#sega ages
#sega ages
by Amr (@siegarettes)
It’s hard not to feel underwhelmed by Thunder Force AC. Based on the arcade version of Thunder Force 3, and releasing after the much flashier SEGA AGES release of Thunder Force 4, AC can’t help but feel less polished, and incomplete. Despite its significance in preserving a rare arcade game, the changes made for the game don’t always result in a better game than the console title it’s based on, just a different one.
Unlike other titles like Columns II or Tant-R, the original console version isn’t included either, which is a shame, given that its previous AGES release on the 3DS never made it out of Japan. Together Thunder Force 3 and AC could have felt like a complete package, giving players a chance to not only play a hard to find arcade title, but directly compare it to its console counterpart. Without it, Thunder Force AC feels slim alongside the other AGES titles.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
“Learning Puyo Puyo” is one of those intangible goals I always come back to, in the same way I tell myself that I’m going to get good at fighting games, or learn Japanese. SEGA’s been making that goal a little easier lately, localizing new entries like Puyo Puyo Tetris, Champions and now returning with an official English release of the highly regarded Puyo Puyo 2, two and half decades later. The AGES release is a port of the arcade game, specifically worth noting as it’s talked about in the same way as SEGA Tetris or The Grand Master in terms of the specific feel and details serious players prefer.
The package feels as celebratory as its history might suggest, with developer M2 adding several special features to make it the definitive edition. But there’s one standout feature that changed my approach to Puyo entirely: the ability to rewind moves.
