Top 10 games on Sega NAOMI

Although Sega hasn’t made a new, dedicated arcade board since the early 2000s, their legacy of innovative, high-quality hardware cannot be overstated. They were pioneers in so many ways, and in the annals of Sega arcade boards, NAOMI is one of the company’s staunchest fans, including myself, looking back with many happy memories.

NAOMI, which stands for New Arcade Operation Machine Idea, was released in 1998, and this was the time I was able to go to the arcades by myself for the first time. This is where I spent a lot of time playing classic Sega games like Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis, just to name a few.

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 turn back the clock, however, we can examine how the untouchable Sega and the NAOMI arcade board were back in the day with these great titles.

10

The Stone of Power

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 has produced some of the greatest fighting games of all time, and Power Stone ranks among the best games you can find.

Its chaotic, madcap energy is one of the key reasons for its success. It creates all the same craziness and consistent mayhem you’d find in a Nintendo-branded party game, but with the spirit of a fighting game.

I remember many trips to the mall to play Power Stone, and they are among my favorite arcade memories. To this day, the Power Stone is a great source of weird entertainment in any setting.

9

WWF Royal Rumble

World Heavyweight Champion of Wrestling Arcade Games

As a lifelong fan of pro wrestling, I didn’t think much of the late 90s and early 2000s. I was so hooked at the time that I convinced myself that WWF Attitude was a great match.

Another wrestling game I shouldn’t pretend is WWF Royal Rumble in the arcades. The game features two modes of play, including a gauntlet-like fighting game known as Demonstration Mode, where you rise through the ranks alongside a tag partner to help you.

Another name is the Royal Rumble, where 30 wrestlers compete to throw each other over the top rope. It’s really cool to see how many WWF stars the team was able to fit on screen at once, which is a testament to 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 the Sega library. Back in the day, however, it was an amazing arcade game that was one of the most impressive displays of NAOMI hardware.

The unique feature of Monkey Ball was that you don’t control the ball, but the stage itself. The way the physics work, by tilting the stage to guide the ball towards the goal, feels very satisfying.

Even today, I think Monkey Ball is one of the funnest games ever made. If any game showed how advanced the NAOMI board was, it was Monkey Ball.

7

Virtua NBA

You are ready for a tip

As a basketball fan, I am always on the hunt for a good game that fits the spirit of the sport. And while it may seem like the arcade sports game tends to miss the most important parts of basketball due to being fast-paced, Virtua NBA looks and feels fun to play.

Virtua NBA has a speed and power to it that feels just amazing. It captures a deliberate, calculated game intensity that even modern basketball games can’t claim.

Sega’s arcade boards are often praised for their racing games and fighting titles, but the sports entries had a lot of life on them. Virtua NBA is not only one of the best NAOMI games; is one of the best arcade games I’ve ever played.

6

Typing of the Dead

The Only Typing Test You’ll Ever Need

I consider myself a good typist, and one of the out-of-the-box reasons for that is Dead Typing. While I had my fair share of exercise as a teenager writing short stories and homework, I also spent a lot of time playing Typing of the Dead back in the day.

This oddball spin-off of Sega’s own House of the Dead franchise trades guns and bullets for a computer keyboard. Your typing skills become your only weapon against the undead, and if you’re even a decent typist, you’ll enjoy the extraordinary chaos that Typing of the Dead creates.

Definitely one of the most interesting games released on the NAOMI board, and the original cabinet is one of the best in the history of the arcade. A real, virtual keyboard is there for you to use, and to this day, there’s no experience quite like the real nonsense that Dead Typing creates effortlessly.

5

Samba de Amigo

The rhythm is Heaven

I never played Samba de Amigo in the arcades, as my rhythm game was tied to home consoles and games like Gitaroo Man. I recently played the Samba de Amigo collection released for modern home consoles, and I honestly wish I could build a time machine so I could go back and experience it in action.

The game itself has a very bad charm and looks very inviting. Bold, bright colors and beautiful characters are all endlessly appealing. It’s a fun looking game.

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The act of using real maracas to match the beats gives the whole game a unique flair. Rhythm games are not what they used to be, but Samba de Amigo remains one of the most exciting genres, and one of the most compelling releases on NAOMI boards.

4

Crazy Taxi

Are you ready?

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience an actual Crazy Taxi sit-down cab, you know how much fun it really was. Much of Sega’s ambition at this time was focused on finding fun on location, and Crazy Taxi is a great example of that.

The simple act of driving a taxi and collecting fares sounds interesting in its own cozy gameplay, but Crazy Taxi has taken that to the next level. It’s one of those games that just throws you into chaos without warning, and it’s all the better for it.

Crazy Taxi’s blistering pace, addictive loop, and Sega’s signature 90s atmosphere are all great representations of the era. If you’re building a Y2K-era Sega game in the lab, Crazy Taxi could be one of the key ingredients.

I’ll take you for a ride

The worlds of Marvel Comics and Capcom have been at odds since the early 90s, starting with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. During that time, the series produced some of the greatest fighting games ever made, and the NAOMI board made one contribution to that list.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is one of those games that everyone has probably played at some point. Even if they’re not good at it, which is where I really stand when it comes to MvC2, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced it.

The smooth, flawless animations and the speed at which the game runs are very impressive. The roster is laid out, the music is moving, and the overall presentation is something that can be compared to other arcade fighters.

2

Dead or Alive 2

Change of Location

While the worlds of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have their fair share of iconic characters, I always find myself drawn to the characters of Dead or Alive. The original Dead or Alive always stood next to the original Virtua Fighter for me, feeling like these revelations about what was possible in 3D games and arcades.

With the NAOMI board, Sega took that to a level that never seemed possible. They removed all the barriers and limitations of fighting games, creating stages that feel like real places. The stage changes are still incredibly dramatic, making each scene feel alive.

The actual combat also feels just as electric. Each stroke and stroke feels fast and responsive. I would put DOA2 up against any modern fighter, as I feel it is still the best fighting game of its generation.

1

Virtua Tennis 2

A Flawless Work of Art

There aren’t many games that can put me in such a focused, almost hypnotic state like Virtua Tennis 2. I’m a huge fan of real tennis, and it recreates the calm, quiet tension of the sport to perfection.

Each rally has a lot of weight and is reliable, it has gained tension in it. The sound design is impeccable, focusing on realistic, hard-hitting sounds. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the joy of winning a seemingly endless round in Virtua Tennis 2.

Sega’s sports game dominance really shined during the NAOMI era, and Virtua Tennis 2 was one of the best in that effort. Virtua Tennis 2 is one of Sega’s most popular, critically acclaimed sports games of all time, and just one spin will prove why.

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