Vectorman (Genesis, 1995)

After Donkey Kong Country was released for the SNES, Sega must have been feeling some degree of embarrassment.  They had for so long claimed that their Genesis was the graphically superior of the two, but still needed to release add-ons like the Sega CD and 32X to give it a little technical boost.  Donkey Kong Country was a game that looked just as good, if not better, than games for either of them, and it required nothing more than what the SNES already had.  So Vectorman (1995) was released as something of a response to that.
Vectorman is possibly the best looking game for the Genesis, as well as one of the latest (by this point, the Playstation was already out and Sega's own Saturn was not far behind).  It uses computer rendered sprites and animations, but still using less frames than in DKC.  The Genesis simply did not have the memory capacity necessary to make a game that good looking.  One trick that is used to mask this is by making characters out of multiple sprites to create fluid animations (a trick also used in great games like Gunstar Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog 3).  The main character is essentially a robot made of orbs.
The story goes that it is centuries in the future, and mankind has been forced to evacuate Earth due to over-population and pollution (games in the 90's seemed to be fond of faux-environmental themes).  They leave robots behind to clean up in hopes of returning to a cleaner planet.  One day, the robot in charge accidentally has a nuclear weapon attached to his head (go with it) and he becomes Warhead, tyrant of the machines.  He gains control over all of the other robots (except for Vectorman, a sludge barge driver) and plans to destroy the humans upon their return.  Only you can defeat him and restore peace.  Quite elaborate for a run-and-gun game.
Okay, so the plot may be a bit more than necessary and completely ridiculous, but the gameplay makes it forgivable.  As stated, your objective in each level is to platform and shoot your way to the end.  It is completely linear, but the stages are huge and sprawling, and there is substantial reward for exploration.  There are also special stages in between the main levels which add some variety.  The control is simple, yet responsive.  You jump with one button and shoot with the other, and Vectorman can perform a double jump.  This is another game where the double jump makes logical sense, since the eponymous robot has boosters on his feet.  You also get temporary power-ups, some that give weapon upgrades, or transform Vectorman to give him special abilities needed to progress at some points.
It is the subtle touches that make this game great.  The attention to detail in this game is extraordinary for a Genesis title.  When you shoot straight down in the arc of a jump, it will slow Vectorman's descent.  Combine that with the double jump and you can make very precise jumps and maneuvers.  If you double jump right over an enemy, they will take damage from the propulsion exhaust.  Some minor graphical details are impressive, such as the lighting effects.  Vectorman's sprite will change shade in accordance with the lighting.  Another amusing touch is in his idle animations.  When you stand still, he will amuse himself by juggling some of the orbs that make up his body.  Stand against a wall, and he will lean against it in a cool pose.
On a system that is famous for high-quality platforming and action games, Vectorman stands out as one of the best.  It would receive one sequel, also for the Genesis, which was vastly overshadowed by both its predecessor and the next generation of gaming.  The first game was barely early enough to have been successful.  Once the Playstation had been released, it was time for both Sega and Nintendo to move on from their 16 bit systems and look forward to an age of polygonal graphics and 3D.  Vectorman can be seen as a fond farewell to the Genesis.