Sonic the Hedgehog has been a fixture in gaming since he first sped on to the Sega Genesis in the '90s, and he's been a pop culture icon ever since. With the upcoming release of Sonic Origins, gamers will have access to his original titles along with a healthy helping of bonus content for true fans of the Blue Blur.
It's only natural that a character like Sonic should receive a back-to-basics treatment, but he's not the only Sega mainstay. Sega is home to quite a few different franchises that could benefit from some remastering for a new generation of players, especially those who grew up without a Sega system.
Vectorman
In practice, a remastered Vectorman might not be the most graphically impressive, but it would certainly make for an interesting and distinctive action platformer. It was an early demonstration of 3D-rendered graphics that showed what the Sega Genesis was capable of, and it did have enough fans and players to warrant a sequel.
Although the visuals didn't exactly age well, the run-and-gun platforming is still classic and enjoyable. A few tweaks here and there on the controls and polishing up the visuals could go a long way.
Nights
Nights is a strange character, and their games are even stranger. The original title was at its core a flying Sonic-like, but even that isn't an apt description of the game. It's a psychedelic hybrid of arcade and racing games with colorful visuals and speeds that would give Sonic a little competition, and it needs to make a return.
Its most recent sequel appeared on the Wii way back in 2007, making it well overdue for a return to the mainstream. The game's controls would need to be sharpened, but a truly stand-out pair of games would be right at home amongst Sonic and friends.
Phantasy Star
Before it was an anime-inspired MMORPG, it was a genre-defining game for the Master System. Consider Phantasy Star as Sega's answer to the popular Dragon Quest series. It takes a lot from classic JRPGs of the decade, but it blends sci-fi and fantasy in a refreshing way that any fan of the genre would find enjoyable.
Although it was slightly tweaked for the Sega Ages rereleases, a proper collection has yet to be seen. In a time where games like Octopath Traveler and Final Fantasy are so popular, it's high time Sega's take on the genre returned.
Landstalker
There are plenty of games that take from The Legend of Zelda, but Sega's Landstalker took a different-yet-familiar approach to the fantasy adventure formula. The game relies on a more isometric viewpoint rather than the top-down visuals most players are familiar with, but the elements seen in the land of Hyrule are still there.
Instead of rescuing a princess in distress, players take up the role of an Elven treasure hunter searching for a lost horde. Assisted by a fairy companion, gamers will have to slash through enemies and solve puzzles to find clues to the location of King Nole. Followed by Ladystalker and spiritual successors like Alundra, the potential for a series compilation is definitely there.
The Alien Games
Games based on movies or TV shows are often hit and miss, and that's essentially been the nature of the beast since the '90s. That being said, Sega has produced quite a few impressive titles worthy of the Alien franchise. Alien Isolation might be its big smash, but there were prior titles that captured the series' motifs just as well.
The Alien Trilogy, Alien 3, and Aliens: Infestation are a set of games inspired by Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece that do their best to play with both the action and suspense elements seen and felt in the original franchise. A remastered set of these titles would include a first-person shooter, a run-and-gun platformer, and an intense Metroidvania that fans could devour. Variety is the spice of life, after all.
Virtua Fighter
Tournament fighters have always been a popular gaming genre, regardless of console, and Sega had its entry into the culture. But while the first game in the series was bare-bones and basic, it helped pave the way for 3D fighters like Tekken and Soul Calibur that came after.
The graphics weren't anything spectacular until Virtua Fighter 3 or 4, but a collection of traditional tournament fighters would be ideal for those looking to take a break from Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Especially with its rounded cast of international warriors.
Wonder Boy
The Wonder Boy series could be considered a Zelda game in platformer mode, as players will need to collect weapons, explore dungeons, and vanquish monsters to save the kingdom. However, that's not the only thing the series brings to the table.
One of the series' biggest mechanics is the ability to transform into different animal characters to transverse environments and puzzles, separating Wonder Boy from a certain tight-clad Hylian. The series has seen spinoffs and a remaster, but never a collection. With the makeover Sonic has had, Wonder Boy deserves the same.
Golden Axe
Sega's fantasy action game is a staple of the beat-em-up genre, and a full series compilation has been long overdue since the release of the Sega Genesis Collection. Although the three core entries are all readily available, there has yet to be a proper rerelease of other titles.
Games like The Revenge of Death Adder and Golden Axe Warrior have yet to see a decent return to modern consoles. A Golden Axe collection would need to bring the entirety of the series, and maybe throw in Beast Rider for good measure if it were to be 100% successful.
Shinobi
Sega's alternative to Nintendo's Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi was the developer's own ninja-based platformer with a complete series of games that spanned the '90s. Like Sonic, the video game ninja master was the face of the franchise, but it's been far too long since he's returned to consoles.
Although most fans would simply be happy with a remastered collection of 2003's remake and Nightshade, the series currently has eleven titles in its catalog. While Revenge of Shinobi, III, and Shadowdancer have all received ports, there's more than enough material to create a fully separate collection for modern consoles.
Streets Of Rage
Since the recent release of Streets of Rage 4, it's honestly surprising that Sega didn't offer some sort of package deal that included the first three titles as unlockable or bonus content. Now that the series is four games strong, a special edition that remedies that mistake might well be in order.
Streets of Rage was the home console answer to arcade beat-em-ups like Capcom's Final Fight, and a remastered collection needs to recreate that sense of arcade action. It might only need a little spit and polish here and there, but a classic collection would be 100% possible.