Retro gaming fans are in for a treat as Nintendo confirms classic Sega titles are coming to the Switch later this year.
Away from its legacy games like Mario and Zelda, the Switch is ready to join forces with Sega and bring some pixelated nostalgia to its console. Following in the footsteps of Capcom and Square Enix releasing some their best games on the Switch, Sega wants a piece of the action to remind fans what made them so great in the first place.
While at the SEGA FES event in Japan (via Nintendo Life), the company announced that 15 titles will be coming to the Switch in the near future. The Sega Ages initiative announced only three of the titles, revealing that Sonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star and Thunder Force 4 will all find a new home on the Switch. It is unclear whether the project will only focus on early games or if newer titles will be also be included, but this could be just the start of a much larger Sega catalog if a success.
Sadly, the games will only be available in Japan via the Nintendo Switch eShop, with no word on whether it will expand to other countries. The latest era of Sega Ages will be pioneered by Studio M2, which has previously worked on Sega rereleases like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Ecco the Dolphin on the 3DS. Considering that M2’s work on 8-bit and 16-bit emulation is nearly unrivaled, this is great news for Sega.
Gamers are left guessing what other games will be coming to Sega Ages, but here’s hoping that the Switch’s multiplayer capabilities could find its way into something like Streets of Rage. Elsewhere, Sega is keen to cash in on the runaway success of the NES and SNES mini by creating its own pint-sized Mega Drive that will be pre-loaded with Genesis titles. However, with the Mega Drive collection coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in May, Nintendo will be missing out on that particular party.
Sega Ages has proven to be a big winner on the likes of PS2 and the 3DS, so it is great to see the scheme make the leap to next-gen consoles. Nintendo is still holding back its plans for a Virtual Console, with the Sega news sparking dread that the company may have abandoned these plans altogether. However, at least Sega Ages can help fill some of that gap for now as avid gamers send Sonic hunting for rings all over again. Pricing is unknown for the games, but with the first announcement already made, expect to find out more soon.
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Source: Nintendo Life
