Gee, I emulated the SNES one when I was maybe 8 or something, that was a long time ago. I wasn't good at any games then, but I think I chose Ioz because I thought he was cool in the cartoon.

I rock with Tula for both versions just because I have an affinity for playing female characters.

Sunsoft actually built the Super NES version from the ground up and did all the work, while never building up the Genesis version as they delegated all the work for that port to Iguana Entertainment, who would later be an Acclaim subsidiary.

Sell me on playing this. Is there any appeal beyond role playing as a pirate?

Tula is awesome if you're looking for speed and agility:
> high movement speed - quickest character, allows for faster level traversal and better evasion of enemy attacks.
> superior jumping ability (Genesis) - in the platformer focused Genesis version, Tula can make difficult jumps that neither Ren nor Ioz can clear, which is essential for bypassing tricky sections in levels like Sunken Bridge or Bobo Mountain.
> unique Ecomancer desperation attack (SNES) - in the SNES beat-’em-up version, Tula uses "ecomancer energy" for her life-draining special attack.
> agile combat style - even though she has the lowest physical strength and shortest range, Tula's quick attack recovery makes her the most effective choice for high-speed "hit and run" tactics compared to the more sluggish Ioz

Yeah, SNES wins in regards to this early Cartoon Network classic IP game