And I'm talking about the original. TJ&E2 was a total downer, and I don't even want to play TJ&E3. But Toe Jam and Earl (straight up) was simply the best game on the Sega Genesis - 1 and 2 player. Here's the premise: you play as one of two whacked out aliens looking for their spaceship. You have to find all 10 pieces of the ship, while avoiding those wacky earthlings who want to beat the shit out of you. You'll face such foes as Santa Claus, a big group of bees, and a dog in a hamster wheel. It's fucking intense. But fear not - you do have allies, like presents (usually) and a big carrot guy who tells you what the presents are. Oh, and for some reason Earth is in space and you have to take elevators to get to the next level of earth (in space). Sometimes Earl's pants fall off in the elevator and much hilarity ensues! Hohohohohahaha! Your weapons - tomatoes. Your transportation - Super Hi Tops, Spring Shoes, Rocket Skates, Inner Tubes, and the all important wings.
Gameplay was semi action-RPGesque but not really. You "leveled up" which basically meant you got more health, but the levels weren't numbered - they were named, making this the coolest leveling up system of any game ever. You started as a Weiner and eventually became the mighty Funklord. You walked around each level trying to find the elevator, or the ship piece and the elevator. It was way more fun with 2 people though - so you could split up and curse them out when they fell back to the next level (maybe that's just me, but I digress). In a nutshell, Toe Jam and Earl is just a fun game with great simplistic gameplay, fun multiplayer, amazing replay value (randomly generated levels! Yay!), and really one of the first games to have a sense of humor. If you've got a Genesis, you owe it to yourself to pick this junks up.
Oh, and Earl is way better than Toe Jam. No question.
24. Kirby's Pinball Land
1993 - Nintendo Game Boy
You've probably never played this game. And let me tell you my friend, your life is incomplete. Whenever you're talking about video games you've just got to give a throwback to pinball. It started it all! It was like a video game without the video part... so, it was just a game. But it was in a big box thingy! And, and…arcade games are in big box thingies! They're practically the same thing. Anyways, this game isn't in a big box, it's in a little box. And it only needs 8 bits to rock down the hizouse. Because Kirby's Pinball is the greatest pinball that has ever been - and you can take it with you anywhere.
Kirby's Pinball Land is really three pinball games, each with three levels each and a boss. That's right, you fight in pinball form. Don't even try to tell me that's not badass. If you're familiar with the Kirby series, you know that when you complete a level you jump on a big plunger star and try to shoot yourself up to get some points, or maybe even a life. This same concept carries over to this game, allowing to shoot yourself back up into the pinball machine, when in other pinball machines you would just die. A good player can play the same round for hours, and the game will even save your progress. No pinball game does that!
The controls are excellent, replay value is infinite (I've killed more time than you can possibly imagine with this junks), and it's a game that can appeal to anyone. If you like fun, you'll like this game. And if not, well, go shoot yourself in the face.
Oh, and Poppy is the best stage. No Question.
23. Super Metroid
1994 - Super Nintendo
The Metroid series of games gets huge props for making backtracking not only not a chore, but perfectly acceptable and fun. Super Metroid is the pinnacle of the 2-D side scrolling adventure game genre (which encompasses most notably Metroid and Castlevania). It is the definition of a "Metroid Game," and one of the many fine games on the SNES.
Super Metroid puts you (for a third time) in the shoes of Samus Aran, the most badass video game heroine there is. Combat takes place using a variety of weapons, including missiles (of two varieties), bombs (also of 2 varieties), and a standard energy gun (arm) that becomes more powerful as new upgrades and abilities are found. The game is heavy on exploration - meaning lots of puzzles to solve which reward you with new access to areas, new bosses, and most fun - new weapons. The challenge lies in remembering where you couldn't get to before, and seeing how your new abilities will help you unlock new portions of the planet. It is a unique and involving game, relying just as much on shooting and fighting skills as it does problem-solving and future thinking skills.
While multiple playthroughs are quite similar, the games ending changes depending on the speed at which you can complete the game, giving extra incentive to beat Mother Brain fast. Graphically speaking, it's one of the most impressive looking games on the Super Nintendo, with detailed character models and a variety of environments to explore. Experience this game.
Oh! I almost forgot - you get to roll around in a little ball. It's inexplicably cool and satisfying.
22. Super Mario RPG
1996 - Super Nintendo
This is the first of many appearances Squaresoft will be making on my list, and with good reason. This is also one of the final games made for the Super Nintendo (the N64 was released only a few months after this game came out), and it is a fitting end for such a fine console. The graphics are simply stunning - absolutely the best on the system. The game is colorful, textured, all the characters are beautiful "2 ˝ D" representations of their side scrolling selves - almost too good to be on a 16 bit system. But more than that, the game is a fun, witty, traditional RPG, and a great representation of what Square can do.
Here's the game - you play as Mario (who hits things with a hammer), Bowser (who hits things with Mario), Princess (who slaps things with the back of her hand), and two new characters. There's Mallow, a cute little cloud guy who was raised by frogs but is really a prince, and Gino, a doll who uses a toy gun to mess enemies up. Gameplay is typical turn based RPG - hit points, magic (flower) points, bonuses for leveling up, etc. What makes this game so special then?
Well, the biggest plus of the game is that it always keeps you entertained. There's really no leveling up that's not built into the game, the story is always entertaining and funny, the music is great, the enemies are amusing, and Mallow is just so frickin cute you'll just want to keep on looking at him. The game is pretty easy, but it's a good enough length, and certainly engaging enough to come back to a couple years after you've beaten it (an impressive accomplishment for any RPG).
Oh, and everyone in the game is fascinated by Mario's impressive jumping skills. It's so random and funny - I love it.
21. NBA Jam
1993 - Arcade/Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis
I'll be the first person to admit that I don't like sports games. It's probably because I'm not that big of a sports fan, so the earlier should naturally follow. That being said, NBA Jam makes this list because it does what few other games can - it's a sports game that appeals to basketball fans and non-basketball fans alike.
Gameplay is, well, 2 on 2 basketball style, as is faithful to the rules of the actual game. It uses real players, real…courts, blah blah, blah. So what sets this game apart? What makes it fun? Two things - multiplayer and fire.
2 player (or 4 player if you've got the multitap) is the greatest thing ever. Competition gets fierce, scores are close, and it goes by fast. The replay value is infinite, and the controls are simple and a cinch to learn. The game is a party game at heart, and you'll want to keep on playing and playing until you've mastered your favorite team.
"HE'S ON FIRE!" - the most memorable line from the game. If a player makes 3 consecutive baskets, then he gets on fire. Fire equals infinite speed boosts, maxed out stats, and the ability to basically make any shot from anywhere on the court. A player getting on fire can easily turn around the game, and adds an interesting twist and depth not found in the traditional sports game. Like this one time, I was down 12 points in the fourth quarter. I got on fire, and won the game by one point. It was amazing.
There just isn't much more to say about this game, except that if you play it, you'll definitely understand how it makes the list.
Oh, there is one more thing - you can play as Bill Clinton, and yes, he does have a saxophone.
Crap! This is taking forever. I hope I can finish part 2 in a mere week. Peace out everyone.
And I'm talking about the original. TJ&E2 was a total downer, and I don't even want to play TJ&E3. But Toe Jam and Earl (straight up) was simply the best game on the Sega Genesis - 1 and 2 player. Here's the premise: you play as one of two whacked out aliens looking for their spaceship. You have to find all 10 pieces of the ship, while avoiding those wacky earthlings who want to beat the shit out of you. You'll face such foes as Santa Claus, a big group of bees, and a dog in a hamster wheel. It's fucking intense. But fear not - you do have allies, like presents (usually) and a big carrot guy who tells you what the presents are. Oh, and for some reason Earth is in space and you have to take elevators to get to the next level of earth (in space). Sometimes Earl's pants fall off in the elevator and much hilarity ensues! Hohohohohahaha! Your weapons - tomatoes. Your transportation - Super Hi Tops, Spring Shoes, Rocket Skates, Inner Tubes, and the all important wings.
Gameplay was semi action-RPGesque but not really. You "leveled up" which basically meant you got more health, but the levels weren't numbered - they were named, making this the coolest leveling up system of any game ever. You started as a Weiner and eventually became the mighty Funklord. You walked around each level trying to find the elevator, or the ship piece and the elevator. It was way more fun with 2 people though - so you could split up and curse them out when they fell back to the next level (maybe that's just me, but I digress). In a nutshell, Toe Jam and Earl is just a fun game with great simplistic gameplay, fun multiplayer, amazing replay value (randomly generated levels! Yay!), and really one of the first games to have a sense of humor. If you've got a Genesis, you owe it to yourself to pick this junks up. 
You've probably never played this game. And let me tell you my friend, your life is incomplete. Whenever you're talking about video games you've just got to give a throwback to pinball. It started it all! It was like a video game without the video part... so, it was just a game. But it was in a big box thingy! And, and…arcade games are in big box thingies! They're practically the same thing. Anyways, this game isn't in a big box, it's in a little box. And it only needs 8 bits to rock down the hizouse. Because Kirby's Pinball is the greatest pinball that has ever been - and you can take it with you anywhere.
Kirby's Pinball Land is really three pinball games, each with three levels each and a boss. That's right, you fight in pinball form. Don't even try to tell me that's not badass. If you're familiar with the Kirby series, you know that when you complete a level you jump on a big plunger star and try to shoot yourself up to get some points, or maybe even a life. This same concept carries over to this game, allowing to shoot yourself back up into the pinball machine, when in other pinball machines you would just die. A good player can play the same round for hours, and the game will even save your progress. No pinball game does that!
This is the first of many appearances Squaresoft will be making on my list, and with good reason. This is also one of the final games made for the Super Nintendo (the N64 was released only a few months after this game came out), and it is a fitting end for such a fine console. The graphics are simply stunning - absolutely the best on the system. The game is colorful, textured, all the characters are beautiful "2 ˝ D" representations of their side scrolling selves - almost too good to be on a 16 bit system. But more than that, the game is a fun, witty, traditional RPG, and a great representation of what Square can do.
