PixlBit

I found a few more NES era games in the hack 'n' slash genre and I'll retell what I've played so far in the Genesis/SNES era. 

New ones

Sword of Sodan (1988)

This was an Amiga game that got ported to the Genesis in 1990, where I played it. It's not very good. I call it the Poking of Sodan because it feels like that's all you do in it. It's a 2D side-scrolling hack 'n' slash. You have potions but it took me a search online to figure out how to use them. You have to pause the game, select the potion with the d-pad, unpause the game and press "A". Weird! The second level was really annoying. Spikes come out of the ground while you're fighting that are neigh impossible to avoid. I got rather tired of it pretty quickly. 

Skull & Crossbones (1989)

A NES game put out by Tengen. It's a very simple 2D action game with narrow platforms and enemies places along them. You have to knock out 15 enemies to fight the boss and clear the area. The first area takes place in the rigging of a sailing ship and the next inside the hull of the ship. Three more follow I didn't get to yet. I think it's neat to fight in the rigging of the ship but jumping in this game is slippery and I fell off a lot. Also, someone is throwing barrels from off the screen that makes things very annoying. It's kind of terrible, but it's growing on me. 

Genesis/SNES Era

 I'd like to say at the start that this is my favorite period for brawlers and it turns out for hack 'n' slash games too. Somehow developers figured it out by the 90s, making these games really fun. 

Magic Sword (1990)

Arcade game on SNES and Capcom Arcade Stadium 2. I played this to completion again and loved every minute of it. I think the main thing that makes these 90s hack 'n' slash games better is that you can respawn right where you were and don't have to replay whole levels every time you fall. For me, I really hate starting over a lot, and in arcade games, you are often using continues. 

Sengoku (1991)

I stumbled across this arcade game going through my SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 on the Wii and found a new series to follow in the hack 'n' slash genre. I played this to the end as well. You can pick up orbs from enemies that give you weapons and powers. You can also change form with a special magic that I didn't really explore fully in my first playthrough. I was overjoyed to find out this game and its two sequels available as part of the NEO Geo AES series on current systems where I will eventually play the first one again and the two sequels. A similar game Crossed Swords is also available there too that I'll get soon. 

Warriors of Fate (1992)

I love, love, love this game and beat it like the previous two with ultimited continues of course. I probably would've spent almost $10 on an arcade machine to beat it. It has lush graphics and five unique players to choose from. You can ride a horse and fight from it as well. In a basic way, it plays like a brawler like Streets of Rage with wrestling throws and weapon pickups that seem to get knocked out of your hand at the slightest hit. But you can also chop your foes into chunks or charge them with your horse. 

Arabian Magic (1992)

I played this on Taito Legends 2 on PS2. This is a really cool game. When you beat a genie, it becomes your special summoning move and fights for you for a time. I played this to the end as well. So good. 

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (1993) - Maybe the best of the Shinobi games. I love the illusion of 3D the backgrounds give you. This was a Genesis game now on Sega Genesis Classics, where I played it. It's hard though and I still can't even beat the first boss of the game. 

Dungeon Magic (1993)

I played this on Taito Legends 2 on PS2. Such an interesting game. It has a kind of isometric view and a branching level design. It looks gorgeous too. Four interesting characters to choose from with unique skills. Serious replay value here. I love it. 

And that's Genesis/SNES era hack 'n' slash games I've played so far. There are a few i still don't have yet and maybe new ones will pop up as I research further. But I've already moved on to the next generations in search of more slaying. Stay tuned.