The SEGA Genesis, launched in North America in 1989, is a 16-bit residence online game console. Because the third residence console launched by Sega, the Genesis is famend as probably the most beloved gaming platforms of the Nineties, rivaling the success of giant manufacturers of the time like Nintendo.
The Genesis’ iconic video games catalog has ensured its standing as an iconic piece of gaming historical past, encouraging many to construct collections of outdated SEGA Genesis video games. Listed here are the high 10 rarest and most beneficial SEGA Genesis video games, and the way a lot they might value you to choose up.
All the costs listed beneath are courtesy of PriceCharting. A sport’s new worth refers to how a lot it could value to choose up a model new, sealed copy of the sport. In the meantime, a sport’s “Free Value” refers to how a lot it could value to purchase a used copy of simply the sport itself. Entries are listed so as from lowest to highest primarily based on their “new” costs.
10. Splatterhouse 3
$716 New | $78 Used
The unique Splatterhouse was a violent beat-em-up model arcade sport printed by Namco in 1988, impressed by the inflow of American horror and slasher movies that had been well-liked within the 80s. Whereas the primary Splatterhouse was solely ported to PC, the sport’s subsequent sequels Splatterhouse 2 and three had been each launched on the SEGA Genesis.
Though the Splatterhouse video games had been actually well-liked, their manufacturing numbers weren’t helped by the graphic nature of the video games. This, together with the collectible nature of the sequence itself, has made new copies of Splatterhouse video games fairly costly. Moreover, Splatterhouse 3 was the one sport within the sequence to be launched in North America first quite than Europe, so its more and more restricted manufacturing numbers within the States have made it even rarer.
9. Paprium Restricted Version
$727 New | $282 Used
Paprium stands out from different video games on this checklist as its rarity just isn’t a product of time; Paprium is a side-scrolling beat-em-up launched for the SEGA Genesis in 2020 by WaterMelon, as the results of a 2012 crowd-funding marketing campaign. After a number of years of delay, the sport was lastly launched with each a “Basic” version and a “Restricted” version.
The restricted version options paintings mimicking later-era North American Genesis sport releases, and a decrease amount of them had been produced than the basic model. In 2021, WaterMelon introduced that every one copies that they had produced of the sport had offered out, which has led to the extraordinarily excessive value for each new and used variations of the sport.
8. Aero the Acro-Bat 2
$740 new | $88 Used
Aero the Acro-Bat is the second sport within the platforming sequence developed by Iguana Leisure in 1994, starring the winged protagonist Aero as he explores varied worlds in an effort to halt the evil plans of Edgar Ektor and his henchman Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel.
The sport is a component of a bigger sequence together with the unique Aero the Acro-Bat, in addition to spin-off video games starring Zero, making it interesting to collectors excited about proudly owning the complete sequence. However very similar to lots of the different video games on this checklist, Aero the Acro-Bat 2’s excessive worth level comes from the sport’s rarity, as time has resulted in copies of the Aero sequel being onerous to trace down.
7. Elemental Grasp
$740 New | $103 Used
Elemental Grasp is a auto scrolling shooter developed by TechnoSoft in Japan in 1990, releasing in North America three years later. The sport was launched to extraordinarily optimistic evaluations, and remains to be beloved by followers for its easy but addictive gameplay mechanics, in addition to its timeless synth rock soundtrack.
Elemental Grasp is arguably probably the most iconic shooters of the SEGA Genesis period, and copies of it may be extraordinarily tough to seek out within the wild. Thus, new copies of the sport could be offered for as much as practically $750, whereas a used copy can go for over $100.
6. The Punisher
$837 New | $107 Used
The Punisher is a 1993 beat-em-up arcade sport by Capcom that was ported to the SEGA Genesis a yr later. The sport stars Marvel Comics’ The Punisher, in addition to different iconic Marvel characters like S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury. The Genesis port of The Punisher was launched to combined evaluations because it suffered from poor gross sales, a downgrade in graphics and sound high quality from the unique arcade model, much less on-screen enemies and content material.
The console port additionally censored a few of the extra taboo features of the arcade model, resembling eradicating extra violent scenes, eradicating an animation of Nick Fury smoking a cigar, and including extra garments to beforehand scantily-clad feminine enemies.
The sport’s lukewarm reception makes it no shock that copies are usually not plentiful these days. Nonetheless, Marvel characters like Fury stay popular culture icons even right this moment, making the sport enticing to Marvel followers and Genesis collectors alike.
5. Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel
$935 New | $135 Used
As talked about earlier within the checklist, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is a spin-off sport of the Aero the Acro-Bat sequence. The sport was launched in 1994 alongside Aero the Acro-Bat 2, and follows the identical occasions from the attitude of Zero as a substitute of Aero.
As a spin-off sport, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel was even much less well-liked than his bat counterpart, and this lack of recognition upon launch has led to few copies of the sport remaining. In relation to this, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is the toughest sport to seek out of the Aero trilogy, resulting in its extraordinarily excessive worth level of over $900 for a brand new copy.
4. Spider-Man and Venom: Most Carnage [Collectors Edition]
$1357 New | $260 Used
Spider-Man and Venom: Most Carnage is a side-scrolling beat-em-up developed by Software program Creations in 1994. The sport is predicated off the 14-part comedian guide crossover sequence printed by Marvel in 1993, which stars the legendary duo Spider-Man and Venom, in addition to a plethora of different iconic Marvel characters together with Captain America, Black Cat, Iron Fist, Morbius, and extra.
Solely 5000 copies of the Collector’s Version had been ever made. This version features a beautiful purple and black field that includes the title of the sport, a purple leather-based hardcover model of the comedian, and the sport itself. The rarity of the collector’s version, high quality and aesthetic attraction of the content material it comes with, in addition to the long-lasting characters that star within the sport clarify why new variations of this version can simply promote for over $1000.
3. MUSHA
$1938 New | $300 Used
MUSHA is a scrolling shooter developed by Compile and launched for the SEGA Genesis in 1990. Gamers take management of a flying mecha pilot tasked with destroying a supercomputer bent on destroying Earth. MUSHA was launched at a time when scrolling shooters for the Genesis had been being launched en masse, and gamers had been discovering themselves a bit worn out with the style. Thus, MUSHA’s reception was unremarkable on the time.
Nonetheless, the sport’s notion has gotten more and more optimistic as time has handed, with a powerful soundtrack and graphics thought-about forward of the sport’s time. The standard of MUSHA as a sport itself is a big contributor to its value, as its difficult but addictive fight has made it a Genesis fan-favorite. This accompanied with the sport’s preliminary poor gross sales efficiency clarify its extraordinarily excessive present worth level.
2. Crusader of Centy
$3089 New | $472 Used
Crusader of Centy is an action-adventure sport developed by Nextech and printed by Sega and Atlus for the SEGA Genesis. The sport options an overhead perspective of the primary character Corona, who should combat enemies, remedy puzzles, and discover the world round him alongside a number of animal allies (every with their very own particular skills). The sport was initially launched in Japan in 1994, then in Europe and North America the next yr.
Very similar to different video games on his checklist, Crusader of Centy noticed poor gross sales upon its preliminary launch, nonetheless it was praised extremely by critics for each its gameplay and graphics. The sport was later found as a hidden gem by collectors, and its technical achievements in addition to bodily rarity have made it probably the most costly video games on the SEGA Genesis right this moment.
1. Outback Joey
N/A New | $5441 Used
Outback Joey stands out from the remainder of the video games on this checklist, not simply due to its outrageous worth level at over $5000. It was developed by Western Applied sciences as a way of using the HeartBeat Catalyst — a third-party train add-on for the SEGA Genesis that included body-mounted health sensors that tracked coronary heart price, movement, and sweat ranges.
The sport stars the kangaroo boxer Joey as he adventures by means of the Australian Outback to save lots of his pals from poachers. Gamers must exercise and regulate their coronary heart price in actual life to assist Joey progress by means of his journey — if the participant’s coronary heart price received too excessive or low, Joey would grow to be exhausted or torpid, stopping him from leaping correctly to finish the extent.
Outback Joey and the HeartBeat Catalyst had been solely offered collectively, and solely 1000 items had been ever produced, resulting in the sport itself being thought-about misplaced media for a few years. This has made each Outback Joey and the HeartBeat Catalyst a few of the rarest items of SEGA Genesis historical past in existence, to the purpose the place new or full variations of the sport are nearly unattainable to trace down.