Retro Video Gamer

Ok we have a thread about Sega Megadrive/Genesis must have games but what about the most technically advanced games for the system?

First i will throw up is Vectorman.

(http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/extra/GAMES2/large/Sega_Classic_Diary_4_Vectorman_09large.jpg)

Vectorman was blessed with pre-rendered, 3D-like graphics. Vectorman not only looked beaufitul, but also provided some fantastic animations.

Funny that there is an identical thread currently running over at Sega-16 site.

I will offer Toy Story with its pre-rendered 3D sprites. I also have to say that the RC race as a mini game in Toy Story is highly fun.

[align=center:3btutoqi][Full GamePlay] Toy Story [Sega Megadrive/Genesis] (//http)[/align:3btutoqi]

I suppose there will be loads of similar threads around the net..

I have Vectorman and it sequel, Vectorman 2.  Both are very nice games and I love the graphics.

[align=center:39i4fif5]Vectorman 2 (Sega Genesis) Gameplay (//http)[/align:39i4fif5]

Vectorman and Toy Story are both excellent shouts, released late in the system's life and do things that nobody thought the system was capable of.

My first pick though is Red Zone, a superb overhead shooter that fakes SNES Mode 7 perfectly and at a better speed than many of the similar games on Nintendo's machine! It also has an incredible FMV style intro that you would never expect from a cartridge game. This title really does prove that the Mega Drive is more than a match for the Super Nintendo:

[align=center:21i9e39v]Mega Drive Longplay [210] Red Zone (//http)[/align:21i9e39v]

That looks fantastic!

That does look pretty damn good but i think the helicopter scenes would make me sick lol.

Quote from: "zapiy"That does look pretty damn good but i think the helicopter scenes would make me sick lol.

Too realistic for you? 

Lol if a real helicopter does that its usually about to crash..

So i have been doing some research on this subject and a game called Panorama Cotton which was a Jap only release appears to be a game that really pushed the system to its limits.

Anyone familiar with this game?

Panorama Cotton Gameplay (Sega Genesis/MD) (//http)

It's an incredibly impressive Space Harrier clone but also an incredibly expensive one, a very rare game that demands a lot of money sadly!

Wow, I really like the look of that.  The music is also pretty cool. 

I'd personally pick The Adventures of Batman & Robin. That game pulls off so much cool stuff I wouldn't know where to start. It'd probably be easier if I just link a few videos and just let them explain themselves.

Batman and Robin (Genesis) Boss 9 Mad Hatter (No Damage) (//http)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97iR1k3Ryc#t=294 (//http)

If you can't see the effect here, skip to 4:54.

Then you've also got stuff like fog effects, a hint of scaling and rotation, 3D objects done sort of Vectorman's method,

Awesome choice actually fella.. Not ones i would have considered but definately worth the mention.

That was actually going to be the next game I mentioned myself!

Before you laugh, Dick Vitale's Awesome Baby College Hoops proved that MD could in fact do mode 7 effects just like SNES.

Dick Vitale's Awesome Baby! College Hoops (//http)

Bloody hell!  :69:

Quote from: "The Laird"Bloody hell!  :69:

I happened upon it by accident, finding it at a thrift one day. Not a huge sports game fan, but I cleaned it and tested it like I always do and was shocked to see mode 7 effects in a Genesis game. It reminds me highly of NCAA Basketball on SNES but runs faster than that game.

Quote from: "sloan"

Quote from: "The Laird"Bloody hell!  :69:

I happened upon it by accident, finding it at a thrift one day. Not a huge sports game fan, but I cleaned it and tested it like I always do and was shocked to see mode 7 effects in a Genesis game. It reminds me highly of NCAA Basketball on SNES but runs faster than that game.

There are quite a few games with "Mode 7" effects on the Mega Drive, I already posted Red Zone in this thread.

Another highly impressive game is Mickey Mania (skip to 1:25):

[align=center:15qegu5v]Mickey Mania On SEGA Mega Drive (Genesis) Part 3 (//http)[/align:15qegu5v]

Technically impressive, but is that really mode 7?

I associate mode 7 with rotation and scaling as well as zooming into the screen. Think F-Zero. That is why, although Batman and Robin is impressive, I don't associate those effects with mode 7.

Quote from: "sloan"Technically impressive, but is that really mode 7?

I associate mode 7 with rotation and scaling as well as zooming into the screen. Think F-Zero. That is why, although Batman and Robin is impressive, I don't associate those effects with mode 7.

No, I didn't mean it was mode 7, I said it was another technically impressive game

Oops, just reread your post. My mistake.

Another game worth mentioning if you want to see some awesome scaling effects is the highly under rated shooter Granada, this game is a real favourite of mine:

[align=center:2yav80eb]Mega Drive Longplay [253] Granada (//http)[/align:2yav80eb]

That Basketball game is awesome.. Nice one, and agreed Laird that Granada game is pretty damn good.

How about Virtua Racing?

Virtua Racing PAL Megadrive (Game Complete) (//http)

Maybe a predictable addition but still a worthy mention for this thread. It was one of the few fully 3D games of the 16-bit era and included the Sega Virtua Processor inside the cart.

Yeah I agree with this one, even though Virtua Racing uses the SVP chip it's still incredibly impressive just how close they got it to the arcade game.

It's a real shame Sega never made more SVP games as this game showed real potential over what could be done. Mind you I remember it costing about £70 back in the day so the cost probably had a lot to do with it!

Impressive titles with great gameplay. Now even more reasons to enjoy the system.

[align=center:7gh4yz5e]Nobody posted this yet, the incredibly impressive MD version of Street Racer:

Mega Drive Longplay [178] Street Racer (//http)[/align:7gh4yz5e]

Yeah thats a very good version fella..

Never played it. Hard to believe that is a 16-bit Sega racing game.

Quote from: "onthinice"Never played it. Hard to believe that is a 16-bit Sega racing game.

It's a great game, I own the Saturn version though which is even better.

Can i put something a little different?

The micro-machine games always impressed me with the extra ports, and to this day is the only time Ive played a 8 players at once racing game with only 4 pads and no multi-tap!

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Mega_drive_j-cart.jpg)
(http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1254732503-00.jpg)
(http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1237479526-00.jpg)

That's a nice choice for a different reason!

Quote from: "The Laird"That's a nice choice for a different reason!

Aye, all very late in Megadrives life - think I was playing this in between sessions on my new Playstation lol

Oh wow, that looks awesome!  I didn't realize those carts had extra ports for controllers!  Very nice!  Which one of those three games is the best?

[align=center:mpemajo0]This definitely needs a mention, I still can't quite believe that this game actually exists!

Mega Drive Longplay [219] Duke Nukem 3D (//http)[/align:mpemajo0]

For me, I think the Sonic bonus / special stages are great examples of the 3D rendering on the MegaDrive / Genesis

I think the future game "Antarex" by 1985 Alternativo, goes to show, as can reach the console to the limits in several facets:

Go to 5mins, 04 seconds:
http://youtu.be/g9tVrtriprQ?t=5m4s (//http)

http://youtu.be/Yd1UD7QwcU8 (//http)

http://youtu.be/YYrD7yWeXcI (//http)

That does look impressive.  Any idea of when that is going to be released?

Quote from: "TrekMD"Oh wow, that looks awesome!  I didn't realize those carts had extra ports for controllers!  Very nice!  Which one of those three games is the best?

Yo.

Little late perhaps but I think '96 was the one we played the most.

Quote from: "WiggyDiggyPoo"

Quote from: "TrekMD"Oh wow, that looks awesome!  I didn't realize those carts had extra ports for controllers!  Very nice!  Which one of those three games is the best?

Yo.

Little late perhaps but I think '96 was the one we played the most.

Better late than never.    Thanks!

Can't wait for Antarex, it looks amazing.

That does look fantastic.

I just thought of another game I want to mention, the excellent OutRun 2019.

Not only is this game unbelievably fast with some really impressive scaling techniques but it also has a really superb sound track too. It might not be a proper entry into the OutRun series but it's a very good game in it's own right and cheap to pick up too!

[align=center:22t79ngl]Mega Drive Longplay [150] Outrun 2019 (//http)[/align:22t79ngl]

That looks cool and the music is great!

I would have to go with Gunstar Heroes, that game could have looked at home running on an AES.  The detail of the sprites with little to no slowdown and the scaling are still impressive.

Quote from: "Ben"I would have to go with Gunstar Heroes, that game could have looked at home running on an AES.  The detail of the sprites with little to no slowdown and the scaling are still impressive.

Treasure were experts at pushing the hardware, Alien Soldier is an impressive game too!

[align=center:2q6eixrw]Mega Drive Longplay [050] Alien Soldier (//http)[/align:2q6eixrw]

Wow, that game looks amazing!  I can see it is not an easy one to find in the US. 

Quote from: "TrekMD"Wow, that game looks amazing!  I can see it is not an easy one to find in the US.

Or here, it was one of the last games released for the MD.

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"Wow, that game looks amazing!  I can see it is not an easy one to find in the US.

Or here, it was one of the last games released for the MD.

I don't think it was released in the US ever.  It only appears as an MD game.  The only way to get one for the Genesis is to have a modified reproduction made that works on NTSC systems.

I think you are right actually, only Jap and PAL.

Quote from: "The Laird"I think you are right actually, only Jap and PAL.

Yep, that's all I find. 

Gunstar Heroes for me too. Amazing technical job - and a great game too.

Vectorman is lovely too. Really solid feel to the controls which I like.

Another game worth a mention is Mazin Wars, not only does it use some tricks to get extra colours on screen but the boss battles are epic with their huge sprites and zoomed in fights.

[align=center:1y4ubpzl]Sega Genesis - Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter (//http)[/align:1y4ubpzl]

I've seen mixed reviews for that game.  Do you have it?

Quote from: "TrekMD"I've seen mixed reviews for that game.  Do you have it?

Yes, I do and it's excellent. I must write a review of it actually at some point, can't quite believe I haven't!

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"I've seen mixed reviews for that game.  Do you have it?

Yes, I do and it's excellent. I must write a review of it actually at some point, can't quite believe I haven't!

Ah, cool.  This is based on the Mazinger stuff that I like so much. 

Quote from: "TrekMD"

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"I've seen mixed reviews for that game.  Do you have it?

Yes, I do and it's excellent. I must write a review of it actually at some point, can't quite believe I haven't!

Ah, cool.  This is based on the Mazinger stuff that I like so much.

Yep, I was quite surprised you didn't already own it!

I was going to until I read and saw some negative reviews on it.