Sega’s Eternal Champions is one of the more controversial fighting series out there. Most people tend to either love it or hate it, and the debate only gets stronger as time goes by. The majority during the 16-bit era seems to have been on the side of the game, as Sega made a strong push to promote it and its characters. There was plenty of merchandising, and even some spin-offs, so the franchise was obviously selling. That being said, not everything with the series moniker was quality, as evidenced by the atrocious Game Gear side-scroller Chicago Syndicate, which featured private eye Larcen Tyler. The bland level design is fitting complimented by an awful fighting mechanic, resulting in a game no one ever need play again.
Tag: Sega Enterprises
T-MEK
In the arcades, Atari’s T-MEK was a monstrous and intimidating machine. The massive cab fit two players and could be linked to another, making for some awesome four-player matches. The 32X version, however, lost that great multi-player capability in the conversion (along with most of the game’s charm), and if you listened hard enough, you could hear the poor little mushroom panting as it strained under the T-MEK’s engine. I guess it’s true that sometimes, a game is better left in the arcade.
Sega Classics Arcade Collection (4-In-1)
If there’s one thing Sega knows how to do, it’s rehash the biggest stars of the Genesis era. Before the numerous compilations released on modern consoles, the Sega CD was among the first machines to get hit with the cash run wave. Home to not one but two editions of the Sega Arcade Classics Collection (the only difference being one game), the add-on gave Segaphiles their first taste of watered down ports. The worst part? Sega didn’t even wait until the Genesis was discontinued before it started to butcher its library.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Sega has made a lot of quality sports games over the years. One genre where its efforts have been largely under-appreciated has been golf. The Genesis is chock loaded with golf games, and some of the best came from Sega itself. Case in point: Pebble Beach Golf Links, a 16-meg, four-player monster that’s as easy to play as it is appealing to look at.
Astérix and the Great Rescue
Americans might not be as familiar with Asterix and his comic exploits, as the series mostly stayed in Europe. Two platformers were actually released for the Genesis, though only one came out in America. The first game, Asterix and the Great Rescue made the trip overseas, but was it worth it?