in many ways could be rightfully called an unofficial Ninja Gaiden IV. The graphics are outstanding, the music is among the best you’ll find on the system and the gameplay is flat out fantastic, with controls that are easily on par with what you’d experience on Nintendo’s 8-bit home console. The stage design is tremendous, with each level sporting both distinct aesthetics and layout, and good God, are the boss fights in this one a sight to behold. This is precisely the kind of hidden gem that makes the SMS a console well worth revisiting; too bad we never got that crossover with Shinobi, a’la Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team, though.
Kudos my hero, leaving all the best ...
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)