In the West, Sega is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a slate of free games that are probably best summed up as “for the fans.” There’s aYakuza2D beat-’em-up, a canceled reboot ofGolden Axe, a mash-up ofFantasy ZoneandEndless Space, and a tank battle game inspired byCompany of Heroes.
These wacky anniversary games will be available on Steam for a limited time, and I do meanlimited.
“Once they’re taken down from Steam,they’re gone forever,” according to Sega.
During this celebration, Sega is also giving out the Steam edition ofSonic the Hedgehog 2until October 19, and – for people who share their email with Sega –Nights into Dreamsuntil Aug 02, 2025.
My favorite bit, though? These retro-inspired game covers.
On the Sega 60th anniversary website,you may find Genesis, Mega Drive, Master System, Saturn, and Dreamcast cover artfor dozens of modern Sega games. Some of them, likePuyo Puyo, really do fit.
Sega says the site will be “updated regularly with new content and information.” Happy 6-0!
[Update: Sega has come under fire for the way it handled theGolden Axedprototype game, including a line on the Steam listing about the title being “janky,” “buggy,” and an “artifact of its time.”
One of the original developers,Tim Dawson, shared his experience working on the canceledGolden Axeproject – the basis for this week’s free game – in 2012 “under crunch conditions.” In a statement toEurogamer, Sega said it “didn’t mean to dredge up painful memories” with the public prototype and it “removed the line from the Steam copy that could have been taken as a slur on the development.”]
