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When I say classic, I mean you've probably never heard of any of them.

Upon seeing the news that Choplifter will be receiving an HD remake this week, I was immediately taken back to one of my earliest gaming memories: Playing video games on the Sega Master System. No, not the Sega Genesis. My gaming history starts with Sega's little-known NES competitor, wedged between the more popular 16-bit Genesis and the ultra-obscure SG-1000. Choplifter was a personal favorite on the Master System, but several other hits from that console's library make up this list of franchises ripe for a reboot.

Space Harrier

How can we be in the age of 3D graphics yet not be revisiting one of Sega's earliest attempts at stereoscopic 3D? Space Harrier was a third-person on-rails shooter that used pseudo-3D sprite scaling to send the world whizzing past you in its arcade port, and a later sequel took advantage of the Master System's 3D glasses accessory to further the effect.

If I could lose a weekend to Geometry Wars, I could definitely get on board with a modern Space Harrier remake. Add in a remixed version of that killer 8-bit soundtrack and you've got an XBLA/PSN hit on your hands. Just don't let me see this on iOS or Android. No amount of nostalgia is worth the pain of precision-killing virtual buttons, and I'm looking for a true reboot, not a cash grab port.

For bonus points, port over the arcade game Planet Harriers, originally published in 2000. The game looks to be exactly what I would ask for in an updated Space Harrier, but I can't pass judgement as the double-seater arcade game is quite hard to come by. Early plans for a Dreamcast port died along with that system, and the game hasn't been mentioned since.

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Tags Afterburner, Altered Beast, Choplifter, Choplifter HD, reboots, retro gaming, sega, Sega Master System, Space Harrier

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Tags Armored Core V, from software, namco bandai, PS3, sega, Xbox 360

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Tags 3DS, Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure, sega

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