Nintendo Switch Online’s selection of retro games has grown this month, now including four classic Sega Genesis games. The games available now are Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition, Pulseman, Kid Chameleon, and Flicky.
The inclusion of Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition sticks out since there are already two separate ports of the game available on the Switch: one in the form of Ultra Street Fighter II and the other as a part of the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, but I guess you can never have too many options when it comes to the classics.
Flicky is essentially Sega’s answer to the arcade classic MAPPY, but featuring a bird instead of a mouse. It’s been ported numerous times in the various Sega mega compilation games they’ve made over the years and even has a bit of crossover with the iconic blue blur in <i>Sonic 3D: Flickies Island so it’s nice to see Sega acknowledging their arcade catalog.
The most interesting release is Pulseman, which was developed by Game Freak a year before they released the would-be cultural phenomenon Pokemon Red and Blue. It’s essentially their take on Mega Man, except trade the mega-buster for electric blasts. This will be the third time Pulseman will be legally available in the States, its only other port being on the now-defunct Virtual Console.
“Pulseman is set in the far future of 2015, where the ambitious, genius scientist Doc Waruyama schemes to conquer the galaxy,” Nintendo said in the announcement. ”Pulseman’s adventures take him inside computer networks and to cities all over the globe in this vibrant side-scroller developed by Game Freak!”
All of the aforementioned games are now available via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass. It costs $49.99, but it includes several other perks like an expanding library of Nintendo 64 titles. It’s also far cheaper than buying a copy of Pulseman.