Not every cart made for the Genesis was a game. For instance, today’s subject: Art Alive. An art program early in the system’s life and one of the last before Sonic arrived and changed the face of not only Sega games, but gaming in general. Had Sonic come out in say, 1990, Art Alive may never have been made. Still, Sega wanted to broaden its horizons, and make a nice little game for kids.
Reviews
Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Genesis owners’ patience was rewarded with the Special Champion Edition, basically a port of the SNES’ Street Fighter II Turbo with some Genesis-exclusive features. While it wasn’t the killing Genesis players envisioned, it still did an excellent job bringing street fighting action to the ol’ black box.
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
While Revenge of Shinobi is regarded as one of the best titles early on in the Genesis’ life, there were a handful of problems I had with it to really keep it from becoming a gold classic. But Shinobi III fixes all of them and makes a marvelous game to boot.
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic 3D Blast (also released on the Saturn as a last-second and a comparatively pathetic replacement for the doomed Sonic Xtreme) was the proverbial black sheep of the 16 bit Sonic games. Most gamers view it with downright negativity or, at best, casual indifference. But why? Just look at it… Showy isometric graphics that are full of color and detail, cool stereo tunes and sound effects, and a groundbreaking pre-rendered 3D opening movie! What could be wrong with it?
Snatcher
Long before Hideo Kojima became obsessed with Metal Gear Solid, he crafted one of the most memorable and acclaimed games of the 8 and 16-bit generations. The only problem is that he’s never revisited it on any platform and has all but forgotten the series, much to the dismay of fans everywhere. With its gripping plot and well-developed characters, Snatcher is perhaps the best digital comic ever made and reason enough to make you run out and get a Sega CD. The fact that it’s the only English console release doesn’t any either.
