Yu Suzuki Collection to appear in West

Back in June, Sega Japan announced plans to relaunch a brace of classic Yu Suzuki games on one GBA cart, and the world went "ooh!" However, since then we've heard nothing of the games' fate in the West. Oh-ho, until now.

THQ has issued a release today announcing that "Sega Arcade Gallery" (for that's to be its name) will ship in the USA in spring 2003, and comprises classics Afterburner, Outrun, Space Harrier and Super Hang On.

Of course not everybody spent their youth pumping small change into arcade cabinets, but those who did will fondly recall Afterburner's enormous cockpit-style cabinet, and how good it felt to pilot the fabulous, blasty F-14 through wave after wave of enemy units. Space Harrier was equally shooty, with dragons to boot, and lives on as stuff of legend - even prompting Sega to produce a "Typing" version which we've heard nowt about since we first caught a glimpse.

And between Outrun and Super Hang On, we have the most visionary racing experiences ever. Pretty much. You will all be able to picture Outrun of course, because it became the virtual template for racers of the track-rolls-under-centred-vehicle ilk. Super Hang On, meanwhile, did much the same for biking games.

Of course THQ rarely publish Sega's GBA works in the UK and Europe. It's an honour that usually befalls Infogrames, although Sega Arcade Gallery was notably absent from their recent GBA 2003 release dates listing. Perhaps, to go out on a limb, this could be one of Sega's early self-published efforts when they return to the publishing fold in Europe during 2003?