At one point, Sega was the king of the arcades. Almost all of their home console games originated in the arcades and what is more arcadey than a fast-paced, white-knuckled shoot em’ up? Not much, as they steal quarters quickly, create a lot of noise, and are overall sensory overload.

Thanks to the blast processing included in the wonderful Sega Genesis, bringing home excellent shoot em’ ups was easier than ever. The fast processing speed of the Genesis made it a very fitting place for fast arcade action, especially when compared to the more graphic oriented Super Nintendo Entertainment System. As a way to give a small glimpse into the great library of shoot em’ ups on the system, we have gathered 10 that we feel really stand out.

10 Steel Empire

Unlike most shoot em’ ups that take place in space, Steel Empire has a more contemporary setting with a steampunk aesthetic. The game takes place in the late 19th century allowing you to take control of a fighter plane or a zeppelin.

You can fire either in front of you or behind you, and the game is designed around it, sending enemies from both directions. The setting for this game offers a completely unique experience on the console and it also helps that it is really fun and has great visuals.

9 Gaiares

Gaiares may look like your run of the mill space shoot em’ up with the space setting and the somewhat bland art style. However, similar to R-Type, you can shoot out your options to attack enemies but when you make contact you steal their weapons which takes place of the power-up system found in most other shoot em’ ups.

Not only does the game have some excellent gameplay but here is also an interesting anime story going on with some cut scenes dispersed here and there to tell the story.

8 Wings of Wor

Wings of Wor is set in a dark medieval world where you battle grotesque creatures as a gallant knight. The game creates a dark atmosphere with its choice of color and the creepy enemy design that is seen even in the smallest of enemies.

Wings of Wor has great use of parallax scrolling effects that help give the dark and dreary world depth. Though the setting is unique, the gameplay is your standard shoot em’ up affair but it does the classic formula well and the interesting aesthetic keeps you coming back.

7 Elemental Master

Similar to Wings of War, Elemental Master is set in a medieval setting but plays more like an overhead run and gun rather than a shoot em’ up. You run along the ground dodging obstacles as you take on hordes of enemies. There are 4 levels to pick from at the start all based on the elements and just as the name implies, your power-ups are also all elemental-based, fire, electricity, water, and more.

Due to the game being a run and gun and a shoot em’ up, it offers some interesting gameplay that isn’t seen in many other games.

6 Gleylancer

One of the easier games on this list, the Japanese exclusive Gleylancer is rather typical when it comes to gameplay but it is such a solid shoot em’ up that it can be forgiven for its lack of originality. It also includes an anime-inspired story with a well-drawn intro to help you get into the game.

Gleylancers bosses are total pushovers and the gameplay between them is more than manageable so if you aren’t the greatest at shoot em’ ups, this one is for you - though you could buy a brand new Playstation 4 for the same price as the cartridge.

5 Lightening Force

The graphics in Lightening Force or Thunder Force 4 in Japan prove that the Sega Genesis can do what Nintendon’t - or whatever that tired slogan is. The levels are sprawled out far beyond the border of the television with some amazing scrolling and parallax scrolling effects as you fly from one end of the screen to the other, making the play area seem grand.

Not only is Lightening Force one of the best looking games on the system but it is also one of the best shoot em’ ups on the system with phenomenal controls with well-paced gameplay.

4 Forgotten Worlds

Forgotten Worlds is a very unique shoot em’ up made by the king of fighters, Capcom. In the game, you play as one of two really buff macho guys who look like they rarely call their Mom. You can shoot in all eight directions and can visit a shop to upgrade your gear so you can better take on the obstacles ahead.

In the arcade original, you had two joysticks, one for moving and the other for shooting. The Genesis isn’t graced with such controls but playing with just the 3 buttons is manageable if a little awkward at the start.

3 MUSHA

MUSHA comes from the masters of shoot em’ ups, Compile, and is part of the fantastic Aleste series which includes great games like Blazing Lazers, Super Aleste, and Spriggan. MUSHA is one of the most sought after games on the system so finding a copy will not be easy but when you do you are in for one of the best shoot em’ ups on the consoles and maybe even one of the best shoot em’ ups of all time.

In MUSHA you pilot a well-drawn mech and have all of the great power-ups you have come to expect from other Compile shoot em’ ups.

2 Truxton

Toaplan was a name that was synonymous with fantastic shoot em’ ups back in the day, making great games likes Hellfire, Zero Wing, and Fire Shark. However, Truxton, a 1988 vertically scrolling shooter maybe one of the best shoot em’ ups ever released by Toaplan, and because it’s on this list, you can assume that is one of the best on the Sega Genesis as well.

Truxton has some very solid gameplay with great use of colors and some breathtaking effects when you use one of your screen-clearing bombs.

1 Battle Mania 2

The Japanese exclusive Battle Mania 2 may just have the most character of any game on this list. The game offers some amazing sprites work that is both highly detailed and very colorful, with the bosses also very well-drawn.

Similar to Forgotten Worlds, Battle Mania 2 allows you to fire in 8 directions and allows you to purchase upgrades between levels to improve your character. The level design is based around your character’s ability to shoot in all 8 directions and will send enemies at you from all angles to test your skill.

NEXT: 10 Sega Genesis Games That Should Get A Remake