About the Book
Prior to the arrival of the Sega Genesis, video games were still largely considered "kid stuff," but with a far more mature and eclectic range of titles, and an understanding of what gamers wanted, Sega and its Genesis/Mega Drive console began to shift the expectations for what gaming could be. Never scared to innovate, Sega's impact on the industry continues to this day through the games they originally developed and the technology their consoles pushed into the mainstream.
Featuring interviews with the creators of over 40 games on the Sega Genesis console including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Altered Beast, Aladdin, Earthworm Jim and NHL 95, this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the influential, iconic, and sometimes forgotten games on Sega's most important contribution to the game industry. The interviewees reveal the challenges of working with mega publishers, the uncertainties of public reception, and the creative processes that produced some of the 16-bit era's classic titles.
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Tony Barnes
Preface
Introduction
Bill Willis, Sonic the Hedgehog 2—Stand by Me
Rieko Kodama, Altered Beast—The “Genesis” of the Arcade Port
John Fulbright, Shadowrun—Rolling the Natural 20 on Genesis
Jonathan Miller, Chakan: The Forever Man—When the Genesis Got Dark
Louis Castle, Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun—D&D’s Only Genesis Adventure
Michael McNally, Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday—When Buck Rogers Met the Genesis
Don Traeger, Haunting Starring Polterguy—Something Different, Something Creative
Jeffry Nauman, General Chaos—Softball and Strategy
Kevin McGrath and Don Traeger, The Immortal—Action-izing the Adventure Genre and Sega’s First Fatality
David Warhol, Normy’s Beach Babe-O-Rama—The Strip That Got Stripped on Genesis, But Not Forgotten
Zack Manko, Lethal Wedding—A Vow of Awesomeness
Kevin McGrath, Populous—A Port to Remember
Barbara Michalec, Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy’s Invention—Find 1M of Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy
John Pedigo, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie—From Mullet to Morphin
Mark Flitman, Virtual Bart—Drop the Glasses, Keep the Gameplay
David Perry, Earthworm Jim—Doug’s Big Break, David Breaks Shiny New Ground
Jonathan Miller, Spider-Man—Fake It and Make It
Jonathan Miller, X-Men 2: Clone Wars—Xavier’s Dream Realized on Genesis
Chris Shrigley, Ex-Mutants—Welcome to the States
Barbara Michalec, Jeff Jonas and John Fulbright, Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote—An Animated “Blast” and an Administrative Nightmare
Erik Kiss, Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?—A Quarter Past or a Quarter After?
Dan Kitchen, Goofy’s Hysterical History Tour—A Night at the Museum
Chris Shrigley, Gargoyles—Goliath in the Dark Room
Barbara Michalec, Ariel the Little Mermaid—Big Girls Don’t Cry—They Code
Louis Castle, The Lion King—King of the 16-Bit Jungle
David Perry, Aladdin—A Whole New World on the Genesis
Tony Barnes, Jungle Strike—64 Bytes and a Prayer for the Dying
Tony Barnes, Urban Strike—Strike of the Jedi
Lee Actor and Don Traeger, PGA Tour Golf—A Piece of the EA Sports Foundation
Dave Warfield, Coach K College Basketball—The First College Try
Michael Brook, NFL 98—The End of an Era
Perry Rodgers, Roger Clemens’ MVP Baseball—A Grand Slam of Perspective
Amory Wong, NBA Live 95—When Hockey Met the Hardwood
Chris Taylor and Kevin Pickell, Triple Play ’96—Third Name’s a Charm
Dave Warfield, Skitchin’—A Bitchin’ Ride
Lee Actor, Hard Drivin’—Through the Loop and Cow
Scott Berfield, Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Boxing—Sega’s First Real Knockout
Craig Broadbooks, ESPN National Hockey Night—The Original Sony FaceOff
Michael Brook, NHL 95—Following Greatness
Lee Actor, Pit-Fighter—Smaller Fighters, Still Big Time Fun
David Leitch, Primal Rage—Probe’s Other Bloody Port
Jeff Peters, Mortal Kombat 3—Creating a Perfect Port
Jason Weesner, Mark Botta, Jeff Jonas and Barbara Michalec, Vectorman—BlueSky’s Overtime Epic
Afterword by Ken Horowitz
Conclusion
Index
About the Author :
Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by Nintendo, Disney and EA Sports. Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.
