Summary

• Sega's Model 2 arcade board powered some of their best games, including Gunblade NY, and Virtua Cop 2.
• The Model 2 board allowed for stunning visuals, intense gameplay, and memorable soundtracks in games like Zero Gunner.
• Sega's arcade racing games, like Sega Rally Championship and Daytona USA, were highly acclaimed and featured incredible course designs and addictive gameplay.

Like many of today's biggest Japanese game developers, Sega really made a name for themselves in the arcade scene. While dominating the arcades with the likes of Capcom, Konami, and SNK, Sega took it a step further by becoming one of the pioneering forces of hardware in the industry. After releasing the Dual system in 1979, Sega took off and manufactured some of the best arcade boards on the market.

Lead by Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki, the AM2 crew led the development of many of Sega's best arcade boards, and the one that may have housed the best games in their library was the Model 2. This revolutionary board was released in 1993 and was responsible for some of Sega's best arcade hits, powering iconic titles like Dead or Alive and Virtua Cop.

9 Zero Gunner

Shoot 'Em Up Action With A Killer Soundtrack

One of the more popular genres of arcade games through the 80s and 90s was the Shmup, aka the shoot-'em-up. This wide-reaching genre has crossed all time periods, from WW2-based shooters to futuristic settings. And one of the best genre entries on the Model 2 was Zero Gunner, set in the then-future year of 2016 in the middle of martial law.

Players control pilots from a special forces unit known as Zero through four thrilling stages, all of them featuring gorgeous, lush visuals and a spectacular soundtrack. It is the best Shmup on the Model 2, as well as one of the most oft-forgotten entries in the genre to this day.

8 Gunblade NY

Rail-Shooting Masterpiece Set In Futuristic New York

Rail shooters have since fallen out of favor in the industry, but there was a time during the 90s and even into the early 2000s when the light gun rail-shooter was a staple. Franchises like Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon dominated the home console market, but Sega's arcade offerings were something of a different breed.

Gunblade NY is one of those, set in New York City during a terrorist invasion perpetrated by a group called Bear EX. Challenged by the Special Air Assault Force (SAAF), this hectic and intense rail shooter features crisp gameplay with a beautiful and vibrant color palette. It all comes together with the signature Sega soundtrack of the time loaded with intoxicating beats and hooks.

7 Sega Rally Championship

Underrated Sega Racer With Amazing Course Design

Sega's arcade racing output during the 90s was something to behold. With the likes of Daytona USA, Manx TT Superbike, and Super GT, Sega established a deep foundation of arcade racing they later transitioned onto home consoles like the Dreamcast.

It's safe to say that Sega Rally Championship was one of their best, becoming one of their most popular and successful arcade games. This pitch-perfect racing game features incredible course designs, a fantastic selection of cars, and an outrageously memorable soundtrack.

6 Virtua Cop 2

Light Gun Sequel That Vastly Improves On The Original

Virtua Cop became one of the most successful arcade games of the 90s when it launched in 1994, achieving critical acclaim for being the first to use 3D polygons as opposed to 2D digitized sprites. This runaway success revitalized light gun shooters, leading to the release of Virtua Cop 2 just two years later.

By this time, Sega had become intimately familiar with the Model 2 board and used it to their advantage with Virtua Cop 2. Every aspect, from the stage design to the music to the improved 3D characters and environments, was head and shoulders above the first game in the series.

5 The House Of The Dead

Light-Gun Horror Romp Featuring Monster-Slaying Fun

Horror video games were on an upswing in the 90s thanks to titles like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark, but it's safe to say that The House of the Dead played just as crucial a part in the rise of the genre during this time. Light gun shooters were already on their way back to prominence, but The House of the Dead accelerated that popularity to new heights.

Set amid an outbreak caused by a renegade chemist named Dr. Curien, this extravagant and gory shooting adventure takes place across four bloody chapters. The level of challenge increases with the swift variety in which new monsters are introduced. A remake was released on current-gen hardware and PC in 2022, proving the longevity of this classic game.

4 Virtua Fighter 2

Revolutionary 3D Fighting Game

The transition from 2D games to 3D wasn't limited to genres, as 2D fighters had begun to decline in popularity and the genre as a whole was a bit bloated. But Virtua Fighter, released on the Model 1 in 1993, did its part in helping the transition and its 1994 sequel, took everything from that game and made it better.

Whereas the first game made use of simple, flat-shaded polygons, Virtua Fighter 2 took full advantage of the Model 2 hardware by making use of fully textured characters. It was also one of the first 3D games to use motion capture, a technique that went on to become commonplace in the industry today.

3 Daytona USA

Iconic Sega Racing Game That Broke New Ground

To this day, it's difficult to find an arcade racing game as iconic or more memorable than Daytona USA. This enormously successful arcade racer launched in 1994 and has gone on to become one of Sega's most critically acclaimed titles of all time, as the control and feel of the cars are truly unmatched.

While Sega Rally did its best to ease Sega into making a great 3D arcade racer, Daytona USA was the company perfecting that formula. A home console version that was as good as the cabinet was somewhat elusive over the years, but the original arcade game is still one of the finest products Sega has ever produced.

2 Dynamite Cop

Fast-Paced Arcade Action In One Of Sega's Greatest Model 2 Games

Among the many different genres that Sega was exploring during the 90s in the arcades and with the Model 2, one that they potentially didn't do as much with as they could have was the beat 'em up. And one of the best, yet also forgotten, beat 'em ups that they ever made was 1998's Dynamite Cop.

This gorgeous and chaotic co-op beat 'em up is filled with energy, cheesy writing, and a sense of disastrous fun that is hard to top. Each stage not only ups the difficulty, but also increases the variety of both locations and enemies. Players never quite feel like they're ever fighting the same thing twice or in the same place again. It's a fantastic time with friends or alone.

1 Dead Or Alive

Sega's Best Longstanding Fighting Franchise

Sega has had a firm grip on many of the industry's most popular genres, whether it's racing games, RPGs, or shooters, but one that they've proven to potentially be the best in the world at is the fighting game. Thanks to the power of the Model 2 board, Sega was able to give birth to its best and most long-standing fighting franchise: Dead or Alive.

The original version of DOA launched in 1996 on the Model 2 and featured absolutely stellar controls, as well as a wonderful roster of unique fighters. It has since spawned dozens of sequels and spin-offs, but this original fighter is still one of the most fun and engaging to play in Sega's long history of brawlers.

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