Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games of all time

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We count down the 50 best titles in the 16-bit Sega library

1. Streets of Rage II

The original Streets of Rage had something special, sure, but it was imperfect in every respect. Somehow Streets of Rage II just revisited the exact same formula and righted every wrong along the way. The result is a game that looks, sounds and feels sensational.

Yuzo Koshiro's soundtrack is a masterpiece, something that was rarely mentioned at the time as everyone focused on timing their pipe swings to connect perfectly with the thugs' faces. Weapons include knives, Samurai swords and grenades. By rights, it should be a gorefest, but the reality is much more dignified. Quality oozes from every pixel, fun from every co-op ruckus and technical prowess from every frame. Streets of Rage II never ages, but we do, allowing us to appreciate its artistry beyond how fun it is to smash up a bunch of 1990's-sterotyped punks. Streets of Rage 3 couldn't replicate the magic, leaving us with this as the pinnacle of 16-bit Sega gaming.

Genesis does...

The Genesis/Mega Drive was such a strong system that we're sure we missed out on a few of your favorites, so feel free to proclaim the quality of those titles in the comments!

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Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.

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