Ep. 17: Revenge of the Steve

That's right. Sega Mania is back! Our latest magazine, Issue 8 is currently on Kickstarter and has reached 90% of its target in just two days. Can you help it reach the goal? In this short episode, Tim casts aside the doom and gloom from Episode 19 and explains how and why Sega Mania is making a return. You can find the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/757617414/sega-mania-magazine-issue-8 You can also join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/kN5uSWbjUF We're also back on Facebook and Twitter, just search Sega Mania!

The Sega Mania podcast is back for the first time in almost a year with this extra special episode. Magazine creator Tim takes us on a journey through the history of the magazine. He details what went wrong, what went right, and explains why he disgracefully brought the whole thing crashing down in a ball of flames, only to then bring it back again 6 months later. It's a wild, if somewhat monotone, exposé on the world's greatest modern retro Sega magazine.

Sega Mania Magazine brings you your slightly unusual dose of madness as we press on in our new four-man podcast format. Alex, Rob, Steve and Simon won't let you down though, it's still nearly two hours of chuffin' nonsense. The Mega Drive rankings enter the year of 1994, covered by Issue 5 of our wonderful magazine, and we begin with Sonic 3, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Pete Sampras Tennis, and ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron. Will Sonic 3 top our list? Will it even be the top Sonic game? You know what to do.  We have some more questions that cover everything from our biggest Sega Mania regret to whether we like dark nights. It's the typical cornucopia of craziness from you lovely lot. Don't forget (and, seriously, don't forget because we've basically run out now) to get your questions in to [email protected] to immortalise yourself in podcast format. As always, here's the pre-pod list of games to follow along: Streets of Rage II Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition Gunstar Heroes Rocket Knight Adventures Sonic the Hedgehog Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master Revenge of Shinobi TMHT: The Hyperstone Heist Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Shining Force Thunder Force IV Sonic Spinball World of Illusion Sensible Soccer Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Aladdin Mortal Kombat Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Zombies Road Rash Strider Micro Machines NHL '94 Wonder Boy in Monster World Jungle Strike Flashback Landstalker Cool Spot Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy FIFA International Soccer World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Home Alone Desert Strike Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Zero Wing Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 Jurassic Park WWF Royal Rumble Madden NFL '94 WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle Bubsy In: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind LHX Attack Chopper TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons

Steve's back! In fact, everybody's back for this likely final seven-man episode of the pod. We'll be switching to a rotating foursome moving forward, so drink in the madness of too many cooks while it lasts!  There's a discussion about naughty words and how they affect a film's ranking for reasons I've already forgotten and can't be bothered to check, but it's all a weird segue into a big chat about our time in Blackpool for Play Expo 2022.  The Mega Drive game rankings then resume, as we finally tick off Issue 4's lot. Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Aladdin, Madden NFL '94, NHL '94 and Flashback join the hallowed ranks to make a total of 71 games at this point.  Don't forget to get your questions in to [email protected] and here's the pre-recording list of ranked games for you to follow: Streets of Rage II Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition Gunstar Heroes Rocket Knight Adventures Sonic the Hedgehog Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master Revenge of Shinobi TMHT: The Hyperstone Heist Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Shining Force Thunder Force IV Sonic Spinball World of Illusion Sensible Soccer Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Mortal Kombat Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Road Rash Strider Micro Machines Wonder Boy in Monster World Jungle Strike Landstalker Cool Spot Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy FIFA International Soccer World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Home Alone Desert Strike Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Zero Wing Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 Jurassic Park WWF Royal Rumble WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle Bubsy In: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind LHX Attack Chopper TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons

We've got a special focus for this episode, where we talk about a game soon to feature on the back cover of Sega Mania Magazine issue 7 - Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit from @NoahNCopeland  We wax lyrical on just how impressive and 90s Sega-reminiscent it is, marvel at how well it runs, and implore you to keep your eyes peeled for more info in the upcoming magazine. You can grab a copy of the game here: https://gamejolt.com/games/sonictripletrouble16bit/322794 We had a very special listener question that asked us to rank the main Sega consoles, so that's exactly what we did. How do we rank Master System, Game Gear, Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast? Listen on to find out, and let us know how you would rank them by emailing [email protected]

It seems the fallout from The Streets of Rage 2 Incident has given rise to a short hiatus for the Mega Drive rankings, and what better way to plug that gap than by answering questions from you lovely lot!  We smashed through our backlog of listener emails, answering questions about our first gaming memories, most recent games we bought, our preferences for movie watching, games we want to see remade, and loads more. It's basically a two-hour long tangent.  We'll have a very special ranking next time around, as well as a game we missed, so if you maniacs want to get involved next episode then please contact us at [email protected]. Oh, and don't forget to watch out for us at Play Expo in Blackpool - less than a month to go now!

We introduce our newest member of the Sega Mania mag/pod crew this episode, as Tom joins in the madness that is quickly becoming the messiest ranking of Mega Drive games in existence (as well as the best). We're still going through Issue 4's games (from 1993), laying down judgement almighty upon Jungle Strike, FIFA International Soccer, Sensible Soccer, TMHT: The Hyperstone Heist, Bubsy In: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, and Shining Force.  We have a letter from a weasel that asks us about games we've recently completed, movies we've watched, and more! Don't forget to send your questions to [email protected] if you want to get involved and be our mate.  Here's the ranking list pre-recording so you can (try to) follow along: Streets of Rage II Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition Gunstar Heroes Rocket Knight Adventures Sonic the Hedgehog Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master Revenge of Shinobi Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Thunder Force IV Sonic Spinball World of Illusion Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Mortal Kombat Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Road Rash Strider Micro Machines Wonder Boy in Monster World Landstalker Cool Spot Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Home Alone Desert Strike Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Zero Wing Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 Jurassic Park WWF Royal Rumble WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle LHX Attack Chopper TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons

The Sega Mania crew - Alex, Rob, Simon and Sam - bring more maniacal Sega-fuelled fun straight into your ears. This episode, we tried very hard to follow overlord Tim's decree to not talk about poopies and peepees, so you'll have to hear how well we did there.  Rankings continue to dominate our lives as we run the collective rule over the second batch of games from Issue 4 of the magazine, which covered 1993. Shinobi III, Cool Spot, Mortal Kombat, Streets of Rage II, Micro Machines, and WWF Royal Rumble meet their fate in the list o' doom.  Finally, we have a listener email salvaged from the [email protected] spam folder that serves up some quick-fire (ish) questions about music, google searches, bucket lists and more! Oh, and don't forget to buy the magazine at sega-mania.com As always, here's the ranking list pre-recording so you can follow along: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition Gunstar Heroes Rocket Knight Adventures Sonic the Hedgehog Revenge of Shinobi Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Thunder Force IV Sonic Spinball World of Illusion Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Road Rash Strider Wonder Boy in Monster World Landstalker Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Home Alone Desert Strike Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Zero Wing Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 Jurassic Park WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle LHX Attack Chopper TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons

We're Sega Maniacs, Maniacs, that's for sure, and we're podcasting like we never have before. Actually, it's quite similar to how we have before. Except, instead of starting the episode talking about taking our britches to brown town, we have a chat about having a lovely sit-down wee. Where do you (not) stand on this contentious issue, you pissers? Rankings are the main order du jour, and this episode is basically a hall of fame. Gracing us with their immaculate presence are Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition, Landstalker, Gunstar Heroes, Sonic Spinball, and Rocket Knight Adventures. Oh and Jurassic Park is here too. We're sorry about that. We finish the show with some introspection on our accents in response to a listener question. Don't forget to send your questions to [email protected] and head over to the website to grab your copy of the banger that is issue 6 of Sega Mania now!  Here's the ranking list from before the recording so you can follow along: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Sonic the Hedgehog Revenge of Shinobi Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Thunder Force IV World of Illusion Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Road Rash Strider Wonder Boy in Monster World Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Home Alone Desert Strike Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Zero Wing Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle LHX Attack Chopper TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons

The Sega Mania crew is back once again with more fantastic tales of filling our pants with bum gravy and getting stuck in a nun's back passage. What else would you expect?  It's also new issue time, so we once again talk up the merits of the brilliant magazine we risked our relationships and sanity to put together. If it's insight into what went on behind the scenes of the UK's first retro Sega mag you want, then you're in for a treat! Then, of course, we get back to the rankings in better spirits (mostly) than we were last time, as the games covered this episode were far less heinous than in Episode 10. Quaking in their boots at our impending judgement are Wonder Boy in Monster World, Zero Wing, Home Alone, Desert Strike, LHX Attack Chopper and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe.  We finish off the pod with another reader question, this time about our favourite animated movies. And yes, we're still able to keep that Sega-related too. Don't forget to email your questions to [email protected] or become an ultimate friend of the show by subbing to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/segamania  Here's the ranking list from before the recording so you can follow along: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage Sonic the Hedgehog Revenge of Shinobi QuackShot Starring Donald Duck ToeJam & Earl Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Thunder Force IV World of Illusion Columns Golden Axe Alien Storm Spider-Man vs The Kingpin Road Rash II Road Rash Strider Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun Klax Dick Tracy World Cup Italia '90 Ghouls 'n' Ghosts OutRun Alien 3 Atomic Runner Super Hang-on ESWAT The Terminator Taz-Mania Space Harrier II Galaxy Force II Decap Attack Kid Chameleon Turrican Splatterhouse 2 WWF Super Wrestlemania Batman Super Thunder Blade Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle TaleSpin Bart vs. The Space Mutants Shadow of the Beast Steel Talons