During the first year or two after the Genesis launched, third party titles were few and far between, thanks to Nintendo’s iron-clad licensing agreements. During those dark years, Sega had to use all kinds of tactics just to get companies to even publish on its console. One of the most successful methods was the licensing and reprogramming of arcade hits by Sega itself. In addition to the great Capcom line up of reprogrammed games like Forgotten Worlds and Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, Sega also managed to snag some Atari titles, like the arcade hit Cyberball. Like its brethren, Cyberball received some home extras while retaining the look and feel of the coin-op as much as possible. The only problem with the futuristic football game is that it might not have been deep enough for the home market.
Tag: Sega Enterprises
Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football
In 1991, Sega shocked Genesis owners with Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football. Aside from changing the game’s vertical perspective to a horizontal one (an internal team had been working on one for the original, but it was scrapped in favor of EA’s vertical game), Sega also added play-by-play commentary. Though it might seem cheesy today, this was unheard for consoles at the time, and it marked an important step in bringing realism to sports games.
McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventure
Aside from the obvious clown character, I’m still wondering what the tie-to McDonald’s is here. It’s strange to see the fast food chain have its license used without any references incorporated into the game, and I suppose that it was just as enamored of Treasure’s magic as everyone else was. You have to admit, the two are an incredible way to sucker gamers into what’s essentially a run-of-the-mill platformer with an all too-happy protagonist.
Twin Hawk
Toaplan’s been behind some great shmups, and a few of them were never released in the U.S. Twin Hawk was one of the rare games that got published by Sega in Europe and Japan, but never flew across the Atlantic. No one knows why, but we were deprived of a solid little shooter that employed some unconventional gameplay dynamics.
Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition
You’d think that after everything he’s been through, after all his near-death experiences with dinosaurs, Dr. Alan Grant would stay as far the hell away from remote islands as possible. Apparently, he must has some deep, subconscious attraction to them, because he keeps going back for more. In Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition, the good doctor is actually trying to save the vicious reptiles from InGen thugs. The beloved raptor also makes a return, and with new graphics and equipment, it’s a whole new adventure in the most dangerous place on Earth.