Why I love Sega

[SegaTecToy]

Phantasy Star, Sonic (at least until DC's Sonic Adventure), Panzer Dragoon, Shenmue, Nights... Some of the best games of all time.

It have some of the most collectible systems too, like SMS, Saturn and DC with many obscure japanese releases and rare games to chase and brag about when you get one :)

[digitalpress]

CHALLENGE POINT: SEGATECTOY.

For posting first for his tribe, SegaTecToy has scored a point with this post.

[anagrama]

Why do I love Sega? At the end of the day, it's down to one thing... playability.
To me, Sega epitomised the (arguably) lost art of the fun videogame - I've never (well, rarely) had the patience to involve 40+ hours in plot-heavy story-based games that are 90% reading/talking/backtracking and 10% game. I'd rather take an action-packed 10 minute blast anytime, and that is what Sega have consistently provided, from my earliest experiences playing Outrun in the arcade and Action Fighter on my cousin's Master System to current-gen stand-outs like Rez, Monkey Ball and Panzer Dragoon Orta.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I never owned a Sega console until picking up a 2nd hand Megadrive late in the day (The Amiga was my first love), but that doesn't mean I don't remember spending hours in the late 80's playing Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Wonderboy at a friends house.

Everything changed just after Christmas 1991 - let's face it, *everyone* remembers where they were when they first saw that blue spiky ball setting the 68000's heart on fire and shaking up the whole gaming landscape - it was at this moment I realised that my trusty Amiga would never quite cut-it anymore in the face of these funny console things (what? You can't even tell your parents that "It'll really help my school work if you get me one ;) "). Sonic changed everything - it was new, it was beautiful and it was faaaaaaaaaaaaaaast. I think I must have spent the best part of 1992 in my friend Justin's bedroom absolutely enthralled by Sonic, Revenge of Shinobi, the original Madden (remember when that was something new and exciting? Wow!) and many others. Very fond memories...
After a brief dalliance with Nintendo's 16-bit offering (I NEEDED Streetfighter and didn't want to wait), I fell out of gaming for a few years and came back around when my flatmates and I bought a Playstation while at university. It was fun for a while, but soon I was pining for something less-3D, less involved, more 'pure'.... I picked up a cheap Megadrive with a few games sometime in 1997 and fell in love all over again. I started looking in the dustier corners of games stores and was surprised to find that many still had loads of old games at dirt-cheap prices. I quickly acquired a Master System aswell, and started buying up all the cheap games I could find (a habit that continues to this day, some 800+ games later :) )
Unfortunately, the Saturn was well out of the running by the time I picked one up at the end of '98, but I couldn't care less about the lack of new releases as long I could play Nights :) Being a poor student, I couldn't afford a Dreamcast at launch, but I got a second-hand one after a few months for £100 and was immediately amazed at the number of astounding games that were already at bargain prices - I went into a buying frenzy, and spent the remainder of my university years glued to Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Samba, House of the Dead 2 and so many others.
Indeed, I blame Sega for single-handedly causing me to only get a less-than-brilliant degree result by inconsiderately releasing Phantasy Star Online about 3 or 4 months before my finals - "Hmm, should I do lots of revision and coursework or instead spend over 250 hours slaying beasties, collecting weapons and making friends down on the surface of Ragol?". Betcha can't guess which I chose? :)
The last few months of the Dreamcast's active life were simply a blur of panic-buying - everywhere I turned I could find new releases being discounted almost immediately, and picked up dozens of games for between £5 and £15. In fact, despite the fact that I had over 50 games by the time it was finally pulled from the shelves, I only ever paid full price for 3 of them (JSR, PSO and Ikaruga if you're wondering).

It was a sad, sad day, although not entirely unexpected, when THE announcement came and despite a faint hope that Sega's new 3rd Party status would result in a sound thrashing of EA, Acclaim and the other big-wigs we all kinda knew it was the end. I'll not mull over their sorry demise and the ignorance of the general gaming public since it's been done a thousand times before, but one Monkey Ball is still worth a thousand GTA/Hitman/Manhunt/Driver guns'n'cars'n'killing yawn-fests.

Who knows what the future brings? It's not looking bright anymore, but as long as I can still play Fantasy Zone and Flicky, who cares?

I've rambled on here, and have barely touched on some areas - such as the fact that form the late 80's onwards they were the ONLY arcade maker that mattered (Namco, schmanco...) or that fact the the last disc of Shenmue 2 is possibly *the* most beautiful videogaming experience yet created, but instead I'll leave you with a few names to savour:

Frogger... Zaxxon... Congo Bongo... Tapper... Flicky... Alex Kidd... Wonderboy... Choplifter... Fantasy Zone... Phantasy Star... Hang On... Out Run... AfterBurner... Shinobi... Sonic... Streets of Rage... Ecco the Dolphin.. Toejam & Earl... Shining Force... Golden Axe... Kid Chameleon... Virtua Racing... Virtua Cop... Virtua Fighter... Daytona... Sega Rally... Virtual On... House of the Dead... Nights into Dreams... Burning Rangers... Panzer Dragoon... Crazy Taxi... Space Channel 5.. Jet Set Radio... Samba de Amigo... Shenmue... Skies of Arcadia... Rez... Cosmic Smash... Segagaga... Super Monkey Ball...


What are you waiting for? Go get yourself a Cyber-Razor Cut! :)

[VinnyT]

Hell, I could just repost my old LORE story, but that wouldn't quite enough cover what I have to say.

Having my only other gaming experince be 2600, I never thought that games could look,sound,or play better.

"Wait, you mean there's 3 buttons instead of one?"

Playing that Genesis got me started on my video game addiction. Almost every week until Video Castle stopped renting them, me, my brother, and my dad would go down to the aforemention Video Castle and rent two games. I then realized that there were other games systems. Other games to try. I tried them, at friends houses, relatives houses,teachers houses,etc. After al lthat, i'd stil lcome home and play some BattleToads, or Ninja Turtles.

Sega made one great system in that Genesis, and it has been a great part of my life. They made some great games, plenty of them overseas. If more had been brought over, proving that Sega was better than Nintendo would have been easier to those stupid kids and there Mario and there Final Fantasy. Sonic, Phantasy Star, Toe Jam and Earl, Alex Kidd,the World Series baseball series, NFL "K" series, Jet Grind Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Shining Force II, and more. All of those and more made it so addicting, that maybe it was good others around me didn't like it. More for me, I would tell my self.

Sega continued to make great games, for systems that never really made it. Games like Virtua Fighter, Panzer Dragoon, Nights, and others. Sega provided action, and a bit older theme to games that Nintendo wouldn't dare release(Like BoogerMan). Dreamcast brought us Sonic Adventure, which may not be the best, but it's Sonic dammit! Jet Grind Radio started the whole Cell-Shaded graphics craze. Power Stone 1 and 2 both were worht purchasing the system. And, there was that great Sky-Ship epic, Skies of Arcadia.

Sega made great games, if not good marketing decisions with 80% of it's systems. Still, Sega deserves it's respect as the best, and it deserves it's place in history, and in our hearts.

*Sega Salute*








SSSSEGA!

[Pop Culture Portal]

Ah, Sega, how I wish you still made consoles. I love Sega as well. The vast number of EA games out there for all Sega systems was one of the many reasons I miss these systems. General Chaos, Madden, Might and Magic, NBA Live, and, well, let's not forget Normy's Beach Babe-o-rama!

[VinnyT]

C'mon, is this it? Only me, TecToy,Joe( X_x ), and Anagrama?

There's gotta be more. Step up!

SSSEGA!

WELCO
METOT
HENEX
TLEVEL

[Funk Buddy]

This is simple.

I had been out of console gaming for over three years, only having a C64 and Odyssey 2 before that. My roomate at the time wanted to get a game system, so off to TRU we went. After much looking we decided on a Genesis and a few of the low cost games available. Took it home and hooked it up and ended up playing the Sonic game that came with it more than the crapola cheap games we bought. We played it for quite some time, then I bought the Sega CD when it came out. After buying and renting several games for the CD I lost interest and just played the carts for a year or two more. Passed on the 32X after the CD disaster (IMO).

Then when I saw my friends DC in action with NFL2K I was in love. X_x My folks got me one for Christmas in 99 and that started my collecting bug. First for the US DC then imports which moved on to the Saturn both US and imports... and so on and so on. I never owned a Sony system until the PS2 and only had a GB until two years ago. So I guess that's why I'm a Sega guy, it's more the machines and the games for them than the games they produce. I still have that Genesis and CD unit along with the original games we bought. I can't wait to begun the true Genesis/Sega CD collection journey.

[VinnyT]

See, i knew there'd be more!

[Azazel]

Streets of Rage 2 convinced me to get a Genesis many years ago.

[-hellvin-]

Ah, Sega, how I wish you still made consoles. I love Sega as well. The vast number of EA games out there for all Sega systems was one of the many reasons I miss these systems. General Chaos, Madden, Might and Magic, NBA Live, and, well, let's not forget Normy's Beach Babe-o-rama!

Don't forget King's Bounty!

[classicb]

The Sega Genesis was the first system I bought with my own money. I spent a whole summer saving my $150 to get it. Games that made me fall in love with it begins with Tecmo and ends with Super Bowl. I also loved the Stryder and Shinobi games. I also put alot of hours into Toe Jam & Earl. The Genesis was a great system that could play 8-bit to 32-bit games. It was the only system that came close to my Transformer toys.

[Crush Crawfish]

I must admit I am also a huge sega fanatic. Sega is my 2nd choice after capcom. SO many great games, with way too many of them going unappreciated.

I also would like to state one thing: Fantasy zone kicks ass. Best shooter ever.

[Dahne]

Demands props, the company that brought us Ecco the Dolphin. Indeed, you've got to love a sadistically hard game where you play a frollicking sea creature.

[-hellvin-]

Demands props, the company that brought us Ecco the Dolphin. Indeed, you've got to love a sadistically hard game where you play a frollicking sea creature.

You better believe it...that game was HARD...invadin the vortex ship was quite tough...and very easy to die.

[Dahne]

I mean, come on, what kind of superpowered ultra dolphins of the future build water tubes in the sky without guard rails? :P

[thegreatescape]

I love sega because its where i started gaming.

When I was young playing master system was all i did at my uncle and aunties house, and even though i was too young to be any good at it i still loved it. Alex the kidd was my mainstay and my uncle used to help me out with Hang On because i was terrible at it (still are).
When they got a flash new Mega Drive we got the Master system and i loved it, and i loved looking at games with my auntie. We also got the mega drive when my uncle passed away and my aunt left for new zealand, but getting that Mega Drive was bitter sweet moment indeed.

I also had my first taste of arcade games with Daytona USA too. There simply is nothing else in arcades like that game, and to this day i enjoy challenging my friend to a duel.

[AB Positive]

The Sega Genesis was the first system I bought with my own money. I spent a whole summer saving my $150 to get it. Games that made me fall in love with it begins with Tecmo and ends with Super Bowl. I also loved the Stryder and Shinobi games. I also put alot of hours into Toe Jam & Earl. The Genesis was a great system that could play 8-bit to 32-bit games. It was the only system that came close to my Transformer toys.

HIDDEN CHALLENGE POINT: classicb

For reasons that will be disclosed later, classicb has scored 7 points with this post.

-AG