Sega is one of the most renowned gaming companies in the world. Over the course of decades, it has released hundreds of titles, becoming an endless source of inspiration, amusement, and relaxation for many. Out of all its creative pursuits, however, few have become more successful than Sega’s most popular franchises.
From platformers with blue hedgehogs to turn-based RPGs about fighting injustice, the best Sega series often take advantage of their genre, offering players innovative gameplay, compelling characters, and unique challenges. While not all of these fan-favorites have received new titles recently, their influence and creativity have maintained their popularity nonetheless.
8 Jet Set Radio
In Jet Set Radio and Jet Set Radio Future, players tag the streets of Tokyo-to as a gang of rollerskating graffiti artists known as the GGs. Filled with the action of claiming territory from rival gangs, running from the police, and spray-painting in style, the Jet Set Radio games quickly became an unforgettable series with a unique aesthetic and unparalleled soundtrack.
It’s not as though the series is all style and no substance, though. Grinding the rails of the city, racing rival gangs, and skating across billboards takes skill and dedication, helping the Jet Set Radio games earn the title of one of the best platformer series of all time.
7 Crazy Taxi
There is only one thing that matters in Crazy Taxi, getting passengers to their destination as quickly as possible. With speed as the main priority, the arcade game series even rewards players for driving up ramps, performing tricks, and taking risks.
For its easy-to-learn controls, carefree style, and memorable soundtrack featuring songs from The Offspring and Bad Religion, Crazy Taxi is often considered one of the most unique arcade racing games in the world. Its popularity in arcades also helped bring it console for fans to continue the racing fun at home.
6 Phantasy Star
Phantasy Star is a turn-based sci-fi/fantasy series where players defend the Algol Solar System from the evil grips of injustice, destruction, and Dark Falz. Accepting quests and setting out to restore the peace, they explore the unique star system alongside a diverse cast of memorable characters filled with the determination to survive.
Although Phantasy Star began as a traditional role-playing game series with four mainline installments and a few sequel series, its newest entries have since become a set of welcoming MMORPGs for new players and existing fans alike.
5 Shenmue
The Shenmue series tells the story of a teenage martial artist named Ryo Hazuki on his quest to find revenge for his father’s murder. As he tries to find justice, the mysteries of the world unravel around him, adding a deeper sense of nuance and curiosity to his journey.
Although Shenmue is now praised for its variety of gameplay, life-like world, and compelling story, it was a commercial failure at launch, becoming a cult classic for years until it received much-deserved recognition with the release of its sequels.
4 Super Monkey Ball
Helping AiAi and the other Super Monkey Ball characters roll their way over precarious platforms while collecting bunches of bananas, players rotate the map, allowing the resulting changes in gravity and velocity to quickly move the monkeys toward their goals.
Although the Super Monkey Ball series has a simple premise with easy-to-learn directions, its maps become increasingly difficult with each new area. For its deceptive simplicity and adorable art, not only is the series one of Sega’s best, but it is also one of its most challenging.
3 Yakuza/Like A Dragon
The Yakuza series, also known as the Like a Dragon series, primarily follows Kiryu Kazuma, a stoic man with a strong sense of justice and ties to the Yakuza families around the Kamurocho nightlife district.
While the Yakuza games have a number of serious moments, themes, and implications, the series also uses humor and fun to balance its darker tones in a wholly unique, captivating, and charismatic way. For instance, the franchises’ extensive minigame collection allows players to see their favorite characters escape from the violence of the streets to sing karaoke, race model cars, and dance.
2 Persona
Known for its memorable characters, innovative gameplay, and discussions around fate and morality, the Persona games are renowned as some of the most popular modern JRPGs in the world, surpassing even the series they were originally a spin-off of, Shin Megami Tensei.
Each Persona game features a young, silent protagonist on their journey to understand the strange happenings around them, often while reasserting their free will and desire for a better, more harmonious world. While specific, the Persona series sees continual success as a result of its inspiring creativity and unique aesthetic, earning its place as one of the best Sega series of all time.
1 Sonic The Hedgehog
Sega’s most well-known series needs no introduction. To many, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is nearly synonymous with the company’s name as both its mascot and most popular series.
While the quality of the Sonic the Hedgehog games is inconsistent at times, Sonic’s quick-paced platforming adventures have found a consistent fan base with those who appreciate its lovable characters, energetic soundtracks, and thematic-level designs. Its success in other mediums also proves that the beloved series is here to stay as long as Sega fans will have it.