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Sega’s Game Gear is a handheld gaming device that enabled users to play video games without the need for an external monitor.
Released in 1990, it was a successor to the Sega Master System and was compatible with its software. It came with a backlit screen and could be used for playing games in low-light conditions.
The Game Gear has some limitations as compared to other handheld gaming devices released during the same period, like a limited color ability and a smaller screen resolution. However, this didn’t stop developers from creating exciting and engaging video games for this device. In fact, many new gamers were introduced to the world of Sega and fell in love with its gaming devices starting with the Game Gear.
Let’s explore some of the best sports games on the Sega Game Gear. Without further ado, jump in with us!
#10. Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympics Games or Winter Olympics is a Sega Game Gear sports game that mirrors the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.
In this game, the players can freely train and compete in both mini and full games. Released in 1993, this game resembles a real-life sports event. Apart from having cartoon kids appear on menu screens, everything else in the game works pretty well. Similar to Nagano, this game features some good music that plays during the actual event. This means you don’t have to listen to the sound of the crunching snow during gameplay.
Once the player trains, they can participate in both full or mini-events. During the competition, there are both medals and points tables. While in the Olympics Gold points are awarded according to the medals table, in Winter Olympics Games, you’ll earn points for the best results, like a decathlon.
This way, it’s perfectly possible to get more points in a short track than other gamers. While there are several attempts to link the game to the actual Winter Olympics, a lot of focus has been put on the obvious aspects such as the gameplay design.
| Developer | Abstract Images, Unexpected Development, Tiertex Design Studios |
| Publisher | U.S. Gold |
| Platforms | Amiga, Genesis, Game Boy, Super NES, Game Gear, MS-DOS, Master System |
| Initial Release | 1993 |
#9. emJoe Montana Football/em
emJoe Montana Football/em is an American football video game developed by Electronic Arts.
Having relatively simple rules, the game’s objective is to score a touchdown by getting the ball to the end of your opponent’s half. Once you get the ball, you need to progress at least ten yards up to claim your first down. The defensive team gets four chances to get their first down. If they fail to succeed, they are again given another four chances to get a touchdown.
In this game, everything is fast-paced and responsive. The touchdown celebrations are awesome as you’ll see the player spiking the ball while dancing. The game’s current statistics are shown after each score which is fantastic to keep you up-to-date.
That aside, emJoe Montana Football/em is an excellent Game Gear sports game title that’s both easy to play and perfect for any football enthusiast. While the defense and offense are pretty good, special teams are not perfect.
You can find your own copy on Amazon here.
| Developer | Electronic Arts |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platforms | Genesis, Master System, MS-DOS |
| Initial Release | January 1991 |
#8. emFIFA International Soccer/em
Released in 1993, emFIFA International Soccer/em is a football video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts.
Since the original version became very successful in Europe, the game became one of the best-selling video games in the UK. While emFIFA International Soccer/em was a major game-changer, most gamers consider the original entry to be outdated.
Based on international matches, this game simulates the sport of association football and utilizes an isometric viewpoint. Compared to other football video games which utilize a bird’s-eye view, this game uses a top-down view. As a player, you need to control one of the eleven footballers on your team at a time and switch players whenever you want. Once you choose a player, the others are controlled by the computer.
The game also features four modes of play, including Exhibition, Tournament, Playoffs, and League. While the Exhibition involves playing in an angle match, Tournament mode requires you to control a team of your choice starting with three group games. It’s also easy to score a goal when your opponent’s goalkeeper holds the ball in his hands. Since the goalkeeper will kick the ball directly to you, he’ll give you an easy chance to score in the game.
Check it out on Amazon here.
| Developer | Extended Play Productions |
| Publisher | EA Sports |
| Platforms | Mega Drive, Genesis, Game gear |
| Initial Release | December 15, 1993 |
#7. The emMajors Pro Baseball/em
- Move Up to the Big Leagues
- Youre in the Pennant race with real Major League Baseball Players; all batting and fielding according to their real statistics. Step up to the plate and face the heat of "The Rocket" Roger Clemens....
- Catch the Fever, Pennant Fever!
- - Major League Players - accurate player performances based on '91 stats.
- - League Play - play up to a real 162-game season. Team stats for each game.
If you are into baseball, chances are you’ve come across The emMajors Pro Baseball/em.
This game involves one or two players. It also features exhibition games for either one or two players and three different stadiums you can use. In terms of gameplay, the game follows the standard mode where you need to control pitching, batting, running, and fielding. The game also supports various pitching styles, bunts, lead-offs, and steals.
You can create your teams and save the season’s progress to battery-backed RAM. You cannot choose a pitch, but you can deliver it clearly and accurately. After every game, you can save the regular season for future purposes. While the players don’t exactly have faces, the developers have thrown in enough differences to ensure they don’t look similar. It’s got its glitches, but overall it’s a game you’d love to play again and again.
You can get your hands on The emMajors Pro Baseball/em on Amazon here.
| Developer | ITL Co, Ltd |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platforms | Game Gear |
| Initial release | December 1992 |
#6. emNBA Jam Tournament Edition/em
First released in 1993, the emNBA Jam Tournament Edition/em arcade basketball game was developed by Midway Manufacturing and published by Acclaim, Midway, and Electronic Arts.
Fast-paced and intense, this game keeps the number of players on the court to four. If you are a sports fan, you’ll like how the game portrays the league it represents. The player ratings are also listed in categories with more dominant players having green-lettered numbers and the weak players having a few in red.
While you can recognize the team on the screen, there is no distinction on the court except for a few hairstyles and differentiation in size. You might think that height is not an issue in a high-paced arcade game like this, but being a short player has disadvantages.
The game also features effortless controls that make it more fun as dribbling the ball and avoiding injuries become easy. The game shows incredible polish all the way through, with no glitches to compensate for. The only time you’ll find it challenging is when you have to maneuver your player if he sustains a significant injury. Otherwise, the best aspect of this game is its simplicity of design. You need to grab the ball and sink it.
Check it out on Amazon here.
| Developer | Midway, Acclaim, Electronic Arts |
| Publishers | Midway, Acclaim, Electronic Arts |
| Platforms | Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Sega CD, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Wii, and Xbox. |
| Initial Release | 1993 |
#5. emGeorge Foreman's KO Boxing/em
emGeorge Foreman's KO Boxing/em is a video game released in 1992 and produced by Acclaim.
Featuring the legendary boxer, George Foreman, this game lets you fight your opponents in three rounds to win various belts before the final bout. To record your progress, you are given a short password that you can use to keep your wins, especially if you’ve won several short bouts. If you lose a fight, you’ll go back to your previous opponents to get an instant game over.
In two-player mode, your objective is to control George while your co-player picks and fights boxers that have to be defeated in one match only.
The gameplay is pretty simple with A and B buttons delivering hooks used to get back up to the game in case you’re knocked down. In almost all the matches, your opponent will step back a then forward again to initiate a series of punches. While emGeorge Foreman's KO Boxing/em attempts to include everything, it lacks the fun-to-play feature of that game. As you try to establish the pattern of blocks, punches, dodges, and blocks, playing the game can seem like an uphill task. But, If you are a boxing enthusiast, you’ll definitely find something you like about this game.
Check it out for yourself on Amazon here.
| Developer | Beam Software |
| Publisher | Acclaim, Flying Edge |
| Platforms | Super NES, Sega Mega, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, Sega Master System |
| Initial Release | September 1992 |
#4. emClutch Hitter/em
- It's a High Fly Ball...
- Going, Going, Gone!
- Step into the batter's box and get ready for some heat! Move a little closer to the plate or get deep in the boxit depends on the pitch you think you'll get next. Start your base runner early to...
- When you're on the mound, it's not just how fast you throw, but where you throw that counts. Move your catcher outside if you want to nip the corner, or position him inside to jam the batter for an...
- - 2 leagues, 26 teams to choose from.
emClutch Hitter/em is a baseball game that involves getting a hit when your team is trailing late in the game and needs to score to take a lead or tie.
If the circumstances are high stakes, a clutch hit can occur at any time. While clutch hits are recorded differently, the notion that you are likely to produce a clutch hit compared to other players can be advantageous if you are negotiating contracts. Featuring an all-star play, exhibition play, and a tournament mode, you need to play the first 3 innings of the game while displaying a preset score at the start.
When you’re on the mound, what’s important is where you throw the hits and not how fast you throw. So, whether you want to nip the corner or throw the hits well, you’ll want to move your catcher outside.
You also need to keep an eye on the base runner and choose a pick-off play. Whether you play at home or on the road, this game will provide you with action and strategy for the real thing. While emClutch Hitter/em doesn’t use real names and real teams, it uses initials to depict real-life players and their statistics. That said, this is a fast and easy game that you can play in a week or during the weekend.
You can find it on Amazon here.
| Developer | Sega |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platforms | Arcade, Game Gear |
| Initial Release | 1991 |
#3. emWorld Series Baseball/em
- Step up to the plate with the premiere video game in baseball: World Series Baseball. Saturn technology delivers unbelievable color, 3D graphics and ultra-smooth perspective tracking. Enjoy incredible...
emWorld Series Baseball/em is a baseball game released exclusively in North America and is the successor to The Majors: Pro Baseball.
This game includes all of the players and teams from the 1993 MLB season including the Colorado Rockies, the expansion teams, and the Florida Marlins. Following the rules of MLB baseball, the game lets you pick any team from the 28 teams and two custom teams created by the player.
emWorld Series Baseball/em features Open Mode, Versus Mode, Pennant Race, and Team Edit. While the Open Mode allows you to choose a team to play against, the Versus Mode allows you to play a game against each other over a Gear-to-Gear Cable whale deciding the length of the game, the stadium, who bats first, and whether to allow designated hitters.
Before every game, you need to choose a pitcher and create a batting line-up by swapping reserve players or ordering the starting members. Therefore, if you love baseball, this is a game worth trying out.
You can find it on Amazon here.
| Developer | I.T.L. |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platform | Sega Game Gear |
| Initial Release | 1995 |
#2. emWorld Series Baseball '95/em
emWorld Series Baseball '95/em is a Sega Game Gear sports baseball game that lets you put teams involved in the 1994 Major League Baseball season and create two customized teams with your favorite players.
Alongside the awards given out for MVP, you can be chosen to the All-Star Game purely depending on the statistics from the first half of the game. You’ll also be asked how many innings you intend to play before starting the game. While the game is simple and easy to learn, several strategic options set it apart from other fast-paced arcade games. Choosing a pitch or getting ready to swing are, however, deliberate activities.
Prior to every pitch, you need to choose the pitch type before searching for the location. When it comes to hitting, you’ll want to choose a contact or thermal power depending on the hitter and count.
Overall, emWorld Series Baseball '95/em is one of the best Sega Game Gear sports games with detailed stadiums, several game modes, and great gameplay. This means it’s one of the best Sega Game Gear sports ever.
Find it on Amazon today right here.
| Developer | Bluesky Software |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platform | Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X |
| Initial Release | December 1, 1995 |
#1. emNFL '95/em
- GAME GEAR SCORES!
- ALL 28 NFL TEAMS AND REAL PLAYERS
- - 1994 Team Rosters, with the latest signings!
- - New "Behind the QB" view puts you on the field.
- - Real 16 game Season, Playoffs, and Super Bowl action.
When it comes to the best Sega Game Gear sports games, emNFL '95/em is considered by many to be the best.
Although it’s similar to the previous version, it lacks play-by-play commentary. While the game is usually overlooked as just another football video game, it made a big step forward for the genre at the time of its release. It’s also one of the first video games to allow you to modify team rosters and create a player profile with trades and free-agent signings. You can also modify each team’s depth chart and release players.
Some of the most innovative aspects of the game include graphics and gameplay. Besides the menus with a modern and colorful fee, the game features actual player photos. It’s also the first football game with a modern 3D camera system. The physics, animations, and collision detection all give the game a good simulation feel.
This game has since been followed by similar releases, including NFL ’97 and NFL ’98. Even though the game had some minor flaws, the developers made a nice attempt at creating a charming, above-average game that manages to stand out among other video games.
It can be yours from Amazon here.
| Developer | Blue Sky Software (Game Gear), Double Diamond Software (Genesis) |
| Publisher | Sega, Sega Sports |
| Platform | Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear |
| Initial Release | November 15, 1994 |
Final Thoughts
The Sega Game Gear is probably one of the best things to happen after the Nintendo Game Boy. Although the Game Boy absolutely dominated the scene, Sega Game Gear has already carved a niche as one of the best. Besides the design, Sega has made its hardware very similar to the previous console, the Sega Master System. The best part is that it’s capable of playing many different games!
Up Next:
- The 5 Absolute Best Sega Game Gear RPGs of All Time
- The Absolute Best Sega Game Gear Real Time Strategy Games of All Time
- The 3 Absolute Best Sega Genesis Sandbox Games of All Time
