If you'd like to try general action games as well:

• Gunstar Heroes
• Strider
• Final Fight CD
• Contra Hard Corps
• Streets of Rage 1-2

Also try Snatcher on Sega CD.

Other thoughts:

1. I'll just note that Phantasy Star III, even if it is older-school grindy at times, is a really interesting take on multi-generational epic storytelling. I like it more than Phantasy Star IV.
2. Night Trap on the Sega CD is interesting to play around with for an hour just to see what FMV games in the 90s meant, for some interesting bad late 80s/early 90s acting, and to remember that was all it took to cause a national panic for awhile.

adding some i always found unique or interesting

• Flashback
• Cyborg Justice
• Ecco the Dolphin
• James Pond
• road rash
• Skitchin'
• General Chaos
• streets of rage (i liked 2 the most)
• Combat Cars
• Bonanza brothers
• World of illusion
• Quackshot
• Sunset Riders
• Action Fighter (i swear this isn't a fighting game, it's about evolving motor vehicles)

Desert, jungle and urban strike

To add to others’ suggestions:

• Road Rash 1-3
• Micro Machines 2
• Lotus Turbo Challenge 1 & 2
• Truxton
• Bonanza Bros
• Ristar
• Aladdin
• Gunstar Heroes

If you leave Saturn and Dreamcast off your list then you're really missing out.

Vectorman 1 & 2

how about Sega Saturn? Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the best JRPGs ever. Don't mistake it for Panzer Dragoon 1 and 2, those are rail shooters and you don't need to play them. Also Dreamcast has some really good RPGs, I love Grandia 2

Master System:

Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap Rastan Kenseiden Alex Kidd in Shinobi World Psycho Fox Fantasy Zone R-Type Mickey Mouse castle of illusion Donald Duck Asterix

Sports Games

Well, I have bad news for you about a significant fraction of the Genesis' library...

Some other decent Genesis/Megadrive titles I can think of off the top of my head: Gunstar Heroes, Vectorman, Megaman: The Wily Wars, Zero Wing (for the memes), Aladdin (which was a completely different and vastly superior game to its SNES coutnerpart), Blaster Master 2, Contra: Hard Corps, Ecco the Dolphin and its sequels, Jurassic Park, and probably loads of others I'm forgetting.

The Saturn is notable for having Radiant Silvergun locked to it, in Japan only no less, and I don't think that title was ported or rereleased at all until the XBox 360 version. It's the precursor to Ikaruga, which is itself on the Dreamcast.

If you're into shmups, the Dreamcast is kind of a holy grail. It also has the first two Shenmue games on it.

Alas basically everything on the Sega CD is crap with few exceptions. I will probably surprise my readership by mentioning that I think Sonic CD is not one of them, as its easily the weakest of the classic Sonic titles. It has some cult favorites that are so bad they're good, though, infamously including Night Trap, Time Gal, Corpse Killer, Sewer Shark, etc. For games on it that don't suck, don't forget that the first two Lunar games originated there, there's Popful Mail, Keio Flying Squadron, Snatcher, etc.

The 32X is an interesting novelty but I'm not certain there's a single compelling title in the entire library. Which, admittedly, is only something like 30 games.

Splatterhouse 1 & 2 (1986)

Alienstorm

A couple interesting ones that I remember:

• Haunting starring polterguy
• Jurassic Park
• Aladdin
• Ghostbusters
• Castle of illusion starring Mickey mouse
• Road Rash 2 (maybe it doesn't hold up these days)

You have to do Phantasy Star Online! I mean, the Dreamcast version at this point has a lot less in it (and is fucken hardcore dont die with your favorite weapon in your hands!) but PSO is absolutely a legendary RPG title you should experience if you are a fan. Controls are clunky as fuck by today's standards.

I can't believe no one has seconded Landstalker.

Seriously, give Landstalker a shot.

I enjoyed Space Harrier on the Master System. I'll see if I can find my cartridges to see if there are others that I'd recommend.

Definitely Toejam and Earl. After the Sonic games those were the ones that we played most often on Genesis. First one is frustrating but entertaining and you will learn to hate cupid and hula dancers. The second one has kids mode where you can't die so you can play with all the ways you can die before you challenge it in normal mode.

This is the first "What should I play on early Sega?" thread that already has almost all my favourites. In fact, many of them are in OP's list. But to reiterate some added by other commenters:

• The "Strike" games (Jungle, Desert, and Urban)
• Flashback (I agree that the MegaCD version is the best single version, but the fan community has been building a Frankenstein's monster from the best parts of every version; I forgot the name of the project)
• Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS)
• Wonderboy in Monster World (MD)
• Quackshot (MD)
• Rock 'n' Roll Racing (MD)
• Sunset Riders (MD)

I don't think anyone's yet mentioned:

• The Immortal (MD)
• Golden Axe Warrior (SMS)
• Arcus Odyssey (MD)
• The Lost Vikings (MD, although I played the PC version back in the day)
• Micro Machines (MD)
• Crack Down (MD)
• Gain Ground (MD)
• Alien 3 (MD)
• Addams Family Values (MD)
• Monster World IV (MD, although I haven't actually played it yet)

And a few more that I'm fond of, but I either can't remember them clearly (other than that I enjoyed them at the time), or I'm aware that I can't separate fact from nostalgia, so YMMV:

• Sword of Vermilion (MD)
• Light Crusader (MD)
• Robocop vs Terminator (MD)
• Predator 2 (MD)
• Cosmic Spacehead (MD)
• D&D Warriors of the Eternal Sun (MD)
• Atomic Runner (MD)
• Techno Cop (MD)

An honourable mention to Cadash (MD), which is a solid attempt at a port but sadly can't really hold a candle to the arcade original.

Starflight was excellent on Genesis.

Sword of Vermillion was my first ever RPG, took me literal years to beat as a dumbass kid. I enjoyed it tho.

Ecco the Dolphin 1 and 2 are works of art, but rather challenging. Still recommended tho.

ESWAT was a fun platformer shooter jetpack enjoyment thingy

These are all Genesis suggestions:

• Rocket Knight Adventures
• Sparkster
• Shinobi III
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
• Rock n' Roll Racing
• Thunder Force III
• Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (aka Thunder Force IV)
• Dynamite Headdy
• Ranger X
• Gaiares
• Gargoyles
• Eliminate Down
• Alien Soldier
• Chakaan
• Dragon's Fury
• Sonic Spinball (if you like pinball games, you might like this)

Weren't the Earthworm Jim games also on SNES? Or are the Sega versions different? Like Shadowrun on Genesis is a TOTALLY different game than Shadowrun on the SNES.

Anyway, I don't see Ecco on your list. That's a good one.

The uhhhh Shinobi games. Mega Turrican. Chakan, if you enjoy a challenge. Edit: Streets of Rage

Definitely Shining Force 2. 1 is more linear, and while It plays very similar it kind of stinks you lack freedom to roam around the world wherever you want.

Vectorman is a great platformer.

The sonic games are some of the best things, along with fighting games from that era. Other than that Rolling Thunder 2 was a good port of an arcade side scroll shooter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakan:_The_Forever_Man

Wonder Boy in Monster World! Fuck! I loved that game so much!

It’s like a Zeldavania RPG, is the best I could describe it. Can’t remember the story for shit, but I played the balls off of that game. A bit grindy, but that is part of the appeal.

Loved altered beast in the arcade

If you like rpgs, Skies of Arcadia was pretty fun on Dreamcast.

If you're going to play Ys then I'd recommend the TurboGrafx CD version over the Master System version.

As for Sega games, Wonder Boy in Monster World is really good. Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap is also good, although the remake from a few years ago is pretty much a top-to-bottom improvement so I'd go for that version.

Starflight for the Genesis would be another recommendation.

shadow run is the rom I still download and play. it used the actual shadow run rules. if they had let you choose starting race, equipment, and skills instead of just 3 classes it would be massive.

Golvelius, Zillion, and Psycho Fox on Master System. All are excellent examples of their respective genres.

I think bug was my favorite sega game. Simple as fuck, but so fun

For SMS, I loved playing Outrun, The Ninja, Shinobi, Kung-Fu Kid, and Time Soldiers. I had a Master System while all my friends had NES. Still love my SMS to this day!

For Genesis, Shadow Dancer, Revenge of Shinobi, and Warsong was some of my faves. For Sega CD, definitely the Lunar games (The Silver Star and Eternal Blue)

I've mainly played Fighting Games on the Saturn, but Magic Knight Rayearth was a good RPG, IIRC.

For Dreamcast, Tokyo Xtreme Racer blends racing games and RPG games beautifully. Definitely worth playing.

I've gotta vouch for Sega Marine Fishing. Might be the best fishing game I've ever played.

Sega CD:

Snatcher, The Terminator, Flashback (best version), Rise of the Dragon (best version), The Adventures of Willy Beamish, Dracula Unleashed

Some additions to your list above. BTW I list Streets of Rage too, because you have Golden Axe and Comix Zone listed. Those aren't fighting games. Some games are better on SNES, like Zombies Ate My Neighbors, so I don't recommend it here.

Genesis / Mega Drive - Must Haves:

• Streets of Rage 1+2+3
• Thunder Force 3+4 (4 is also known as Lightening Force)
• Shinobi 3 - Return of the Ninja Master
• Dragon's Fury (also known as Devil's Crash) + Dragon's Revenge
• Gunstar Heroes
• Alien Soldier

Genesis / Mega Drive RPG / Adventure:

• Shining in the Darkness
• Wonder Boy in Monster Lair

Genesis / Mega Drive - More:

• Aladdin
• Adventures of Batman & Robin
• Mega Turrican
• Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
• Splatterhouse 2+3
• Virtua Racing
• World of Illusion Starring Mickey MOuse and Donald Duck
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist

I think Suidoken fits here? Heard a lot of good press about it and I’ve enjoyed the little I’ve played so far. Originally a PS1 game but the ROM I have is for a Sega system, Wikipedia says it was Sega Saturn.

THE AVENGERS

You missed Ristar, which is an awesome one

General Chaos!

Surprised nobody mentioned this, but Herzog Zwei for Genesis is considered the predecessor of modern RTS and MOBA games. It's worth checking out!

Shining force games are great, but I'd argue better on an emulator to speed things up a bit. If you get stuck anywhere due to being under-leveled, just start a battle and egress before the end to repeat it.

I mostly otherwise played sonic and the like. I could never get my hands on phantasy star for some reason, so never really got into it, though it seems to be right up my alley.

dreamcast had the best versions of: spider-man, and star wars episode 1 jedi power battles