Sega has never quite been able to muscle-in on the likes of Nintendo and Sony in the modern console era. Still, they’ve earned a mighty following for creating some of the most innovative, exciting, and downright bizarre games over the years. The brand is a classic of the gaming industry, and in this age of remasters, reboots, and ports, many of the areas that Sega’s explored in the past have been given new life in the modern gaming space. Here are some of the best Sega creations that have found a new way to eat up our spare time again.
A return to the good old days for Sega’s mascot
As Sega’s mascot and much like waiting on horse racing results, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise continues to see new games hit the shelves each year, regardless of the quality of the end products. Most recently, the likes of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Team Sonic Racing, Sonic Mania Plus, and Sonic Forces have been unleashed, but perhaps the most consistently highly-rated of the Sonic family is Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
The sequel to the groundbreaking original is still celebrated as one of the best follow-ups in gaming, having originally released on the Sega Genesis in 1992. For hardcore Sega fans, its presence on the Sega Genesis Mini, which launched last year, made the console a must-buy. Others who have jumped into modern consoles have been piling onto the direct port of the classic game on the Switch, enjoying Sega Ages Sonic The Hedgehog 2 in all of its glory for about $8.
The evolution of one of Sega’s side hustles
Having been famous for its arcade game machines, Sega easily segued into arcade gambling machines a long time ago. They could just as easily create digital game machines as they could digital slot or video poker machines, and even the classic card game of blackjack that the company clearly went all-in on. The machine Blackjack Nailed Ace featured five seats, all which gazed into the massive LCD dealer screen. You don’t often see Sega in the gambling sector anymore, with the scene becoming democratised.
However, their early efforts of physical table play against a digital game certainly helped to pave the way for the modern scene of online gambling. It showed that a game such as blackjack could be enjoyed digitally, and from there, it evolved, now taking the form of live online blackjack in Canada, from which players can use any device to connect to a live stream and play along in real-time with real money. Sega may not be in the business as much anymore, but they’re certainly one of the pioneers which ushered in the new age for the gaming sector.
A proper remaster of true Sega classics
Forged for the Sega Dreamcast, Shenmue and Shenmue II earned a massive cult following that stood the test of time. It was so strong that director Yu Suzuki was able to complete a successful crowd-funding campaign for Shenmue III. It took many years to then develop, having raised over $6 million on Kickstarter, but the fans waited patiently, with the game being released 20 years after the original.
Shortly before the release of the third instalment, Sega remastered the originals so that fans could enjoy two enhanced versions of the games for modern consoles just before the third chapter of their much-loved tale. In review, the remasters were described as being a bit short on enhancements, but that they were restored properly for the modern era, doing right by the classic source material.
Sega was never afraid to explore new themes and forms of gaming, with it now seeming like their efforts are being more openly appreciated in the modern space, perhaps more than at their times of release.
