The Real Sega XBLA Poll…

Alert readers will be aware that Sega recently ran an online poll as to which games from the Mega Drive era it should revive for today’s E-number jazzed audience. Up for voting were Earthworm Kim, Shining Force, Revenge Of Shinobi, Golden Axe II and Wonder Boy, Streets Of Rage and ToeJam& Earl. Of course, our alien friends won the day, and Earthworm Jim’s coming out regardless, but in reality the list was flawed. Why? Because this lot weren’t on it:

5) World Cup Italia ’90

Not for any legitimate reason we should add, but for programming of the most incompetent order that would give control of goalkeepers to players from far too far out. Consequently, hilarity ensued as ‘keepers decided they’d had enough of it all and ran off.

4) Columns

A game we were extolling the virtues of this very morning, before some cad suggested it was rubbish because you couldn’t rotate the gems. Well it’s be called ‘Rows’ then, wouldn’t it…

3) FIFA International Soccer ’96

Old FIFAs were great, weren’t they? Not for the actual game mind, but what happened after you’d planted one in the old onion bag. Sod celebrations – to this day we wish we could hammer the buttons for massive ‘gooooooooals’…

2) Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers

Just for its music alone. So, a few pesky licensing agreements might have to be put in place, but there was something hauntingly beautiful about the way its cartridge fought with quite, quite terrible sound hardware. It’s a little tragic how sincerely I mean that. Ahem…

1) Sonic Spinball

A serious entry this time, challenging in the extreme. So much so that after much frustration I completed it just twelve months ago, afterfifteen years’ trying.