The Sega Genesis — known as the Mega Drive outside of North America — is a classic console that far too many people overlooked. In its heyday, it was the source of many a schoolyard argument, and the company's rivalry with Nintendo is well known. The catchphrase "Sega does what Nintendon't" was thrown around, much to the fury of those who preferred the Super Nintendo over the Genesis.

The console first hit store shelves in August 1989. Sega positioned the console as a Nintendo competitor through the term "blast processing," even though the phrase didn't actually mean much at the time. That said, the Sega Genesis had a library of more than 900 games, many of which are fantastic gems that can only be found through emulation today. If you've never sat down with the iconic controller and spent a weekend playing Sega 6-Pak, you owe it to yourself to try it out. These are some of the most recommended Sega Genesis games, in no particular order.

7 Sonic the Hedgehog

The first appearance of the Blue Blur

You can't talk about Sega Genesis games without talking about Sonic the Hedgehog. This was the game that spawned a franchise and a fandom, and its 2D platforming still holds up today. Race your way across levels, dodge enemies, and stop the evil Dr. Robotnik from collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds. Aside from his plot to take over the world, Robotnik also enslaves small woodland creatures to power his robots. Come on, man.

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the best-selling video games of all time and the absolute best-selling game on the Genesis, with more than 15 million copies sold. The entire game only takes around two hours to complete, but that's if you know what you're doing. I'm not ashamed to admit that 30 years after first playing it, I still haven't been able to complete the first game. It's a tough one, but if you enjoy it, you should also check out the other Sonic games on the Genesis.

6 Streets of Rage

A classic brawler with an incredible soundtrack

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Streets of Rage feels like someone took an 80s action film and made it into a game, and that is a very good thing. You play as one of three characters — Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, or Adam Hunter — and fight your way through the streets of a city under the control of a crime syndicate and a corrupt government. Each character has slightly different abilities; for example, Adam can hit harder than anyone else, but he's also the slowest. Each character also has different special abilities that can help turn the tide of a fight, and you'd better believe there are some tough ones in Streets of Rage.

The gameplay is an absolute blast, but the best part of the game is the soundtrack. Scored by the excellent Yuzo Koshiro (who contributed to other major titles like Shinobi and the Ys series), the soundtrack is a combination of electronic music with just a touch of jazz. The thumping beats, stings, and pick slides provide the perfect ambiance for beating down a city full of baddies, especially when some of them have pretty unusual abilities. The music still holds up today, and there are now three other games in the franchise to try out.

5 Golden Axe

Like Streets of Rage, but fantasy

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If the idea of an 80s action film doesn't tickle your fancy, but you love the idea of diving into a pulp fantasy novel, Golden Axe is the game for you. This is another side-scrolling beat-em-up, but it's set in a world of magic and monsters. You can choose to play as the axe-wielding dwarf Gilius, the sword-wielding warrior named Ax Battler (yes, I'm serious), or the longer-sword-wielding Tyris Flare. While most of your time will be spent smacking enemies with your weapon, each character can also cast magic.

The main game can be finished in about an hour, but be warned: this game was built for arcades first, and that means it's designed to eat up quarters. Golden Axe is a fun experience, and few things compare to riding the backs of the lizards and chomping enemies as you go, but it will present a challenge to even the most experienced players. It's a great couch co-op game to play with friends, too.

4 Herzog Zwei

Try your hand at one of the earliest console RTS titles

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Most real-time strategy (RTS) games are designed for the PC, where it's much easier to select individual units and issue commands than it is on any console. Playing an RTS on the Sega Genesis in the 90s would have been clunky at best, but Herzog Zwei pulls it off by putting you in command of a single mech suit that can issue rudimentary commands to your minions. It's a different experience than you might expect, but it fits the Genesis like a glove.

And if you still want more after you beat the game, you can play against a friend in a split-screen mode. It's a fantastic way to spend a few hours on a weekend, and the game has an arcade-like feel that makes it fun to play over and over again.

3 Shinobi

Throwing stars solves every problem

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The Shinobi franchise still looks great even today, but the graphics were mind-blowing when the game was first released. Like many of the original Genesis titles, Shinobi was first released in arcades, so it's more than difficult enough for most players. The game's story is something of a fever dream where you play as the ninja Joe Musashi and fight to take down a crime syndicate that's been kidnapping promising ninja students. The controls are surprisingly fluid for its time, with eight different directions to move. The levels have a lot of verticality that lets players take advantage of their jumping ability, and there's even a first-person bonus round where you lob shurikens at enemies to earn extra lives.

Outside of punching and kicking enemies, you can also cast "ninja magic." These ninjutsu techniques let you clear entire screens at once and deal massive amounts of damage. They are particularly useful against some of the tougher bosses in the game. The Shinobi franchise has multiple entries, with The Revenge of Shinobi being one of the most critically acclaimed (and the first Shinobi title developed specifically for the Genesis.)

2 Phantasy Star

The sci-fi RPG you never knew you wanted

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The Phantasy Star franchise has come a long way since its launch in 1987, with the current iteration taking the form of an MMORPG in Phantasy Star Online 2. The original game is a bit different, though. It's an RPG, much like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, but set in a futurist science fiction world where players travel between planets to gather allies and collect weapons to bring down the evil king. Phantasy Star is notable for many reasons, including its female protagonist and advanced graphics.

Like most RPGs of the era, the game consists of top-down exploration, random encounters, and a lot of stats allocation — but it also stands out for being one of the first games to use first-person exploration in select areas. You'll grow stronger with each level, but not every enemy has to be defeated through force. Phantasy Star gives you the option to negotiate your way out of a battle. The game stood out for its expansive story and the sense of depth it created, and it's still worth picking up today (although emulating it and using fast-forward features can help get through some of the slower sections.)

1 Thunder Force III

The difficulty makes winning feel better

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Thunder Force III is the first entry in the Thunder Force franchise that appeared on the Sega Genesis. This side-scrolling shooter is much like similar games but stands out for its graphics. While they don't look as impressive today, they were praised at the game's launch. Thunder Force III also introduced four different speeds for the player ship, allowing you to adjust your movement on the fly. If you played any of the earlier games in the series, you might see a few familiar weapons, but Thunder Force III has plenty of new items.

The game is fun, and if you can put yourself into the mindset of a gamer in 1990, you'll see why it drew so much attention. Like many other games on this list, Thunder Force III is hard. In fact, it might be the single most difficult entry here and is often recommended only for experienced shooter players. It's still worth a round or two even if you lose, though; the game is incredibly fun, and the colorful backgrounds are a treat for the eyes.​​​​​​​

Nothing but a drop in the bucket

Each of these seven titles is an experience worth playing, but all represent different genres on the Genesis. With more than 900 games to choose from, the console is ripe for emulation, and you can get your hands on a USB Genesis controller (or use the one from the Genesis Mini, if you have it) for a more authentic experience. All of these picks may be from an earlier era of video games, but they helped pave the way for the games you know and love today.