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Sega innovated in several ways with 1982’s Zaxxon and created a solid and challenging shooter that has become a classic. However, some may not enjoy the lack of depth find the gameplay frustrating if they’re not using a control stick. If those are humps you can get over, then Zaxxon offers an enjoyable, albeit short, experience that exemplifies Sega at its creative best.
Buck Rogers is a sci-fi legend, but he hasn’t had much of a presence in video games. Sega tried to remedy that with its 1982 arcade shooter that sought to take advantage of the TV revival that was popular at the time. While visually impressive and fun, Planet of Zoom may be a bit too repetitive for extended plays. Still, shooting things is fun!
There was a lot of potential with Galactic Protector, but Sega didn’t seem to know what to do with it. It requires the Japan-only Paddle Control to play, but it somehow makes using it a chore. Instead of bringing a new level of depth to the gameplay beyond what the standard controller offers, it suffers from some bewildering restrictions that make the game harder to play and a lot less fun.
Ninja Princess is an underrated title on the SG-1000. A port of the 1985 Sega coin-op hit, it does a faithful job of recreating that game on the hardware. If you like action, ninjas, and want a new title for your console, Ninja Princess is a great choice.
Lode Runner is one of the most widely-ported games of all time, and the SG-1000 version is among the best. Sega did an excellent job of making the game fit on its console and even included a neat level editing feature. If you’re looking for a cool rendition of Doug Smith’s classic title to play on console, then this might be one you try.