16 bit era games I might have missed.

[merryprankster]

So I didn't really game much in the 16 bit era, but I remember really liking Zelda: ALttP. Now that I have this Monster Hunter Machi...errr Wii, I was thinking it might be nice to get some off that virtual console. (which has got to be the ugliest interface ever designed by anyone, ever.)

Unfortunately there are no demos for the VC so I'm wondering if there is are any gems like Zelda that I may have missed.

[Morberis]

The Metroids, the Mario's etc.

Do they have Secret of Mana?

[merryprankster]

Not huge on Mario, and I actually think I played Metroid. What's Secret of Mana?

[Strato]

I see they have Shining Force and Shining Force 2 which are two very good strategy/squad style games for the old Megadrive.

And I'll second the Secret of Mana. If they had Chrono Trigger, that too would be highly recommended.

[MattKeil]

ActRaiser.

[Wholly Schmidt]

I get mixed responses when I bring up Beyond Oasis for the Sega Genesis. Some people have really fond memories of it, some people laugh and explain that's what us poor Genesis owners had to entertain ourselves with since we didn't have a real Zelda/Secret of Mana/whatever.

I definitely loved it though.

[MattKeil]

Beyond Oasis was awesome. The sequel was good, too, but that's a Saturn title.

[Jab]

Loved Beyond Oasis too, here are my 16bit picks off the top of my head, not sure if they are all on the virtual console yet.

Actraiser,
Donkey Kong Country 1-3
Contra 3
Secret of Mana
Super Metroid
Super Mario World 1 and 2
Ogre Battle Rise of the Black Queen
Final Fantasy 6
Secret of Evermore
EarthBound
Demon's Crest (definitely know this isn't on the vc yet but I loved it)
if you like really hard games then the Super Star Wars series and Indiana Jones game.
Illusion of Gaia
Soulraiser
Zelda

Any 2d Sonic game
Land Stalker
Comix Zone
Gunstar Heroes
Drawing a blank on other genesis titles right now.

Castlevania Rondo of Blood I heard is considered to be one of the best pre Symphony of the Night Castlevania titles.

[hanji]

I'll have to back ActRaiser. I played that thing many a time. Building up the settlements was always a blast.

Beyond Oasis was something I always wanted to play and even talked a friend into buying on the Wii but have never actually played myself. It looked really rad though.

I gotta go against Jab2565 on Secret of Evermore. It plays much in the same style as Secret of Mana but (to me) just felt like it lacked the heart. It felt hollow and contrived. I was really excited by it back when it came out but after having played it through I was terribly disappointed.

Pretty much everything else people have listed are great games as well though.

[MatthewF]

I see they have Shining Force and Shining Force 2 which are two very good strategy/squad style games for the old Megadrive.

And I'll second the Secret of Mana. If they had Chrono Trigger, that too would be highly recommended.

Fact. It's too bad there most likely won't be a version of Shining Force CD, a Sega CD-only game, and probably the best of the 2D series (that soundtrack!). Never got a chance to play any of the sequels past II.

SoM still stands as my favorite in action RPGs. I especially loved that anyone could pick up the second controller and play your companion at any time. Not to mention the fact that the story was just as good as any SNES-era Square game.

[wonderpug]

Scrolling through the VC list, here's some 16-bit favorites that jump out at me (not necessarily similar to Zelda in any way).

SNES
F-Zero
Sim City
Super Mario World
Final Fight
Super Mario RPG
Secret of Mana
Ogre Battle
Nobunaga's Ambition
Super Star Wars, Empire, ROTJ
Super Mario Kart

Genesis
Altered Beast
Sonic
Ecco the Dolphin
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
Streets of Rage
Ghouls N Ghosts
Phantasy Star Series
Vectorman
Earthworm Jim

[peacedog]

I liked Evermore better than Secret of Mana back in the day.

Ogre Battle is not to be missed. It's got Disciples style tactical combat (with the limitation that the fight length is capped; each unit only gets so many attacks). The map-movement is real time (pausible), it has a solid unit upgrade system, and the missions often present interesting strategic and tactical decisions.

[Relayer71]

SNES:
- Super Metroid (one of the GREATEST games ever made, fact! :)
- ActRaiser & ActRaiser II
- Contra 3
- Demon's Crest
- Final Fantasy 2 & 3 (5 & 6 in Japan)
- Zelda
- Super Mario RPG
- Super Star Wars series (tough but fun platformer/actioners, especially Empire)
- Castlevania 4
- Flashback
- Blackthorne
- Chrono Trigger

GENESIS:
- Phantasy Star II & IV
- Vectorman 1/2
- Streets Of Rage 1 & 2
- Gunstar Heroes
- SHining Force series

[footmunch]

Few more on Megadrive/Genesis -

The Strike games (Desert, Jungle and Urban)
Buck Rogers : Countdown to Doomsday
LHX Attack Chopper
Road Rash
Syndicate

[Jab]

Another great SNES game that I remember that isn't on the vc yet was EVO: Search for Eden, that was one of my favorites and is a day one buy if they get it on the vc.

[MatthewF]

I liked Evermore better than Secret of Mana back in the day.

*head explodes*

[Kalle]

Syndicate

Get the PC version. It's superior in every way.

[The Bitter Cynic]

Mario RPG gives me much enjoyment.

As does M.U.S.H.A.

It's a vertical scrolling shooter. It was the second game I had for Genesis. Been playing it for over 20 years, always fun...to me anyway.

[Kurdel]

Actraiser.

That is the only game I will suggest so it can get your attention. It has some weak side scrolling sections, but most for the game you are a tiny flying cherub on an overworld.

Really awesome, quirky game.

[Ryan Markel]

Castlevania Rondo of Blood I heard is considered to be one of the best pre Symphony of the Night Castlevania titles.

If you like 2D Castlevania games and haven't purchased this yet on VC, you are doing yourself an immense disservice. I (regrettably) got rid of an original Turbo Duo copy of this several years ago, and now am very happy to have it "back" on Wii.

[MatthewF]

Rondo of Blood is perhaps the best 2D Castlevania game ever made. It really takes you back to the original. Does the VC version have the original Super CD music? Holy shit that soundtrack was amazing.

[Jupiter Jones]

There are lots of great Atari ST and Amiga 16-bit computer games too.

-Anything by the Bitmap Brothers (i.e. Xenon II, Gods)
-Anything by FTL (Dungeon Master, Oids, Sundog)
-SSI Games (Phantasie I,II,III, Roadwar 2000, Roadwar Eurpoa, Wizard's Crown)
+many many more

[Bandersnatch]

Chrono Trigger!!!!!! bolded, italicized, and underlined for awesomeness.

Super Punch Out
Earthworm Jim 1&2
Donkey Kong Country 1-2. Screw you Dixie Kong.
Yoshi's Island
Zombies Ate My Neighbors if you have a friend to play with.
Super Mario Kart

[Ryan Markel]

Rondo of Blood is perhaps the best 2D Castlevania game ever made. It really takes you back to the original. Does the VC version have the original Super CD music? Holy shit that soundtrack was amazing.

It does.

The sound quality is a little reduced to my ears, but the soundtrack is completely intact (including the German in the intro).

God, I love that game. It's so awesome how you can see tiny glimpses of what would later populate Symphony of the Night.

[rhinohelix]

I liked Evermore better than Secret of Mana back in the day.

Ogre Battle is not to be missed. It's got Disciples style tactical combat (with the limitation that the fight length is capped; each unit only gets so many attacks). The map-movement is real time (pausible), it has a solid unit upgrade system, and the missions often present interesting strategic and tactical decisions.

I must be the only person who every time I see this name in a thread like this who thinks of Steve Jackson Games, the board game, and the Apple II version.

[Alex Pirani]

Chrono trigger, final fantasy 3 and super metroid are games that I think every person must experience in their lifetime. At least, people who enjoy video games.

[Strato]

With all the mention of Chrono Trigger, well, according to this list (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Console_games_(PAL_region)) there is no Chrono Trigger... Probably because it can be picked up for the DS these days.

Is there anything Wikipedia cannot tell me?

The list also has Comix Zone which was mentioned in another thread recently and worth investigating for awesome platform goodness. Basic idea is the game is set in a series of comic book panels, and there are options at times to take different paths, much akin to the layout of a comic book page. Totally worth it.

[extarbags]

Lots of good suggestions. I'll just add Kid Chameleon and Final Fantasy V, which is far superior to the ones mentioned in this thread so far.

[delirium]

Can't believe nobody mentioned Toe Jam & Earl (Genesis) yet. It's probably in my top 10 games of all time. I don't have time right now to write up my own opinions of it, so I'll just rip off some stuff from Wikipedia...



Released in 1991, it centers on the titular ToeJam and Earl—alien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life_in_popular_culture) rappers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapper) who have crash-landed on Earth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth). As they attempt to escape the planet, players assume the role of either character and collect pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. ToeJam & Earl's design was heavily influenced by the computer role-playing game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_role-playing_game) Rogue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28computer_game%29), and took from it such features as the random generation of levels and items. It references and parodies 1990s urban culture and is set to a funk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk_%28music%29) soundtrack.

ToeJam & Earl received positive reviews,[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-gamasutrainterview-11) which Bill Paris of UGO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UGO) described as "almost unanimous critical acclaim".[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-paris-14) However, Sega deemed it a commercial failure due to low initial sales. The game built a cult following through word of mouth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_mouth),[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-gamasutrainterview-11) and it was further aided by the Mega Drive's Christmas 1991 sales spike, caused by the release of Sonic the Hedgehog.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-funkotronics-0) ToeJam & Earl was later considered a "cult" success.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-gamasutrainterview-11)


ToeJam & Earl was re-released on the Nintendo Wii (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii)'s Virtual Console (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Console) in 2006.[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-gamespot-7) Official Nintendo Magazine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Nintendo_Magazine) scored the game 85%, and praised its humor, originality and two-player mode. However, the reviewer believed that the game's enjoyability had diminished with time.[24] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-23) GameSpot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameSpot) felt that the game's 1990s idioms were dated, but that the gameplay—particularly the two-player mode—was still enjoyable by modern standards.[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-gamespot-7) Jeremy Parish of 1UP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1UP.com) found the game's two-player co-operative mode more enjoyable than its single-player, and described the graphics and sound as "oddly primitive". Parish considered it "one of the best games to hit VC to date".[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-1up-10) Eurogamer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurogamer)'s reviewer negatively received the game, and believed its gameplay to be unsatisfying and overly slow.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-eurogamer-2) IGN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGN) called the game's visuals a "mixed bag" and derided the slow pace, but praised its unpredictability and believed that its sound design was "one thing you absolutely can't fault".[25] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_Jam_and_Earl#cite_note-ignvc-24)

[Qwijybo]

I second the Toejam and Earl recommendation. Great implementation of co-op in that game, too -- if you are close to each other you share the same full screen, if someone walks to the border it goes split screen on the fly. Don't bother with the sequel.

On the TG16, Ys Book 1 & 2 is my favorite RPG of that era. Walking around and combat is pretty much a direct rip-off of Zelda. Military Madness (nee Nectaris) is a great hex-based turn-based strategy game set on the MOON!

As mentioned in the Sega Steam Bundle thread, Gain Ground is a very fun action puzzler where you try to advancea party of characters, one at a time, through a one-screen gauntlet. Each character has different movement and attacks -- choosing which character to use when is extremely important.

ActRaiser, Super Mario RPG, Kid Chameleon and the Donkey Kong Countries are all solid suggestions. I love Comix Zone, but it is ridiculously difficult. I don't think I've ever made it past level 2 or 3.

[MattKeil]

The list also has Comix Zone which was mentioned in another thread recently and worth investigating for awesome platform goodness. Basic idea is the game is set in a series of comic book panels, and there are options at times to take different paths, much akin to the layout of a comic book page. Totally worth it.

Except it's not, because it's brutally hard and has a really awful combat system. It's a fun curiosity from the time, but I would certainly not recommend it as a standalone purchase. Pick up Sonic's Ultimate Sega Genesis Collection and get it along with 30+ other games.

[Erlend Grefsrud]

I was going to suggest looking up Capcom's licensed Disney-stuff from the early nineties, but I guess that's never going to hit the virtual console. A shame, some of them -- particularly Aladdin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4QZS_7DPys), totally different from the Genesis version -- are absolutely great.

[Sam Jones]

There are lots of great Atari ST and Amiga 16-bit computer games too.

-Anything by the Bitmap Brothers (i.e. Xenon II, Gods)
-Anything by FTL (Dungeon Master, Oids, Sundog)
-SSI Games (Phantasie I,II,III, Roadwar 2000, Roadwar Eurpoa, Wizard's Crown)
+many many more

Damocles
Starglider 2
Carrier Command
Millennium 2.2 and Deuteros
Exile (ST and Amiga both got a port of this classic BBC Micro game)

[CLWheeljack]

. . .

. . .

. . .

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Populous yet.

[Strato]

Except it's not, because it's brutally hard and has a really awful combat system. It's a fun curiosity from the time, but I would certainly not recommend it as a standalone purchase. Pick up Sonic's Ultimate Sega Genesis Collection and get it along with 30+ other games.

The hard things I remember with Comix Zone

1. The jump at the end of the first level (which lead to the next area Tibet?)

2. The final level, only because of the stupid mines.

However, much of the game I thought was on par with many of the platformers of that era with regards to difficulty. The combat I thought was simple enough. But that said, not knowing it was in the Ultimate Sega Genesis collection, I will agree in that it is far better to pick up that way rather than stand alone.

[liquidben]

I came in here to recommend Secret Of Mana... Oh well, throw my recommend on the stack for that, along with one for Super Metroid. Zombies Ate My Neighbors can be fun solo, but does also feature co-op. If you haven't played Super Mario World, then that would also be a well worth-while addition. Although not the same beast as the later sequels, I think Super Castlevania 4 is a very fun game.


The hard things I remember with Comix Zone
I never got past the old Oriental guy boss. Honestly, the game is worth a demo, but not a buy.

[extarbags]

I was going to suggest looking up Capcom's licensed Disney-stuff from the early nineties, but I guess that's never going to hit the virtual console. A shame, some of them -- particularly Aladdin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4QZS_7DPys), totally different from the Genesis version -- are absolutely great.

The Genesis Aladdin game was also very great.

[Relayer71]

Except it's not, because it's brutally hard and has a really awful combat system. It's a fun curiosity from the time, but I would certainly not recommend it as a standalone purchase. Pick up Sonic's Ultimate Sega Genesis Collection and get it along with 30+ other games.

Didn't play Comix Zone back in the day but tried it recently on a PS2 Sega compilation and that game is very good. Basic brawler type sidescroller but done in a unique comic book panel style which makes sense in relation to the plot. It is hard and the combat system is basic but I give the game points for originality.

[AtomicPlayboy]

You mentioned Zelda as your frame of reference, so perhaps you were looking mainly for action/rpg style games, but if you like shmups, you'll enjoy the Thunder Force series (Lightning Force particularly), R-Type III, UN Squadron, and a bunch more that I can't recall right now.

And I don't think anyone has mentioned Strider.

[merryprankster]

Ended up getting Secret of Mana, which I am really enjoying. Just what I was looking for, so thanks for the suggestions.

Also I have to agree, Strider was great. Played it on my NES so many years ago and is was definately one of my faves along with Bionic Commando.

[idrisz]

EVO: search for Eden.. don't think anyone mentioned it.

[FlyboyLogan]

Damocles
Starglider 2
Carrier Command
Millennium 2.2 and Deuteros
Exile (ST and Amiga both got a port of this classic BBC Micro game)

Super Frog
Hired Guns
Project X
Turrican II
Moonstone

...not sure what (if any) of the aboves were Amiga/Atari ST exclusive, but they certainly got their share of attention in these systems rather than ports to "IBM PC compatibles".