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When Ken Balthaser arrived at Sega, the Genesis had yet to be launched. As the company frantically geared up for its second stab at the American market, he quickly had to adjust to his new role as Head of Product Development, a role he held until 1995. During his tenure, he oversaw the releases of such controversial games as Fantasia, Buster Douglas “Knockout” Boxing, and Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football.
With the release of the Sega Genesis Collection on the Playstation 2 and PSP, Sega has brought us the largest Genesis compilation ever released on consoles. Sega-16 spoke to associate producer Stephen Frost about this exciting release and got some insight about how it came about and what the future holds. Want to know why Streets of Rage didn’t make the cut? Shining Force? How about the chances of another volume?
Sega-16 always treasures a chance to talk to those who made our favorite games. Our latest inteview was almost enough to make Ken pass out with glee, as we finally got to speak to Jim Huether, producer of Joe Montana II Sports Talk Football and Ken’s personal favorite, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. Lots of info regarding these two landmark releases was revealed, so read the full interview for all the great info!
Ever want to be a video game tester? It seems much easier now, with all the special training and courses being offered nationwide, but back during the 16-bit era, getting into the business wasn’t so easy. Sega-16 recently sat down for some Q & A with Jennifer Brozek, a former Genesis game tester, and she gave us some great insight about what it was like to work on some of our favorite games!
For years, Wisdom Tree Games has managed to successfully avoid becoming an official licensee for the platforms on which it develops. On both the NES and Genesis, it has released several titles that have had strong sales, giving the company a longevity not common to other unofficial developers. Company leader Brenda Huff recently spoke to Sega-16 about how Wisdom Tree has managed to endure and even carve out its own little corner of the market.