SNES vs Sega Genesis Observation

[telekill]

I was a Sega kid growing up but I enjoyed playing the SNES at friend's homes. Over the years, I've stayed in the Sega camp as my preferred 16bit era system. Games like Sonic drew me into the ecosystem; especially blew my mind on the Game Gear. I've noticed that I still have a blast with Genesis games today. I really wish we'd see a new Comix Zone in the same vein as Streets of Rage 4 from last year. Same art style on it would be phenomenal.

[mrkonasoni]

Eh, I like both.
While, at the time this argument was quite interesting and entertaining, in 2021 I think is correct accept that both consoles had great games and if you dont care about roms, download an emulator and just discover or play again the most popular games for the consoles is fine.

Now back then in the early 90s, I am sure that more than one child wanted both consoles for play at least one game that looked interesting in the console of the corner store.

Also Contra 3 is a legendary great game.
Contra Hard Corps is a legendary great game.

Why take just one when you can have both?

[oldgamerz]

For some reason I never got into the late 16 bit consoles to be honest. the SNES and the SEGA Genesis. was actually before my time. and I never was around for all the hype , commercials and gaming culture of the early 1990's I realize this is not a common opinion among most core retro gamers. My parents did not let me have a game console. I had a PC instead. I was 5 years old in 1993 I am not a fan of Platformers or shoot em ups or RPG games because I don't understand how to win at them.

 to me the transition from the 3rd to the 4th console generation was not as impressive as the 4th generation switching to the 5th.

I usually don't get any 4th generation games because I can find 5th generation games a lot easier to find (enjoy) and afford.

[sworddude]

There's always been more games I've liked on SNES.  Genesis has some good games for sure, but stuff like Sonic, that gameplay has not aged well to me I found after playing Sonic Mania and there isn't as much I'm interested in having for it, though there are a few for sure like Gunstar Heroes and a couple others.

I loved Sonic Mania. Felt just like a Genesis Sonic title with just as great quality.

The SNES is kind of kiddy console compared to the Genesis/Megadrive.

There's not much for someone outside Jrpgs, and the main Nintendo franchises if you don't care for those.

I think most of the older franchises played and felt better on the NES to be honest.

Truth.

Another cultured individual

If where talking nes > snes

I've heard people who prefer the nes era. They didn't like the more cartoony look of the snes but there are probably multiple reasons aside from the looks to prefer the nes if where talking for example gameplay

This is just a bonkers take to me.  I love the NES, but anything it can do the SNES does better.. Especially gameplay.

And if we are comparing SNES to Genesis?  Most the dual platform games are better on the SNES (your occasional Aladdin not withstanding), but to say it only has first party games and RPGs?  Buh?  Huh?  The Super Star Wars Trilogy, Earthworm Jim, Rock n' Roll Racing, the Mega Man X trilogy, TMNT IV, Contra, ActRaiser, and so many more.  And discounting first-party titles when that literally has gems of pretty much every genre?  That's a very broad dismissive statement.

I legitamitely don't see how contra on snes is better. I'm a big fan of the contra series but contra on the snes just has allot less to offer.

50% of the game is in an awkward 3d mode 7 setting instead of the 2d action fest that contra is usually known for.  and the game is really short aswell. pixelated compared to crisp sega grapics with this title to boot.

meanwhile sega had multiple paths a story actual different characters to choose from and a superior weapon selection I could pretty much say the very same thing for castlevania bloodlines in almost all those aspects. The snes version is quite inferior in many ways. Preference is a thing but when the sega counterpart comes out years later with allot more options especially with contra It baffles me how contra on snes can be the better version. Again 50% of contra snes is in top down view. Excellent game regardless even on snes

Also I have never said that the snes had a bad library in terms of non rpg's but compared to genesis there is just allot less to choose from especially in the action and shootemup department I don't have comparable quality titles in those genre's Snes is in my eyes a poor mans option. let alone the slow down wich many snes titles are known for wich isn't really a thing for sega. later titles had it way less but still.

Earthworm jim was better on sega not snes that's literally a title in wich people say that the sega version is superior even people with the snes bias have acknowledged that.

Mega turrican was the superior option compared to super turrican 1 and 2 on snes.

If where talking first party titles. zelda and super metroid where nice although I prefer the 3d zelda games far more. but I'm not particulary a fan of the so praised donkey kong country or super mario kart. F zero wasn't that great either. That series started to actually get good on the N64.

Snes is a great console even for non rpg's but for my taste sega has allot more quality titles within the genre's that I'm interested in for my 2d needs.

[burningdoom]

Only RPGs? I don't even own a lot of RPGs on my SNES. It also has great platformers, beat-em ups, and fighting games.

All-time classics like Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, Sim City, Wolfenstein 3D, Contra III, Castlevania IV, Turtles in Time, Mega Man X, Super Turrican.

None of those are RPGs.

[Flashback2012]

Y'all going around and around about SNES and Genesis like a bunch of mouth breathin' jackalopes trying to figure which was better when the answer is clearly neither. A lot of you never experienced the greatness that is the Turbografx and it shows! 

Jokes aside, I'm a both systems guy. Each system scratches an itch the other cannot (at least for me). 

[bikingjahuty]

I had both growing up, but I got my Genesis first and its library of games just appealed to me more. I got my SNES around 1995 and played a bunch of DKC and DKC2, but never got into the JRPGs like other people did. I still prefer the Genesis to this day.

[dreama1]

There's always been more games I've liked on SNES.  Genesis has some good games for sure, but stuff like Sonic, that gameplay has not aged well to me I found after playing Sonic Mania and there isn't as much I'm interested in having for it, though there are a few for sure like Gunstar Heroes and a couple others.

I loved Sonic Mania. Felt just like a Genesis Sonic title with just as great quality.

I just realized I hate that old Sonic gameplay at a certain point in my life.  Visually, musically, Sonic is awesome, always has been, but his gameplay is just a lot of running into stuff you'll never know is coming, with occasional bouts of platforming strewn throughout.  It was made more tolerable with Sonic Generations, where they zoomed the game out for Sonic classic, it helps, but otherwise I am just not into it.

Same.  I even tried Sonic Mania and had the exact same frustrations - even if it was a a more polished version of those older games.  Just does not work for me at all.

The SNES is kind of kiddy console compared to the Genesis/Megadrive.

There's not much for someone outside Jrpgs, and the main Nintendo franchises if you don't care for those.

I think most of the older franchises played and felt better on the NES to be honest.

Truth.

Another cultured individual

If where talking nes > snes

I've heard people who prefer the nes era. They didn't like the more cartoony look of the snes but there are probably multiple reasons aside from the looks to prefer the nes if where talking for example gameplay

This is just a bonkers take to me.  I love the NES, but anything it can do the SNES does better.. Especially gameplay.

And if we are comparing SNES to Genesis?  Most the dual platform games are better on the SNES (your occasional Aladdin not withstanding), but to say it only has first party games and RPGs?  Buh?  Huh?  The Super Star Wars Trilogy, Earthworm Jim, Rock n' Roll Racing, the Mega Man X trilogy, TMNT IV, Contra, ActRaiser, and so many more.  And discounting first-party titles when that literally has gems of pretty much every genre?  That's a very broad dismissive statement.

You know a lot of those games are on Genesis as well right? They were sometimes better on the SNES but not to the point that I would justify owning the console as definitive. I said "there's not much" Not it's "none existent" And Man, not everyone is into 1st party nintendo franchises or enjoys them, why is this so hard to accept?

Mega man X is respectful entry but as I said I honestly found the original capcom/konami franchises more enjoyable on the NES or better on Genesis. Same as the rest of the 1st party and "3rd" party franchises that are better known/associated with Nintendo.  The SNES just seems like a HD upgrade of the NES just HD 2D upgrade rather than the HD 3D of the later generations. 

[dreama1]

Y'all going around and around about SNES and Genesis like a bunch of mouth breathin' jackalopes trying to figure which was better when the answer is clearly neither. A lot of you never experienced the greatness that is the Turbografx and it shows! 

Jokes aside, I'm a both systems guy. Each system scratches an itch the other cannot (at least for me). 

Hey the Turbografx deserves to be remembered jokes aside or not. The street fighter 2 port is good. There was a lot of reasons it failed in the west but I can't help but feel the Nintendo fever played a part in it.

[dreama1]

Only RPGs? I don't even own a lot of RPGs on my SNES. It also has great platformers, beat-em ups, and fighting games.

All-time classics like Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, Sim City, Wolfenstein 3D, Contra III, Castlevania IV, Turtles in Time, Mega Man X, Super Turrican.

None of those are RPGs.

We don't talk about Wolfenstein 3D.  And you do know like 90% of the games you've just mentioned now are literally Nintendo franchises? or cucked Nintendo 2nd party franchises? As for the ones that are not, they're also on Genesis or at least  I found more fun on the NES to play than it's SNES upgrades.

As for castlevania? Rather play it on NES or Genesis. Or even better Rondo of blood on the pc engine not touching that shitty SNES port or whatever you want to call it. Same for Contra it didn't have those terrible 3D sections nearly as much.

Mario kart and star fox? I don't think anyone would touch them these days unless nostalgic, they were a big deal back then tech wise sure even though we had virtua racing on Genesis besides the point. Literally they're 1000x better on N64 and the subsequent upgrades on the newer hardware's these franchises.

Fighting games? Sure. Mortal Kombat 2 and street fighter 2 are debatably better on SNES compared to the pc engine and Genesis even with the poor controller not suitable for fighting games compared to the 6 button controller of the pc engine and genesis, but even if it were true? So what? It's an inferior port compared to the arcade perfect ports we have today of those games or the saturn port of street fighter 2 a few years later. There's little reason to revisit it.

The SNES isn't a bad console or anything and there's a few gems even the Atari Jaguar and 32x has it's gems but they can't escape the self imposed stigma that none of you likely will bat an eye at. In the same way that you think I'm imposing on the SNES in the opposite way, of what is status quo zeitgeist when it comes to the SNES.

I just don't think it deserves the overwhelming hype it gets with the same old 1st party Nintendo franchises that are not bad per say, but being pushed over and over again in the present gaming sphere compared to what the pc engine and Genesis offered back then. I don't want to say americans are indoctrinated when it comes to the Nintendo brand you definably have those types in europe with some countries that Nintendo got a hold on. But I can't help but feel it to some degree overhyping Nintendo.

I found the 1st and 2nd party games more enjoyable on Genesis and the NES. If it's castlevania, ninja gaiden, contra or mega man, or the main nintendo franchises.

[burningdoom]

Y'all going around and around about SNES and Genesis like a bunch of mouth breathin' jackalopes trying to figure which was better when the answer is clearly neither. A lot of you never experienced the greatness that is the Turbografx and it shows! 

Jokes aside, I'm a both systems guy. Each system scratches an itch the other cannot (at least for me). 

Hey the Turbografx deserves to be remembered jokes aside or not. The street fighter 2 port is good. There was a lot of reasons it failed in the west but I can't help but feel the Nintendo fever played a part in it.

I love mine. I'm a huge shoot-em up fan. But it's still not in the same caliber as SNES or Genesis.

BTW, check out TurboViews on YouTube if you're a TG-16 fan or just curious about it. That guy does grade A reviews with great production value for YouTube; and has a genuine passion and knowledge about the TG-16.

[sworddude]

Y'all going around and around about SNES and Genesis like a bunch of mouth breathin' jackalopes trying to figure which was better when the answer is clearly neither. A lot of you never experienced the greatness that is the Turbografx and it shows! 

Jokes aside, I'm a both systems guy. Each system scratches an itch the other cannot (at least for me). 

Hey the Turbografx deserves to be remembered jokes aside or not. The street fighter 2 port is good. There was a lot of reasons it failed in the west but I can't help but feel the Nintendo fever played a part in it.

I love mine. I'm a huge shoot-em up fan. But it's still not in the same caliber as SNES or Genesis.

BTW, check out TurboViews on YouTube if you're a TG-16 fan or just curious about it. That guy does grade A reviews with great production value for YouTube; and has a genuine passion and knowledge about the TG-16.

Shootemups are pretty great on the pc engine

although for other genre's I do find the sound effects and music to lack a bit of oomph in allot of titles.

still as far as retro consoles go still the upper tier in terms of fun.

[burningdoom]

Y'all going around and around about SNES and Genesis like a bunch of mouth breathin' jackalopes trying to figure which was better when the answer is clearly neither. A lot of you never experienced the greatness that is the Turbografx and it shows! 

Jokes aside, I'm a both systems guy. Each system scratches an itch the other cannot (at least for me). 

Hey the Turbografx deserves to be remembered jokes aside or not. The street fighter 2 port is good. There was a lot of reasons it failed in the west but I can't help but feel the Nintendo fever played a part in it.

I love mine. I'm a huge shoot-em up fan. But it's still not in the same caliber as SNES or Genesis.

BTW, check out TurboViews on YouTube if you're a TG-16 fan or just curious about it. That guy does grade A reviews with great production value for YouTube; and has a genuine passion and knowledge about the TG-16.

Shootemups are pretty great on the pc engine

although for other genre's I do find the sound effects and music to lack a bit of oomph in allot of titles.

still as far as retro consoles go still the upper tier in terms of fun.

I never said it had a better shoot-em up library. I'm saying the library of the SNES and Genesis in general is better. I said I like TG-16 because I'm a shoot-em up fan.

[undertakerprime]

Wow, I didn’t think this thread would become another battleground for the 30-year-old 16-bit wars 

I remember people in my high school being vehemently on one side or the other. But even back then I was in the “Why not both?” camp. Who the hell cares about Contra III vs Hard Corps, or Castlevania IV vs Bloodlines, all are good, and the only true winners are US, the players.
Anyone who wants to continue the war, I’ll just be sitting over here enjoying my Castlevania Anniversary Collection which includes both CVIV and Bloodlines.

[Warmsignal]

There's a lot of strong opinions still lingering from 30 years ago. There is no fanboy like a Nintendo fanboy from back in the day, and usually they won't give a single concession towards SEGA for any reason. That sentiment is very common in the US, if you're in Europe however, the Mega Drive was the popular selling console so you're more likely to defend that one staunchly.

As I alluded to in my earlier post, if I were forced to pick I'd probably choose SNES, but I think Genesis deserves far more credit than it's often given from fanboys of old. I'll admit I've neglected and discounted it myself in the past. But yeah, no one is forced to choose a side anymore based on which toy our parents bought us, so why are we keeping score over what's better?