Remember when the name 'Sega' meant a game just might be awesome?

[Pink Bat Maxine]

I miss those days.

What happened?!?!!

[section 8]

Playstation

[TCJohnson]

Tell us about it, grandma!

[Pink Bat Maxine]

Playstation

I dunno..... I think it was a bit after the death of Dreamcast that they went downhill. Dreamcast had some great first person games. Then when it went to a platform agnostic software publisher it tanked.

[Charles RB]

It was the death of Dreamcast that did it.

Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio... ahhhh, glory.

Also Soul Calibur and Fur Fighters via other companies! And more Rival Schools!

[The Ray]

It was the death of Dreamcast that did it.

Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio... ahhhh, glory.

Also Soul Calibur and Fur Fighters via other companies! And more Rival Schools!

Yeah. I crack out the Dreamcast whenever I get tired of playing the 360 and the games are fun and shit and still hold up.

[Pink Bat Maxine]

It was the death of Dreamcast that did it.

Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio... ahhhh, glory.

Also Soul Calibur and Fur Fighters via other companies! And more Rival Schools!

I had a friend working at SEGA during that time..... he said it wasn't uncommon for 2 or 3 memos to come out in a week from HQ reversing policies.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Sega sank some serious jack into Dreamcast. But they were like a year late to the party as they say. Once the kids saw Final Fantasy VII it made getting a Playstation the 1# thing. And the Sega Dreamcast never had a FFVII to do that.

Every consule needs that one "Great Game" to lure the masses. For Nintendo it was Mario. For Sega Genesis it was Sonic the Hedgehog. For the Playstation it was the Final Fantasy VII . Dreamcast never had this. They didn't have that game which made the consule a must buy.

[Tetsuo_man]

Dreamcast died out when it's domininace got killed when ps2 and gamecube came out. It started out really strong it was until the other consoles came out that killed the dreamcast.

[Red Jack]

Jet Set Radioooooooooooooooooooo!

[Phil Hunn]

I was always a Sega fanboy up until the time of the Gamecube, which was when I "switched sides", as it were. I wanted to buy the Saturn, but never got round to it, and the Dreamcast just passed me by completely...

[section 8]

Jet Set Radioooooooooooooooooooo!

that game was the shit!

[Tyr]

I miss those days.

What happened?!?!!

Well fret not Sega Fans! You can relieve the days of the Sega era with this!

http://www.gametab.com/images/ss/ps2/5748/box-l.jpg

Available in stores now! :biggrin:

[Lester C.]

What happened is that no one played Sega Saturn which was my ultimate gaming system ever as they catred to the rpg maket.

[The Xenos]

While playing Sonic in Smash Brothers Brawl, I sometimes let slip propaganda such as, "Genesis does waht Ninten-don't." and "Blast processing!" all while plahing on the Ninten-don't Wii and not a Sega system.

[section 8]

While playing Sonic in Smash Brothers Brawl, I sometimes let slip propaganda such as, "Genesis does waht Ninten-don't." and "Blast processing!" all while plahing on the Ninten-don't Wii and not a Sega system.

Ironic, but i too am guilty of this.

[Pink Bat Maxine]

I actually just got The Incredible Hulk game (the one tied loosely into the movie) that's published by Sega.....

It's the kind of game that critics'll hate, and players will love, if that makes sense.

Me, I just love that I can collect tokens by destroying NYC landmarks, both RL ones and MU ones.

Also, movement and exploration is a joy, which is something I love in games. And that, actually, goes back to Sonic.

[Kal L]

Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Phantasy Star Online, Skies of Arcadia... the Dreamcast had some SWEET games.

[Metronome35]

I think Sega just had too many failures with their consoles. They released questionable, expensive upgrades for the Megadrive/Genesis like the Mega CD and the 32X. The Sega Saturn only held its own against the Playstation in Japan, and that ended when FF7 came out. After that, something went wrong with the Dreamcast and they just weren't in the console game anymore.

Is Sega's output really that bad these days? Could it be that we're just remembering all the good games they made over the years, and forgetting the bad ones.

What happened is that no one played Sega Saturn which was my ultimate gaming system ever as they catred to the rpg maket
Speaking of which, I recently picked up Dragon Force again. I know it's more some sort of strategy/RPG hybrid, but what the hell, I think it counts.

[Ringslinger76]

I am about as hardcore as a classic SEGA nut as it gets. A lot of things ruined SEGA, but it mostly adds up to poor corporate decisions. They always had a history of wierd expensive add-ons; 3D Master System glasses, Master System adapter for Genesis, 32X, Sega CD, SEGA Channel, and even some more obscure than those.

They also put the Saturn out at a time when they had over 5 formats on store shelves concurrently. When Saturn hit there was already Genesis, Sega CD, 32X, Pico, and the Game Gear. On the Genesis you knew that when a game was developed by SEGA you were getting something by one of their A list development teams, but by the time Saturn hit those teams like AM2, AM3, and Sonic Team were pretty stretched with other hardware jobs. So a game that should have been in house made like Virtua Racing gets farmed out to Warner Interactive. Also instead of a Sonic launch title we get Bug.

They try to right the ship with the Dreamcast, and from a software standpoint they do. Great first party games really keep this system a classic even today, but SEGA innovates a little too much for its own good. Aside from Sonic, most titles for Dreamcast are new intellectual properties like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, and Sea Man. Retailers like Wal Mart are still really mad over the Saturn (It shipped early and only to 2 retailers in limited, overpriced quantities... some retailers would never carry SEGA again.) Fans wondered where Afterburner, Golden Axe, OutRun, Daytona USA, and Shinobi were as time ticked down to PS2's American launch.

The Dreamcast actually died not from lack of sales, at the time they were the fasted selling console in history, but from lack of retailer faith to keep merchandise ordered. Retailers like Wal Mart and Target preorder games and new IPs never sell as well as sequals so when SEGA kept refusing to bring back proven titles the orders dried up. Shenmue was a great game, but SEGA should have called it Virtua Fighter RPG in the US to get it on shelves. By the time Daytona hit DC it was far too late; even the very popular Crazy Taxi wasn't enough. Space Channel 5 was a fun game, but fans were wanting Gunstar Heroes and Toe Jam and Earl, not Ulala and a talking Vulcan fish.

Nowadays SEGA is a shell of its former self. The in house development teams aren't what they used to be and a scarily large number of SEGA's teams are new acquisitions and American devs. Nothing wrong with that, but when you see SEGA you want AM2 not something that feels very western designed.
Every once in a while a Sega Rally Revo or OutRun shows up, but the days of SEGA making 10 or more eye nuking games a year are long over. I personally keep waiting for that AfterBurner game they showed a couple of E3s ago. A new 2D Shinobi would be nice, Golden Axe is coming, but I doubt many of thier others will ever see the light of day again.

I keep hoping for a PS3 or Wii Daytona USA. sniff sniff.

My personal favorite list
Revenge of Shinobi, Golden Axe, Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship, Super Monaco GP, Panzer Dragoon, Crazy Taxi, Phantasy Star Online, Streets of Rage, Star Wars Arcade 32X, Virtua Racing 32X, Sonic CD, Virtua Cop, Mystic Defender, Spiderman Arcade, Power Drift, Afterburner II *arcade/32X*, Space Harrier, Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, and Die Hard Arcade.

[Phil Hunn]

I actually just got The Incredible Hulk game (the one tied loosely into the movie) that's published by Sega.....

It's the kind of game that critics'll hate, and players will love, if that makes sense.

Me, I just love that I can collect tokens by destroying NYC landmarks, both RL ones and MU ones.

Also, movement and exploration is a joy, which is something I love in games. And that, actually, goes back to Sonic.

So it's closer to Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction than to the Hulk game loosely tied into the Ang Lee movie?

That's pretty cool, because Ultimate Destruction was ace...

[Charles RB]

SEGA innovates a little too much for its own good. Aside from Sonic, most titles for Dreamcast are new intellectual properties like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, and Sea Man. Retailers like Wal Mart are still really mad over the Saturn (It shipped early and only to 2 retailers in limited, overpriced quantities... some retailers would never carry SEGA again.) Fans wondered where Afterburner, Golden Axe, OutRun, Daytona USA, and Shinobi were as time ticked down to PS2's American launch.

It's depressing when innovating and creating new properties harms an entertainment company. What a world! :frown:

[Pink Bat Maxine]

So it's closer to Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction than to the Hulk game loosely tied into the Ang Lee movie?

That's pretty cool, because Ultimate Destruction was ace...

Most of the reviewers have criticized it for being too close to Ultimate Destruction in gameplay. Probably why most sites that list their reviewer scores and the average scores sent in by readers have the critics panning it, and the readers adoring it.

This morning, I levelled Spanish Harlem (for an achievement, level a neighborhood to the ground). I get to level Stark Tower while emoting (in real life) 'Hulk HATE Capitalism!' then the library while emoting 'Hulk advocates privatizing the public library system!' Hell, half the fun is speaking faux Hulk-speak while destroying NYC landmarks.

If you liked Ultimate Destruction, you'll like this game.

But, oh, the Dreamcast..... there were so many good and imaginative games. And I the only one who wants a sequel to Seaman? (snicker.... I said 'Seaman'.)

[Kevinroc]

Sega made a number of exceptionally stupid decisions and they were in a lot of financial trouble after they dropped out of videogame hardware. There was a lot of reshuffling. The Sonic franchise has been especially troubled since Yuji Naka left it (although the GBA and DS Sonic games were pretty good). It does seem rather ironic that Sonic has been kept alive because of Nintendo.

[The Xenos]

This morning, I levelled Spanish Harlem (for an achievement, level a neighborhood to the ground). I get to level Stark Tower while emoting (in real life) 'Hulk HATE Capitalism!' then the library while emoting 'Hulk advocates privatizing the public library system!' Hell, half the fun is speaking faux Hulk-speak while destroying NYC landmarks.

HA! So you've made Hulk a contrasting radical socialist and radical libertarian? Actually, considering he's already one split personality...

[section 8]

If you liked Ultimate Destruction, you'll like this game.
Sold

But, oh, the Dreamcast..... there were so many good and imaginative games. And I the only one who wants a sequel to Seaman? (snicker.... I said 'Seaman'.)
Hell no, a sequel to that game that is long over due. I also miss Oddworld.

[Tetsuo_man]

I think there is a sequel to seaman in japan. Let me see...yep but i doubt it will come over here and that's a shame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaman_2

[Pink Bat Maxine]

I think there is a sequel to seaman in japan. Let me see...yep but i doubt it will come over here and that's a shame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaman_2

Seems perfect for DS.

My friend who used to work at Sega met Leonard Nimoy at a party once. He talked to him about Seaman. He said that Nimoy seemed so relieved not to have to talk about Spock, they chatted for a good half hour/45 minutes.

[Ringslinger76]

I wish the 3D glasses from the Master System would make a comeback. I would freak out playing a new 3D Afterburner or House of the Dead on a new console.
I need a sequel to Pengo and Zaxxon damnit. Sigh. I know that if I ever got a Streets of Rage sequel, they would make it a GTA clone instead of a brawler so I guess I'll be content there.

[MPagar]

I loved Sega. While I admittedly regret not getting a Super Nintendo instead, I was disappointed to see their consoles fail. On the otherhand, I'm pretty happy that they're focused on developing games now.