Sega-16's Top 100 Mega Drive/Genesis games (please read post #5 before posting)

[Seingalt]

Reviews for the Top 10	post #1
Top 20 table	post #2
21st - 100th	post #3
Participants / #1 picks	post #4
Rules / Method	post #5
Alternative Top 100 (equal weighting)	post #193
Top 20 by the readers of Beep! magazine (Japan)	post #214

1st: Streets of Rage 2

Review by Barone: Streets of Rage 2 (a.k.a. Bare Knuckle II) is the most iconic console beat'em up of all time, one of the best Mega Drive games and, to this day, one of the most played and beloved games ever released in its genre. The technical achievements when compared to its predecessor can't be overstated: improved sound effects, vastly improved AI, twice the framerate, no slowdowns, bigger and more detailed sprites, better animation and incredibly lavish backgrounds which can be scrolled in multiple directions. If you put both games side-by-side, it's hard to believe that they were released for the same hardware and less than two years apart. Streets of Rage 2 is a well-designed game which delivers a very solid, fun gameplay and whose selectable characters are distinctive enough to allow completely different fighting styles and strategies. Its excellent soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima fits each stage perfectly and provides an amazing aural experience which is perfectly matched with its superb pixel art filled with handcrafted lighting. Back in January 1993 when it was released, it was very rare to see a console game that could bring home the same kind of experience that Capcom and Konami had created for the arcades with hits such as Final Fight and Vendetta. Even Neo Geo AES owners couldn't brag about that. But with Streets of Rage 2, we could. More than just another great game in the library, Streets of Rage 2 is a timeless classic, a landmark in Sega's history and a showcase of all the Mega Drive strengths.

2nd: Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Review by Baloo: What more can be said about Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the pinnacle of the Sonic series over 25 years later? The diehard fans of this forum know that S3&K initially developed as one game, only to be split into two halves with the fabled "Lock-On Technology" later in development. In the time passed since its original release, it can easily be said that the legendary status of the game has only grown. Sonic 3 & Knuckles has everything a child of the 90s would have wanted: Pre-rendered 3D graphics; a fabled New Jack Swing soundtrack composed by Michael Jackson that a host of internet detectives uncovered; the ability to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 with the Lock-On Technology; and an homage to Star Wars in the appearance of Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg. The ability of the game's developers at STI to dream as big as possible while creating S3&K has kept this one an enduring classic over scores of other 16-bit games. By blending together excellent level design that prioritized speed but encouraged exploration with unbelievably catchy music, Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains not just the best Sega Genesis game, but one of the best 2D platformers of all time. Wide, sprawling levels filled with secret special stages and multiple pathways that change depending on the character you play as, with enough secrets to ensure that the original player and their kids have enough new things to recognize on each consecutive playthrough. Does it really get any better than that?

3rd: Gunstar Heroes

Review by JPEC83: I didn't know Treasure as a company when I first came across Gunstar Heroes, I just loved the cover art and wanted the game and I wasn't disappointed. This was one of the answers to any critic of the audio-visual capabilities of the Mega Drive but it was also so much more than this. Gunstar Heroes was a challenging, creative and highly replayable action game that was a lot of fun single-player but even more with two players. The game had a staggering amount of variety in each stage that were much more than simple gimmicks. Treasure has continued to produce fantastic games in every generation but Gunstar Heroes is still my favourite.

Review by Phantar: The developers at Treasure where true wizards when it came to the Genesis. They were able to create fantastic visuals out of Sega’s 16-bit hardware, combined with tight, fast paced action game play that was just a joy to behold. And while their repertoire covered many different genres, their run’n’gun Gunstar Heroes is widely considered to be their early masterpiece – and rightfully so. Gunstar Heroes is an amazing visual treat for a Genesis games. Lush backgrounds, multilayered bosses, eyewatering rotation-, tilting-, transparency or scaling effects with large and detailed characters sprites, all of which combined with an incredibly fast pace that doesn’t stutter a beat, not even in coop mode. Treasure were also a fun-loving bunch that managed to hide lots of little details and a quirky sense of humor in the animations and backgrounds that rarely fails to draw a smile to the players faces. The shooter mechanics are fresh, the idea to combine weapon types to create different effects is unique and yet very intuitive to handle, and the overall gameplay is fast, frantic and – most of all – immensely fun. You can never go wrong with a Treasure game on a Sega console – they’re all quite amazing – but if you only ever get to play one, then Gunstar Heroes should be your definite pick.

4th: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Review by Phantar: When Sega came up with Sonic the Hedgehog, they certainly shook up the platformer genre as a whole. Instead of a steadily-paced, linear side-scrolling affair, Sonic could explore immensely colorful, sprawling levels with differing paths, accompanied by a great soundtrack. Finally, there was a game that could truly prove the superiority of the new 16-bit Genesis platform over the established 8-bit scene. And yet, the first Sonic game seemed more like a promise than the realization of the true 16-bit potential. Yes, Sonic could, occasionally, go fast – but most of the time the pace of the game was relatively pedestrian. There was the potential of speed – and yet, the barely six levels seemed to take forever to finish, especially as the game dragged on. Sonic 2 took all that promise and potential and blasted the doors wide open. This game was more than just a sequel – it turned the Blue Blur into a true phenomenon. There were still sprawling levels, now reduced to just 2 instead of three acts – but now there were more of them, in much more versatile, lively environments. The new spindash ability, combined with a great stage design, gave a generation of gamers an entirely new idea what speed in gaming should truly feel like. Sonic 2 was a thrill ride, a fun rollercoaster in platformer fashion, scored with an amazing soundtrack. And little extras like 2 player coop – a feature not often seen in platformers until then – or even a vs mode were just icing on the cake. If there is one game that really showcases the Genesis’ abilities, that every gamer curious in the 16-bit platform should definitely play, it’s this one.

5th: Contra: Hard Corps

Review by Alianger: If I was god, the levels in this game would be about 20% longer, and the egg-shaped crawling robot segment would be removed from most paths. It would be the perfect run 'n gun game. Contra: HC is worth playing simply for the fact that it's an experimental entry in a very conservative series - they actually let you dodge attacks without that awkward jump here, and in the JP version you can take more than one hit before dying! As with Rocket Knight Adventures, Konami makes great use of the hardware for a fast and intense experience that basically never repeats itself.

Review by Phantar: Contra: Hard Corps took the Run’n’Gun formula of the Contra series, with its fast pace and relentless one-hit kills (well, in the NTSC and PAL versions – the Japanese original grants three hit points per life) and vastly improved on everything and anything the series had to offer until that date. Why limit players to 2 identical characters? Hard Corps offers a selection of 4, each with their own distinct weaponry and characteristics beyond just visuals: Fang has by far the strongest firepower, but his large frame makes it easier to get hit, while Browny is small enough that most bullets pass over his head, but gets weaker weaponry. Why just hint at an ongoing storyline in the manual? Hard Corps offers lengthy cutscenes with dialogue. And why send the player through the same levels with every playthrough? Hard Corps offers branching paths with new stages, different endings and hidden secrets. It looks great, plays at a fast pace with lots of sprites onscreen at once and nary a slowdown in sight. The sound is also fantastic, with meaty explosions shaking the screen and a pulse-pounding score. Hard Corps is also tough as nails, a challenge even for certified Contra veterans – but that just makes seeing all of its endings all the more satisfying.

6th: Shinobi III - Return of the Ninja Master

Review by JPEC83: Shinobi III did what all good sequels should, it took what works and expanded upon it while also experimenting with new ideas to make the experience fresh. It brought a significant visual overhaul and a new soundtrack that while unique, still matched Revenge of Shinobi thematically. It also gave Joe Musashi a bunch of new moves such as the ability to wall jump, spider walk and a jump kick. Each of the seven Rounds was large and varied and the action stages involving the horse and water-ski were especially memorable. I still have a personal preference for the prequel but Shinobi III is still one of the best action-platformers ever made.

7th: Thunder Force IV / Lightening Force

Review by Alianger: There's a bunch of great shoot 'em ups for the MD and this is the best horizontal one overall, as well as one of the best period. It's a pretty big leap from the prequel in several ways. The developers had really mastered the MD hardware at this point and their talent and attention to detail is visible throughout every aspect of the game, from the big, tough and intimidating bosses to the impressive and catchy soundtrack that somehow mixes metal and jazz fusion tracks in a way that works. I thought the great people at Technosoft overdid it a bit when trying to make up for the low difficulty of the prequel, to the point where some parts require precise memorization and having the special charge-up weapon ready, but it does still take first place in the series for me. An odd tidbit I can add is that while there's some slowdown here and there, it tends to be built in for effect.

8th: Phantasy Star IV

Review by Zebbe: I don't know if the lack of a Phantasy Star V is because the last installment sold poorly, but I'd like to think they stopped at IV because we don't need the franchise to go on. Phantasy Star IV ended it with a bang, a grand finale which let the series go full circle, tie all loose ends and wrap it in a silk package. The End of the Millennium takes a little bit from the three previous installments. The vehicles from the Master System original, now with spectacular battles. The deep narrative of the first Mega Drive RPG, now with character development which syncs with the battle system. The droids from Star War... Generations of Doom, now automatically repairing themselves when walking. But Phantasy Star IV is self-contained enough to be enjoyed on its own. The graphics are excellent, with battles full of animation and large sprites and countless manga-style cutscenes unlike any other 16-bit RPG. The music does the system justice with thick bass lines and crystal-clear bells, arranged in melancholic melodies and dramatic rhythms. Battles in an JRPG often suck and lead to constant pushes on the attack button, however that is not the case here. Characters, weapons, skills and techniques all have their different purposes, which fit different enemies at various locations. The combo attacks, where two or more characters attack at the same time for twice the mega power, are the cream of the crop. The rest of the gameplay is the typical RPG stuff, but hey, don't fix what isn't broken. I don't have much to complain about other than the shop and Tonoe music tracks, which annoy me. I could go on and on, but to sum it up I can just say the game feels like a complete experience, which needs no less and no more. With Phantasy Star IV, the developers knew all good things come to an end, and so has also this text.

9th: Revenge of Shinobi

Review by Mega Drive Bowlsey: Revenge of Shinobi is a Mega Drive/Genesis exclusive sequel to Sega's hit 1987 arcade game, Shinobi. Released in 1989 the game was an early excellent example of what Sega's new 16-bit machine was capable of, and certainly raised the bar for action platform games in general. Before we get into the gameplay of Revenge let's take a look at the game's plot. The ninja master Joe Musashi, known as the Shinobi, took on the criminal organisation known as Zeed and defeated them in a series of battles while rescuing their young hostages in the process. After the battle Joe returned to a peaceful life with his girlfriend Naoko and time passed, but the criminal empire Zeed was already in the process of rebuilding and had retribution in mind. Now known as Neo Zeed, the gang murdered Joe Musashi's old sensei and kidnapped Naoko in an attempt to lure Joe into a trap. The gang should perhaps have been careful what they wished for, because Joe Musashi is on his way, vengeance burning in his mind. This will be the Revenge of Shinobi! Gameplay wise Revenge is quite different from it's arcade predecessor. In fact Sega's 1989 arcade game Shadow Dancer (ported to the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1990) has far more in common with the original Shinobi game. This time around Joe has a health bar, which can be extended as the player progresses through the game, instead of the one hit deaths seen in the original arcade game (and Shadow Dancer), and there aren't any hostages to rescue, unless you count Joe's girlfriend. As Shinobi you make your way through several stages taking on your enemies with throwing knives (shuriken), which can be thrown with a simple tap of the B button, and your ninjitsu magic, which can be used by pressing the A button. If enemies get too close to Joe he can use his knife and swift kicks to quickly deal with them. Also if you pick up the 'P' power up icon the Shinobi gets a big boost to his attack. He throws flaming shuriken, which deal double damage to enemies, and any foe that gets too close to Joe will get a taste of cold ninja steel in the form of his samurai sword, which deals massive close quarters damage. Joe's ninjitsu magic is very useful and can be selected by pressing the start button to pause the game and then scrolling through the four choices available. At our ninja master's disposal is a spell to ward off all enemy attacks for a limited time, a spell which summons fire dragons that shoot across the screen dealing huge damage to enemies, a spell which greatly enhances your ability to jump and a spell in which Joe sacrifices himself in an explosion that costs you a life, but deals huge damage to everything on screen. You must use the ninja magic wisely as you can only use one spell per life, unless you find extra magic icons hidden in certain levels. Throughout the levels enemies you will encounter range from ninjas, samurai, attack dogs, soldiers, martial artists, nuns and Spider-Man. Yes THE Spider-Man! Don't ask! Along side it's excellent action platforming gameplay another huge reason to play Revenge of Shinobi is for it's truly amazing soundtrack. The music for the game was composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, who would later go on to compose the equally excellent scores for the Streets of Rage trilogy. Honestly, the music in Revenge is just about as good as it gets, and easily one of the best uses of the Mega Drive's sound hardware in the console's entire library of games. It's that good! In summing up, I know a lot of people prefer this games sequel, Shinobi III, which came out on the Mega Drive/Genesis several years later and would greatly improve both the graphics and range of abilities. Shinobi III is indeed an excellent game and deserves all the praise it gets, however it is a very different game in terms of pacing and overall gameplay when compared to Revenge. To each his own, but if you disregard Revenge due to it's age and looks when compared to later action platform games, like Shinobi III, you'll be missing out on quite simply one of the best Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games of all time.

10th: Castlevania Bloodlines / Vampire Killer

Review by Phantar: It took Konami a while to bring their most popular franchises to Sega platforms, but when they finally did, they went all-out. Instead of just porting a preexisting game to the Genesis or creating a carbon copy of the established NES (or SNES) formula, Konami took the established frameworks and fleshed them out. The Genesis versions of their famous franchises all received a unique, distinct character of their own - and were much better for it. While Castlevania: Bloodlines doesn’t stray too far from the established formula – we are still a generation away from the great Metrovania shakeup that was Symphony of the Night – the game certainly dared to mix things up a bit. For the first time, you don’t get to play as a Vampire Killer bearing the famous Belmont name, but as one of two different characters from the famous Bloodline – hence the subtitle – each with distinct characteristics. Both characters have a few distinct differences that lends a bit more variety to the game: John Morris can use the whip to swing from certain hooks for example, while Eric Lecarde can use his spear to vault to greater heights, both techniques opening up routes through the stages that remain locked to the other character. The weapons are also slightly different in reach and use – only one of them can attack diagonally while standing, for example, mixing things up a bit further. And Bloodlines was also more modern than earlier titles, not only in technology but the setting: A steampunkish, WW1 era traverse through Europe serves as the backdrop this time, opening up versatile locations and giving the game a darker, even gorier feel than its NES or SNES cousins – the darker color palettes of the Genesis make for a perfect fit for the horror trappings of the game. Rounding things out are some amazing mirror- and transparency effects and an appropriately moody soundtrack. This game's not just a trick but a true treat.

[Seingalt]

Rank	Screen Shot (Log-in needed)	Title	Genre	Points	Number of Votes	Highest individual Rank	2010 poll (Top 50)	Sega-16 Review
1st		Streets of Rage 2	Beat 'em up	2399.5	29	1st (six times)	3rd (up 2)	10/10
2nd		Sonic 3 & Knuckles	Platformer	1717.5	22	1st (nine times)	2nd (no change)	10/10 9/10
3rd		Gunstar Heroes	Run 'n' Gun	1598.0	23	2nd (three times)	4th (up 1)	10/10
4th		Sonic 2	Platformer	1442.5	20	1st (three times)	1st (down 3)	10/10
5th		Contra: Hard Corps	Run 'n' Gun	1364.5	22	2nd (twice)	7th (up 2)	9/10
6th		Shinobi III	Platformer / Action	1333.5	20	1st (once)	9th (up 3)	9/10
7th		Thunder Force IV / Lightening Force	Horizontal Shoot 'em up	1235.0	17	1st (twice)	10th (up 3)	10/10
8th		Phantasy Star IV	RPG	1050.0	14	1st (twice)	8th (no change)	9/10 Double Take by Zebbe
9th		Revenge of Shinobi	Platformer / Action	1005.0	13	1st (twice)	6th (down 3)	9/10
10th		Castlevania Bloodlines / Vampire Killer	Platformer / Action	963.0	17	4th (once)	14th (up 4)	9/10
11th		Sonic the Hedgehog	Platformer	946.5	14	2nd (twice)	5th (down 6)	10/10
12th		Rocket Knight Adventures	Action	861.5	13	1st (once)	12th (no change)	9/10
13th		Landstalker	Action-RPG	815.0	10	1st (once)	13th (no change)	9/10
14th		Shining Force II	Tactical RPG	779.0	11	1st (twice)	19th (up 5)	9/10
15th		Alien Soldier	Run 'n' Gun	741.0	12	3rd (twice)	11th (down 4)	9/10
16th		Aladdin	Platformer	599.5	11	8th (once)	17th (up 1)	8/10
17th		Monster World IV	Platformer / Action-Adventure	572.0	10	2nd (once)	39th (up 22)	10/10
18th		Flashback	Cinematic Platformer / Adventure	547.5	8	4th (once)	27th (up 9)	9/10
19th		Beyond Oasis / The Story of Thor	Action-RPG	534.5	9	5th (three times)	47th (up 28)	9/10
20th		Quackshot	Platformer	532.5	8	5th (once)	33rd (up 13)	8/10

[Seingalt]

Rank	Title	Points	Tie-Breaking Notes	2010 poll (Top50)
21st	Streets of Rage 3 / Bare Knuckle 3	526.0		16th (down 5)
22nd	Mega Turrican	501.5		new
23rd	MUSHA / Musha Aleste	477.5		15th (down 8)
24th	Ghouls 'n Ghosts	469.0		33rd (up 9)
25th	Road Rash II	463.5		new
26th	Earthworm Jim	435.5		25th (down 1)
27th	Ristar	430.5		23rd (down 4)
28th	Comix Zone	429.5		41st (up 13)
29th	ToeJam & Earl	400.0		18th (down 11)
30th	Shadow Dancer	399.0		32nd (up 2)
31st	Shining Force	392.0		new
32nd	Dynamite Headdy	372.5		28th (down 4)
33rd	TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist	368.5		31st (down 2)
34th	Streets of Rage	320.5		39th (up 5)
35th	Battle Mania Daiginjou	318.5		42nd (up 7)
36th	Light Crusader	316.5		new
37th	Yuuyuu Hakusho Makyou Toitsusen / Yu Yu Hakusho: Sunset Fighters	309.5		new
38th	Vectorman	309.0		24th (down 14)
39th	Crusader of Centy / Soleil	304.5		new
40th	Shining in the Darkness	288.0		new
41st	Golden Axe	286.0		37th (down 4)
42nd	Langrisser II	280.5		new
43rd	Castle of Illusion	279.0		20th (down 23)
44th	Xeno Crisis	275.5		new
45th	Super Street Figher II	275.0		new
46th	World of Illusion	274.0		new
47th	Gain Ground	257.5		new
48th	Eliminate Down	246.0		new
49th	Wonderboy in Monster World	245.5		36th (down 13)
50th	Marble Madness (Japanese version by Tengen)	244.5		new
51st	Jungle Strike	243.5		new
52nd	Dragon's Fury / Devil Crash MD	234.0		new
53rd	Starflight	225.0	3 votes; best rank: 7th (once); Rep. Power 71	new
54th	Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament	225.0	3 votes; best rank: 7th (once); Rep. Power 14	new
55th	Ecco the Dolphin	218.5		46th (down 9)
56th	Thunder Force III	217.0		22nd (down 34)
57th	Golden Axe II	213.0		38th (down 19)
58th	Mercs	211.0		new
59th	Desert Strike	208.0		new
60th	Adventures of Batman & Robin, The	203.0		45th (down 15)
61st	Mega Man - The Wily Wars / Rockman Mega World	201.0		new
62nd	Panorama Cotton	198.5		20th (down 42)
63rd	General Chaos	197.0		new
64th	Super Hang-On	177.0		new
65th	Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition	170.0		new
66th	Sunset Riders	168.5		new
67th	Pulseman	167.0		new
68th	Strider	162.0		new
69th	Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure	147.0		new
70th	Granada	139.0		new
71st	Fire Shark	138.0		new
72nd	Kid Chameleon	136.5		44th (down 28)
73rd	Sub-Terrania	128.0		new
74th	Ranger X	127.0		43rd (down 31)
75th	Zombies Ate My Neighbors	124.5		new
76th	NHL Hockey / EA Hockey	122.0		new
77th	Road Rash 3	121.5		new
78th	Gauntlet IV	121.0		new
79th	NHL 96 / Elitserien 96	120.0		new
80th	Atomic Runner	119.0		new
81st	Gleylancer	117.0		new
82nd	Greatest Heavyweights	114.0		new
83rd	Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament '96	113.5		new
84th	Gaiares	112.5		new
85th	X-Men 2	111.5		new
86th	Mega Bomberman	110.5		29th (down 57)
87th	NHL 94	110.0		new
88th	Shadowrun	107.0		new
89th	Alisia Dragoon	103.0		new
90th	Road Rash	100.0	2 votes; best rank: 5th	new
91st	PGA Tour Golf III	100.0	2 votes; best rank: 6th	new
92nd	Super Monaco GP	100.0	2 votes; best rank: 20th	new
93rd	Warrior of Rome II	96.0		new
94th	Jewel Master	93.0		new
95th	Rock n' Roll Racing	92.0		new
96th	Herzog Zwei	91.0		26th (down 70)
97th	NBA Jam	90.0	1 vote; Rep. Power 96	new
98th	Sensible Soccer: International Edition	90.0	1 vote; Rep. Power 78	new
99th	Truxton	87.0	1 vote; Rep. Power 84	50th (down 49)
100th	Gynoug	87.0	1 vote; Rep. Power 71	new

You think that 100 games aren't enough or want to take a deeper look at the results?
Well, here is a zipped Excel-file that contains all 164 games that received votes as well as the score calculations for the rep-weighted as well as the equal-weighted list: Sega-16 Top 100 stats.zip
If anything is unclear to you or you think that you discovered an error (although I worked very conscientiously and double-checked every entry) feel free to PM me or post in the thread.

[Seingalt]

Thanks to all participants!

Name (alphabetically)	Link	Top Pick
Alianger	post #10	Rocket Knight Adventures
Baloo	post #20	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Barone	post #12	Streets of Rage 2
Benkei789	post #15	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
BubsyFan1	post #97	Thunder Force IV
Cafeman	post #24	Sonic 2
chilled	post #89	Streets of Rage 2
cowboyscowboys	post #68	Streets of Rage 2
English Invader	post #46	Ghostbusters
fantat	post #175	Streets of Rage 2
goldenband	post #81	Gain Ground
Gryson	post #39	Landstalker
joyeux	post #13	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Ken	post #176	Shinobi III
JAFP78	post #177	Streets of Rage 2
JPEC83	post #53	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Loggo	post #108	Shadow Dancer
maringouin11	post #152	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Mega Drive Bowlsey	post #87	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
MushaAleste	post #162	MUSHA
OverDrone	post #146	Thunder Force IV
paulojr_mam	post #98	Sonic 3
Phantar	post #71	Sonic 2
profholt82	post #63	Revenge of Shinobi
RvR	post #23	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sarge	post #11	Phantasy Star IV
Seingalt (not eligible)	post #135	The Story of Thor
sjorspion	post #22	Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sp1nzoK	post #172	Shining Force II
SpaceFlea	post #143	Shining Force II
Spendle	post #54	Sonic 2
Splatterhouse5	post #171	Streets of Rage 2
Team Andromeda	post #19	Revenge of Shinobi
Zebbe	post #17	Phantasy Star IV

[Seingalt]

Ten years ago I polled the Sega-16 community trying to determine the best 50 Mega Drive/Genesis games.
Now in order to give a voice to newer members, capture the changes produced by the passage of time and enlarge the list to 100 games I’ll conduct a similar poll again. I also made some changes to the rules and the scoring system. Additionally the emphasis this time is on best games as opposed to personal favorites.

I’m aware that there is some frustration around this topic because an earlier attempt to make a Top 100 list failed when the initiator failed to post the results but instead left the forum for good.
However having timely completed the Top 50 and a much smaller poll about Master System games earlier this year you can trust me to deliver as promised.

If you want to participate please post a ranked list of what you think that the 20 best Mega Drive/Genesis games are.

Scoring

Rank	Points (base value)
1st	50
2nd	43
3rd	38
4th	36
5th	35
6th	34
7th	33
8th	32
9th	31
10th	30
11th	29
12th	28
13th	27
14th	26
15th	25
16th	24
17th	23
18th	22
19th	21
20th	20

Not all lists are weighed equally; instead a multiplier that depends on the voter‘s Reputation (as of February 28th 2021) will be applied:

Rep Power	Multiplier
0-4	1x
5-9	1.5x
10-19	2x
20-49	2.5x
50 or higher	3x

For clarification and overview I attach this scoring chart:
scoring chart.zip

Examples:
If you have Rep Power <5 each game will receive the points that are listed above.
If you have Rep Power 7 a multiplier of 1.5 will be applied to your list (e.g. 1st place will receive 75 points; 20th place will receive 30 points).
If you have Rep Power 35 the game you rank 6th will receive 85 points.


Most likely there’ll be several instances of 2 or more games with the same total number of points. In order to post a real Top 100 I’ll use the following tie-breaking criteria:
1. higher number of people that voted for the game
2. best rank on any list
3. number of times that the best rank was attained
4. higher Rep Power of the members who voted for the best rank
5. repeat steps 2 – 4 for the 2nd best rank on any list; then for the 3rd best rank and so on.


For comparison I will also provide an alternative Top 100 ranking that weighs all lists equally irrespective of the voter’s Rep Power. However Rep Power will still be used for step 4 of the tie breaking procedure.


Rules
Games from all regions are eligible; also all the after-market games that are not licenced by SEGA but have been physically released are eligible.

Mega/Sega CD and 32x games are not eligible.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles counts as one game.

There is no limit on games from the same series (a restriction would be relevant mostly for sports games where the difference between consecutive installments is small; but since sports games are rather unpopular I decided to keep things as simple as possible).

You can revise your list until February 28th, 2021. To do this edit your original list; don’t post a second list. However a new post that states that you have edited your list and gives the post# of your list is helpful.

For the sake of optics and fairness I’m not allowed to vote.


Results
Results will be posted according to the following timetable:
Rank 21-100: March 1st, 2021
Rank 11-20: March 3rd, 2021
Rank 6-10: March 5th, 2021
Rank 1-5: March 7th, 2021

I’ll be as transparent as possible about the ranking and scoring. For each Top 100 game the accumulated points as well as any applied tie breaking procedures will be listed.

Additionally on March 7th, 2021 I will also post a zipped Excel-file that contains the complete results and all the calculations.


Miscellaneous
If you are not 100% sure about the ranking I urge you to post a preliminary ranking soon and edit it later. This will make sure that you won’t forget to post/miss the deadline and it will also encourage other members to vote too.
The success of this project depends on your participation! The Top 100 list will only be meaningful if a large number of forum members vote!

I reserved the first four posts for an enhanced presentation of the results. Please PM me if you can help out with screen shots or are smart about presentation.

I may edit this post over the following days in order to rectify omissions, clarify some rules, add FAQs and fix my hideous grammar. Significant additions I’ll also post separately.

FAQs

"Additionally the emphasis this time is on best games as opposed to personal favorites."

Can you explain what you mean by that? I would give the same response unless I'm supposed to take average ratings elsewhere into account (and/or sales?), which then wouldn't be a personal list.

By personal favorite I refer to a game to which you have a special attachment (e.g. because of some childhood memories or because you are very good at the game and always beat your friends at it) even so you honestly think that the game is bad.
Obviously it’s never possible to be totally objective in this regard but you should try to rank the games by quality.
However you are not supposed to take ratings by other people or sales into account just your own best judgement regarding the quality of the games.

[Alianger]

"Additionally the emphasis this time is on best games as opposed to personal favorites."

Can you explain what you mean by that? I would give the same response unless I'm supposed to take average ratings elsewhere into account (and/or sales?), which then wouldn't be a personal list.

[Seingalt]

"Additionally the emphasis this time is on best games as opposed to personal favorites."

Can you explain what you mean by that? I would give the same response unless I'm supposed to take average ratings elsewhere into account (and/or sales?), which then wouldn't be a personal list.

By personal favorite I refer to a game to which you have a special attachment (e.g. because of some childhood memories or because you are very good at the game and always beat your friends at it) even so you honestly think that the game is bad.

Obviously it’s never possible to be totally objective in this regard but you should try to rank the games by quality.

However you are not supposed to take ratings by other people or sales into account just your own best judgement regarding the quality of the games.

(I added your question and this answer to the FAQ section of post #5)

[chilled]

Awesome!

How would you prevent, if at all possible, for people to cook their lists in order to rise less popular games on the final list ? I'd be tempted to place Kid Chamaleon on my top 5 just to raise it higher on the final list. I'm tempted, but I won't

[Seingalt]

Can someone please tell me if the scoring chart attachment works?

How would you prevent, if at all possible, for people to cook their lists in order to rise less popular games on the final list ?

Unfortunately I think there’s no way to prevent this entirely, in the end we have to put our trust in the honesty of the forum members.

However I introduced two partial safeguards (in comparison to the 2010 poll):
1. The scoring is not as steep as the last time: The 3rd place receives slightly less than 2 times as many points as the lowest (20th) place (38 vs. 20 points); in 2010 the 3rd place received more than 6 times as many points as the 20th place (31 vs. 5 points).
2. The higher weightings that are accorded to voters with higher Rep Power should also help to mitigate the effect of manipulation attempts (new accounts created solely to influence the poll would have zero rep power and therefore a lower weighting).

[Alianger]

1. Rocket Knight Adventures
2. Panorama Cotton
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
4. Langrisser II
5. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
6. Contra: Hard Corps (Japanese version)
7. Mega Bomberman
8. Ristar
9. Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament '96
10. Landstalker
11. Thunder Force IV
12. Shining Force II
13. Battle Mania Daiginjou
14. Gunstar Heroes
15. M.U.S.H.A./MUSHA Aleste
16. Dynamite Headdy (Japanese version)
17. Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Toitsusen
18. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
19. Monster World IV
20. Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium

[Sarge]

Well, let's see what a Nintendo guy can come up with here. I certainly looked on many of these titles with envy back in the day.

01. Phantasy Star IV
02. Streets of Rage 2
03. Gunstar Heroes
04. Shining Force II
05. Beyond Oasis
06. Monster World IV
07. Ristar
08. Shinobi III
09. Shining Force
10. TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist
11. Streets of Rage
12. Ranger X
13. Landstalker
14. Castlevania Bloodlines
15. Contra: Hard Corps
16. Crusader of Centy
17. Shadow Dancer
18. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
19. Sonic the Hedgehog
20. Vectorman

[Barone]

Thanks a lot for this thread! This is the kind of discussion we used to had more frequently years ago.

Somehow, I think it's far more difficult to me without the add-ons. But I'll give it a shot.

1st: Streets of Rage 2
2nd: Sonic the Hedgehog
3rd: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
4th: Gunstar Heroes
5th: Rocket Knight Adventures
6th: Contra: Hard Corps
7th: Ristar
8th: Quackshot
9th: Thunder Force IV
10th: Alien Soldier
11th: Flashback
12th: Mega Turrican
13th: Gauntlet IV
14th: Xeno Crisis
15th: Eliminate Down
16th: Pulseman
17th: Dynamite Headdy
18th: Splatterhouse 2
19th: Marble Madness (Tengen/JPN version)
20th: Undeadline

[joyeux]

My list has many obvious choices, and I'm a sucker for Sonic:

1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
2 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
3 Sonic the Hedgehog
4 Flashback
5 Streets of Rage 2
6 Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition
7 Turma da Mônica na Terra dos Monstros (Wonderboy in Monster World)
8 Mega Man - The Wily Wars
9 Quackshot
10 Castle of Illusion
11 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
12 Castlevania Bloodlines
13 Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
14 Disney's Aladdin
15 Shinobi 3
16 Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP 2
17 Mortal Kombat II
18 Fifa Soccer '95
19 Thunder Force IV
20 Road Rash

[chilled]

I'm honestly curious to see if Xeno Crisis or Paprium (or any other homebrew, but I guess those are the ones with the more chances to) are entering many top 20

[Benkei789]

1 Sonic 3 & Knuckles
2 Streets of Rage 2
3 Streets of Rage 3
4 Sonic 2
5 Kid Chameleon
6 Castlevania Bloodlines
7 Wonder Boy in Monster World
8 Monster World IV
9 Xeno Crisis
10 Zombies Ate My Neighbors
11 Shinobi 3
12 Quackshot
13 Golden Axe 2
14 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist
15 Gunstar Heroes
16 Sunset Riders
17 Road Rash 2
18 Alien Soldier
19 Rocket Knight Adventures
20 Contra