This game was so far ahead of its time. The storyline and gameplay was simply amazing!!! I would love for them to add this game on Android. Also a remake would be interesting too???
Shadowrun is awesome. I have a friend who writes for the newer Shadowrun books. It's really cool that he actually has some influence over the world's lore.
I love that one of the first things that's likely going to happen to you when you first pick up the game is that a couple random street-punks are going to punch you and your holdout pistol straight into the hospital just for being out on the streets walking around, and then when you decide to go sleep it off in the cheap coffin motel some more street-punks are going to jump you and put you straight back in the hospital lmao Really sets the tone. Nice and gritty.
I bought this game when I was 14 and had never played anything like it. I was big ok gaming, but this changed everything for me. I was so enamored with it, it got me into RPGs even though many would disappoint, comparatively. I kept going back to the well with this one. I’m in my 40s now and still own my Sega with this cartridge plugged into it 😂 Cyberpunk 2077 gets close to this game, sans magic. It’s gorgeous and the story is good, but Shadowrun on Sega will forever have a special place in my nerdy heart.
This game was so good and so far ahead of it's time, and fully deserving of an MMORPG remake. Without the cheat code ABBACAB grinding for karma to max stats and take down Thin is super long and arduous. A run on Renraku from Caleb for max karma and Nguyen. Shadowrun is such an underrated franchise. The Sega version owns my soul. Shining Force was good but Suikoden is way more diverse and detailed. Gotta go with Chrono Trigger and FF3(6 Japanese.) For best JRPGS ever. Skyrim is amazing but these "retro" games are legendary..
Shadowrun on Genesis is my favorite RPG of all time, and you absolutely nailed all of the ins and outs of the game, despite years of previous reviews and analyses here on UA-cam. Bravo! Funny that you mentioned always preferring the same 'Runners. I'm the same way over the years...I just tend to stick with Phantom and Winston, although using Freya and beefing up her Magic is sometimes really fun. This game occupies a highly nostalgic time period for me in the mid-90s. My cousin had obtained it as a gift, although it soon passed between me and another mutual friend like a village bicycle, being...uh..."used" a lot. We would constantly trade it back and forth over months, and I fondly recall many a late-night session with the acrid smell of burning sage to block out the smell of pot, so as to not alarm my buddy's mom that we were getting stoned in his bedroom. We would play it all night, and many a time would I drift off in my sleeping bag, only to hear within my lucid dreaming the sound of Renraku alarms before I would snap awake and see that my friend had tried and failed to disarm their security on the 5th floor, just before Hellhounds tore him a new one.
I am so with you on this. Shadowrun on Genesis is one of my favorite nostalgia trips. I too love the tabletop version, but I played the Genesis one first, and had the exact same, "Oh, I know exactly what to do here," feeling when transitioning to the "real" game. This is one of the few sandbox games I really enjoy. I've evolved my style of play over the years to take advantage of more and more cheese as I learned more about the game. I think last time I played it, I went solo. No party members at all. It was a blast. You can also sell first aid kits and stim patches to get around the back rent part if you use street sam or decker. But if you're a shaman, just sell your gun. What good is it when you can blast people with magic anyway? A good trick for really destroying corporate HQ runs is the invisibility spell. Makes life much easier. Actually, it makes life much easier everywhere, as it eliminates random encounters entirely, in corporate buildings or otherwise. Of course if you like random encounters, more power to you. Also, I think the infinite cash exploit is a bit unnecessary. Decking gets you tons of cash pretty quick by that point in the game, and it gets you karma, too. Give me that heavy combat armor any day. But there's one thing you never mentioned that I love about the game: Even though you can rather easily become over powered and annihilate most of the game easily, it can always kick your ass when it really wants too. Hellhounds ignore armor with their fire breath, as do other magical attacks, so you're always at risk, even when maxed out. It's a great balance of being a power trip, while still keeping you on your toes. Keep on gaming, Daria. I always enjoy your content.
Right there with you bud. I actually wasn't aware of the infinite cash bug before seeing this video, but it's also unnecessary because if your going to allow yourself to cheat like that you might as well just use the cheat code for 250,000 nuyen. And giving up that combat armor is a high price to pay. Also I agree it's awesome that even when you're super decked-out, walking around in the Salish-Shide is still scary!
I usually do the infinite cash grab to afford the best deck and programs (computers are expensive!) and then never touch it again. I also prefer cheating for money in the middle of the game rather than the beginning. I'm forced to start off legit and work my way up to a point- instead of just starting off riching and cheesing my way through the whole game.
"You can also sell first aid kits and stim patches to get around the back rent part if you use street sam or decker. But if you're a shaman, just sell your gun." Or hire Ricky and sell all of his stuff! And keep him around for a while afterwards just for early access to invisibility.
Consider yourself lucky, Genesis owners, because this gem never came out for european Mega Drives... I tried it out on an emulator in the early 00´s, while I came across all the William Gibson novels and got hooked instantly on the game. Greetings from Vienna, Austria!
I'm glad that this version of 90s shadowrun games is remembered. Whenever someone mention 90s Shadowrun, everyone talks about the snes/Jake game instead of my boy Joshua here.
I feel like you'd like the Genesis version because you're into western CRPGs but that you'd also like the SNES version because you love adventure gaming.
The genesis has way more repeatability than the snes, and it was slightly more faithful to the source material, Sega has factions and unlimited sidequest
I finally played the SNES version in 2014, twenty years after obsessively knowing the Genesis version inside and out, and I was a bit underwhelmed. While I liked the story, the music, the environments, and all of the atmosphere...the game was TOO challenging, and the combat and point-and-click system just sucked.
Ricky is actually crazy good if you level him up from the start. As a dwarf he gets a super high maximum to his body attribute, so in the endgame he's sort of a mage-tank. I always preferred Trent though. He has a cool hat.
Shadowrun has one of the coolest universes ever created in P&P. It's a shame that the system in itself is incredibly clunky and conveluted. Still, I wouldn't want to miss my current campaign for a minute, so it's worthwile to put up with it for that:)
I've been playing this game for over 20 years, and still bust it out pretty regularly when I want a fun, familiar experience. Getting my wife and kids to try the tabletop game next week!
This game was my absolute favorite game as a kid, and I still play it periodically. I'm such a big fan of it that I made a prequel to it using the Shadowrun Dragonfall editor. It's great to see this game getting love...it deserves it.
This is my favorite of the many Shadowrun games. I found your channel through your video on Willow, I had the game as a kid and was reminded of the game by a SpeedGaming charity stream and went looking for videos about it. You definitely have a new subscriber.
I used Mars a lot too. But would switch the other party members a lot. My favorite missions were getting into Corp systems and downloading hordes of random paydata. Then selling it to that data fence dude.
I will highly agree with you and your sentiments regarding this game. We had the Genesis from 1990 'til a flood hit back in 2012 and most of the time, this was the game I played. I was usually a samurai and didn't bother with the matrix all that often; I just enjoyed the ghoul runs and following the game story. I would most often ally myself with Stark and Mars with Mars and I equipped with shot guns while Stark had his gun and all three of us wore the $10,000 armour jackets. We were a force to be reckoned with back then. Miss this game.
Great review! Man I never thought of using spells against civilians, I always just shot them and would have to waste money on ammo, especially on the runs where you could kill Ghouls for a pretty high price and the limit would be around 20 kills, cha-ching! But of course some of the most money was made grabbing random data files off of those Square nodes... some would be worth nothing and deleted as a courtesy when trying to sell them and others would literally be worth thousands $$$. I was obsessed with this game growing up. My mom took me to a yard sale and the Sega gaming system I picked up came along with a few games; this was how I discovered Shadowrun! I loved the storyline, the expansive maps and of course the Matrix. This game brought out my inner nerd. I still work in IT today, lol. Good to know I wasn’t the only person in the world that loved this game. I think I’m going to go play now, it’s been years! Thanks!
It's been a few hours, please tell me you followed through on playing Shadowrun? I don't know if I mentioned it in the video (its been awhile since I wrote it) but I remember my mom would get super upset and protest when I'd kill the civilians. And my dad would jump in and defend me on merits of it being strategically a helpful thing to do.
DariaPlaysRPGs Indeed, I fired up the Sega emulator on my PC, programmed my Razer Xbox One controller and I was off doing runs as the Samurai. More to come this weekend :) Also, I’m glad you’re parents were doing their best guiding you on how to live on the streets 😅
I did not grow up with Shadowrun or a Genesis, and I agree with this top 10 and review. Just discovered the SNES version back in June, which led to Genesis, which led to Returns and Dragonfall. I'm kinda glad I played them in this order. SNES has a great story, and is a nice introduction. The world feels lived in, and the Q&A set-up helps the story come out in pieces like flash cards. Shadowrun Returns is a good follow-up in the same vein. Dragonfall is pristine. The language and dialogue options, the gameplay, the side runs, are all great. But the Genesis one is just so replayable. It may be one of my favorite Genesis games of all time. Like an early GTA. While it's a solid game itself, the simple visuals let you use your imagination to fill in the gaps! Bustling streets full of vehicles and people. Vampire hobos, ork gangers coming up behind you, secret phone calls in back alleys, trying to stay a step ahead of Lone Star AND the Yakuza... all the way up to a creepy forest full of monsters. It's got that cool 90's neon Cyberpunk shopping mall aesthetic which takes me back. Like Johnny Mnemonic or Ghost in the Shell. Plus, as you karma and cyber up, you REALLY feel like a bad-ass! I heavy grind for a maxed out Samurai/Decker combo in one, take Marrs or Stark later on, and usually have one of the mages or shaman. Yes, even Ricky. Ghoul busting in Redmond adds up. I gotta get the Fairlight Ex, anyway. The nuyen and karma by that point is up there.
*IN DEFENSE OV RICKY TEH RAT* My favorite Runner, no irony, no jest. he is cheep. you can sell the junk items you have (Sam Grenade, one BioKit. Decker: Trauma Pack, StimPack, Sham: Fetish.) hire Ricky for one mission. take courier/bodyguard runs. the don't count as jobs. they give Ricky Karma. Reasons to love Ricky: Rat! +2 to Deception spells (including the Hellhound killer Sleep), he is the only mage/shaman that can reach 7 will power. making him able to cast Rank6 FlameBolt with SpellFoci4 at Full Offencive. the Spell Foci makes the Flamebolt (usually Preditor) hit as hard as the Alliance. or at MidOffence nearly all the time. extra body means extra defence. ignores more damage so more likely for spells to go off. He is my healer with one rank in Cure Wounds and is the one who always survives the HellHound ambush while others are loading clips (Switch to Mana(choice). by the time you have a few runs and nuyen take a ghoul job. two people can do this. buy stim packs. all you can carry. (ask for detailed strats) everything redmond except the lone star undercover, Hollywood guards, and the odd halloweener do stamina damage. use 3 ov the 4 charges and sell them back. Little Chiba charges 20 to heal your stamina to 100 no matter how low it is. be cheep. embrace the rat. buy two armored jackets and get 5 Rep. talk to the Weeners. get the Contract. get the SpellFoci4. HeavyCombatArmor, do allthis before leaving the Barrens. Embrace the rat. rub its belly. feed us corn and sketti sticks.
I just finished the game again, at 32. I love it. The game is deeply flawed, but has so much charm. The learning curve is very tough, you get wasted early on, especially in the matrix, but the grind is this game is fun man. You will have an easier time being a shaman, since magic attacks negate armor. I love that you cant sorta sequence break by doing events in different order. I love how the rep stat influences dialog and entry into key places, how you can bypass Caleb´s if you bring and elf along. How the runners interaction with you change depending on whether you do succesfull or failed runs with them. I didnt know about the Light armor trick, once im decked enough i go after red datastores on corp systems. Aztecnology being the easiest imo. Such a good game, i would love for the matrix system to be revisited, there is so much room for improvement.
Fantastic video and fantastic comments. I've must have played this game 20 times over but the last run was my favourite. I just went with power, I grabbed Marrs and Stark, I mean who wouldn't grab Stark? He comes for free? I didn't even touch the matrix, I just went through this game like a powerhouse. I highly suggest not even paying for Micheal's stuff until you upgrade your weapon and armour otherwise you are stuck paying half of your money to medics. When you get strong and fast enough, trust Gunderson for Ghoul runs, they pay the most money plus, if you have a decker, which I usually don't, you don't have to pay the gobs of money to upgrade your deck. Love this game on the Genesis! I recently reacquired a Genesis and have this game on order, can't wait to play it!
I got into the Sega Genesis kinda late in its life, but Shadowrun was my absolute favorite game of the system. It seemed like no matter what class I picked, I'd always get a datajack for my character, even though a Shaman probably shouldn't be spending points in Electronics or Decking, TBH. I still remember the Blockbuster box my copy came in, as I got mine for my Birthday and the games must've been second-hand. I never really did get into the Cyberware much, though, IIRC.
Great review! I never played the table top game, but I had my cousins' old Shadowrun rule book with all the art and world building, and so playing this game on Genesis was very enjoyable even though I always seemed to just run a team of three fully kitted up samurai. I should try to get into the mages and the deckers.
I was young when I played this game, loved the SNES version and was curious about the Genesis version. Initially I found the graphics to be dark, muddy, and inferior sound with not really much story. However, the Genesis version is the one I still come back to the most because of the RPG elements and sort of free world you can explore. It's a bit grindy, but sometimes I like grinding! The music grew on me as well, although the "Check it out" audio sample is still abysmal but the bass lines they use in this on the Yamaha soundboard are so enjoyable great video1
This game is very interesting... Certain things were way ahead of their time, and I'm not just talking about the fact the story is futuristic, gameplay is very interesting, I haven't made it all the way through but it's pretty deep, and keeps you thinking. I had one person join my quest, after they got wiped out in a battle I found him in another town, he was mad, chewed me out for the fact he got beat in a battle, refused to join up again and started a fight, after the fight he said he wasn't going to join me again and would tell others not to join me 🤣😂🤣 Not sure if it affected my social status and reputation yet or not, which part of the game is managing your social status and reputation which gets you perks if you do it right, people share information with you or refuse to share information with you depending on your reputation, just one of the interesting aspects of the game.
I've only been lucky enough to play the TTRPG a handful of times. But I've always loved it's setting. And now I see why everyone is so hyped when they talk about their nostalgia for this game. P.S. Your countdown voice is impressive.
Shadowrun is easily a Top 3 Genesis game for me. I like both the SNES and Genesis versions but the Genesis one in particular is amazing. The music, atmosphere, writing, even things like the UI just exude so much character. I'd say only Syndicate 1993, Deus Ex and Shadowrun of the '90s have really nailed that cyberpunk world in the way that I really like.
Ah good old FAFSA of the 90's.. this and Battletech were my life. The early and mid sections of this game are pretty much perfection, though it does fall apart a little bit near the end of the game, IMO. But I'll never forget agreeing to hunt ghouls, saving up to buy an Ares Predator so I can kill them more easily, and using my karma to haggle better contracts. Hunting them in those abandoned, super creepy buildings, with fittingly creepy music. I got my ass kicked so many times by them.. God, I love the world of Shadowrun. I'd really love to see a legitimate reboot of this game while retaining everything that makes it great
Awesome video, I recently tried going onto the main story for the first time and while some of the back and forth is tedious, it's really exciting to see the payoff and get stronger. I tried my first extraction mission and boy those alarms are annoying. I find Ricky's invisibility spell is really useful for that. Overall a very fun game!
I prefer the snes game, possibly since that was the one I played as a kid, but the Genesis one is pretty great. It felt like a good Mish mash of console and PC styled RPGs of that time, which were drastically different from each other, but it fits comfortably in the middle.
Glad to see another Shadowrun fan! Daria if you ever need the services of an experienced mage, I am currently for hire. I do require my percentages for each run though.
I might have to pick up the Genesis version sometime. I love hearing people talk about things they're nostalgic for, so thank you for sharing this with us!
And thank you for watching. (: This has been a video I've been thinking about making for awhile now. I recorded most of the footage a year ago, just took awhile to put the script together.
I am so with you! I LOVE the Sega version of Shadowrun and I was really hoping the remake Shadowrun returns was going to be a lot like the Sega Genesis version but it wasn't. I play the Sega Genesis version over and over on my RG350. Everything you said about the Sega game is absolutely relatable to how I feel about it. 🖤
It's my favourite too.. changed my life.. I used to write down sequence of quests, maps and other stuff.. I finished with Decker.. also couldn't save my games.. haven't had battery slot inside ☹
As an old school 2nd ed player who now runs 5th and soon 6th on the tabletop I totally agree with you. The Sega version was awesome and I've played through it like a broken record for years. It rules. SNES version was more adventure game and was great but the Sega version was best. Big thumbs up.
I own the Sega Genesis Shadowrun I'm looking to pick up a copy of the SNES version as it is the first Shadowrun game i played as a rental i like both games especially because they are very different from each other.
Maybe my favorite game on the dang console. I’ve been waiting to watch this from you. I also didn’t care too much for the SNES version. It was ok. Unlike the Windows Vista abomination that was the Xbox 360 version. Still looking forward to mastering DM’ing a Shadowrun campaign. I only ever was a player. I wanna completely base a campaign off this game.
I wanted to own this game really badly in my teen years. Finally I met a duo of nerd brothers who had it - and a bunch of other games I never dreamed I see in my country, such as Phantasy Star 4 and Landstalker. Anyway, they lent me Shadowrun, which if I remember correctly, had manual so thick you could club someone to death with it. Unfortunately, the battery backup in the cartridge was fried, so I couldn't save my progress and never saw much beyond the beginning bit. Actually, I also borrowed their Phantasy Star 4 and their Landstalker, and the battery backups were fried on those too. I wonder what the hell they did to the damn things?
One of my favorite games ever. You did a great job with explaining why you liked it. When I first played shadowrun I had no idea what it was. So everything was new to me. I was 15 or so when I played it and just fell in love with the world. Getting random encounters as I'm walking the streets, stealing data, and just the different characters in the game really drew me in. I did really like the super Nintendo version too. First time I ever heard of a cortex bomb. I found out there were novels after the video games and then found out about the table top. I collected almost all the novels. Just love the corporate espionage aspect. I'm making a cyberpunk game called visualhacker2D. Still along way to go.
Yes yes yes. Shadowrun genesis kicks the nes one’s butt imo. I also recently played through shadowrun returns. I really enjoy it but severely miss the genesis sandbox system of Johnson’s and hiring runners. Way more freeing and enjoyable. Hope they add more of that for future additions. Man now I gotta go play the genesis versions again...
This game is so great. I stumbled upon in the early 90s and I’ve revisited it multiple times. When I got my first real job I downloaded the emulator ROM. The music and atmosphere were perfect. Anyways, great video. I never knew about the infinite money hack. Though after I beat it I did use the Game Genie on another play through to max karma stats and explore the storyline. One thing you left out is the genuine fear you feel when you first find out you’ve caught the attention of Mako and the Renraku Strike Team :) /nerd appreciation off
Enter the following code at the Title Screen.... A - B - B - A - C - A - B Then go into the pocket secratary, below the Save/Load is a blank line. Go into that option and you can unlock some awesome cheats!
Ricky was my maaaaain man! He gets so OP at the end, boom boom boom! Stark is my other main-man. So many other great runners that I can never choose a third for life. Freya Goldenhair tho? :O wowowow
i remember finding this game right after my first table top shadsowrun games. it bit me in the foot as all the people i was playing with became so interested in the videogame it put the tabletop game on hold for three months :(
its refreshing to hear of a fellow sega shadowrun nerd xD. i just beat shadowrun returns and even though it was good, it still doesn't hold a candle to the sega version. anyways, good points all around, and g'luck in ya struggles XD
2:30 my brother got my into shadowrun, ironically his name is michael and got me into it lol. Seen him play the snes version, this one is better I feel. In terms of all the customizations and the combat, all the missions you can do. I gotta play this again man its been a while
I vaguely remember if you used the code it would not let you beat the game? Either way, sadly this is one of my fav rpg of all time and I never got too close to the end anyway. abbacab for life!
Currently replaying. I always go decker Sammy hybrid because there is no reason not to if you aren't playing shaman. Currently building up my hacking stats and deck while dumping money into muscle replacement surgeries for Winston so he can explode people with his fists
it was a really good idea for an fps though - having skills and special moves and such. it wasn't until i discovered TF2 that i saw anything quite like it. but i'll agree it's not Shadowrun at all.
Actually Ricky is probably the better magic guy to have on the team. Solely because of less miss firing the invisiblity. While invisible nothing can get to you while walking about: hell hounds, security, mages, etc. Must be the power of Rat.
Hey Daria, the Sega Genesis Version of Shadowrun was the only version I played and I was only around 10 yrs old at the time and didn't understand much of the Story, I was wondering if you know why Joshua's Brother Michael was in the Salish Shidhe Wilderness in the first place? Like what was His Mission? And do you know why He was Killed?
Holy moly, someone else who loves Shadowrun! Awesome I like the new version (Shadowrun returns) well enough but they NEED to remake of remaster or create a version of this that's more like the Genesis version.
The video came in as one of my recommendations, it's just nice that the video is about one of my favorite game for Sega saturn, together with shining force 1&2. I enjoyed both shadowrun tho, both Sega and SNES ones As each came with their own game play, it was interesting tbh. Anyways nice video, and I do hope people will understand the greatness and the beauty of 8bits and 16bits games ❤️
whoever disliked this is a drekhead
Probably the snes fans
Slot off frag-face!!!
A comment from the before-time when Dislikes were still a thing. Ah, simpler times!
The Genesis version is what got me into RPGs originally. It was so mind blowing as kid.
This game was so far ahead of its time. The storyline and gameplay was simply amazing!!! I would love for them to add this game on Android. Also a remake would be interesting too???
Shadowrun is awesome. I have a friend who writes for the newer Shadowrun books. It's really cool that he actually has some influence over the world's lore.
Talk about having a cool job. Geez.
Books like novels or RPG rule books?
cani talk to your friend. i write short stories...
I love that one of the first things that's likely going to happen to you when you first pick up the game is that a couple random street-punks are going to punch you and your holdout pistol straight into the hospital just for being out on the streets walking around, and then when you decide to go sleep it off in the cheap coffin motel some more street-punks are going to jump you and put you straight back in the hospital lmao Really sets the tone. Nice and gritty.
and then you decide to make money by taking ghoul contracts with out light body armor and 6 in (gun ov choice).....
I've always been saddened that everyone remembers the Snes version but not this superior recreation of the ruleset. Glad you're covering it!
Superior? You wish
@@califaern3sto thanks for the input Goku.
@@Dermetsu yer welcome. Don't make me kamehameha your sega ass
ikr!!
Not superior at all, they are both pretty different. While i do like this one more, both are hard to compare.
They really need to make this again, but modern! I love this game!
this was the best rpg game on the Genesis.
My personal favorite is Shining Force. Edit. I'm sorry I misread your comment as a question. Shadowrun is indeed amazing lol.
Roleplaying game game
I just restarted shining force this week.
I bought this game when I was 14 and had never played anything like it. I was big ok gaming, but this changed everything for me. I was so enamored with it, it got me into RPGs even though many would disappoint, comparatively. I kept going back to the well with this one. I’m in my 40s now and still own my Sega with this cartridge plugged into it 😂
Cyberpunk 2077 gets close to this game, sans magic. It’s gorgeous and the story is good, but Shadowrun on Sega will forever have a special place in my nerdy heart.
Loved adding Stark to my team for the few extra dialogue lines I would get in story mode. The firs RPG I really played and still my favorite
While I rarely use Stark, I do make sure to save his life- because more story!
That chick Two Fists is bad ass
@@MCLogikILL true
This game was so good and so far ahead of it's time, and fully deserving of an MMORPG remake. Without the cheat code ABBACAB grinding for karma to max stats and take down Thin is super long and arduous. A run on Renraku from Caleb for max karma and Nguyen. Shadowrun is such an underrated franchise. The Sega version owns my soul. Shining Force was good but Suikoden is way more diverse and detailed. Gotta go with Chrono Trigger and FF3(6 Japanese.) For best JRPGS ever. Skyrim is amazing but these "retro" games are legendary..
Shadowrun on Genesis is my favorite RPG of all time, and you absolutely nailed all of the ins and outs of the game, despite years of previous reviews and analyses here on UA-cam. Bravo! Funny that you mentioned always preferring the same 'Runners. I'm the same way over the years...I just tend to stick with Phantom and Winston, although using Freya and beefing up her Magic is sometimes really fun.
This game occupies a highly nostalgic time period for me in the mid-90s. My cousin had obtained it as a gift, although it soon passed between me and another mutual friend like a village bicycle, being...uh..."used" a lot. We would constantly trade it back and forth over months, and I fondly recall many a late-night session with the acrid smell of burning sage to block out the smell of pot, so as to not alarm my buddy's mom that we were getting stoned in his bedroom. We would play it all night, and many a time would I drift off in my sleeping bag, only to hear within my lucid dreaming the sound of Renraku alarms before I would snap awake and see that my friend had tried and failed to disarm their security on the 5th floor, just before Hellhounds tore him a new one.
I am so with you on this. Shadowrun on Genesis is one of my favorite nostalgia trips. I too love the tabletop version, but I played the Genesis one first, and had the exact same, "Oh, I know exactly what to do here," feeling when transitioning to the "real" game.
This is one of the few sandbox games I really enjoy. I've evolved my style of play over the years to take advantage of more and more cheese as I learned more about the game. I think last time I played it, I went solo. No party members at all. It was a blast.
You can also sell first aid kits and stim patches to get around the back rent part if you use street sam or decker. But if you're a shaman, just sell your gun. What good is it when you can blast people with magic anyway?
A good trick for really destroying corporate HQ runs is the invisibility spell. Makes life much easier. Actually, it makes life much easier everywhere, as it eliminates random encounters entirely, in corporate buildings or otherwise. Of course if you like random encounters, more power to you.
Also, I think the infinite cash exploit is a bit unnecessary. Decking gets you tons of cash pretty quick by that point in the game, and it gets you karma, too. Give me that heavy combat armor any day.
But there's one thing you never mentioned that I love about the game: Even though you can rather easily become over powered and annihilate most of the game easily, it can always kick your ass when it really wants too. Hellhounds ignore armor with their fire breath, as do other magical attacks, so you're always at risk, even when maxed out. It's a great balance of being a power trip, while still keeping you on your toes.
Keep on gaming, Daria. I always enjoy your content.
Right there with you bud. I actually wasn't aware of the infinite cash bug before seeing this video, but it's also unnecessary because if your going to allow yourself to cheat like that you might as well just use the cheat code for 250,000 nuyen. And giving up that combat armor is a high price to pay. Also I agree it's awesome that even when you're super decked-out, walking around in the Salish-Shide is still scary!
I usually do the infinite cash grab to afford the best deck and programs (computers are expensive!) and then never touch it again.
I also prefer cheating for money in the middle of the game rather than the beginning. I'm forced to start off legit and work my way up to a point- instead of just starting off riching and cheesing my way through the whole game.
"You can also sell first aid kits and stim patches to get around the back rent part if you use street sam or decker. But if you're a shaman, just sell your gun."
Or hire Ricky and sell all of his stuff! And keep him around for a while afterwards just for early access to invisibility.
Null sweat, Chummer, G'luck in yer struggles!
Consider yourself lucky, Genesis owners, because this gem never came out for european Mega Drives... I tried it out on an emulator in the early 00´s, while I came across all the William Gibson novels and got hooked instantly on the game. Greetings from Vienna, Austria!
That's so sad.... :(
@@DariaPlaysRPGs Growing up in Austria ain't that bad, actually... XD
But... but... no Shadowrun....
@@DariaPlaysRPGs Yeah, I never knew it existed, so... 🤷♂️ 😉
I'm glad that this version of 90s shadowrun games is remembered. Whenever someone mention 90s Shadowrun, everyone talks about the snes/Jake game instead of my boy Joshua here.
I love the new Shadowrun games and always wondered about the Genesis and SNES versions and which was more with getting into. Thanks for the rundown.
I feel like you'd like the Genesis version because you're into western CRPGs but that you'd also like the SNES version because you love adventure gaming.
The genesis has way more repeatability than the snes, and it was slightly more faithful to the source material, Sega has factions and unlimited sidequest
I finally played the SNES version in 2014, twenty years after obsessively knowing the Genesis version inside and out, and I was a bit underwhelmed. While I liked the story, the music, the environments, and all of the atmosphere...the game was TOO challenging, and the combat and point-and-click system just sucked.
The two games are sufficiently different that it makes sense to play both of them as long as you're OK with the controls
Ricky is actually crazy good if you level him up from the start. As a dwarf he gets a super high maximum to his body attribute, so in the endgame he's sort of a mage-tank.
I always preferred Trent though. He has a cool hat.
I should give Ricky a try. I never have. And Trent does have a cool aesthetic, yes,
It looks great I'll give you a chance That's one reason why I like your channel You know about games
Well thank you.
Remember the code for the karma/Nuyen boost at the beginning? ABBACAB start I believe it was
Shadowrun has one of the coolest universes ever created in P&P. It's a shame that the system in itself is incredibly clunky and conveluted. Still, I wouldn't want to miss my current campaign for a minute, so it's worthwile to put up with it for that:)
You mean you don't like rolling a bucket of d6s for skill checks?
Mfw Shadowrun is best as a wiki..
Now I have to play Shadowrun: Genesis. I also have so many good memories of the game. You rock! :)
Thank you for this. This is one of my most cherished games.
I've been playing this game for over 20 years, and still bust it out pretty regularly when I want a fun, familiar experience. Getting my wife and kids to try the tabletop game next week!
This game was my absolute favorite game as a kid, and I still play it periodically. I'm such a big fan of it that I made a prequel to it using the Shadowrun Dragonfall editor. It's great to see this game getting love...it deserves it.
Damn to this day seeing that many lonestar cops spikes my adrenaline still lol
I remember renting this over and over again. It's always among the first games I emulate when I set up a new device.
This is my favorite of the many Shadowrun games. I found your channel through your video on Willow, I had the game as a kid and was reminded of the game by a SpeedGaming charity stream and went looking for videos about it. You definitely have a new subscriber.
I used Mars a lot too. But would switch the other party members a lot.
My favorite missions were getting into Corp systems and downloading hordes of random paydata. Then selling it to that data fence dude.
I love the superintendent and Sega Genesis games get so much love today! You make me feel like my childhood with something special
I will highly agree with you and your sentiments regarding this game. We had the Genesis from 1990 'til a flood hit back in 2012 and most of the time, this was the game I played. I was usually a samurai and didn't bother with the matrix all that often; I just enjoyed the ghoul runs and following the game story.
I would most often ally myself with Stark and Mars with Mars and I equipped with shot guns while Stark had his gun and all three of us wore the $10,000 armour jackets. We were a force to be reckoned with back then.
Miss this game.
Great review! Man I never thought of using spells against civilians, I always just shot them and would have to waste money on ammo, especially on the runs where you could kill Ghouls for a pretty high price and the limit would be around 20 kills, cha-ching! But of course some of the most money was made grabbing random data files off of those Square nodes... some would be worth nothing and deleted as a courtesy when trying to sell them and others would literally be worth thousands $$$.
I was obsessed with this game growing up. My mom took me to a yard sale and the Sega gaming system I picked up came along with a few games; this was how I discovered Shadowrun! I loved the storyline, the expansive maps and of course the Matrix. This game brought out my inner nerd. I still work in IT today, lol. Good to know I wasn’t the only person in the world that loved this game. I think I’m going to go play now, it’s been years! Thanks!
It's been a few hours, please tell me you followed through on playing Shadowrun?
I don't know if I mentioned it in the video (its been awhile since I wrote it) but I remember my mom would get super upset and protest when I'd kill the civilians. And my dad would jump in and defend me on merits of it being strategically a helpful thing to do.
DariaPlaysRPGs Indeed, I fired up the Sega emulator on my PC, programmed my Razer Xbox One controller and I was off doing runs as the Samurai. More to come this weekend :)
Also, I’m glad you’re parents were doing their best guiding you on how to live on the streets 😅
I love the snes version, but it's likely the soundtrack that makes it more memorable for whatever reason.
I did not grow up with Shadowrun or a Genesis, and I agree with this top 10 and review. Just discovered the SNES version back in June, which led to Genesis, which led to Returns and Dragonfall. I'm kinda glad I played them in this order. SNES has a great story, and is a nice introduction. The world feels lived in, and the Q&A set-up helps the story come out in pieces like flash cards. Shadowrun Returns is a good follow-up in the same vein. Dragonfall is pristine. The language and dialogue options, the gameplay, the side runs, are all great. But the Genesis one is just so replayable. It may be one of my favorite Genesis games of all time. Like an early GTA. While it's a solid game itself, the simple visuals let you use your imagination to fill in the gaps! Bustling streets full of vehicles and people. Vampire hobos, ork gangers coming up behind you, secret phone calls in back alleys, trying to stay a step ahead of Lone Star AND the Yakuza... all the way up to a creepy forest full of monsters. It's got that cool 90's neon Cyberpunk shopping mall aesthetic which takes me back. Like Johnny Mnemonic or Ghost in the Shell. Plus, as you karma and cyber up, you REALLY feel like a bad-ass!
I heavy grind for a maxed out Samurai/Decker combo in one, take Marrs or Stark later on, and usually have one of the mages or shaman. Yes, even Ricky. Ghoul busting in Redmond adds up. I gotta get the Fairlight Ex, anyway. The nuyen and karma by that point is up there.
*IN DEFENSE OV RICKY TEH RAT*
My favorite Runner, no irony, no jest.
he is cheep. you can sell the junk items you have (Sam Grenade, one BioKit. Decker: Trauma Pack, StimPack, Sham: Fetish.) hire Ricky for one mission. take courier/bodyguard runs. the don't count as jobs. they give Ricky Karma.
Reasons to love Ricky: Rat! +2 to Deception spells (including the Hellhound killer Sleep),
he is the only mage/shaman that can reach 7 will power. making him able to cast Rank6 FlameBolt with SpellFoci4 at Full Offencive. the Spell Foci makes the Flamebolt (usually Preditor) hit as hard as the Alliance. or at MidOffence nearly all the time.
extra body means extra defence. ignores more damage so more likely for spells to go off. He is my healer with one rank in Cure Wounds and is the one who always survives the HellHound ambush while others are loading clips (Switch to Mana(choice).
by the time you have a few runs and nuyen take a ghoul job. two people can do this. buy stim packs. all you can carry. (ask for detailed strats) everything redmond except the lone star undercover, Hollywood guards, and the odd halloweener do stamina damage. use 3 ov the 4 charges and sell them back. Little Chiba charges 20 to heal your stamina to 100 no matter how low it is. be cheep. embrace the rat. buy two armored jackets and get 5 Rep. talk to the Weeners. get the Contract. get the SpellFoci4. HeavyCombatArmor, do allthis before leaving the Barrens.
Embrace the rat. rub its belly. feed us corn and sketti sticks.
Seattle has both more rain and more crime.
This game was way ahead of its time
One of the best Genesis RPGs ever, and definitely the most unique...
Yes! The best Shadowrun game of them all 😍😍.
I just finished the game again, at 32. I love it. The game is deeply flawed, but has so much charm. The learning curve is very tough, you get wasted early on, especially in the matrix, but the grind is this game is fun man. You will have an easier time being a shaman, since magic attacks negate armor. I love that you cant sorta sequence break by doing events in different order. I love how the rep stat influences dialog and entry into key places, how you can bypass Caleb´s if you bring and elf along. How the runners interaction with you change depending on whether you do succesfull or failed runs with them.
I didnt know about the Light armor trick, once im decked enough i go after red datastores on corp systems. Aztecnology being the easiest imo. Such a good game, i would love for the matrix system to be revisited, there is so much room for improvement.
Fantastic video and fantastic comments. I've must have played this game 20 times over but the last run was my favourite. I just went with power, I grabbed Marrs and Stark, I mean who wouldn't grab Stark? He comes for free? I didn't even touch the matrix, I just went through this game like a powerhouse. I highly suggest not even paying for Micheal's stuff until you upgrade your weapon and armour otherwise you are stuck paying half of your money to medics.
When you get strong and fast enough, trust Gunderson for Ghoul runs, they pay the most money plus, if you have a decker, which I usually don't, you don't have to pay the gobs of money to upgrade your deck.
Love this game on the Genesis! I recently reacquired a Genesis and have this game on order, can't wait to play it!
I also love Shadowrun all versions but I have not played Genesis version yet so now I'm looking majorly forward to it
I got into the Sega Genesis kinda late in its life, but Shadowrun was my absolute favorite game of the system. It seemed like no matter what class I picked, I'd always get a datajack for my character, even though a Shaman probably shouldn't be spending points in Electronics or Decking, TBH. I still remember the Blockbuster box my copy came in, as I got mine for my Birthday and the games must've been second-hand. I never really did get into the Cyberware much, though, IIRC.
Great review! I never played the table top game, but I had my cousins' old Shadowrun rule book with all the art and world building, and so playing this game on Genesis was very enjoyable even though I always seemed to just run a team of three fully kitted up samurai. I should try to get into the mages and the deckers.
I was young when I played this game, loved the SNES version and was curious about the Genesis version. Initially I found the graphics to be dark, muddy, and inferior sound with not really much story. However, the Genesis version is the one I still come back to the most because of the RPG elements and sort of free world you can explore. It's a bit grindy, but sometimes I like grinding! The music grew on me as well, although the "Check it out" audio sample is still abysmal but the bass lines they use in this on the Yamaha soundboard are so enjoyable
great video1
Ricky is always my main man. By the end he 1-shots everyone pretty much. He's my inseparable shadowrunning buddy for life.
This game is very interesting... Certain things were way ahead of their time, and I'm not just talking about the fact the story is futuristic, gameplay is very interesting, I haven't made it all the way through but it's pretty deep, and keeps you thinking. I had one person join my quest, after they got wiped out in a battle I found him in another town, he was mad, chewed me out for the fact he got beat in a battle, refused to join up again and started a fight, after the fight he said he wasn't going to join me again and would tell others not to join me 🤣😂🤣 Not sure if it affected my social status and reputation yet or not, which part of the game is managing your social status and reputation which gets you perks if you do it right, people share information with you or refuse to share information with you depending on your reputation, just one of the interesting aspects of the game.
I've only been lucky enough to play the TTRPG a handful of times. But I've always loved it's setting. And now I see why everyone is so hyped when they talk about their nostalgia for this game.
P.S. Your countdown voice is impressive.
Heh, I was trying to do an impression of the game's computer voice. Which I realize now I should have worked into the video somewhere. Dang.
Shadowrun is easily a Top 3 Genesis game for me. I like both the SNES and Genesis versions but the Genesis one in particular is amazing. The music, atmosphere, writing, even things like the UI just exude so much character. I'd say only Syndicate 1993, Deus Ex and Shadowrun of the '90s have really nailed that cyberpunk world in the way that I really like.
Ah good old FAFSA of the 90's.. this and Battletech were my life.
The early and mid sections of this game are pretty much perfection, though it does fall apart a little bit near the end of the game, IMO.
But I'll never forget agreeing to hunt ghouls, saving up to buy an Ares Predator so I can kill them more easily, and using my karma to haggle better contracts. Hunting them in those abandoned, super creepy buildings, with fittingly creepy music. I got my ass kicked so many times by them.. God, I love the world of Shadowrun.
I'd really love to see a legitimate reboot of this game while retaining everything that makes it great
Awesome video, I recently tried going onto the main story for the first time and while some of the back and forth is tedious, it's really exciting to see the payoff and get stronger. I tried my first extraction mission and boy those alarms are annoying. I find Ricky's invisibility spell is really useful for that. Overall a very fun game!
I prefer the snes game, possibly since that was the one I played as a kid, but the Genesis one is pretty great. It felt like a good Mish mash of console and PC styled RPGs of that time, which were drastically different from each other, but it fits comfortably in the middle.
I just beat this gem, I hadn't played it since the 90's (SEGA CHANNEL!) Hoi Chummer, I'm tempted to run right back into it.
Glad to see another Shadowrun fan! Daria if you ever need the services of an experienced mage, I am currently for hire. I do require my percentages for each run though.
I wish they would have made a Shadowrun game instead of Cyberpunk 2077
one of my fave games of all time. genesis version ;) a true to heart "cyberpunk"
Wow. I grew up playing the SNES version and never got the chance to play this one. I feel like I missed out big time.
I might have to pick up the Genesis version sometime. I love hearing people talk about things they're nostalgic for, so thank you for sharing this with us!
And thank you for watching. (:
This has been a video I've been thinking about making for awhile now. I recorded most of the footage a year ago, just took awhile to put the script together.
I am so with you! I LOVE the Sega version of Shadowrun and I was really hoping the remake Shadowrun returns was going to be a lot like the Sega Genesis version but it wasn't. I play the Sega Genesis version over and over on my RG350. Everything you said about the Sega game is absolutely relatable to how I feel about it. 🖤
You seem like someone who would thrive in a real world post apocalyptic scenario
One of my favorite universes, great video!
how did I not know about this game? oh yea, because I was basically blind to RPG's until highschool.
This was a childhood favorite of mine
It's my favourite too.. changed my life.. I used to write down sequence of quests, maps and other stuff.. I finished with Decker.. also couldn't save my games.. haven't had battery slot inside ☹
I thought I was only one who loved this game more than the SNES version
As an old school 2nd ed player who now runs 5th and soon 6th on the tabletop I totally agree with you. The Sega version was awesome and I've played through it like a broken record for years. It rules. SNES version was more adventure game and was great but the Sega version was best. Big thumbs up.
I beat the SNES version last year and now I'm tackling this one. The look, sound, and overall atmosphere is so gripping.
I also still play this game. I love it very much! Winston Marrs all day!
I own the Sega Genesis Shadowrun I'm looking to pick up a copy of the SNES version as it is the first Shadowrun game i played as a rental i like both games especially because they are very different from each other.
Maybe my favorite game on the dang console. I’ve been waiting to watch this from you. I also didn’t care too much for the SNES version. It was ok. Unlike the Windows Vista abomination that was the Xbox 360 version. Still looking forward to mastering DM’ing a Shadowrun campaign. I only ever was a player. I wanna completely base a campaign off this game.
I wanted to own this game really badly in my teen years. Finally I met a duo of nerd brothers who had it - and a bunch of other games I never dreamed I see in my country, such as Phantasy Star 4 and Landstalker. Anyway, they lent me Shadowrun, which if I remember correctly, had manual so thick you could club someone to death with it. Unfortunately, the battery backup in the cartridge was fried, so I couldn't save my progress and never saw much beyond the beginning bit.
Actually, I also borrowed their Phantasy Star 4 and their Landstalker, and the battery backups were fried on those too. I wonder what the hell they did to the damn things?
Were they bad made repro carts? Just wondering, because you never thought you'd see them in your y
Its weird that the Xbox 360 Shadowrun game has none of this ones charm. Great vid. Some very fun points.
I absolutely love this game
One of my favorite games ever. You did a great job with explaining why you liked it. When I first played shadowrun I had no idea what it was. So everything was new to me. I was 15 or so when I played it and just fell in love with the world. Getting random encounters as I'm walking the streets, stealing data, and just the different characters in the game really drew me in. I did really like the super Nintendo version too. First time I ever heard of a cortex bomb. I found out there were novels after the video games and then found out about the table top. I collected almost all the novels. Just love the corporate espionage aspect. I'm making a cyberpunk game called visualhacker2D. Still along way to go.
Yes yes yes. Shadowrun genesis kicks the nes one’s butt imo. I also recently played through shadowrun returns. I really enjoy it but severely miss the genesis sandbox system of Johnson’s and hiring runners. Way more freeing and enjoyable. Hope they add more of that for future additions. Man now I gotta go play the genesis versions again...
This game is so great. I stumbled upon in the early 90s and I’ve revisited it multiple times. When I got my first real job I downloaded the emulator ROM. The music and atmosphere were perfect.
Anyways, great video. I never knew about the infinite money hack. Though after I beat it I did use the Game Genie on another play through to max karma stats and explore the storyline. One thing you left out is the genuine fear you feel when you first find out you’ve caught the attention of Mako and the Renraku Strike Team :)
/nerd appreciation off
Enter the following code at the Title Screen....
A - B - B - A - C - A - B
Then go into the pocket secratary, below the Save/Load is a blank line. Go into that option and you can unlock some awesome cheats!
This game is awesome! I have yet to finish it. how do you avoid not being able to go anywere if you kill an enemy in the indian reservation area?
I know wendigos like to attack there, but I don't remember it ever causing any issues with the game. o.O
Such a classic gem for the sega along with the phantasy stars.. 2 of the all time best 16bit era rpgs i played as a young lad
Ricky was my maaaaain man! He gets so OP at the end, boom boom boom! Stark is my other main-man. So many other great runners that I can never choose a third for life. Freya Goldenhair tho? :O wowowow
i remember finding this game right after my first table top shadsowrun games. it bit me in the foot as all the people i was playing with became so interested in the videogame it put the tabletop game on hold for three months :(
lol that's great.
its refreshing to hear of a fellow sega shadowrun nerd xD. i just beat shadowrun returns and even though it was good, it still doesn't hold a candle to the sega version. anyways, good points all around, and g'luck in ya struggles XD
2:30 my brother got my into shadowrun, ironically his name is michael and got me into it lol. Seen him play the snes version, this one is better I feel. In terms of all the customizations and the combat, all the missions you can do. I gotta play this again man its been a while
shadowrun 94 is still my favorite game!
My favorite game of all time abbacab i entered that so many times. Man i miss these days i first got it on sega channel when i was a kid.
I vaguely remember if you used the code it would not let you beat the game? Either way, sadly this is one of my fav rpg of all time and I never got too close to the end anyway. abbacab for life!
@@buxtech no you could still beat it.
@@buxtech Where are you at in the game?
Currently replaying. I always go decker Sammy hybrid because there is no reason not to if you aren't playing shaman. Currently building up my hacking stats and deck while dumping money into muscle replacement surgeries for Winston so he can explode people with his fists
The less said about the xbox shadowrun the better.
it was a really good idea for an fps though - having skills and special moves and such. it wasn't until i discovered TF2 that i saw anything quite like it. but i'll agree it's not Shadowrun at all.
FPS games just give me bad motion sickness, and I want more from a Shadowrun game than just shooting stuff. :/
Number 6 all the way. When I hear a game has replayability by having different parties I go: Damn it. I always choose the same everytime.
the best shadowrun mine themods shadowruns returns ....
Fragging great video!
I love futuristic noir style movies, games and movies when done well. Never heard of this gem 💎👌
Actually Ricky is probably the better magic guy to have on the team. Solely because of less miss firing the invisiblity. While invisible nothing can get to you while walking about: hell hounds, security, mages, etc. Must be the power of Rat.
Hey Daria, the Sega Genesis Version of Shadowrun was the only version I played and I was only around 10 yrs old at the time and didn't understand much of the Story, I was wondering if you know why Joshua's Brother Michael was in the Salish Shidhe Wilderness in the first place? Like what was His Mission? And do you know why He was Killed?
Dang... I've heard a lot about Shadow Run my whole life but never played it. It looks cool
I wish there would be a video tutorial on hacking in the Sega Genesis version of Shadowrun.
I fucking loved this game in junior high..... Played it on Sega channel.. Lol
Holy moly, someone else who loves Shadowrun! Awesome I like the new version (Shadowrun returns) well enough but they NEED to remake of remaster or create a version of this that's more like the Genesis version.
Shoot straight, Conserve ammo, Watch your back and never, EVER cut a deal with a dragon.
The video came in as one of my recommendations, it's just nice that the video is about one of my favorite game for Sega saturn, together with shining force 1&2.
I enjoyed both shadowrun tho, both Sega and SNES ones
As each came with their own game play, it was interesting tbh.
Anyways nice video, and I do hope people will understand the greatness and the beauty of 8bits and 16bits games ❤️
Thank you Andrew (:
@@DariaPlaysRPGs
You're welcome
It's always nice to know there's still people out there that loves 8bits and 16bits games
I admire any reason to namedrop Guardian Legend.
The Genesis version was the best. I still play it every couple years.
I found a new channel and new game to play. Win win