11. Ristar (MD)

You'd perhaps be forgiven for not knowing a great deal about Ristar, but may be intrigued to hear that the concept and ideas for this game were part of development for the original Sonic the Hedgehog. While the focus of SEGA's mascot shifted towards speedier play, the core Sonic development team would eventually return to realise its vision for Ristar, which is certainly fantastical and quirky.

Expect slower platforming and a lot of focus on the ability to grab onto enemies and the environment alike. It's unique and well worth a look.

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10. Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing (MD)

The original Shining Force was a massive success for Sega, granting the Genesis/Mega Drive with a strategy RPG to rival Nintendo’s popular Fire Emblem franchise. A sequel of some description was inevitable and the result was truly mind-blowing at the time; it’s little wonder that this game is held in such high regard by hardcore Sega fans.

Overall, Shining Force II doesn’t attempt to do anything new and is essentially a solid extension of the first title, but fans of the original will adore this.

9. Shining Force (MD)

Though it's not a series that has spanned decades, Shining Force is well worth a look if you like some turn-based strategy RPG goodness; it's rather like a SEGA equivalent to Fire Emblem, but without the 2010s revival.

There's a little exploration and typical RPG play, but the meat here is challenging turn-based battles, some of which can take an hour or more to conquer. It's a little 'of its time', sure, but a fascinating part of the Mega Drive / Genesis library.

8. Comix Zone (MD)

Released fairly late in the life of the Mega Drive/Genesis, Comix Zone didn't exactly set the world alight in terms of sales but is now rightly regarded as one of the upper-tier titles for Sega's 16-bit wonder machine.

A very challenging side-scrolling beat 'em up that sees you brawling your way across comic book cells with small details and fun nods to the print medium along the way, it's a game that's more than the sum of its parts; original, vibrant, and very much recommended.

7. Contra: Hard Corps (MD)

Contra: Hard Corps represented the SEGA console debut of the series and represented a bit of a spin-off vibe in terms of setting and characters.

Though perhaps not easy to appreciate for those that have encountered this solely in the Contra Anniversary Collection, it made some notable changes in control scheme and gameplay mechanics from its predecessors.

An excellent entry, it certainly stands out as an inspiration for some modern-day 'neo-retro' run-'n'-gun games, too.

6. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (MD)

Though this series has attempted reboots, it's the 16-bit era that is particularly memorable.

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master serves up some fun sidescrolling action, and though the debate can be had about the best Shinobi game, this certainly added some welcome gameplay enhancements. Dashing, wall jumping / bouncing, and some memorable stages make this a fun title to revisit; it's also a particularly good-looking 16-bit title.

5. Phantasy Star IV (MD)

Phantasy Star IV was the last entry of the 'original' 16-bit run, and offers a sizeable and rather immersive RPG experience to this day. As you'd expect you explore the world, meet its citizens, gain experience and engage in turn-based battles, similar to other classics of the era.

It's fondly regarded for its excellent visuals and overall craft, and you don't really need to have played its predecessors to enjoy the story, making it a recommendation for some classic retro RPG goodness.

4. Castlevania: Bloodlines (MD)

Available on Switch as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, as well via the NSO Expansion Pack, Castlevania: Bloodlines — or Castlevania: The New Generation as it was known in Europe — has the distinction of being the only series entry to grace SEGA's 16-bit console. While Dracula X would show the world what Konami could achieve in the realm of CD-ROM, Bloodlines, which was released around the same time, would prove that the company's staff could make Sega's 16-bit hardware sing.

Konami pledged its support to Sega's console after years of being committed to Nintendo, and while this instalment feels slightly different from what went before, it's still an utterly fantastic take on the series. Set around the period of World War I, it attempts to link up the Castlevania narrative with the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel.

However, it's the game's globe-trotting nature (levels take place across Europe, including Greece, France, and finally England) which makes it stand out. Michiru Yamane, whose compositions have become synonymous with the series, began her association with Castlevania here, and despite the comparative weakness of the Mega Drive sound hardware compared to that of the SNES, she delivers some of the best tunes in the series.

3. Gunstar Heroes (MD)

A 16-bit classic from Treasure, this was one of the very best games of its generation and still feels remarkably fresh decades later. With a neat weapon combo mechanic, gorgeous visuals, a brilliant soundtrack, and fantastic variety in its gameplay — not to mention a cracking 2-player co-op mode — it remains an absolute pleasure to run and, indeed, gun through Gunstar Heroes.

2. Streets of Rage 2 (MD)

A seminal belt-scrolling beat 'em up that gave Sega fans some real ammunition in the dark times of the playground console wars. Perhaps Streets of Rage 2's biggest achievement is that, while co-opting a significant portion of arcade Final Fight's style and swagger, it makes those borrowed mechanics absolutely its own through sheer quality.

The first game in the series had great audio and decent brawling, but the sequel had the mechanics to match the music. The combination of that balletic combat with the incredible work of composer Yuzo Koshiro and collaborator Motohiro Kawashima created one of the best video games ever made for any console.

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD)

Anyone Sonic fan alive at the time will remember Sonic 2sday, the November launch day of Sega's biggest sequel. If you had a Genesis / Mega Drive in your household throughout Holiday Season 1992, it almost certainly had a copy of Sonic 2 in the cart slot.

Adding everyone's favourite two-tailed fox into the mix, this sequel upped the ante with slicker visuals, more ideas, more varied Zones to explore, and a nifty split-screen two-player mode, as well — a real novelty and technical achievement at the time.

In addition to being part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack offering, it's available on Switch in the SEGA Mega Drive Classics collection, as part of the SEGA AGES series, or revamped in Sonic Origins. However you play, Sonic 2 still stands as one of the best sequels ever made.

Let us know your thoughts below, and remember — if you haven't rated your favourite games from the list, you can still do so and influence the overall ranking. New Genesis games added to the service will appear here, too, so check back in the future and rank them as well. You know, if you like.

And if you're after a full list of every Nintendo Switch Online retro game currently available, we're happy to oblige.

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