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Climax built on its success with Shining in the Darkness to create one of the most legendary 16-bit titles of all time. To this day, Shining Force is considered a true Genesis classic, and it spawned a series of its own that still has fans. Join us as we examine how this beloved game was conceived, developed, and released.
Poor Alex Kidd can’t catch a break. After losing his job as Sega’s mascot to Sonic, he’s been in the video game wilderness for years. With games like BMX Trial, it’s no wonder. A Paddle Control title, this racer is about as much fun as rubbing against one of the numerous cacti Alex has to avoid. There are better paddle games out there, so save your money.
One genre that seemed tailor made for the Sega CD was the digital novel, but even there, quality varied. Detonator Orgun tried to adapt its namesake’s weird story to game form, but it fell flat due to a lack of any real action and subpar presentation. It’s not a horrible adaptation, but there are better anime-based digital novels out there to play. Fans of the OVA might enjoy this one, but those looking for a great anime-based digital novel will enjoy Urusei Yatsura: My Dear Friends a whole lot more.
Climax burst onto the 16-bit scene with a wonderful 8Mb RPG that looked like nothing coming out of Japan at the time. Filled with memorable characters, fantastic visual effects, and a challenging quest, Shining in the Darkness was one hell of a debut title. It put Climax on the map and laid the foundation for a series that would run for the next three decades.
Early on in the Mega Drive’s life, Sega was ramping up game development and accessory support to make it a real contender against Nintendo’s NES. In this February 1990 interview, Sega’s Deputy General Manager of Consumer Business Dept., Shigeo Kamata, and the Director of R&D, Hideki Sato, talk about that strategy, including console sales, the Mega Modem, the start of the Sega Technical Institute, and more.