33. Alisia Dragoon (MD)

A great-looking 16-bit action platformer, Alisia Dragoon puts you in the boots of the titular warrior as she battles all manner of beasties while avenging her father. Assisting her is a group of companion creatures, four in all, who follow her around and can be switched between at will. Over 30 years on, this remains very solid and enjoyable, an experience that's absolutely worth checking out via the Mega Drive Mini, Nintendo Switch Online, or any other convenient means.

Or via an original cart on original hardware for you true connoisseurs! Jolly good.

32. ToeJam & Earl (MD)

With nostalgia glasses on it would be easy to remember this as one of the best 16-bit games going, but newcomers will find that it has dated in a way the best games of the era simply haven't. It's fun — no arguments there — but it's very slow-moving with various elements that feel unfair in a modern context (presents which impact you negatively, aliens from whom you have little chance of escaping that knock you off the planet's surface and make you fall several levels). It's still worth firing up, but where other Mega Drive games have aged like fine wine, ToeJam & Earl is a bit funky these days — in ways both good and bad.

31. Alien Storm (MD)

Primarily a 2D beat 'em up, Alien Storm's side-scrolling stages are interspersed with occasional joypad-controlled shooting interludes (think 16-bit Virtua Cop with aliens). Simply put, the Final Fight and Streets of Rage games have held up infinitely better than Alien Storm, and therefore should rank higher in your playtime priorities. Still, limited as it is, this game has its own charm and there are undoubtedly those who, having played and appreciated the aforementioned games, will derive copious enjoyment from this as well.

30. Golden Axe II (MD)

Golden Axe II is still worth a swing if you've got any affection whatsoever for solid 16-bit beat 'em ups, although this sequel does lose some of the original's charm due to being so similar to its predecessor. Newcomers to the series are recommended to start with the first entry, which is a better game all-round. But if you finish that and want more of the same with some minor tweaks, Sega's got you covered.

29. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (MD)

Better known as Puyo Puyo, the gooey block falling puzzler was given a Sonic-based lick of paint to attract players in the West — specifically the awesomely ugly-looking Robotnik and his badnik pals from the animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Regardless of the Sonic window dressing, this is a fine puzzler and if you're a fan of Puyo Puyo Tetris and want to see where the beany Puyos got started (on Mega Drive, at least), you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

28. Pulseman (MD)

It's a mystery why Pulseman was never released on cartridge outside Japan. Even with the Japanese text, you can understand everything that's going on in this Mega Man-alike, and it definitely seems like a platformer that would've appealed to western audiences. It's fun, challenging, looks and sounds good, and is just an all-around great game. Especially now that it's easily accessible via Nintendo Switch Online, do yourself a favour and check out what Game Freak made before Pokémon.

27. Golden Axe (MD)

High fantasy beat 'em up Golden Axe came along relatively early in the Mega Drive's life and demonstrated the power and potential of the system in delivering quality System 16 arcade ports in the home. It rides a similar wave of arcade SEGA nostalgia as the likes of Altered Beast (which had the same designer), although battling though Yuria and giving Death Adder a sound thrashing is infinitely more satisfying than wandering through Ancient Greece as a beastie, and the trio of heroes add a dash of variety that would go on to inspire the Streets of Rage series.

26. Zero Wing (MD)

Even if you've never heard of Zero Wing, a side-scrolling shooter from Toaplan, we're here to inform you that you almost certainly have heard of Zero Wing, if only indirectly — it's better known as a meme these days. The infamously dodgily localised line "All your base are belong to us" might have become more famous than the game that birthed it, but there's a solid shooter with plenty of pedigree here — perhaps not up there with Toaplan's very best, but still very enjoyable.

25. Light Crusader (MD)

Light Crusader caught people by surprise when it was first released; it simply could not be any less akin to Gunstar Heroes. Developer Treasure is famed for its action games and while its first (and to date, only) foray into the world of fantasy RPGs isn’t 100% successful, it’s certainly worth checking out if you’re a fan of this style of game. Perhaps its Nintendo Switch Online release will attract a whole new legion of fans.

24. Strider (MD)

Definitely from a golden era of Capcom arcades, Strider then emerged in this excellent iteration on SEGA's 16-bit machine. It's the sort of fun, futuristic sci-fi action platformer that inspires plenty of games in the modern era, and certainly still holds up well for current-day audiences. Though this console port isn't a perfect recreation of the arcade, it comes pretty darn close.

23. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MD)

A 16-bit compilation of remakes of the Mega Men 1-3, Mega Man: The Wily Wars can be jarring if you know the NES titles back-to-front, and they certainly don't feel as tight and, well, perfect as the originals, but it's an interesting way to experience them all the same. We're not talking Super Mario All-Stars levels of quality, but the addition of the exclusive Wily Tower made it an expensive collector's item nonetheless, especially in North America where it was only ever released non-physically via Sega Channel.

Worth paying hundreds for a PAL or Japanese cart? Almost certainly not, but if you've got a Mega Drive Mini or the NSO Expansion Pack, it's worth a look just to see a Blast-Processed take on the 8-bit classics.