Sega launches pay-to-play 'classics'

If you've ever wondered why you might want to blight your computer with a copy of the ever-clunky RealOne software, we think we may have the answer. This week, Sega has taken it upon themselves to release a number of classic Genesis/Mega Drive era titles which will run on your PC through RealOne Arcade.

RealOne Arcade is available via a free download, and players can try out demos of each of the first six titles in the range before committing a few dollars to secure a full version. Apparently these cannot be burned to CD under the guise of a "backup".

The six games are Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Ecco the Dolphin, Columns III - Revenge of Columns and Phantasy Star II. Sega is planning to release Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master, ToeJam & Earl, Vectorman and Virtua Fighter 2 soon.

All of the games in the Sega Classics series can be found on this page at Sega.com. With modest system requirements for RealOne Arcade and plenty of variety, we can imagine quite a few of you drowning your first-day-back blues in a spiky hedgehog's quest for shiny rings.