The Sega Genesis, while not as commercially successful as the Super NES, is one of the most memorable game consoles of the 90’s. Between its 16-bit graphics and incredible titles, Sega’s system introduced an entire generation to some iconic characters. Let’s celebrate it by listing the top 10 best Sega Genesis characters.
This list will break a few rules by featuring two characters in some slots. As you’ll see, they complement each other to the point that you can’t think of one without the other. Chances are, you might already be thinking of one of these duos just from that description alone. With that out of the way, let’s dive in to these picks.
10. Casey (Kid Chameleon)
There was always that trope that reality and the digital world would one day collide. Naturally, that coincides nicely with every gamer’s dream to be a hero and save the day. Putting his gamer skills to the test, Casey (AKA Kid Chameleon) set out to save the other patrons of his local arcade from being further abducted by the boss of this malfunctioning game machine. Sure, the game is quite a breeze, but Casey’s many power-ups give him more personality than his 90’s attitude might suggest.
9. Robo and Mobo (The Bonanza Bros.)
Typically, we don’t condone crimes, but there’s a weird charm that Robo and Mobo have while performing their heists. Also, having a bounty on their heads for $100 seems comically low for two brothers who get away on their giant blimp. This obvious parody of the Blues Brothers as little bean dudes makes these 16-bit getaways much more enjoyable.
8. Joe Musashi (Shinobi)
Nintendo had Ryu Hayabusa, but Sega had Joe Musashi. We got our fix of extremely tough ninja games during the fourth generation with the Shinobi games. He can and does take down the evil crime group Zeed from bringing Japan back into a time of civil war. Also, he’s a ninja.
7. Ristar (Ristar)
There’s something captivating about the simple premise of games in the earlier eras of gaming. With Ristar, you have a memorable character who never got any additional sequels, yet still appears in all the Sega compilation games that come out every now and then. Also, I’d love to own some Ristar-themed boots with that white and yellow Thunderbolt design going.
6. Toejam and Earl (Toejam and Earl)
This duo is the epitome of 16-bit vibes. Toejam and Earl were just out cruising in space when all of a sudden, Earl was a bit too reckless and caused them to crash land on Earth. Plus, who wants to be stuck on Earth when you can live in a place called Funkotron? Sign me up! I’ll help them rebuild their ship so I can sit in the back and be taken there.
5. Flicky (Flicky)
Before Flicky became that notable blue bird you sometimes see in Sonic the Hedgehog titles, she had her own standalone game on the Sega Genesis. The goal is simple enough: Roam around in several different levels and pick up the yellow Chirps. Flicky doesn’t necessarily paint the enemy cats or lizards in the best light, but at least protecting birds is a worthy cause.
4. Sketch Turner (Comix Zone)
Conceptually, this game was a banger. I think any creative person can relate to Sketch Turner. He’s just trying to make it as a comic book artist and gets so engrossed in his work that it almost kills him in a way. On the other hand, the game is a twisted metaphor for taking risks in your passion to get the ending you want in life. It’s up to interpretation, really.
3. Vectorman (Vectorman)
The iconic, green, 16-bit robot wants nothing to do with tyranny and just wants to do good. He’s just trying to de-pollute the earth to save humanity. That does mean he’ll have to engage in combat and have to take down his own to do so, though. He’ll just have to set his phasers from clean to lethal.
2. Eddie “Skate” Hunter (Streets of Rage 2)
Though Streets of Rage‘s Adam is absent from the game’s sequel, his younger brother Skate takes his spot. He’s a lot different than his sibling in terms of gameplay, since he’s essentially half his size and a lot more agile. Gameplay aside, he’s just a kid who can take down endless waves of bad guys while doing so on his trusty pair of skates. Either he’s really good at hand-to-hand combat or Mr. X needs to hire better criminals.
1. Knuckles (Sonic 3 & Knuckles)
Originally seen as a villain and a thorn in Sonic’s side in the Genesis era, there’s a lot of character growth and redemption that gives Knuckles the number-one spot in this list. He was tricked by Dr. Robotnik into thinking that Sonic was a bad guy, but he eventually realizes the truth and helps our hero in the end. Knuckles is loyal to protecting the Master Emerald and can be a bit hot-headed at times. But despite it all, the Echidna has since become one of the hedgehog’s closest friends and one of the most memorable characters in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
