Introduction Baseball Stars 2 was developed and published by SNK, released for arcades in 1992 as a sequel to the original Baseball Stars, refining the series’ arcade-style take on baseball with team customization and more detailed player statistics than most sports games of its era attempted. Players can build and manage a custom team, adjusting…
Introduction Metal Slug 6 occupies an unusual place in the Metal Slug series’ history: rather than an official SNK release, it is a bootleg arcade board built by unlicensed manufacturers using Metal Slug 3’s engine and assets, remixing stages, enemy placement, and weapon balance into what plays as an unofficial remix rather than a genuine…
Introduction Animaniacs was developed and published by Konami, released for the SNES in 1995 as a platformer based on the Warner Bros. animated series, starring the Warner siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot as they explore the Warner Bros. studio lot searching for hidden items across cartoon-themed stages. Players can switch between the three siblings at…
Introduction Batman Returns was developed and published by Konami, released for the SNES in 1993 as a side-scrolling beat ’em up adapting Tim Burton’s 1992 film of the same name, distinct from Konami’s separate arcade cabinet and Sega Genesis games built under the same movie license. Players fight through Gotham City streets and set pieces…
Introduction Battletoads in Battlemaniacs was developed by Rare and published by Tradewest, released for the SNES in 1993 as a reworked version of the original NES Battletoads, redesigned with new stages and a toned-down difficulty curve compared to its infamously punishing predecessor. Players once again control Rash and Zitz, mutant toad heroes, fighting and platforming…
Introduction ActRaiser 2 was developed by Quintet and published by Enix, released for the SNES in 1993 as a sequel that dropped the original’s town-simulation half entirely to focus purely on side-scrolling action, a significant structural departure that divided longtime fans. Players once again control a knight possessed by a benevolent deity, but instead of…
Introduction Aero the Acro-Bat was developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Sunsoft, released for the SNES in 1993 as a mascot platformer starring a circus-performing bat named Aero, created partly in response to the wave of attitude-driven animal mascots that followed Sonic the Hedgehog’s success. Players guide Aero through circus-themed stages using acrobatic moves…
Introduction Bonanza Bros was developed and published by Sega, ported to the Genesis in 1991 from its 1990 arcade original, casting players as one of two ghostly thieves, Robo and Mobo, sneaking through buildings to steal valuables while avoiding patrolling guards. Rather than direct combat, the core mechanic revolves around timing and stealth, players can…
Introduction Fatal Labyrinth was developed and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1990 as one of the earliest roguelike-style dungeon crawlers to appear on a home console, built around the same randomized, permadeath dungeon structure as PC roguelikes like Rogue and Mystery Dungeon. Players descend through procedurally generated floors collecting weapons, armor, and…
Introduction Flicky was originally released by Sega as an arcade game in 1984 before being ported to the Genesis in 1991, casting players as a small blue bird tasked with herding a flock of baby chicks called Chirps safely to an exit while avoiding cats and other predators roaming each single-screen stage. Its core loop…
Introduction Golden Axe II was developed and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1991 as a direct sequel to the original arcade-style fantasy beat ’em up, once again letting players choose between a barbarian swordsman, an Amazon warrior, and a dwarf axe-fighter as they battle through a sword-and-sorcery kingdom overrun by the tyrant…
Introduction Ristar was developed and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1995 as a platformer starring a star-shaped hero who navigates stages by stretching his elastic arms to grab distant platforms, enemies, and handholds rather than relying on a standard jump-and-attack moveset. Combat centers on grabbing enemies and headbutting them, a deliberately simple…