Ranking by platform

The best games on Mega Drive.

93 games compete in this selection. Streets of Rage 2 tops it with 1,870 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Streets of Rage 2 1992 · Beat 'em up 1,870
  2. 2 Gunstar Heroes 1993 · Platformer 1,788
  3. 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 1991 · Platformer 1,777
  4. 4 Mortal Kombat II 1994 · Fighting 1,755
  5. 5 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1992 · Platformer 1,752
  6. 6 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 1994 · Platformer 1,748
  7. 7 Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium 1993 · JRPG 1,735
  8. 8 The Lion King 1994 · Platformer 1,617
  9. 9 Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty 1992 · Strategy 1,609
  10. 10 Earthworm Jim 2 1995 · Platformer 1,601
  11. 11 Rocket Knight Adventures 1993 · Platformer 1,567
  12. 12 Theme Park 1994 · Strategy 1,555
  13. 13 Mortal Kombat 3 1995 · Fighting 1,552
  14. 14 Disney's The Jungle Book 1994 · Platformer 1,550
  15. 15 Comix Zone 1995 · Beat 'em up 1,549
  16. 16 Sonic & Knuckles 1994 · Platformer 1,545
  17. 17 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 1995 · Fighting 1,541
  18. 18 Zombies Ate My Neighbors 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,540
  19. 19 Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage 1994 · Fighting 1,534
  20. 20 Samurai Shodown 1993 · Fighting 1,520
  21. 21 Castlevania: Bloodlines 1994 · Platformer 1,511
  22. 22 NBA Jam 1993 · Sports 1,509
  23. 23 Super Star Wars 1992 · Platformer 1,506
  24. 24 Road Rash II 1992 · Racing 1,499
  25. 25 Dynamite Headdy 1994 · Platformer 1,492
  26. 26 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The HyperStone Heist 1992 · Beat 'em up 1,488
  27. 27 Golden Axe II 1991 · Beat 'em up 1,487
  28. 28 Worms 1995 · Strategy 1,486
  29. 29 Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf 1992 · Shoot 'em up 1,484
  30. 30 Batman Returns 1992 · Platformer 1,483
  31. 31 Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master 1993 · Platformer 1,481
  32. 32 Road Rash 1991 · Racing 1,480
  33. 33 Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse 1990 · Platformer 1,478
  34. 34 Disney's Aladdin 1993 · Platformer 1,476
  35. 35 Marble Madness 1984 · Puzzle 1,475
  36. 36 Shining Force 1992 · JRPG 1,474
  37. 37 Earthworm Jim 1994 · Platformer 1,473
  38. 38 Ecco the Dolphin 1992 · Action-adventure 1,472
  39. 39 World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck 1992 · Platformer 1,464
  40. 40 Taz-Mania 1992 · Platformer 1,463
  41. 41 Primal Rage 1994 · Fighting 1,463
  42. 42 Flashback: The Quest for Identity 1992 · Platformer 1,459
  43. 43 Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind 1993 · Platformer 1,459
  44. 44 The Revenge of Shinobi 1989 · Platformer 1,457
  45. 45 Alien Storm 1990 · Beat 'em up 1,455
  46. 46 Rock n' Roll Racing 1993 · Racing 1,454
  47. 47 Golden Axe III 1993 · Beat 'em up 1,453
  48. 48 R.C. Pro-Am 1988 · Racing 1,452
  49. 49 Sonic 3D Blast 1996 · Platformer 1,446
  50. 50 Zool: Ninja of the Nth Dimension 1992 · Platformer 1,444
  51. 51 X-Men 1993 · Fighting 1,442
  52. 52 ToeJam & Earl 1991 · Roguelite 1,441
  53. 53 Ristar 1995 · Platformer 1,440
  54. 54 Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame 1993 · Platformer 1,440
  55. 55 Kid Chameleon 1992 · Platformer 1,438
  56. 56 International Superstar Soccer Deluxe 1995 · Sports 1,436
  57. 57 Fatal Fury 1991 · Fighting 1,434
  58. 58 Fatal Fury 2 1992 · Fighting 1,434
  59. 59 VectorMan 1995 · Platformer 1,433
  60. 60 Contra: Hard Corps 1994 · Platformer 1,432
  61. 61 The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare 1992 · Platformer 1,430
  62. 62 Columns 1990 · Puzzle 1,430
  63. 63 Michael Jackson's Moonwalker 1990 · Platformer 1,426
  64. 64 Streets of Rage 1991 · Beat 'em up 1,424
  65. 65 The Punisher 1993 · Beat 'em up 1,412
  66. 66 Beyond Oasis 1994 · Action-adventure 1,403
  67. 67 Alien Soldier 1995 · Platformer 1,401
  68. 68 Cannon Fodder 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,400
  69. 69 Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure 1994 · Platformer 1,397
  70. 70 Jurassic Park 1993 · Platformer 1,393
  71. 71 Captain America and the Avengers 1991 · Beat 'em up 1,392
  72. 72 Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament 1994 · Racing 1,386
  73. 73 Strider 1989 · Platformer 1,385
  74. 74 Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball 1993 · Arcade 1,384
  75. 75 Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure 1993 · Platformer 1,382
  76. 76 Alien 3 1992 · Platformer 1,381
  77. 77 The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants 1991 · Platformer 1,380
  78. 78 QuackShot Starring Donald Duck 1991 · Platformer 1,379
  79. 79 Turrican 1990 · Platformer 1,379
  80. 80 Jungle Strike 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,379
  81. 81 Urban Strike: The Sequel to Jungle Strike 1994 · Shoot 'em up 1,366
  82. 82 Art of Fighting 1992 · Fighting 1,364
  83. 83 FIFA International Soccer 1993 · Sports 1,360
  84. 84 Populous 1989 · Strategy 1,351
  85. 85 Shadow of the Beast 1989 · Platformer 1,348
  86. 86 Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle 1989 · Platformer 1,348
  87. 87 Super Hang-On 1987 · Racing 1,346
  88. 88 Cool Spot 1993 · Platformer 1,344
  89. 89 Shining Force II 1993 · JRPG 1,340
  90. 90 James Pond 2: Codename - RoboCod 1991 · Platformer 1,339
  91. 91 Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure 1994 · Platformer 1,330
  92. 92 Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine 1993 · Puzzle 1,325
  93. 93 Caveman Ninja 1991 · Platformer 1,297

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

Other rankings

Greatest Master System games Best games on Saturn Best games on Dreamcast Best games on Mega-CD

In detail

The best games on Mega Drive, what this ranking says

Streets of Rage 2 leads this selection with 1,870 ELO points, ahead of Gunstar Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog. The 93 games competing in it have played 9,999 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 93
Duels played by those games 9,999
Game in the lead Streets of Rage 2 (1992)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,870
Point gap between 1st and 10th 269
Best represented genre Platformer
Last reading November 3, 2026

The best game of every genre on Mega Drive

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best game of every genre on Mega Drive
Genre Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
Beat 'em up 9 Streets of Rage 2 1,870 164
Platformer 46 Gunstar Heroes 1,788 95
Fighting 10 Mortal Kombat II 1,755 274
Shoot 'em up 5 Zombies Ate My Neighbors 1,540 102
Racing 6 Road Rash II 1,499 84

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 91 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Super Star Wars +57 1,506
Sonic 3D Blast +56 1,446
Comix Zone +41 1,549

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Road Rash Mortal Kombat 3 3 67%
Mortal Kombat II Samurai Shodown 3 67%

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best game on Mega Drive?

According to community votes, the best game on Mega Drive is Streets of Rage 2, with 1,870 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Gunstar Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many games on Mega Drive are ranked?

93 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 9,999 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which game on Mega Drive is climbing right now?

Super Star Wars is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 57 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 91 games in the selection moved.

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