Top 5 SEGA Mega Drive Games That Need A Modern 2D Sequel, And Who Should Make Them!

Welcome, one and all, to another top 5 post! This time, I’m delving into my childhood to revisit my favourite gaming console of all time. More specifically, I’m going to look at games for that console that I feel would benefit from a modern sequel. After all, if we can have Wonderboy and Alex Kidd remakes and an actual Streets of Rage 4, why not some other titles? So, these are my… Top 5 SEGA Mega Drive Games That Need A Modern 2D Sequel, And Who Should Make Them!

 

Golden Axe

This side-scrolling beat ‘em up franchise first appeared in 1989, starting life as an arcade game. This was, of course, ported to the Mega Drive, as well as the Master System and PC Engine CD ROM. It actually spawned quite a few sequels and spin-offs, including a 2008 release on the Xbox 360 titled Golden Axe Beast Rider. Said release attempted to transition the series to 3D and was met with a mixed reaction. There’s no denying that the original releases had a lot of charm though and giving them a modern coat of paint in the same way as the recent Streets of Rage release would be an excellent move in my opinion! Give this one to Dotemu, Lizardcube and Guard Crush, and let them go wild!

 

Shinobi

Once again, a series that began life in the 1980s arcade scene before being ported to home consoles. This classic action series most certainly saw its heyday on SEGA’s 16-bit console, with both Revenge of Shinobi and Return of the Ninja Master gaining critical acclaim. In more recent years, two attempts to revive the series were made. The first was Nightshade on the PS2 in 2003, and the second was Shinobi on the 3DS. Neither game managed to capture the feel of the original games, but that doesn’t mean the series is dead. I think if this was handled by a team like Indivisible’s sadly defunct Lab Zero Games, this could be something special.

 

Comix Zone

This quirky, comic themed fighter, is still fondly remembered to this day. From the excellent visuals and fun setting to the multiple endings, it was a real blast from start to finish. In that respect, it’s surprising that there hasn’t been a sequel already. I can only assume that the comic book setting meant it wasn’t viewed as viable to move into the world of 3D when so many other old franchises were trying to make that jump. Given its reliance on the originality of the setting and the way this plays into the gameplay, it feels right to give this one the team behind the likes of Shantae and River City Girls. This one should be handled by WayForward.

 

Eternal Champions

This 1993 attempt at cashing in on the popularity of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat is a game that many remember as being a mixed bag. Honestly, they’d be right in that. The Mega-CD sequel didn’t fare much better, and nor did the largely unknown spin-offs X-Perts and Chicago Syndicate. The thing is though, there was promise here. The character designs were decent enough, and the general formula for a good fighter was there. If this was modernised and handed off to a company like Arc System Works, it could really be something special.

 

Ristar

SEGA’s 1995 platformer Ristar is an unfortunate title. The game is superb, and SEGA was trying to hype it up as the natural successor to Sonic. But the timing of its release meant it was overshadowed by the upcoming release of the Saturn. While certainly slower than the much-loved blue hedgehog, Ristar was more than capable of standing on his own, which makes it a real shame that the game ended up performing the way it did. It sounds like an odd match, but if you gave this to Moon Studios, who are most known for the Ori series, I could see something beautiful coming out of it.

 

So, those are mine. But about you? Which 16-bit era titles would you like to see get a modern 2D sequel, and who would you like to see handle it? Let me know in the comments below!