Time to Grab Classic Sega Games Before They’re Gone!
Candy Crush and Angry Birds may dominate the charts, but for dedicated mobile gamers, nothing compares to the retro charm of Sega classics. The gaming giant, originally known for its pioneering home consoles, had graciously brought many of its beloved titles to mobile through the Sega Forever initiative. Sadly, with the recent discontinuation of this program, it appears these nostalgic gems are destined for obscurity like the Dreamcast. The silver lining? For a limited duration, these games are available for free downloads—yours to keep forever.
The Sega Forever Initiative
Launched in 2017, the Sega Forever program aimed to deliver mobile adaptations of choice classics at no cost. Though ads were included with the free versions, a small in-app purchase—approximately $2, varying by title—allowed users to eliminate them. While there are various methods to experience retro gaming on mobile, Sega Forever was undeniably user-friendly. The program made its exit in 2023; although many games were removed from storefronts (farewell to Gunstar Heroes), some have remained accessible with frequent updates.
Now, Sega is phasing out the remaining Sega Forever titles. Players may encounter alerts indicating that support for these games is being terminated, hinting at their imminent removal from app stores. However, there’s good news: the alerts confirm that players may “continue playing offline,” which not only ensures game ownership but also appears to remove ads—even for those who did not opt to pay for ad removal.
Though somewhat bittersweet, this is an opportunity to acquire a selection of impressive, ad-free mobile adaptations at no cost. My experience suggests that you can retain access to games even after their removal from app stores, although once deleted from your device, restoration may not be possible—as seen with Beyond Oasis.
As Sega has not officially commented on these changes, the in-game notices are the primary source of information. Consequently, it’s uncertain when exactly the remaining Sega Forever games will be taken down, making prompt action advisable. It’s worth noting that popular titles like Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which were added later to Sega Forever (originally costing upfront), currently show no signs of delisting, as no warning pop-ups accompany their launch.
Available Free Sega Games
Here’s a comprehensive list of Sega titles ready for download on both Android and iOS:
- Crazy Taxi Classic
- Golden Axe Classics
- Shining Force Classic
- Sonic CD Classic
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Ep. II
- Streets of Rage Classic
- Streets of Rage 2 Classic
- Super Monkey Ball: Sakura
- Virtua Tennis Challenge
