Long before it took the home video game console market by storm, Sega was already an arcade powerhouse. Parlaying its dominance in coin-operated machines into the home video game boom of the 1980s, the Japan-based company soon expanded with branches in Europe and the U.S., and continues to lead the gaming industry in design and quality.Drawing on interviews with former developers and hundreds of documents, this history follows the rise of Sega, from its electromechanical machines of the mid-1960s to the acquisition of Gremlin Industries to its 2003 merger with Sammy Corporation. Sixty-two of Sega's most popular and groundbreaking games are explored.

Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceThe Arcade Origins of SegaThe Early Years (1945-1965)¿3¿¿¿Sega Hits Arcade Gold (1966-1968)¿6¿¿¿Periscope (March 1968)¿8¿¿¿Missile (Circa April 1969)¿11Gone and Back AgainPong-Tron (July 1973)¿16Planting the Seeds for the FutureThere's a Gremlin in the HouseHead-On (April 1979)¿24¿¿¿Monaco GP (November 1979)¿27¿¿¿Carnival(July 1980)¿29¿¿¿Space Fury (July 1981)¿31¿¿¿Frogger (U.S.-October 1981)¿36Sega's Innovation Conquers U.S. Arcades (1981-1982)Turbo (October 1981)¿43¿¿¿Eliminator (December 1981)¿46¿¿¿Zaxxon(U.S.-March 1982)¿48¿¿¿SUBROC-3D (U.S.-September 1982)¿52¿¿¿Pengo(September 1982)¿54¿¿¿Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom (December 1982)¿56Relaunched in Time for the Crash (1982-1983)Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator (January 1983)¿65¿¿¿Congo Bongo(U.S.-March 1983)¿69¿¿¿Astron Belt (October 1983)¿71Sega Enters a New Era (1984-1985)Flicky (September 1984)¿77¿¿¿Ninja Princess/Sega Ninja (March 1985)¿81Sega Enterprises USA (1985)Choplifter (October 1985)¿89¿¿¿Hang-On (U.S.-October 1985)¿92A Second Arcade Golden Age (1985-1988)Space Harrier (December 1985)¿100¿¿¿Fantasy Zone (March 1986)¿102¿¿¿Quartet (April 1986)¿106¿¿¿Wonder Boy (April 1986)¿108¿¿¿OutRun (September 1986)¿112¿¿¿Alien Syndrome (April 1987)¿114¿¿¿SDI (April 1987)¿116¿¿¿Super ­Hang-On(U.S.-June 1987)¿118¿¿¿After Burner (July 1987)¿120¿¿¿Wonder Boy in MonsterLand (August 1987)¿124¿¿¿Shinobi (November 1987)¿126¿¿¿Thunder Blade(December 1987)¿131¿¿¿Galaxy Force/Galaxy Force II (April 1988)¿132¿¿¿Altered Beast (June 1988)¿134¿¿¿Power Drift (August 1988)¿137Sega Finishes the '80s StrongGain Ground (November 1988)¿141¿¿¿Super Monaco GP (May 1989)¿144¿¿¿Golden Axe (May 1989)¿148¿¿¿Mega-Tech Arcade System (1989)¿151Sega's Famous AM Divisions EmergeSega R&D Dept. #1 (AM1)¿154¿¿¿Sega R&D Dept. #2 (AM2)¿155¿¿¿Sega R&DDept. #3 (AM3)¿157¿¿¿Sega R&D Dept. #4 (AM4)¿157¿¿¿Sega R&D Dept. #5 (AM5)¿158¿¿¿Sega R&D Dept. #6 (AM6)¿161¿¿¿Sega R&D Dept. #8 (Sonic Team)¿161Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something BlueColumns (March 1990)¿165¿¿¿Alien Storm (March 1990)¿171¿¿¿Bonanza Bros.(June 1990)¿173¿¿¿Aurail (October 1990)¿174¿¿¿Sega R360 (1990)¿177¿¿¿RadMobile (February 1991)¿182¿¿¿Time Traveler (September 1991)¿184¿¿¿Virtua Racing (August 1992)¿187¿¿¿SegaSonic The Hedgehog (October 1993)¿190¿¿¿Virtua Fighter (December 1993)¿193Sega Dominates the 3D Era (1993-1994)Daytona USA (March 1994)¿199¿¿¿Virtua Cop (September 1994)¿204¿¿¿Virtua Fighter 2 (November 1994)¿206A Changing of the Guard and Continued Success (1995-1999)Sega Rally Championship (February 1995)¿212¿¿¿Virtua Cop 2 (September 1995)¿215¿¿¿Fighting Vipers (November 1995)¿217¿¿¿Virtual-On: Cyber Troopers (December 1996)¿220¿¿¿Die Hard Arcade (July 1996)¿222¿¿¿The House of the Dead (March 1996)¿226¿¿¿Top Skater (May 1997)¿229¿¿¿Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge (June 1998)¿233¿¿¿Spikeout: Digital Battle Online (September 1998)¿237¿¿¿CrazyTaxi (February 1999)¿240¿¿¿Planet Harriers (December 2000)¿242A New Sega for the New MillenniumReborn and RefocusedNew Leadership for Sega Amusements¿250¿¿¿The Sega/Sammy Merger¿253Sega as an Arcade Center OperatorSega Centers (1975-1983)¿258¿¿¿P.J. Pizzazz (1980-Circa 1984)¿261¿¿¿Sega'sTime-Out Family Amusement Centers (1986-1990)¿263¿¿¿Sega VirtuaLand(1993)¿269¿¿¿Joypolis (1994)¿272¿¿¿SegaWorld London (1996-1999)¿273¿¿¿Sega GameWorks (1997-2011)¿276An Undeniable LegacyWorks CitedIndex