Genre: Game Compilation

Players: 1-2 Competitive / Co-Op (Local / Online)

.

Review:

I’ll start by saying that this isn’t going to be a normal review. You won’t find an overall grade at the end telling you what I think of this collection of classic Sega Genesis games ranging from the console’s original Japanese release as the Mega Drive in 1988 through to when the console was discontinued in 1999. This is for multiple reasons – firstly, the service is still receiving (presumably sporadic) updates that add more content. Secondly, this is not a collection you can purchase and own – rather, this is an included perk of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, and as such every player who subscribes to that service will have access to this compilation as long as they continue to have that subscription.

This app currently provides access to 50 games. All of the games in this collection have added display options, the ability to rewind or create multiple save states, and the games with multiplayer can now be played both locally and online. In addition, this collection allows players to sort games by title, release date, play time or last date played, or even create a custom order, which is pretty convenient given just how many games are here.

So… out of 50 games, what’s still worth playing today, and what isn’t? Well, here’s a rundown of what I thought of each and every one of these titles:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Alien Soldier	Action-Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	D+
tl;dr Alien Soldier has some good things going for it, like a unique weapon system. But clunky controls, terrible level design, and messy graphics make it hard to get into.
Alien Storm	Brawler / Arcade	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	D+
tl;dr Alien Storm is a brawler with Arcade-Style “shooting gallery” stages. It doesn’t do either type of game especially well. The controls feel too loose, there’s too little gameplay variety, and the hitboxes for everything seem to be broken.
Alisia Dragoon	Action-Platformer	1	C
tl;dr This Action-Platformer has you fighting off hordes of enemies aided by a dragon buddy, and it can be fun at times, but is hampered by stiff controls and sometimes it’s hard to tell if your attacks are having an effect on stronger enemies.
Altered Beast	Action-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	C
tl;dr Altered Beast has you fighting through hordes of enemies until you’ve “power up!”-ed enough to fight each level’s boss, having transformed into a monstrous form. An arcade classic to be sure, but it’s a bit rough by today’s standards, with slow character movement, stiff controls, and some enemies it’s unclear how you’re supposed to fight.
Beyond Oasis	Top-Down Action-RPG	1	C+
tl;dr Beyond Oasis is an Action-RPG that does a few inventive things with the genre, but it suffers from being designed for a controller with only three buttons, and there’s not as much of an element of exploration as genre fans may prefer.
Castlevania Bloodlines	Action-Platformer	1	B+
tl;dr The Castlevania series’ Genesis release doesn’t have the level of inventiveness or refinement as the SNES entry in the series, but it still has some quality gameplay, with two selectable characters and the ability to use more powerful versions of sub-weapons.
Columns	Puzzle	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr This is a decent puzzle game with a good presentation, but it’s low on features and it’s lacking that addictive quality you look for in this sort of game.
Comix Zone	Action-Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr Comix Zone was a wildly inventive take on the Action-Platformer genre, with a cool concept, some great character design, and some good animation, but the gameplay is a bit frustrating and repetitive.
Contra: Hard Corps	Action-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B
tl;dr This is the US version of the Sega Genesis entry in the Contra Action-Platformer series. In this game, players are given their choice of four characters with different abilities, which makes for more flexibility. Like other games in the series though, this one is punishingly difficult.
Crusader of Centy	Top-Down Action-RPG	1	B-
tl;dr Known in other regions as Ragnacënty or Soleil, Crusader of Centy is clearly inspired by the Zelda series and A Link to the Past specifically, though it differs in its use of animal companions as helper characters. It also differs in that its hit detection, level design, and signposting are all nowhere near as good as A Link to the Past. Still, for fans of this genre looking for a semi-obscure classic, this is well worth a look.
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine	Puzzle	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr This is a version of the classic match-4 puzzle game Puyo Puyo, and a decent version of it, at that. It’s a bit feature-poor, but if you just want a standard release of a great puzzle game, this will do the trick nicely.
Dynamite Headdy	Platformer	1	B-
tl;dr Dynamite Heady has some unique ideas at work here, using the protagonist’s springy head in different interesting ways. It occasionally gets frustrating, particularly when you take hits and don’t see any way they could have been avoided.
Earthworm Jim	Action-Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr Earthworm Jim still has some excellent animation and loads of personality even by today’s standards, but the stiff controls, poor hit detection, and absolutely terrible level design really drag it down.
Ecco the Dolphin	Action-RPG / Misc.	1	C
tl;dr One of only two games in this collection’s launch lineup that was not previously available on the Nintendo Switch in some other form. Ecco features some really unique gameplay and absolutely gorgeous pixel art graphics, but it’s not good at all about indicating where players are supposed to go or what they’re supposed to do, making it extremely easy to get frustrated. While not a terrible game, this is a game that has some serious issues.
Eswat: City Under Siege	Action-Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr This is a pretty standard action-platformer, without anything especially noteworthy going for it, and with the downside of the whole “Nintendo hard” thing.
Flicky	Arcade / Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr Flicky is a cute little arcade-style Platformer where you run back and forth on a single repeating screen while evading cats hunting you. It’s actually a pretty decent little time waster, but it’s frustrating that your character moves like they’re running on ice and the walls are made of rubber.
Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts	Action-Platformer	1-2 (Local Alternating, Online Alternating)	B-
tl;dr This sequel to Ghosts ‘N Goblins is a huge improvement over the first game in terms of control, graphics, and variety of available weapons… but is still painfully difficult. You will likely be using the rewind and save state features a lot for this one, but with that caveat, this game is a lot of fun.
Golden Axe	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr A true classic, Golden Axe brought a few unique features to the brawler formula, such as mounts. The controls are a bit stiff, but this is still a fun game even today.
Golden Axe II	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr While not quite as much of a classic as the first game, it plays just as well, although it still suffers from many of the same flaws the first game did.
Gunstar Heroes	Action-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B+
tl;dr Gunstar Heroes is an Action-Platformer with Bullet Hell elements in the vein of the Contra and Metal Slug games, and it’s absolutely brimming with imagination and personality. It’s a bit on the challenging side, and at times the screen can get so full of enemies it’s difficult to think, but it is nevertheless still very fun to play.
Kid Chameleon	Platformer	1-2 Alternating (Local, Online)	C
tl;dr Kid Chameleon is a pretty standard Platformer that unfortunately has controls that are just a bit too loose to make it really satisfying.
Landstalker	Action-RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Landstalker is an Action-RPG game that has a lot of promise but is marred by its isometric view and really bad controls.
Light Crusader	Action-RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Light Crusader is an interesting Action-RPG marred by repetitive, labyrinthine levels, and a frustrating isometric view.
Mega Man: The Wily Wars	Compilation / Action-Platformer	1	B
tl;dr This Compilation includes Sega Genesis remakes of Mega Man, Mega Man 2, and Mega Man 3. These are fantastic games, and it’s delightful to see them reimagined with 16-bit visuals and sound. The gameplay feels a bit stiff compared to the NES originals, and the physics can be a bit odd in places, but this is still overall an excellent trio of games.
Mercs	Top-Down Action	1	C-
tl;dr Mercs is a Top-Down Action game in the same vein as Commando and Ikari Warriors. It’s mostly pretty typical for games in the genre, but its stiff, clunky controls don’t do it any favors.
Musha	Shmup	1	B
tl;dr One of only two games in this collection’s launch lineup that was not previously available on the Nintendo Switch in some other form. Musha is a superb Shmup, albeit not anything truly original or groundbreaking. Fans of the genre will definitely want to try this one out.
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C+
tl;dr Unlike the previous two games in the Phantasy Star series, there’s both decent personality to this game, as well as decent gameplay, even if it is a bit archaic by today’s standards. Worth a try if you enjoy JRPGs.
Pulseman	Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr Pulseman is mostly a decent Platformer, but the gameplay is a gbit too repetitive, and the view is a bit too close to the character to have a good feel for where you’re going. Not bad, but there are better Platformers out there.
Ristar	Platformer	1	B
tl;dr Ristar is a solid platformer with a good, unique mechanic of using Ristar’s stretchy arms to grab things
Shining Force	Strategy-RPG	1	B-
tl;dr Shining Force is a Strategy-RPG with striking similarities to the Fire Emblem series, and that has the skeleton of a solid game, but it’s missing a lot of the nuances and quality of life adjustments the genre has made in the decades since this came out. Oh, and the AI is as dumb as rocks.
Shining Force II	Strategy-RPG	1	B
tl;dr Like its predecessor, Shining Force II is a solid strategy-RPG, but this time the game is slightly more refined, with small improvements throughout. And the AI this time around is thankfully much better.
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master	Action-Platformer	1	B-
tl;dr Shinobi III (actually the eighth game in the series, apparently) drops previous Shinobi series entry Shadow Dancer’s one hit kills in favor of gameplay that’s a bit more forgiving, though it’s still tough, and a bit on the simplistic side. However, there’s a good variety of enemies and stages. Not bad.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Local Split Screen, Online)	A-
tl;dr Sonic’s second outing is every bit as good as the first, if not a bit more so, thanks to better, more consistent stage design, and a few helpful tweaks to the overall experience. The game still has its flaws, but it nevertheless remains a platforming classic.
Sonic Spinball	Pinball / Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C+
tl;dr Conceptually, Sonic Spinball is a fantastic idea that could bring a lot both to the pinball genre as well as to the Sonic series. Unfortunately, the controls here are far too stiff and unresponsive, and the game isn’t anywhere near as lively and animated as the mainline Sonic games.
Space Harrier II	On-Rails Shooter	1	C+
tl;dr Space Harrier II is an On-Rails faux-3D shooter. It works well enough, but it’s simple, repetitive, and unforgiving.
Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition	Fighting Game	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr This game is somewhere between Championship Edition and Hyper/Turbo, containing some features that were in the latter. However, the Sega Genesis sound board just is not up to replicating the sounds of the arcade game, resulting in some music and voice clips that are really rough. This is still a decent version of one of the best Fighting Games ever made, but you have many better options on Nintendo Switch.
Streets of Rage	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	C
tl;dr Streets of Rage is a decent Brawler, but it doesn’t do anything to really set itself apart or make it particularly noteworthy in any way, and it gets repetitive very quickly.
Streets of Rage II	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B
tl;dr Streets of Rage II is a huge improvement over the first game in the series thanks to a good variety of attack options. It’s still a bit on the repetitive side, but this is still a solid entry in the genre.
Strider	Action-Platformer	1-2 (Local Alternating, Online Alternating)	C+
tl;dr While this game is revered as an arcade classic, I can’t help but feel that much of that is due to its impressive (for the time) visuals. By today’s standards, the hit detection is really spotty and it’s often difficult to tell if you’ve landed a hit on characters that take more than one hit to kill. This game still has its charms, but time hasn’t been kind to it.
Super Fantasy Zone	Shmup	1	C+
tl;dr Originally only released in Japan and Europe, this Shmup has some interesting mechanics, including a great shop mechanic, but it’s a bit chaotic and the impermanence of most upgrades limits this game’s potential. I should note that this version of the game benefits greatly from the rewind feature – no more frustration at dying due to getting suddenly rushed by an off-screen enemy or bullet.
Super Thunder Blade	On-Rails Shooter	1	D
tl;dr Super Thunder Blade is a game that has you piloting a helicopter and shooting down enemies in a faux-3D On-Rails Shooter. The framerates are slow, the controls are sluggish and unresponsive… this game is a mess.
Sword of Vermillion	Action-RPG	1	D
tl;dr Sword of Vermillion is like a collection of all of my least-favorite features of RPGs from this era: Slow walking speeds, having to select everything from menus, first-person perspective mazes, and terrible action-RPG combat. Don’t bother with this one.
Target Earth	Action-Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr This game, the predecessor to the SNES game Cybernator, is somewhat comparable to games like Contra and Metal Slug, but the movement and unique level goals make it fairly unique. The controls are a bit stiff, but otherwise this is a fun entry in the genre.
The Revenge of Shinobi	Action-Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr The third game in the Shinobi series, Revenge of Shinobi is unforgiving and frustrating to play.
Thunder Force II	2D Space Shooter	1	C-
tl;dr Thunder Force II is a free-roaming 2D Space Shooter that may have been a really creative take on the genre back in its original release, but by today’s standards it has some frustrating problems. Samey-looking areas make it unclear where to go, multi-layer scrolling and the relatively fast speed and large size of your ship makes it far too easy to unwittingly smash into walls, and the inability to change speed or independently aim means you’re constantly moving back and forth so you don’t slam into whatever you’re shooting at. Not a terrible game, but a very frustrating one.
Toejam & Earl	Misc.	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Online)	D
tl;dr I’m still not entirely sure what the point to this game is. You move… very slowly… on a map avoiding enemies while looking for collectables. The game has a very “this is what kids think are cool these days!” vibe that’s kinda’ adorable now, but it doesn’t make up for what a slog this is.
Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkatron	Platformer	1	D
tl;dr The second game in this series plays completely differently than the first one, yet manages to be just as bad. Slow, unresponsive controls make this platformer a pain to play.
Vectorman	Action-Platformer	1	C
tl;dr Vectorman is an average action-platformer hampered by the screen being too close to the action, meaning that if you want to move forward without dying quickly, you have to inch through the game’s levels.
Virtua Fighter 2	Fighting Game	1-2 Competitive (Local), Online Leaderboards	D
tl;dr This game looks bad, has terrible, sluggish controls, and shockingly few types of attacks for a fighting game.
Zero Wing	Shmup	1	B+
tl;dr Yes, this is the game that birthed the “All your base are belong to us” meme, but it’s also an outstanding Shmup. It’s far too easy, the ship moves a bit too quickly, and the slowdown can be distracting, but the action is fun, there’s a decent selection of power-ups, creative enemy design, and the chiptune soundtrack is excellent. If you’re a fan of Shmups, you should absolutely play this game.

When it all comes down to it, the only truly must-play game in this list of titles (A- grade or higher) is Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, there are plenty of other worthwhile games (B- grade or higher) here, including Castlevania Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, Gunstar Heroes, Zero Wing, Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Musha, Ristar, Streets of Rage II, Crusader of Centy, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts, Golden Axe, Golden Axe II, Shining Force, Shinobi III, and Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition.

Or, for those wanting a Top 10 list (because those are always fun), my suggestions would be as follows:

.10. Shining Force

.9. Mega Man: The Wily Wars

.8. Ristar

.7. Contra: Hard Corps

.6. Shining Force II

.5. Gunstar Heroes

.4. Streets of Rage II

.3. Zero Wing

.2. Castlevania Bloodlines

.1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Of course, that’s just how it stands now – Nintendo will likely update this list with additional titles later… and when they do, I’ll try to make it a point to update this list as well.

It bears mention that as of this writing, many of the games here can already be found on the Nintendo Switch in some other form – Castlevania Bloodlines is in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, Contra: Hard Corps is in the Contra Anniversary Collection, Strider and Ghouls N Ghosts are in the Capcom Arcade Stadium compilation, and many of the rest are in the Sega Genesis Classics compilation, and while some players have complained about the quality of the emulation in that latter compilation, I don’t think that issue alone is significant enough to make this app’s value less suspect. On the other hand, many of the games in the Sega Genesis Classics compilation have features that aren’t found here, such as online leaderboards, and as of December 2024 this Compilation has been delisted from the Nintendo Switch eShop. In addition, the best game in this app’s launch lineup, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, has a better version on the Nintendo Switch in the form of Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which has some nice additional features.

At the moment, the only games included here that are not available elsewhere on the Nintendo Switch are Alisia Dragoon, Crusader of Centy, Earthworm Jim, Ecco the Dolphin, Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Mercs, Musha, Pulseman, Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (technically), Super Fantasy Zone, Target Earth, Thunder Force II, and Zero Wing.

As such, at least for now the Sega Genesis app is clearly a minor footnote in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack’s feature list next to the Nintendo 64 app. Of course, in time this may change, and I will update this page if and when that happens.

tl;dr – Nintendo Switch Online members currently have access to 50 Sega Genesis games, including some true classics, and all of these games have added display options, save states, a rewind feature, and online play for those games with multiplayer. Unfortunately, all but three of the games in this service are available elsewhere on the Nintendo Switch, making the value of this app somewhat dubious, at least until more content is added.

Grade: N/A

You can now support this content on Patreon! Please click the link to learn more!