I grew up a Nintendo kid. NES, SNES, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, N64, and GameCube. I never owned a Sega console nor did I know anyone who owned one besides my sister who had a GameGear. I guess I just grew up in a little Nintendo bubble. The rivalry between these two companies was always so fascinating and entertaining.
With my Anbernic RG Arc arriving, I thought it would be fun to see if I could enjoy some of these Sega games for the first time. I have played just a handful through GotX like Crusader of Centy, Jet Set Radio, Snatcher, and other various games. I asked users in the RH Discord for suggestions of what I should play and tried picking 2 to 3 games for each Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast.
Sega Genesis
Ristar
Playing Ristar on the Anbernic RG Arc
The first suggestion I got was Ristar. This game looks like it could be a good mascot character for the company. The game starts off controlling a star with arms, legs, and a face in a platforming adventure. The main gimmick for the game is you can press a button to grab things like ledges, vines, characters, and more. This was a fun one and I enjoyed it a bit. If I had this game as a kid, I would have had a blast with it! This is one I will for sure keep coming back to and play more of.
Aladdin
My wife grew up with a Genesis and she instantly said I needed to play Aladdin. This game was a lot of fun and a bit challenging as well. It was way different than the version I played before on my Super Nintendo and I think I enjoy the Genesis version more! The sprite work was great and the level design was well done as well. This is another I will continue to play.
Phantasy Star IV
Phantasy Star on My SNES Themed MM+
I am a JRPG fan at heart. It is my favorite genre so of course I had to try what people said was the best one on the system. Just like the other titles I have tried so far, I enjoyed the sprite work! The combat was fun seeing the kind of behind-the-back combat. I am not a big Science Fiction fan, so I don’t enjoy the setting of this one much. This may be one I will check out and dive into deeper in the future.
Sega 32X
Knuckle’s Chaotix
Knuckles looking great on the Arc
This game wasn’t for me. I am already not the biggest Sonic fan besides taking care of chaos in Sonic Adventure 2. It just kind of felt like a worse Sonic game with an annoying gimmick. Will not be coming back to this one.
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition
The Sega 32x did not have that many options for games that looked interesting to me. I do love an NBA Jam title though so I thought this would be a great choice. The graphics and sounds of the game were really well done. I enjoyed playing this one as I do with all arcade sports games. This is for sure another one I will be coming back to.
Sega Saturn
Nights Into Dreams
Playing Nights on the Arc
This game wasn’t too bad. I am noticing that Sega games are kind of weird. I am not sure what is going on, but it is kind of a simple to play hard to master sort of game. It looks and sounds great though. I would for sure be interested in digging deeper into this game in the future.
Panzer Dragoon
I have heard so much about this game and have never tried it before. On first impressions, it reminded me of Star Fox, but with a dragon instead of ships. This game has you flying around and destroying enemies. I couldn’t tell if it was the RG Arc or the game, but the graphics had a little to be desired. I do like the RPG elements that are in this game and I may continue to try this one out in the future.
Dreamcast
Crazy Taxi
Any game that starts off with The Offspring is instantly a good game in my opinion. This is an arcade-style game that has you picking up passengers and dropping them off at their destination. That sounds simple, but the game is chaotic and fun. I have some memories that I may have played this game at an arcade as a kid. I really enjoyed this one and will keep playing this one for sure.
Grandia 2
Grandia 2 on the AYN Odin 2
I love Grandia. The first game for the PlayStation was one of my favorite JRPG games I have played in recent memory. I had this game loaded up on my Odin 2 and I completed the whole thing! I know this isn’t a Sega exclusive, but I did read that the Dreamcast version is one of the best versions you can get. This was a very enjoyable experience. The combat, graphics, and characters are all fantastic.
Verdict
I know a week of trying this many games is not much time for this experiment, but I still got a pretty good idea of some of these systems and games from it too. Am I a huge Sega fanboy now? Not really. Just like any company, some of the games were great and some were okay. I do wish I was able to enjoy experiencing these games and consoles in their prime. I do enjoy a lot of the Sprite work and soundtracks in these games and I think in those aspects, some of it was better than the Nintendo games of my youth.
The Anbernic RG Arc? That is a pretty neat console! The d-pad may be my favorite one I have used on these devices. It feels great to hold in the hand and is a very comfortable device to hold. Even without the nostalgia of having a Sega Saturn, I still found it a very enjoyable experience. Purchase your very own Anbernic RG Arc on Amazon for fast shipping or from the Anbernic official store.
Other devices shown: Miyoo Mini Plus and AYN Odin 2
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord! Let me know of any other games you want me to try!
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