November 25th 2023.
The 16-bit era of video games was a truly special time. It was when gaming as we know it today began to take shape. Consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) brought together the best of arcade and home gaming, while the Atari ST, the Amiga, and coin-ops released between 1987 and 1993 pushed the boundaries of what was possible.
My favorite 16-bit game is Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It doesn't have the same complexity as its own sequel or Mario's titles, but it's hands-down my favorite. It's the game that got me into gaming. I had a Commodore 64 before, but it was Sonic 2 that truly sparked my interest. It was the game I saved up for and convinced my mom to help me buy a Mega Drive. I've completed it more times than I can count, and I still return to it every few years.
Many of the Mega Drive games don't quite hold up in terms of controls, but the SNES titles seem to fare better. That said, I've only played a few SNES games, so it might just be a case of comparing the very best SNES games with middling Mega Drive ones.
Sonic has had a lot of poor gimmicky reinventions since the Mega Drive days, and most of them haven't been very good. Apart from Sonic Mania and the Advance games, I haven't had much luck with the others.
There are so many great 16-bit games to choose from, but if I had to pick two favorites, they would be Ecco the Dolphin and Micro Machines. Ecco the Dolphin was such a relaxing game to play, and the graphics were amazing for the time. I bought a cheap Game Gear and upgraded it to a Mega Drive, and Ecco was my go-to game for stress relief. Micro Machines was just as much fun with friends. We spent the whole day playing it and have never played it together again since.
If I was allowed to choose from 8-bit games, I'd pick Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. They were two of my favorite games on the Game Gear and they played great.
While there are plenty of great 16-bit games from that era, the one that stands out in my mind is Dune 2 on the Amiga. It was the first real-time strategy game I ever played, and I spent countless hours building up my empire and fighting the Harkonnen and the Ordos. Unfortunately, I never got to finish it because it started to slow down to an unplayable crawl near the end. I might have to look into downloading the modern version of it.
My special mentions would go to Super Cars 2 by Gremlin Graphics, Kick Off 2, and the Sensible Soccer series for the great footie games. And Geoff Crammond also deserves a mention for Stunt Car Racer and Grand Prix, which were both groundbreaking games in their own right.
It's easy to say that games were better in the past, but modern games are truly incredible. We can explore ancient Egypt in full HD, build trains in Hyrule, ride dragons in Skyrim, and race online with our friends in a proper racing sim. Old games are historic and important, but they don't compare to today's games.
The 16-bit era was an amazing time for gamers, with a variety of consoles and games available to choose from. From the Mega Drive to the SNES, PC Engine to the Neo Geo, and the Atari ST and Amiga, there was something for everyone. As reader JesseM suggested in the Hot Topic, the range of games released between 1987 and 1993 was immense.
My favourite 16-bit game is Sonic The Hedgehog 2. It might not be the objectively best game from that era, or even compared to its own sequels, but it's definitely my favourite. It's the reason I became a gamer in the first place. I started off with a hand-me-down C64, but it was Sonic 2 that made me save up and convince my mum to buy me a Mega Drive. I've completed the game more times than I can count, and I always come back to it whenever I feel like playing a game from that era.
I find many Mega Drive games to be quite clunky to control now, although that might be because I've played fewer SNES titles. Sonic has been reinvented with various gimmicks over the years, but I haven't had much luck with most of them - apart from Sonic Mania and the Advance games.
PazJohnMitch had two games in mind, namely Ecco the Dolphin and Micro Machines. Ecco was a real stress release for him after a day of studying, and he and his girlfriend enjoyed playing it together. As for Micro Machines, they had a marathon session with friends on the day they bought the game.
WoDMaN was reminded of his first experience of the 16-bit era, when he upgraded his Game Gear to a second-hand Mega Drive. He was considering Dune 2 as his favourite game from that era, but he never finished it because the game slowed down to an unplayable crawl near the end. He's thinking of downloading the modern version, Dune: Spice Wars, to see how it compares.
Finally, The Dude Abides shared some special mentions, such as Super Cars 2 by Gremlin Graphics, Dino Dini's Kick Off 2 and the Sensible Soccer series for football games, and Stunt Car Racer and Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix for racing games. He concluded by saying that, while old games are important and still fun, they don't hold a candle to modern games.
Whether your favourite 16-bit game is Sonic 2, Ecco the Dolphin, or something else, these reader's comments remind us of the incredible range of games that were available in the 16-bit era.
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