Graphically Impressive Mega Drive Games

Even though the Sega Genesis is just over three decades old now, some games that released for the console are still graphically impressive to this day! Join TVGS as I take a look at some gameplay of the best looking, visually and graphically impressive Sega Genesis games the console ever received! Let me know your choice of Mega Drive games with the best graphics down below.
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[@ericjames19]

Adventures of Batman & Robin should be on this list

[@inceptional]

100% yes.

[@SuperPowerPainter]

I agree! It is a Genesis technical marvel!!!

[@gjergjaurelius9798]

Not only graphically but that soundtrack!!!💯🤟🏻

[@jonathanlisowski5618]

Definitely

[@JC-cb8oi]

@@gjergjaurelius9798 godtier soundtrack!

[@claudiosacchi3720]

This list needs part 2 including: adventures of Batman and Robin, battle mania 2, alien soldier, streets of rage 2, mega turrican, musha, ristar, rocket knight adventures, shinobi 3, sonic 2. So then i can suggest 10 more titles for part 3 😂

[@thatvideogamesshow]

In the works! 🙂

[@abcmaya]

Sonic 2 and SOR 2 definitely. Sega had 5 games in development and they were hoping Ristar was going to be their new mascot but it ended up being Sonic.

[@LeningradetZ]

+ "World of illusion"

[@PsychomachineryEBM]

Dynamite Headdy

[@Tarquin23]

@@abcmayaDefinitey not Sonic 2. Sonic 3, on the other hand…

[@ParrotMan01276]

Toy Story the game should be on this list. Incredible visuals.

[@Autotrope]

Indeed, it was made by the same developer as Sonic 3D Blast. I think people forget it was on Genesis because it came out after the Saturn game that inspired it (Clockwork Knight)

[@joemonkeyman4675]

Comix Zone is an absolutely incredible game!

[@thatvideogamesshow]

I’ll second that!

[@iwanttocomplain]

Apparently is was designed by normal people initially but Tom Kalinski needed to make it unbeatable in a weekend so made it bad. The character artist is not on the level as the background artist.

[@blackflame4506]

Comix Zone, Gunstar Heroes, Castlevania Bloodlines, Contra Hard Corps, hell you even included Ranger X all of them are bangers!

[@GOPSlayer]

Comix Zone is an old boob. No game makes me more angry.

[@tarantinoish]

Either Red or Blue can be fixed or free shot in Gunstar Heroes. The player chooses the option after choosing their first main gun slot.

[@MaxAbramson3]

Thank you so much for this video! I had an SMS, Genesis, and Sega CD as a kid. There were over 1200 titles for the CDX platform. We never did get to see the best of them.

[@the_gmer1955]

SEGA Genesis was my favorite console when I was growing up and it remains my favorite to this day, I love this console.

[@omegaweapon116]

Vectorman was a good one too.

[@pacoroto]

I played Phantasy star IV two or three years ago, and let me tell you, I did NOT expect I would play one of the best RPGs of my life on the mega drive

[@AzureSymbiote]

Good list. Here are more recomendations: - The Adventures of Batman & Robin. - Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle 1 and 2. - World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. - Disney's Aladdin.

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[@ArkVogel]

I'd pair SoR 2 with 3. 2 is still the greatest of all time, imho.

[@AzureSymbiote]

@@ArkVogel This list is about graphically impressive games.

[@Ivegotsomewater81]

Part 2 needs to have Toy Story, Adventures Of Batman And Robin, And Zero Tolerance.

[@GroovyFlacko]

another great list. Sega genesis was my first console and all these titles bring back amazing memories

[@SonofSethoitae]

Star Cruiser is impressive, not in that it looks particularly amazing now, but because what it accomplished on stock hardware in 1990 should have been impossible. Its ludicrously ambitious.

[@SetsunoKai]

Thunder Force has really good music

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Some of the best on the system for sure!

[@Akatsukileader9]

Gunstar Heroes, probably the first game I ever beat as a kid where you could game over.

[@Tenpouin]

Beyond Oasis should be on this list. Amazing 2D sprites and backgrounds

[@leelee7334]

I hope you keep the Switch in the rotation. With emulation, there are so many systems and games that are fascinating.

[@Autotrope]

Note: "corps" is pronounced like "core" - an English word for a military unit that comes from French, hence all the silent letters. The title "Hard Corps" was a pun, because it sounds the same as "hardcore".

[@naikjoy]

Virtua Racing released for the arcades all the way back to 1992, not 94

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

😵 😱 seriously.! Wow.. I think I saw it in 1995/6

[@Autotrope]

Yep the machine (Sega Model 1) was way back in 1992, it was definitely a trailblazer in real polygonal graphics.

[@naikjoy]

@@Autotrope mhm it was cool.. though Winning Run came 4 years prior in 1988 and that looked crazy for the time.

[@Autotrope]

@@naikjoy wow I didn't even know winning run existed, that is indeed similar in many ways but years earlier

[@naikjoy]

@@Autotrope yeah.. there was quite a battle between Namco and Sega arcade systems since the 70s.. though it started raging in the early 80s with Namco's Pole Position and Sega's Outrun. Good times and all. Namco went crazy with the subsequent system and released the first texture mapped racing game in 92 called SimRoad with an mx-5 as a cabinet.

[@Alianger]

It's worth noting that some of these games are meant to be viewed on a CRT TV with a composite cable, to blur the checkerboard and stripe patterns into new shades.

[@falksi3182]

Best console ever for me. A library which just gives and gives. No Alien Soldier in the list is wild though.

[@millenniumwatcher]

Great to see Gunstar Heroes being recognized!

[@abcmaya]

I think that game will always be in the mix when it comes to top 10 genesis games LOL

[@WhatIsMatter101]

Any Genesis game from Treasure is always recognized. Is this your first rodeo?

[@millenniumwatcher]

@@WhatIsMatter101wrong. It doesn’t get recognized enough. Your rodeo is most definitely different from mine 👋

[@tvshacker]

Almost everyone knows Gunstar Heroes, but the fact that they never followed up with a sequel is proof that it didn't get the proper recognition

[@millenniumwatcher]

@@tvshackeractually there is a sequel on GBA called Gunstar Super Heroes.

[@engcristiano10]

8:40 This song from 7th stage of Streets of Rage makes part of my life! So nice!

[@mikahl757]

Just adding to Steam Deck Library here, thank you.

[@ArkVogel]

I remember game mags going crazy over Sonic 3D Blast's Genesis release. Everyone thought that it was going to be a Saturn exclusive when it was first announced. Having said that, it did not age well at all. I still find myself going back to S3K.

[@lucaandreax]

The adventures of batman & robin is worth for this list

[@thehumbleone1983]

Agree

[@PsychomachineryEBM]

Dynamite Headdy, Adventures of Batman and Robin, Ristar, Mickey Mania and Beyond Oasis deserve to be included in a next chapter

[@realguitarthur]

I am extremely blessed to have the original physical versions of all of these games (except Virtua Racing...lol!)! Great list! I would have to add Sparkster, Crusader of Centy and M.U.S.H.A. too (which I also have). #RETROGAMING4EVER :)

[@samuelmelendez7566]

Even though I'm more of a snes guy I can appreciate some games on the Sega Genesis

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Same here man

[@truffled_one]

I agree. I lean more toward SNES but there are some amazing Genesis games. Both systems are classic

[@gcapeletti]

There's a lot of excellent games on the Genesis.

[@omegaweapon116]

I only owned SNES as a kid but I loved to go to a friend's house and play Golden Axe, Sonic, and Shinobi on his Genesis. Of course, if you wanted to play MK1, you had to play it on Genesis with the code to unlock the blood and fatalities.

[@evilblader7]

Yeah me too...

[@david.majchrzak7069]

Genesis and SNES both. Are excellent.

[@Junier-Hussein]

Brilliantly put together as ever! Comix Zone 🔥 The GBA port is also good. I'm sure I learnt about it from you (1 one of the GBA videos) 😊

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Much appreciated!

[@xRocketzFighterx]

So many legends on this list

[@user-fy6dq3sy5p]

Beyond Oasis was a beautiful game

[@mulletronuk]

Great video! FYI "corps" is pronounced "core" so it's a pun: "hard core". But you already knew that - consider your engagement driven 😊

[@skarmachild]

Was looking for this correction, lmao00aa00a0a0a0a0a. It could be Hard Corps tho, like "Corporations" or "Corporal". But yeh nice game

[@WhatIsMatter101]

Corp. = corporation, no such thing as "corps." Corps = a group in an army Corpse = !d!○t who can't pronounce "corps"

[@cam9144]

Growing up with the Genesis, I still find myself preferring the SNES BUT!!! When the Genesis has a banger, it's one hell of a banger.

[@ghost-user559]

Yeah I had both as hand me downs and I can say Genesis was more visually impressive most of the time, but Super Nintendo had better and more memorable games.

[@patrickkromer161]

Great list! Nice that you put Comix Zone in it. Awesome Game 😉👍

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@paulblackwood46]

Alien Soldier and Vectorman seem to missing from the list.

[@thecamobot]

Love the genesis I definitely need to get some more games for mine

[@thatvideogamesshow]

So many great games for it!

[@thecamobot]

@@thatvideogamesshow for sure, just have to find the room for them too haha

[@marcelluslongus1202]

There is a small mistake on Gunstar Heroes. The play style is not indicated by the color, but by the hairstyle. The color only indicates player 1 and 2.

[@mardosavage6426]

Good taste in music 🎶 that tekken 2,intro was 🔥🔥🔥

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Glad you like it

[@Virtualnerd101]

Thanks for the gaming history lesson! The two games that I think should be added are Ristar and Vectorman. Ristar on an artistic level is hands down the best looking genesis game, and Vectorman was basically SEGA's response to Donkey Kong Country's prerendered 3D graphics.

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Great suggestions! Will consider them for part 2 =)

[@leighbyford635]

Excellent list. I think you could do a part 2.

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Definitely!

[@41illusion]

I have Gunstar Heroes remastered in 3D for the Nintendo 3DS and it's 100% the definitive version: it plays like a dream via controls and looks beautiful in 3D like other Sega classics they remastered. The biggest regret I strongly feel is them not remastering Comix Zone in 3D for the 3DS which would've would've looked incredibly stunning visually (to this day I still wonder if Comix Zone has the best graphics on the Genesis in terms of aging well versus others attempting 3D graphics when they were still brand new at the time). Thanks for the content as always! The intro music always makes me feel better 😂😂😂

[@wrena79]

The megadrive/genesis is known for it's abundance of shooters but unfortunately (at the time) Gradius and R-Type were not among them. Darius was but released as Sagaia (Darius 2). Either way. Love your videos. I subscribe to likely 100+ gaming channels and yours is certainly in my top 5. Thank you for all the great content

[@williamadams516]

Think I've only seen one list with Earthworm Jim included in it. Its without a doubt the most twisted game ever, the whole idea was utter chaos lol, in a sick funny way. It was still most fun, especially Buttville, yeah it's true it's a lvl involving a rectum. Or the Hell level. But if you can find it earthworm Jim special edition for the SEGA CD makes the game 1000 times better, and that sound track makes it so much more funny and twisted.

[@AnthonyRiddle]

I'd like to see a cell shaded remaster of Comix Zone with a good bit of quality of life and modern tweaks

[@volvoguy804]

Battle Mania 2...pretty.

[@geminielectro]

I thought there was Toy Story, Vectorman, Batman & Robin, Red Zone, Kawazaki Superbike Challenge, Ristar, Flink...

[@mjdf122]

I’ve been blessed to see all from 1980-Now what a life of gaming 1980s was all about NES Master System Turbo Grafx and Genesis

[@jorgelourencoyt]

Excellent list, but I really missed Duke Nukem 3D there. Amazing port made by Tec Toy

[@gc3k]

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge-- Virtua Racing was really impressive, but KSC is a polygonal racer (with real-time sprite scaling for the opponent bikes) on a stock Genesis with no additional processors

[@goatbone]

Corps is pronounce 'core' not 'corpse'

[@thrilleex]

Where ? I guess somewhere, but I've never heard it being pronounced like that.

[@SonofSethoitae]

​@@thrilleexEverywhere. "Corps" is French

[@thrilleex]

@@SonofSethoitae yet not everywhere is pronounced like that. Like how America is dotted with Spanish names towns/cities and still non Spanish speakers pronounce them differently.

[@SonofSethoitae]

@@thrilleex Yes, but "corps" is only correctly pronounced one way

[@thrilleex]

@@SonofSethoitae oh that might be true, I'm not debating that, just that it is not pronounced as "core" everywhere. And like I said, I haven't heard it that way in my life.

[@sebastienlopezmassoni8107]

And Beyond Oasis ? Castle of illusion, Street of Rage 2, 3 ?

[@TheDemonking82]

Man castlevania bloodlines was an amazing game. Got it at pioneer pawn back in 96 for 5.99 best money I have ever spent was addicted to this game tile I got killing time and a 3do in late 97. I would play it with a six button with turbo on the attack. It was easy mode.

[@MaxOakland]

Hard corps isn’t pronounced like “hard corpse” it’s pronounced like hard CORE. The S is silent

[@ismailmuttaqien1203]

Contra HARD CORPSE

[@silverwolftheretrogamer9792]

You should take a look at red zone some people consider it a strike clone but, graphically it completely fantastic

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

This all I need to see on KZbin New sega Genesis content everyday .!

[@thatvideogamesshow]

More in the works!

[@disembodiedsounds]

Evander Holyfield’s “Real Deal” Boxing 🥊 Looked amazing and is arguably better than Punch out.

[@Simoss13]

4th Gen consoles, one of (if not THE) best console generation. Depending on taste you could argue 6th Gen was amazing also

[@Crying_Onion]

You can add Red Zone to the list. Not a great game, but sure shows some technical achievements, like rotating-scaled background and some solid 3d depth tricks

[@ciuffoarancione8929]

Mega turrican, sub terrania, biohazard, streets of rage 2/3, robocop vs terminator, batman & robin, soleil, mazin saga, landstalker, story of thor, sonic 3, red zone, quackshot, mickey mania, Aladdin, ristar, dynamite headdy, eternal champions, alien soldiers, Shinobi 3...

[@tvshacker]

Soleil (aka Crusader of Centy) is amazing. Maybe not the best graphics wise, but I have very good memories of the gameplay.

[@evilblader7]

Well... I'm not SEGA fan but I must admit there are interesting games... You know another graphycal impresive is Star cruise, a little weird and never left japan.. but check it out.

[@alejandrobenaventeundercol2208]

Beautiful video dude.... cheers ✌🏻

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Thank you!

[@inceptional]

You missed Dynamite Headdy, Alien Soldier, Adventures of Batman, and Robin and Ristar, to name a few other graphical standouts imo.

[@iwanttocomplain]

Here's the thing. There's s many better graphically games than this tired old list. Just what about Speedy Gonzales in Cheese Catastrophe? Looks better than anything on this list I'd say. Phantasy Star 4 looks dog awful if I'm honest. Which I always am.

[@inceptional]

@@iwanttocomplain Hmmm. Apart from the intro and some decent use of overlapping parallax mostly in the first stage, I'd say Speedy Gonzales in Cheese Catastrophe is quite a generic platformer and standard affair to be honest, and nothing particularly graphically impressive. But horses for courses. It certainly doesn't look bad at all.

[@ChaossX77]

He didn't say this was every graphically impressive game or the video would be hours long. Plus he said there'll be a part 2.

[@iwanttocomplain]

​@@inceptional no it doesn't look bad. Because the animation is as good as a Loony Toon cartoon. The loading routines for all those frames of animation are in fact something to write home about. The colours and overall scene in action displays mastery of the hardware and excellence in hit boxes and such things. I'm super bored of muscle men with guns and the character pixel art of Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 4 and Contra, is primitive by comparison. Do people talk about Alladin? Sure. But what about the Looney Toon games. That animation is as good as the Disney games.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@inceptional the Speedy Gonzalez games is just barely serviceable as a game. It's not even nearly as pretty as Tazmania. I was actually thinking about the sms version. The backgrounds are just ok but Speedy looks pretty good. Maybe the programming is just ok too. But Sonic 3D Blast is not a programming tour de anything. It's just 1 background layer and 1 sprite layer. I saw that programmer's channel and it's complete nonsense.

[@galvanicmass]

Coming zone was brilliant

[@fr33kSh0w2012]

Blades of vengeance should be on this list.

[@FZuloaga]

There are some others 3D games without using the SVP such as LHX Attack Chopper which is a port and F-22 Interceptor. And don't forget Red Zone. It uses A LOT of FX without special hardware. If you're gonna put LHX on other videos, please have in mind that the framerate could be improved by pressing start on the 2nd controller... just to make justice to the game.

[@victorlgcarvalho]

Thunder Force IV easily looks like a Sega Saturn game.

[@DemoniteBL]

Hot take, but CV Bloodlines was more atmospheric than Symphony of the Night.

[@IamLegend32]

What graphic/video filter settings are you using for these games? Everytime I try and play these games in my modern TV, I can never get it to look as good as it does when watching your videos..

[@franciscocampos8857]

A list like this without Robocop vs Terminator is a joke

[@matiasjauhojarvi9551]

Great video.

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Thanks!

[@TheMagnificentGman]

Comix zone was so hard couldn't get very far

[@johnmartinez-valentin5427]

I had the the chance of getting the sega genesis HD but I think I'll buy it from ebay or Amazon

[@Greg_Games]

My favorite console!

[@michaellong8812]

Great video!

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Thanks!

[@NickOchoa]

Comix zone is so hard to beat

[@mr.raw-CH]

You habe to make a video about todays Homebrew programmera. Awesome graphically Games such like Paprium or Demons of Asteborg 🥰

[@opts9]

Thanks for the vid! I wouldn't say Castlevania Bloodlines/new Generarations 'doesn't look anywhere near as good' as Castlevania IV! That's a bit of a stretch! haha! I think I've actually grown to prefer the Megadrive Castlevania over the SNES outing over the years! And I just can't get down with Phantasy Star IV being considered graphically impressive! - sorry to it's many fans, but it looks so dull and unappealing to me. I'd have swap that one out for (pretty much any other game) The Lost World, Sonic 1-3, Battle Mania, Divine Sealing.. Thanks for putting out quality content TVGS!

[@piticusomancuso953]

Alien Soldier? Sonic 3 & Knuckles?

[@khamla616]

Flink should be on the list

[@opaljk4835]

It really is a shame how huge of a skill ceiling comix zone has. It’s such a unique and dope looking game. Nothing else out there like it, really…I think sega has a patent on it’s design or something

[@segat-800]

If you really want to see these games at their best, play on a CRT. LED screens just makes them look grainy.

[@TheRoninteam]

great video

[@digitalworms]

I could never get on a side with Nintendo vs sega back in the day I owned both and loved both! The software was the part you had to choose some same some completely different! Snes had the top rpgs sega the shmups! TurboGrafx 16 was king of shmups imo!

[@gabrielleraul488]

Please please include Alien Soldier in part 2 ..

[@nguyengamer7906]

Earthworm Jim?

[@joaogilbertomarques8882]

If you make a #2, check out Beyond Oasis

[@SonofSethoitae]

Beyond Oasis. Legend of Oasis was on the Saturn.

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

Just played Comix Zone!!!

[@gmila84]

I think you miss Sonic 3 and Knucles in this list. But awesome list, anyway

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Part 2 in the works 🙂

[@gmila84]

@@thatvideogamesshow you never fail!

[@jaffakeks.]

Vectorman !

[@Onailim3]

Toy Story Aladdin Mortal Kombat 3 Super Street Fighter II Sonic and Knuckles ISSS Deluxe Greendog (Game Sack)

[@waylonoconner9121]

Have yet to watch but Im gonna guess that Castlevania Bloodlines and The Adventures of Batman and Robin are for sure on there EDIT Alien Soldier

[@waylonoconner9121]

EDIT A couple I forgot: Contra Hardcore, Lightning Force, and Virtua Racing.

[@JeremyNoblitt]

When I started this video up, i thought PS4 should be on here. And not because it's my favorite rpg ever either.

[@clanpsi]

Did you forget to edit in an introduction, or did you leave it out on purpose?

[@thatvideogamesshow]

I feel they waste time and would rather get straight to the content of the video.

[@llorenstorrespr4409]

The Adventures of Kate & the Ohlahumbos didn't make the cut!!!!😲

[@GOPSlayer]

No Rocket Knight Adventures? No Toy Story or Aladdin? I mean, Disney was cool back then. Don't judge me! LOL

[@WongIreng590]

I swear Earthworm Jim 1&2 has the best graphic on the genesis

[@PAINNN666]

Looks like I need here. People Already drop you for 2 videos but forgot 1 title. Red Zone. Yes it's more impressive in pre-game area game but still