Sega Franchises That We Want to See Return

Sega…a name synonymous with my gaming history.  Who didn’t own a Sega Genesis or Sega CD?  Starting way back in the 40s, the company made a name (and millions) during the arcade boom of the late 70s/early 80s.  They further made a name for themselves with the console market starting with the Atari 2600 and even taking on Nintendo with the Sega Genesis and Game Gear.  Tackling both a newer gen console and better hand held gaming, the company became a household stake and their games became household favorites.  Who didn’t spend hours playing Sonic or battle friends with Virtual Fighter?  Facing a lackluster performance as of late, and falling a little to the wayside, the company is looking to revitalize itself and what better way than to revisit the fan chaises that made them famous.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Created in 1991, Sonic is synonymous with Sega – it was their flagship game.  We all loved this revolutionary platformer in our quest to collect rings and defeat Dr. Eggman.  Sonic 2 was one of the bestselling Genesis games of all time!  Who could forget the iconic music and going in fantastic loops at high speed and going into the special stages.  The series started to decline after the Sega Saturn, and when Sega stopped producing games, iterations tended to fall by the way side.  Gamers would play emulators of the classic games, and anniversary editions are in the works – but this wonderful blue ball of speed could use a return in grandiose style!

Virtual Fighter

Virtual Fighter was a pinnacle in Arcade gaming during the early 90s.  Officially released in 1993 in the arcade scene, it was groundbreaking in the fighter genre as it was the first to incorporate 3D.  It was ported to the Saturn in 1995 but unfortunately was released at the same time as Tekken, so while Arcade gamers held true, it was console gamers that tended to ignore.  Most if not all of the current fighting games need to thank Virtual Fighter for its revolutionary look, and the technical prowess to achieve it.  Holding numerous World Records, and lauded by critics as revolutionary and influential in the “fighting” genre, this would be a perfect game to revitalize and bring into the next generation of consoles.

Panzer Dragoon

Moving to the rail shooting genre, Panzer Dragoon was released in 1995.  Another game using 3D for their platforming, it was a drastic difference from the top down view of other rail shooters.  The game had an in-depth story as well, setting things up in a post-apocalyptic world after years of war ravaged the land.  The story was revealed through in game cut scenes in-between typical level fights ending with a boss encounter.  The development team, Team Andromeda, had a very young leader at the time, and still produced excellent results.  The game has critical acclaim, topping numerous best of lists as well as release being the game to get.  I feel rail shooters could get reborn with current gen consoles, and this game would be perfect to lead the pack.

The House of the Dead

Another Arcade born game, House of the Dead was a light gun shooter came out on the arcade seen in 1997 and then had console ports in 1998 to Sega Saturn.  The game had massive popularity on the arcade scene, but unfortunately the console was rushed and production suffered.  This style of game is still prevalent in the arcade scene, however home console versions don’t really exist.  I can think if Guitar Hero was able to sell guitar accessories for their games, than a shooter game would sell light gun accessories.  With the current zombie craze and the uber violence associated with House of the Dead, now is an almost perfect time to unbury this shooter.

What is your take on Sega and current market and news?  Do you think they have a chance to remake a name for themselves?  What other games would you like to see revitalized in a new light.  Make your comments below, and as always follow ThisGenGaming on Twitter @TGGamingReviews for all the news, reviews and commentaries in the gaming industry.