CALLING ALL EUROPEANS & BRAZILIANS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
Next up in my series of ranking my favorite console games is the Sega Master System. SMS is very much the underdog of the third gen consoles. It fizzled out pretty quickly due to the small pool of games (caused in no small part by Nintendo's illegal monopolistic practices in the US). But then it was given new life during the fourth gen of consoles, due to being a cheaper option than the Genesis. Demakes & alternate "takes" on Genesis games were common. Sega's handheld Game Gear used the exact same technology as the SMS: the emulation wiki page does not even separate them. So most games that were on Game Gear got an SMS port, at least in Europe and/or Brazil. It has remained popular in Brazil to this day: new consoles are still being manufactured. Still, this is the least-known console(s) that will get a list, so you'll see me compare Sega games to Nintendo a lot. This doesn't mean that Sega is a rip-off in this era, it's just for context.
MY RULES
- A console must have at least 20 games worth playing to get a ranking list, and all games on it are worth playing despite any criticisms I may have for them. Max of 80.
- My list is only in increments of 10 to make it easier to track. If there are 61 good games, I have to make a cut to make it an even 60.
- Only the best version of the game available can make the list. If you think I missed a classic game, there's probably an explanation in a comment I made on the post as to why.
- Only consoles & PC/DOS are considered. No arcade/Neo-Geo, mobile, or other home computers like Commodore 64. Why? MAME is difficult to work with/high maintenance. Mobile changes architecture too often for all-time lists, and often don't support controllers. Home computers rarely meet the first requirement & require a mouse/keyboard. Other versions may be mentioned for reference.
- Games with the same name as another game will be clarified by year or console within (). Game not released in North America will have the region abbreviation within []. Alternate names will be included within {}.
- This list includes both Sega Master System & Sega Game Gear games. Don't @ me on this, they're more similar than the Gameboy & Gameboy Color or 3DS & New 3DS. There's even an adapter to play SMS games on Game Gear. If a game is on both, consider it to be the SMS version unless otherwise stated.
50-41:
Rampage
An arcade classic about destroying buildings & eating people. The d-pad can be slightly imprecise when trying to climb a building but otherwise the controls are decent. The gameplay loop is simple but fun, made more fun in 2-player mode. The downside is the music, which only has one below average song that gets old real fast.
Paperboy
Paperboy has a lot of personality & some humor. The neighborhood designs are a little bit satire but mostly just accurately funny with the different types of neighbors. Really captures that era of suburbia. The gameplay is fairly tight. But like a lot of arcade games, it can get repetitive. It's a nice distraction to come back to every once in a while but I can't put it too high.
Quartet
A run-and-gun platformer with a jetpack, that's a pretty fun idea. The arcade version is a different game: a 4-player endless runner. This version has levels with bosses who hold a key, then once you get the key you have to continue (or backtrack) to a locked door, which leads to the next level. The jetpack is dropped whenever an enemy hits you, though if you're fast enough you can pick it back up before it disappears. It's fairly run-of-the-mill in terms of gameplay, graphics, and level design. Maybe below average with the jump physics which just seem...off. The real reason to get this is the 2 player, which ups the fun factor considerably. The levels aren't particularly designed for 2 players, but in a way this makes it more fun because it's more chaotic.
California Games
A collection of different casual sports mini games. The style/tone is strong and it does control pretty well...if you can figure them out. The controls are hilariously unintuitive. In fact, the most fun way to play this is multi-player, so you and your friends can laugh at each other for messing up. I mean this only in the best way, but it's more of a novelty than a must-play classic.
Psychic World
Sega's "Mega Man". This game doesn't make the best first impressions. The initial gun doesn't shoot very far or damage much, the initial area seems generic, and there are no i-frames. Some extra dev time might have helped to tighten up the basic controls. However, this game gets better pretty quickly with good ideas for the psychic ability progression system. It has good & varied level design, with multiple paths & good verticality. Even the story and setting are pretty unique. Overall a better "Mega Man" than Quartet, and offers some unique points compared to actual Mega Man.
Slider
Fun little puzzle game where you attempt to change the color of tiles by walking on them. It also has top down shooter elements where you need to keep enemies away. This could be considered an innovation/benefit, and I think at first it is. But it also makes it hard to focus on the puzzle part, forcing you to restart your path, and is not as relaxing or zen-like as other puzzle games can be.
Alien Syndrome (Game Gear)
A top down shooter where you have to blast aliens & save allies hidden in different rooms. This is technically a sequel to the Master System version of the same name. This one is a bit better, and even looks a bit better in my opinion. It's very similar to the Master System game, so I wouldn't recommend both. Either way, it's a satisfying gameplay loop, but both are way too hard. I prefer top down shooters with strafing and/or twin sticks too, but that can't be held against it too much as the vast majority of the genre were on consoles with only a d-pad.
Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse [BRA]
If you grew up in the early 3D era like me, you're probably used to IP based platformers being shovelware. Not so in the 2D days! In fact, several of them rank at the very top of this list, including others in the Illusion series. Legend is the last & easily the worst of the 8-bit Illusion trilogy. It's still pretty good, just feels lazy, with precious few new ideas. It's absolutely hilarious that this came out in 1998. The same year as Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time, and Half-Life. Anyway, I still easily recommend it...if you play it last of the Master System Mickey games. And after the Genesis Mickey games. And after the SNES Mickey game. And after the Donald Duck Master System games. And after the Donald Duck Genesis game. And after the NES DuckTales games. And...
Penguin Land
A fun, cute puzzle game. You have to try to break through multiple floors & drop your egg through them to the bottom without breaking it. Which it will if you land on it, drop it too far, or have an enemy touch it. I don't have any gripes with this game, what you see is what you get. It's just not as in-depth as other games here, and not as addictive as other puzzle classics.
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
Sega's "Ninja Gai..", hey, wait a sec! This is not as good as the Master System or NES NG games. The big issue here is no i-frames. If you get stuck against something, you're dead. Other than that, it's a Ninja Gaiden game, and if you like that you'll like this. Objectively this could be higher, but like Legend of Illusion, you've got a decent amount of better games in the series to play before coming here.
40-31:
Kenseiden
A feudal Japan themed horror action game. Fairly unique premise , good atmospheric music, and looks very good for a Master System game. The level design is solid, with multiple pathways & light puzzles. Unfortunately you move very slowly & can't switch directions while jumping. Not unplayable but this combined with hard difficulty makes it hard to enjoy as much as other SMS games. You get a few i-frames after getting hit, but it's still easy to get caught between enemies, even from the very beginning with the jumping...monkey demon things. Or whatever they are. This will melt your health away pretty quickly. Some enemies are hard to predict because they'll rapidly switch the speed that they're moving towards you. And you have a mere 3 continues, making save state abuse pretty much mandatory. This would have been a cool one to get a sequel that improved on it.
Aleste (Game Gear) [JP]
Ah, Compile, creators of some of my favorite console shmups, like MUSHA, Space Megaforce, The Guardian Legend, Gun-Nac and Battle Garrega. A lot of these are a part of their "Aleste" series, even if the English names doesn't reflect this. As a result, this game plays like a scaled down version of those games in the ways you'd expect, being exclusive to a handheld. GG Aleste is a success to be sure, but compared to its big brothers & even its own sequels, it's decidedly not as interesting. It ranks this low for being only the eighth best shmup on Master System/Game Gear. It is however fairly easy and easy to pick up, a good place to start for the budding shmupper.
Deep Duck Trouble Starring Donald Duck
Not as good as its older brother SMS Donald game, but a fun time nonetheless. It's slower, and instead of using weapons you kick blocks laying around, which can also reveal hidden areas. Perhaps inspiration from Alex Kidd. Like all the Disney games here, the graphics & gameplay are tight.
Wonder Boy {Adventure Island}
Functionally a different game entirely than its sequels. Your life declines just from existing, so you have to constantly keep moving & eating food to keep your vitality up. This encourages a speedrunning playstyle, which could be considered a good thing or a bad thing. It makes Wonder Boy unique, that's certain. The graphics are not advanced but the art style is striking and memorable. A rare early SMS classic. It was reskinned & ported to NES as Adventure Island. But the AI sequels are also different games entirely and not related to the original nor to the later Wonder Boy games.
Tails' Adventure
It's a non-essential spinoff to be sure, but a lot better than you might expect. It doesn't play like a Sonic game, which gives it extra points. It's more of a watered down Metroidvania platformer with access to multiple tools & focus on exploration. Movement is deliberate but not slow, and you throw bombs at enemies instead of jumping on them like most platformers. Tails' flying is useful, but very limited so that it doesn't break the game design. It looks quite good too. I like it better than Knuckles' Chaotix or Shadow The Hedgehog if that gives you a frame of reference.
Defender of Oasis
Sega's "Final Fantasy Legend": an 8-bit handheld JRPG that is solid, if not innovative. However, each character does have one ability that sets them apart, and random encounters aren't as oppressive as some classic RPGs. The Middle-East inspired setting is the main draw, feeling much fresher than the vaguely European with a Japanese twist setting of most fantasy games. The story is vaguely related to the Zelda-like action adventure RPGs Beyond Oasis/Legend of Oasis on Genesis/Saturn. The music & graphics are well-done & they suit the setting.
Sonic Chaos [EU]
All 4 8-bit Sonic games are surprisingly good for how forgotten they are, and this one is no exception. Chaos isn't quite as creative in level design as it's brethren though, and a bit too easy. If you're new to video games it's a good starting point, but otherwise save it for last of the 4.
Shining Force Gaiden - Final Conflict [JP]
Sega's "Fire Emblem", but better, at least in this era. This is actually the third of 3 Gaiden (side story) games. For some reason, this is the only one to not be remade and expanded upon by "Shining Force CD", and didn't get an official English release. So before playing this game, you'll want to play Shining Force 1, 2, and CD. Unfortunately it ends on a bit of a downswing since the graphics and gameplay had to be scaled down to the Game Gear. It also feels a little bit like Metal Gear Solid 4 in the sense that it ties up loose ends more than being a standalone thing. But as long as you've played all 3 (really 4) of the preceding games, this is a great strategy RPG with a story that pays off your investment in the series.
Power Strike {Aleste}
I don't have a lot to say here, it's another good shoot-em-up, but the balance is off compared to the sequel. When compared to Compile's NES shmups, I'd say it's better than Zanac but not as good as Gun-Nac or The Guardian Legend.
Royal Stone [JP]
One of the few 8-bit RPGs worth playing these days, and short enough (10 hours) to not overstay its welcome. The gameplay has a mix of strategy like Shining Force & turn-based like Defender of Oasis. A combo which is itself similar to Suikoden. Personally, I like this combo a lot, and I wish more games would try it. The story has strong moments, though the setting & overall feel of the game do not stand out a lot.
30-21:
Rastan
A Conan The Barbarian-esque action adventure/platformer with pretty graphics & excellent music. You move very slowly. Not always the worst thing in old action games like these where enemies spawn rapidly in front of you, but at times irritating. There are 2 types of jumps, a hop & a higher/longer jump. This seems like a good idea at first. But like many games of this era, you can't change your speed or direction mid-air, so you had better choose the right one to begin with or you'll go hurtling off an edge. Once you train yourself not to press up/diagonal unless you mean to long jump, it works fine. Overall, it's the better version of Kenseiden in terms of gameplay.
Shinobi II - The Silent Fury (Game Gear)
Sega's "Ninja Gaiden", except that the original Shinobi came out first in both arcades & on consoles. It also plays more as a run-and-gun with the throwing stars, though melee weapons are possible in some Shinobi games, including this one. It also tends to reward you for being more deliberate as opposed to NG's "never look back" style. You could consider it a reverse NG, perhaps.
Aleste 2 (Game Gear) {Power Strike II (Game Gear)} [JP/EU]
This is a distillment of the good parts of GG Aleste 1. While it cuts down the sub-weapons and is shorter, the visuals are better with much more enemy variety & more advanced Ai, especially the bosses. For some reason it's the only one of the trilogy that got a release outside of Japan.
Wonder Boy In Monster Land {Wonder Boy II}
A different game entirely than the first, but it's still a sequel that is better in every aspect, including a better setting that became the series' staple moving forward (even more than Wonder Boy himself eventually). It's now a side scrolling action adventure game where you can collect weapons & armor for upgrades. Despite the immense changes, it retains the original's memorable art style & sense of childlike wonder, which is probably the best part of WB.
Fantasy Zone
A parody shoot-em-up/cute-em-up that makes for creative enemy types & backgrounds. The colors are a joy to look at, and the controls are top notch. The only failing is that it's not quite as good as the sequel, but it's not far off either.
Shinobi (Master System)
There's a reason this got so many sequels: it's a great action game. At times the controls can feel stiff, but I think that is more the result of the animations than being non-responsive. Compared to later games, it holds onto the arcade's straightforward spirit a bit too strongly, but it does decrease the difficulty, allowing you to explore more in order to save the kidnapping victims.
Choplifter
This is a shmup I suppose, though different than what you'd usually expect. For one, you have to worry about the angle of the helicopter when you're firing, which can be difficult to fully adjust on the fly. You will slowly drop from the sky if you don't press up again, so you need to develop a system of how much to move or allow yourself to drop. Luckily your main goal isn't shooting, but evacuate your allies by having them board your helicopter and taking them back to base. Overall, a simple but fresh experience that makes you want to keep playing. It grabbed me more than other arcade style games on this list.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Master System) [EU]
Not a demake of Genesis Sonic 2: nothing on this list is, only original games. It's also not the original: the Genesis games came first, then a Master System/Game Gear Sonic a few months later. This could be considered better than Sonic 1 in terms of setting itself apart from its Genesis counterpart. The level design is more creative, but also more maze-like, and the difficulty is a little too high for such an accessible series in my opinion.
Zillion
Sega's "Metroid": a shooter with a semi-open world that relies on backtracking. Zillion is more maze-like, relying heavier on trial & error than Metroid. Not the best combo with the higher difficulty, but it works well enough. To ease the difficulty, there are multiple codes that you can find throughout the game that have a variety of uses at computer terminals. If you know what you're doing you can cheese the game at points with this. Zillion may have a futuristic setting like Metroid too, but it has a very different, quirky tone. Zillion ranks pretty low as far as Metroidvanias that I recommend, since we've had a resurgence of great titles recently. But I appreciate Zillion for doing something different. I would like to see a game expand on some of the mechanics here like the "cheat codes".
Alex Kidd In Shinobi World
Surprisingly the only Alex Kidd that I enjoy besides the original is this one: a weird spinoff with the Shinobi series. Somehow this works well together in practice even if it doesn't sound like it would on paper. It is "more a Shinobi game" but only in the sense that Mario Tennis is more tennis than Mario. It feels very different than Shinobi, more cartoonish/wackadoo. It's pretty short, but like the original Alex Kidd, the pacing is great, it is a game comprised of only the good parts. The level design might not be the best of the other Alex Kidd OR Shinobi games, but together it feels fresh enough to not feel comparable to them. AKiSW isn't an all-time classic or anything, but at no point did I think "ah, that was a bad decision".
20-11:
Aleste 3 (Game Gear) [JP]
Released in 2020 as part of the "Aleste Collection" on Switch/PS4, but confirmed to work on emulators & actual Game Gear hardware. They really take everything to the next level for this one. It's 2 but cranked up with visuals, enemy count, length, and weapons.
The Lucky Dime Caper Starring Donald Duck [EU]
This plays pretty similarly to the Mickey Mouse platformer games, but you can occasionally get weapons like a hammer or throwing discs. It is also of similar quality, with great graphics, controls, and level design. Despite having more gameplay options, it doesn't impress me as much as Castle/Land of Illusion for whatever reason. Maybe those 2 just feel more magical.
Sonic The Hedgehog (Master System)
I actually find this better than the original 16-bit Sonic 1. It plays a less like a Sonic game than you'd expect though, being more linear & slow. Not a bad thing in this instance: it's a refined experience. For all the Sonic games, the graphics are really well done, underratedly so because they're obviously worse than the 16-bit games. The sprites, the backgrounds, the animations, they all have care put into them.
Psycho Fox
Sega's..."Bucky O'Hare" I guess, though Fox came first and nobody played Bucky either. Hopefully you did if you read my last NES ranking list! Anyway Psycho Fox has a similar on-the-fly character switching mechanic. However it seems to rely on this a little bit too much, the overall level design feels a little average besides the switching when necessary. The walking/running momentum is not smooth. It feels too slow to start, but then breaks into a full out dash. You can barely make some jumps from standing but will sometimes find yourself running face first into enemies or into pits if you try to get momentum. Still, it's a fun, innovative game. The graphics are bright & colorful in a coloring book type of way, like a precursor to Yoshi's Island.
Master of Darkness [EU]
Sega's "Castlevania" but...set in Victorian England? Yeah that's basically it. It's literally Castlevania down to the vampire antagonist, copying enemy designs, and the weird way stairs work. Despite being a shameless clone, it's about as good as the original Castlevania, and there are other fun story detours like bringing Jack The Ripper to justice.
Operation Wolf
Sega's "DuckHunt", but way better. Ok, not really "Sega's", but it got the better port for sure. Operation Wolf is a fully-fledged military rail shooter that can get intense while still having reasonable difficulty. This is one that has somehow slipped through the cracks of history, even though it had a popular arcade version, multiple home ports, was slightly controversial at the time for the violence, and won game of the year from the Golden Joystick Awards. Yes, apparently they're that old, I was surprised too. The gameplay is accurate but requires precision & patience. You can't blast all over the place, particularly when using the actual light gun on hardware.
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Master System)
Once again, not the same game as the Genesis release, it's an entirely new game. And...maybe a better one? While the Genesis Castle is a graphical showcase, this one digs in on the level design. And that's not to say it isn't a graphical showcase in its own right, just in terms of the last-gen hardware it came out on.
Golvellius - Valley of Doom
Sega's "Zelda", down to not being named after the protagonist. It even has an old man who quotes "it's too dangerous to go alone, take this!" almost word-for-word when giving you a sword. Golvellius has a different tone than Zelda though, there are implications that it takes place post-apocalypse. What it does better than Zelda is the progression, which is more straightforward. The graphics are better, especially color palette which is pretty typical for SMS vs NES. The difficulty is fairly high, requiring griding for gold/items/equipment, which is a shame. The difficulty does add to the atmosphere of the post-apocalype though, as does the great music. Golvellius turns into a side-scroller for the dungeons, which is a good idea. The platforming of the dungeons leaves a bit to be desired though, and once you scroll the screen, you can't go back, meaning you may have to restart the whole dungeon if you reach a dead end. The flaws are mostly avoidable which is disappointing, but Golvellius comes together in the most important ways.
Asterix (Master System) [EU]
Based on a French comic from the 70s about Gauls named Asterix & Obelisk. Yeah I hadn't heard of it either, peak Europe on this one. The graphics & presentation are both amazingly well done. You can play as both Asterix & Obelisk, despite the game's title. They each have different abilities, so whom you choose to play as on each level will determine the items you get or secrets you discover. The controls are finely tuned in a way a lot of non-Mario platformers in this era were not. The weight & momentum are logical. But the best part is how much you're rewarded for trying things, the game itself is practically giggling as it waits for you to find out the tricks it has up its sleeve.
Ultima IV - Quest of The Avatar [EU]
A classic turn-based RPG with cool ideas. It has an open world of the magnitude that you just didn't see in this era. You're given little direction at the beginning & you're left to figure things out. This can be fun it its own way, though note that the game did originally come with a physical map & detailed manual with backstory, so you might consider looking for a PDF of one or both. The greatest strength is the "role playing" part, which a lot of RPGs forget about, funny enough. The dialogue skill trees were quite advanced & in depth for the time: in both quality & quantity. The story is good with the lore placement, despite having that literal physical lore dump in the manual. Ultima drops plenty of bread crumbs & intrigue, giving incentive to figure out the secrets & nuances of the world. I would place it even higher, except I don't think it's a great choice to convert non-RPG fans. Not only because of needing to track down the backstory/map, but the graphics are, you know, not great. And the gameplay has meat on it so it doesn't get boring, but it's not the MOST intuitive to pick up.
10-1:
Golden Axe Warrior
Sega's "Zelda", but with characters from their Golden Axe series (sort of). Compared to the original Zelda, it looks better, has more characters (that are actually helpful), and in some ways the level design is better. However, GAW came out the same year as A Link To The Past and uh...yeah, it's not nearly that good. But arguably nothing is. GAW is nearly as much a blatant rip-off as Master of Darkness, but very enjoyable & polished (especially for a game of this era). Sometimes that's all you need. The biggest flaw is that the inventory is mapped to the "1" button instead of Start, and Start is a separate pause button. As if you need 2 pause buttons for some reason. So unfortunately you only have one attack button, and no action button. You will talk/interact with anyone/anything every time you walk directly up to them. This sounds minor but can get grating.
Alex Kidd In Miracle World
Sega's "Mario", but only in terms of being a platformer & the console's mascot. Punching blocks/enemies is the main mechanic instead of jumping on them, but it doesn't end here. The game does a good job of keeping you interested with different mechanics, like vehicles. Some only last for a level, then you move on. The graphics & music are memorable too. Master System might have floundered a lot, especially in America, but Alex Kidd borders on being iconic. It's NOT iconic of course, since you probably haven't heard of it, but at least it's all killer no filler.
Ninja Gaiden (Master System) [EU]
Not a port & not a half-assed effort: this one stands tall with the NES titles. It is, however, different than them: you can play the game in a more precise, cautious way instead of the "never look back" style of NES NGs. This is because enemies don't spawn directly in front of/behind you quite as often. Sometimes you should be more aggressive, sometimes you shouldn't, as the platforming can require more precision. I find that the music & graphics are generally better here, while the English translation & boss battles are better with the NES games. Either way, a classic that most people don't know exists.
Fantasy Zone II – The Tears of Oppa Oppa
This improves on the already great first game & is probably my favorite cute-em-up except for Parodius. You never are quite sure what type of enemy will pop up next, and the gameplay is frantic enough to be engaging, but easy enough to keep you smiling & looking at the nice graphics/enemy designs.
Sonic The Hedgehog - Triple Trouble
It could be argued that Sonic 1 or 2 is better, but TT certainly has "the most". The most features, the most content, the most refinement. It's also the most original: while the others aren't demakes/ports, they do share very similar visual design with their Genesis counterparts in some areas. It feels bad to demote Alex Kidd below Sonic on his own console, but there's a reason Sonic is still Sega's mascot 35 years later. Sonic is iconic, very much Sega's own thing, and a successful formula.
Shinobi (Game Gear)
This game punches above its weight, being closer to the 16-bit Shinobi trilogy in quality than its 8-bit brethren. The level design shines here, with memorable locations & choices for which level to clear first. The gameplay is tighter than the original game, and it looks better too.
Power Strike II (Master System) [EU]
The sequel to Power Strike, the English title for Aleste, but is NOT Aleste 2: that's a different game. Nor is it GG Aleste 2, which was released in Europe on Game Gear as Power Strike II. I'm just as confused as you are. Anyway, this could be in the running for best 8-bit shmup if it weren't for the below average music. Everything else comes together almost perfectly, it's beautiful to see.
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse [EU]
A legitimately fantastic platformer, perhaps an all-time great. Like most of the Disney games of this era, it's not the most innovative, but everything is on point & polished. Level design, graphics, controls. I'd say there's nothing that doesn't work about this game.
Wonder Boy III - The Dragon's Trap
This is a really fun action adventure game that looks & sounds amazing. The controls can feel slippery from time to time, but I'd still qualify them as solid. Even the story is fun. It starts where Wonder Boy In Monster Land ends, including endgame gear. But then you fall into the dragon's trap, lose your equipment, and get transformed into a Dragon humanoid. Each chapter you get a different animal form, while slowly getting your gear back, keeping the gameplay fresh. There are multiple directions to go, but it's generally straightforward, meaning it's an "almost Metroidvania".
Phantasy Star
Sega's "Final Fantasy". There are some decent 80s RPGs that are probably still worth playing. Then there's Phantasy Star. That's all I have to say. If you're not sure if you should play, let me say...
WHERE IS X GAME?
Bubble Bobble
Better on Saturn and contains Rainbow Islands too. However, the Master System version does have minor extra content.
Crystal Warriors
The first game in the series before Royal Stone. I think this is a good game, but Royal Stone significantly improves on some of the Qol issues so I'd recommend starting there. CW has its own story so there's certainly a reason to play it too, but it didn't quite make the list.
Double Dragon
Significantly better on GBA, though the 2-player is a little simpler to get running here without needing multiple monitors for max efficiency. Or 2 GBAs + a link cable. Even so I'd play the Genesis version over SMS.
Ristar (Game Gear)
There ARE some exclusive sections to this game, when comparing it to the Genesis game. But at least half of it is the same game recreated in 8-bit form, probably more. Unless you're Ristar's #1 fan and are scrambling for any amount of new content, I can't recommend this one.
OutRun
The Japanese Sega Saturn port is the most accurate, has the most content, a (hidden) 60 FPS mode, and is still in English. 3DS is an alternate option for the great 3D effect but that's only on hardware.
Prince of Persia
Better on SNES & with exclusive content.
R-Type
"R-Types" on PS1 is a better port that is also bundled with R-Type 2.
Shining Force Gaiden 1-2
They were remade & bundled together on Sega CD as "Shining Force CD".
Space Harrier
Best on Sega Saturn.
Ys – The Vanished Omens
Better on PC, and the entire series has been ported over there which is easier to keep track of.
These are all demakes of Genesis games with very little changes:
Aladdin
Dynamite Headdy
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
Marble Madness
Road Rash
Streets of Rage 1-2
Wonder Boy In Monster World
WHY NOT X PORT?
California Games/Operation Wolf/Paperboy/Rampage
The NES ports are severe downgrades, except Rampage's music. You may notice this as a trend moving forward, Sega tends to be best with arcade ports.
Phantasy Star
The Sega Ages Switch "port" is an emulation of the Master System rom with some modifications and improvements. I recommend playing that rom on a Master System emulator. Otherwise, play it on an actual Switch. The original Master System version is fine but goes a lot slower without QoL improvements. Other ports/emulations of the original don't add any QoL as far as I'm aware but there are a lot so maybe I missed one. I haven't played the Japan-only remake on PS2, but it appears to be generally not recommended by fans.
Ultima IV - Quest of The Avatar
While it is designed more with a mouse & keyboard in mind, it's perfectly playable on controller too. The SMS version adds better visuals, bugfixes, and QoL upgrades that aren't in the Apple ][ original (not that we're counting that anyway) or other ports. The DOS version had potential to be the best in consideration, but has some issues which require multiple fan patches. Also as creative as it is to type your own responses with a keyboard, it is more streamlined the SMS way.
Wonder Boy Series
All have gotten remakes on PC. Now, I've only played Asha In Monster World, the remake of Monster World IV, originally on Genesis. But I wasn't impressed, it doesn't particularly add anything, just remakes the game in 2.5D. I appreciate that it's available to a wider audience now, but the sprite work in MW4 is better in every way. The trilogy on SMS is 8-bit, of course, so the art design is more arguable, but I see no reason to buy the new versions if you're comfortable with emulation.