10 Sega classics we’d love to see reborn on iPhone

With rumours circulating that Sonic 4 is iPhone-bound, our eager, vigorous minds are working overtime as we recall countless hours wasted in front of our beloved Sega consoles back in the mists of time.

A company with a long and proud history of making truly scrumptious slices of interactive entertainment, Sega’s back catalogue is a veritable treasure-trove of classic franchises and forgotten gems - which is why we sincerely hope that Sonic 4 is merely the beginning of a larger strategy that will see other vintage Sega titles getting a much-needed facelift.

With this in mind, it didn’t take long for us to put our respective heads together and concoct this list of ten Sega classics we’d love to see given a new lease of life on Apple’s all-conquering mobile phone.

Here are our favourites. What are yours?

iPhone owners are already familiar with the pugilistic exploits of vigilante cops Axel, Blaze, and Adam: Sega ported the Mega Drive original to Apple’s device a few months back.

However, what we’d love to see is a true sequel that really pushes the hardware to its limits and makes intelligent use of the iPhone’s touchscreen rather than resorting to unsatisfying virtual controls.

If the rumours are to be believed, Sega might not even have to expend that much effort to achieve our vision - leaked videos of what was understood to be a cancelled prototype of Streets of Rage 4 on the Dreamcast show that work has already been done on a sequel, and the intriguing first-person viewpoint would work well on the iPhone.

While Sega’s Shining series continues to put bums on seats in its native Japan the recent outings have been handled by a different development team to that of the 16-bit originals; sadly, the gulf in quality is plain for all to see.

With that in mind the time is ripe for Sega to take the bull by the horns and remake the first title for Apple’s mobile device, just as it did a few years back when it ported the famous turn-based strategy title to the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The iPhone’s touchscreen display would be ideal for this kind of grid-based caper, we think.

Sega’s answer to Final Fantasy never really gained the worldwide recognition it deserved but remains a cult series amongst hardcore RPG fans.

Recent outings have focused more on the real-time multiplayer element popularised by Phantasy Star Online, but being the hopeless retro-addicts that we are we’d ideally like to see Sega revert back to the more traditional turn-based action of the first four games.

Sega has a reputation for creating truly amazing racing titles - Outrun, Daytona USA, Sega Rally are just three of many classics - but we have to admit to having a soft spot for this F1 speedster.

A product of the late ‘80s, the arcade original utilised 2D scaling techniques to create an impression of 3D movement and speed, something which was incredible for the time but could be achieved by the iPhone without any effort. Of course, tilt control for steering would be a must.

Before Sonic, there was Alex Kidd. Sega’s original mascot during the 8-bit era was a jumpsuit-wearing monkey boy prince with sideburns that would make Noddy Holder blush, but few could deny that his debut outing - the sublime Alex Kidd in Miracle World - was a real killer app for Sega’s Master System.

While the sequels failed to replicate this success, Alex nevertheless became a firm favourite with fans until Sega unceremoniously ditched him in favour of a speedy blue hedgehog.

Now's the time for this unfairly forgotten character to step back into the limelight, and a 2D platforming adventure on the iPhone is the perfect way to do it.

Surely one of Sega’s finest action series, Shinobi started life as a coin-op classic before moving onto the Mega Drive with the astonishingly brilliant Revenge of Shinobi.

Further sequels followed and the franchise even made the leap into 3D with a ball-bustingly difficult PS2 adventure, but now even Sega itself seems to have turned its back on legendary Shinobi Joe.

Perhaps this famous ninja assassin can find a new audience on Apple’s platform?

Quite possibly one of the most famous arcade titles of all time, this often psychaedelic ride through the Fantasy Zone made use of complex and expensive hydraulic coin-op cabinets and critics were quick to assert that the title’s appeal was more to do with this tactile feedback than it was with the in-game action.

Granted, Space Harrier is only marginally deeper than a shallow puddle, but it remains bloody good fun. An arcade-only 3D sequel was released a few years back by the name of Planet Harriers. The iPhone is surely capable of replicating this little-known gem.

Next to Alex Kidd, Wonderboy is possibly Sega’s most enduring character from the 8-bit period. Starting off his adventures as a skateboarding cave boy, he quickly evolved into a heroic knight in his second, third, and fourth outings.

The series gained a solid reputation as an excellent mixture of platforming action and RPG progression, with the game world effectively forming one massive level where players could speak with friendly characters, embark on sub-quests and purchase items to augment their powers.

A similar outing on the iPhone would be particularly welcome, especially when you consider that like his stablemate Alex Kidd, Wonderboy has been a bit down on his luck lately.

Granted, this one may be a case of rose-tinted spectacles clouding our judgement - even at the time of release, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would deem Dynamite Dux to be a classic of the genre - but we have a soft spot for this unique side-scrolling fighter.

What other game allows you to step into the shoes of a bow tie-wearing psychopathic bird? We’d love to see this badly-neglected piece of coin-op history come to life once again.

Another example of just how inventive Sega was back in the ‘90s, Bonanza Bros is a unique take on the age-old tale of cops and robbers. The difference here is that you’re the one doing the thieving.

The goal of the game is to purloin several expensive items without getting caught, and it’s possible to use your surroundings to keep the police forces at bay.

The game’s multiplayer mode - where both players infiltrate the building simultaneously and co-operate to secure the loot - would work brilliantly over wi-fi or Bluetooth.