Jeremy Parish

Segaiden 82: Rastan & California Games (Patreon)

Published:

2025-04-30 11:33:42

Imported:

2026-06

Tags:

California Games Epyx Rastan Taito sega segaiden

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You know, I remembered Rastan being pretty good on Master System, but putting together brought the memories all rushing back. It is, in fact, not especially good. It feels like Sega's answer to the NES version of Strider. Yes, I know, Strider also showed up on Master System. But that was the cool arcade Strider, not the janky, ambitious, and (again) janky NES game. Rastan on Master System captures that cartridge's unique ability to make you hate the concept of jumping in a game about a burly guy slashing things to death. The anti-Mario. I mean, that's kind of appropriate for a Sega console, but... not like this. Not like this.

As for California Games, nothing will ever make me love Epyx's Games games, because it's not 1985 and I'm not playing on Commodore 64. But I respect this port. Sega did a bang-up job of converting it. Too bad they didn't also do the lifting on Rastan! Oh well!!

Sadly, things on Master System will get worse before they get better. That's not a promise, it's a threat. A threat from Sega.

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Hacky sack ’n hack ’n slash: Rastan & Summer Games | Segaiden 082

The most ’80s of Master System games are here to remind you that 1989 was, in fact, the pinnacle of the ’80s. Now, that has nothing to do with the quality of these games. Rastan gives us a pretty unsatisfying port of an arcade hit, and California Games offers a strong rendition of a fundamentally flimsy game. What I mean is that both of these games embody trends of the decades. California Games catches the tail end of "California Cool," the idea that America's far coast was a luxurious paradise of sun and sand (rather than the bastion of Evil Communist Murder that more poisonous elements of the media landscape have been pushing in recent years) pressed into service of a series of minigames that embody the supposed California lifestyle. As for Rastan, well, it was one of a legion of barbarian-based action games inspired by Conan as portrayed by the future governor who would preside over the California Games a decade and a half later. Please support this channel by buying books—by me! Based on these videos! https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! Master System footage captured from MiSTer (thanks to MiSTerAddOns) with a SNAC adapter for Paddle Controller material. Video upscaled to 4K with RetroTink 4K. RGB cables courtesy of StoneAgeGamer.com and Allie Bellrose.