For the first time in a very long time, Sega has a vision that seems to be in-line with what their loyal fans want. In a recent shareholder / investor meeting titled “Road to 2020,” Sega of Japan announced their plan to revive their past IPs among other things, or in their words, “…Revitalization of dormant IPs.” Everything else they talked about in that meeting is fluff because I, for one, am only excited about the possibilities of experiencing some of my favorite franchises in a new way! In fact, I wrote an article in early 2016 titled “Inspiring Sega. What’s It Going To Take?” which addresses some of the things they seem to now be putting into place!

One way that Sega is saying “Hey, we’re still awesome” is with the recent (June 21, 2017) announcement of Sega Forever. Sega Forever is a service that allows you to play an awesome line-up of classic/retro Sega titles on your smartphone for free. These games will have ads, but you can purchase the game for $1.99 and up to go ad free. I feel like this is only the beginning for Sega. This is a smart move to get people back on the “Sega train” as they prep everyone for new updated versions of their favorite titles! Check out the seriously awesome and incredible trailer below for that:

Speculation abounds at the Nerd Bacon office since Sega chose not to mention which properties they wish to revive. It seems like a distant memory of the days when people actually gave a damn about the name Sega. What was once an absolutely dominant powerhouse in the gaming industry quickly became the punchline of a joke. According to Sega of Japan, the fiscal year of April 1, 2016 to March 31st, 2017 was a very successful and profitable year for them. Good for you Sega. Glad to see you back on your feet again.

But enough of that. Let’s talk about “…revitalization of dormant IPs.” With no true leads on what games they may actually be interested in revitalizing, it lands on us article-writer-dudes to put together a list for you article-reader-dudes to mull over. So let’s jump in.

Below is a list of nine original Sega IPs that could use some revitalization. In order to be considered for this list, the property, or franchise if you will, must be a Sega-developed franchise, not just an exclusively published one.

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Shinobi Series

This one was recommended to me by my oldest friend (who was also Bestest Minch at my wedding), and man do I feel dumb for not even thinking about it. While there are technically 12 games in the Shinobi series, only a handful stand out as classics. The first two Shinobi games, although dated and missing the defining trademarks Shinobi would take on in future games, put lethal ninja Joe Musashi (commonly referred to as Shinobi) on the map continuing Sega’s upward trend in the industry. The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) introduced Musashi to the console market and The G.G. Shinobi (1991) introduced him to the handheld market. Despite numerous other titles before and after, I have always and will always view Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (1993) as the pinnacle in the series.

While there were entries in 2002, 2003, and 2011, the last proper Shinobi game was 1995’s Shinobi Legions for Sega Saturn. Legions continued the 2D side scrolling ninja-beat-em-up-action that we expected but with a few new-age twists. Shinobi (2002) and Nightshade (2003) took Shinobi into the 3D world while Shinobi 3D (2011) brought him back to the 2D side scrolling world albeit on the 3DS…. but by a different developer! It just never feels authentic when someone else makes the game!

So what can Sega do in the upcoming years to make the Shinobi franchise feel new and exciting yet familiar and nostalgic? Your guess is as good as mine. A simple downloadable 2D platformer / beat ’em up won’t cut it though. That would be a cop-out in my opinion. 3D isn’t a terrible idea, but it must have that classic Sega feel with the distinct compositions of Yuzo Koshiro, otherwise it just… wouldn’t… feel… right…. Thanks for the recommendation Jacob!

Read a full review of Shinobi here!

Read a full review of Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master here!

Virtua Cop Series

Much like some of the other series on this list (which you’ll see below as the list continues), the Virtua Cop series had its day… But that day has come and gone. With only three major releases that I know of, and the most recent being in 2003 exclusively for arcades, I might be the only person who gives a damn about a revival of the series. Virtua Cop 1 and 2 were mainstays in my rotation whenever my parents would drop me off at the arcades. In the early 2000s I finally got my hands on the Saturn versions and a light gun, and it was all day ‘err day bruh. Your experiences with the Virtua Cop games might differ from mine, but I recall it is one helluva fun time!

In a world that’s dominated by First Person Shooters (FPS) like the Call of Duties and the Titanfalls or Third Person Shooters (3PS) like the Gears of Wars, a classic arcade-style rail-shooter just might be a refreshing change of pace. For those who don’t know, the Virtua Cop series requires the use of a light gun ala Duck Hunt, Terminator 2, and Time Crisis (which actually drew its inspiration from Virtua Cop). So a major hurdle of releasing these games on home consoles is the cost of production and distribution. It requires the gamer to buy a light gun for optimal play. Fortunately, the PS4 and Xbox One have fantastic light gun / motion-sensing peripherals. And those features come standard with the Nintendo Switch. So it could sell very well on the Switch… If only it weren’t for the whole concept of shooting real life human beings with real life guns. By the looks of games like Splatoon, I can clearly see that Nintendo is not interested in stuff like that.

I believe many gamers would welcome a Virtua Cop revival, even if they’re not begging for a Kickstarter devoted to it. While the story could easily be updated to current events, I believe the visual style shouldn’t stray too far from the originals. I know. I know. That sounds dumb, right? But why not stylize the polygonal graphics of old with an obviously sharp, modern, and to-date polish? It would appease the old school fans while appealing to a whole new crowd. I know one thing’s for sure… I would welcome ANY new shooter game that isn’t Call of Duty or COD-esque. Ugh.

Streets of Rage Series

The Streets of Rage series is one of those that gets thrown around in sentences that start with “Hey, remember back in the 1990s…” But rarely do you hear people referring to playing any of those games today. Streets of Rage has a strong legacy and is fondly remembered for its bold street attitude and raunchy music from none other than composer Yuzo Koshiro. The games themselves were perfect for standing in arcades with strangers or for sitting on the living room floor with friends as anyone could join in for the mayhem. While similar titles had success before Streets of Rage, namely Bad Dudes and Double Dragon, the series is widely considered to have raised the bar for the genre as a whole. Why it all ended in 1994 with the third installment is beyond me, but is it time for a Sega revival?

Considering that it has been almost 25 years since the last release, there probably isn’t a ton of clamor to bring the series back. And furthermore, the beat ’em up street brawler genre doesn’t seem to be all that popular in today’s world. Personally (and professionally), I don’t believe that the genre is extinct; just dormant. It just needs a blend of some fresh perspective with some familiar faces. What do I mean? Maybe a team of young up-and-coming developers paired with the stylings of the original development team could create a street brawler for today’s landscape. And honestly, when you really think about it, this would be something fresh! Something new! Something different from the everyday FPS, racer, or fighting game.

Will Streets of Rage ever get a revival? Only time will tell. But when I think of how they could convert the 2D side scrolling classic into a more modern 3D outing, the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game always comes to mind. In this TMNT reboot, Konami took advantage of the then-trendy cel-shaded graphical style to keep the series fresh for a new generation of gamers. This is how I think Sega should handle the Streets of Rage series. Don’t just remaster the originals. Get us a new title that feels classic but new at the same time!

Read a full review of Streets or Rage 2 here!

Panzer Dragoon Saga

This is a tough one to put on this list. The Panzer Dragoon series consists of six games in total, all of which are rail-shooters except for the RPG classic Panzer Dragoon Saga, which is undoubtedly the best game in the series. It is odd when the best game in the series is entirely different than the others. So it becomes quite confusing to refer to the Panzer Dragoon series without making sure to differentiate between the standard rail-shooter titles and the lone RPG. But we’re not here to talk about the rail-shooters. That genre barely exists anymore. Let’s talk about Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Released in 1998, Panzer Dragoon Saga is universally praised as the best Sega Saturn game ever released and often finds itself on “Best RPG” lists, “Best Sega Games” lists, and “Best Games Ever Made” lists as well. The game has never seen a re-release and its late-in-life release on the dying Saturn paired with a limited international release make it a very rare and expensive game to own. Most folks have not had the pleasure of playing such a masterpiece. It is for that reason that we may NEVER see another Panzer Dragoon Saga-esque game ever again. But for the millions of RPG fans out there, whether you’ve played this or not, just reading about an upcoming brand-spankin’-new Panzer Dragoon Saga game would leave you with morning crusties in your underpants.

Considering the mostly unknown / cult status of this game, how could Sega successfully bring it into the late 2010s with plenty of fanfare and hype to reach new audiences while appeasing fans of the original? This may be a longshot, but Sega can remaster the original as a digital-only release (to save money on distribution) and use that as a promotional effort for their upcoming sequel, Panzer Dragoon Saga 2. The original can be laced with teasers and cliffhangers that promise to be expanded upon in the sequel.

I have no grounds for any of this, and it is purely speculation… actually, it’s not even speculation. It’s complete imagination peppered with hopes and dreams. But I believe that in order to release a brand new Panzer Dragoon Saga game, Sega needs to remind people why it matters by getting the original game in the hands of as many newbies and veterans as possible! That will help build excitement of the sale of a full-fledged $60+ new-age Ultra 4K behemoth of a game.

Comix Zone

OMG what a fuggin’ cool concept and fun game… But Comix Zone is far from perfect as it has some mild conceptual issues that make it unnecessarily difficult at times. Regardless, Comix Zone STILL excites the hell out of me with its raunchy street attitude and comic book panel-hopping action. For those who aren’t familiar with Comix Zone, it is a stylish beat ’em up brawler set in a comic book. No, not just the world within a comic book’s story, but the physical comic book itself. Progressing through a level consists of you climbing your way up or jumping around from one comic book panel to the next. The art style is edgy and the game is tough as nails. Despite being released in 1995, it is still enjoyable to look at and play.

With today’s extreme popularity in adapting comic books into movies, why not try your hand at having a modern video game that feels like playing in a comic book? As far as I know, Comix Zone was the first and last game to feature that concept. I could be wrong. And even if I am wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that Comix Zone is awesome and STILL unique. It could absolutely succeed today and I would love to see Sega totally tear this one up!

Read a full review of Comix Zone here!

NiGHTS

It has now been over 20 years since Nights was first introduced to the gaming world, and over 10 years since we last saw him gracing his colorful dreamworld. But the most recent Sega endeavor, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, left a lot to be desired. The original NiGHTS into Dreams was well-received critically with nearly all of its praise landing on its stylistic and colorful visuals and unique approach to action platforming. Despite the overall positive reviews, does the Nights formula have legs in today’s world? I would argue yes.

The concept may be a little dated, but with a few tweaks, it just might work today. In 1996, a game like this was wildly unique, but it was also a great showcase of the hardware’s power and the developer’s proficiency. The mid 1990s was when we saw the industry really start crossing the threshold of the 3D world. Developers had new powerful technology at their disposal and gamers were excited for the possibility of more true-to-life graphics. Plus, graphical power was still all the rage with graphical/processing “bits” being the marker by which everyone valued their consoles. Despite critical and financial failure, the Sega Saturn was not a weak machine. It wasn’t the strongest of its time, but it was still impressive, to say the least. The Sonic Team took advantage of this and created one of the most beautiful games of the 1990s that was as sharp and as fun as it was exciting. But times change…

… While we are still impressed with incredible graphics (look at what’s happening today with the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro), it’s not enough to just excite us with gloss and polish. We need more substance today than we did back then. So can a brand new Nights really succeed? Again… I would argue yes. Nights is one of those series that doesn’t necessarily need to be locked down with the same formula time after time. By using the premise of a “dreamworld,” the developers can make Nights into whatever they want it to be! But that also makes development hard. Sonic Team (it better be Sonic Team that makes this game) will also be forced to be ultra creative in serving up a new Nights to a new audience while retaining the faithful following that helped them succeed in the first place. What sort of creativity would be required? Honestly, this one is tough for me. I can’t pin it down, but I think that the original Nights formula might be ready to come full circle! Something mesmerizing, enchanting, colorful, charming, and with just the right amount of challenge. Let’s see what you got Sega!

Alex Kidd

If you’ve been playing games for more than 20 years, you’ve probably heard the name Alex Kidd tossed around with the Sega nerds. Heck, maybe you’ve even played a game or two. But who is this kid(d)? Alex Kidd was the de facto unofficial mascot of Sega until Sonic came around. After further research, apparently even HE was less memorable than Wonder Boy from the Monster World series. Who the hell is Wonder Boy? Great question. Truthfully nobody knows. Some say he was a myth, a legend if you will, but… but… This joke is going to take some time to build so I’ll just stop here. In all honesty, Wonder Boy and Alex Kidd are relics from Sega’s 8-bit days (less the sole Genesis title: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle). While the article I read stated that Wonder Boy is more memorable, I would argue that in America, Alex Kidd is most recognizable.

With only six games in total, five of which were originally released on the Master System, Alex Kidd is a tough sell. I mean, his entire catalog pre-dates Sonic the Hedgehog, and we all know what happened when Sonic came out; Genesis / Mega-Drive sales went through the roof! In an instant, Alex Kidd was forgotten. But he shouldn’t be. He is a lovable little dude and his worlds are colorful and fun! At times his worlds remind me too much of a Mario platformer, but that’s because Alex Kidd was Sega’s first legitimate attempt at dethroning Mario.

Could an Alex Kidd revival actually work today? If done properly, I absolutely believe it could! The Alex Kidd franchise would thrive in the world of kid’s gaming and probably flop in the adult world. If Sega chose to bring him back, I believe Alex Kidd should star in various other worlds the way he starred in Shinobi‘s world in 1990 in the Master System game Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Part of Alex Kidd‘s shtick could be playing as Alex Kidd in recognizable settings from various cartoons or other games. With his charming personality and look, and a modern cartoonish style and approach, a whole new generation of children could get into the action with the Kidd.

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio, or Jet Grind Radio as it was called in North America, was a fantastic video game upon its initial Dreamcast release in 2000. Soon after, however, Sega closed up their hardware shop and started releasing their software on various other platforms. Jet Set Radio saw some re-releases on other consoles and even saw a direct sequel titled Jet Set Radio Future on the Xbox in 2002. Since then, all we have been given is a Game Boy Advance port of the original and a 2012 HD Remake of the original. I think it’s about time we saw a Jet Set Radio revival!

The Jet Set Radio games are wildly fun and surprisingly challenging. Who would have thought roller skating could be so fun! But it wasn’t just a roller skating video game. No. It was so much more than that. Jet Set Radio flawlessly blended trick roller skating and artistic graffiti tagging into a gorgeous world of city life, skating gangs, and ruthless police! While the stylish cel-shaded graphics were impressive to look at, I was more impressed with the overall atmosphere, tone, and badass style. The whole game felt as if it had a classic graffiti filter lens on it. Everything was edgy and cool, including the soundtrack! And what’s cooler is that we were participating in an underground lifestyle. I’m ready to take that trip again!

With modern technology, the cel-shaded graphics could be even more impressive. The colors more varied. The landscape more vast. Can you imagine the online capabilities? Think about rival gangs trying to tag other gangs’ turfs. Turf wars, capture the flag, cops & robbers (or in this case, cops & taggers), etc. The online multiplayer options are limitless! And that’s all just the graffiti tagging side. Let’s not forget about the Tony Hawk Pro-Skater-esque roller skating aspect with rails to grind, skitching on the back of a truck, and various combos galore. Jet Set Radio‘s depth is often forgotten. Considering that it has been 15 years since the second and final game dropped, some might question if there’s a market for this type of game. I’m here to shout a big HELL YES! And I pretty much summed it up in the above paragraphs, but if you need further explanation, tag your comments below.

Read a full review of Jet Grind Radio here!

Read a full review of Jet Set Radio Future here!

Virtua Fighter Series

We actually aren’t that far removed from the most recent Virtua Fighter game. 2006 (and 2007 in NA and EU) is when we saw Sega drop Virtua Fighter 5, the critically acclaimed fifth installment in the series. The series started all the way back in 1993 on arcades, but the original and all of the sequels found their way into Arcades and every Sega console up until the Dreamcast’s demise when they began stretching out to the PS2, PS3, GameCube, and Xbox 360. Considering that Virtua Fighter 5 was seeing updates and revisions as recently as 2015 and is supposedly a playable game in Yakuza 6, it’s tough to wonder WHY I’m including it on this list.

But consider that Sega released about ten Virtua Fighter games with almost 20 different variations / updates across those ten titles in only 15 years, this current 10+ year gap between Virtua Fighter 5 and Virtua Fighter 6 feels preeeetttyyyyyy long. Call me nostalgic, but I miss the classics! I remember the goofy fun yet solid fighting of Virtua Fighter Kids on the Saturn but also the solidity and challenge of Virtua Fighter 3tb on the Dreamcast!

Truth be told… I was absolutely terrible at these fighting games. Tekken, Marvel vs. Capcom, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, etc. I sucked at these. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have fun. I never cared much for the Street Fighter games or similar ones, instead opting for the 3D visuals of the Tekken games on PlayStation and the Virtua Fighter games in arcades. One thing I appreciate about Virtua Fighter 5 is that they eschewed real-to-life human visuals for the quasi-polygonal look (except obviously smoother and more rounded than most of their predecessors). Maybe they didn’t eschew it on purpose, and maybe they’re not really quasi-polygonal. But it still looks like a Virtua Fighter game to me!

How could Sega advance the series? Truthfully, maybe there’s not much they can do other than continue to tighten up Virtua Fighter 5 in the form of updates and patches. And maybe the Virtua Fighter series doesn’t belong on this list very much. But I’m not the fighting aficionado, so I’ll leave those decisions up to the developers. But bringing a new Virtua Fighter to PS4 Pro or Xbox One X would be pretty gnarly!

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Honorable Mentions

The titles below just barely missed the mark. It would have been easy to pull a title from this list and put it in the list above to round it out to a cool “Top 10.” But it wouldn’t be honest of me. These games are less of a MUST by Sega and more of a “meh, maybe it could work.” And they do still fall under the rules laid out in the intro: Sega developed and currently dormant.

Altered Beast

Sega actually released a 2005 game for PS2 titled Altered Beast that is supposedly a modern take on the original. I don’t think of it that way. It is an entirely different and unrelated game. It doesn’t take place in Ancient Greece. That ruins it for me. It is no longer the Altered Beast of yore. For Sega to get this right for their “revitalization of dormant IPs” they will need to remind people why Altered Beast was so badass in 1988. With the use of today’s powerful machines, Sega can showcase Ancient Greece in a way we have rarely seen. Open-world exploration with various mythological creatures and gods could make Altered Beast a truly remarkable and different game today.

Read the full Altered Beast review here!

Golden Axe Series

Another memorable and classic Sega series, the original Golden Axe game further proved Sega’s proficiency for developing popular and fun games. Golden Axe II kept the train rolling and then that’s where it ended in America. An arcade-only title called Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder and Golden Axe III were both released in Japan only in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Golden Axe III did eventually receive a digital release in North America which was well-received by fans of the original two. The series laid dormant from 1993 until being “revived” in 2008 with Golden Axe: Beast Rider on the Xbox 360 and PS3. It was a massive critical failure. Beast Rider failed to satiate the fans’ appetite and possibly may have caused irreparable harm to the franchise as a whole. To bring the series back would be a major undertaking, but not impossible.

Space Channel 5

Space Channel 5 is a quirky little music game that is mostly forgotten, but it shouldn’t be! Games like this and Samba de Amigo are the weird and wacky kinds of games that are partly responsible for Sega’s demise. And it’s not fair to Sega. These games are brilliant, crazy fun, and so unique! But sometimes thinking outside the box and creating something too different scares people who like to stay close to home. Games like this just don’t have much mass appeal in America, so we may never see a new version of this game over here. But it would be fun and exciting to dance our butts off with Ulala once again shaking the PS Move or Joy-Con controllers! Or perhaps on a VR headset??

Ristar

The story behind Ristar is actually pretty interesting. To keep it short and to the point, Ristar was originally conceived prior to Sonic’s creation. As the game evolved and went through various changes, it became evident that the character would need adjusting to keep pace with the speed of the game. So the concept of Ristar (a character that reaches with appendages to grab stuff) got shelved until 1994 when the Sonic Team was between games. Ristar is actually a pretty neat game and is everything you would expect from a early/mid 1990s Sonic Team game, but its release was very poorly timed as it hit store shelves only a few months prior to the heavily promoted Saturn. If Ristar were released even a year prior, it possibly could have been a massive hit!

Would a new Ristar work in today’s gaming landscape? It’s tough to say, but it all depends on the sort of updates and changes the developers make. With Ristar’s special ability of using his arms to grab ledges, poles, enemies, and more, the options are pretty limitless. With the recently announced Yoshi game for Switch (from E3 2017), which is a 2D platforming game that is wildly creative,  and the upcoming Sonic Mania, the only thing that can hold Ristar down is a lack of creativity by the development team. A blend of classic 2D and 3D elements and up-to-date current graphics could bring Ristar into this millennium with power. And one of Sega’s biggest problems is not trusting the power of their brand with their audience. ANNOUNCE YOUR RETURN TO GREATNESS! Be proud of the name “Sega!” If you believe in your game, people will buy it. And we want Ristar.

Read the full Ristar review here!

Sega Rally Series

The Sega Rally games are surprisingly fun for such a basic racing concept. Originally finding success in arcades, Sega Rally Championship (1994) proved that with even just a handful of levels, a truly tight racing game can attract a pretty big crowd. Sega Rally Championship would find its way to Saturn and the sequel would grace the Dreamcast too. The series saw successive sequel releases 3 years in a row from 2006 to 2008 with Sega Rally 2006, Sega Rally Revo, and Sega Rally 3 respectively. Approaching 10 years since the latest installment, it might be a hard sell to do a real-to-life racing simulator the likes of Gran Turismo or Forza. But there may still be a market for Sega to play with here!

 A Sega AM2 Compilation!

This is more of a wish-list idea than a real one. Sega AM2 was founded in 1985 by the inimitable Yu Suzuki. They absolutely ruled the arcade roost in the late 1980s and for most of the 1990s with superb cabinet machinery and software development that was way ahead of the competition. It’s unlikely that Sega would do anything I’m about to propose, but I’m gonna do it anyway! It might be close to impossible to house all of Sega AM2‘s hits onto one compilation disc, so I think it should be split up by genre or by age of the game (i.e. don’t pair a 1986 game with a 1997 game). There’s SO many legendary games by this development team, so I’ll focus on one compilation discs: Racing. Split these up how you will, but I’ll bust out the list now:

• Hang-On: Their seminal debut. Motorcycle racing at its finest.
• Super Hang-On
• OutRun
• Turbo OutRun
• Virtua Racing: I mean, c’mon! It may only be the most influential racing game of the 1990s
• Daytona USA: A true arcade classic!
• Daytona USA 2
• F355 Challenge
• 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

They did develop a number of other racing games, but these are the games that really stand out! A compilation disc would be cool, and the other racing games could be peppered in as unlockables. But I wouldn’t mind a new edition of Super Hang-On or Daytona USA. If they don’t want to make Super Hang-On for this 8th generation of hardware, then someone please bring Road Rash back. Actually, Road Rash was cooler.

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Due to Technicality

The titles below were Sega platform exclusive titles. Whenever someone mentioned one of these titles, it was always thought of as a Sega game. But none of these games were developed in-house by a Sega team. So due to technicality, they do not qualify for the original list above.

Vectorman

Vectorman falls into the category of badass and awesome but too shortlived to be remembered by most. The dark and gloomy apocalyptic futuristic setting from the first two is absolutely perfect for today’s gamers! Actually, a third Vectorman game was in development (or maybe pre-development) in the early 2000s until developer BlueSky Software closed up shop. This is a rare scenario where I believe fans of the original two games would welcome the lovable orbot into the modern 3D world. Buy those rights and let’s see some of the Vectorman love, Sega!

Read the full Vectorman review here!

Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes is one of two Treasure-developed titles on this “Due to Technicality” list. It’s a wickedly fun run-and-gun action game with solid-as-rock platforming elements to boot. It has a Metal Slug / Contra feel to it at times but is distinctly its own game. If you search ANY “Best Sega Genesis Games Ever” list, this had better be in the TOP 10… and it usually is! Unfortunately there was never a sequel despite the heaping critical acclaim. I would love to see this original classic get expanded on.

Dynamite Headdy

The second Treasure-developed game here is none other than Dynamite Headdy. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the game, personally, but I know some people who go coo-coo over this (here’s lookin’ at you Sam ZB). The Genesis version of the game starts off with the titular character flying across the screen so you know the action is going to be tight! Dynamite Headdy does have its moments, and is pretty solid as far as platformers go, but unfortunately he never made it past his debut. With his charm and colorful world, we would all benefit from a revival of the Headdy master himself.

Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco is so definitively Sega, most people don’t even realize that the lovable little dolphin was developed by Novotrade International. Technically it can’t make the Top 9 List above, but Ecco has been and always will be a Sega series! The two Genesis / Mega-Drive Ecco games sold incredibly well which always struck me as odd. The concept of a sci-fi mystery action-adventure game starring a dolphin just seems so weird. It seems like it should appeal to children, but make no mistake… these games are pretty challenging. Regardless, they were drastically different from the standard racing, platforming, sports, fighting, brawlers, and RPG games that ruled the market. Perhaps the most exciting part of playing Ecco 1 or 2 on the Genesis is the mythos. It’s so mysterious and a little dark at times. The ambient sound and music compliment the dark concept SO well. Despite a very successful “reboot” of sorts in 2000 titled Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, the Dreamcast’s death also led to the death of Ecco. We haven’t had a new game since. So it’s about time to bring him back in a new way!

Rocket Knight Adventures

Despite selling well and receiving heaps of praise from fans and critics alike, Konami never produced a sequel. And it really is a shame too because this is one hell of a fun and exciting game. The graphics are great, the sound is great, the level design is great, and so much more. Rocket Knight Adventures is one of those games that you can easily lose track of time playing because you just go and go and go. The platforming is near flawless but the action is where it stands out. I would love to see a reboot of this game, but I don’t know how well a one-off title that many don’t remember would fare in today’s landscape.

Power Stone

The Power Stone games are Capcom’s incredible gift to Dreamcast owners. With a sequel that offers 4-player arena battles, what more could you ask for? Well you don’t need to ask for much more because Capcom delivered tons of excitement here. With only two titles made, both of which graced arcades and the Dreamcast, the games have a bit of a cult following. It is a Capcom game, so we knew the fighting would be good. What we didn’t expect was how damn fun it would be to interact with your environment and use everyday items as weapons (like a 4×4 post ripped from under an awning).

Power Stone finds itself at the very bottom of this list because it wasn’t quite a Sega exclusive. It was developed and published by Capcom, first for arcades and then for Dreamcast. But for a long time, it could only be enjoyed at home on a Sega machine until 2006 when it was re-released as a compilation on the PSP. Regardless, Capcom deserves some accolades for creating a chaotic 3D arena fighter that was just a plain old-fashioned button masher. Nothing wrong with that!

Written by Nerdberry