Author: Ken Horowitz

Features, Sega Legends

Sega Legends: Michael Jackson and Sonic 3

For years there have been persistent rumors that Michael Jackson composed the music to Sonic The Hedgehog 3 but was fired when his child molestation scandal became public news. Over time, many people have gathered what they believe to be conclusive evidence that the King of Pop was indeed working for Sega, and they even suggest that he used the music that was rejected in compositions for his later albums.

Now, after a year of research and communications with almost a half dozen people from Sega of America management as well as those who were directly involved with the game, Sega-16 has compiled all the available evidence from both sides – those who think MJ was hired and those who don’t – and we’ve come up with what seems to be the most probable scenario.

Features, Interviews

Interview: Ellen Fuog (Kaneko VP of Sales & Marketing)

When the Genesis launched, it lacked something its rival, the NES, enjoyed in spades: third party software. Due to Nintendo’s strict licensing agreements, companies that published on the NES were forbidden to release games on competing hardware, and this left Sega’s new machine with a big problem. Thankfully, the U.S. court system put an end to this practice, and the support slowly began to pick up. During the dry period, however, a few small companies jumped at the chance to pick up the slack left by bigger publishers like Konami and Capcom. Among them was Kaneko, which was a staunch supporter of the little black box. Sega-16 spent some Q&A time with former Kaneko VP of marketing, Ellen Fuog, and she shared her insights on what it was like to be at a small publisher at the dawn of the 16-bit era.

Genesis Reviews

Saint Sword

A Genesis exclusive, Saint Sword seemed to be more impressive in the box then plugged into the console. Taito missed the boat with this one in a big way, failing to take advantage of the excellent transformation dynamic. What it instead gave us was a generic action slasher, with some morphing tossed in for good measure. Even so, Saint Sword is playable and might be worth looking into.

Sega CD Reviews

Tomcat Alley

It’s time to fly into the danger zone! Sega’s Tomcat Alley takes the full throttle action of jet fighters and mixes it with… full-motion video? Yep, and suprisingly, it isn’t all that bad. In fact, Tomcat Alley is, dare I say it, enjoyable.

Features, Sega Download

Sega Download: Genesis Virtual Console Vol. 08

We’re back with a fresh batch of Genesis games on the Wii Virtual Console, and this installment may be the best yet. There’s been a slew of great 16-bit games pouring onto the console lately, and this latest group is definitely going to be hard to beat. Earthworm Jim, M.U.S.H.A., and Phantasy Star IV are among the classics arriving in this bunch, and with a trio like that, it’s going to be hard to hold onto those points for long! Read all about them in the latest edition of Genesis Virtual Console, and get ready to buy some Wii point cards. You’re going to need them.