Sega support from the start

The news that Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 games are coming to 3DS Virtual Console was welcomed by all, and Sega has already announced five of the games it'll be bringing to the service when it launches in late May.

Classic gem-stacker Columns and ninja outing Shinobi (known as The G.G. Shinobi in Japan) will need no introduction to most Sega gamers, but Dragon Crystal, the 8-bit sequel to Mega Drive dungeon-crawler Fatal Labyrinth, will be a little less familiar.

Rounding out the quintet are Game Gear-exclusive Sonic titles Sonic Triple Trouble — the game that introduced Fang the Weasel to the world — and Sonic Drift 2, one of the first games that made Sonic fans ask "if he's so fast, why is he in a car?"

There are no prices or solid release dates for 3DS Virtual Console games, but our constantly updated Nintendo Life 3DS FAQ contains everything we know.

SEGA Game Gear Classics Make a Triumphant Return on the Nintendo 3DS

Hit Game Gear Titles Coming to the Nintendo eShop

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON - March 2, 2011 - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that they are partnering with Nintendo to produce a series of fan favorites from the Game Gear™ that will soon be available for download on the Nintendo eShop service for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS™ system. First announced today during Nintendo’s keynote address at the Game Developers Conference, SEGA’s favorite classic games will be among the first titles to be offered exclusively for download on the new platform.

“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Game Gear system, and we believe that releasing these titles on the groundbreaking Nintendo 3DS is a great way to commemorate the occasion,” said Haruki Satomi, vice president of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “Both new fans and those with fond memories of time spent playing their Game Gear will surely find something to love in our upcoming lineup of Nintendo eShop titles.”

Five releases are planned for the launch of the Nintendo eShop, with more to be announced later this year. For more information about Nintendo eShop titles from SEGA, please visit http://www.sega.com/

[source sega.jp]