Which do you like better? SEGA Genesis or SNES and why?

CHALLENGER

Well-known member
Joined
May 8, 2008
Messages
1,248
Reaction score
97
Location
Greenfield, Wisconsin
Which do you like better? SEGA Genesis or SNES and why?

I had both growing up. My brother had the Sega, I had the SNES.
We also had many of the same games for both systems and could always see the difference of the two systems. (sports and fighters)

SNES

On many games, the SNES had superior graphics and sounds than the genesis version of the same game. The graphics were a lot more clearer Mortal Kombat and on Street Fighter, the fighters didn't sound like they had strep throat. In fact Capcom had to retouched up the SF game because it wasn't as pretty as the SNES version.
But due to SNES having such pretty graphics and clear crisp sound. Many screens/ content had to be left out.

SEGA

Genesis had some cool exclusive titles. But Nintendo was getting the advantage with their licensing. However the SNES watered down version of Mortal Kombat really stole the whole point of that game and received plenty of feedback because of it. Genesis also had more close to arcade perfect contents, not performance though.
In Street Fighter they had the opening intro, fonts, and I think Guile's fade even moved when he would charge back. Many contents from the original arcade made it to the home version on Sega to where SNES didn't. Mortal Kombat, original title screen, blood. But they lacked sound and graphics. The sprites were always a bit too small and the sound was just terrible.

Sega over the years had kept coming out with failed attempts to bring better quality to it's consumers. I guess it bothered them that SNES had better sound and visuals that they wanted to have it all. But When MK hit Sega CD they didn't do anything but add in the MK commercial. Really? Plus the 32x that did what? Did nothing to bring MK2 over the SNES version.

SNES had some cool added accessorizes like the super scope that enhanced the fun of the system. They should of utilized it more, but it looked cool, and was awesome when it was used. Sega couldn't get the controller right the first time.
 
I had both, but the SNES was better in regards to both hardware and software. The Genesis had its gems, and it was definitely worth owning, but there were far less gaps in the SNES library than the Genesis one. Also, the SNES controller was vastly superior.
 
but for a few of my favorite arcade titles missing, Super Nintendo was superior on all levels. To this day, I would argue that it was the greatest classic console.
 
Super Nintendo is probably the best Console Nintendo ever released. So, yeah, there's my vote. I still like the SNES controller better than any other controller I've used.
 
I feel that the earlier SNES games, for the most part were better. Alot of late american crap was really horrible.. IE The Tick, Separation Anxiety, Dragons LAir & Space Ace.. ect ect..

I was just play Contra IV the other day, and its awesome.
 
Man, that's hard to say as I remember playing both of them pretty heavily and consider both of them awesome consoles.

The SNES had amazing first-party titles like Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Link to the Past, Starfox, Super Metroid, etc. And yes, the controller is probably one of the best controllers to date. Back then, I remember being blown away jumping from the NES to the SNES. The improvements in graphics, sound, etc. was just crazy.

The Genesis felt more of like the arcade console to me because of titles like Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Bonanza Bros., Golden Axe, etc. Fighters like SFII and MK felt better than on SNES, at least for me. The 6-button genesis controller was great and felt better for SFII. Also, sports games like Tecmo Super Bowl and Madden seemed to play better. Madden actually launched on home consoles via the Genesis. I own a CIB copy. :)

All in all, I wouldn't do without either console. Sega and Nintendo did well back then. I definitely miss those days.
 
I don't see much difference in graphics between the two now. The genres on both consoles stack up well against each other as do the exclusives. Game mags back then said it best, if you had both machines you were golden.
Here is a quick run down from the top of my head:
SNES vs GENESIS

RACING
F-Zero vs Road Rash (series)

PLATFORM
Mario (series) vs Sonic (series)

RPG
Final Fantasy (series) vs Phantasy Star (series)

ACTION RPG
Zelda vs Crusader of Centy (or Wonderboy in Monster World) (or Landstalker)
Secret of Mana vs Shadowrun

SHOOTER
R-Type (series) vs Thunderforce (series)
Space Megaforce vs Musha

CHIPPED games
Starfox vs Virtua Racing

BEAT-EM UP
Final Fight (series) vs Streets of Rage (series)
TMNT Turtles in Time vs Golden Axe (series)

ONE-ON-ON FIGHTER
Street Fighter II vs. Eternal Champions

FPS
Wolfenstien vs Zero Tolerance

COMPANY SPECIFIC

CAPCOM
Super Ghouls n Ghosts vs Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Run Saber vs Strider

Konami
Contra III vs Contra Hard Corps
Castlevania IV vs Castlevania Bloodlines

I can't think of an answer for the three Shinobi games, the Toe Jam and Earl series, or any game like the Shining Force series.

There are slight edges on both sides for specific games of course but that is personal preference. Some games are flat out better on one system vs. the other. It is all arguable though. Earthworm Jim 1 looked better on the SNES but the Genesis version had a new level and better animation, for example.

Light gun games for both systems...sucked.

This also doesn't take into account the nice library on the Sega CD or the 32X. I am glad I have both systems and the Sega add-on systems. The 8 and 16 bit generations were great times to be a kid...I guess just like nowadays.
 
Last edited:
RACING
F-Zero vs Road Rash (series)

A lot of good comparisons and points, but how could you leave Super Mario Kart out of racing? :)

I thought it was a much better game than F-Zero as far as game and track design. The multiplayer battle mode was awesome too.
 
How is this:
Super Mario Kart vs. Outrun (series)

It doesn't really match, Super Mario Kart is really an SNES exclusive I think. The Genesis is often said to be lacking in RPGs. There are some rare ones that no one mentions like Master of Monsters, Exile, Warsong, Landstalker, and Sorcerer's Kingdom. But it isn't a fair fight against the likes of Enix and Squaresoft on the SNES.
 
How is this:
Super Mario Kart vs. Outrun (series)

It doesn't really match, Super Mario Kart is really an SNES exclusive I think. The Genesis is often said to be lacking in RPGs. There are some rare ones that no one mentions like Master of Monsters, Exile, Warsong, Landstalker, and Sorcerer's Kingdom. But it isn't a fair fight against the likes of Enix and Squaresoft on the SNES.

Yup, all great points. I honestly don't even remember playing any RPGs on the Genesis. Just sports, side scrollers, fighters pretty much. But there were some really good ones. Gunstar Heroes FTW! :)
 
The Phantasy Star RPG series was the best by far. Original Phantasy Star for the Sega Master System is my favorite RPG, nothing at the time came close to comparing. Then came the Genesis and Phantasy Star II was nothing short of amazing in difficulty and depth for the time. In an age before the internet, if you didn't have the 100 page hint book it came with, there was *no way* you could complete the game. Looking back, it is a shame they killed the series with that Phantasy Online garbage, as Phantasy Star easily rivaled Final Fantasy and was superior IMHO.
 
Last edited:
Chrono Trigger!

The equal on the Genesis is one that comes at you sideways. Would you believe it was an EA developed game converted over by Bluesky? My vote is Starflight, a game that is unmatched in scope with anything in the 16 bit generation. Other games gave you a planet or two, Starflight gave you a universe. This included hundreds of solar systems each with several planets to explore and mine for minerals or lifeforms. I also thought the story was very rich, especially the revelation at the end. Probably one of my most played games on the Genesis, just to see what else was hidden in the cart.

I thought the included short story in the manual was quite good.

I've looked over things and thought of another one:
Vectorman (series) vs. Star Wars (series)

I also don't know where the Genesis Rolling Thunder series or Splatterhouse (series) fits in...more exclusives? I wish I knew the SNES library a bit better, I know Super Metroid is a great exclusive for them too along with the first Harvest Moon.
 
Last edited:
The equal on the Genesis is one that comes at you sideways. Would you believe it was an EA developed game converted over by Bluesky? My vote is Starflight, a game that is unmatched in scope with anything in the 16 bit generation. Other games gave you a planet or two, Starflight gave you a universe. This included hundreds of solar systems each with several planets to explore and mine for minerals or lifeforms. I also thought the story was very rich, especially the revelation at the end. Probably one of my most played games on the Genesis, just to see what else was hidden in the cart.

I thought the included short story in the manual was quite good.

I've looked over things and thought of another one:
Vectorman (series) vs. Star Wars (series)

I also don't know where the Genesis Rolling Thunder series or Splatterhouse (series) fits in...more exclusives? I wish I knew the SNES library a bit better, I know Super Metroid is a great exclusive for them too along with the first Harvest Moon.

Starflight was damn hard. I had a hard time not running out of fuel, but you are right, that game was very deep for its time. Fun too. Another RPG that comes to mind was Might & Magic for the Genesis, that was very involved to the point of needing to remember to feed your party and having to be at certain areas at different times of the day, even different years. Very intense and a fantastic RPG. Other great Genesis RPGs...

Sword of Vermillion
Super Hydlide
Shining In The Darkness
Shining Force
Shinning Force II
Phantasy Star II-IV
The Immortal
Wonder Boy In Monster World
 
Oh wow, I have the Immortal but forgot all about it. Forget Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, or Eternal Champions as the most violent 16-bit games, this wins hands down. Exploding heads, people cut in half with their guts flying out. Really hardcore medieval stuff going on. I remember see a site that had animated gifs of the death sequences. Very gory stuff!

Edit, found a site with some of them:
http://www.whipassgaming.com/genesisreviews/immortal.html

Wait, maybe I'm wrong and Eternal Champions on the Sega CD wins...
http://www.whipassgaming.com/genesisreviews/eternalchamp_demo.htm
 
Last edited:
Its a good question. Here's the breakdown.
The Genesis came out at the end of the 8 bit nes era and took some time to pick up speed. It had a lot of great ports and was really cutting edge over the previous 16 bit attempt of TurboGraphics 8bit processor and 16 bit video processor IIRC. SNES entered the scene a good deal later since they didn't have to because the NES was still the most popular system going. Point is when Nintendo brought out the SNES like a year or so later, they could put in better processors which gave it better Sound and Graphics. The rub was that the fairly expensive CPU chip the Genesis used was still faster. Which is why MK and MK2 are both faster on the Genesis than they are on the SNES.

Plus Nintendo ruled their third parties with an iron fist, which meant no Blood in MK, and Terminator vs. Robocop IIRC.

Pesonally, I say the Genesis was the best system. With respect to the SNES, I think you had a couple handful of games that were great and showed off the system but most were made at the dawn of the system(F-Zero, Mario World, Pilot Wings, Actraiser, Castlevania 4). I think the Genesis had a more prolific group of games that spanned the entire system. Of course the SNES had more RPGs that would ultimately become legends of the genre like Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy 3,4, but compared to the Sega Cd's RPGs by Working Design like Lunar and Lunar 2 as well as the Phantasy Star 2,3,4, and Shining Force series The Genesis was no slouch in the genre.

The short of it is this, Sega always seemed to me to be the company striving to innovate and try new things. Nintendo, with the exception of the NES was usually the Johnny come lately guys that copied what worked by the innovators. Sure Sega failed as much as they succeeded, but at least they tried. And in defense of the Sega 32x, it did give us the only port of the the Model 1 arcade game of Star Wars which had some pretty good game play and some really interesting level designs.
 
I find the responses interesting to this question, as the Genesis (in it's day) was not unlike the Xbox 360 today. It had a RABID following, but now years later, the general consensus is that the SNES was better. I have a feeling that while MANY kids THINK that the 360 is the best console at the moment, partially due to the fact that Microsoft is LITERALLY GIVING them away, the PS3 will be seen as superior years from now (as many today here feel about the SNES). The 360 is "cheaper" initially, but by the time you add wi-fi and a hard drive, you will end up spending at least as much as a PS3, which comes standard with those features. And THEN you have to pay $60 annually for the "privilege" of having some punk ass 8 year old call you names during online gaming sessions...

As for the SNES being better, yes I think it is as well. Contra 3: The Alien Wars is better than ANYTHING that was released on the Genesis, Sega CD or 32X...

Lee
 
I find the responses interesting to this question, as the Genesis (in it's day) was not unlike the Xbox 360 today. It had a RABID following, but now years later, the general consensus is that the SNES was better. I have a feeling that while MANY kids THINK that the 360 is the best console at the moment, partially due to the fact that Microsoft is LITERALLY GIVING them away, the PS3 will be seen as superior years from now (as many today here feel about the SNES). The 360 is "cheaper" initially, but by the time you add wi-fi and a hard drive, you will end up spending at least as much as a PS3, which comes standard with those features. And THEN you have to pay $60 annually for the "privilege" of having some punk ass 8 year old call you names during online gaming sessions...

As for the SNES being better, yes I think it is as well. Contra 3: The Alien Wars is better than ANYTHING that was released on the Genesis, Sega CD or 32X...

Lee

I'll preface this by saying I like *both* systems albeit I lean towards the Genesis more... Both systems have their gems, that's for sure!

I'm not sure where you're getting the *general* consensus the SNES is better? I think A LOT of the sport's games fans would disagree! AGAIN, I like both systems...

I'm not sure I agree w/ the PS3 statement either... I know some of my buddies have a PS3 just used for Bluray watching and that's it....I don't agree/like Microsoft at all, but you gotta admit, they Xbox Live >PSN network.
I'm not sure that latest debacle w/ PSN network helped matters either...

I like Contra III as well BUT better than any Genesis/CD/32x.... you're kidding right? Castlevania Bloodlines > Contra III

Just my opinion....
 
Back
Top Bottom