Super Nintendo vs. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive

[Ayen]

VS.

Which system do you prefer? Which system did you grow up with?

I grew up with the Sega Genesis, and it's my favorite retro console of all time. I used to play Battletoads/Double Dragon, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, X-Men 2: Clone Wars, Cyborg Justice, Mortal Kombat II, and thanks to the 32X, Doom. I also enjoy other Sega games like Sonic, Streets of Rage, the Road Rash series, Comix Zone, Thomas the Tank Engine, Toy Story, the Power Rangers games, and Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage. Yes, I'm aware that some of these were also available on the Super Nintendo.

Discuss.

[Pike]

Both are very good.

I feel that the Super Nintendo had a stronger exclusive library overall, as well as the stronger licensed games. But on the other hand, the Genesis had Sonic. And the terror that was Ecco the Dolphin.

Gotta hand it to SNES in the end, but damn if this wasn't my favorite generation of console games. Everything was so good.

[Rez09]

Gotta hand it to SNES in the end, but damn if this wasn't my favorite generation of console games. Everything was so good.

That pretty well sums it for me as well. Though I end up appreciating the SNES library more now, with its much wider selection of RPGs and platformers, I grew up with the Genesis and there are just sooooo many great titles for it. Most of my favorite platformers from the generation come from the Genesis side of things, like Quackshot, Rocket Knight Adventures, Sonic 2, Ristar, and Shinobi 3. Even games where there is often a direct comparison drawn between two SNES and Genesis titles, like Super Castlevania IV and Bloodlines, the two Sparkster games, and Vectorman and DKC, I find the Genesis titles hold up extremely well. Sega made a hell of a showing that generation, and its just too bad they didn't find the support for the SegaCD they needed to keep up with Nintendo.

[Colonel Angus]

The Genesis/Mega Drive had some solid games. However, for me, the SNES still outdoes it, even if it's just by a smidge.

[Leigh]

Neither of them had Monkey Island on them, therefore, I choose Amiga 1200. =P

I didn't have either of them back in the day. =( I did have friends who had the consoles though, and SNES was always the one that seemed to be powered up. I remember having Megaman and Bomberman competitions, plus late night bouts of Zelda: Link to the Past during sleepovers. I can't say I have any really affection for either though since I only knew of them vicariously. Cheap'o'nasty clone-a-thons for the Amiga were my bag. =P Amiga did get some cool Sega games though, like Super Hang-On. =)

[Sephiroth]

Not even a contest.

[Ayen]

Shinobi 3.

Sega's answer to Ninja Gaiden I'd say. I only got around to playing that game through the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, but it was great. I need to get around to playing the other games on that. I still haven't checked out Vectorman.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I just liked playing my TurboGrafx-16. Bonk was a cool dude.

[Vyk]

I was absolutely a SEGA fanboy. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt, SNES was the better investment. SEGA had no answer to things like Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario RPG, and all the rest

I mean Phantasy Star IV was amazing for its time, but not many people owned it, because it was $100 when it came out and then it vanished completely. And even if it was more accessible, it can't be the only answer to every SNES RPG

And there is no excuse for SEGA not making a half-decent attempt at a Sonic RPG. They waited like 15 years and then had BioWare try to do it, and by then the formula seemed too old for me to enjoy :/

But Shining Force 1 and 2 are better than any other strategy game that was out at the time :3 Hell, they're better than a lot of them that are out now. I just wish they were more difficult. They definitely have more depth to their world. And they feel like actual RPGs, rather than just strategy battle simulators with stories tacked on, and worlds as a lazy afterthought (Yeah, let's just put a map with dots on it. That's excusable)

So I'm not ashamed to have enjoyed SEGA. I loved Sonic, Shining Force, and stuff. But once I got my hands on Final Fantasy VI, it was pretty much all over. Its just sad that only through emulation, years after that console war, was I able to enjoy some of the better games of that generation, on either console (Phantasy Star games included..)

[Ayen]

Had they made a Sonic RPG at the time they would have just been accused of copying Nintendo anyway.

I figured Phantasy Star was their answer to Final Fantasy, and it was obviously popular if they made four of them. I didn't know about that one-hundred dollar price range though. That's just smurfing ridiculous. Fatal Labyrinth was another RPG the system had too. Nothing Final Fantasy quality, but RPGs did exist on the console.

But to be fair I don't think people bought a Genesis console for the RPGs.

[Vyk]

I was a Genesis owner who loved RPGs Fatal Labyrinth was alright. Ys 3. Sword of Vermilion. Shining in the Darkness. Light Crusader. There really wasn't a lot to choose from outside of the Phantasy Star games. Maybe they should have milked that series a little more

I'd still play Sonic over Mario. At least from that generation

But with the advent of emulation, I've discovered far more hidden gems in the SNES library. Lots of interesting mech games for some reason too. Too bad I didn't have those as a kid. I'd have loved that Front Mission side scrolling shooting game (I forget its name)

But yeah. In hindsight, they probably massively increased the ROM cartridge memory to some ridiculous number. Phantasy Star IV and Virtua Racing were both around $100 on release. And I think maybe Vector Man was too? I'm not sure. It may have came later when the tech for memory was a little cheaper

That kinda stuff may have hurt sega though. Paying twice as much for the better games on the console

BUT! I did have SEGA Channel. Which was flipping AWESOME! And was the only way to play Pulseman. Which isn't exactly loved by the community. But I adored it. I played the hell out of that game while it was on the network

Edit: Also forgot about Landstalker. Basically wrote the formula for Alundra, and was a decent competition for Zelda-like gameplay

[Rez09]

But yeah. In hindsight, they probably massively increased the ROM cartridge memory to some ridiculous number. Phantasy Star IV and Virtua Racing were both around $100 on release. And I think maybe Vector Man was too? I'm not sure. It may have came later when the tech for memory was a little cheaper

I got it for normal price, as I recall.

BUT! I did have SEGA Channel. Which was flipping AWESOME! And was the only way to play Pulseman. Which isn't exactly loved by the community. But I adored it. I played the hell out of that game while it was on the network

Sega channel was such an awesome idea, but it was never available in my area. T -T

Also, you know people that dislike Pulseman? I thought my dislike of Dynamite Heady was strange. O_oa

[Ayen]

I didn't even know Sega Channel was a thing, so my TV must have never gotten it. Did it have anything to do with cable? Because that would explain why.

[Rez09]

Yeah, it was a cable service, as I recall. Fairly limited distribution.

[Wolf Kanno]

SNES simply had the better and more timeless library of games, though it's not to say the Genesis was no slouch either. I think the reason why the console wars never appeal to me was because I grew up during this one and both sides had strong arguments for why there system of choice rocked as opposed to today where two systems have meager exclusives and largely the same libraries of AAA content while the third competitor gets nailed for just respinning old classics and not innovating the way fans want.

Overall, as an RPG site and fan of RPGs, the SNES simply has the better overall library with titles fans still fawn over today, in other arenas I think Sega has a better advantage.