10 Ways Gaming Was Infinitely Better In The '90s
9. SEGA Still Made Hardware
SEGA is like that ex-lover you think about from time-to-time. You remember all the good bits and forget the failings.
Even when things seemed to be going well for SEGA in arcades, there were troubles over home hardware. The Genesis/Mega Drive forced Nintendo's hand to release the Super Nintendo but later add-ons (the Mega-CD and 32x) dented consumer confidence in SEGA at the wrong time.
Gamers eagerly awaited the 32-bit era but the difficulty of 3D programming for Saturn - based on quadrilaterals not triangles - made it impossible for SEGA to keep up with competitors.
Yet, SEGA still had great games on Saturn. Virtua Fighter, Virtua Cop and Virtual-On were as good at home as they were in the arcades. Cult classics like Burning Rangers, Radiant Silvergun and Panzer Dragoon Saga had hardcore appeal. SEGA ruled the racing genre too: SEGA Rally, Manx TT, Daytona USA, Touring Car Championship more than proved the Saturn's worth.
By the time the future-proof Dreamcast hit stores in 1999 though, it was already too late. The fact SEGA are out of the home console business is a loss to all, not just SEGA fans.