{"id":11303,"date":"2014-01-10T00:01:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-10T00:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=11303"},"modified":"2014-01-09T03:08:53","modified_gmt":"2014-01-09T03:08:53","slug":"sega-genesis-classic-game-console-with-80-built-in-games-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/10\/sega-genesis-classic-game-console-with-80-built-in-games-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"SEGA Genesis Classic Game Console with 80 Built-In Games: Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SEGA_BOX\"<\/a>One of the things I got for Christmas was a new game console. Was it the Xbox One or the PS4? Nope, it was a new SEGA Genesis. Huh? What is this, 1990? Nope, this is a real working SEGA Genesis with 80 games built in. So I thought I\u2019d do short review of the console itself and the games that are on it. So let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n

One thing that surprised me is just how small it is. It can fit in your hand! But even though it has pre-packed games on it, you can still put Genesis cartridges in it, and I even see controller ports, too, so you should be able to use plug-in controllers as well. The set comes with two wireless controllers, but you have to make sure they are facing the console directly or they won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

\"SEGA2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The main problem I have with this console is the sound. I don\u2019t know if they couldn\u2019t get the emulation right or what, but the music in the games seems a little off. Like it\u2019s playing in a lower key and some of the channels don\u2019t sound as loud. It\u2019s not noticeable in games that I\u2019m not as familiar with, but for titles like Ristar and Streets of Rage 2, oh the music is so awful on this console! I don\u2019t know if there is a way I can fix that. I\u2019m kind of a stickler for the sound to be just right in a game port. I even had a hard time playing the GBA port of Final Fantasy 6 because the music was a little off on that.<\/p>\n

I could foresee little kids having fun with this console, though. I imagine the music wouldn\u2019t bother them any. Plus it\u2019s cheap and easy to hook up (except parents may need to help putting the batteries in the controllers). But otherwise, you may be better off getting one of the Genesis collections on CD for the big consoles. Anyway, let\u2019s take a look at the games on this Genesis console. There are so many we\u2019ll need to do them in two parts. So let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a big fan of Alex Kidd. I\u2019ve never played a good one. It\u2019s no wonder Mario beat him out in the 8-bit 2-D platform wars. Alex Kidd was SEGA\u2019s mascot for a while. Even on a more powerful console, his game is still awful.<\/p>\n

Altered Beast<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really like the gameplay much, but this game cracks me up anyway. I think it\u2019s funny when your guy gets a power-up and grows muscles and yells out \u201cPower Up\u201d in a booming voice.<\/p>\n

Alien Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because of the generic title, I always forget about this game, but I do remember playing it on one of the Genesis collections. It\u2019s actually a better game that what I think it is. It\u2019s a 2-D side scrolling beat \u2018em up where you fight off aliens invading Earth. There are other sections to add variety to the gameplay, like areas that resemble first person gun shooting games. And there are sections that are like 2-D shooters where you run REALLY FAST. Seriously, if you could run that fast in the game all the time, you\u2019d make it to the last boss in less than a minute!<\/p>\n

Arrow Flash<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a generic 2-D horizontally scrolling shooter. You can change from a ship to a mech guy, but I don\u2019t know what good that does you. It makes me wonder if this is a sequel to the Master System game Transbot, because that\u2019s what it reminds me of. I wish Gaiares was on this console, that\u2019s my favorite Genesis shooter.<\/p>\n

Bonanza Bros.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh man, I love Bonanza Bros.! I used to play it all the time in the arcade. You are a robber and must steal treasures from houses and museums and sneak around guards. I love the simplistic graphics style, and the Genesis version even has special levels where you steal artifacts based on classic SEGA titles! I thought it was cool that the Bonanza Bros. returned in Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing.<\/p>\n

Chakan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just kind of your standard 2-D hack & slash. You play an immortal guy with two swords fighting off monsters. The game is hard because you have a double jump, but it\u2019ll only work at the highest point of your jump.<\/p>\n

Columns 1 & 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back when Tetris first came out and was huge, everyone had to have a \u2018shapes falling down a well\u2019 puzzler. Columns was SEGA\u2019s entry. Was there ever a Columns 2? I don\u2019t know. Not really one of my favorite puzzlers, but not bad either.<\/p>\n

Comix Zone<\/strong><\/p>\n

This came out late in the Genesis\u2019 life cycle and was ahead of its time. Viewtiful Joe owes everything to this game. Only problem is Comix Zone is way too hard.<\/p>\n

Crack Down<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a weird top-down game where half of the screen is a map, a fourth has text with mission objectives, and the other fourth shows the gameplay. You have to shoot enemies and plant bombs in certain spots to make it to the exit.<\/p>\n

Decap Attack<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Japan, this was actually a cutesy game starring a wizard who could throw her hat. And I think it was based on an anime. But when they ported it to the US, they changed it to a spooky horror theme where you throw your head instead. And it plays just like two earlier 8-bit titles: Psycho Fox on Master System and Kid Kool on NES.<\/p>\n

Sonic Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, there are a lot of Sonic games on here. Dr. Robotnik\u2019s Mean Bean Machine is just Puyo Puyo, and I prefer the SNES Kirby\u2019s Avalanche version. You also have Sonic 1, 2, and Knuckles on here, but no Sonic 3? Why is that? Maybe because it was a battery save game? Who knows? Shame because I actually kind of like Sonic 3. Speaking of Sonic games I like, Sonic 3-D Blast is on here, and I like that one because it\u2019s like a cross between Flicky and Marble Madness. And finally, we have Sonic Spinball. I like that one, too, because I like pinball.<\/p>\n

Ecco 1, 2, and Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I never had a Genesis as a kid, and usually I was pretty happy with my SNES. But when the Ecco games came out, I so wanted to play them since you were a dolphin. But years later, when I finally got to play them, I was disappointed because they were rather difficult games and the goals and objectives were very unclear. Surprisingly, my favorite of the bunch is Ecco Jr. It\u2019s not as hard and frustrating, and has all sorts of interesting facts about dolphins and sea life. One thing the Genesis did better than the SNES sometimes is they had more games geared toward little kids that were actually halfway decent.<\/p>\n

ESWAT<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this Rolling Thunder clone, you play as a cop who is supposed to be futuristic but he didn\u2019t look all that advanced to me. I\u2019m not really very good at Rolling Thunder games, so I did not get very far in this one.<\/p>\n

Eternal Champions<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think this was on any previous Genesis collections on CD. You can tell this came out during the Street Fighter 2 craze. SEGA was smart, though, as they made this game not based on any arcade game, but catering instead to the Genesis\u2019 strengths. As an early one on one fighter, it\u2019s pretty slow and difficult, but there are some interesting characters. My favorite is a circus acrobat lady named Jetta.<\/p>\n

Fatal Labyrinth<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a dungeon crawl RPG similar to the Mystery Dungeon titles. Not horrible, but kind of bland.<\/p>\n

Flicky<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love this game! Originally an arcade title, then ported very well to the Genesis, you guide a bird as he leads baby chicks to a door while avoiding cats. It kind of reminds me of Mappy for some reason. Flicky is one of SEGA\u2019s long time mascots. Flicky can still be found in modern day Sonic games, too!<\/p>\n

Gain Ground<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is actually an interesting idea. It\u2019s like Ikari Warriors, but the action takes place on a single screen and you have to make it to the exit, usually at the top. You can rescue characters and if you can carry them to the exit, you can use that character in the next round.<\/p>\n

Golden Axe 1, 2, & 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

As 2-D side scrolling beat em ups go, I don\u2019t think the Golden Axe games have aged very well. But the fantasy Conan-like motif sets them apart, and they\u2019re still pretty fun little time wasters. I always like to play as either Tyris Flare or the dwarf.<\/p>\n

Jewel Master<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yet another beat em up platformer. You use two buttons to punch with your left and right hand. One delivers a fire punch and the other does something I have no idea what it is. Turns you to ice or makes a web around you or something. And the game is more hard than fun anyway.<\/p>\n

Kid Chameleon<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a 2-D hop and bop platformer, this game really isn\u2019t THAT bad. Not great, but still kind of fun. Interesting power-ups, too. The virtual reality storyline is SO early 90\u2019s, though.<\/p>\n

Ristar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now I LOVE this game. I even like it better than Sonic games. It was actually what Sonic was meant to be anyway. Early concepts of the first Sonic game had a rabbit who would grab things with his ears, and that\u2019s what Ristar does with his stretchy arms. This is one of my most favorite Genesis games. I wish they\u2019d bring him back. I\u2019m so disappointed that the music doesn\u2019t sound as good on this little console because that\u2019s one of the best things about this game.<\/p>\n

Shadow Dancer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hey it\u2019s a Shinobi game\u2026I think. One thing I like about this one is that you have a white dog that follows you around, but he doesn\u2019t do much besides bark at enemies sometimes. I always forget how much the old Shinobi games are like Rolling Thunder. Guess Namco copied SEGA or vice versa. They did that a lot back then.<\/p>\n

Shinobi III<\/strong><\/p>\n

I kind of like this one better, but both are really hard. Which Shinobi game did Yuzo Koshiro do the music for?<\/p>\n

Streets of Rage 1, 2, & 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are some of the best side scrolling beat em ups on the Genesis, and even rival greats like Final Fight (even if they do rip it off a bit). I especially like 2 and 3. Yuzo Koshiro did the music for these games, and they\u2019re some of the best sounding games on that console. That\u2019s another reason why I hate that this new Genesis\u2019 sound isn\u2019t as good. I always play as Blaze in the games for some reason.<\/p>\n

The Ooze<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember ever playing this one. It has an interesting premise, but it\u2019s not executed very well. You play a green blob who goes around spitting slime at enemies in this top down game. Supposedly, you can make yourself grow bigger by collecting pieces of ooze, but it\u2019s hard to tell when you take damage from something.<\/p>\n

Vectorman 1 & 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

These run and gun platformers used pre-rendered graphics to try and compete with the visuals found in Donkey Kong Country, but I think they failed miserably. Plus the games aren\u2019t very much fun. If I want to play a run and gun platformer, I\u2019d rather play something like Mega Man X or Earthworm Jim.<\/p>\n

Virtual Fighter 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

I guess at some point, SEGA ported this to the Genesis but had to make it a 2-D fighter. Which kind of defeats the purpose since the draw of Virtua Fighter is that it is in 3-D. My favorite VF characters are Jeffry, Sarah Bryant, and Vanessa Lewis.<\/p>\n

Stay Tuned for Part 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s all for now. Later on this weekend, I\u2019ll post the other half of the games found on this console. They\u2019re not what you might think they are, though! Later! –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the things I got for Christmas was a new game console. Was it the Xbox One or the PS4? Nope, it was a new SEGA Genesis. Huh? What is this, 1990? Nope, this is a real working SEGA Genesis with 80 games built in. So I thought I\u2019d do short review of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11303"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11307,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11303\/revisions\/11307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}