Continuing from where I left off quite a while ago, here's five more installments of my personal most memorable moments in my Sega filled life of gaming. You can see the previous chapter HERE.
#6: Sega Rally - The Instructors
Sega seem to always do things in a way that's makes them more memorable to me than say, games by just about anyone else. Take rally games, or more specifically the voice that instructs you on which turns are coming up in Sega Rally
“Long medium left! Easy Right! CAUTION! Hairpin right! Long easy right, Maybe!“
Maybe? Some help you are. Then as you go around the track a second time, it’s still a “Long easy right! Maybe!”. Surely he can confirm now we’ve been round the track one lap what that part is. Moron. When you play the sequel with the female instructor, she sounds more like she’s saying “Long easy right! Baby!” Heh. Best part about this feature was making them shout “whoa!” every time you bump into the sides. That’ll teach them to be unsure about the next turn. Hang on, I’ve run out of time. Oh well. GAME OVER YEAHHHHHHHHHH!
More after the jump.
#7: Golden Axe - Those little Lemming Type ThingsI’m fully aware Golden Axe was made quite a few years before the game Lemmings (the classic Amiga puzzle series in case you thought I meant the actual creatures), but as a kid I swore those little midgets that nick your magic potions and roasted chicken legs were Lemmings, as in those little guys with the green hair and blue tummy's. Their colour scheme is very similar and..I don’t know, they just reminded me of Lemmings. Whatever they are, they sure are fun to kick in the arse. Even more fun is kicking them in the arse over a cliff. Sometimes the goodies they drop will fall down said gaps too, though. Come back roasted chicken leg! There goes a wasted life I could of used being up that fat bloke with the hammer.
#8: Sonic 2 - The 2 Player ModeOf all the games I have played with 2 players, this is the one I have played the most. There is so much that is memorable about it: The TV boxes that swap the players positions or accidentally give your rival an extra life, constantly jumping in the special stage to be in front of the two person queue for upcoming rings, the fact that someone can still win even if they were 2nd place if they collected more rings and bopped more TVs, and of course THAT spike trap in Mystic Cave Act 2 which you always fall into.
It was here I got to playing Sonic 2 like an art form, executing dash attacks with a flick of the down and C buttons, and knowing the levels like the back of my hand. As a kid me and my sister would play this once every week on a Sunday afternoon just before we would sit to watch the Simpsons, followed by a bath, and getting our hair dried while Heartbeat was on before bed. We would almost always draw on the results, and the final special stage would be the decider. Ever since it has become a multiplayer staple in my house: if any of my mates pop over this is most likely to be pulled out first. It’s still a surprisingly deep, exciting multiplayer mode that I never tire of. Oh how tempted I am to get a X-Box 360 just for the online version of this mode on Live Arcade...
#9: ‘The Sega Drift'Sega didn’t invent drifting, and they probably didn’t invent drifting in racing games either, but they certainly made an art form out of it. The first time I remember drifting in a game was in Daytona USA, and once you figured it out it felt so satisfying and rewarding, plus it prevented you from smashing into that mountain with Sonic carved into it. This trademark over the top drifting showed up in almost every Sega racing game since, such as Sega Rally, Sega Touring Car and Crazy Taxi. The Sega drift is taken to the Nth degree in Outrun 2, in which you could most likely drift forever if the track was a never ending turn, and you always feel in full control. It never, ever gets old. I love it.
#10: Alex Kidd - Rock Paper Scissors
I'll admit this now. I never owned a Master System, the Mega Drive was my introduction to Sega gaming and Enchanted Castle, his only 16 bit game, was my introduction to Alex Kidd. While the game was a mildly fun platformer, what really made it stand out was it's gambling aspect, which involved a game of Rock paper Scissors. Walking into any of the many little houses scattered around the levels will bring you to a stage being watched by a audience of fluffy animals and a rival who will ask you if you 'WANT TO RISK YOUR LIFE'.
You can flick through the three choices in a little thought bubble while the cute little build up music plays, and once that music is over, it's a case of either winning the item, which could be anything from a bike or a helicopter, or having a huge weight crushed on your head, leaving with nothing to do but waddle off in shame with your huge feet. You can even practice rock paper scissors against any of the games opponents in the options mode. Nice.
