These scammers are getting worse! Almost every TH-cam channel I leave a comment for has one of the scam bots reply as the channel and say I won something. It's sad you have to post this because so many people have been duped.
Bro you're the 1 guy in the whole world they were thinking of when they designed Marble Zone. Literally never heard anyone else say "it's a great change of pace, I love it!" That's what the devs were thinking but everyone felt the opposite lol
I bought a *Sega Mega Drive 2* (Genesis) that came with a 3 in 1 cart that had Revenge of Shinobi, Golden Axe & Streets of Rage on it. So pleased I got that console as the shop had sold out of the SNES with Street Fighter 2 bundle.
Although not really a stage, but more of a moment that occurred in a game, I have a very vivid memory of the first time an injury occurred in John Madden Football 92. When that ambulance came out and mowed over everyone on the field, my friend and I laughed hysterically. I still get a laugh out of this moment anytime I see it. It’s too bad future Madden games never revisited the psycho ambulance concept.
We have to admit that concerning shinobi III, almost every stage is worthy of being part of the list : ninja on a surfboard killing flying ennemies while making ramp jump? who could you be cooler in the 90's? but also the incredible fire effects before the industry, the falling rock is a great concept and great realisation in itself the whole world before the kabuki boss is filled with calm and oriental mystery The air forteress. God,what a game!
The amusement park level in Streets of Rage 2 is still amazing to this day. You fight inside an arcade, a Pirate ship ride and conclude fighting in an environment straight out of Aliens. The music is also amazing. Such a memorable stage.
Anything about Thunder Force IV deserves my like! My favorite stage it that one with "Metal Squad" sound (the 6th, I guess). Because of that track. And despite of all that, after the 4th stage it seams you are in the heart of the hell. I love it! In my opinion, TF4 is the ultimate shmup.
A stage I really love is Stage 5 from Gunstar Heroes. The sun setting over the city, an amazing soundtrack plays, swarms of enemies and that opening text "DESTROY THEM ALL!" Gunstar Heroes has so many creative and unique stages and it's the one that's straight forward that stands out to me.
Favorites that come to mind: Streets of Rage stage 7 (outdoor elevator) and stage 8 (hallway and final boss). Also, Sonic Star Light Zone (relaxing sci-fi).
I agree with everything here, for sure. I would add: The board game stage in Gunstar Heroes, the first time you turn into a giant in Mazin Saga to fight a boss, the initial descent in Biohazard Battle along with the quality of the sound effects, the weird layout of Magneto's lair in X-Men, finally seeing the final boss in Curse is exactly the same as the front cover, the first time you shoot something in the dark in Vectorman and finding out that the little MD/Gen is doing LIGHTING, the music in the desert stages in Mega Bomberman, and every unique stage in SubTerrania but most especially the carnivorous flower that spits you out.
Yeah! THE DICE PALACE from Gunstar Heroes. Melonbread, Curry and Rice, the obstacle courses. My first Genesis game back in 4th grade and still one of my favorites.
Okay, Marble Zone isn't my favorite from Sonic 1, but I'm glad to see someone appreciating it. I think it's a great level that has become popular to shit on lately. "Oh, it slows the game down right after it just taught you to go fast!" No, it's teaching you that there's more to the game than going fast. I don't know if I would have approached the exploration in that game properly if Marble Zone didn't teach me that there was as much depth in the gameplay as a Mario game, and I don't think I would have stayed as interested in Sonic if I thought the whole thing was just zooming through levels. Sorry, didn't realize I had an essay on Marble Zone in me, but here we are.
I'm 45 I got my Sega Genesis when I was a kid for Christmas and two titles Streets of rage and Sonic the hedgehog all the other games that you mentioned I got later all of them have a place near and dear to me and hits my heartstrings please make more videos like this I enjoy watching
SLX your topics' ideas are just Impossibly good, always new ideas but they're always so solid, nostalgic, informative, historical. It's just impossible!! You're actually an inspiration for quality content creation.
I always liked Star Light Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. It has a cool jazzy soundtrack along with a cool night time city backdrop. I also liked the vertical drop loops where Sonic went so fast he briefly left the screen.
Sonic 1 will always be one of my favorites ! Starlight zone has always been one one of my favorite levels too . Overall a great level . I remember playing Sonic 1 wearing "3d" glasses that were actually semi-tinted on one side and darker on the other . Starlights dark background with the stars vs indeed looked to have a depth I could almost touch . Very much reminded me of looking out the window of the window of the starship Enterprise in Next Generation
Sonic's Starlight Zone, the calming but groovy music and after the harder zones that zone gave you a break, Sonic Team knew what they were doing...when Sonic the Hedgehog came out I was in elementary school and to this day I still play it because of that zone
The first stage of Aladdin always brings me back. Was the first time seeing the beautiful animation, first time hearing the phenomenal soundtrack, and was easy enough to get through. Hopefully others agree with me on that one 🙂
Ranger X's jungle stage. The light transitions. Shooting off apples. swarms of enemies with no slowdown. And what I believe is a top 5 video game weapon of all time the metal eagle.
I enjoyed this episode, please do another one. My favorite stages are: The Amusement Park - Streets of Rage 2, Destruction - Shinobi 3, Hydro City - Sonic 3, Boogerville - Boogerman and Roller Skating- California Games Favorite Boss Fights: Hydra - Shinobi 3, Two-Face - The Adventures of Batman & Robin, Eggman - Final Zone Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Robot Axel - Streets of Rage 3.
Man, what a good idea. Favorite stages is something that is definitely attached to nostalgia. My favorite stages that I can think of: Thunder Force 3 - Fire Stage Phantasy Star 2 - looking at those graphics, music and much improved battle mechanics coming from loving part 1 in Master System. Rocket Night Adventures - the entire 1st stage 100% agree with your thoughts of Castle of Illusion. My parents gamble as a Christmas present paid off big, and think this is a fantastic game (most own for the console).
level 1, forest, castle of illusion, - level 2, village, ghouls n ghosts - level 4, industrial area of detroit, revenge of shinobi - main board, devil crash pinball. probably my 4 favourite pieces of video game music ever
Castle of Illusion level one!! I still hum the music to this day. When I do my wife makes the Mickey animation when he’s just standing. Hands behind the back with the long blink and all
It is weird how like a particular scene in a favorite movie or show certain levels or even parts of levels can be so memorable in and of themselves. Add to that the music too and it's a potent cocktail of nostalgia. Just viewing them or watching someone else play them is enough to really send you on a trip back to your first experience with it. And what a beautiful thing to remember.
Great episode. Shinobi 3 flying fortress, sonic 3 icecap zone, streets of rage beach level, mortal kombat the pit level, and golden axe turtle village. I'd love to see more of these videos. Nostalgia is great
Have you played *Streets of Rage Remake?* It's an unofficial homage to all 3 original games made from the ground up to play on PC. I like the *SOR1* path with the bigger character sprites.
Agree that stage of Strider was like playing a scene from a great movie. I guess some people hate it but when I first played the board game stage of Gunstar Heroes I absolutely lost my mind loving it.
Hey, I love the variety of Black's Dice Maze. Sometimes I even set up a save state at the very end so I can force the roll to land on the tile that sends you back to the start. Aside from the Curry and Rice tile - that fight is cheap as all hell.
I love this series! Keep it going! You already showed one of my favorite levels of all time at the beginning of your video, which was the Mad Hatter 3D section of The Adventures of Batman and Robin. This still has the best sprite scaling I have ever seen on Genesis. Some of my Genesis favorite levels include: Thunder Force 3 2 Gorgon (lava level): Mesmerized by the line scroll effect for the first time. Sonic 2 level 2 Chemical Plant: My favorite music in the game, plus I love the super-fast sections of going thru the pipes. Strider level 3 Arial Battleship: My favorite stage from Strider was the part where you rotated around the boss of the stage. I loved the Anti Gravity feel of this section. Musha level 3: I love this stage for the great parallax simulating flying over a deep canyon, but I especially like getting to the tile section, where it appears that the tiles are falling to the lava below. Streets of Rage 2 level 7: I really like the section of the stage that has you on the elevator. It plays great, but that techno music is incredible! Especially with headphones. Shinobi 3 level 3: I love the boss in this stage, and how it appears in the background throughout the level until you face him. I was amazed how it took up the whole screen!
Thanks for the great video… your channel is very strong but this is one of the best videos you’ve done!! I’m a recovering Nintendo fanboy but your video made me reminisce about some of my favourite levels: - Mortal Kombat 2 - the Pit 2 - Killer Instinct - the Skull chamber (it’s a hidden stage) - Donkey Kong Country 1 - the underwater levels (beautiful music) - Earthworm Jim 1 - the Peter Puppy level (awesome music… I want to play it on the Genesis to hear the FM synth at its best) - Mega Man 2 - Metal Man stage and Wiley Castle 1 - Mariokart 64 - Rainbow Road - F Zero - Big Blue - Sonic Mania (nearly every level so far). :)
I am definitely in agreement on SOR ship level + the boss music was epic in the first SOR. The waterfall level in Shinobi was also a memorable experience from my childhood. I love the fact you used the ending music from SOR for the ending narration. It still hits me in the feels to this day. Cannot wait to get another Genesis to play it again..
im with you on the ferry stage of sor. there's a part when the music crescendos and the screen fills with enemies. i still get so hyped playing that part. with lightening force, my favorite stage will always be 'ruin'. i was watching and rewatching a fan translation of gundam 0083 at the time. fully obsessed with that series. i just got lightening force and was totally amazed by the music and visuals, but the game had me a few minutes into the 'ruin' stage. i abruptly paused the game and muttered to myself 'holy shit its a space colony'. i took the stage as a reference to the cylinder colonies that are so omnipresent in the gundam universe.
Mines was the Casino Zone. I was so fascinated with that level, I wanted to go there in real life so I thought at a young age. Plus I thought I could somehow go to the city in the background for some reason lol.
@@chrisfern4699 Casino Night Zone is also one of my favorites, really like the atmosphere and gambling in that zone. I guess I can say that I have been to Casino Night Zone in real life because I've been gambling at casinos in Las Vegas at night lol.
I'm really shocked that you didn't have the Fifth inning of Tommy Lasorda Baseball as one of your favorite stages! By that point of the game you have seen the lineup a couple times, if you're behind it's not too late, and the music for that inning is classic!
Some of my personal favourites are the highway chase in Contra: Hard Corps, Wading through the asteroid field descending to the train tracks and railway tunnel in Alien Soldier, riding on horseback in Shinobi 3 and seeing enemies coming in along the background and there's so many more.
Great list, Sega Lord X. I have far too many to name here, myself, so I'll stick to just one. For me, it has to be Marble Gardens Zone of Sonic 3. It has to have one of the absolute most gorgeous and complex, multi-parallaxing backgrounds in any Sonic zone ever, its a lush, gorgeous overgrown ruin, its got those weird, unique orange/peach tress with that in-out 3D effect, the red sand that could fool anyone for lava, the tribal 3-eyed arrow-spitting blue stone-heads, and a tune that just makes me want to explore the level as if time was standing still
One of my favorite stages in a Sega Genesis game that I enjoyed playing would have to be Stage 3 of "Rocket Knight Adventures", which opens up in a cavern setting with insta-kill lava that you have to avoid touching, and one of my favorite parts in that stage is the crystals that block the foreground, to which the only way to get across is to use the reflection in the lava to see the platforms.
Sonic 2 is one of the few games for me that every level is very good. Same thing with kid chameleon and shadow dancer. I love your videos. Your production and professionalism is unmatched. And what makes your channel so special is your not a sell out trying to promote products before or during your videos. Thank you so much for staying TRUE AND ORIGINAL. YOU ARE THE MAN. THE SEGA MAN!!!
I usually watch your videos, but never comment. But I feel I need to now. I would just like to let you know how much these videos are appreciated. I am a recent subscriber, and I think I may have watched just about all of them. I was a fan of SEGA and Nintendo back in the day. I was born in 76, so I was raised at the perfect time. Anyway, your videos make me feel young again, whether I am working, or shopping...I am always anxious to get home to see what else you have. And there is always something new. You have also convinced me to start up my Genesis collection. So just want to say, THANK YOU, and please never stop what you do. Your awesome man. Love the channel !
As always, thanks for reminding me why I need to motivate and dust off the old college years Sega Genesis and stir up these awesome titles from earlier and simpler 16-bit nostalgic times - keep all the great original content coming, your love for this period in gaming history always shines through with your exceptionally creative presentation and constants personal stories and connections to this time in home gaming consoles, so thank you for all your hard work and efforts! Keep them coming.
Wow it would be tough to narrow this category down; too many great stages, but five that come to mind are: Musha: Stage 3, (Total intensity and scaling effects on the Genesis, plus the music) Thunder Force IV: Stage 8, (More ideas going on in this one stage than an entire game of most shooters, maybe the best music on the Genesis) Gunstar Heroes: Stage 1 (Great introduction for a run and gun) Strider: Stage 2 (Cool progression and lots of variety), Streets of Rage: Stage 5. (Sweet music and nice setting for brawling) That's a start anyways: I could write a novel ..... Edit: Watched this video after my initial post: you chose two of my five stages, I wasn't totally expecting that with how many there are to consider, and also I had stage 2-1 and 5-1 on the shortlist for Revenge of Shinobi.
Im 49 years old and i still got my original megadrive in the whitebox from the day i bought through famitsu magazine japanese store and my original genesis packed in with sltered beast i honestly never loved a console more then the genesis , even more then the add on cd i didnt care for that much . The genesis and the pcengine with the cd rom are still my favorite console to date along with aes neo geo . I love this channel man so cool that theres other old head gamers like myself still having passion for these great systems. Thank you for the video
Ellis (stage 5) on Thunderforce 3 is my absolute favourite megadrive stage. Beautiful icy pixel art and incredible tunes. I am still in awe after over 30 years Great topic for a video series. Would love to see you release more of these, hugely entertaining!
In a sea of play throughs and live streams, creative content like this really stands out and is exactly what I want from the TH-cam retro game scene. Awesome video, dude.
That stage on Bloodlines is so beautiful. The music track in particular is spectacular. One of my absolute favorites among Castlevania's distinguished OST history.
I used to hate that waterfall stage in revenge of Shinobi. I tried to complete it quickly so I can get to the next immediate stage which had my favorite musical track. Great video💯
This was a cracking episode and a great idea! One stage I always love to do a quick spin through is Chemical Plant Zone on Sonic 2. For me personally that was the pinnacle of the entire series and I have some great memories playing this with school mates.
One of my favorite levels of all time is Chinatown in Revenge of Shinobi. The music was the best I ever heard on a 16-bit console. I loved the traffic lights in the foreground that blinked and the atmosphere was so colorful and engrossing.
My foster dad used to work in a sewage treatment facility and on Sundays I would get to get up very early and go with him to work thank you for bringing up these wonderful nostalgic memories of our childhood
Man thats a cool but hard topic. Instant thoughts is , Sonic 2 Oil Ocean (love the music) XMEN 2 Sentinel Complex (2nd part running back through to get out was so unique) SOR2 Downtown (what an opening) Road Rash 2 (Hawaii, damn i love that tune)
Excellent topic, and a wonderful change of pace! It's amazing how much parallax scrolling was such a "wow" moment in games in our yesteryear...I miss seeing it used in games!
You picked some great ones. That ROS waterfall was indeed some kind of magic! Also Sonic's Marble zone's music was incredible. Some of my faves Castle of Illusion - jello stage ROS - The Godzilla battle PS2 - Nei's death Alisia Dragoon's opening track (not a stage per se but one of the greatest video game music tracks of all time) Thunder Force III - lava stage Gaiares - Grim Reaper boss this was a fun video
Today I learned that SLX have a soft spot for water efects in 16 bit games. And so do I, I love a lot of this same levels, especially the Bloodlines one. Great video and topic!
This is a nice idea for a subject. And I'm sure the people who made these games would be happy to see their work remembered so fondly all these years later.
Agree with every single game shown. personally love them all and cam still remember my eyes popping out of my head as a kid playing them. Great video once more. And yes, do another one!!
The lightning effect on the second stage of Strider that makes everything a silhouette is a very nice and simple effect, I wonder why it wasn't used more often in other games of the era. Donkey Kong Country Returns has a special stage during the sunset that makes your characters and the scenery all silhouettes and it looks great too. I agree that there's a very nicer atmosphere in Streets of Rage 1, I like 2, but the first one is something special and different that isn't comparable to almost any other game in the genre. My favorite stage is the beach. Sonic games require some memorization and to use its physics in order to really get good in it. For instance, in Marble Zone, there's no need to use the block on the lava to reach the platform and even if you want to get the secret 1UP you can go back and forth without any block, only using jumps and momentum. The 1UP on top of the loop in Green Hill can be reached in two common ways, one is by going from below and jumping on the spring, the other is by using the speed shoes, there's a less common way that uses only momentum and a jump. Later stages like Labyrinth zone is slower, but can be finished in less than 2 min per zone, while Starlight and the last stages are more fast paced.
Great video as always ! Shadow Dancer is still my favorite Genesis game. I love the 16-bit graphics and the music is still my all time favorite on the old Sega Genny !
SOR2...Level 6 on the beach. Am I the only one who hears "Just a touch of love, just a touch of love...". 😝. The most memorable level for me was Lightening Force stage 8...it was the music that was not only bad ass, but it also told you you had better be serious and pay attention because one tiny slip up and the level becomes damn near impossible. It was the moment in the game when my friends watching me play it knew it was time to shut up and let me focus seriously on the task at hand! 😎
Love your videos. When I was young there was such a small group of friends I had that loved Sega as much as I. You would’ve fit in well with us. Keep up the great videos.
Great episode, other than Ghouls and Ghosts (which I haven't played yet) all of those games and stages have many memories associated with them. Looking at Streets of Rage all of the levels were great but my favorite was working through final stage to face Mr. X, the music and stage atmosphere were just great. Castle of Illusion was a surprise for me as well, my dad brought it home totally unexpected and it was great. The clock tower level was the best imo, once again the music was great and the stage was just fun ending w/the boss fight w/the giant. Speaking of Thunderforce, moving back one game Thunderforce III, especially the Gorgon (fire) level with the awesome flame effects in the background and a level theme I still associate w/the series to this day. I'd add more games and stages but I'd be here all day lol. Another episode like this and also a boss version would be great!
You need to keep doing more parts like this. And a few of people's choices. With over a 1000 games, I'm sure there is a lot to look. First stage that came to my mind before pressing play was Sonic's Marble Zone. Dang that song, unforgettable. I share your love for Eswat, it was such a perfect game. Had it. Had Ghostbusters too and it's among my very favorites alongside Batman. Love all others too, Shadow Dancer and all Shinobis.
Dude I'm so hooked on your channel, would love to see a video explaining the best (currently available) systems where your top favorite games can be played now.
Can't wait for part two! Should be a fun watch as I enjoyed this very much Edit: I know it's over said... But Sonic's opening of Ice Cap Zone! I shall also add that first time finding a little place called Doomsday Zone with the expansion
Ice Cap is my favourite Sonic zone ever, even beating out Green Hill in Sonic 1, Chemical Plant in Sonic 2 etc. It makes it that much more painful that the music was changed for the Origins collection.
Vectorman, Day 5: Arctic Ridge. What a beautiful looking stage. Walking around, enemies and you get affected by the lighting in the environment, it really feels natural, like they're a part of it. The waterfall effect and how seamlessly they somehow managed to switch between that and parts with the background, because I believe the waterfall is actually the background plane so it can't be shown at the same time. Amazing art, and the lens flare is the finishing touch. The music also is pretty good, very serious and kinda foreboding! Playing it the first time, my jaw hit the floor, and I'm still very impressed every playthrough!
That was a great idea for a theme! I share some of your preferences like the Castle of Illusion stage, and even during the intro cutscenes, you show some more stages which can be favourites, like the train and its boss in Contra. After playing all scenarios, I've always picked that path! In Thunder Force IV, for me that would possibly be the Wall stage (9) which is a fun one to play by heart, and with its crab ship boss and its crazy music. Stage 8 in Streets of Rage 2 on the elevator, with a sunrise background, techno music and the two robot bosses. The "Poseidon" episode in Monster World III, exploring, finding hidden doors and items, and great musical themes inside and outside the water.
Cool to see some love for Marble Zone. So many people hate on it for being slow, they don't realize that Sonic doesn't have to be fast. The traps are very varied and the music is by far the best track in the game. I also like the graphics of the level, I have a soft spot for forests. My favourite level is the Air Castle in Phantasy Star IV. A nice throwback to the first game both with the music, lore and even the layout of the inner part of the level.
Love the good ol' days, thanks for showing this slx. The Genesis was such an awesome system, with games that were pure genius. I loved that stage in shadow dancer to, love that music, and parallax scrolling of the water in the background. I remember being amazed with thunder force 4 as well, one of the best shooters ever made, period. I also spent a lot of time playing Michael Jackson's moonwalker, with that graveyard stage you showed being my own personal favorite. Loved the music, and the atmosphere. I think my fondest memory is seeing, and playing streets of rage 1 & 2 when they released. Both are amazing, but 2 made my mouth drop nearly to the floor when I saw it. Still play it till this day, pretty sure you do to
I enjoyed watching this. Hearing your cool experiences with these stages, was really entertaining, and sent me on a trip to memory lane. I think alot of gamers could relate to this vid. Good high quality content as always.👍
Strider and Bloodlines aren't just 2 of my fav Genesis games, but they are on my list of fav games of all time. Those stages bring back so many memories!
Man, would you consider someday a video about Ecco the Dolphin and its sequel? I find that story fascinating for the time it was released and it's visually astonishing as well.
re: Lightening Force (aka Thunder Force 4) - Strite was my fave too. The composition of the background layering is second to none. I also really enjoyed the first level of Contra Hard Corps - the game just throws you into pure chaos, blended with that frenetic electro-rock. Also always loved the surfing level in Shinobi 3 - those hover bikes were awesome.
Stage 2 from Panzer Dragoon Zwei, specifically when taking the path that leads you off a cliff and into the valley that sprawls out to the horizon. It's a somewhat barren environment, but the way the music briefly settles into silence, the enemies fade off into the distance (if you don't kill all of them), and the "infinite" plane effect from VDP 2 just blew my mind as a kid. I'll never forget that moment and what came after.
I gotta say, I still think that sunset in Thunder Force 4 is one of the best visual effects on the Genesis. This list brings back so many good memories. My absolute favorite stage in any Genesis game is the Air Castle in Phantasy Star 4. It felt so much like a real space that people could have actually lived in, and I had never seen that before in a video game. And it still had a labyrinthine layout that was fun to explore, since the dead ends were the result of collapsed floors and such. It was also the largest dungeon in the game, making it feel really epic, but because many parts of the dungeon have no random encounters, it also never felt overwhelming. Add in the narrative link to the original Phantasy Star, and you have the flat out best dungeon you could ever ask for. Other good ones include stage five of Altered Beast, when it really feels like you've gone to another world. Stage 8 of Thunder Force 2 is also really cool with all the ancient ruins followed by that crazy dash through the cave, and of course the best music in the game. I also love the castle stage in Mystic Defender (stage 5 maybe?) with all the spiders running around and combining into giant worms. It's especially creepy since the end of stage 2 boss fight shows you how those spiders are made. Stage 3 of Target Earth is great, too, flying around in Earth orbit blowing up bad guys. And I've got to list the last stage of Ecco the Dolphin. Man, what a mind screw that level was. I spent so many hours as a kid trying to get through it. My eventual victory was so satisfying when it finally happened. Do bonus stages count? I don't see why not. And I would definitely put Cool Spot's bonus stage on the list. Such a fun and unique mini game in there. I've always loved the bonus stage in Shadow Dancer as well. I guess Sonic 2 needs to be mentioned for bonus stages, but I actually like Chemical Plant Zone best. And while it's not really a stage, the ending of Toejam And Earl is amazing. Actually getting to explore Funkotron was such a great reward for going through that epic quest.
I do not do giveaways on TH-cam. If you get a reply to your comment saying contact them because you’ve won something, ITS A SCAM. This is not me.
thank you for the reply man
These scammers are getting worse! Almost every TH-cam channel I leave a comment for has one of the scam bots reply as the channel and say I won something. It's sad you have to post this because so many people have been duped.
@@danielrecommends If only they cracked down on spam like they do wrongthink.
Bro you're the 1 guy in the whole world they were thinking of when they designed Marble Zone. Literally never heard anyone else say "it's a great change of pace, I love it!" That's what the devs were thinking but everyone felt the opposite lol
Mickey mouse would of illusion water stage
It is scary that Revenge of Shinobi and Strider are over 30 years old. Feels like yesterday when I got those as a Christmas gift in 1990.
I just saw 'Revenge of Shinobi' boxed at my local retro store. I love how these old games are still playable!
I bought a *Sega Mega Drive 2* (Genesis) that came with a 3 in 1 cart that had Revenge of Shinobi, Golden Axe & Streets of Rage on it.
So pleased I got that console as the shop had sold out of the SNES with Street Fighter 2 bundle.
Indeed..It seems they were released yesterday..Just like when I play SoRII
I got a genesis aroud that same time with 3 games strider, super shinobi and golden axe. I was an amazing experience.
@@SkeletorTclaws lucky you!
I love these videos where you share your experiences with the games, as opposed to a straight review. Keep up the excellent content.
I did a series a while back called Remembering (Insert Title). It went over personal experiences of mine in detail. You should look them up.
Yeah there's something magical about reminiscing about something so specific, like favorite levels, VGM, etc
That's my favorite aspect as well. Shared memories
Although not really a stage, but more of a moment that occurred in a game, I have a very vivid memory of the first time an injury occurred in John Madden Football 92. When that ambulance came out and mowed over everyone on the field, my friend and I laughed hysterically. I still get a laugh out of this moment anytime I see it. It’s too bad future Madden games never revisited the psycho ambulance concept.
EA is to corporate to do that now.
The horse riding stage in Shinobi 3 is one of my all-time favorites.
Yeah, the game starts out strong for sure. Too bad some of the later stages aren't as interesting.
@@zanegandini5350 you’re not as interesting.
We have to admit that concerning shinobi III, almost every stage is worthy of being part of the list :
ninja on a surfboard killing flying ennemies while making ramp jump? who could you be cooler in the 90's?
but also the incredible fire effects before the industry, the falling rock is a great concept and great realisation in itself
the whole world before the kabuki boss is filled with calm and oriental mystery
The air forteress.
God,what a game!
i wonder what ISNT good in shinobi 3 though.
The level Air raid in Lightening Force always pops . Can't get enough of that one.
Sonic The Hedgehog Green Hill Zone Act 1 and Virtua Racing Big Forest are two of mine, great for speedruns.
Sonic 1 & 2 have unforgettable opening stages. Second stage of Sonic 2 is peak 2D platforming.
the stages of virtal fighter 2?
The amusement park level in Streets of Rage 2 is still amazing to this day. You fight inside an arcade, a Pirate ship ride and conclude fighting in an environment straight out of Aliens. The music is also amazing. Such a memorable stage.
I love Hydro City zone especially Act 2. Also Streets of Rage state 4 with the wonderful bridge over the river.
Anything about Thunder Force IV deserves my like!
My favorite stage it that one with "Metal Squad" sound (the 6th, I guess). Because of that track. And despite of all that, after the 4th stage it seams you are in the heart of the hell. I love it! In my opinion, TF4 is the ultimate shmup.
One day I might get past the first 4 stages and play that stage 🤞
Most rad track from that generation no contest
Metal Squad plays during stage 8; yes it's among the best music across the Genesis library.
@@maxstoner5527 Set your number of lives to 0 in the options screen, and you'll actually have 99. Use this glitch for practice!
A stage I really love is Stage 5 from Gunstar Heroes. The sun setting over the city, an amazing soundtrack plays, swarms of enemies and that opening text "DESTROY THEM ALL!" Gunstar Heroes has so many creative and unique stages and it's the one that's straight forward that stands out to me.
Agree. Just not the board game stage. Boss again, oh cmon! Ha. So hard.
Final Great Soldier
Favorites that come to mind: Streets of Rage stage 7 (outdoor elevator) and stage 8 (hallway and final boss). Also, Sonic Star Light Zone (relaxing sci-fi).
Mine cart stage of Gunstar fuckin shreds.
Star light zone has the best music in sonic 1 and is easily top 5 of all sonic songs
I agree with everything here, for sure. I would add: The board game stage in Gunstar Heroes, the first time you turn into a giant in Mazin Saga to fight a boss, the initial descent in Biohazard Battle along with the quality of the sound effects, the weird layout of Magneto's lair in X-Men, finally seeing the final boss in Curse is exactly the same as the front cover, the first time you shoot something in the dark in Vectorman and finding out that the little MD/Gen is doing LIGHTING, the music in the desert stages in Mega Bomberman, and every unique stage in SubTerrania but most especially the carnivorous flower that spits you out.
I also love the Dice Palace in Gunstar Heroes. So many cool mini-boss fights and levels!
5th stage of Crying (Biohazard battle) was especially memorable for me because of the sinister music which really fit the stage!
Yeah! THE DICE PALACE from Gunstar Heroes. Melonbread, Curry and Rice, the obstacle courses. My first Genesis game back in 4th grade and still one of my favorites.
Not a stage but I love to wander on Motavia in Phantasy Star IV.
@@dukkemonterier3429 Yeah, who doesn't with that beautiful music!
Okay, Marble Zone isn't my favorite from Sonic 1, but I'm glad to see someone appreciating it. I think it's a great level that has become popular to shit on lately. "Oh, it slows the game down right after it just taught you to go fast!" No, it's teaching you that there's more to the game than going fast. I don't know if I would have approached the exploration in that game properly if Marble Zone didn't teach me that there was as much depth in the gameplay as a Mario game, and I don't think I would have stayed as interested in Sonic if I thought the whole thing was just zooming through levels.
Sorry, didn't realize I had an essay on Marble Zone in me, but here we are.
I'm 45 I got my Sega Genesis when I was a kid for Christmas and two titles Streets of rage and Sonic the hedgehog all the other games that you mentioned I got later all of them have a place near and dear to me and hits my heartstrings please make more videos like this I enjoy watching
45 - 31= 14 you were a teenager in that Christmas
SLX your topics' ideas are just Impossibly good, always new ideas but they're always so solid, nostalgic, informative, historical. It's just impossible!! You're actually an inspiration for quality content creation.
Appreciate the feedback. I try and keep the topics fun and relatable.
Yeah I was just about to make a comment saying this is a good topic but you beat me to it
I always liked Star Light Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. It has a cool jazzy soundtrack along with a cool night time city backdrop. I also liked the vertical drop loops where Sonic went so fast he briefly left the screen.
It's like we're being rewarded for getting through Labyrinth, a fun respite before Scrap Brain, genius level placement there.
Sonic 1 will always be one of my favorites ! Starlight zone has always been one one of my favorite levels too . Overall a great level . I remember playing Sonic 1 wearing "3d" glasses that were actually semi-tinted on one side and darker on the other . Starlights dark background with the stars vs indeed looked to have a depth I could almost touch . Very much reminded me of looking out the window of the window of the starship Enterprise in Next Generation
Sonic's Starlight Zone, the calming but groovy music and after the harder zones that zone gave you a break, Sonic Team knew what they were doing...when Sonic the Hedgehog came out I was in elementary school and to this day I still play it because of that zone
The first stage of Aladdin always brings me back. Was the first time seeing the beautiful animation, first time hearing the phenomenal soundtrack, and was easy enough to get through.
Hopefully others agree with me on that one 🙂
Aladdin for Genesis is a real treasure, tough as nails but it makes you want to keep playing, just to hear and see more of the game.
@@UltimateGamerCC a,a,b,b,a,a,b level skip 😁
Ranger X's jungle stage. The light transitions. Shooting off apples. swarms of enemies with no slowdown. And what I believe is a top 5 video game weapon of all time the metal eagle.
I enjoyed this episode, please do another one. My favorite stages are: The Amusement Park - Streets of Rage 2, Destruction - Shinobi 3, Hydro City - Sonic 3, Boogerville - Boogerman and Roller Skating- California Games
Favorite Boss Fights: Hydra - Shinobi 3, Two-Face - The Adventures of Batman & Robin, Eggman - Final Zone Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Robot Axel - Streets of Rage 3.
Boogerman is so underappreciated. XD
Dude! Are you a clone of mine or am I your?
Vectorman had some good ones like the arial train track and Hydroponic plant
Man, what a good idea. Favorite stages is something that is definitely attached to nostalgia. My favorite stages that I can think of:
Thunder Force 3 - Fire Stage
Phantasy Star 2 - looking at those graphics, music and much improved battle mechanics coming from loving part 1 in Master System.
Rocket Night Adventures - the entire 1st stage
100% agree with your thoughts of Castle of Illusion. My parents gamble as a Christmas present paid off big, and think this is a fantastic game (most own for the console).
The Fiend's Path from Golden Axe for me. Watching those skeletons come out of the ground like something from a Ray harryhausen film never gets old.
YES! Straight outta Jason and The Argonauts
This is one of my favorite videos you put out Sega Lord X. Thanks man for the great content.
level 1, forest, castle of illusion, - level 2, village, ghouls n ghosts - level 4, industrial area of detroit, revenge of shinobi - main board, devil crash pinball. probably my 4 favourite pieces of video game music ever
Spirit of Bushi from Contra Hard Corps
Castle of Illusion level one!! I still hum the music to this day. When I do my wife makes the Mickey animation when he’s just standing. Hands behind the back with the long blink and all
It is weird how like a particular scene in a favorite movie or show certain levels or even parts of levels can be so memorable in and of themselves.
Add to that the music too and it's a potent cocktail of nostalgia. Just viewing them or watching someone else play them is enough to really send you on a trip back to your first experience with it. And what a beautiful thing to remember.
Great episode. Shinobi 3 flying fortress, sonic 3 icecap zone, streets of rage beach level, mortal kombat the pit level, and golden axe turtle village. I'd love to see more of these videos. Nostalgia is great
Even the music for the flying fortress stage was awesome
SLX, agreed with you on Streets of Rage 1 - I'll also add the last gauntlet stage right before you fight Mr. X was nothing short of incredible either.
Have you played *Streets of Rage Remake?*
It's an unofficial homage to all 3 original games made from the ground up to play on PC.
I like the *SOR1* path with the bigger character sprites.
The opening of your videos are always bringing good memories to my heart.
Glad you like them!
Agree that stage of Strider was like playing a scene from a great movie. I guess some people hate it but when I first played the board game stage of Gunstar Heroes I absolutely lost my mind loving it.
Hey, I love the variety of Black's Dice Maze. Sometimes I even set up a save state at the very end so I can force the roll to land on the tile that sends you back to the start. Aside from the Curry and Rice tile - that fight is cheap as all hell.
@@LorenHelgeson i would pick up the dice right before it stopped and just waste time throwing the dice around
I love this series! Keep it going! You already showed one of my favorite levels of all time at the beginning of your video, which was the Mad Hatter 3D section of The Adventures of Batman and Robin. This still has the best sprite scaling I have ever seen on Genesis.
Some of my Genesis favorite levels include:
Thunder Force 3 2 Gorgon (lava level): Mesmerized by the line scroll effect for the first time.
Sonic 2 level 2 Chemical Plant: My favorite music in the game, plus I love the super-fast sections of going thru the pipes.
Strider level 3 Arial Battleship: My favorite stage from Strider was the part where you rotated around the boss of the stage. I loved the Anti Gravity feel of this section.
Musha level 3: I love this stage for the great parallax simulating flying over a deep canyon, but I especially like getting to the tile section, where it appears that the tiles are falling to the lava below.
Streets of Rage 2 level 7: I really like the section of the stage that has you on the elevator. It plays great, but that techno music is incredible! Especially with headphones.
Shinobi 3 level 3: I love the boss in this stage, and how it appears in the background throughout the level until you face him. I was amazed how it took up the whole screen!
SEGA GANG RISE UP 🔝
SEGA FOREVER !
I have risen up.
Sonic is the only great thing from Sega but it's the best platformer.
I’m here. Didn’t expect so many people to show up
Definitely Sega 4 ever 🕹👍
Great concept for an episode!! I always have certain stages in games i love, and once I'm past them I'm like blah
Thanks for the great video… your channel is very strong but this is one of the best videos you’ve done!!
I’m a recovering Nintendo fanboy but your video made me reminisce about some of my favourite levels:
- Mortal Kombat 2 - the Pit 2
- Killer Instinct - the Skull chamber (it’s a hidden stage)
- Donkey Kong Country 1 - the underwater levels (beautiful music)
- Earthworm Jim 1 - the Peter Puppy level (awesome music… I want to play it on the Genesis to hear the FM synth at its best)
- Mega Man 2 - Metal Man stage and Wiley Castle 1
- Mariokart 64 - Rainbow Road
- F Zero - Big Blue
- Sonic Mania (nearly every level so far). :)
I really like this video. Actual screen play of your favorites while you explain why they are is great. I agree with you on many that I have played.
I am definitely in agreement on SOR ship level + the boss music was epic in the first SOR. The waterfall level in Shinobi was also a memorable experience from my childhood. I love the fact you used the ending music from SOR for the ending narration. It still hits me in the feels to this day. Cannot wait to get another Genesis to play it again..
Scrap Brain Zone. Perfect difficulty, perfect music.
im with you on the ferry stage of sor. there's a part when the music crescendos and the screen fills with enemies. i still get so hyped playing that part.
with lightening force, my favorite stage will always be 'ruin'. i was watching and rewatching a fan translation of gundam 0083 at the time. fully obsessed with that series. i just got lightening force and was totally amazed by the music and visuals, but the game had me a few minutes into the 'ruin' stage. i abruptly paused the game and muttered to myself 'holy shit its a space colony'. i took the stage as a reference to the cylinder colonies that are so omnipresent in the gundam universe.
My favorite is Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic 2, so amazing and so nostalgic.
The BLAST processing makes that stage insanely fast too!
Mines was the Casino Zone. I was so fascinated with that level, I wanted to go there in real life so I thought at a young age. Plus I thought I could somehow go to the city in the background for some reason lol.
@@chrisfern4699 Casino Night Zone is also one of my favorites, really like the atmosphere and gambling in that zone. I guess I can say that I have been to Casino Night Zone in real life because I've been gambling at casinos in Las Vegas at night lol.
@@mattnova18 Quickest and most fun zone in the game, the music is also a huge highlight for me.
I'm really shocked that you didn't have the Fifth inning of Tommy Lasorda Baseball as one of your favorite stages!
By that point of the game you have seen the lineup a couple times, if you're behind it's not too late, and the music for that inning is classic!
Some of my personal favourites are the highway chase in Contra: Hard Corps, Wading through the asteroid field descending to the train tracks and railway tunnel in Alien Soldier, riding on horseback in Shinobi 3 and seeing enemies coming in along the background and there's so many more.
Great list, Sega Lord X. I have far too many to name here, myself, so I'll stick to just one. For me, it has to be Marble Gardens Zone of Sonic 3. It has to have one of the absolute most gorgeous and complex, multi-parallaxing backgrounds in any Sonic zone ever, its a lush, gorgeous overgrown ruin, its got those weird, unique orange/peach tress with that in-out 3D effect, the red sand that could fool anyone for lava, the tribal 3-eyed arrow-spitting blue stone-heads, and a tune that just makes me want to explore the level as if time was standing still
So many good memories, so many beautiful stage and perfect example of great pixel art! Great video, man!
One of my favorite stages in a Sega Genesis game that I enjoyed playing would have to be Stage 3 of "Rocket Knight Adventures", which opens up in a cavern setting with insta-kill lava that you have to avoid touching, and one of my favorite parts in that stage is the crystals that block the foreground, to which the only way to get across is to use the reflection in the lava to see the platforms.
Sonic 2 is one of the few games for me that every level is very good. Same thing with kid chameleon and shadow dancer.
I love your videos. Your production and professionalism is unmatched. And what makes your channel so special is your not a sell out trying to promote products before or during your videos. Thank you so much for staying TRUE AND ORIGINAL. YOU ARE THE MAN. THE SEGA MAN!!!
I usually watch your videos, but never comment. But I feel I need to now. I would just like to let you know how much these videos are appreciated. I am a recent subscriber, and I think I may have watched just about all of them. I was a fan of SEGA and Nintendo back in the day. I was born in 76, so I was raised at the perfect time. Anyway, your videos make me feel young again, whether I am working, or shopping...I am always anxious to get home to see what else you have. And there is always something new. You have also convinced me to start up my Genesis collection. So just want to say, THANK YOU, and please never stop what you do. Your awesome man. Love the channel !
Awesome episode! I have the same approach as you when playing videogames. Sometimes I just enjoy wandering around, enjoying the scenery and music.
As always, thanks for reminding me why I need to motivate and dust off the old college years Sega Genesis and stir up these awesome titles from earlier and simpler 16-bit nostalgic times - keep all the great original content coming, your love for this period in gaming history always shines through with your exceptionally creative presentation and constants personal stories and connections to this time in home gaming consoles, so thank you for all your hard work and efforts! Keep them coming.
I gotta hand it to you bro. You are indeed the master of all that is Sega in the USA and I must admit your Saturn collection is one of the best.
I’ve always been a fan of the underground mine tunnel, or stage 2, in Gunstar Heroes.
Awesome video. Brought back great memories.
Wow it would be tough to narrow this category down; too many great stages, but five that come to mind are: Musha: Stage 3, (Total intensity and scaling effects on the Genesis, plus the music) Thunder Force IV: Stage 8, (More ideas going on in this one stage than an entire game of most shooters, maybe the best music on the Genesis) Gunstar Heroes: Stage 1 (Great introduction for a run and gun) Strider: Stage 2 (Cool progression and lots of variety), Streets of Rage: Stage 5. (Sweet music and nice setting for brawling) That's a start anyways: I could write a novel .....
Edit: Watched this video after my initial post: you chose two of my five stages, I wasn't totally expecting that with how many there are to consider, and also I had stage 2-1 and 5-1 on the shortlist for Revenge of Shinobi.
Im 49 years old and i still got my original megadrive in the whitebox from the day i bought through famitsu magazine japanese store and my original genesis packed in with sltered beast i honestly never loved a console more then the genesis , even more then the add on cd i didnt care for that much . The genesis and the pcengine with the cd rom are still my favorite console to date along with aes neo geo . I love this channel man so cool that theres other old head gamers like myself still having passion for these great systems. Thank you for the video
Ellis (stage 5) on Thunderforce 3 is my absolute favourite megadrive stage. Beautiful icy pixel art and incredible tunes. I am still in awe after over 30 years
Great topic for a video series. Would love to see you release more of these, hugely entertaining!
In a sea of play throughs and live streams, creative content like this really stands out and is exactly what I want from the TH-cam retro game scene. Awesome video, dude.
Thanks, man. Appreciate the message.
That stage on Bloodlines is so beautiful. The music track in particular is spectacular. One of my absolute favorites among Castlevania's distinguished OST history.
I used to hate that waterfall stage in revenge of Shinobi. I tried to complete it quickly so I can get to the next immediate stage which had my favorite musical track. Great video💯
Ah yes, that industrial track... I couldn't tell you how long that one kept me in the sound test screen.
This was a cracking episode and a great idea! One stage I always love to do a quick spin through is Chemical Plant Zone on Sonic 2. For me personally that was the pinnacle of the entire series and I have some great memories playing this with school mates.
Every stage in castlevania bloodlines is amazing
Of course the same can be said about super castlevania 4 and Rondo of blood
One of my favorite levels of all time is Chinatown in Revenge of Shinobi. The music was the best I ever heard on a 16-bit console. I loved the traffic lights in the foreground that blinked and the atmosphere was so colorful and engrossing.
Beach stage Streets of Rage 1 was it for me. That music, the rain showers and the waves crashing is just too awesome.
My foster dad used to work in a sewage treatment facility and on Sundays I would get to get up very early and go with him to work thank you for bringing up these wonderful nostalgic memories of our childhood
Absolutely do a follow up! Frankly, it'd astounding that you manage to keep cranking out intriguing content at the rate you do. 👏
Please do a part 2..I enjoyed this video. This brought back so many Sega Genesis memories.
Man thats a cool but hard topic. Instant thoughts is ,
Sonic 2 Oil Ocean (love the music)
XMEN 2 Sentinel Complex (2nd part running back through to get out was so unique)
SOR2 Downtown (what an opening)
Road Rash 2 (Hawaii, damn i love that tune)
Excellent topic, and a wonderful change of pace! It's amazing how much parallax scrolling was such a "wow" moment in games in our yesteryear...I miss seeing it used in games!
Absolutelly stunning video, love the way you show the games and the important details to consider, thank you Lord X
Appreciate the comment. Thank you.
You picked some great ones. That ROS waterfall was indeed some kind of magic! Also Sonic's Marble zone's music was incredible. Some of my faves
Castle of Illusion - jello stage
ROS - The Godzilla battle
PS2 - Nei's death
Alisia Dragoon's opening track (not a stage per se but one of the greatest video game music tracks of all time)
Thunder Force III - lava stage
Gaiares - Grim Reaper boss
this was a fun video
Marble Zone was Sonic 1 but sure, great.
so happy to see strider on here, it seems like it goes under the radar so much these days and that level was the first level that came to mind for me
Totally agree with the SoR level, great music and the effect of the ship bobbing up and down was a neat touch.
Today I learned that SLX have a soft spot for water efects in 16 bit games. And so do I, I love a lot of this same levels, especially the Bloodlines one.
Great video and topic!
This is a nice idea for a subject. And I'm sure the people who made these games would be happy to see their work remembered so fondly all these years later.
I can’t thank you enough for your work on these videos. Brings us all back to a time we cherish, great job as always 👍🏻
Glad you enjoy it. Thank you.
Agree with every single game shown. personally love them all and cam still remember my eyes popping out of my head as a kid playing them. Great video once more. And yes, do another one!!
Your intro to this video just nails everything about retro gaming 👍🏼
The lightning effect on the second stage of Strider that makes everything a silhouette is a very nice and simple effect, I wonder why it wasn't used more often in other games of the era. Donkey Kong Country Returns has a special stage during the sunset that makes your characters and the scenery all silhouettes and it looks great too.
I agree that there's a very nicer atmosphere in Streets of Rage 1, I like 2, but the first one is something special and different that isn't comparable to almost any other game in the genre. My favorite stage is the beach.
Sonic games require some memorization and to use its physics in order to really get good in it. For instance, in Marble Zone, there's no need to use the block on the lava to reach the platform and even if you want to get the secret 1UP you can go back and forth without any block, only using jumps and momentum. The 1UP on top of the loop in Green Hill can be reached in two common ways, one is by going from below and jumping on the spring, the other is by using the speed shoes, there's a less common way that uses only momentum and a jump. Later stages like Labyrinth zone is slower, but can be finished in less than 2 min per zone, while Starlight and the last stages are more fast paced.
Great video as always ! Shadow Dancer is still my favorite Genesis game. I love the 16-bit graphics and the music is still my all time favorite on the old Sega Genny !
SOR2...Level 6 on the beach. Am I the only one who hears "Just a touch of love, just a touch of love...". 😝. The most memorable level for me was Lightening Force stage 8...it was the music that was not only bad ass, but it also told you you had better be serious and pay attention because one tiny slip up and the level becomes damn near impossible. It was the moment in the game when my friends watching me play it knew it was time to shut up and let me focus seriously on the task at hand! 😎
Can't go wrong with SOR aesthetic but SOR1 still has my favorite sounds and looks in the series.
@Amidamaru sure, but my favorite is Keep the Groovin'
Love your videos. When I was young there was such a small group of friends I had that loved Sega as much as I. You would’ve fit in well with us. Keep up the great videos.
Great episode, other than Ghouls and Ghosts (which I haven't played yet) all of those games and stages have many memories associated with them. Looking at Streets of Rage all of the levels were great but my favorite was working through final stage to face Mr. X, the music and stage atmosphere were just great. Castle of Illusion was a surprise for me as well, my dad brought it home totally unexpected and it was great. The clock tower level was the best imo, once again the music was great and the stage was just fun ending w/the boss fight w/the giant. Speaking of Thunderforce, moving back one game Thunderforce III, especially the Gorgon (fire) level with the awesome flame effects in the background and a level theme I still associate w/the series to this day. I'd add more games and stages but I'd be here all day lol. Another episode like this and also a boss version would be great!
You need to keep doing more parts like this. And a few of people's choices. With over a 1000 games, I'm sure there is a lot to look. First stage that came to my mind before pressing play was Sonic's Marble Zone. Dang that song, unforgettable. I share your love for Eswat, it was such a perfect game. Had it. Had Ghostbusters too and it's among my very favorites alongside Batman. Love all others too, Shadow Dancer and all Shinobis.
What an idea for a video! It's surprising no one else really does this. It makes me want to compile my own such list!
When I saw this video title the Shadow Dancer 2-1 stage popped in my head, I love the music and it’s fun to tool around on the stage.
I am so glad to see someone else experience the awesome vibes that Shadow Dancer's bridge level gave us. This was prime 16 bit gaming.
Dude I'm so hooked on your channel, would love to see a video explaining the best (currently available) systems where your top favorite games can be played now.
Rocketknight lava level, the music and the lava reflection are just perfect.
That Eswat Boss music is hands down the greatest boss theme ever in my book. Nothing gets the blood pumping like it.
Great episode!!
I love Hydrocity and Ice Cap in Sonic 3, both for the level design as well as the music (specifically the MJ/Buxer track in Ice Cap).
Can't wait for part two! Should be a fun watch as I enjoyed this very much
Edit: I know it's over said... But Sonic's opening of Ice Cap Zone!
I shall also add that first time finding a little place called Doomsday Zone with the expansion
Ice Cap is my favourite Sonic zone ever, even beating out Green Hill in Sonic 1, Chemical Plant in Sonic 2 etc. It makes it that much more painful that the music was changed for the Origins collection.
Vectorman, Day 5: Arctic Ridge. What a beautiful looking stage. Walking around, enemies and you get affected by the lighting in the environment, it really feels natural, like they're a part of it. The waterfall effect and how seamlessly they somehow managed to switch between that and parts with the background, because I believe the waterfall is actually the background plane so it can't be shown at the same time.
Amazing art, and the lens flare is the finishing touch. The music also is pretty good, very serious and kinda foreboding! Playing it the first time, my jaw hit the floor, and I'm still very impressed every playthrough!
That was a great idea for a theme! I share some of your preferences like the Castle of Illusion stage, and even during the intro cutscenes, you show some more stages which can be favourites, like the train and its boss in Contra. After playing all scenarios, I've always picked that path!
In Thunder Force IV, for me that would possibly be the Wall stage (9) which is a fun one to play by heart, and with its crab ship boss and its crazy music.
Stage 8 in Streets of Rage 2 on the elevator, with a sunrise background, techno music and the two robot bosses.
The "Poseidon" episode in Monster World III, exploring, finding hidden doors and items, and great musical themes inside and outside the water.
Cool to see some love for Marble Zone. So many people hate on it for being slow, they don't realize that Sonic doesn't have to be fast. The traps are very varied and the music is by far the best track in the game. I also like the graphics of the level, I have a soft spot for forests.
My favourite level is the Air Castle in Phantasy Star IV. A nice throwback to the first game both with the music, lore and even the layout of the inner part of the level.
Love the good ol' days, thanks for showing this slx. The Genesis was such an awesome system, with games that were pure genius. I loved that stage in shadow dancer to, love that music, and parallax scrolling of the water in the background. I remember being amazed with thunder force 4 as well, one of the best shooters ever made, period. I also spent a lot of time playing Michael Jackson's moonwalker, with that graveyard stage you showed being my own personal favorite. Loved the music, and the atmosphere. I think my fondest memory is seeing, and playing streets of rage 1 & 2 when they released. Both are amazing, but 2 made my mouth drop nearly to the floor when I saw it. Still play it till this day, pretty sure you do to
I enjoyed watching this. Hearing your cool experiences with these stages, was really entertaining, and sent me on a trip to memory lane. I think alot of gamers could relate to this vid. Good high quality content as always.👍
Strider and Bloodlines aren't just 2 of my fav Genesis games, but they are on my list of fav games of all time. Those stages bring back so many memories!
Man, would you consider someday a video about Ecco the Dolphin and its sequel? I find that story fascinating for the time it was released and it's visually astonishing as well.
re: Lightening Force (aka Thunder Force 4) - Strite was my fave too. The composition of the background layering is second to none. I also really enjoyed the first level of Contra Hard Corps - the game just throws you into pure chaos, blended with that frenetic electro-rock. Also always loved the surfing level in Shinobi 3 - those hover bikes were awesome.
Stage 2 from Panzer Dragoon Zwei, specifically when taking the path that leads you off a cliff and into the valley that sprawls out to the horizon. It's a somewhat barren environment, but the way the music briefly settles into silence, the enemies fade off into the distance (if you don't kill all of them), and the "infinite" plane effect from VDP 2 just blew my mind as a kid. I'll never forget that moment and what came after.
I gotta say, I still think that sunset in Thunder Force 4 is one of the best visual effects on the Genesis. This list brings back so many good memories.
My absolute favorite stage in any Genesis game is the Air Castle in Phantasy Star 4. It felt so much like a real space that people could have actually lived in, and I had never seen that before in a video game. And it still had a labyrinthine layout that was fun to explore, since the dead ends were the result of collapsed floors and such. It was also the largest dungeon in the game, making it feel really epic, but because many parts of the dungeon have no random encounters, it also never felt overwhelming. Add in the narrative link to the original Phantasy Star, and you have the flat out best dungeon you could ever ask for.
Other good ones include stage five of Altered Beast, when it really feels like you've gone to another world. Stage 8 of Thunder Force 2 is also really cool with all the ancient ruins followed by that crazy dash through the cave, and of course the best music in the game. I also love the castle stage in Mystic Defender (stage 5 maybe?) with all the spiders running around and combining into giant worms. It's especially creepy since the end of stage 2 boss fight shows you how those spiders are made. Stage 3 of Target Earth is great, too, flying around in Earth orbit blowing up bad guys.
And I've got to list the last stage of Ecco the Dolphin. Man, what a mind screw that level was. I spent so many hours as a kid trying to get through it. My eventual victory was so satisfying when it finally happened.
Do bonus stages count? I don't see why not. And I would definitely put Cool Spot's bonus stage on the list. Such a fun and unique mini game in there. I've always loved the bonus stage in Shadow Dancer as well. I guess Sonic 2 needs to be mentioned for bonus stages, but I actually like Chemical Plant Zone best.
And while it's not really a stage, the ending of Toejam And Earl is amazing. Actually getting to explore Funkotron was such a great reward for going through that epic quest.