SEGA Ages series arrives on Switch with Sonic and Thunder Force
But the official names for those games are a bit longer, of course.
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SEGA of America today unveiled the first two games in its anticipated series of SEGA Ages releases for Nintendo Switch. Developed by M2, the series aims to give the royal treatment to games that debuted on systems such as the Master System.
The first two games to arrive are Sonic the Hedgehog and Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar, both originally released on SEGA Genesis/Master System. They aren't simply straight ports such as releases you might already have purchased on Wii's Virtual Console service, however.
SEGA Ages: Sonic the Hedgehog is billed as the "definitive" version of the classic platformer series that SEGA provided as its answer to Mario during the 16-bit era. It "adds new features like Drop Dash, as well as the console premiere of the legendary Mega Play arcade version."
SEGA Ages: Lightening Force - Quest for the Darkstar (alternately known by some as SEGA Ages: Thunder Force IV) is the gussied up edition of a horizontal shooter some consider one of the very best of its kind... or at least from that era. The additions to this version include a new STYX mode, so you can pilot a ship from the previous game in the series, along with a KIDS mode for people who mostly suck at shooters, like me genre newcomers.
Both games are available at an MSRP of $7.99 USD, and they will be joined in the future by at least a few more titles. The ones SEGA is ready to share at present are Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Out Run, Space Harrier, Columns II and Thunder Force AC.
Before those games arrive, though, the next SEGA Ages entry sounds like it will be the original Phantasy Star, which kicked off that series of RPGs way back on the SEGA Master System. It will include a new map display to help "novice" adventurers, along with a compendium so longtime fans can look at their favorite monsters without anyone else knowing about it.
Given M2's success with the SEGA 3D Classics series on the 3DS, it seems likely the SEGA Ages on Nintendo Switch will become the new best way to play the included games, aside from dusting off your old hardware and hunting down cables. Or maybe you still have them hooked up to your television? Either way, I like the idea of this series and I hope it does well enough for SEGA that we see a whole bunch of additions beyond just those slated for the coming months. How about you?
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Staff article by Jason Venter (September 20, 2018)
Jason Venter has been playing games for 30 years, since discovering the Apple IIe version of Mario Bros. in his elementary school days. Now he writes about them, here at HonestGamers and also at other sites that agree to pay him for his words. |
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