Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth (Genesis Compatible Game)

Sometimes you just want the cartridge. Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth for Genesis is the standard NTSC-compatible release from Strictly Limited Games, limited to 1,000 copies worldwide with a manual included. No box set, no extras, just a fresh 16-bit cartridge of an obscure mecha beat-em-up that most Genesis owners never knew existed.

The game originally launched on the Sharp X68000 and never received an official Genesis release back in the day. That gap in the library has now been filled. You pilot the Hound Dog SlaveGear mech through six stages of futuristic warfare in Artemis City, battling rogue mechs and a sentient warship called Omega.

The fighting game-influenced mechanics set it apart from standard beat-em-ups. Every encounter requires timing and positioning rather than just walking right and mashing buttons. The 2-player versus mode lets you and a friend take control of the boss mechs, which is the kind of feature that turns a solo curiosity into a couch multiplayer staple.

One thousand copies sounds generous compared to the Collector's Edition, but spread across every Genesis collector on the continent, it evaporates quickly. This is the version for purists who want Mad Stalker sitting in their cartridge library between Mazin Saga and MUSHA, spine out, ready to play. Manual included, as it should be.