Stone Protectors (MegaDrive / Genesis)

Stone Protectors – The Lost Genesis Beat-'em-up, Finally Unleashed

You know that feeling when a game was finished but just never released? That's Stone Protectors for the Sega Genesis. Developed by Eurocom, nearly complete, then cancelled – and for years only known as a leaked prototype. Piko Interactive changed that in 2022, releasing the game as an official physical cartridge with bug fixes and brand-new packaging. A genuine piece of gaming history.

The Story: From Rock Band to Superheroes

Five down-on-their-luck rockers – the "Rock Defectors" – stumble upon five glowing Power Stones in a beat-up leather box. Suddenly they've got millions of fans and supernatural powers. Now, as the Stone Protectors, they must battle the evil Zok and his army to retrieve the stolen crystals and return them to the Crystal Kingdom.

Gameplay: Classic 16-Bit Brawler Action

Stone Protectors plays like a true genre representative of its era – think TMNT or Battletoads: colorful graphics, scrolling right, beating up everything that moves. What sets it apart: all 5 characters feel noticeably different, each with unique combo attacks and individual weapons (from plungers and anchors to guns and grenades). That gives the game more depth than many genre peers.

• 10 levels with varied environments and enemy waves
• 5 playable heroes: Clifford, Cornelius, Chester, Maxwell and Angus
• Each character with their own special weapon finisher
• Solo or co-op for two players
• Multiple difficulty levels – even affects the ending

Good to Know

Enemy variety is limited – if you're not tired of lizard warriors after 5 hours, you're in the right place. For hardcore brawler fans, that's exactly the point: stubborn, old-school, unfiltered. The bosses can be seriously tough and will challenge even experienced players.

Background & Rarity

The game is based on the short-lived 1993 cartoon and action figure series – a product of the early 90s troll toy craze, similar to Battle Trolls or Toxic Crusaders. The Genesis version was originally planned for VIC Tokai but never saw release. The complete prototype surfaced online in 2010. Piko Interactive secured the rights and officially launched the game in 2022 after a successful Kickstarter – complete with bug fixes and a mini-poster.