Shadowrun by Sega
Sega Genesis—1994
Words by Michael Crisman
Sega geeks the opponent.
Welcome to Seattle, Washington. The year's 2050,
the mega-corporations control everything, and the
most exciting (and dangerous) way to make a living
is to be a Shadowrunner. Part mercenary, part
hacker (and completely insane, truth be told),
'runners handle the dirty work of industrial
espionage, theft of secrets, and even kidnapping
and assassinations for anybody with the Nuyen to
pay. Physically wiring their minds up to the internetlike global communications network known as the
Matrix, Runners become virtual gods in the world of
cyberspace, and the exploits of some 'runners are
legendary (even if the stories have outlived the
legend him- or herself). Based on the best-selling
cyberpunk pen and paper RPG from FASA,
Shadowrun came to both 16-bit systems courtesy of
two different development houses with two different
ideas on how they should tackle this world of covert
ops and backstabbing. But only one can jack out
unscathed when push comes to shove.
Tabletop gamers flocked to the Shadowrun RPG for
its grim and gritty setting, where life is cheap and the