Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #5 - Shining Force II

I wasn't a big strategy game fan back during the 16-bit era, but after really getting into the Fire Emblem games on the Game Boy Advance, I finally went back and bought Shining Force II for my Genesis console and found out what an outstanding title it really was. Great strategy-style combat and an enthralling story line to pull it all together. While I'd still recommend Shining Force CD slightly over this game, if you don't have access to a Sega CD system, this game will do quite nicely. I love the Fire Emblem titles, but to me Shining Force II offers up a better overall experience and at times surpasses the combat stylings found in the Fire Emblem games. If you can appreciate a finely-tuned strategy title that will hook you from the start and hold onto you until the credits roll, give Shining Force II a try. It's still amazing, even today. I only wish I had discovered it sooner.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #6 - Castlevania Bloodlines

While Castlevania Bloodlines certainly isn't Rondo of Blood or Dracula's Curse, it is a great entry for the series on the Genesis/Mega Drive console. The game features a little bit of a different feel to it that brings a refreshing air to the series and also brings a great storyline element to the table as well. Now don't worry, all of the pinpoint platforming action found in previous Castlevania titles is still intact, there's just a slightly different feel to the way attacks are executed in this game. The music is some of the best the Castlevania series has seen and carries the overall mood of the game perfectly. The difficulty isn't quite as steep as some of the Castlevania titles before it, but you'll still have your work cut out for you if you intend to finish off this amazing platformer. I just finished playing through the game again and it always reminds me what an underrated and sometimes under-appreciated Castlevania title Bloodlines truly is. If you're a Castlevania fan, you absolutely must own this amazing game. It was a true highlight during the later years of the Genesis console's lifespan.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #7 - Gunstar Heroes

Not many game companies can bring a smile across my face quite like the guys at Treasure. Not only are they responsible for two of my favorite shooters ever in Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga, they're also responsible for one of the greatest run-n-gun games ever made in Gunstar Heroes. Chances are if you're talking to anyone with any type of knowledge about the Sega Genesis console, Gunstar Heroes will definitely come up in the conversation. It takes the premise of a Contra and turns up the intensity a few notches. It's arcade shooting at its finest and you'd be hard-pressed to find a lull anywhere in the game. Visually, the game is amazing and the music and sound effects are equally outstanding. I just dug this game out last night and gave it another play before I finalized this list and in all honesty this game should probably be higher on the list. Unfortunately, there are just too many great Genesis games to choose from so I had to stick this one at #7. If you own a Sega Genesis or Mega Drive console, you absolutely must own this game.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #8 - Shinobi 3

To say that I was a huge fan of the first Genesis Shinobi title Revenge of Shinobi would be a gross understatement. It was one of the first games I bought during the early days of the Genesis era, and I couldn't wait to get a sequel. Unfortunately that sequel, Shadow Dancer, didn't quite live up to the high level of play found in its predecessor. While I enjoyed Shadow Dancer, it never really felt much like a Shinobi game to me. Thankfully Sega went back to the roots of the series and somehow managed to add in a lot of unique game play elements without changing the overall feel of the game. The result was Shinobi 3, what I consider to be the best Shinobi release on the console. The somersault shuriken attack is back along with a wealth of new play control twists. While I'll always recommend Revenge of Shinobi to any Sega Genesis/Mega Drive fan, I'd still rank this third title above it in terms of intensity and overall playability. If you can appreciate an outstanding action/platforming experience, look no further than Shinobi 3 for the Sega Genesis console. It's still as amazing today as it was over a decade ago.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #9 - Lightening Force

There were very few games back during the Genesis era that I spent more time with collectively than the Thunder Force titles. Thunder Force III alone kept me up many a late night trying to beat it. I've often wondered why they decided to change the name of this game from Thunder Force IV to Lightening Force, but in the end, who really cares. I do wish they could have at least spelled the title correctly, but given how great the game is, I'll cut them some slack and let it slide. Lightening Force took everything that was great about the previous Thunder Force titles and kicked it all up a couple of notches. The visuals are unbelievable for a 16-bit console and the music is among the best the series has ever seen. The rock solid play control returns and this time the difficulty is back up to par, which means you won't blow through this space romp quite as easily as you did in Thunder Force III. The bosses are downright brutal at times, which makes you want to keep coming back to the game in order to beat them. I've always been a shooter nut, but I can't see how any gamer wouldn't love this intense space shooter. It's easily the pinnacle of the series and also the best shooter money can buy for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console. It's also nice that you can still find this game quite cheap on eBay, even new if you do some looking. If you're a shooter fan, this is an absolute must-have in my opinion.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #10 - Super Fantasy Zone

Super Fantasy Zone is only 1 of 2 import Mega Drive titles that will appear on this list, but it's also one of the best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive imports you can get your hands on. I was never a big Fantasy Zone fan until I saw this title in a local video game import shop in the city years ago and took a chance and bought it. I've been a huge fan of the game ever since. It combines an extremely simple shooting premise and somehow injects enough new ideas and unique game play aspects to make it stand out from the rest of the crowd. You take control of Upa and your task is to take out the enemy power pods that are strung throughout each level which will unleash a huge boss for you to take on. These bosses are as bizarre as the rest of the game's unique cartoon-like surroundings and can be quite tricky to defeat. Don't let the game's cute exterior fool you; Super Fantasy Zone is a tough cookie and will offer you many hours of challenging game play. I still drag this game out quite often for a play through, even all these years later.

Time for another Top 10 list...

Well it's that time again. Time for another Top 10 list. I've been getting a lot of emails lately about doing another one, so I guess I can't put it off any longer. This time I'm going to do my Top 10 Sega Genesis Games since I've been on a Genesis/Mega Drive kick as of late. I think Sega Genesis fans will find this Top 10 quite interesting. Tomorrow will kick off the Top 10 with my #10 favorite Genesis title and will continue every day until we reach #1. Let's see if anyone can guess the #1 game again. It's worth noting that this Top 10 will not include any Sega CD titles. I'll save those for a future Top 10 list. I hope everyone enjoys the list.

Forgotten Favorites - Sonic CD (Sega CD)

I absolutely love all of the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog titles, but when it comes right down to it, Sonic CD is still my favorite. I know, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is probably the more well-rounded game, but at the end of the day, Sonic CD just feels right. It's got gorgeous visuals, great music, and a lengthy quest that offers a good amount of replay value. There are still times when I'll just start humming the theme song "Sonic Boom" for no apparent reason. Of course that's usually followed by me dragging out Sonic CD on my JVC X'Eye console and giving it another play through. I've never cared for any of the 3-D Sonic titles, but there's just something about the good old-fashioned 2-D Sonic titles that I can't get enough of. If you haven't yet experience Sonic CD, you owe it to yourself to somehow find a way to play this brilliant classic. It's reason enough to track down a Sega CD system of some sort just to enjoy one of the greatest Sonic titles ever created. (RATING: 9.5/10)

Review - Word of Goo (WiiWare)

Well the day has finally arrived. World of Goo has finally been released on the WiiWare service for all North American gamers to enjoy. Sadly European gamers will have to wait until the Spring when the retail release is made available. My review on WiiWare World is now up so you can click on the World of Goo logo to surf over and take a look at it. I won't spoil it for you, but it just received the highest score we've given to date at WiiWare World. Check it out!

World of Goo Coming To WiiWare On Monday!

Just a reminder for those of you who don't already know, 2D Boy's new gooey puzzler World of Goo is coming out on the WiiWare service on Monday, October 13th and will cost 1500 Wii Points. The game has already been called one of the most polished and exciting titles to hit the WiiWare service. I hope everyone supports 2D Boy and World of Goo so we'll hopefully see more titles from this exciting developer. I'll be writing the World of Goo review for WiiWare World on Monday so if you guys want to check it out, it should be up later that night. Above all enjoy the gooey goodness!

MadStone - WiiWare

I'm not normally a big puzzler fan, but every so often a game from the genre comes along that really captures my attention. Meteos and Lumines were two such titles, and now comes MadStone for the WiiWare service. The game was released today and I had already played a preview build of the game last week and loved it so it was a no-brainer that I'd pick it up once it became available on the WiiWare service. The developer, RiverMan Media, was even kind enough to send us some Wii Points in order to download the game for our review on WiiWare World.

MadStone makes really fun use of the Wii Remote in the way you have to shake the controller to cause earthquakes that will cause blocks to break underneath the MadStones you're trying to get to fall into the Energy Pool at the bottom of the screen. It's a very simple yet extremely addictive game. And if you really want to have some fun with it, take on a second player in a 2-player contest. That's when the action really heats up. Couple this amazing game play with the wonderful musical score the game employs and what you have is one of the most enjoyable puzzlers to come along in quite some time and an outstanding addition to the WiiWare service. If you love a simple yet extraordinarily fun game, give MadStone a try! You'll be glad you did. (RATING: 8/10)