Topics

[Blazing Lazers]

I have only played a fairly small selection of the library (PCE emulation is rubbish) but here are the best 10 games I have for my TurboGrafx. Please feel free to post your own like in the other threads!

Blazing Lazers - This was the game that came free with the limited release PAL version of the system and what a game. One of the best vertically scrolling shooters I have ever played with great graphics, brilliant sound, well designed levels, no slowdown and fantastic power-ups.

Ninja Spirit - A conversion by Namco of thier own arcade game this is the TG equivalent of the MD's Revenge Of Shinobi with some really original elements too. In this fighting game when you power up your ninja gains "spirits" who run along side you and follow your attacks for extra fighting power!

Pacland - I am not normally a fan of platformers but have always loved this game from the first time I played it in an arcade. I think its probably because I loved the Pacman cartoon this game is based on so much as a kid, but its a great conversion anyway and I still hum the soundtrack all the time to this very day.

R-Type - Fun fact here: this game was the very first PC Engine game I ever played and what a first game to have tried! Back then I just couldn't believe a home console could do an arcade game like this so well, even today this is one of thebest horizontal shoot 'em ups available anywhere.

Outrun - Sega's driving classic is without doubt one of the best games ever made with my favourite video game soundtrack ever made. This version for the NEC machine is absolutely superb and even more impressive than the one on Sega's own Megadrive console!

Galaga '90 - The original Galaga was the sequel to the classic Galaxian and was one of the first shooting games to add scrolling. This updated version keeps all the classic gameplay and adds a ton of new features to make this pretty much the perfect retro shoot 'em up experience!

Devil Crush - I love pinball and even more I love fantasy pinball, this game is the latter and definately one of the best out there. Use the flippers to fire the ball at all sorts of monsters and try to lock it in the holes to play the amazingly good looking bonus games.

Splatterhouse - Quite simply one of the most horrifically violent video games ever made this scrollig beat 'em up quite blatently takes its inspiration from various Hollywood horror films with your main character bearing an uncanny resemblance to one Jason Vorhees from Friday 13th.

Final Lap Twin - Can Namco do any wrong on this system? It seems not as half this list is taken up by their games. Here we have another great arcade conversion that will surely satisfy your need for speed. What makes this game even better is the split screen 2-player mode!

Space Harrier - I am a real sucker for all things Sega and especially these classic super scaler arcade games so I couldn't help but add this to my list. The best console version of its era; the graphics are great, sound is wonderful with both excellent music and speech and the game plays just like it should.

I recently made a load of videos on YouTube that showcase the "Mikey" chip inside the Lynx. Hope you enjoy them!

Slime World Atari Lynx Music

Alien Vs. Predator - Atari Lynx - Level 2 Music

Electrocop - Atari Lynx - Music

Blue Lightning - Atari Lynx - Music

Klax - Atari Lynx - Music

Here is one of mine:



Angus McGregor from Kasumi Ninja on the Atari Jaguar. What is not to love about a ginger Scotsman who shoots fire balls out of his dick? 

[Aircars]

Here we go then with A . . . . .

Aircars - Atari Jaguar

[Streets Of Rage 2]

It's pretty hard to choose on a format with such a vast library but here we go anyway, these are my top 25 games (in no order) for the Megadrive. You might notice the lack of platformers because I hate them 

Streets Of Rage 2 - This game is in the right place, for me SOR2 is the finest video game ever made. It really does have no faults at all. It looks amazing, sounds even better and plays like a dream. Beat 'em up perfection that is made even more perfect by the addition of a second player.

Ultimate Qix - Also known as Volfied in Japan this is a great sequel to Taito's classic arcade game Qix. The object is still the same, to try and gain a set percentage of the screen by drawing lines. But the Qix is now a proper enemy, the graphics are great and there are added power-ups too!

Vapor Trail - A conversion of a little known arcade game by Data East this game is very similar in many ways to the classic Raiden. For me this is the best vertically scrolling shoot 'em up on the Megadrive and features one of my favourite game soundtracks on the system too.

Speedball 2 - Brilliant on the Amiga and ST this game is every bit as good on the MD. This is futuristic sports action at its finest as you take out enemy players, collect money, sign genetic freaks and collect all the power-ups. If you like sports games then Speedball 2 is a must have.

Robocop Vs. Terminator - If there is an award for most violent game on the system then this game takes first place. You are Robocop as you walk around the many varied levels blowing the living crap out of everything in site. Pure mindless violence at its finest!

Mercs - Way ahead of Streetfighter 2 as Capcom's finest moment on the machine for me, Mercs, is a wonderful sequel to the classic Commando. What makes this MD version even more spanky is that as well as the arcade game you get a brand new exclusive MD mode!!!

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - For me this game is well ahead of Columns as the MD's best puzzle games. It was known as Puyo Puyo in Japan but was brilliantly re-done with a Sonic theme for the western market and is an incredibly addictive affair only made better by the addition of a friend!

Outrun - While the MD version might not be the best one out there this game is still Outrun! For me the finest driving game ever made with the most iconic video game soundtrack ever produced. The MD version crams in everything needed to make this a very faithful conversion.

Golden Axe - Another truely great scrolling beat 'em up on a machine that has more than it's fair share the MD version of Golden Axe goes one better than its arcade daddy by adding an extra level to the action. One of the first games to show what the machine could do its every bit as great to this very day.

Revenge Of Shinobi - No MD list would be complete without this game, it's highly rated for a reason! This wonderful action game is certainly not easy but it has a great lerning curve and you will want to get further just to see more of its beautiful graphics and hear more of its brilliant music.

Gynoug - There are so many horizontal shoot 'em ups for the MD but this game is one of the very best. Using a fantasy theme it has you flying through various worlds as a winged warrior shooting down all sorts of mythical beasts and monsters. Some of the graphical effects in this game are also very impressive too.

Side Pocket - I have lost count of the number of hours me and my brother have spent playing this game over the years. Pool games are not the easiest to find on consoles, especially ones that look and sound this great with its wonderfully cheesy take on the classic film The Color Of Money.

Dragon's Fury - I am a real sucker for pinball games and this fantasy take on the genre is simply incredible. The best game in a series that started life on the PC Engine, Dragon's Fury, features super realistic ball movement, amazing visuals, great sound and some brilliant sub-games.

Sensible Soccer - While I have to say the Mega CD version of this game is better this is still the best football game on every machine it has appeared on and the MD is no exception. You won't see any fancy graphics or sound here but you will experience some of the best gameplay known to man.

Mega Bomberman - There is no doubting that the Bomberman games are the best multi-player party games ever made but what I especially like about this "mega" version is that it also adds a really good 1-player mode that you can get your teeth into!

Virtua Racing - By adding a special chip called the SVP Sega managed to pull off this highly unlikely conversion to the Megadrive. The 3D graphics are really impressive and you won't quite a believe the system is pulling it off. Fans of the arcade game will really lap this great racer up.

Pit-Fighter - This game seems to get a lot of unfair hate but for me its one of my favourite games ever made. A conversion of the Atari arcade game its a fighter that uses digitised graphics and sound to portray the action and follows the classic film Kickboxer very closely indeed in its style.

Road Rash II - Electronic Arts greatest moment it's a shame they can't make games like this anymore instead of the endless shitty versions of FIFA they churn out. One or 2 players can jump on a bike and race down roads smacking the crap out of everyone else on the road including police!

Thunderforce II - This series is always talked about as the best shoot 'em up franchise ever but you never hear this game mentioned as its finest moment. Well for me it is as I think the top down view and multi-directional scrolling is brilliant and adds something really different to the genre.

Gauntlet IV – This series of games is brilliant on every format that it has appeared on and this MD version is, for me, the best of the lot. As well as featuring a traditional arcade style game for up to 4 players it also has a totally new quest mode to the equation that great in 1-player!

Gain Ground – One of the most under rated games for the system this is a big favourite among the hardcore fans and its easy to see why. Combining elements of adventure games, RPG's and strategy war games what you have here is a wonderfully original must have title for the 16-bit Sega.

Granada – It's a crying shame this brilliant shooter from Renovation never got a release in the UK because its an incredibly impressive. Featuring scaling and rotation effects this game really shows that the MD can match anything the SNES can put out.

Toe Jam & Earl – Possibly one of the most original games ever made this is without doubt one of the funniest. Good in one player this game is outstanding in two player as you and a friend go exploring crazy alien worlds in search of the parts for your missing spaceship.

Zero Tolerance – Nobody thought a FPS on the humble Megadrive would have been possible but this game proves everyone wrong! The game window might be small but it packs a big punch as you run around the levels blowing away the bad guys. It also features link-up play too!

Sonic The Hedgehog – It might not be the best game in the series but I feel like I can't finish this top 25 without mentioning the game that put the Megadrive on the map and made kids reject the fat immigrant plumber in favour of an ultra cool blue hedgehog!

[Battle Morph]

Here is my top 15 must have Jaguar CD games in no order:

Battle Morph - A simply stunning sequel to the original pack-in game Cybermorph this follows the same space shooting/exploration theme but with bigger and more varied worlds, texture mapped 3D, better frame rate and a wonderfully melodic CD sound track. Best game available for the Jag CD.

Myst - This massive adventure game might have been released for a ton of different formats but for me the Jag CD version is the best as it features more colours on screen than most of its contemporaries, save game facility and far better loading times too which is the bain of some of the other versions.

Impulse X - At time of writing this hasn't been released but as soon as it has I just know its going to quickly become a massive favourite of mine as this is a souped up Arkanoid clone with the ability to create your own levels!

Iron Soldier 2 - It's also available as a more expensive cartridge but the CD version rules for the obvious reasons of having much better sound with some great music, save game to memory track and a great intro. A very worthy sequel to the original IS.

Jaguar Hockey - This is actually just a CD version of the game Brett Hull Hockey but with an altered name to avoid copyright infringement as it was a hobby release a few years ago. Features cinepak video sequences and much better sound over the cart version and a few minor gameplay differences.

World Tour Racing - Programmed by Teque (Krysallis London) it corrects everything Checkered Flag did wrong. It has super smooth and very fast texture mapped 3D graphics, a great soundtrack and tons of great tracks too.

Vid Grid - Originally this game came free with the Jag CD and its a bloody awesome version of those sliding puzzle games you had as a kid only using cinepak videos by the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Peter Gabriel.

Hoverstrike: Unconquered Land - Much better than the cart version and probably the one game that pushes the Jag more than any other. Always wows people when I put it on at shows with its incredible lighting effects and super smooth texture mapped polygons.

Soul Star - Brilliant update of the already excellent Mega-CD game with some beautiful visuals and a great soundtrack. The only Core Design game that was finished for the system it never got an official release but can be got hold of very easily.

Gorf - You will have to pay a fair whack to get hold of it but when you do you have the only arcade perfect console port out there and a game that you will never tire of. Went down an absolute storm in the high score compo at Retro Gaming Revolution last year.

Baldies - Absolutely no reason for this to be a CD game but its still amazingly engrossing nontheless. Think Command & Conquer but with cartoon style graphics and you are pretty close. Was later ported to the PS1 in a simplified form.

Painter - Simple homebrew strategy / puzzle game that is not only amazingly fun to play but also fiendishly addictive. Its one of those games that will just grow on you the more you play it. Was programmed by legendary ST PD team Sinister Developments.

Primal Rage - Ok its also been converted to loads of other systems but the Jag version is the best one with some superb animation, loads of detail and all the moves from the arcade original. Horrid loading times though.

Robinson's Reqiuem - The most recent commercial game to be released for the system, picked up by Songbird years after being finished, its the best version of the game by far. It has a superb fully textured mapped polygon enviroment and is as big an adventure game as you are going to find from this period.

Highlander - Real marmite game this one everyone seem to either really hate it or really love it. I am in the latter group (I love marmite too!). It uses absolutely incredible looking rendered backdrops with overlayed polygon sprites, much like Alone In The Dark or Resident Evil, and features over an hour of cinepak video helping to tell the story.

[Ultra Vortek]

Here is my top 10 games that are cheap and easy to get hold of:

Ultra Vortek - The best fighting game on the Jaguar by a distance this is pretty much a straight MK rip-off but has really nice graphics and sound, loads of great death moves, plays really fast and has a few secrets to find too!

Iron Soldier - Around the time the Jag came out these mech games were all the rage and this game is one of the best. Walk around a 3D world in a giant mech and blow sh!t up, what's not to like about that?

Doom - Yeah ok its on loads of other systems but the Jag version is the best of its generation and still the only console version of Doom to be programmed by teh creator of the game John Carmack himself!

Super Burnout - This game for me is the Jaguar's Outrun. One of the best racers on any console of its generation it has some amazing fast gameplay, great graphics, stunning music and even a 2-player mode!

Ruiner Pinball - If you like the Dragon's Fury games on the Megadrive and PC Engine then you will know what to expect here. 2 massive tables of fantasy styled pinball madness and it saves your high scores to the cart.

Raiden - For me this is the definative conversion of this game. Some rag on the big side bar but its there to keep the original arcade game's perspective correct. Great in 1 player this game is even better in 2.

Power Drive Rally - Despite having the same name this is more of a sequel to the Megadrive/SNES/PC game. Top down racing at its finest with tons of courses, great graphics and the ability to save your progress.

Tempest 2000 - I am sure I don't really need to say much about this game. Jeff Minter's classic is widely regarded as one of the best games ever and the Jag version is the original and definative version of these.

Missile Command 3D - The only released game that works with the abandoned VR helmet the 3D effect in VR mode is simply incredible even without it. My favourite Jag game and one that really shows what the system can do.

I-War - A bit like Cybermorph but in a tank this is probably the most under rated game on the system. Undoubtably influenced by the Tron films it has some lovely shaded 3D graphics and a techno sountrack.