Sega Genesis

No video game is complete without the assistance of

power-ups. These weapons and attacks make games

unique and increase the "fun factor". These are a few

of my most memorable, in no particular order.










Sonic the Hedgehog 2



Let's jump right in with an obvious pick. "Super Sonic" was a great addition to the franchise, with his ridiculous flying speed and cool "super saiyan-esque" hair. That is of course, if you collect all of the chaos emeralds and get fifty rings. Unforgettable if you were a 90's gamer.



Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3



Speaking of 90's games........."Mortal Kombat" was a staple fighting game back then and part III was the best of the series. So many great memories of finishing moves and wicked attacks. A personal favorite was the rotating buzz-saw "Kabal" would summon and slice you to shreds. However, when it came down to pure action and downright violent weapons.....to me........."Stryker" stood out with his "gun attack". Nothing like squeezing off a few rounds from the "heater" to keep rivals in check.





Castlevania: Bloodlines



In the Sega installment of "Castlevania", playing as "Eric Lecarde" granted you the ability to use his very versatile and quite unique "alcarde spear". Who thought it possible to do pogo high jumps with a deadly weapon? Not me, but I was glad that I got the chance instead of swinging from the rafters with "John's" tired-ass "vampire killer" whip.





Street Fighter II: Champion Edition



A simple attack that will forever be engraved in my mind. Quarter circle forward + punch = fireball a.k.a. "HADOUKEN"! Playing with the "shotokan" duo of "Ryu" or "Ken" ensured you could easily keep players in check with the forementioned attack. "Sagat" tends to abuse it too much.





Strider



Weilding his razor sharp "cypher", the hero "Strider Hiryu", must combat evil in Europe and Asia. Sure, there is a robot, panther and hawk power-up that aids you in your battles. However, nothing is sweeter that getting the sword upgrade and seeing that sexy metallic wave of destruction. Take that you commie scum!





Altered Beast



If you own a Genesis than I am quite confident that you have played, or are familiar with this game. You are a greek warrior who gets orbs that change you into different beasts, like a wolf, tiger, bear and.........dragon??! The "thunder dragon" is a fun morph because he can fly and emit a lightning-like force field. It makes the level a lot more enjoyable. The "golden werewolf" was also a cool power-up albeit later in the game.





Golden Axe



From one dragon to another. "Golden Axe" was a fun beat-em up game back in the 80's. Besides normal attacks you had a special magic power-ups that called out assists. By far the most memorable for any Sega fan was the "dragon flame" assist. When the appropriate amount of magic vials were collected the "amazon woman" would summon a dragon to breathe fire onto the screen. Freaking gnarly!!





X-Men



In "X-Men" you can call for help from "Storm", "Rogue", "Iceman", and "Archangel". In addition, "Jean Grey" was also there to help players who fall off screen. "Archangel" had my personal favorite assist attack. He would do multiple passes on the screen each time throwing projectiles at enemies. I couldn't find a picture of the attack, though I am sure you probably have seen him in action before.





Michael Jackson's Moonwalker



I never said it had to be a favorite.......just memorable.
"Michael Jackson's" "dance attack". Nuff' said.





Shadow Dancer: The Secret of the Shinobi



The pet dog "Yamato" was a sweet addition to this "Shinobi" sequel. By pressing down and the attack button your dog would leap at enemies. If he got hurt he would revert into a puppy. A great weapon to get by certain tough guys.





Streets of Rage



In this game each character had a specific "cop assist" which you could call on for help when you get in a jam. I prefer "Adam's" attack the best though all are formidable weapons. Since when did the police use rocket/missle launchers?





Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist



"Leonardo's" "spin slash" special move was crucial for me when playing "TMNT" for Sega. It's really hard to pick a favorite but he had a good range attack and "Don" was my friends favorite turtle.





Decap Attack



As "Chuck D. Head" you had the ability to throw your skull or attack from your stomach. I prefered the "skull toss". A very original weapon for the Sega Genesis.






Ecco the Dolphin



"Ecco" can carry a tune like "Celine Dion"..........well....... not really. By using "Ecco's" "sonar-like singing" you could get energy, avoid enemies and get an upgraded attack later in the game. A hard game but very memorable for its free roaming levels. Ahhhh, my heart will go on........





WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game



There were a lot of cool moves in this wrasslin' game like "Doink the Clowns" "joybuzzer attack" and "Yokozuna's" "salt throw". "The Undertaker" had the sweet "combo finish". He would make the fallen opponenet rise and a coffin would ascend from the canvas. He would then send the opponent into the coffin......I guess to steal his soul or something. A fun beat-em up title.





Ghouls n' Ghosts
cane




It's all about the "golden armor" weapon upgrades. This game is ridiculous without the assistance.





Kid Chameleon



This game had a ton of transformations like the "Iron Knight, "Berzerker" and the Jason Vorhees-esque "Maniaxe". The "Red Stealth" helmet was always my favorite which granted you Samurai powers. A fun underrated game.





NBA Jam Tournament Edition



"NBA Jam" was already a great game before the codes and secret characters like "Air Dog" and "Will Smith". However, when remembering my favorite power-up it had to be be the "Bill Clinton" code. Only one man could lead a country and a "fast-break" in the 90's and it was William Jefferson Clinton. If only I could turn back time.......







To be continued in......


The Art of War: Volume III