10 Most Overlooked Genesis/Mega Drive Games on NSO You Need to Try, Ranked (2025)

The retro Nintendo games are the highlight of the Nintendo Switch Online service, but it also has a plethora of Sega Genesis or Sega Mega Drive games. Players who subscribe to the NSO Expansion Pack get access to these games, and the library has been quietly building since its initial release in 2021. It has some Sega classics, like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but is mostly made up of more obscure titles.

Many of these titles do have their own fanbases but are largely unknown. This may cause many players to simply play the hits and never touch the app again, but they'd be missing out on a lot of fantastic games. The emulator used here was developed by M2, who are well known for creating some of the best retro rereleases out there, such as the Castlevania Advance Collection and some parts of Metal Gear Master Collection Vol. 1.

10 Columns is a Unique Puzzle Game

A Fun Take on Match 3

Match 3 games are ubiquitous these days. Players can find puzzle games where they match three colors in various directions for free on phone app stores, paid titles on consoles, or even pre-loaded on a new PC. Most of these games take after Bejeweled, where players simply move icons around a board freely. Columns takes more after Tetris or Puyo Puyo, with three icons at a time falling from the top of a screen to be placed within a grid.

The game uses an ancient Roman theme, with players trying to match three jewels of the same color either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Any jewels the player can match with the set currently falling will have a white border around them, though players may need to swap the order by pressing one of the face buttons to do so. It's a very fun take on what would eventually become a rote genre, making it interesting to revisit.

9 Flicky is an Addicting Arcade Game

Flickies Would Also Be Found in Sonic

Originally released for arcades in 1984, Flicky was Sega's answer to Namco's Mappy. The game sees players controlling a bluebird named Flicky to collect yellow birds called Chirps. Once collected, Chirps will follow behind Flicky until they're dropped off at the level's exit. However, if the player touches an enemy, such as the cats littered around the stage, the Chirps will scatter and must be collected again.

Flicky isn't exactly a looker and is very simple in concept, but players who enjoy high-score chasing will find a very addicting game here. Flickies would go on to be featured in the Sonic the Hedgehog series as some of the creatures Sonic saves by opening the capsule at the end of a level. Sonic would even go to Flicky Island in Sonic 3D Blast, where Sonic needs to save them to clear each level using the Dimension Ring.

8 Shining Force was Sega's Fire Emblem

The Sequel to Shining in the Darkness

Set in the Kingdom of Guardiana, players take on the role of Max to stop the Runefaust commander, Kane, from opening the Shining Path and resurrecting the Dark Dragon. On the journey, players recruit multiple allies as units in the Strategy RPG gameplay. Each character is unique but doesn't contribute much to the overall plot outside of battles. Battles take place on a grid, where the player moves units around and defeats all the enemies.

Outside of battles, players can explore certain areas in a style similar to non-Strategy RPGs of the time. Here, players solve puzzles, talk with NPCs, and purchase equipment to outfit their forces. Despite similarities, Shining Force was not influenced by Nintendo's Fire Emblem. The lead developer on the game actually disliked that title so much he wanted to make something better, more chiefly inspired by Dragon Quest.

Shining Force

RPG

Tactical

Systems

Released

July 13, 1993

ESRB

e

7 Ristar Was a One-Hit Wonder

Sonic's Lesser-Known Cousin

Back in 1995, Sega's proposed successor to Sonic the Hedgehog, Ristar, received middling reviews from critics. It was overshadowed by games like Sonic and Earthworm Jim as well as the upcoming Sega Saturn. However, as it's appeared in multiple retro compilations over the years, the game has since been reevaluated as the gem that it is. It's a slower-paced platformer, but still a lot of fun and with a gorgeous, surreal visual style.

Since then, Ristar has received many nods and cameos. It'll probably never be revived for a sequel, according to designer Akira Nishino, but it remains one of the Genesis' best games. The game makes use of Ristar's stretchable arms which players can send in eight directions with the D-pad. This mechanic is used for combat, with Ristar grappling enemies and then retracting his arms for a headbutt, but also for puzzle-solving and platforming.

Ristar

Platformer

Systems

Released

February 16, 1995

ESRB

e

$200 at Amazon

6 Gunstar Heroes is a Treasure

A Fast-Paced, Frenetic Shooter

Gunstar Heroes originally began development at Konami, but the company didn't want to accept the team's original game ideas. They quit and formed Treasure to complete the project, eventually getting Sega to publish their debut title. Gunstar Heroes is a run-and-gun side-scroller in the vein of Contra. At the start of the game, players choose a control method, either stopping to shoot and aim or retaining movement, then pick one of four stages to start with.

The game features two-player co-op as players pick up and combine ammo types through inventive levels and constant action. One moment players might be running and gunning through a standard level, and the next they're riding a mine cart or playing a board game. The game is difficult, but a blast from start to finish, especially with a friend, and players can use emulator features like save states if they just want to get through the game.

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Gunstar Heroes

Action

Arcade

Shooter

Systems

Released

September 10, 1993

ESRB

E For Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence

5 Phantasy Star IV is a Classic RPG

A Prequel to Phantasy Star III

Phantasy Star IV takes place 1000 years after Phantasy Star II, but 1000 years before Phantasy Star III. The game follows Chaz Ashley and his mentor Alys Brangwin as they travel the solar system to stop a great evil. It's fairly rote as far as RPGs go, but the game has appeared in multiple best Sega Genesis lists as well as a few best games of all time lists. Sometimes it's fun to revisit the basics of a genre.

In the game's turn-based combat, characters can use abilities called Techniques and even combine them with other party members for special attacks. There are 14 of these for players to discover as their characters level up, though the English version of the manual erroneously listed 15. The game, like Ristar, received mixed reviews upon its initial release but has gone on to be lauded as a fantastic RPG.

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Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

RPG

Systems

Released

December 17, 1993

ESRB

e

See at Amazon

4 Landstalker is a Treasure-Hunting Adventure

Isometric Action and Adventure

Developed by Climax Entertainment, Landstaler: The Treasures of King Nole follows Nigel and a wood nymph named Friday. The pair explore dungeons, fight monsters, and solve puzzles in a search for treasure. The game utilizes many fantasy or mythological creatures as enemies, though the combat largely stays the same throughout the adventure. Nigel will acquire upgrades and puzzle-solving items as the game progresses.

There are also various towns the player can visit, featuring side quests for rewards like increased attack or shortcuts on the overworld. Players can revisit locations and are often required to advance the plot. The game was highly praised upon its initial release, in Japan, Europe, and the US, winning several awards. It was an innovative title and pushed the action-adventure genre forward in important ways.

3 Sonic Spinball is Better Than Its Reputation

Sonic and Pinball Are a Perfect Fit

Sonic Spinball was initially received fairly well, but in retrospect, many have decried the game as slow, clunky, and way too hard for its own good. It is certainly all of those things, but that doesn't make it a bad game. Players control Sonic through a series of pinball levels as they try to collect the Chaos Emeralds and defeat Doctor Robotnik once again. The game tries to mix platforming and pinball, giving players a bit more mid-air control over Sonic.

The game is fairly short, consisting of only four levels, making it easy to complete in a single session. Previous Sonic games have featured pinball mechanics or themes, and while the controls here are stiffer than the other Genesis titles the two remain a perfect fit for each other. Sonic has always seen a lot of scrutiny, but Sonic Spinball is an enjoyable spinoff that doesn't deserve nearly the amount of hate it's received.

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Sonic Spinball

Pinball

Action

Systems

Released

November 23, 1993

ESRB

E for Everyone

See at Steam

2 Beyond Oasis Combines RPGs and Action Games

Prince Ali Seeks Four Elemental Spirits

Beyond Oasis, or The Story of Thor: A Successor of The Light is an action-adventure RPG developed by Ancient. Players take on the role of Prince Ali after he discovers a gold armlet, which once belonged to a wizard in a war against the wielder of the silver armlet. Players need to find the four elemental spirits to power up the armlet and stop the silver armlet from wreaking havoc on the world once more.

Similar to The Legend of Zelda series, players will find new weapons and unlock abilities for use in combat and puzzle solving. The Prince's default weapon, a knife, has unlimited uses, but other weapons have durability and will eventually break. Critics at the time praised the game for its magic system and the sprite work, though some stated that the game didn't have enough RPG elements to satisfy fans of that genre.

Beyond Oasis

Action-Adventure

RPG

Systems

Released

March 15, 1995

ESRB

nr

See at Amazon

1 Crusader of Centy is the Genesis' Zelda game

A Clone in All But Name

Crusader of Centy is very blatantly a Zelda ripoff, but that doesn't make it a bad game. Far from it, in fact, as copying the best can result in something good. Players control a boy named Corona on his fourteenth birthday. All boys in Soleil town train for combat once they turn 14, so Corona is essentially free to explore the world. The story is fairly bland, but gave Genesis players a taste of what they were missing out on.

The game may not be as good as other, similar titles for the system, namely Landstalker and Beyond Oasis, but since its release the game has become incredibly expensive on the secondhand market, with a loose copy going for $500 and a complete in box copy, with the box and manual, going for over $1000. The NSO release may not include extraneous materials, but it is by far the easiest and cheapest way to experience the game.

Crusader of Centy

Action-Adventure

RPG

Released

June 16, 1994

ESRB

e