The source is Sega.
The campaign that brought classic games to the Google Play Store was a huge success. All the games are free to play with ads, meaning you'll have to contend with pop-up ads between levels and whenever you save. The premium version of the game can be unlocked for $2 if you want an ad-free experience.
The controller support for most of the titles is good, and if you have a controller for the phone, you're good to go.
There are more than 20 games in the growing collection of Sega Forever- branded titles, but these are the best of the bunch. Links have been included to the ones that didn't make the cut. No new games have been added since the beginning of the year. That doesn't mean they won't, but it seems unlikely that they'll ever do it again.
The source is Sega.
Nintendo had a game called "Zelda". Beyond Oasis was a response by Sega. In this game, you play as Prince Ali as he travels across a magical land filled with monsters and enemies.
There's a variety of weapons you can collect in the game. Ali finds a golden armlet that once belonged to a wizard who waged war against the wearer of the silver armlet. Ali can summon spirits with the help of the gold armlet. If you've never played this game before, but love action-adventure games like the one in the movie, you should check out Beyond Oasis.
Beyond Oasis is a title that deserves more attention and praise because it's a title that's been around for a long time.
The game is nostalgic. Comix Zone is a beat-em-up game that was released for the Genesis and plays out on the pages of a comic book. You play as Sketch Turner, a comic book artist who is working hard on a new comic when a bolt of lightning causes him and his friend, the main villain, to switch places. You have to read the comic to understand how the enemies are drawn.
You have to give it up for how creative the concept is, and the game is very good. There are secrets to be unlocked as you can occasionally choose your own path through the pages of the comic, but enemies can kick through to the next panel. The action is great, with puzzles and other secrets to keep the game fresh.
Comix Zone is a 90s beat'em up that is set in a comic book.
You could call this a classic. Crazy Taxi is an arcade game where you play a taxi driver who has no regard for street laws because time is money.
The game is frantic and crazy, as you race around the city picking up new fares and getting them to their destinations as fast as you can. The original soundtrack from the Dreamcast game is included in this game, which was re-mastered for mobile.
There are 16 mini- games and both Arcade and Original Modes. The game is addictive and a great fit for mobile. This one takes me away.
Crazy Taxi was one of the most fun games to launch on the Dreamcast. You should ignore all other Crazy Taxi games in the Play Store.
I think it's easy to dismiss Kid Chameleon as just another 90s platforming game, but there's a lot more to it. The boss Wild Side has started abducting players into the game and it's up to your character to go in and beat the game to save the day.
To transform him into different characters, he must wear different helmets. There are over 100 levels to play in the game, with many of them only accessible by finding warp teleporters. Kid Chameleon is constantly fresh because of the variety of levels and the ability to switch between characters. If you remember it from the Genesis days, it's still a fun game in 2020.
This Genesis gem is a great place to transform helmets from the glory days of gaming. If you missed out on this one in the 90s, Kid Chameleon is still worth a look in 2020.
If you've never played a Shinobi game before, this is your chance.
In this game, you have to travel across the eight districts and take out the evil Neo Zeed organization, who killed your ninja master and kidnapped your bride, so you can collect mystical power-ups along the way. You can still use the old tricks from your childhood if you go into options and set the shurikens to a certain number. Boo-yah!
The Revenge of Shinobi is an action-packed side-scroller where you must dole out justice to the criminals who captured your bride.
It was impossible to play all of the games that were released back then because they were so mediocre.
I think this plucky platformer is my favorite of the "unknown" games. You play as Ristar, a cartoon star with stretchable arms, and you can climb and swing around to take out enemies. It's a bright and colorful game that plays well on the phone.
Ristar is a Genesis game that has unique mechanics and colorful graphics.
The Genesis lineup was anchored by Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic's video game debut is still an absolute blast to play today.
You will definitely notice the difference in presentation when you play the Android version of the game. Compared to other retro games that felt sluggish, the emulation here is almost too fast, and oddly appropriate for a Sonic game.
Sonic made his video game debut in this classic Genesis title, which you can play for free on the go.
The source is Sega.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of the best selling Sonic games of all time. Sonic's sidekick Tails was introduced to the franchise in this game.
Dr. Eggman/Robotnik is trying to find the seven Chaos Emeralds to unleash his ultimate weapon, so it's up to Sonic and his pals to free the captured forest animals and save the world from evil. Another classic game from sega.
Sonic 2 is one of the best Sonic games of all time. It introduced Tails to the series and still holds up as a must-play for mobile.
Sonic CD is a CD-Rom accessory for the Sega Genesis that was designed to highlight the new capabilities of CD-Rom technologies. Everything we love about Sonic was preserved by it.
Sonic travels through time in a new adventure that has him battling Dr. Eggman/Robotnik again who is after the Time Stones. It's the same fast-paced platforming action you'd expect from a Sonic game with the added flourishes that the Sega CD afforded the developers. If you've played the first two Sonic games and you're looking for a fresh Sonic adventure, this is a great option.
Sonic CD bridges the gap between the Genesis titles and the more recent 3D Sonic games.
Sonic 4 was one of the first Sonic games to be published on the Play Store. It was a return to the 2D side-scrolling action of the first games along with 3D rendering and new ways to attack and move.
The first Sonic game, Sonic 4 Episode 1 was launched on the Play Store as a paid title, but recently, Sonic 4 Episode 2 was added to the line up.
Sonic 4 is a breath of fresh air. The classic sound effects are here, but the game has changed a lot from the Genesis games. The ability to tag in Tails and fly away to victory are some of the changes. Sonic 4 feels a bit slower than the classic Sonic games I remember, but it's still a great game that plays well with a controller in hand.
This is the second episode of Sonic's return to form and the revival of the classic 2D platformer that Sonic fans know and love.
The source is Sega.
The beat-em-up genre in the 90s was solidified by Streets of Rage. The Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2 are still great to play after all these years.
There is a plot going on in this game, but who cares? This game is about fighting crime on the streets. Streets of Rage is all about fighting action with a variety of weapons, and it's weird the video game logic of punching a combo doing more damage than a stab to the gut.
Streets of Rage is a great game to play solo, but you can also play with other people over the internet. It's not the best implementation that I've seen.
It's time to clean up the streets with punches and kicks. Streets of Rage is a classic beat-'em-up game that now features local wi-fi.
The sequel to Streets of Rage introduced a lot of new attacks and bosses to beat down in the streets.
The source is Sega.
Super Monkey Ball is a game that is almost too silly to be fun. Super Monkey Ball games were released for consoles and handheld devices.
You control the course, not the character. It takes a bit to get used to, but it's easy to do on mobile phones. The monkey ball will start to roll and pick up speed when you tilt it. You have to reach the goal gate of each level without falling off the edge or letting the time run out, with bonus points and extra lives available by collecting all the bananas on the stage.
There are six worlds and 125 stages to choose from, along with wacky mini- games. There is good wholesome fun here.
Super Monkey Ball is a classic arcade game that's been made into a mobile game. You can control your monkey ball with your phone, as you navigate through a ton of courses spread across multiple game modes.
The best games are featured, but there are some other games that you might enjoy if you played them as a kid, but they don't cut it in 2020. They're here for reference purposes only and that's sad. You might find that you have a good time with them, but the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia are often quite deceptive.
Each is free to play with ads with ad-free versions available for $1.99.
What are your favorite games?
Do you want to add Sonic 3 and Knuckles to the pantheon? What do you think about the games they've released so far? It would be amazing if the initiative was given another go, but only time will tell if that ever comes to pass.
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