In the ’90s, Sega was one of the cornerstones of gaming. Its arcade machines consumed quarters across the world, its consoles were home to classics like Sonic, and it very nearly stole Nintendo’s thunder more than a few times. Now, Sega is hoping to bring back the ’90s in pocket form with Sega Forever, a new app that gives you all the games you can play, with a catch.
As you can see from the above, the retro pitch is strong here, but the basic idea is simple: The app, available tomorrow for iOS and Android, will let you play all the classics for free. As you play through, though, you’ll see ads. Don’t want the interruptions? You can buy the games for $2 a pop. The other downside is that unless you’ve got a controller handy, you’ll probably be using on-screen gamepads, which can take some getting used. If you’re willing to work with the app, though, you can play Altered Beast, Sonic The Hedgehog, Phantasy Star II, Comix Zone, and Kid Chameleon while you take your lunch break or wait for the bus.
If you’re a fan of retro gaming, or have simply grown up hearing from wizened, ancient gamers in their ’30s about the 16-bit era, this is a good way to see what all the fuss was about. And it’s also nice to have old-school games handy for when you’re stuck waiting for the bus. There’s really only so many times you can make a Magikarp jump.
(via Forbes)