Sonic Team is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for its Sonic the Hedgehog series and games such as Nights into Dreams and Phantasy Star Online.
The Sega CD, known as Mega-CD in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory and format for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. Originally released in November 1991, it came to North America in late 1992, and the rest of the world in 1993. The Sega CD plays CD-based games and adds hardware functionality such as a faster CPU and a custom graphics chip for enhanced sprite scaling and rotation. It can also play audio CDs and CD+G discs.
Zero Wing is a 1989 side-scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and originally published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Williams Electronics. Controlling the ZIG space fighter craft, players assume the role of protagonist Trent in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien space pirate organization CATS. It was the eighth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their fourteenth video game overall.
Comix Zone is a 1995 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. It is set within the panels of a comic book with dialogue rendered within talk bubbles and sprites, and backgrounds possessing the bright colors and dynamic drawing style of superhero comics. This style is in previous video games, for example Ocean Software's Batman: The Caped Crusader in 1988, but Comix Zone stretched the idea to such an extent that Sega applied for and was granted a patent for a "videogame system for creating a simulated comic book game".
20XX is a platform game developed by American studio Batterystaple Games. The early access version was released for Microsoft Windows on Steam on October 12, 2016, and in full on August 16, 2017. PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One versions were released in July 2018. A sequel, 30XX, was released on Steam Early Access on February 17, 2021, and in full on August 9, 2023.
ToeJam & Earl is a 1991 action video game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Genesis console. It centers on ToeJam and Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth—as they attempt to escape the planet, players assume the role of either character and collect pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. It references and parodies 1980s and early 90s urban culture and is set to a funk soundtrack. ToeJam & Earl's design was heavily influenced by the role-playing video game Rogue (1980) and derived various features from the game, such as the random generation of levels and items. As such, ToeJam & Earl is often considered to be an example of a roguelike game.
The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as the Mega Drive, and in 1989 in North America as the Genesis. In 1990, it was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, Ozisoft in Australasia, and Tectoy in Brazil. In South Korea, it was distributed by Samsung Electronics as the Super Gam*Boy and later the Super Aladdin Boy.
Barkley Shut Up and Jam! is a basketball video game originally developed and published by Accolade for the Sega Genesis on North America in March 1994 and later in Europe in April 1994. The game is the first entry in the Barkley Shut Up and Jam series, featuring former NBA MVP Charles Barkley prominently and as one of the playable characters.
Greg Johnson is an American video game designer known for the ToeJam & Earl and Starflight games. He has worked for Binary Systems and Electronic Arts and co-founded ToeJam & Earl Productions with Mark Voorsange. In 2006, he founded HumaNature Studios. His game credits include Orly's Draw-A-Story (1997), Kung Fu Panda World (2010), and Doki-Doki Universe (2013).
Fun 'n Games is a compilation video game developed by Leland Interactive Media and released for the Super NES and Mega Drive/Genesis platforms in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, an updated, redeveloped version of the game was released on the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and MS-DOS by Williams Entertainment Inc. The North American Super NES version of the game is considered to be one of the more rare games released for the console.
Piko Interactive LLC is an American video game publisher based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in early 2013 by Eli Galindo, the company focuses on physical re-releases of games from older video game consoles and digitally released ports to newer systems.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the fourth entry in the ToeJam & Earl series of video games. The game was developed by HumaNature Studios, founded by series creator Greg Johnson, and published by the studio on March 1, 2019.
Coffee Crisis is a game for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Microsoft Windows, developed and published by Pittsburgh-based company Mega Cat Studios. The console version was released on February 24, 2017, as a physical cartridge with printed manual.
Tanglewood is a puzzle platformer developed and published by Big Evil Corporation for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. It was crowdfunded through Kickstarter and released on 14 August 2018, with emulated versions available for Windows, Mac, and Linux on Steam and a dual-game cartridge for the Evercade along with Xeno Crisis.
Log Jammers is a sports video game published and developed by Mega Cat Studios. It was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System and is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in 2020. The game features a lumberjack theme, silly humor, and fast-paced action in the style of arcade games. The objective of the game is to toss an axe past the opponent and into their goal. The game's name is an allusion to Windjammers, which the developers cite as an inspiration. It also refers to a log jam, which relates to the games lumberjack theme, as well as the aquatic, log-based levels.
The Evercade is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by British company Blaze Entertainment. It focuses on retrogaming with ROM cartridges that each contain a number of emulated games. Evercade was released in May 2020 and upon its launch offered 10 game cartridges with a combined total of 122 games.
Justice Duel is a platform game developed and published by Mega Cat Studios. It was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 2017. Players battle one another while riding cybernetically enhanced eagles. The game plays similarly to Joust.
Tänzer is a 2019 hack and slash action-platform video game developed by Mikael Tillander and originally published by Mega Cat Studios for the Sega Mega Drive. In the game, players assume the role of a ballerina whose body was transformed to fight against enemies in a post-apocalyptic setting. The title was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, being first released in 2019 for the Mega Drive and has since been re-released as part of the Mega Cat Studios – Collection 1 compilation for Evercade in 2020.
Xeno Crisis is a 2019 multidirectional shooter homebrew video game developed and published by Bitmap Bureau for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was later ported to Dreamcast, PlayStation Vita, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation and Evercade. The premise takes place in Outpost 88, a scientific research facility overrun by aliens. The facility sent a distress signal, leading Commander Darius dispatching space marines John Marsh and Sarah Ridley to confront the aliens. Gameplay revolves around players defeating enemies, rescuing survivors, collecting in-game currency for upgrades, and facing against bosses.
