PixlBit

When I was a kid, I didn't even know the Genesis existed. I had no clue who Sonic was. Then one time my family went to this huge electronic place, and they had a game room, and it was there that I saw Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time. I didn't know what to think of the game (I was like, 4 or 5, okay?). I grew up on the SNES, Nintendo fanboy all the way. But several years ago my brother got a Genesis and a handfull of games, and I have taken it upon myself to try and build up that collection and play me some Genesis. The Genesis has a lot of good games, so I'm giving it my time and respect (in fact, this week's Retro Game of the Week is a Genesis game, which I've been playing this week). 

The audio quality of the Genesis is far inferior to the SNES; most of the music has that tinny sound to it, which can get on your nerves (unless that's your cup of tea). But there is still some great music to be heard from Genesis games. Below are eight of my favorite themes from the Genesis. 

Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog/Composed by Masato Nakamura

This theme is the Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 of the Genesis, if you know what I mean. It's a very recognizable tune, but not nearly as much as Mario's. It's upbeat, catchy, and just plain fun to listen to. It was the first theme you hear upon playing the game, and it quickly cemented itself into your head. But really, the entire Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack is great. 

Column Dive from Columns III/Composed by Morihiko Akiyama

The Columns series was the Genesis's puzzle series, and it was a good one. This song is soothing yet groovy at the same time. You gotta love that bass. This is definitely good music to puzzle to; puzzle games need good music to stimulate the fun factor more. This theme is perfect; I could listen to it all day. 

Outride a Crisis from Super Hang-On/Composed by Katsuhiro Hayashi, Koichi Namiki, and Shigeru Ohwada

This theme is serene at first, but quickly jumps into a strong melody. That twangy sound is all over this song, but you can't help but love it anyways. Fans of the Genesis love Super Hang-On (I haven't played it), and they love this song in particular. It's one of the best themes on the Genesis. Overall, it has a thought-provoking feel to it. 

On Parade from Ristar/Composed by Tomoko Sasaki, Naofumi Hataya, and Masafumi Ogata

Ristar is a great game with a great soundtrack. I chose this particular song because it gets stuck in my head all the time. This song is so cheerful and catchy. Notice the "voices" in this song; yeah, they sound pretty terrible, but props to Sega for trying. This song happens on the music planet, and all the animals are so happy that they're singing. It makes you want to sing too. 

Sky Sanctuary from Soic & Knuckles/Composed by a bunch of dudes

This theme just jumps out at you from the game. It's melody is simply fantastic! It's a very exciting song, giving the sense of adventure, hope, and courage all at the same time. It's just an epic theme, 'nuff said. 

Dreamer from Streets of Rage 2/Composed by Yuzo Koshiro

Streets of Rage 2 has a beat-boppin' soundtrack thanks to the talent of Yuzo Koshiro (that guy's amazing). This particular theme captures that punk and elctronica feel, oh, and that 90s feel too. It's a great theme to hear while you're beating the crap out of street punks. 

Whirlwind from Shinobi III/Composed by Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama, and Masayuki Nagao

What can I say about this one? This theme is one of the most epic compositions on the Genesis! Intense! Awesome! And you know what's even better? It plays while Joe Musashi rides on a surfboard and takes out flying robots! It doesn't get much better than this on the Genesis; and for a song like this, you really don't mind that tinny sound. 

Flying Battery Zone Act 1 from Sonic & Knuckles/Composed by a bunch of dudes

Possibly more epic than the last one, this theme is incredible. Powerful bass, great melody, and all-around fun to listen to. Wow, Sonic is so rad! That's what those Genesis commercials always said anyways. This song is pure Genesis, and what I mean by that is, it's awesome! 

Did you notice something? Genesis songs are usually loud, obnoxious, and in-your-face. The sound quality of the Genesis didn't allow soft and beautiful themes to come across very well. But that's what the Genesis was all about: LOUD and IN-YOUR-FACE!!! And that's not a bad thing; a lot of awesome songs came out of that.