When I was growing up, like most of you, I was forced to choose a side when it came to my console of choice. Few children were wealthy enough to afford both a SNES and a Megadrive, but even if they were most of them would be too zealous about their chosen company to dare dabble with the enemy. I of course made the RIGHT choice which was to go with SEGA and buy a Megadrive. SEGA back then did what Nintendidn’t and had a cooler image and more appealing mascot, but despite what many Nintendo fans would claim they also had some classic games with deep gameplay mechanics and addictive concepts – which is why lots of people are still diehard fans today.
Many people think that SEGA fans lost the console wars – after all they dropped out of the hardware game and their recent releases have been nowhere as inspired on the third party hardware as they once were. But then again there is certainly a silver lining here – as we can now enjoy classic SEGA games on any device, and don’t need to be confined to only their own hardware. Got an iPhone? Then get ready for some great SEGA gaming.
Super Monkey Ball
Super Monkey Ball is a game that’s perfectly suited to the iPhone. Here you control a monkey inside what appears to be a giant hamster ball by tilting a 3D maze level. It’s a pretty great way to show off the power of the iPhone, but it also makes good use of the hardware in other ways such as by using the gyroscope and accelerometer for a very Wii-esque gameplay style. The levels are also perfectly suited to be played in small bursts.
Streets of Rage
One of the classic Megadrive games, Streets of Rage was fantastic fun back then and it still is now allowing you to feel like an unstoppable brawler as you take on hoards of opponents with anything you can grab off the floor from darts to broken bottles.
Sonic 4 Episode 2
Sonic 4 Episode 2 is the most recent Sonic game out there and has you running through loop the loops just as ever before but in HD with gorgeous 3D backgrounds. The game also introduces a new mechanic by allowing you to pull off team moves with Tails, and has one of the most exciting Sonic levels in recent memory set on a giant shifting rollercoaster.
Championship Manager
Okay so it’s not an original SEGA creation, but if you want to support the struggling company they now own this classic title too so this provides you with a great way to do so. At the same time this is also one of the most addictive games ever created, if you love soccer then kiss goodbye to your social life…
Sonic CD
For a different kind of Sonic experience Sonic CD is a forgotten gem that allowed the blue spikey hero to travel through time and that featured sprawling level designs and impressive cut scenes. It’s a brilliant port on iPhone and well worth a look.
ChuChu Rocket
From the Dreamcast days of SEGA this is a brilliant example of why the company shone. Immediately addictive and highly cute, this great little puzzler will keep you entertained for a long time to come.
Robbie Crowe is a big SEGA games fan and has written about how you can jail break iphone 4 to get many more games and emulators on the device.
