One of my all time favorites that almost no one ever talks about. Thank you so much for covering this!!!! When I showed my SEGA mocking friend the corridor stage at the end of level two, his jaw hit the floor and he said, "Whoah... That looks real." Then I proceeded further down and showed him what it looked like through the holes in the blast doors. He couldn't believe it. Plus, it had style for days too. Cool anime looking mech games of the era don't get any better than this. Amazing.
RANGER X is a classic. I was one of the fortunate few who owned this obscure gem on the SEGA GENESIS back in 1993. I was around 15 years old, and got this game as a Christmas gift that year, and it quickly became one of my favorite games in my collection. I have to say that RANGER X was one of the best looking games of it's era, and the gameplay was solid, as I owned a six button controller. The soundtrack was also fantastic. I would definitely love to see this game rereleased, and I'm confused as to why this was never included in any of SEGA's GENESIS collections.
And the most impressive thing about this is: Its from 93! Some of the effects look like they needed an extra chip to do in 95 like Mega Man X3, but its all Genesis power. In 93 we got games like Alien 3 or Cliffhanger, but this just outshines em.
the terrible generic, cheesy title "Ranger X" did it no justice, it should of been titled "Ex Lancer", many probably assumed with a name like "Ranger X" that it was a rip off of Power Rangers....
@@FloridaEbikes Have you even played Dynamite Heady? It's one of the most creative 2D platformers of the era, Treasure made it and put the same insane amount of effort into it as everything else they've made, dismissing it for being a "mascot platformer" is frankly insulting.
I think a lot of it was due to it being less produced. I remember scouring the retail and rental stores for new Sega games as a kid. I never even saw a copy of it until later on the collector market.
@@RyanLeCocq That might be it. I dont think it was advertised alot either. I may have seen an ad in a magazine. By the time it came out sega was pushing their add ons and Saturn wasnt that far off, so it may have been overlooked. I got the game way later by mail order when I ordered a bunch of used games. It ended up being great. This was right before I got heavy into emulation and sold off all my old machines and games.
This game definitely wasn't "underrated", as anyone who has actually played it has said positive things about it. Please, quit misusing the word "underrated". Just because something isn't well known, doesn't make it underrated. It's actually quite the opposite, as something being underrated means that a lot of people knew about it, yet they under rate it's quality. RANGER X was an obscure title that a lot of people just didn't know about after it's release. I was one of the lucky few who happened to own this gem back in 1993, and I got it as a gift.
Picked this up @ a swap-meet as a kid...it grew on me & my friends really liked it too. It wasnt too hard or too easy. It was a 6.8/10. The music was good & the concept of having that little vehicle motor bike to ride on/in was 🔥. The fact you could fly was awesome too (short cool down period too). Fond memories....
Defintely one of my favorite Genesis titles along with Streets of Rage 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I rented it at my local video game store as a kid and was hooked eventually getting a copy of the game myself. I'd love to see this game ported or refreshed for modern consoles. Classic!
This gem is among most scared and cherished, I had luck to find in those times... ExRanza (Ranger X) blew me away right from the very first game screen. I have not beated this game in those days, but when I have closed this geschtalt on GENS, I was sooo freaking high! And yes, one of the technological pinnacles of the Genesis system.
One of the greatest on the genny. Glad to see it get its due. The gameplay is so deep. The graphics are off the chart. You have a great following and I hope more people will experience this work of art now that you covered it.
It is and I still find it funny/crazy how nobody ever talks about it. Been waiting forever for a decent review by someone who knows what they talking about. Hopefully the game can get ported to the Switch online app or something. Such a great review by X for sure.
Thank you very much for putting together a video for this. Ranger-X and Alisia Dragoon are two of my favorite Genesis games that aren't talked about enough. I recommend both to people unfamiliar with the Genesis and seeking a good challenge. I agree with your opinion that the control, floatiness, and volume of enemies makes the game daunting at first but the game is worth the time and effort to learn.
actually you can control Indra independently just by ducking and pressing left and right ~guy who only had a 3-button controller but still played the hell out of Ranger X
This is such an excellently researched review loaded with detail I had no idea about. And I *never* knew about the solar charged weapon mechanic - I just thought these dudes love flexing their cool lighting details (I own the JPN version and never thought to look up an English manual). Anyway, great stuff. I will definitely give this another go.
First game I bought on a whim (besides Sonic 2 which already came with my Genesis) and loved it a lot! I still play this one every now and then and the nostalgia kicks in every time.
I had this cart as a kid! Amazing then, and amazing now! Look at those 3D backrounds! Great music too. I'm subscribing since you remind me of a great time in my life!
Thank you for taking the time to go over this. I picked this up in the old days at a flea market without instructions so the controls took some time to learn but I was super fascinated with it and could never understand why it wasn't brought up more. Visually I'd say this looks better than most if not all of the SNES games. It was a true diamond in the rough.
yea, the genesis has the edge in graphics over the snes for sure. in fact i think the genesis is 24 bit(not 16), that cpu is crazy over powered. i prefer the snes for it's library, but genesis easily wins in graphics
@@Rodzilla97 Genesis and SNES are both 16 bit, both had games for them that made you ask yourself if the console was capable of being pushed as far as those games pushed them. You have not played much for SNES if you think the Genesis won in graphics. I own 376 games between both consoles in total, and I have seen some impressive stuff come out on both consoles.
@@Bloodreign1 i play far less genesis games. i love the snes and would take it over the genesis anyday, and still play it a lot. but the best graphics the genesis can pull off are just beyond belief imo. snes has the advantage in sound, colors, and can do mode 7, and i far prefer the snes library(genesis games are a lot of times way too freaking hard, like 0.01% gamer skills hard. why, wtf? appeal to the masses), but the genesis is king in the graphics area overal, easily imo (yea some games on both consoles look better on snes, but overall gnesis can pull off way more complex bosses and more on screen mayhem at once, and just more arcade looking, etc)
@Dean Satan i think the snes is stronger than you give it credit for, but yes the genesis is better graphically for sure. contra hard corps, gunstar heroes, alien soilder, sonic 3 and knuckles, batman and robin etc (some of the effects and bosses are so complex it's crazy) and now games like Demons of asterborg, and paprium are out there beyond anything snes can do. i honestly think the genesis is 24 bit, it's got a 32 bit processer of some sort in there(forget exactly what, and a 16 bit one, combined them and it's split down the middle imo, 24 bit, the system is OP as fffk) some impressive snes games like Rendering Ranger R2 are pretty amazing as well(level 7 in motion might be the best 16 bit action on any console, no slowdown the whole game with insane amounts of action. no complex bosses though) and space megaforce, pop'n twin bee, turtles in time, etc. but make no bones about it, genesis has the clear edge in graphics(and less slowdown). some of jurassic park lost world effects on genesis are amazing as well. bow down to the 6800 CPU (that said i'm still a snes guy, and prefer it for it's library and nintendo made games. but genesis library is strong as well) nintendo should have given the snes a 6800 as well
played this for the first time today! such a great game, got my butt spanked the first few playthrus then learned the mechanic and have beat it back to back to back or normal, going straight to heavy tomorrow!
Love this one. When I actually decided I wanted to beat it, it was easy enough to beat in one go in spite of the initial learning curve, and stayed fun all the way through. It's long enough to feel satisfying without overstaying its welcome, and has some of the coolest graphics on the system. Just a winner through and through.
This was one of the best games I’ve had on my Genesis. I’m glad you did a review on it, I was wondering if you would ever pick up on this title. Really glad you did!
I remember back in 1993 as kids we didn't had much money so we rented cartridges from videoclubs. I rented Ranger X many, many times and absolutely love it, gameplay, graphics, music, etc...I walkthrough it I don't even remember how many times on Heavy difficulty. One of the best video-games ever made. Thanks for the video my friend.
Only 1 out of 10 people even played this game, I was lucky enough to have the 6 button controller. I did not have a Super Nintendo so I spent a lot of time on Genesis and this was one of my favorites. A lot better than Awesome Possum
It was a lonely memory of mine, figuring out the gameplay of this game and trying to make up some storyline that made sense. It was intense and nobody else had it or cared about it. A fond gaming experience.
Stumbled upon this classic by accident in a video store one day back when I was a kid. I had seen no advertisements or commercials for it previously, but something about the box art caught my attention and sparked my imagination. It far exceeded the hopes I had for it becoming one of my most treasured experiences with the Genesis console.
Oh man, this game looks amazing! 1993 release...pretty much an end-of-console-life Genesis game, huh? Those were always some of the best games on a system.
The most impressive 16bit game for me. The amount of effects feel like you are playing at the arcade at home, and its effects makes it immersive to this day.
The game is hard to grasp initially, I agree. Some people can't deal with the directional shooting. The special weapons require experimentation. Some people don't realize the solar aspect of things. Another thing a lot of people don't realize is how to maximize the jetpack. This is an issue on the harder difficulties in the vertical stage with the building since the platforms will not be there like on normal and easy, but it's handy throughout the game since it saves jetpack energy. What many don't realize is you can jump, and it's essential in the building stage on those harder difficulties. If you hold town before tapping up, you'll jump pretty high with next to no jetpack use. Then, at the height of the jump, you can hold up to begin the jetpack from there. You can get a good bit of extra height with the jet that way. As for the review, all fair criticisms and that makes this an excellent review. You like the game a lot, yet you've found the things that could be issues for people. And I agree that it's a fantastic game. It took some time for me to get into though because it's so unusual. I only got a loose cart so I never had the benefit of the manual, which doesn't help. There are some games that are quite hard at first but are still worth the effort to get into in my opinion. Such games include most shmups(yes, I said shmup), Ghouls and Ghosts, Metal Slug and many others. Ranger X is also worth the effort, I think. Another thing I think is worth mentioning is that one of the stages features a light stealth element which was not common in the 16-bit era. It's the stage with the spotlights. Gau had a lot of interesting ideas that they made work in this game, in addition to the technical wizardry. And all that in eight megabits. Makes me wonder what they could have done with a follow up on a larger cart, not that this game feels lacking in any major way. It's a great game, and among my favorites on the system.
As a kid, I remember getting my original Genesis late in it's lifespan (1996). This was one of the games I was blessed. From a guy who was obsessed with robots, this game blew my 9 year old self away. Between this and Vectorman, I was happy with the futuristic games on the Genesis, considering I had a SNES before that. Great game and I hope I can track down another copy.
When I was a kid in the 90s my neighbors were two brothers who were like distant cousins of mine (one of those nobody knows how exactly we're related but we are). They were 12-15 years older than me and were big gamers. They're the reason I got into gaming and it's been my hobby for my whole life. They'd let me borrow games all the time and eventually I got around to borrowing Ranger X. It was difficult as hell and still is to me, but I never forgot about it. I've got my own copy now. One of the brothers passed suddenly last year and I gave Ranger X a go because it's the one game that for whatever reason has a memory or connection to them in my mind even though I borrowed so many different games from them. It's gonna be an important game to me forever.
I remember playing this game with my cousin back in the day. He had a Sega Channel and it is the only game I remember from it. We never got past the second level but the game stuck in my head for years because of its presentation.
2:45 That is such a great effect for the Genesis. Can’t believe I didn’t hear about this one (although everyone I knew at that age had Super Nintendos).
Man what a beautiful looking game. The one thing Sega games really deserve credit for are the graphic art and innovative tricks used to fill backgrounds with detail.
This was one of a handful of genesis games that had me envious of my Sega owning friends back in my childhood. SNES obviously had some great shooters but nothing quite like this if my memory is correct, lol.
Lv2 of this game was such a beginner's trap. As a kid I never got through that one part because I never realized you can shoot out dirt from the ceiling to regenerate in the sunrays that shine through. When I replayed it as an adult, I still didn't know, but went through the level slowly and beat it. Then immediately learned that nearly every single level after that second isn't nearly as difficult or even lengthy. (Also don't let the 6-button special setup scare you. I only have a 3 Button controller and it controls extremely well)
@@Sandman_Slim it is shocking to me because I was never aware that the games Sega lord x mentioned were all from the same company. Now that he has connected the dots, it all makes sense as far as quality was concerned
I love your channel, and I'm so glad to see you give this game some love. This is one of my favorites. As a kid I was into mechs so I picked this up because of the box art and was blown away.
Looking at the incredible amount of animation details and background ingenuity this game makes you realize was possible on the hardware leaves me wondering if devs of so many other titles from back then had any self respect at all, lol.
I bet there was a lot of creative problem-solving and in-depth-knowledge of the hardware necessary which just not everyone has. Still today there are developers who just get more out of the consoles than others.
I found out about this by renting it. It was one of the best rentals I ever made. I later bought it just to have in my collection. I got used to the controls really quick and I loved how the physics felt once I knew what I was doing. It added a lot of strategy on how I played.
I had this game when it was first released, it was definately one of the more impressive looking Megadrive games. The controls were a bit tricky to get used to, but once I got the hang of them it didn't take me long to beat this game, I remember being a bit disapointed at the time because it didn't last longer. It's one of those games that I had a lot of fun playing but never really felt the need to replay it once I'd beaten it.
I don't remember how I came into this game, but I remember owning it in my "second phase" of gaming in the late 90s and playing a lot of it on my Nomad.
I loved this game, and I think it was the last genesis game I ever bought, but man what a send off! This is a Game I'd love to see resurrected for VR. Piloting a nimble mech, jet packs, transforming vehicles? Sign me up!
I missed out on this one as a kid (like most Sega games cause I didn't own the console), but that didn't stop me from loving it as an adult! It's a masterpiece! 10/10
This game got recommended to me years ago. I picked it up somewhat reluctantly precisely because it seemed so different from anything else on the Megadrive. I was happy just to get some use out of the 6-button controller at first but this game blew me away on all fronts and I've never regretted purchasing it. Never knew about the Nextech Acquisition. At least the developers worked on more great stuff before and after this gem.
My FAVOURITE GAME ON MEGADRIVE PERIOD!!!! what a game!!!! Its such a brilliant action shooter, thank you! This game doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
One of the absolute best 16-bit games on any system. The realization of the science fiction world at war is unparalleled. The gameplay, for my money, rather than being off-putting is simply innovative and, once learned and mastered, feels intuitive really. The jetpack physics feels like what a jetpack might be like if you're just using thrusters to motivate an open sky. Nothing quite like this anywhere else. AAA game.
Thanks SLX for another great video. You (and ironically SNES Drunk) have opened my eyes to how great the Genesis was (I was a Nintendo fanboy so when I was young). Based on the video capture in your video, this has got to be one of the nicest looking 16-but games I’ve ever seen. Surely a top 10 for the generation??
im glad i picked up the cart when i had a shot at it recently. i owned it when i was a kid cuz i bought practically any game featuring robots back then, but never really got into playing it. as i've gotten better at the game, i'm enjoying all of the neat effects i never got to see back then.
Great topic!! I've had this game but I never quite got into it, despite appreciating the advanced graphics and controls. I still need to give it the proper attention sometime.
I have had a Genesis since 1994 and just discovered this game last year. Complete Sleeper! To reconcile this: the game just arrived in the mail today. Can't wait!
@@Lord_Deimos Sadly only those who deep dive the consoles library knows about the game, especially if they play enough of it either through emulation, or taking a chance in buying the games (I emulated RX and AD, but knew of AD from old Genesis ads, own carts of both these days). I did the same for the SNES, deep diving both libraries uncovers a lot of gems. 376 games with both 16 bit consoles combined, lots to play, though I own a few duds for both.
@@Bloodreign1 I've rented both back in the 90's and bought them some time later. Alicia Dragoon in particular was one of my first games on the genesis.
I had this as a kid, i could never remember the name. When i saw the thumbnail i was just hoping to see that first sandy level. Then i would know its the game. Off to my emulator!
@SegaLordX on the stage where you are using a jetpack to fly up the side of a skyscraper shoot out all the windows, one of them in particular when shattered will send a secret weapon back to you flying hub, you can go back to equip it, i believe it is the "proton cannon" broken as hell and fun to use, it more or less clears whats on your screen
Definitely one of the steepest learning curves on the system. Not just with the control, but with the trial and error game play. This isn't a game where twitch reflexes will get you by. You need to memorize enemy locations/ spawn points and boss patterns. Definitely not the easiest playthrough, but satisfying once you get it.
Been waiting years for a decent review for this game and you nailed it. Very informative and some things I didn’t know about the development team. My friend got this and Sonic 3 on the same day in Feb 94. He called me over and my jaw dropped for Ranger X more so than Sonic 3. I was still a Sonic 2 fanboy haha. But yeah this game grabbed my attention with the crazy 6 button controls , music and graphics. The gameplay was slick and I loved the flying in it since most games never nailed flying back then except maybe Super Mario World feather power up… So everyday for the next week I would ask him to play this game until he just let me barrow it. He wanted to get into sonic 3 instead while now I had the chance to master it without renting it. Which I did. The level select code helped later when I found it in gamepro I think. Fun times. Bought a complete copy about 10 years later and still play it at least once a year. Ever since it’s release I would talk about it but nobody I knew personally ever played it except for my one Genesis friend I had before he moved away. We still keep in contact and talk about those times. Anyway, sorry for ranting but I really have been waiting for you to review this and give it justice since no other mainstream retro TH-camr even play genesis games. Well done X and take it easy.👌
I loved Ranger X. I traded 2-for-1 at a local 2nd hand store. Never heard of it but figured what the hell, anything's better than Heavy Nova and whatever the other game was I traded. I probably ended up playing this more than any other Genesis game.
Ah finally a review of one of my favourite game for the megadrive. Probably one of the most impressive games of the that in terms graphics special effect like 3D background movement and lightings effects
I picked this game up when the rental store was closing down. I can't wrap my head around how Sega didn't market this game much. The homing bird one of my favorite video game weapons of all time.
As a kid the only SEGA Genesis games I had were Ms. Pac Man The Lion King The Lost Vikings Lightning Force And the Sonic collection cart Shortly after getting the Genesis a relative bought me the Nintendo 64 and I didn’t go back until after the Xbox 360 was out. Ranger X was the first game I purchased for myself for the Genesis all those years later and even with games like Halo 3 on the horizon I was blown away by the scrolling effects in Ranger X and immediately knew that I didn’t even get a fraction of the value out of my Genesis as a child.
This game had it all, the graphics, the music, the really unique gameplay, I'm not much for shooting games like this, but this game was one I remember very fondly from my childhood...I don't actually even know where I got it, I think a friend or cousin or someone gave us just a bunch of their games they didn't play anymore and it was among those. Their loss. Also, you didn't even show the coolest weapon in the game, the BFG you get in the building climbing stage, it has one of my favorite sound effects for any attack in any game ever, and it's my favorite to use on the bouncy ball boss on top of the sky scraper, you can nearly 1 shot him with it
One of my all time favorites that almost no one ever talks about. Thank you so much for covering this!!!! When I showed my SEGA mocking friend the corridor stage at the end of level two, his jaw hit the floor and he said, "Whoah... That looks real." Then I proceeded further down and showed him what it looked like through the holes in the blast doors. He couldn't believe it. Plus, it had style for days too. Cool anime looking mech games of the era don't get any better than this. Amazing.
RANGER X is a classic. I was one of the fortunate few who owned this obscure gem on the SEGA GENESIS back in 1993. I was around 15 years old, and got this game as a Christmas gift that year, and it quickly became one of my favorite games in my collection. I have to say that RANGER X was one of the best looking games of it's era, and the gameplay was solid, as I owned a six button controller. The soundtrack was also fantastic. I would definitely love to see this game rereleased, and I'm confused as to why this was never included in any of SEGA's GENESIS collections.
Me too
The impressive thing with the "3d" backgrounds is the smoothness of them all. Incredible
And the most impressive thing about this is: Its from 93! Some of the effects look like they needed an extra chip to do in 95 like Mega Man X3, but its all Genesis power. In 93 we got games like Alien 3 or Cliffhanger, but this just outshines em.
Picked this up on a whim in a local game shop when I started collecting and it’s fantastic!
I don't remember exactly but I know I ended up with it through chance as well and was NOT disappointed!
Same!!
This game is phenomenal and to me always felt like it was made by Treasure. That first boss battle is amazing.
Just like the brilliant Dynamite Headdy, Ranger X is one of those criminally underrated games from the 16-Bit era with brilliant visual effects.
the terrible generic, cheesy title "Ranger X" did it no justice, it should of been titled "Ex Lancer", many probably assumed with a name like "Ranger X" that it was a rip off of Power Rangers....
@@ShadowArtist What would "Ex Lancer" mean?
@@FloridaEbikes Have you even played Dynamite Heady? It's one of the most creative 2D platformers of the era, Treasure made it and put the same insane amount of effort into it as everything else they've made, dismissing it for being a "mascot platformer" is frankly insulting.
@Florida Dynamite Headdy is a lot of things but generic isn't isn't one of them. It's a Tour de Force of creativity.
@@Fattydeposit it's as generic as they come. Even the name screams generic. Dynamite and headdy just random nouns its not even a name.
This was definately an underrated game.
I think a lot of it was due to it being less produced. I remember scouring the retail and rental stores for new Sega games as a kid. I never even saw a copy of it until later on the collector market.
@@RyanLeCocq That might be it. I dont think it was advertised alot either. I may have seen an ad in a magazine. By the time it came out sega was pushing their add ons and Saturn wasnt that far off, so it may have been overlooked. I got the game way later by mail order when I ordered a bunch of used games. It ended up being great. This was right before I got heavy into emulation and sold off all my old machines and games.
I would say more unknown then underrated. If you played it, and learned all it nuances, and saw its graphical prowess you couldn't underrate it.
@@neozeed1984 Thats more accurate. I rarely saw coverage of the game.
This game definitely wasn't "underrated", as anyone who has actually played it has said positive things about it. Please, quit misusing the word "underrated". Just because something isn't well known, doesn't make it underrated. It's actually quite the opposite, as something being underrated means that a lot of people knew about it, yet they under rate it's quality. RANGER X was an obscure title that a lot of people just didn't know about after it's release. I was one of the lucky few who happened to own this gem back in 1993, and I got it as a gift.
Picked this up @ a swap-meet as a kid...it grew on me & my friends really liked it too. It wasnt too hard or too easy. It was a 6.8/10. The music was good & the concept of having that little vehicle motor bike to ride on/in was 🔥. The fact you could fly was awesome too (short cool down period too). Fond memories....
Ranger X came packed with my model 1 Genesis along with Sonic the hedgehog. Great game, great music, still love it to this day.
Defintely one of my favorite Genesis titles along with Streets of Rage 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I rented it at my local video game store as a kid and was hooked eventually getting a copy of the game myself. I'd love to see this game ported or refreshed for modern consoles. Classic!
This gem is among most scared and cherished, I had luck to find in those times...
ExRanza (Ranger X) blew me away right from the very first game screen.
I have not beated this game in those days, but when I have closed this geschtalt on GENS, I was sooo freaking high!
And yes, one of the technological pinnacles of the Genesis system.
Awesome description. :)
@@JamesChessman You could read that?
I got this for Christmas of '93 I believe. I absolutely loved it! And I'm gonna jump back into it now thanks to your video 😊
One of the greatest on the genny. Glad to see it get its due. The gameplay is so deep. The graphics are off the chart.
You have a great following and I hope more people will experience this work of art now that you covered it.
Yep, it’s a game where you can either chance your luck and try to blast through, or take it slowly and use the environment to help you.
It is and I still find it funny/crazy how nobody ever talks about it. Been waiting forever for a decent review by someone who knows what they talking about. Hopefully the game can get ported to the Switch online app or something. Such a great review by X for sure.
One of the most technically impressive and challenging games on the system no doubt.
One of the first video games I've ever played at my cousin's house back when I was 5 years old. Good thing I have all those games now.
I could never play this games 1st level when I was 5
Looks great and looks fun to play! Can't believe I missed out on loading this one onto my mini.
Thank you very much for putting together a video for this. Ranger-X and Alisia Dragoon are two of my favorite Genesis games that aren't talked about enough. I recommend both to people unfamiliar with the Genesis and seeking a good challenge. I agree with your opinion that the control, floatiness, and volume of enemies makes the game daunting at first but the game is worth the time and effort to learn.
A great game with some of the best graphics on the system.
You definitely need a six button controller for this one.
actually you can control Indra independently just by ducking and pressing left and right ~guy who only had a 3-button controller but still played the hell out of Ranger X
A nice platform title that was very creative with the Genesis hardware.
This is such an excellently researched review loaded with detail I had no idea about. And I *never* knew about the solar charged weapon mechanic - I just thought these dudes love flexing their cool lighting details (I own the JPN version and never thought to look up an English manual). Anyway, great stuff. I will definitely give this another go.
Sounds like an underrated game.
I guess i have look, for it at the next garage sale or on ebay.
First game I bought on a whim (besides Sonic 2 which already came with my Genesis) and loved it a lot! I still play this one every now and then and the nostalgia kicks in every time.
I’m drinking my morning cup of coffee and enjoying another Sega Lord X video, life is good! Thanks for all the great content man!
I had this cart as a kid! Amazing then, and amazing now! Look at those 3D backrounds! Great music too. I'm subscribing since you remind me of a great time in my life!
LOVE THIS GAME!!
Seeing this makes me want to dust off my Genesis, and playthrough again.
Do it!
If you let your consoles collect dust then you don't deserve to play them.
My attention can be spread only so far.
mega drive on its absolute graphical edge.
one of the very few games that could visually stand toe to toe with the snes's finest.
Thank you for taking the time to go over this. I picked this up in the old days at a flea market without instructions so the controls took some time to learn but I was super fascinated with it and could never understand why it wasn't brought up more. Visually I'd say this looks better than most if not all of the SNES games. It was a true diamond in the rough.
yea, the genesis has the edge in graphics over the snes for sure. in fact i think the genesis is 24 bit(not 16), that cpu is crazy over powered. i prefer the snes for it's library, but genesis easily wins in graphics
@@Rodzilla97 Genesis and SNES are both 16 bit, both had games for them that made you ask yourself if the console was capable of being pushed as far as those games pushed them. You have not played much for SNES if you think the Genesis won in graphics. I own 376 games between both consoles in total, and I have seen some impressive stuff come out on both consoles.
@@Bloodreign1 i play far less genesis games. i love the snes and would take it over the genesis anyday, and still play it a lot. but the best graphics the genesis can pull off are just beyond belief imo. snes has the advantage in sound, colors, and can do mode 7, and i far prefer the snes library(genesis games are a lot of times way too freaking hard, like 0.01% gamer skills hard. why, wtf? appeal to the masses), but the genesis is king in the graphics area overal, easily imo (yea some games on both consoles look better on snes, but overall gnesis can pull off way more complex bosses and more on screen mayhem at once, and just more arcade looking, etc)
@Dean Satan i think the snes is stronger than you give it credit for, but yes the genesis is better graphically for sure. contra hard corps, gunstar heroes, alien soilder, sonic 3 and knuckles, batman and robin etc (some of the effects and bosses are so complex it's crazy) and now games like Demons of asterborg, and paprium are out there beyond anything snes can do. i honestly think the genesis is 24 bit, it's got a 32 bit processer of some sort in there(forget exactly what, and a 16 bit one, combined them and it's split down the middle imo, 24 bit, the system is OP as fffk) some impressive snes games like Rendering Ranger R2 are pretty amazing as well(level 7 in motion might be the best 16 bit action on any console, no slowdown the whole game with insane amounts of action. no complex bosses though) and space megaforce, pop'n twin bee, turtles in time, etc. but make no bones about it, genesis has the clear edge in graphics(and less slowdown). some of jurassic park lost world effects on genesis are amazing as well. bow down to the 6800 CPU (that said i'm still a snes guy, and prefer it for it's library and nintendo made games. but genesis library is strong as well) nintendo should have given the snes a 6800 as well
played this for the first time today! such a great game, got my butt spanked the first few playthrus then learned the mechanic and have beat it back to back to back or normal, going straight to heavy tomorrow!
Love this one. When I actually decided I wanted to beat it, it was easy enough to beat in one go in spite of the initial learning curve, and stayed fun all the way through. It's long enough to feel satisfying without overstaying its welcome, and has some of the coolest graphics on the system. Just a winner through and through.
This was one of the best games I’ve had on my Genesis. I’m glad you did a review on it, I was wondering if you would ever pick up on this title. Really glad you did!
I remember back in 1993 as kids we didn't had much money so we rented cartridges from videoclubs. I rented Ranger X many, many times and absolutely love it, gameplay, graphics, music, etc...I walkthrough it I don't even remember how many times on Heavy difficulty.
One of the best video-games ever made.
Thanks for the video my friend.
My most prized CIB in my collection, absolutely love this game! So glad you finally did a review for it.
Only 1 out of 10 people even played this game, I was lucky enough to have the 6 button controller. I did not have a Super Nintendo so I spent a lot of time on Genesis and this was one of my favorites. A lot better than Awesome Possum
I think 85% of the Sega Genesis Library is better than awesome possum. That game is the bottom of the Barrel.
It was a lonely memory of mine, figuring out the gameplay of this game and trying to make up some storyline that made sense.
It was intense and nobody else had it or cared about it. A fond gaming experience.
Rocket Knight Adventures ruled
Stumbled upon this classic by accident in a video store one day back when I was a kid. I had seen no advertisements or commercials for it previously, but something about the box art caught my attention and sparked my imagination. It far exceeded the hopes I had for it becoming one of my most treasured experiences with the Genesis console.
Badass game with a BAD ASS name!This and Gunstar Heroes,so much delicious and delectable explosions!Only on the Genny!
Oh man, this game looks amazing! 1993 release...pretty much an end-of-console-life Genesis game, huh? Those were always some of the best games on a system.
The most impressive 16bit game for me. The amount of effects feel like you are playing at the arcade at home, and its effects makes it immersive to this day.
Rented this game so many times as a kid. Was ecstatic to pick it up at a shop some years later - a favorite in my small collection of carts!
The game is hard to grasp initially, I agree. Some people can't deal with the directional shooting. The special weapons require experimentation. Some people don't realize the solar aspect of things. Another thing a lot of people don't realize is how to maximize the jetpack. This is an issue on the harder difficulties in the vertical stage with the building since the platforms will not be there like on normal and easy, but it's handy throughout the game since it saves jetpack energy. What many don't realize is you can jump, and it's essential in the building stage on those harder difficulties. If you hold town before tapping up, you'll jump pretty high with next to no jetpack use. Then, at the height of the jump, you can hold up to begin the jetpack from there. You can get a good bit of extra height with the jet that way.
As for the review, all fair criticisms and that makes this an excellent review. You like the game a lot, yet you've found the things that could be issues for people. And I agree that it's a fantastic game. It took some time for me to get into though because it's so unusual. I only got a loose cart so I never had the benefit of the manual, which doesn't help. There are some games that are quite hard at first but are still worth the effort to get into in my opinion. Such games include most shmups(yes, I said shmup), Ghouls and Ghosts, Metal Slug and many others. Ranger X is also worth the effort, I think. Another thing I think is worth mentioning is that one of the stages features a light stealth element which was not common in the 16-bit era. It's the stage with the spotlights. Gau had a lot of interesting ideas that they made work in this game, in addition to the technical wizardry. And all that in eight megabits. Makes me wonder what they could have done with a follow up on a larger cart, not that this game feels lacking in any major way. It's a great game, and among my favorites on the system.
As a kid, I remember getting my original Genesis late in it's lifespan (1996). This was one of the games I was blessed. From a guy who was obsessed with robots, this game blew my 9 year old self away. Between this and Vectorman, I was happy with the futuristic games on the Genesis, considering I had a SNES before that. Great game and I hope I can track down another copy.
When I was a kid in the 90s my neighbors were two brothers who were like distant cousins of mine (one of those nobody knows how exactly we're related but we are). They were 12-15 years older than me and were big gamers. They're the reason I got into gaming and it's been my hobby for my whole life. They'd let me borrow games all the time and eventually I got around to borrowing Ranger X. It was difficult as hell and still is to me, but I never forgot about it. I've got my own copy now. One of the brothers passed suddenly last year and I gave Ranger X a go because it's the one game that for whatever reason has a memory or connection to them in my mind even though I borrowed so many different games from them. It's gonna be an important game to me forever.
I remember playing this game with my cousin back in the day. He had a Sega Channel and it is the only game I remember from it. We never got past the second level but the game stuck in my head for years because of its presentation.
2:45 That is such a great effect for the Genesis. Can’t believe I didn’t hear about this one (although everyone I knew at that age had Super Nintendos).
Man what a beautiful looking game. The one thing Sega games really deserve credit for are the graphic art and innovative tricks used to fill backgrounds with detail.
This was one of a handful of genesis games that had me envious of my Sega owning friends back in my childhood. SNES obviously had some great shooters but nothing quite like this if my memory is correct, lol.
For me... One of the best games for Sega Genesis EVER. Thanks for your videos. I love them! Greetings from Spain.
Lv2 of this game was such a beginner's trap. As a kid I never got through that one part because I never realized you can shoot out dirt from the ceiling to regenerate in the sunrays that shine through. When I replayed it as an adult, I still didn't know, but went through the level slowly and beat it.
Then immediately learned that nearly every single level after that second isn't nearly as difficult or even lengthy.
(Also don't let the 6-button special setup scare you. I only have a 3 Button controller and it controls extremely well)
i'm shocked as well as glad to see that the company that made this has som many other great genesis games under its belt. a great review!!
Why is that shocking?
@@Sandman_Slim it is shocking to me because I was never aware that the games Sega lord x mentioned were all from the same company. Now that he has connected the dots, it all makes sense as far as quality was concerned
I don't have this game for my Sega Genesis but I'm aware of it's existence. After watching this video I think I'll pick up a copy of the game.
Get the 6 button controller too, youll wish you did if you dont have one yet👍
@@_KarlS Thanks my friend. I've got a couple of 6 button controllers already.
I love your channel, and I'm so glad to see you give this game some love. This is one of my favorites. As a kid I was into mechs so I picked this up because of the box art and was blown away.
Never got it in Iceland, sadly. Great video, man. I gotta get this.
there is a point when your brain finally adjusts to the controls and it becomes so awesome. this game.... i love this game.
Looking at the incredible amount of animation details and background ingenuity this game makes you realize was possible on the hardware leaves me wondering if devs of so many other titles from back then had any self respect at all, lol.
I bet there was a lot of creative problem-solving and in-depth-knowledge of the hardware necessary which just not everyone has. Still today there are developers who just get more out of the consoles than others.
Don't look for any of that effort on the Acclaim camp (or from their many offshoot companies). 🤣 Cutting corners is what they do.
I found out about this by renting it. It was one of the best rentals I ever made. I later bought it just to have in my collection. I got used to the controls really quick and I loved how the physics felt once I knew what I was doing. It added a lot of strategy on how I played.
I had this game when it was first released, it was definately one of the more impressive looking Megadrive games.
The controls were a bit tricky to get used to, but once I got the hang of them it didn't take me long to beat this game, I remember being a bit disapointed at the time because it didn't last longer.
It's one of those games that I had a lot of fun playing but never really felt the need to replay it once I'd beaten it.
This game is one of the most underrated genesis's games .
I think...
Bought this game about a year or so ago, pretty damned fun game, shame it never saw a follow up.
I remember getting this back in 1994 when I first got my Genesis. This was one of the first games I opened and love a lot.
What a fantastic review. Think you nailed that! Top 10 game right there! ❤️
i loved this game back then.brings me memories
Still have the same copy I got in the 90s. What an absolute legend of a game.
I love catching a new Sega Lord X video before heading off to work
I don't remember how I came into this game, but I remember owning it in my "second phase" of gaming in the late 90s and playing a lot of it on my Nomad.
I loved this game, and I think it was the last genesis game I ever bought, but man what a send off!
This is a Game I'd love to see resurrected for VR. Piloting a nimble mech, jet packs, transforming vehicles? Sign me up!
I had this on my Mega Drive back in the day.I loved it from start to finish. A true classic.
I missed out on this one as a kid (like most Sega games cause I didn't own the console), but that didn't stop me from loving it as an adult! It's a masterpiece! 10/10
I've never heard of this one. Thanks for covering it.
This game got recommended to me years ago. I picked it up somewhat reluctantly precisely because it seemed so different from anything else on the Megadrive. I was happy just to get some use out of the 6-button controller at first but this game blew me away on all fronts and I've never regretted purchasing it. Never knew about the Nextech Acquisition. At least the developers worked on more great stuff before and after this gem.
My FAVOURITE GAME ON MEGADRIVE PERIOD!!!! what a game!!!! Its such a brilliant action shooter, thank you! This game doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
One of the absolute best 16-bit games on any system. The realization of the science fiction world at war is unparalleled. The gameplay, for my money, rather than being off-putting is simply innovative and, once learned and mastered, feels intuitive really. The jetpack physics feels like what a jetpack might be like if you're just using thrusters to motivate an open sky. Nothing quite like this anywhere else. AAA game.
Thanks SLX for another great video. You (and ironically SNES Drunk) have opened my eyes to how great the Genesis was (I was a Nintendo fanboy so when I was young).
Based on the video capture in your video, this has got to be one of the nicest looking 16-but games I’ve ever seen. Surely a top 10 for the generation??
God, I live this hidden gem of a channel.
YES!!! On of my complete favs! And the MUSIC!! gotta put the ost on rotation again now
I remember picking this up at KB for $15 brand new (as well as other great games in their Genesis bin). Such a great game. Good times.
im glad i picked up the cart when i had a shot at it recently. i owned it when i was a kid cuz i bought practically any game featuring robots back then, but never really got into playing it. as i've gotten better at the game, i'm enjoying all of the neat effects i never got to see back then.
this was an amazing game, I always loved the look and graphical style , , its a steep learning curve but worth it imo
This is one of my favourite games. I really love this game. Still have my original copy I got when I was about 10 years old
Great topic!! I've had this game but I never quite got into it, despite appreciating the advanced graphics and controls. I still need to give it the proper attention sometime.
One of the best Gundam style video games I've ever played.
Im definitely going to ppay this Broku! Thanks for your awesome coverage of this hidden gem💯
I have had a Genesis since 1994 and just discovered this game last year. Complete Sleeper! To reconcile this: the game just arrived in the mail today. Can't wait!
8 megabits... that's wild. That's a single megabyte, smaller than a floppy disk. This game is even more of a masterpiece than I realized.
I don't see Ranger X in many lists about the Genesis' best games and that's a shame.
It pretty much shares that distinction with Alisia Dragoon, games that are liked by some, but never given the proper love it deserves.
@@Bloodreign1 Another favourite of mine
@@Lord_Deimos Sadly only those who deep dive the consoles library knows about the game, especially if they play enough of it either through emulation, or taking a chance in buying the games (I emulated RX and AD, but knew of AD from old Genesis ads, own carts of both these days). I did the same for the SNES, deep diving both libraries uncovers a lot of gems. 376 games with both 16 bit consoles combined, lots to play, though I own a few duds for both.
@@Bloodreign1 I've rented both back in the 90's and bought them some time later. Alicia Dragoon in particular was one of my first games on the genesis.
I’ve always been a fan of this game. It’s tough but oh’ so beautifully made. Nice video my friend!
Interesting Superman/Cashern inspiration with the sunlight recharge
I had this as a kid, i could never remember the name. When i saw the thumbnail i was just hoping to see that first sandy level. Then i would know its the game.
Off to my emulator!
@SegaLordX on the stage where you are using a jetpack to fly up the side of a skyscraper shoot out all the windows, one of them in particular when shattered will send a secret weapon back to you flying hub, you can go back to equip it, i believe it is the "proton cannon" broken as hell and fun to use, it more or less clears whats on your screen
Definitely one of the steepest learning curves on the system. Not just with the control, but with the trial and error game play. This isn't a game where twitch reflexes will get you by. You need to memorize enemy locations/ spawn points and boss patterns. Definitely not the easiest playthrough, but satisfying once you get it.
Been waiting years for a decent review for this game and you nailed it. Very informative and some things I didn’t know about the development team. My friend got this and Sonic 3 on the same day in Feb 94. He called me over and my jaw dropped for Ranger X more so than Sonic 3. I was still a Sonic 2 fanboy haha. But yeah this game grabbed my attention with the crazy 6 button controls , music and graphics. The gameplay was slick and I loved the flying in it since most games never nailed flying back then except maybe Super Mario World feather power up… So everyday for the next week I would ask him to play this game until he just let me barrow it. He wanted to get into sonic 3 instead while now I had the chance to master it without renting it. Which I did. The level select code helped later when I found it in gamepro I think. Fun times. Bought a complete copy about 10 years later and still play it at least once a year. Ever since it’s release I would talk about it but nobody I knew personally ever played it except for my one Genesis friend I had before he moved away. We still keep in contact and talk about those times. Anyway, sorry for ranting but I really have been waiting for you to review this and give it justice since no other mainstream retro TH-camr even play genesis games. Well done X and take it easy.👌
I loved Ranger X. I traded 2-for-1 at a local 2nd hand store. Never heard of it but figured what the hell, anything's better than Heavy Nova and whatever the other game was I traded. I probably ended up playing this more than any other Genesis game.
Ah finally a review of one of my favourite game for the megadrive. Probably one of the most impressive games of the that in terms graphics special effect like 3D background movement and lightings effects
I picked this game up when the rental store was closing down. I can't wrap my head around how Sega didn't market this game much. The homing bird one of my favorite video game weapons of all time.
As a kid the only SEGA Genesis games I had were
Ms. Pac Man
The Lion King
The Lost Vikings
Lightning Force
And the Sonic collection cart
Shortly after getting the Genesis a relative bought me the Nintendo 64 and I didn’t go back until after the Xbox 360 was out.
Ranger X was the first game I purchased for myself for the Genesis all those years later and even with games like Halo 3 on the horizon I was blown away by the scrolling effects in Ranger X and immediately knew that I didn’t even get a fraction of the value out of my Genesis as a child.
Ranger-X is top 3 for me
[Crossbones voice] I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!!
This game had amazing graphics for the time. And your robot could do a ton of stuff. Similar to Metal Warriors on SNS which is also awesome.
This game is a pure gem. Im glad I can play it on PC via Genesis Collection. Good stuff!
This game had it all, the graphics, the music, the really unique gameplay, I'm not much for shooting games like this, but this game was one I remember very fondly from my childhood...I don't actually even know where I got it, I think a friend or cousin or someone gave us just a bunch of their games they didn't play anymore and it was among those. Their loss.
Also, you didn't even show the coolest weapon in the game, the BFG you get in the building climbing stage, it has one of my favorite sound effects for any attack in any game ever, and it's my favorite to use on the bouncy ball boss on top of the sky scraper, you can nearly 1 shot him with it
One of the first games I remember playing on the Mega Drive. Very cool!