Although Sega hasn’t made a new, dedicated arcade board since the early 2000s, their legacy of innovative, top-of-the-line hardware can’t be overstated. They were pioneers in so many ways, and in the annals of Sega’s arcade boards, the NAOMI is one that hardcore enthusiasts of the company, myself included, look back on with so many fond memories.
NAOMI, which stands for New Arcade Operation Machine Idea, was released in 1998, and this was a time when I was able to go to arcades by myself for the first time. It was where I spent so much time playing iconic Sega classics like Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis, just to name a few.
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These days, Sega is more focused than ever on software, and they have no new arcade or home console hardware on the horizon for the foreseeable future. If we wind back the clock, however, we can examine just how untouchable Sega and the NAOMI arcade board were back in the day with these excellent titles.
10 Power Stone
Feel the Power
Power Stone may have been one of the best games on the Dreamcast, but its true legacy lies within the arcade. The NAOMI board produced some of the all-time greatest fighting games, and Power Stone certainly ranks among the best you can find.
Its chaotic, madcap energy is one of the key reasons for its success. It generates all the same madness and unhinged frenzy you might find in a Nintendo-branded party game, but it has the spirit of a fighting game.
I can remember many trips to the mall to play Power Stone, and they are among some of my favorite memories in an arcade. To this day, Power Stone is a great source of outrageous fun in any setting.
9 WWF Royal Rumble
The World Heavyweight Champion of Arcade Wrestling Games
As a lifetime fan of pro wrestling, there was nothing I obsessed over more in the late 90s and early 2000s. I was so into wrestling back then that I even convinced myself that WWF Attitude was a great game.
One wrestling game I didn’t have to pretend was good was the WWF Royal Rumble in the arcades. The game features two modes of play, including a gauntlet that’s similar to a fighting game known as Exhibition Mode, where you rise through the ranks alongside a tag partner that can assist you.
The other is the eponymous Royal Rumble, where 30 wrestlers compete to throw each other over the top rope. It’s really cool to see how many WWF superstars the team was able to fit on screen at one time, a testament to just how powerful the NAOMI hardware really was.
8 Monkey Bal
Have a Ball
These days, Super Monkey Ball is one of the most prominent party games in the industry, and a staple in Sega’s library. Back in the day, however, it was a stupendous arcade game that was one of the most impressive displays of the NAOMI hardware.
The unique aspect of Monkey Ball was that you aren’t controlling the ball, but the stage itself. The way the physics work, by tilting the stage to guide the ball to the goal, just feels so satisfying.
Even today, I think Monkey Ball is one of the most enjoyable games ever made. If any game really showcases just how advanced the NAOMI board was, it was Monkey Ball.
7 Virtua NBA
Ready for Tip-Off
|
Release Date |
December 1992 |
|---|---|
|
Developer |
Sega Software R&D Department 4 |
|
Board |
Sega NAOMI |
As something of a basketball fiend, I’m always on the hunt for a good game that approximates the feeling of the sport. And while it may seem like an arcade sports game would be prone to missing the more calculated parts of basketball by virtue of being a faster-paced experience, Virtua NBA looks and feels simply delightful to play.
Virtua NBA has a pace and energy to it that just feels amazing. It captures the game’s deliberate, calculated momentum that not even modern basketball games can claim.
Sega’s arcade boards are often praised for their racing games and fighting titles, but the sports entries had so much life to them. Virtua NBA isn’t just one of the best NAOMI games; it’s one of the best arcade sports games that I’ve ever played.
6 The Typing of the Dead
The Only Typing Test You’ll Ever Need
I consider myself a pretty good typist, and one of the more out-of-the-box reasons for that is Typing of the Dead. While I had my fair share of practice as a teenager writing out short stories and homework, I also spent quite a bit of time playing Typing of the Dead back in the day.
This oddball spin-off of Sega’s own House of the Dead franchise exchanges guns and bullets for a computer keyboard. Your ability to type becomes your only weapon against the undead, and if you’re even a decent typist, you’ll enjoy the unusual mayhem that Typing of the Dead creates.
It’s certainly one of the most fascinating games that have been released on the NAOMI board, and the actual cabinet is one of the best in arcade history. An actual, physical keyboard is present for you to use, and to this day, there isn’t an experience that quite matches the surreal nonsense that Typing of the Dead creates so effortlessly.
5 Samba de Amigo
Rhythm Heaven
I never got to play Samba de Amigo in the arcades, as my rhythm game was confined to home consoles and games like Gitaroo Man. I recently played the Samba de Amigo collection that was released for modern home consoles, and I genuinely wish I could build a time machine to go back and experience it in action.
The game itself has so much wicked charm and just looks so inviting. The bright, bold colors and beautiful characters are all so endlessly appealing. It is a delightful-looking game.
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The act of using actual maracas to match the beats gives the whole game a unique flair. Rhythm games aren’t quite what they used to be, but Samba de Amigo remains one of the genre’s most enjoyable, as well as one of the NAOMI boards’ most compelling releases.
4 Crazy Taxi
Are Ya Ready?
If you were ever lucky enough to find an actual sit-down cabinet for Crazy Taxi, you know just how enjoyable it really was. So much of Sega’s ambition during this time was rooted in finding fun in the mundane, and Crazy Taxi is a prime example of that.
The simple act of driving a taxi around and picking up fares sounds pretty interesting in its own cozy game way, but Crazy Taxi pumped that up to the maximum. It’s one of those games that just drops you into the chaos without any warning, and it’s all the better for it.
Crazy Taxi’s blistering speed, addictive loop, and signature 90s Sega spirit are all perfect representations of the era. If you were building a Y2K-era Sega game in a lab, Crazy Taxi would be one of the key ingredients.
I’m Gonna Take You For a Ride
The worlds of Marvel Comics and Capcom have been colliding since the early 90s, beginning with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. In that time, the series produced some of the greatest fighting games ever made, and the NAOMI board made one heck of a contribution to that roster.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is one of those games that everyone has likely played at some point. Even if they’re not good at it, which is certainly where I rank myself when it comes to MvC2, chances are that you’ve at least had a go with it.
The slick, utterly flawless animation and speed at which the game operates are so alluring. The roster is stacked, the music absolutely rocks, and the overall presentation is something that few other arcade fighters can match.
2 Dead or Alive 2
A Change of Scenery
While the worlds of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have their own fair share of iconic characters, I’ve always found myself more drawn to the cast of Dead or Alive. The original Dead or Alive always stood alongside the first Virtua Fighter for me, feeling like these revelations about what was possible for 3D gaming and the arcades.
With the NAOMI board, Sega took that to a level that didn’t even seem possible. They removed all the barriers and restrictions of fighting game arenas, creating stages that felt like actual places. The stage transitions are still incredibly impressive, making each arena feel alive.
The actual fighting itself also just feels electric. Each hit and punch feels so snappy and responsive. I’d put DOA2 up against any modern fighter, as I feel it is still the absolute best fighting game of its generation.
1 Virtua Tennis 2
A Flawless Masterpiece
There aren’t many games that can put me into a focused, almost hypnotic trance quite like Virtua Tennis 2. I’m a pretty big fan of real-life tennis, and it recreates the calm, quiet intensity of the sport to perfection.
Each rally has so much weight and honest, earned tension to it. The sound design is immaculate, focusing on realistic, hard-hitting sounds that are so crisp. You haven’t quite lived until you’ve experienced the thrill of winning a long, seemingly unending rally in Virtua Tennis 2.
Sega’s sports game dominance really came into focus during the NAOMI era, and Virtua Tennis 2 was one of the first vanguards in that effort. Virtua Tennis 2 is one of the most famous, critically acclaimed Sega sports games of all time, and just one go-around with it will prove to you why that is.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
