In the era of HD games, if you are missing the old classics, then you’ll be glad to hear that Sega is bringing some of the best retro games to Android and iOS smartphones.
Retro games for Android and iOS
On Wednesday, the company announced Sega Forever, a new service reviving its classic games on mobile platforms. All the games available via Sega Forever will be free, but you can pay $1.99 to get rid of the ads. The company also plans a subscription service which will give gamers an ad-free experience, notes Metro.
Though the games are from the old generation, they will include modern features like online leaderboards, Bluetooth controllers and cloud saves, notes The Verge. Users will also be able to play offline. In addition, iOS users will get an iMessage sticker pack for free with each game.
To start, five games have been made available: Sonic the Hedgehog, Kid Chameleon, Comix Zone, Phantasy Star II and Altered Beast. The gaming company says more titles will be added to the catalog every two weeks.
“As the Sega Forever collection expands through months and years, it will include both official emulations and ported games that pan all Sega console eras, each adapted specifically for mobile devices while remaining faithful to the original games,” the developer says.
#SEGAForever reveals all! First games rolling out in the next 24 hours! https://t.co/t5UN6Mlm3H pic.twitter.com/87GMtX29l2
— SEGA Forever (@SEGAForever) June 21, 2017
It is unclear why the company has not made Crazy Taxi part of the launch titles on Sega Forever. The developer recently made this title free to play with the option to get rid of the ads by paying $2. There are good changes that this game will make it to the Forever collection soon though, according to Engadget.
Sega Forever is not just about selling games
Mike Evans, the person behind Sega Forever, says the company also plans to introduce games that were not released in the West previously, like the Dreamcast game Segagaga.
“We’ve never before done something that really crosses all of the different gaming eras, and isn’t prejudice against someone because they grew up in the ’80s versus the ’90s’,” Evans told Metro.
Further, Evans said the company is not finished yet and is working on making the gaming experience on mobile devices as good as it could be. The company has also worked to appease all gamers. For instance, if someone does not like to play on a touchscreen, they can buy a Bluetooth controller, and there is also an option to set it up with your TV for a console-like experience as well.
Sega Forever is not an isolated attempt by the developer to boost its overall growth; rather, it’s a part of Sega’s overall plan to cash in on its past glories, notes GamesIndustry.biz. During a corporate strategy presentation last month, the publisher said that it aims to boost game sales 50% by 2020 with help from its “major IPs.” Along with adding to its revenue, the insights from these mobile titles will help the company in developing more games and improving the overall gaming experience.
