Hi, I'm Nepiki! You may remember me from This Month in Retro, that has been going strong for about two years now. While I have no plans to desert this project, I wanted to try out something new by giving you a uniquely themed article each month. This month, we talk about the most mastered games on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive!
Have you ever wondered to yourself what the most mastered games are on a system? Well, I sure did, so I researched every game and have concluded a top 10 of games that have the most masteries. While such lists are obviously ever-changing, some of these titles will probably remain on this list for the long foreseeable future. Today's topic is no different, as we delve into the first system that has ever gotten support on RetroAchievements: The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.
For every game, I'll give them a short summary as to the reputation the game has, the reason as to why they are on the list, and much more. We are going in ascending order, so be sure to get your guesses in and see if you are right on guessing what the most mastered games are for the system! Actually, let me know on Discord in the RA News channel how your guesses went, I'm curious!
(Note: this article takes the masteries in account from March 1st, and may not accurately represent the count at the time of release)
10: Show do Milhão: Volume 2 - 316 Masteries
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| Release dates |
Brazil: 2002 |
| Sales |
- |
| Average score |
- |
Oh. Uh... How do I start with this one? RetroAchievements has a huge playerbase from Southern America, and especially Brazil. Given how Sega systems are still going strong over there, it's not too surprising that a Brazilian-exclusive title released far beyond the worldwide lifespan has seen it's way onto the site. In fact, it's actually the last official release for the system! But spoiler alert... I'm not from Brazil, so I have no idea what I'm going to talk about! What I'm going to presume based on some internet searches is that this is an adaptation of Brazil's version of "Who Wants To Be a Billionaire?"; answer multiple questions without failing once to go back home with a big prize. Use (or don't use) lifelines like asking the audience or three wise men to get through the achievement set. This title is not available in English, but with more than half of the players having mastered this game, you can probably bruteforce your way through some of the questions with trial and error, or use RetroArch/Google Lens to translate the game for you. Not sure if the questions will also make sense to anywhere outside of Brazil but hey, that's not something I can answer. The set itself is from 2017, and given that is targets a specific part of the user base, 316 masteries is respectable!
Also yes, this is Volume 2. Volume 1 has a set. Will it appear later? I don't know, you tell me doc.
9: Aladdin - 317 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: November 11, 1993 |
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PAL: November 11, 1993 |
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JP: November 12, 1993 |
| Sales |
4,000,000 |
| Average score |
89% based on 40 critics |
Now we get into some more familiar territory. Aladdin is an interesting game to talk about, given how it's a perfect example of the console wars that were going on between Nintendo and Sega. While these games may look similar to each other on the outside, they were made by two different developers and have noticeable differences that have caused a question as old as time... which is better? The one made by Capcom on the SNES with arguably better platforming, or the Genesis/Mega Drive version with more emphasis on combat? I'm obviously not going to answer that since it's subjective, but both versions are regarded as excellent 16-bit licensed platformers of the time so either way, you'll have a great time. The game itself follow a storyline based on the namesake film, where Aladdin goes through many iconic locations on the hunt for Jafar to rescue Princess Jasmine. The gameplay is really solid, and has led it to become one of the most popular games of the era, as well as the third best-selling game on the system only being outsold by two Sonic games. The popularity is certainly what has earned Aladdin its spot on the list, but it is also helped that this was the second achievement set RetroAchievements has ever seen! This set will certainly still challenge you, with a 50-pointer for beating the game on Difficult mode, as well as an achievement to get a total of 100,000 points. This basically translates to not dying throughout the entire game and performing as well as you can! Or uh, a cheese strat. I won't judge.
8: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - 318 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: February 2, 1994 |
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PAL: February 24, 1994 |
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JP: May 27, 1994 |
| Sales |
1,760,000 |
| Average score |
90% based on 26 critics |
Of course, we cannot have a list of most mastered Genesis/Mega Drive games without Sonic the Hedgehog showing his face at least once. And I'm really glad to see this one here as well since I am personally of the opinion that the combined packed of Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of, if not the best games the series has to offer. This game would be the introduction of Sonic's rival at first and best buddies after, Knuckles. He would not be playable until the game after, with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 only giving the option to play as either Sonic, Tails, or both at the same time. As usual, they need to go through a total of six zones to hunt down the nefarious Dr. Robotnik who plans to take over the world... again. From arguably one of the best water levels this series has seen in Hydrocity Zone to the snowy mountains of Ice Cap, the game has received critical acclaim for having great level design and your usual good gameplay. The only downside is, as mentioned before, that it is only one half of a complete package. That package is, without a doubt, the best way to play the game, and that may also explain why the mastery count for this game is not as high as it could have been. After all, players on RetroAchievements have the choice between this, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and the hack called Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Complete. Every single game aside from the hack have more than 200 masteries, making them combined close to around 800 but that's not how we work around here. No need to worry however, as every set is well thought-out with time trials, ring challenges, and other challenges to keep you engaged. The hardest challenge of this set would be completing Hydrocity Zone Act 1 within a minute, but as shown by the mastery count, nothing too difficult to stop the dedicated achiever!
7: Streets of Rage 2 - 326 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: December 15, 1992 |
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PAL: January 14, 1993 |
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JP: January 14, 1993 |
| Sales |
3,640,000 if I have to believe a random comment on the internet |
| Average score |
87% based on 28 critics |
Here is another veteran set of the site making its place on the list. Streets of Rage 2 follows up Aladdin as being the third set on the site to have gotten an achievement set! And given how popular of a game this is, it makes sense to be on this list as well. Following up one year after the events of the first game, returning protagonists Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding are joined by two new characters each with their own playstyle: the slow but powerful Max Thunder, and the quick skater Eddie Hunter. The latter is the brother of the previous game's protagonist Adam Hunter, who has been kidnapped by the previous game's antagonist Mr. X. So it's back to beat 'em up action in what may be the most popular game in the series--it's even seen as one of the best games on the system AND in its genre! And if that wasn't enough, the GOAT Yuzo Koshiro was involved in making the music and unsurprisingly, it's absolutely fantastic. And this popularity can be attributed as the main reason as to why this game has been mastered this much, at it's not an easy set at all. You need to defeat the final level on the hardest difficulty without using continues, and while it's only one level, it can still prove to be a very tough challenge. There is also a high score challenge that pretty much ensure you need to beat the whole game on one of the higher difficulties without using a continue, as well as defeating 200 enemies without losing a life once. It's not an easy set, but as our community has proven, that will absolutely not stop them.
6: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist - 423 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: December 11, 1992 |
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JP: December 22, 1992 |
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PAL: 1993 |
| Sales |
- |
| Average score |
77% based on 16 critics |
From one beat 'em up to the next, and with a pretty significant jump in masteries as well! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were everywhere during the 90s and are popular games on every console, with this one being the most popular on the Genesis/Mega Drive. Not too surprising when it's heavily based on one of the most popular games the series has seen, Turtles in Time, with it playing very similarly to it. The controls and soundtrack are similar, while some of the levels are shared too but there are less in exchange for them being longer. That did become one of the game's criticisms however, as the amount of levels is pretty low with it also being pretty easy overall, especially for beat 'em up veterans. That might also explain the high number of masteries, as there are no real challenges besides just beating the game as all characters and beating it once on Hard difficulty. The other toughest achievements of the set are finishing the fourth level without dying or not using a continue during a playthrough once, but they can be done on any difficulty. This game being on the list is definitely a combination of popularity combined with the game being fairly easy but hey, what matters most is that it's fun!
5: Show do Milhão - 454 Masteries
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| Release dates |
Brazil: 2001 |
| Sales |
- |
| Average score |
- |
Look... we've already talked about volume 2, and I don't really have anything else to say aside from that this one also has every title and description in Portuguese. Can we just move on to number 4? Thank you.
4: Golden Axe - 454 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: December 22, 1989 |
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JP: December 23, 1989 |
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PAL: November 30, 1990 |
| Sales |
- |
| Average score |
81% based on 28 critics |
Back to Sega's own IPs we go with the first title in another beat' em up/hack 'n slash series, Golden Axe! While this game originated in the Arcades, most people commonly associate it with the Genesis/Mega Drive due to accessibility, as well as the sequels (at least, two of them) ditching the Arcade altogether to remain exclusively on the Sega home system. In this game, the players have the option to choose between three different characters: the dwarf Gillius Thunderhead, the barbarian Ax Battler, and the Amazon named Tyris Flare. All of them have family members killed by the evil tyrant with a name that goes a bit too hard: Death Adder. That evil guy kidnapped the king and his daughter, and is also threatening to destroy the titular Golden Axe if he is not accepted as leader. So off the trio goes, fighting Death Adder's henchmen along the way with their own weapons and a variety of spells depending on what character you chose. More original to this game however are the steeds that can be found and ridden, which not only serve as a nice extra hit but also have their own attacks. It received good reception at the time, though retrospectively it has lost that fire just a bit. But as shown by the amount of masteries, Golden Axe's initial popularity has ensured it to become a mainstay in the system's history. After all, don't expect to get a free mastery here as there is a 1CC achievement for beating Arcade mode. But if you are able to achieve that, the only other mode standing in your way is Duel Mode, where you are pit against one or multiple enemies on a single screen. But if you have managed to beat the game with no continues, Duel Mode won't be any trouble for you.
3: Altered Beast - 486 Masteries
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| Release dates |
JP: June 14, 1988 |
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NA: June ??, 1988 |
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PAL: June ??, 1988 |
| Sales |
2,720,000 if I have to believe a random comment on the internet |
| Average score |
63% based on 18 critics |
RetroAchievements users really do be liking their beat 'em ups huh? Ignoring the quick interruption by Show do Milhão, I have been talking about four games in the genre back-to-back. And surprisingly the one at the top of them all is arguably the worst of the four. In this game set in Ancient Greece, the player character is tasked by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena from the demonic ruler of the underworld... Neff. Ah yes, Neff, my favourite ruler of hell from mythology. The player character can transform into various magical beasts, which is also integrated into the gameplay where each one of them come with their own abilities. The weredragon can unleash electricity, while the werebear is able to turn enemies into... stone. Ah yes, the bear, my favourite petrifying enemy from mythology. The player punches and kicks their way through a total of five levels, with minimal jumping and only a single plane to work with. That's also why the reception was somewhat lukewarm, because even at the time you already had far superior- and more technologically advanced beat 'em ups. Still, that didn't stop it from becoming commonly associated with the Genesis, with it also not being forgotten thanks to the ironic quote "Rise from your grave" in that delicious crusty audio. As for why it's this high up on the list, aside from it being a well-known game, is that it's also really short and the set itself only really has progression to worry about. Beating the game on Hardest difficulty, as well as getting 500,000 points within this mode might still prove to be a challenge however, but once you got the hang of the mechanics and are able to beat it, you will be set for mastery.
2: Barney's Hide and Seek Game - 516 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: June 1, 1993 |
| Sales |
- |
| Average score |
36% based on 6 critics |
What was really surprising to me researching this topic is that there was only really one game that can truly be seen as free points. Sure, the Show do Milhão games are probably not too difficult if you can get past the language barrier and know what you are doing, and some of the beat 'em ups probably won't take much effort either, but none of them can really be considered free points. Also yes, this title was published by Sega of America and is therefore a first-party title. You are welcome for learning about this interesting fact. You control Barney through a total of four themed levels, each teaching the kids the way of education, like counting, matching, and problem solving. Barney needs to find give children and five presents in each level and get a special reward for doing so! It uh, didn't receive the most positive reviews, though it did succeed in its goal of being perfectly suited for children which causes one critic to give it a whopping 80%! Yeah, take that Altered Beast, its' barney tiem!! Anyway, I don't really have to tell you why this game is up here right? You can beat it in less than 5 minutes and for whatever cursed reason, there is even a self-playing feature so you can beat this game without actually doing anything yourself. Yeah, I'm not kidding, that exists. So yeah, if you're a fan of Barney... somehow, this is the game for you!
1: Sonic the Hedgehog - 1052 Masteries
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| Release dates |
NA: June 23, 1991 |
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JP: July 26, 1991 |
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PAL: June ??, 1991 |
| Sales |
15,000,000 |
| Average score |
90% based on 52 critics |
What a satisfying game to end out on. We not only have one of the main competitors of the generation, but also the first game in a completely new series, AND the first game that has ever received a set on RetroAchievements. Of course, it could be none other than our favourite blue rat, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic entered the scene in 1991 and took the world by storm, as we finally had someone willing to stand up to the plumber himself. Featuring a fast anthropomorphic character who rolls through six levels hunting down the nefarious Dr. Robotnik, it was a game heavily praised at the time for putting this speed on full display. Add to that very good visuals during a time where the move to 16-bits was just happening on home systems, as well as the audio getting high compliments, and you got one of the most popular games of all times--So much so that it has inspired whole generations of anthropomorphic protagonists going fast. Of course nowadays, the first game does not receive as much praise nowadays due to there... well, being much better games on the same system, but its influence on the history of video games is undeniable. And as a beautiful end to this story, neither is the influence of the game on RetroAchievements undeniable. The first set to ever be created back in 2013, and now look at us 11 years later. As for why the set is the most mastered well, you already know the reason, and it's also one of the most-played games on RetroAchievements period. The hardest achievements for this set would be beating the game with all chaos emeralds, as well as doing a pacifist run in Green Hill Zone by getting a low as score as possible. But for any Sonic fan out there, that should not be a problem!
And there you go, the top 10 most mastered games on the Genesis/Mega Drive! Were you surprised by some entries, or did you see it coming? Let me know, and I will see you again next month with a surprising new topic!
Show do Milhão: Volume 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Aladdin (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Show do Milhão (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Golden Axe (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Altered Beast (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Barney's Hide and Seek Game (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis/Mega Drive)