Sega Game Gear A-Z

It didn't take long for Sega to jump on the handheld bandwagon, and their effort was pretty much a balance between the Game Boy and Lynx. A lot of its games were Master System conversions, but it also received a decent amount of original titles, especially in its native Japan. Here I will be looking at them all:

K is for...

Kaitou Saint Tail by Sega (1996)

Like many GG games, this one is based on a manga/anime series and was only released in Japan. It's therefore not super-easy to follow but is basically a collection of mini-games (tile-matching, etc) set around an overworld town/field. Probably one for fans or collectors only. The presentation is nice though.

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge by Teque London / Domark (1995)

This is, unsurprisingly, a motorcycle racing game, and a MegaDrive conversion no less. First impressions are good thanks to the options and play modes, but things aren't so great once you start playing due to the slidiest bike controls in the history of the world! You could put in some practise but I'll stick to Hang-On I think.

Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba by Sega (1994)

Another Japanese exclusive based on a manga series, this one looked really promising at first thanks to an enjoyable jumpy/platformy/slashy first stage, but the language barrier soon proved a problem, sadly. You might be able to bumble your way through the texty bits but it probably won't be much fun.

Kinetic Connection by Japan System House / Sega (1991)

As you might've guessed from the jumble of nonsense in the screenshot, this is a tile-switching puzzle game. You get seven pictures in several variations to choose from and then you just... jiggle them around until they make a picture. It's often not clear what the finished picture is supposed to be though. Give this one a miss.

Kishin Douji Zenki by Sega (1995)

This is another Japanese exclusive based on a manga series, and it's actually one that's playable by non-native speakers. You will miss out on the story of course, told through many cut-scenes, but the game itself is a pretty decent and surprisingly varied platformer. Definitely one for collectors to track down.

Klax by Tengen (1992)

Practically every system got a port of Klax in the early 90's and the GG is no different. It probably isn't the best version around - nitpickers might point to the choice of colours and the audio - but it's still a perfectly decent version of the tile-stacking puzzler that will take up as much of your time as ever.

Krusty's Fun House by Audiogenic / Flying Edge (1992)

I didn't know at the time but this Simpsons tie-in is heavily based on an Amiga game called Rat Trap. Whatever name and license you slap on it though, it's a pretty decent platform/puzzler. The idea is to guide rats through each large stage and even the first is rather tricky to work out, but it's good fun too.

Kuni-Chan no Game Tengoku by Arc System Works / Sega (1991)

I thought this one might be based on a manga too, but whatever its origins, it seems enjoyment of it requires knowledge of Japanese. It plays like a board game - play is turn-based with players following coloured tiles, but it would take a lot of experimenting to work out how to play it properly.

Kuni-Chan no Game Tengoku Part 2 by Sega (1992)

I was expecting more of the same with the sequel and, while sharing the numerous cut-scenes of the orignal, it's actually a kart racing game! Again, there is a lot of Japanese text and I imagine the story would make it a lot more meaningful to play, but it's not a bad little game. The courses are a bit plain though.