Ranking the Sega Systems

How do you pen the first post on a new blog?

When I first had thoughts about this new blog, it was to discuss retro gaming but also more modern gaming topics. And so my first post was focussed on some recent, seismic, industry changing events.

However, that piece is a little heavy, so instead were going to focus on something more fun and light hearted, which I hope will set the tone for what you can usually expect from this blog.

Don’t worry, that more serious topic is coming, but for now, let’s focus on Ranking the Sega Systems!

I’m extremely fortunate that I own most of Sega's main hardware, that is their four generations of consoles, two add-ons and handheld.

I don’t, unfortunately, own a Nomad, an SG1000 or Mark II, but they can be rolled up into the Mega Drive and Master System evaluations respectively. I also have never owned a Pico, which turned out to be Sega’s second longest running piece of hardware (behind a Master System that seems immortal in Brazil). Sega's proto-Leap Pad is in a class of its own and since it’s rarely mentioned in Sega circles, I don’t think anyone will be too upset that it isn’t included.

So, without further ado, here are the 7 pieces of Sega hardware, that I own and love, ranked from worst to best.

7. 32X

I already feel uncomfortable! “worst” is such a harsh word for a console (or add-on) that brings me so much joy.

Despite The Mega Drive's 32-bit add on being abandoned after mere months and having more than a hand in accelerating Sega's downfall, I cant help but love it.

The library may be small, but there’s almost no shovelware. Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing and Star Wars Arcade demonstrate impressive (for the time) 3D prowess and play as well as the arcade. Space Harrier, Afterburner and Mortal Kombat 2 are nigh on perfect arcade ports. The add-on is a little treasure in a way.

But, that library is small, and while it is an arcade fans dream in many ways (probably why I’m fond of it) it lacks substance and depth.

Plus, the extra PSU and the wires in the set up make it awkward and ugly.

I play mine a lot as its great for quick arcade style games you can dip into, but it remains Sega's weakest effort.

6. Mega CD

I can’t see too many arguing that the Mega Drive's add-ons weren’t Sega's best ideas.

In 1993 there was nothing I wanted more than a Mega CD, especially when a certain blue hedgehog graced its library. However, now that I have one, as much I couldn’t be without it, it still props up the rest of Sega's hardware offerings with its mushroom shaped cousin.

I was close to swapping positions with the 32X, but when considering the libraries, the CD definitely has the edge. There’s a load of absolutely stellar games, from Keio to Thunderhawk to Road Avenger to Final Fight CD. Then there’s absolute classics like Sonic CD and the only Westernised version of Snatcher ever released.

The library is pretty sizable, but the biggest issue with the Mega CD is that it rarely fulfilled its potential. Too much of its library consists of Mega Drive games with CD audio or FMV titles.

There’s more chaff than the 32X library, but there are more good games, and more diversity. Even those games that don’t make the best of the hardware, like Sol-feace, are still excellent. Meanwhile it has RPGs and Adventure titles like Lunar Silver Star that its cartridge based compatriots can only dream of.

And so, it occupies the sixth position, the best standalone add-on, but its not enough to pass any of the consoles themselves.

5. Master System

The very first console I owned (well, it was my brother’s). For that reason alone it holds a special place in my heart.

For me, it is the greatest 8-bit home console ever created and is home to a few of my favourite games of all time.

But only number 5, I hear you say?

Yes, but this is more indicative of the pedigree of what came next, than a reflection of its quality.

US gamers may compare its library to that of the NES and laugh, but while the US library was neutered, the PAL regions got hit after hit, with hundreds of games to choose from.

Sonic came to the Master System, and while that was also true in the US, his adventures expanded to two quality sequels here too. The same for games such as Castle of Illusion, where not only were the ports of the 16-bit games superb, they were arguably better than the originals.

The Master System is a truly wonderful machine. It’s only here because of the lack of a pause button on its controller, and the quality of what came next...

4. Game Gear

In a move that hardly seems fair, Sega's first (and really, only) dedicated handheld console pips the Master System that loaned parts of its hardware to the fourth spot.

Let's get the unfair bit out of the way first: The GG and SMS share hardware and therefore a lot of games are extremely similar. The Game Gear has a lower screen resolution than the Master System, so many of those ports can feel cramped, and as a result are often less enjoyable.

However, the Master Gear Converter exists. This pass through device allows the good old Gear to play just about any Master System game. That Game Gear Sonic 2 too cramped? Play the SMS version. By inheriting most of the Master Systems library, the Game Gear almost wins automatically.

It also has a Start button, so you don’t have to run over to your telly to pause the game.

All that aside, the Game Gear is extremely special. A full colour handheld that was ahead of its time, with specs that wouldn’t be bettered until the GBA launched a full decade later.

It has games of every type, it has RPG epics like Shining Force, it has its own excellent unique versions of Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone, it has ports of Mortal Kombat, Lemmings and Streets of Rage that are better than they have any right to be.

Naysayers may scoff and say “lol, batteries" and its screen hasn’t aged particularly well, but the Game Gear remains an epic handheld and eclipsed only by Sega’s very best.

3. Dreamcast

I’m sure there are many who will feel betrayed and that the old Dreamcast, that it should be number 1.

But just like a Metacritic score of 89 is still superb, coming third in this race is also an achievement.

And let’s me honest, the Dreamcast isn’t an 89, its more a 97.

What a console it is. An innovator in so many ways, paving the way for the industry in ways that are taken for granted. The VGA output gave us a taste for pin sharp graphics that we still crave today, online ready out of the box and with games that set the standard for the generation.

Because when it comes to games, the Dreamcast shines. It would be easy to reel out dozens. The Crazy Taxi's, Shemue's and Jet Set Radio's of its line up paved the way for so much that would follow, while returns by Sonic, Ecco and the Virtua Fighters provided that familiarity.

I don’t think I need to extoll the excellence of Sega's final console much more. It was outstanding.

It wasn’t perfect, Sega shying away from its arcade heritage was a double edged sword, and as a result it feels the least Sega-like console there is. Plus the lack of EA games, whatever you may think of them, hurt it. When its library size was closer to the SMS than either of the two consoles that come next, it's hard to place it any higher.

2. Mega Drive

The console that turned Sega from a floundering also-ran to an industry titan and managed to dethrone an almost unstoppable Nintendo for a few years.

The Mega Drive (or Genesis) is so well remembered for good reason. It was truly outstanding in just about every way that mattered.

It is almost the pinnacle of 80s console design, the console itself looks stunning, its graphics and sound not only far exceeding what came before, but standing up to rivals that would come and go during its 10 year life cycle.

During that decade, it amassed thousands of titles, was home to countless classics, and it defined an entire generation, broadening the appeal of the hobby beyond the kid orientated Nintendo fanbase.

I can’t list all of the best games on the system, not even the 42 on the Mega Drive Mini or the 50+ on the latest compilations come close to demonstrating even a portion of its depth.

For me, games such as Aladdin, the Streets of Rage series, the Street Fighter 2 port and the Sonic the Hedgehog games rank among my favourites of all time.

The Mega Drive was a revelation and it changed the industry forever. It defined my childhood and for me, as a console, it has never been bettered, save one...

1. Saturn

For anyone who knows me, this will be of no surprise. For the uninitiated, let it be known that the Saturn is my favourite console of all time, and not just favourite Sega console, but my most beloved machine of any kind with the capacity to play videogames.

But why, you may ask.

The Saturn is viewed as a failure by many, inferior to the Playstation and N64 that it went into battle with and suffered against commercially. A large number will pin this on its perceived lesser 3D prowess, its complex architecture and Sega’s madcap decisions. But no one ever says it lacks games.

Not only is the Saturn overflowing with games in a way that is only surpassed by the Mega Drive, but most of its games are unique. Many have never been ported and most likely never will because the aforementioned architecture. There is no Saturn mini, no 50 in one Saturn compilation, the only way to play some of the best games on the console (and ever made for any machine) as originally intended is on the Saturn.

Sure, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, Sonic R and a few others have had ports to more powerful hardware, but none felt quite the same after the transition.

Meanwhile, there is no other way to play classics such as Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shining the Holy Ark, Dragon Force, Shining Force 3, Story of Thor 2, Fighters Megamix and many, many, many more, other than via Saturn hardware or emulation.

For me the Saturn is many things. It represents the high watermark for 2D graphics, with plane and sprite scaling effects that still look unique today. For that reason alone, it has aged better than any of its contemporaries, while the wobbly/blurry polygons of its rivals don’t hold up as well.

But the Saturn could do 3D, and it could really sing in the right hands. Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2, and Sega Rally not only show what it can do, but also hold up surprisingly well for 3D titles or the era.

3D was a new frontier during the Saturns era, and while many efforts don’t hold up, I find the first party Saturn ones do more than most. Not only do those that support the systems hi-res mode look sharp, but they very much reflect an era of discovery in the industry, where todays' games are incredibly standardised in their design, the early 3D era was one of experimentation. That results in the majestic blend of 2D and 3D you see on the Saturn, in ways you’ll never see elsewhere.

I could wax lyrical about the Saturn forever, and perhaps one day I’ll go into greater detail on why I love it so much.

In short, it is a beautiful, unique system filled with games and experiences that you cannot find anywhere else. An underrated masterpiece, misunderstood to the extent that to love it is yo feel as if you're in on one of gaming's best kept secrets. It is an arcade like titan, experimental and audacious in its games and design, and that makes it so quintessentially Sega that it tops the list for me.