When it comes to the arcades, one name that should always come to mind is Sega. The company has long been known as innovators in the arcade scene, and their games are truly the stuff of legend. Today we will take a look at the ten we consider to be the best Sega Arcade games and why they are amazing.

Space Harrier

One of Sega’s most iconic arcade games has always been 1985’s super scaler shot em up Space Harrier. The game saw you try and save the Fantasy Zone in a surreal experience in which you faced off against a variety of outlandish enemies, tried to dodge obstacles, and teste your mettle against tough bosses. The music and look of the game are iconic, as are the voice over clips, and every gamer can remember the voice saying “Get Ready” when starting a run, or getting back up. Easy to learn but taking a bit of time to master, Space Harrier has influenced countless other games, including the upcoming independent title Strike Blazinger.

After Burner II

Sega’s flight combat game After Burner received an update soon after release called After Burner II. Despite the name implying a sequel, it was simply an enhanced version of the same game with more stages, some changed stages and a host of improvements. The game sees you in control of an  F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, gunning down enemies  and avoiding incoming fire.  What is interesting is that the game came both a standard arcade cabinet and a sit-down version which moved according to the motion of the plane onscreen. The game itself was one of the best flight combat games and would leave a legacy of its own, with companies like Konami imitating the game with titled like Typhoon and Bandai Namco with the Ace Combat series.

Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder

Golden Axe was one of the most influential hack n slash brawlers ever released, with a console port many feel is better than the arcade version The console sequels proved a tad divisive, but the arcades received a sequel made on the System 32 arcade board that fans enthusiastically embraced. Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder was bigger, had better visuals, more intense gameplay and production values, and was overall a meaty sequel to the original, that the console sequels could never match up to. Giving both a narrative and gameplay progression, The Revenge of Death Adder stands as one of the best arcade brawlers of all time, simply for how it has never been matched,

Outrunners

Outrun was a truly amazing experience in the arcades, and influenced so many other games like Nintendo and Midway’s Cruis’n series. The first official follow-up, Turbo Outrun was a very different affair, and fans wanted something similar to the original game but bigger and better. They got their wish with Outrunners in the arcades, the most successful of the System 32 games. This title allowed you to choose from multiple cars, had multiple endings and had visuals far superior to the original Outrun. Every stage was more realized, and every aspect of the game enhanced. This was Outrun taken to the next level for the time, and sadly no console port exists that has ever done the arcade version justice in any form.

Virtua Racing

Virtua Racing was something that shined brighter than Sega could have ever imagined. The game was the first polygonal racer from Sega, albeit using untextured polygons rather than full textured visuals. This has actually helped the game age rather well as can be seen with recent ports like the Sega Ages release for the Nintendo Switch. The game controlled incredibly well, and had tracks suited for every type of player, which made the whole experience extremely inviting.  What was initially a tech demo experience proved so promising, Sega knew they had something with this. While not the first polygonal 3D racer, it was the one that did things right and showed there was a market. All modern racing games owe a debt to Virtua Racing, and as re-releases like the aforementioned Switch port show, the gameplay holds up just as well today as it did on release.

Virtua Fighter 2

Virtua Fighter made history as the first 3D polygonal fighting game, but it was not until the sequel, where the series proved it had truly lasting potential. Perfectly balanced gameplay that required precision and skill rather than button mashing worked to make this one of the most technical fighting games ever made. There were ports, and while the Saturn version was acceptable, it was not perfect, and the 16 bit console version was a reimagining of the game instead. Building on what made the original work, and removing what did not, Virtua Fighter 2 also added new characters and concepts to the series that have endured still. Virtua Fighter 2 was a sequel done right and one of the best fighting games of the 90’s.

Daytona USA

There are few games that have had the impact that Daytona USA had in the arcades. In an era where everything was fighting games in an attempt to cash in on Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, Sega released what would be the definitive 90’s arcade racer. The first game released on the Sega Model 2 arcade board, Daytona USA was a bold step forward. Up to eight cabinets could be linked together for head to head competition, the visuals were stunning for the time and even look good now, and the iconic soundtrack still resonates with gamers. Most of all, the game is incredibly fun and addictive and one of the all time greatest racing games.

The House of the Dead 2

I debated if Virtua Cop or The House of the Dead should be on the list and I decided to go with the latter. The House of The Dead always seemed to be more full and have more characterization to it than the Virtua Cop series, and the series’ take on horror tropes was handled extremely well. The House of the Dead 2 is everything a sequel should be,  and has aged extremely well compared to many other light gun games of the time. With rapid action, humorous and cheesy dialogue, and tense moments with enemies, The House of the Dead 2 managed to be a high point in what would be a legendary series. Building on a great game is tricky, but The House of the Dead 2 managed to take things to the next level.

Star Wars Trilogy

The definitive Star Wars arcade game,  this 3D rail shooter was a massive hit from the moment it hit the arcade scene and delighted fans to no end. The game has two main parts, with three missions reenacting scenes from the original trilogy, an final unlockable mission as well as boss battles against Darth Vader and Boba Fett. For a 3D rail shooter, the game managed to do some things to set itself a part. It only relied on a single joystick and crosshair with a firing button, but did have what was called a special event button that would light up at certain points and trigger events to happen when pressed. The main draw though was getting to revisit many of the best scenes from the movies, with each of the three main missions taking inspiration from one of the films. It delighted fans and gamers and retains a special place in Star Wars history

Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi was different, there is no other way of putting it. The game saw you play as a cabbie with the simple goal of picking up customers and taking them to their destination. What made the game stand out was the ways you would use to get to the destination as quickly as, while also earning money along the way by pulling off stunts such and near misses. You wanted to get as much money as possible, but time had to be managed as well. Picking up more passengers after reaching the destination would extend your gameplay time,  much like reaching checkpoints would in Outrun.  The game had an amazing soundtrack provided by The Offspring and stood out as the peak of the 90’s arcade scene.  The driving was intense and fun, but this is not a racing game exactly, and more of an open world driving game.  Its legacy has endured, and while there were imitators like The Simpsons Road Rage, there were none who came close to the true innovator.

And there you have it. We want to stress this is just our list and others may disagree. Therefore we ask you, what your favourite Sega arcade games are.

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