Sega might be known primarily for their creation of a certain blue blur and his rabble of machine-busting woodland creatures, but it’s not just Sonic that keeps the lights on.
They got where they are today with some other old titles, and those Edsels are roaring back onto the track in the here and now.
Sega Ages is a compilation of ports and remakes published by Sega, usually of arcade games and those from the era of the Sega Genesis. Started in 1996, it’s endured to this day across multiple systems, and now the Nintendo Switch is getting its own slice of the pie.
Currently the Nintendo Switch version is being further developed by M2, produced by Rieko Kodama. First announced in August 2018, it comes with ten titles, and Sega has declared that games from the Saturn and Dreamcast will be added later on.
Naturally Sonic the Hedgehog will be a part of it, but also joining the fray are some very old favorites, including Puyo Puyo, Virtua Racing, Space Harrier, and Fantasy Zone.
But it’s not just that it’s the same old song and dance for these classic titles. Sega sees the hunger for greater difficulty, and has implemented some new wrinkles into the compilation.
Updated game and display settings, replay saving, online leaderboards, game save progress, and challenge modes, which provide intense difficulty and require the player to complete games with certain conditions.
Not content with just hoping their name will be enough to carry these remasters and rereleases, Sega is actively working to bring them, as much as possible, into the modern era. The games might be old-school, but there’s a nice hint of new-school flavor.
Currently available are the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Thunder Force IV, Phantasy Star, Out Run, again Ground, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Puyo Puyo, Virtua Racing, Wonder Boy In Monster Land, and Space Harrier.
Columns II, Thunder Force AC, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Puzzle and Action: Ichidant-R, Shinobi, G-LOC: Air Battle, Fantasy Zone, and Herzog Zwei are planned for future release.
Fans of retro gaming can rejoice at the return of these old classics, available now on eshop. As of now, there is no release date for the latter titles, but they’re coming, with Sega saying even more are on the way. For now, ears will be on the ground and eyes will be kept peeled. Until next time, stay and play savvy, gamers.
