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Dorkly readers, you did it. Your votes have determined the greatest Sega Genesis games of all-time. Over 200,000 votes were tallied (you can check out the results here), and we have below the top 25 (fair warning – we only included the top performing game from each series, so that you wouldn't have to read about Streets of Rage three times). So sit back, relax, grab your Sega Nomad and six AA batteries, and let's look back at what you've decided are the 25 greatest Sega Genesis games of all-time.

25. Phantasy Star IV

One genre that was noticeably under-served on the Sega Genesis was the RPG. With Final Fantasy (and other Square games) firmly entrenched over on the side of Nintendo, something needed to make up for the deficiency for Sega. Thankfully, the Phantasy Star series came along, and the 4th entry proved to be not only one of the greatest Genesis RPGs of all-time, but one of the greatest RPGs period. The game combined deep storytelling, well-honed game mechanics, and a unique take on combining fantasy and science-fiction to create one of the most memorable RPG experiences ever crafted. They were so confident in their games, they didn't even care how they spelled "fantasy."

24. Shining Force II

Shining Force II is one of the greatest tactical RPGs ever created, not that that sounds too impressive when you realize how few tactical RPGs there really are out there. One of the reason there are so few is because everyone saw this game come out and figured "who could possibly top this?" But Shining Force II was something more special than just that – it had unparalleled depth in both gameplay and story, and more characters ready to join your party than an episode of Game of Thrones. The only drawback was the game required a huge time investment to fully appreciate it – but at least you weren't technically lying when you told your friends you couldn't hang out because a huge party was taking up all your time.

Lady Cyclops

She's got all the optic blast powers of regular Cyclops, but without his insistence on covering up his midriff all the time.
(via MTV)

Gimmicks have always been a mainstay of the gaming industry – what better way to separate your game from the rest of the pack than by adding some weird, unique, maybe pointless feature? Sometimes the gimmick adds another layer of depth and makes your game more memorable – other times its annoying, stupid, or just plain bad. These are 8 of the best and worst gimmicks in videogame history.

Best – Sanity Meter (Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem)

Eternal Darkness was doomed from the start – playing as multiple characters (most of whom died grisly deaths no matter what you did), a surreal Lovecraftian plot (ending with ancient gods battling in outerspace while you fought a resurrected Roman centurion), and one of the most mind-bending gimmicks ever introduced into mainstream gaming: the sanity meter.

What it was (for those of you who didn't play, which based on the sales number is pretty much all of you) was your character would gradually go crazy every time they were seen by something…well, crazy. As the meter slipped, weird effects would start taking place – it appeared like there was a fly on your screen, the volume on your TV would lower, your save files would delete themselves. The game didn't see fit to only make the character feel like they were going crazy – they made you feel crazy too. The result was scarier and more immersive than almost any game ever, but most people ignored the game. Remember, developers: purposely trying to screw with gamers' grasp on reality – not the ticket to success.

Lady Nightwing

Dick Grayson has made a lot of changes since his days as Robin. No cape, for one.
(via)

When moving through any game, your goal is usually to move up the food chain: get better guns, get better armor, get better everything. Get to the point where you're unstoppable, where you can mow through enemies like a weed whacker through a bunch of easily-whacked weeds. But this desire needs to be kept in check – because when the developers include weapons that are too good, it can completely throw off the balance of the whole game. There's no need for strategy or real challenge with weapons that are that powerful – and just like when Tim Allen makes a way too powerful weed whacker on Home Improvement, sometimes we need to recognize when things have gone too far. These are the 15 most overpowered weapons in videogame history.

15. Fierce Diety's Mask (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Getting all the masks in Majora's Mask is something of a pain (unless you're Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day and used to this kind of stuff, but in which case, you're also a fictional character). Unfortunately, you need them all to get the final and most ridiculously-powerful mask in the game – the Fierce Deity's Mask. The FDM transforms Kid Link into, well, the Fierce Deity (who looks a lot like Adult Link but with gray hair and some bad facepaint). While it can only be used in boss fights, the mask makes the game a joke – even the final boss fight against Majora's Mask becomes a quick scuffle, with Fierce Deity Link shooting his laser-sword against the helpless evil mask. It's like if they let you beat Ganon in Ocarina of Time by having Biggoron step on him.

Kinda makes you wonder how this thing nearly brought the apocalypse down on Clock Town. Also makes you wonder why they didn't evacuate Clock Town the second they noticed the moon was, like, 100 yards away.

The life of a Pokemon is not a good one: they wander aimlessly in the grass, the desert, and the sea, attacking literally anything that comes by. Inevitably, they will be brutally beaten and captured by a trainer, who will keep them in a tiny ball or trapped in some PC ("Bill's PC", or "Whatever PC" in later vesions). Then, if they're lucky enough to escape their Tron-esque digital nightmare world, they will occasionally be trotted out to battle other Pokemon – where they will be burnt, frozen, paralyzed, poisoned, and a million other horrible things – all so some loser trainer can win some badges. But, even among Pokemon, some are far more miserable than the others. They actually have lives that are significantly worse. Here are the 10 most miserable creatures in Pokemon.

10. Igglybuff

"It has a soft and bouncy body. Once it starts bouncing, it becomes impossible to stop." (Pokemon Diamond)

Igglybuff looks like the happiest, most joy-filled Pokemon creature ever. And it very well might be! For the precious few moments of its life when it's still, that is. Because the second it bounces, that's it – it bounces forever. It's entire life is constant, perpetual motion – in total defiance of Newton's laws – that is wholly unstoppable, like some terrible amusement park ride that never ends. Plus, its name is Igglybuff and it's a weaker version of Jigglypuff. It doesn't get much worse than that.

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

This important-sounding quote was spoken by some guy after you die during Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and it still holds true. Weapons in videogames, too, keep getting more and more powerful, yet there are still ones included in games that make us wish we had the raw power of some sticks and stones instead. We're not talking the purposely-terrible joke weapons that show up sometimes (like the mop in Chrono Trigger or the Bubble Gun in Earthworm Jim 2) – we're talking the weapons the developers thought you'd actually use at some point. These are the 15 worst weapons in videogame history.

15. Needler (Halo: Combat Evolved)

The Needler can actually be a pretty effective weapon in Halo – assuming the target is totally still, your aim is on, and you have enough ammo. Unfortunately, players tend to move around in Halo (sometimes in different directions), getting the aim dead-on can be difficult, and if you don't have enough ammo, you're doomed. Hell, it's not like they're not being upfront with us at least – to "needle" typically means "to goad, provoke, or tease." Basically, it's a weapon designed to annoy your enemies – not kill them. And unfortunately, "killing" is a pretty important thing to do in Halo. Luckily, the Needler was improved in subsequent Halo games, stealing the raw power once held by the mighty Pistol.