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Sega tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with Shinobi, an action-packed title that launched one of its longest-running and beloved franchises. Joe Mushashi’s initial adventure set arcades on fire and gave players all the ninja action they could ask for, and it still holds up damn well. With varied stages, huge bosses, and great sword-slashing action, the game remains as tough to conquer today as it was in 1987. It’s still as much fun, too, and a game every action fan needs to play.
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!
Golden Axe is synonymous with hack-‘n-slash, and Sega gave us one hell of an upgrade with 1992’s Revenge of Death Adder. The game declared the series’s triumphant return to coin-op form and served up a memorable adventure that somehow never got ported to a Sega console.
Sega’s 1987 sci-fi classic has done the rounds on multiple formats, but the best way to play it is in its original arcade form. Tense and action-packed, the game was a blast to play with a friend, and it hasn’t lost any of its charm or challenge over the years. It remains one of Sega’s arcade best.