Games
Changed in June 2023 to include Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Landstalker, Crusader of Centy, and The Revenge of Shinobi.
Keep in mind that the following ranking is living and will change as User Ratings are updated for each game in our database. Don’t be shy about giving the newest games a ranking if you haven’t already done so. Take pleasure!
The ‘Expansion Pack’ for the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service features a selection of Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games from the 16-bit system’s library. The simple scheduling of more classic computer game on Switch is always worth celebrating, even if we have had the ability to play some of these games in many other places in recent years, including Switch in many situations. The NSO roster is also exceptionally strong.
What are the finest Sega Genesis games that can be played on a Nintendo Switch Online? Well, we can put your mind at ease with the help of Nintendo Life readers who have rated the games in our Database.
The following is a list of all of the Mega Drive games that can be played online with a Nintendo Switch and their average User Rating (out of 10). It should be noted that this ranking is not static, but rather will change over time based on specific User Ratings (and new additions to the NSO video game roster).
Do you think one of these video games should be higher on the list? Simply click the “star” button to give it your personal rating, which may raise its overall score.
The best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive video games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online, so kick back and relax…
Games 44. Virtua Fighter 2 (MD)
- 3.88
- Evaluation 3/10
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
Publication Date (16 April 2007) USA / 4 May 2007 (UK/EU)
Available on: NSO and Add-On
When it comes to stand-alone combatants, Virtua Fighter 2 is still up there with the best of them. When it was released, it decimated the competition, and many die-hard fans still believe Sega hasn’t made any significant improvements to the classic fighter.
Just so you know, this less-than-stellar Genesis/Mega Drive adaptation ditches 3D for 2D, which brings with it a slew of problems. Removing one of these dimensions from the gameplay of VF2 makes it harder to enjoy the tactical nuance that was previously available. It looks a lot like the 32-bit Saturn version, however VF2 on the Genesis has a few hiccups.
Games 43. Sword of Vermilion (MD)
- 4.38
- Evaluation 6/10
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
Date of Initial Publication: March 5, 2007 (USA) / March 2, 2007 (UK/EU)
Famously created by Virtua Fighter creator Yu Suzuki, Sword of Vermilion was one of the earliest role-playing games for Sega’s 16-bit system… and it shows. It combines a number of different gameplay styles, including a top-down perspective in the areas, a first-person perspective as you explore the surface and caverns between towns and cities, a three-quarter view for regular random encounters with real-time opponents, and a side-on view for boss fights. While the music, graphics, and gameplay are all quite generic and repetitive, the game is held together well enough that it’s worth checking out, at the very least, especially if you have save states to make the unpredictable encounters more tolerable. The music is dramatic and engaging, but the sound effects are disappointing.
Games 42. Modified Beast (MD)
- 4.98
- Evaluation 3/10
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
Date of Initial Public Offering: November 19, 2006 (USA) and December 8, 2006 (UK/EU)
Many people will have played Altered Beast because it was one of the first pack-in games for the system, perhaps even more than the quality of the game merits. The promise of its body-altering property is not fulfilled because it is basically a first attempt and the most conventional of game experiences. These days, only nostalgic feelings get in the way, thus it’s a great addition to a subscription service like NSO. Turn it on whenever, tell yourself it’s a bit of a trousers situation, and move on.
Games 41. Target Earth (MD)
- 5.18
- Profile
Printed and designed by Masaya.
Publication Year:1990 (USA)
Masaya’s run-and-gun shooter Attack Suit Leynos (1990), also known as Target Earth in North America (this video game was never released in Europe), kicked off a series that would continue with Cybernator for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) a few years later. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is the easiest official way to play this challenging shooter right now, however it was previously available on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan and can also be played on the Japanese Mega Drive Mini.
Games 40. Area Harrier II (MD)
- 5.35
- Evaluation 4/10
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
U.S./UK/EU Release Dates: December 18th, 2006
This rail shooter was one of the very first Genesis/Mega Drive games, therefore its shallowness in comparison to similar games released later should come as no surprise. The Mega Drive was a technical marvel, allowing gamers at home to enjoy Sega’s Super Scaler titles. However, the impression of immersion in the environment is severely constrained, and things quickly get dull. Worth checking out if you have access to Nintendo Switch Online, for example; dedicated Sega fans may find they can overlook the game’s superficial nature.
Games 39. Flicky (MD)
- 5.4
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
U.S./UK/EU Release Date: April 1991
NSO + Feature Pack Immediately Available
In Flicky, a simple little platformer inspired by Namco’s Mappy, you must avoid enemies and obstructions while you collect little yellow chicks (sorry, ‘Chirps’) and make your way to the exit. The fact that Flicky’s main claim to fame is becoming a minor character in the Sonic series (to the point where he gets the title of the isometric platformer Sonic 3D: Flickies’ Island, in which Sonic must assemble Flickies in a similar fashion) tells you all you need to know about this chicken-based platformer.
Games 38. Sonic Spinball (MD)
- 6.06
- Evaluation 4/10
- Profile
Developer: SEGA Technical Institute; SEGA as publisher
Publication Dates: March 12th (USA) / April 5th (UK/EU) 2007
The goal of Sonic Spinball was to make a full game out of the pinball antics seen in the Spring Yard Zone and Casino Night Zone of the first two Sonic games. The building showed promise, and the game contains some interesting ideas, but the final product feels like a mishmash of dull pinball and shaky platforming. We often wonder what the outcome would have been if the mainline games’ engine had been used here.
Available for a long time on various platforms, including the Switch (through SEGA Mega Drive Classics and the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack) and other systems (via Sega Smash Pack for Game Boy Advance, among others).If you’re intrigued about Spinball, the game’s excellent soundtrack is reason enough to check it out, and the bonus stages, in which Sonic stands at a pinball table and watches his reflection in the glass, are still very cool.
Games 37. Thunder Force II (MD)
- 6.35
- Profile
Developed by Technosoft; Published by SEGA
Date of Initial Publication: August 14, 1989 (USA) / 1990 (UK/EU)
Technosoft’s Thunder Force II was one of the first games for the Mega Drive to be released in the United States, and it was a sequel to the original game from 1983. This shmup features a top-down free-moving view and a side-scrolling view over its many stages. Those interested in shooters or the Thunder Force franchise should check out Thunder Force II, even though the sequels are unquestionably superior.
Games 36. Columns (MD)
- 6.36
- Evaluation 6/10
- Profile
Developers and publishers: SEGA
Date of Initial Publication: December 4, 2006 (USA) / December 15, 2006 (UK/EU)
Available on: NSO and Add-On
When Columns originally came out, it caused a lot of controversy. After Nintendo released their portable Game Boy and its own version of the puzzle game Tetris, Sega rushed to market with Columns, hoping it would be as successful as Tetris.
The basic game play is as simple as it gets: line up three gems of the same colour to eliminate them, and then watch as more gems fall in stacks of three that you can rearrange before they hit the ground. It verges on hypnotic at times, and if you let yourself become absorbed, it can be rather interesting. Unfortunately, the category as a whole has evolved over the years, and Columns lacks the timeless replay value of Tetris.
Games 35. Ecco The Dolphin (MD)
- 6.36
- Evaluation 7/10
- Profile
Developer: Novotrade International; Published by SEGA
Date of Publication: November 28, 2006 (USA) / December 8, 2006 (UK/EU)
In a market saturated with ‘tude-filled, console war fodder, Ecco the Dolphin stood out as something of an outlier when it was released. The game follows the protagonist, a dolphin, as he works to protect the aquatic ecosystem from human interference. While the game’s aesthetics and general concept may have been superior to the implementation here, we still fondly remember Ecco’s adventures and the video game’s atmosphere, which was both soothing and unsettling.
Games 34. Light Crusader (MD)
- 6.57
- Evaluation 7/10
- Profile
Developer: Novotrade International; Published by SEGA
Date of Publication: November 28, 2006 (USA) / December 8, 2006 (UK/EU)
In a market saturated with ‘tude-filled, console war fodder, Ecco the Dolphin stood out as something of an outlier when it was released. The game follows the protagonist, a dolphin, as he works to protect the aquatic ecosystem from human interference. While the game’s aesthetics and general concept may have been superior to the implementation here, we still fondly remember Ecco’s adventures and the video game’s atmosphere, which was both soothing and unsettling.