Deal Alert: Ton of Sega content on Xbox Live

Being a fan of old school Sega I had to promote this little sale running on Xbox Live.  Most of the games are half off which means you can get a ton of great games for very little money (like 8 games for $20 or 1600 Microsoft Points).    The promotion runs through April 25th, so stock up while you can!

After Burner Climax
Was: $10
Now: $5

Altered Beast
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Comix Zone
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Crazy Taxi
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram
Was: $15
Now: $7.50

Ecco The Dolphin
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Golden Axe
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Gunstar Heroes
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
Was: $10
Now: $5

Outrun Online Arcade
Was: $10
Now: $5

Phantasy Star II
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Shinobi
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Sonic Adventure
Was: $10
Now: $5

Sonic & Knuckles
Was: $3
Now: $1.50

Sonic The Hedgehog
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Was: $15
Now: $10

Street of Rage 2
Was: $5
Now: $2.50

There are also some related avatar items on sale if you’re into that.

Remember Microsoft Points cards come in 1600 ($20)  and 4000 ($50) point increments in stores.  In addition, Microsoft Points can be purchased from the console via credit card.

For more information check out the Xbox Live dashboard.  Impressions for some of the games can be found here, and check the internet for the rest. Now, to run out and stock up on Microsoft Points!

A History: The Sega I’ve Played

Ah the 16-bit console era. Nintendo versus Sega. My first console war. For me, both sides won. I did have a SNES, but spent a summer mowing the yard at my grandmas house to earn money for my first major console. It may have taken all summer at $20 a job, but it was worth the work.

The Venture store in Cape Girardeau is where I ended up buying my Sega Genesis (second model mk-1631) for around $140. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came with it, which is my favorite in the series. I only ever beat that game when I used the cheat code that takes you to Dr. Robotnik.

I also owned ToeJam & Earl, Vectorman, and Mortal Kombat 2. Those were my other favorite games. I rented a lot of games in that time too (should be posting a topic about that soon). Still, there’s nothing better than playing MK2 with an arcade stick at home. It was the first time my parents ever saw a violent video game. My stepmom couldn’t believe my dad let me buy it (more lawn mowing money).

Unfortunately I traded it sometime later for new gaming hardware. If only I could have it all back. At least now I can (to some extent) without sacrificing space thanks to the Virtual console on Wii and Xbox Live Arcade. I haven’t purchased many, but I did get to play Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection which has 40 classic games. They just don’t really hold up even compared to the current generation of downloadable games. Still entertaining on some level even if the difficulty borders on “sadistic” at times.

I missed out on the Sega Saturn and picked up a Sega Dreamcast late in the console cycle. A friend had one and he talked up how great it was and how cheap I could own one. The reason: Sony launched the Playstation 2. Despite that, I played it all the time. I wasn’t about to be swayed to the other side.

There was a nice variety of games, which for me made it better than the PS2. I played lots of Crazy Taxi, Dave Mirra BMX, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Quake III Arena, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Unreal Tournament.

The Dreamcast was my first real introduction to online gaming. I had dial-up internet and it had a built modem. It ran Quake III arena decent enough to get a few kills and have a little fun. The best part was the price to play online: free. There are still some servers running these games today, so the demand must be there.

It was a great console with the worst timing. I purchased a PS2 not long after Sega announced it would end support of hardware and later the games. I think it lasted a few months and I traded it for more PS2 games. Circle of life.

I wish I’d gotten to play more Sega in the golden years. At least they still make some games. Hopefully they breate some new life into more older franchises or build some new ones!