I previously did two different looks at games that should come to Sega Ages on Switch, which you can read here and here. Now it is time for Part 3 and ten more games that should come to Sega Ages on Switch
Segasonic the hedgehog
Most Sonic games have had re releases, but not all, and that includes this unique arcade game. SegaSonic The Hedgehog was a different experience and was more about obstacles and dodging, than fast speed. It was controlled using a trackball, and that may be an issue for a port, due to the control issues. Still, I can see M2 finding a way to make the controls work and giving us a chance to play this unique adventure of Sonic, Ray and Mighty The Armadillo. There are many additions that could be made, such as alternative control schemes, time trials and more, and I would love to see what M2 could do with this.
Sega Classics
Sega has many classic arcade and console games that on their own may not be enough for a Sega Ages entry but would work as a compilation release. These include classics like Flicky, Ninja Princess, Pengo and more. These are excellent games in their own right, but a compilation would serve as the best way to deliver them and let a new audience enjoy the gameplay. M2 could make a variety of alterations for each game, such as including both Ninja Princess and its Master System release, The Ninja, and the various different iterations of Pengo. Individually these may not be much, but these would pack a punch combined.
Afterburner II
A game I am surprised hasn’t come to the Sega Ages lineup yet, After Burner II is an absolute classic, seeing you as the pilot of an F-14 Tomcat Jet Fighter and going after enemies. There isn’t much that would need to be done for a Sega Ages port here, as M2 already made a magnificent port for the 3DS that included touch controls and screen layouts designed to resemble the Upright, Commander and Deluxe cabinets. There was also a new special mode that used a time-slowing “Burst” system and had a different story and altered stages. M2 could simply port that to Switch, or build on it to add more, but they have a perfect blueprint already to work from.
Alien Storm Arcade
Alien Storm has received many re releases of the 16-bit console version, but the arcade release was far superior. It had much better music and visuals, and the stages had more depth to them. The sound effects were better, the bonus stages were bigger, and the game had more personality and story to it. I would think a good way to port this would be to include the arcade and console versions, online play, and a remix mode for the overall experience. As good as the console experience was, the arcade version was the best.
Alien Syndrome Arcade
Alien Syndrome was one of the best run n gun games ever made, but there was only ever one arcade accurate port, and that was on the X68000. No other home port did this game justice, and a Sega Ages release would do just that. The game can be altered to use both sticks, like on the PS2 remake, and could allow for online co-op play as well in an Ages Mode, while preserving the original game as the base mode. A rewind function would also benefit the experience, as would some remixed stages.
Burning Rival
This may sound crazy but hear me out. Burning Rival was a Street Fighter II style fighting game Sega made, but never released outside Japan due to feeling the game was not of the best quality. However, after seeing videos I feel the game was of decent enough quality that an M2 port would be a good idea. Maybe a rebalancing of the game as a separate mode, plus online play could be done to give more variety, but the core experience was not a bad one. There is potential here and M2 should not waste it.
Emergency Call Ambulance
An arcade exclusive designed on the Model 3 Arcade Board. Emergency Call Ambulance sees you playing as a Chicago paramedic and ambulance driver, trying to save people and take them to the nearby hospital. It was basically a more serious version of Crazy Taxi, with actual missions to do. The game was praised for its visuals and gameplay, while the difficulty was a bit high, with the overall experience being a good one. M2 could give this an excellent port via Sega Ages and allow more people to experience what made this game work so well. Perhaps additional missions could be added, or refined controls, but either way this needs to happen.
SCUD Race
SCUD (Sport Car Ultimate Drive) Race was an excellent racing game that followed the Daytona USA model of gameplay and had incredibly responsive controls and fast speed. This game has never had a home release, even if ideas from it were used in later games that did receive home console ports. A Sega Ages release would be a tricky release admittedly, due to needing to remove the car licenses, but it could be done. The only real addition it would need for a re release, would be online racing. The game itself was perfect and playing it online would be a dream come true.
Pulseman
A unique platformer, Pulseman was made by Game Freak, today best known for the Pokémon series. While the game was released on the Sega Channel in the west, and has received a virtual console port previously, this action platformer would benefit from the same touches Alex Kidd received, namely a rewind function, and time attack challenge mode. This was a fantastic action platformer that could always use more love and is a prime candidate for Sega Ages.
Wrestle War
Who doesn’t love wrestling games? The genre has so many entries, but not all were hits. One that was excellent though, was Wrestle War, a game that used fictional wrestlers based on real wrestlers (and in one case a movie character), the game was responsive, had fun gameplay and great animation. As wrestling games are in a but of a rut outside of Fire Pro Wrestling, and the Switch is lacking in wrestling games right now, Wrestle War would find a welcome home as part of the Sega Ages lineup, and the inclusion of online play would seal the deal. Something for M2 to consider.
And there you have it. What Sega games do you want to see come to Sega Ages on Switch? Let us know!
In addition, we would like to add that there is an active Sega retrogaming Facebook community group you can join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/segaretrogamers/
For more, visit Retro Gamers Hub (www.retrogamershub.com) for their extensive collection of retrogaming interest groups to choose from.