To be this good at ranking its finest consoles takes ages

01 MEGA DRIVE

The Mega Drive, also known as the Genesis in North America, wasn’t the first Sega console, but it was the one that cemented the firm’s place as a major player. And, launching just before Nintendo’s SNES, it meant console wars were inevitable.

While Nintendo had the might of Super Mario in its roster, here was Sonic the Hedgehog – the fastest little mammal around. Some of its best games featured the perky blue hedgehog and friends, but there was also the launch lineup of Altered Beast, Columns, Golden Axe and more.

This console was widely considered the cooler one for teenagers, with a string of high-quality arcade game ports like Strider, Shadow Dancer and Super Hang-On bringing arcade thrills into your home.

In later years, the Mega Drive evolved with add-on consoles – the Mega CD and the Sega 32X – adding CD-based and 32-bit games (see panel). There were also innovative cartridges with some games – for example, Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament ’96 included built-in controller ports so four players could play the same game.

Its game catalogue may not be remembered as fondly as that of the SNES, but the Mega Drive offered truly distinctive titles like Ecco the Dolphin and Streets of Rage, bringing an imaginative approach when it was most needed. RELEASED 1988 (1990 in Europe)

02 DREAMCAST

To many, the Sega Dreamcast is the one that got away. The first sixth-gen console, it arrived ahead of the PS2, GameCube and Xbox, yet soon fell behind and became Sega’s last.

Despite its short lifespan, it was the home of Sonic’s first 3D game – Sonic Adventure – along with much-loved and innovative titles like Jet Set Radio and Shenmue, both of which we’d see again on later consoles. The Dreamcast used the GD-ROM media format at a time when others focused on DVD-ROM, but it achieved the glory of being the first console to include a built-in modem.

That idea failed to take off outside of Japan but Phantasy Star Online was a standout hit, along with Quake III Arena and other hints at the future rise of online gaming.

The Dreamcast changed so much despite only ever achieving a small install base compared to its rivals, and remains much loved. RELEASED 1998 (1999 in Europe)

03 GAME GEAR

Though it spanked the Game Boy thanks to its full-colour backlit screen, it’s a shame the Game Gear’s battery life was woefully inadequate. It was a powerful machine alright… but with surprisingly little time to dip into its unique versions of Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Harrier or Streets of Rage 2, it wasn’t exactly the console you would choose to take on a long journey.

RELEASED 1990 (1991 in Europe)

04 SATURN

Competing with the PlayStation was a tough ask of the Saturn, which did well in Japan but less so elsewhere. The Panzer Dragoon series, Virtua Fighter and Nights into Dreams offered original experiences that made it memorable, but it needed more third-party support – that’s despite solid arcade ports such as Daytona USA, The House of the Dead and many Capcom fighters.

RELEASED 1994 (1995 in Europe)

05 MASTER SYSTEM

The first Sega console to go truly mainstream, the Master System was the home of many cut-down versions of later Mega Drive hits, but it would also sometimes offer a unique take on familiar franchises. It struggled against the might of the NES but innovated with clever accessories. Games like the Alex Kidd series and Phantasy Star flourished on this system.

RELEASED 1985 (1987 in Europe)

ALMOST GREAT…

SG-1000 1983 Only released in Japan, Sega’s first home console was not a hit… but it was the home of Sonic developer Yuki Nada’s first game, Girl’s Garden.

Mega CD 1993 Adding CD-ROM support to the Mega Drive led to memorable hits like the infamous adventure game Night Trap, but it sold poorly.

Pico 1994 An educational console aimed at kids, the Pico had the power of the Mega Drive… but none of the appeal, despite licensed animated characters.

32X 1995 Bringing support for 32-bit games to the Mega Drive should have been a success story. Doom and Star Wars Arcade looked great, but it arrived too late.

[ Words Jennifer Allen ]