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Sega’s Shinobi series is recognized for its greatness on the Genesis, but the Game Gear is home to two excellent entries in the series. The first game features solid gameplay and great presentation, and it captures the essence of what makes the series so popular with fans. This is definitely one to have in your Game Gear library.
If you’ve only played the Genesis version of Columns, then you need to track down a Game Gear and play the portable edition. It offers different options and a whole other feel to the gameplay that makes it more than just a watered-down port of its 16-bit sibling. It’s one of the best puzzle games on the Game Gear and arguably the best version of Columns overall.
Mickey Mouse debuted on the Game Gear in spectacular fashion, as Sega’s Castle of Illusion gave the machine a stellar platformer at launch. It also marked the start of a great handheld franchise that sparked two sequels. The original is still a great game to play and one that should be in every Game Gear owner’s library.
Sega wowed arcade gamers with SDI, a trackball-based shooter that had them defending the planet from enemy attack. The game was soon ported to the Master System, and while several compromises had to be made for it to work on the less-powerful hardware (and with a controller), the conversion turned out surprisingly well. It’s one that’s worth checking out.
Sega’s early mascot returns for his final Master System outing, released a year after his Genesis debut (and finale). A funny spoof on another Sega franchise, Shinobi World is still a fun game to play. It’s a bit on the easy side, but it’s worth checking out… if you’re willing to pay the prices it goes for nowadays.