SEGA
Created | Updated Apr 3, 2002
OK, this is a page that's going to broach some controversy. SEGA aren't crap. There, I've come out and said it. But, like any true gamesplayer I can't just shout with no backup. So here are my reasons:
1) Forget the console market. It is almost universally aknowledged that SEGA make the best arcade machines. From the days of Outrun and Space Harrier on the Super Scalar Sprite Architecture, to Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racer on MODEL 1, Daytona and VF on MODEL 2, VF3, Daytona 2 and Virtual On 2 on MODEL 3 and finally House of the Dead 2 and Crazy Taxi on Naomi. SEGA were the company that pushed the market into 3D. OK, Namco did Winning Run two years earlier, but it was SEGA who pushed the market forward.
2) By this route, SEGA have the best arcade ports of any system, bar maybe the Neo Geo.
3) SEGA have made some really good consoles. In fact, the only console they have made that was technically deficient was the Saturn, and even then it was only a matter of time until someone learned to program it efficiently. The Master System was only foiled because Yamaguchi-san (head of Nintendo) had a contract with any NES/Famicom developer that said that they could develope only on the NES/Famicom. Considering that when the Master System debuted the NES had 95% market share this wasn't a difficult choice for most companies. The MegaDrive/Genesis was amazing and had a plethora of third party support. Their lastest console, the Dramcast is extremely well engineered, and they've really thought about the design.
4) The reason why people hate SEGA - because they cocked up with the 32X and MegaCD. These were addons to the MegaDrive/Genesis which were poorly planned in hindsite because they appear as stopgaps to the later Saturn. In particular, the 32X which, although sharing the same double processor setup as the Saturn was probably the most criminally undersupported console (sort of) of all time. Apart for the Nintendo VirtualBoy (hehehe). The MegaCD was a bit better spawning some decent games (mostely reworks i.e. Sonic CD, Ecco CD, but also Lunar: Eternal Blue and a Shining Force compilation). However, it was overpriced and eventually died out. OK, people who bought one of the systems may have a reason to be annoyed, but I can guarentee that 95% of all the people who cite these as reasons to dislike SEGA never owned a 32X/MegaCD.
5) SEGA have some of the best games and series ever made. The Saturn had Panzer Dragoon 1, Zwei, and Saga. In the arcade there is only one 3D fighter to really play - Virtua Fighter 3 (Tekken's good but doesn't have any depth compared, and Tekken has quite a lot of depth itself). The MegaDrive had the Phantasy Stars, and the Sonics OK, these got a bit stale by the end of the series but have been rejuvenated by the DreamCast. By slamming SEGA you are missing out on some of the best games in the world.
Te reason for writing this editorial is that I'm sick of people slamming SEGA for no reason other than the fact that their friend do it as well. It's not that I don't like Nintendo or Sony - I own an N64 and if the PS has any games I really wanted to for out £100 I would. But when there are so many good games for the Saturn or Dreamcast it's a shame to see people missing out on them.
1) Forget the console market. It is almost universally aknowledged that SEGA make the best arcade machines. From the days of Outrun and Space Harrier on the Super Scalar Sprite Architecture, to Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racer on MODEL 1, Daytona and VF on MODEL 2, VF3, Daytona 2 and Virtual On 2 on MODEL 3 and finally House of the Dead 2 and Crazy Taxi on Naomi. SEGA were the company that pushed the market into 3D. OK, Namco did Winning Run two years earlier, but it was SEGA who pushed the market forward.
2) By this route, SEGA have the best arcade ports of any system, bar maybe the Neo Geo.
3) SEGA have made some really good consoles. In fact, the only console they have made that was technically deficient was the Saturn, and even then it was only a matter of time until someone learned to program it efficiently. The Master System was only foiled because Yamaguchi-san (head of Nintendo) had a contract with any NES/Famicom developer that said that they could develope only on the NES/Famicom. Considering that when the Master System debuted the NES had 95% market share this wasn't a difficult choice for most companies. The MegaDrive/Genesis was amazing and had a plethora of third party support. Their lastest console, the Dramcast is extremely well engineered, and they've really thought about the design.
4) The reason why people hate SEGA - because they cocked up with the 32X and MegaCD. These were addons to the MegaDrive/Genesis which were poorly planned in hindsite because they appear as stopgaps to the later Saturn. In particular, the 32X which, although sharing the same double processor setup as the Saturn was probably the most criminally undersupported console (sort of) of all time. Apart for the Nintendo VirtualBoy (hehehe). The MegaCD was a bit better spawning some decent games (mostely reworks i.e. Sonic CD, Ecco CD, but also Lunar: Eternal Blue and a Shining Force compilation). However, it was overpriced and eventually died out. OK, people who bought one of the systems may have a reason to be annoyed, but I can guarentee that 95% of all the people who cite these as reasons to dislike SEGA never owned a 32X/MegaCD.
5) SEGA have some of the best games and series ever made. The Saturn had Panzer Dragoon 1, Zwei, and Saga. In the arcade there is only one 3D fighter to really play - Virtua Fighter 3 (Tekken's good but doesn't have any depth compared, and Tekken has quite a lot of depth itself). The MegaDrive had the Phantasy Stars, and the Sonics OK, these got a bit stale by the end of the series but have been rejuvenated by the DreamCast. By slamming SEGA you are missing out on some of the best games in the world.
Te reason for writing this editorial is that I'm sick of people slamming SEGA for no reason other than the fact that their friend do it as well. It's not that I don't like Nintendo or Sony - I own an N64 and if the PS has any games I really wanted to for out £100 I would. But when there are so many good games for the Saturn or Dreamcast it's a shame to see people missing out on them.
