California Games
Released: 1989
Players: 8 (Take Turns)
Type: Licensed
Developer: SEGA
Hey Dude, get ready for the ultimate in rad video! Sega's California Games takes you to the sunny beaches and deserts of the California coast for some gnarly sports competition. Kick it down on a skateboard. Ride the waves to surfing heaven. Cruise the concrete on skates or the rough track on a BMX. Test your toes with a footbag or your long concentration with a flying disk. In a word: awesome. But there's more. You can play with up to 8 of your friends. Practice events. Compete in one, some or all to become the total California Champion! And you can play for some of the hottest teams around around representing the heaviest names on the circuit. So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get ready to achieve a new state of Sega cool.
All game covers and screenshots are owned by their respective parties. Their use is protected under
U.S. fair use laws
California Games was my first cartridge for Master System. Me and my brother had to wait for our parents go sleep and then we could sneak out various nights and play this game. No one could defeat us. I gained my second game only six months later, so we became specialized in California Games.
One crazy thing to mention, is that my little brother always followed the boy in halfpipe with the joystick in front of the television.
User review by FadWare
California Games Cheats, Hints, Tips and Walkthroughs
Faster Foot Bag reflexes
Enter TAKAKO as a name and begin game play. Break a record, then play the bonus game. If your character wins, he will be able to play the foot bag game faster.
New surfboard
Enter NORIKO as a name and begin game play. Break a record, then play the bonus game. If your character wins, a new surfboard will be awarded.
New bike
Enter KOTARO as a name and begin game play. Break a record, then play the bonus game. If your character wins, a new bike will be awarded.
Secret Strength
After the Record Score screen, pictures will start to scroll across the screen. When three of the same pictures appear, press BUTTON1. Then, compete in the event indicated in the picture. See how strong you are? This trick only works with Foot bag, Surfing, and BMX.
California Games Trivia
Easter Eggs
* At random times there is an earthquake after the skateboarding event, causing the H of the Hollywood sign to fall down
* Players can hit the seagull (named 'George') in Footbag. Hitting the gull grants more points.
* A shark, dolphin or seagull occasionally appear in the surfing event after a player falls off.
Are emulators like RetroCopy breaking the law?
No! The cold hard facts are there are numerous laws in place that make emulators 100% legal - as they should be! In the past a few companies have unsuccessfully threatened and taken other companies that have made emulators to court , trying to bully them out of their way. They have always lost because it is illegal to force a monopoly.
The only gray area in regards to emulators are when people pirate the games to use in emulators.
However in this day and age you can cheaply and easily buy the original games online (EBAY) or at markets and legally use them in emulators.
Not only that but there are also plenty of 100% free software/games (homebrew) available.
Some companies may want you to believe you have to keep buying the same game over and over again to legally play it but this is not true. These companies are laughing all the way to the bank as they slug their loyal fans multiple times for the exact same product.
How do I play this game in RetroCopy?
If you already own the original cartridge/disk/etc then you can look to Download California Games
If you purchase it on Wii Virtual Console (VC) or XBOX Live Arcade (XBLA) you can still legally download it. The reason for this is due to laws which allow you to backup software that you purchase.
Is this game available on Wii Virtual Console?
If you want to play classic games you should choose the most accurate emulator available to ensure you get an authentic experience.
In this case RetroCopy is a lot more accurate than Virtual Console so we recommend using RetroCopy when you can.