# [Essentials] Genesis / Mega Drive *NEW*



## Deleted User (Mar 31, 2010)

This is the new and updated *Sega Genesis / Mega Drive-Essentials* topic.​
The layout will be the same as that of my other lists and the rules are:


			
				Rules by Dice said:
			
		

> *If there is a game already on the list that you think should not be there let me know and it'll have a point removed* (so if there are more negative than positive votes then the game will be removed entirely off the list).
> 
> *You may also recommend some more games in a future post* but: (1) you must not repeat any game you have already mentioned and (2) you must make a new post, do NOT edit your previous post as it may not be seen.


All games will be sorted alphabetically as I decided that I won't show the exact number of votes for each game.

Feel free to add *32X* and *Mega CD* games aswell.

Used game codes are:
(32X) = 32X
(MCD) = Mega CD
(Unl) = Unlicensed
(PD)  = Public Domain




[P= ]Essential Games [10+ votes]
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3[/P]









[P= ]Recommended Games [5+ votes]
Comix Zone
Gunstar Heroes
Revenge of Shinobi, The / Super Shinobi II, The
Rolling Thunder 2
Sonic and Knuckles
Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle
Streets of Rage 2 / Bare Knuckle II
Streets of Rage 3 / Bare Knuckle III
Toejam & Earl[/P]









[P= ]Noteworthy Games [3+ votes]
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Battletoads and Double Dragon
Beyond Oasis / The Legend of Thor
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Castlevania - Bloodlines / Castlevania - The New Generation / Vampire Killer
Contra - Hard Corps
Cool Spot
Decap Attack
Desert Strike - Return to the Gulf
Disney's Aladdin
Earthworm Jim
ECCO The Dolphin
Golden Axe
Herzog Zwei
Jungle Strike
Landstalker - The Treasures of King Nole
Mega Bomberman
Megaman - The Wily Wars
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Phantasy Star - The End of the Millenium
Pulseman
Quack Shot Starring Donald Duck
Ristar / Ristar - The Shooting Star
Road Rash
Road Rash 3
Road Rash II
Rocket Knight Adventures
Shinobi III - Return of the Ninja Master / Super Shinobi II, The
Sonic CD (MCD)
Super Street Fighter II - The New Challengers
Taz-Mania
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist
Tiny Toon Adventures - Buster's Hidden Treasure
Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
Urban Strike
Vectorman
Wonder Boy in Monster World / Wonder Boy V - Monster World III
World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck
Yuu Yuu Hakusho - Makyou Toitsusen[/P]









[P= ]Other Games [<3 votes]
Adventures of Batman and Robin, The
Alien 3
Alien Soldier
Alisia Dragoon
Anetto Futatabi (MCD)
Animaniacs
Another World / Out of this World
Arcade Classics
Ariel - The Little Mermaid
Art of Fighting
Battletoads
Beavis and Butt-head
Bio-Hazard Battle
Blackthorne (32X)
Bonanza Bros.
Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind
Bubsy II
Buck Rogers - Countdown to Doomsday
Cannon Fodder
Chakan - The Forever Man
Chuck Rock
Chuck II - Son of Chuck
Columns
Columns III - Revenge of Columns
Cosmic Spacehead
Crusader of Centy / Soleil / Ragnacenty
Cyborg Justice
Desert Demolition
Double Dragon 2 - The Revenge
Double Dragon 3 - The Rosetta Stone
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dragon's Lair (MCD)
Dune - The Battle for Arrakis
Dynamite Headdy
Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (MCD)
Earthworm Jim 2
ECCO - The Tides of Time
El Viento
ESWAT Cyber Police - City Under Siege
Eternal Champions
Eternal Champions - Challenge From The Dark Side (MCD)
Fatal Fury
Fatal Fury 2
Fatal Labyrinth
Final Fight CD (MCD)
Flashback - The Quest for Identity
Forgotten Worlds
Gargoyles
Gauntlet 4
General Chaos
Ghouls 'N Ghosts
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Great Circus Mystery, The - Starring Mickey & Minnie
Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring
Greendog - The Beached Surfer Dude
Gynoug
Hard Drivin'
Hard Wired (PD)
Heart of the Alien (MCD)
High Seas Havoc
Immortal, The
James Pond - Underwater Agent
James Pond II - Codename RoboCod
James Pond 3 - Operation Starfish
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park 2 - The Lost World
Keio Flying Squadron (MCD)
Kid Chameleon / Chameleon Kid
King of Fighters '98, The (Unl)
Knuckles' Chaotix (32X)
Lemmings
Lethal Enforcers
Light Crusader
Lion King, The
Lotus II RECS
Lotus Turbo Challenge
Lunar - Eternal Blue (MCD)
Lunar - The Silver Star (MCD)
Mamono Hunter Yohko - Makai Kara no Tenkosei
Mercs
Mega Turrican
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators
Micro Machines
Micro Machines - Turbo Tournament '96
Micro Machines 2 - Turbo Tournament
Midnight Resistance
Misadventures of Flink, The
Monopoly
Monster World IV
Mortal Kombat II (32X)
Mortal Kombat 3
Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing
Mutant League Football
Mutant League Hockey
NBA Jam
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
NHL 94
NHLPA Hockey '93
Ninja Gaiden (Beta)
Ooze, The
OutRun
OutRun 2019
OutRunners
PGA Tour Golf III
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III - Generations of Doom
Phelios
Pirates! Gold
Pit Fighter
Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure
Power Monger
Popful Mail - Magical Fantasy Adventure (MCD)
Prince of Persia (MCD)
Puyo Puyo Tsu
Ranger-X / Ex-Ranza
Robo Aleste (MCD)
Robocop Versus The Terminator
Rock n' Roll Racing
Rolling Thunder 3
Rolo to the Rescue
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
Romance of the Three Kingdoms III
Romance of the Three Kingdoms Part 5
Samurai Shodown
Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi
Skitchin'
Snatcher (MCD)
Soleil
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic Classics (Compilation)
Sonic Spinball
Shadowrun
Shining Force
Shining Force II
Shining in the Darkness
Side Pocket
Space Ace (MCD)
Space Harrier II
Sparkster
Speed Ball 2 - Brutal Deluxe
Spider-Man - Web of Fire (32X)
Spider-Man and Venom - Maximum Carnage
Spider-Man vs The Kingpin
Spider-Man vs The Kingpin (MCD)
Splatterhouse 2
Splatterhouse Part 3
Star Wars Arcade (32X)
Steel Empire, The
Street Fighter II' - Special Champion Edition
Strider / Strider Hiryuu
Strider II / Journey From Darkness - Strider Returns
Sunset Riders
Super Smash TV
Sword of Vermilion
T2 - The Arcade Game
Tale Spin
Tempo (32X)
Terminator (MCD)
Theme Park
Thunder Force II
Thunder Force III
Thunder Force IV
Time Gal (MCD)
Trouble Shooter
Truxton
Turrican
Twinkle Tale
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Valis III
Vectorman 2
Virtua Fighter (32X)
Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing Deluxe (32X)
Warsong
Weaponlord
Wings of Wor
Wiz 'n' Liz - The Frantic Wabbit Wescue
Wonder Boy III - Monster Lair
World Series Baseball
X-Men
X-Men 2 - Clone Wars
Zero Wing
Zombies Ate My Neighbors[/P]








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*Last updated on 2011-05-19 - post 15
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Special thanks to Bitbyte and dice.

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*Keep voting guys, don't forget about the other essentials lists and most of all: have fun playing the games listed here.*

P.S.: Constructive criticism is always welcome!


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## lowjeep (May 4, 2010)

+1 for NHLPA 93 by EA Sports


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## rayben (May 4, 2010)

+1 Vectorman


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## Deleted User (May 4, 2010)

votes by myself:
Beyond Oasis
Lotus II RECS
Lotus Turbo Challenge
Sonic the Hedgehog 1
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Toejam & Earl
Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron


List updated; keep 'em coming!


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## Balee56 (May 14, 2010)

Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Knuckles Chaotix (32x)
Contra Hard Corps
Streets Of Rage 2
Castlevania - Bloodlines
Ristar
Gunstar Heroes


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## Deleted User (May 25, 2010)

The list is up to date and we've got our first Mega Drive/Genesis essential: "Sonic The Hedgehog 2"


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## logical thinker (May 25, 2010)

Altered Beast
Road Rash
Road Rash 3
Road Rash II
Rocket Knight Adventures
Skitchin
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist


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## Deleted User (May 30, 2010)

List updated.

Keep voting guys, there has to be more than one essential game for this great console.


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## Rogue Trader (Jun 10, 2010)

Streets of Rage 1-3
Shinobi 1-3
Battletoads and Double Dragon


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## 1timeuser (Jun 26, 2010)

Columns III - Revenge of Columns
Comix Zone
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim 2
ECCO The Dolphin
ECCO - The Tides of Time
Golden Axe
Gynoug
Landstalker - The Treasures of King Nole
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat 2
Mortal Kombat 3
NBA Jam
NHL '94
Revenge of Shinobi
Road Rash
Road Rash 2
Road Rash 3
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic CD (MCD)
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Street Fighter II' - Special Champion Edition
Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle
Streets of Rage 2 / Bare Knuckle 2
Streets of Rage 3 / Bare Knuckle 3
Sunset Riders
Super Street Fighter II - The New Challengers
Taz-Mania
Tiny Toon Adventures - Buster's Hidden Treasure
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Zombies Ate My Neighbors


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## toguro_max (Jun 26, 2010)

Oh Genesis, how I miss you buddy...
Ok, here's my list (Beware, wall of text):

*Mega Drive / Genesis*:
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Soldier
Alisia Dragoon
Altered Beast
Animaniacs
Another World (AKA Out of this World)
Ariel the Little Mermaid
Battletoads
Battletoads and Double Dragon
Beavis and Butt-head
Beyond Oasis (AKA The Legend of Thor)
Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
Castlevania: Bloodlines (AKA Vampire Killer / Castlevania: The New Generation)
Chakan: The Forever Man
Chuck Rock
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck 
Comix Zone
Contra: The Hard Corps
Crusader of Centy (AKA Soleil / Ragnacenty)
Decap Attack
Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
Devil Hunter Yohko
Disney's Aladdin
Dynamite Headdy
Earthworm Jim
El Viento
ESWAT: City Under Siege (AKA Cyber Police ESWAT)
Eternal Champions
Fatal Fury
Fatal Fury 2
Flashback: The Quest for Identity
Gargoyles
Ghouls 'N Ghosts
Golden Axe
Golden Axe 2
Golden Axe 3
Gunstar Heroes
High Seas Havoc
James Pond II - Codename RoboCod
Jurassic Park
Jungle Strike: The Sequel to Desert Strike
Kid Chamelon (AKA Chameleon Kid)
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole
Light Crusader
Mega Bomberman
Megaman: The Wily Wars
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Midnight Resistance
Monster World IV
Mortal Kombat
OutRunners
Out Run
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
Pulseman
Quack Shot Starring Donald Duck
Ranger-X (AKA X-Ranza)
Ristar (AKA Ristar: The Shooting Star)
Road Rash
Road Rash 2
Road Rash 3: Tour de force
Robocop Versus The Terminator
Rocket Knight Adventures
Rolling Thunder 2
Rolling Thunder 3
Rolo to the Rescue
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (AKA The Super Shinobi II)
Skitchin'
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin
Splatterhouse 2
Splatterhouse 3
Streets of Rage (AKA Bare Knuckle)
Streets of Rage 2 (AKA Bare Knuckle 2)
Streets of Rage 3 (AKA Bare Knuckle 3)
Strider
Strider Returns: Journey from Darkness (AKA Strider II)
Sunset Riders
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
Taz-Mania
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
The Adventures of Batman & Robin
The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey and Minnie
The Immortal
The Lion King
The Ooze
The Revenge of Shinobi (AKA The Super Shinobi)
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Toejam & Earl
Toejam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron
Truxton
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Urban Strike: The Sequel to Jungle Strike
Virtua Racing
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
Wonder Boy in Monster World (AKA Wonder Boy V Monster Land III)
World of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck
X-Men 2: Clone Wars
Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Makyou Touitsusen

*32X* (32X):
Blackthorne
Knuckles' Chaotix (AKA Chaotix)
Mortal Kombat 2
Spider-Man: Web of Fire
Tempo
Virtua Racing Deluxe

*Sega CD*: (SCD)
Anetto Futatabi
Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side
Dragon's Lair
Earthworm Jim: Special Edition
Final Fight CD
Heart of the Alien
Keio Flying Squadron
Lunar: Eternal Blue
Lunar: The Silver Star
Popful Mail: Magical Fantasy Adventure
Prince of Persia
Snatcher
Sonic the Hedgehog CD
Space Ace
Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin
Time Gal


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## Deleted User (Jun 27, 2010)

list updated


Thanks toguro_max for pointing out some alternative names I missed.


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## sonknuck23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Sonic CD is personally the best game on any Genesis related console.


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## Deleted User (Dec 5, 2010)

The list is up to date.


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## emmanu888 (Apr 11, 2011)

+1 Gunstar Heroes


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## PaullyG (Jun 27, 2011)

+1 

Sid Meier's Pirates! Gold


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## Blaze163 (Jun 27, 2011)

I'd vote for the following.

- Sonic 1,2,3 and Knuckles, and maybe Sonic 3D if I'm feeling generous, it's not as bad as people make out, just not great.

- Streets of Rage 1+2. 3 kinda sucked IMHO.

- Castlevania Bloodlines.

- Ristar.

- Golden Axe 1,2 and 3.

- Outrun.

- Afterburner.

- Contra Hard Corps.

There are plenty of others but I'll leave it at that for now.


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## emmanu888 (Jul 7, 2011)

Sonic 1
Sonic 2
Sonic 3
Aladin
Sonic And Knuckles


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## SimianSegue (Jul 30, 2011)

Sonic 2(Only game on my Genesis I can't stop playing.)
Sonic 3
Sonic and Knuckles
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Sonic CD(Yeah, I had to put it.)
Streets of Rage 2


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## drwaxx79 (Dec 18, 2011)

Toejam & Earl
Final Fight CD (SCD)
Lunar: The eternal blue (SCD)
Trampoline Terror
Decap Attack
Phantasy Star II
Landstalker
Shining Force
Shining Force II
Thunder Force IV
Columns


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## Snowmanne (Jan 24, 2012)

Altered Beast
NBA Jam
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
NBA Live 95
NBA Live 96
NBA Live 97
NBA Live 98
NHL 94
NHL 95
NHL 96
NHL 97
NHL 98
Shaq Fu
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Taz-Mania


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## Chary (Oct 2, 2012)

+1 Bubsy: Encounters of the furred kind
+1 Sonic 1
+1 Sonic 2
+1 Sonic 3
+1 Sonic and Knuckles
+1 Road Rash
+1 Kid Chameleon
+1 TTA Busters hidden treasure
+1 Sonic CD
+1 Bubsy 2
+1 Gunstar Heroes


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## Recorderdude (Oct 2, 2012)

McDonalds Treasureland Adventure
Dynamite Headdy
Light Crusader
Gunstar Heroes
Alien Soldier
Socket the Time Dominator
High Seas Havoc
Trampoline Terror!
Marvel Land
Devilish: The Next Possession 
Rocket Knight Adventures

more I cant think of atm later


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## Whyat (Dec 21, 2012)

Sonic games
Golden axe
Dbz
Sonic cd
Ren and stempy
Aladin


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## CheatFreak47 (Jul 20, 2014)

+1 Sonic & Knuckles


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## Schizoanalysis (Jul 20, 2014)

Story of Thor
Dr Robotnik's mean bean machine


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## falconcrest (Jul 20, 2014)

Phantasy Star IV 
I cannot believe nobody posted that one!?!?!


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## Spectro87 (Apr 10, 2015)

Sonic 1, 2, 3, & Knuckles


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## Coltonamore (Dec 31, 2015)

Pier Solar. (unl) 2010. I can't believe this one isn't mentioned. Its awesome, especially since its 64 mega power! It also can be used with a Sega CD to enchance the music. I can't wait til my Genesis reprint arrives, as well as the soundtrack, strategy guide, and the Dreamcast version. My favorite RPG that was for the genesis!


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## Thomas83Lin (Dec 31, 2015)

Contra Hard Corps
Gaiares 
Wings of Wor
Arrow Flash
Sonic 1-3 and K
Sonic 3d Blast
Batman Forever
Street Fighter 2 championship edition 
Vectorman


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## SapphireDaisy (Aug 19, 2016)

+1 Sonic The Hedgehog


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## Jumpman_DK (Aug 20, 2019)

Air Buster
Comix Zone
Disney's Aladdin
Donald in Maui Mallard
Frogger
Gunstar Heroes
Lotus 2
Mega Bomberman
Mickey Mania
Micro Machines 2
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure
Prince Of Persia (Domark Version)
Psycho Pinball
Rambo 3
Sagaia (Darius 2)
Sonic & Knuckles
S.S. Lucifer - Man Overboard! 
Streets Of Rage 2


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## raxadian (Nov 3, 2019)

Here is a reminder that the Sega CD had more than Sonic CD:

Ecco The Dolphin:

While not as good as the Windows 95 version, this game is much easier to play unless you have a Windows 95 or Windows 98 computer that still works. Do remember hard drives don't last that long even if everything else in the computer work and trying to make these Sega ports to Windows 95 work on modern computer is quite hard. 

Earth Worm Jim, Special Edition:

The second best ever version of the first game, and without the headaches of making the Windows 95 version work on modern PCs. It even has an extra level compared to the Sega Genesis version, so that's two levels more than the Super Nintendo version!

5 in 1 Sega Arcade Classics:

This is the game that came with your Sega CD if you were lucky. Four of the five games are better than the Sega Genesis versions and is definitely a game you should have if you have a Sega CD.  

The Lunar saga:

Both Lunar Silver Star Story and Lunar Eternal Blue have become cult classics for a reason, they are two games in two CDs and in different boxes but I put them together because they are from the same series. 

Popful Mail

Now this is sadly a mostly ignored game despite the Sega CD having the best version. Think Lina Inverse from Slayers if she was an elf, and with less destructive power. 

Of course if you want to know more, there is Google.


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## Fawe (Dec 30, 2020)

Altered Beast +1
Saturday Night Slammasters +1
Star Wars Arcade (32X) +1
Virtua Fighter (32X) +1
Kolibri (32X) +1

Give the 32X some love.


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## sab8062 (Jun 17, 2021)

I vote for:

Sonic 1

Golden Axe 1

There are many other good and interesting games but those two are so good that they could be enough for me even without other games.


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