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Sega CD/Mega CD Appreciation Thread of Welcome to the Next Level

MikeMyers

Member
SCD-loading-screen620x300.jpg

Released: Dec 12, 1991 (JP), Oct 15, 1992 (US), 1993 (EU)
Units Sold: 2.24 million
Media: CD-ROM, CD+G
CPU: MC68000 @ 12.5 MHz
Sound: Ricoh RF5C164

Released in the early 90's, the Sega CD (also known as the Mega CD) was an add-on for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive to serve as an answer for the PC-Engine's CD add-on. The Sega CD has met with a mixed reception over the years. Some have argued the Sega CD was the beginning of the end for Sega as a hardware manufacturer, while others have argued it helped give developers a head-start on how to develop for the CD format. Either way, the Sega CD has its gems and its place in gaming history.

Notable titles
latest

No franchise defined Sega during the 16-bit era more than the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Sonic CD introduced a time-traveling element where Sonic could travel through time and save his friends from Mecha Sonic. The time-traveling element helped push level exploring, giving Sonic more of a platforming feel. However, the time traveling can be ignored in favor of just going really fast, one of the main appealing features of the Sonic franchise. The game also debuted Amy Rose, one of the most iconic Sonic characters.
night_trap_cover_resi6eubt.jpg

Due to using CD as a format, the Sega CD could offer FMV's. Developers could create games that served as interactive movies, which was something not common prior to the Sega CD. A perfect example of a FMV-based game is Night Trap. The game gathered much controversy for its content, which revolved around a bunch of young girls being pursued by vampiric-type beings. The controversy of this game, alongside the Sega version of Mortal Kombat, have been cited as the reason the ratings system for video games even exists.
snatchersegacdus_resityu79.jpg

Originally developed for the MSX2 and PC-88 computer platforms in Japan, Snatcher was one of the earliest exports to the West of the Japanese Visual Novel genre. Originally directed by Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear fame, the adventure takes it's plot and visual cues from popular science fiction films of the 1980's, specifically Blade Runner and The Terminator, with just a dash of Cold War era paranoia thrown into the mix. The Sega CD version was based on the Japanese-exclusive PC Engine CD version of the game, which added a third act to the game that did not exist in previous versions. Despite positive reviews and gorgeous hand-drawn pixel artwork throughout, the game received dismal sales upon its release, leading to it's now cult-classic status and current high price on the video game after-market. It's hard boiled characters, cyberpunk retro futurism and deft English translation and voice acting make a strong case for video games as a interactive narrative medium, and is truly one of the standouts on the Sega CD system. A must-play.
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One of the most notable supporters of the Sega CD was Working Designs. Working Designs brought Japanese-centric games to the US as niche release. Their works on the Sega CD would include Lunar: The Silver Star, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Vay. They would remain loyal Sega supporters until Bernie Stolar replaced Tom Kalinske as Sega of America's CEO, but that is a story best left told for another day.
final-fight-cd_resize64aem.jpg

When the Sega Genesis first debuted in the US, Sega of America boasted about the Genesis superior hardware with their Genesis does what Nintendont campaign. Nintendo would later release their own 16-bit console in the US, but thanks to the Sega CD, Sega could do what Nintendont again. Final Fight CD is a perfect example of this. When it first showed up on the SNES, the game had to remove a character and remove co-op due to hardware limitations. When the Sega CD version debuted, it was much more faithful to its arcade counterpart, thus demonstrating the Sega CD's powerful hardware at the time.

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See Also:
Sega Master System appreciation thread of SegaScope 3D!
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Appreciation Thread of HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS
Sega Game Gear Appreciation Thread: Separating The Men From The Boys
Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread
Sega Dreamcast - Appreciation and Emulation Thread
 

Ferrio

Banned
I still quote Sewer Shark to this day. Turn and burn dog meat!

The damn thing bit me!

You got real.... Potential!
 
Sonic CD
Lunar: The Silver Star
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
Dark Wizard
Popful Mail

These games consumed my childhood in the early 90's. Still break out my Sega CD and these games every year or so and play them.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
For me this kicked off my Sega obsession. I enjoyed the Genesis, but I adored the Sega CD.

My gems:

Night Trap
Road Avenger
TYxtKv5.jpg


Lunar 1 & 2
Panic!
Silpheed
Wirehead
Corpse Killer (guilty pleasure)
Ground Zero Texas (guilty pleasure)
Double Switch (Night Trap's spiritual successor)

doubleswitch-04a.jpg


Timeless console.
 

Hawk269

Member
I loved the Sega CD. My dad, which never liked me playing games for the first time said "Wow, that looks like it would be fun". The game was Tomcat Alley, which was a fighter jet game using full motion video. Outside of that, it was a great unit and which they did more with it.

I also always loved the look of the original Sega CD that you had to put the Genesis on top of it, the redesigned Genesis and Sega CD looked a little cheap to me. But ultimately, the best thing was the CDX, such an amazing little piece of tech in such a small form factor.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
A photo of my small Sega CD collection:



It's probably my least favorite overall Sega console, but it had some of my favorite games!

I'm gonna guess someone went and hunted down the Lunar variants.

I have two, and I'm happy with them; the rarest(JP of Luna and Alex), and the best(Alex and Luna looking at the Blue Star). The latter is from release date, so it's beyond scratched up. It's basically my OST copy. :p I bring it to listen to the OST on trips.
 

VVV Mars VG

Member
Loved my Mega CD back in the day.

Silpheed
Thunderhawk
Final Fight
Sonic CD

Were probably my fav titles, of course Road Avenger had to be completed, Thunderstorm FX was cool as well, Soul Star had an incredible soundtrack while Battlecorps was cool. Sensible Soccer had amazing crowd sounds, while Keio Flying Squadron also has awesome music.
 

Hubbl3

Unconfirmed Member
I'm gonna guess someone went and hunted down the Lunar variants.

I have two, and I'm happy with them; the rarest(JP of Luna and Alex), and the best(Alex and Luna looking at the Blue Star). The latter is from release date, so it's beyond scratched up. It's basically my OST copy. :p I bring it to listen to the OST on trips.

Yep! I was gonna try to hunt down all known variants for each WD game, but Lunar was expensive as hell and it's probably one of the most common WD games. Needless to say, I gave up on my quest, haha

I love Lunar's OST, so I could understand keeping an "OST" copy around, haha
 
There's something about the Mega-CD logo that really does it for me. So cool then and now.
6n7b.png


Being in the UK we had a large import scene and I feel lucky to have the Japanese Megadrive and Mega-CD as a child.
 

Hubbl3

Unconfirmed Member
This picture is driving me nuts. Please move Flashback so all Lunars are in a row. This bothers my OCD. Nice collation BTW

Negative! They're arranged by games in box protectors and games not in box protectors (the 4 extra Lunar games). Moving them would drive me nuts and since I have to look at them everyday, I'm lookin out for me, haha

And Wolf Child is not normally on that shelf... I just put it up there for the photo.
 
Hoped we'd get some Sega coin-op ports with all the scaling and rotation (never expected the colour though) but it was pretty clear from early on the machine wasn't up to the job. I think Final Fight CD and...The Ninja Warriors turned out to be my favourite games on the sytem.
 

spookyfish

Member
Loved this machine.

I remember playing Lunar (this version still has the best music, in my opinion) over the Holidays. Final Fight and WonderDog were a lot of fun.

EDIT: My franken-Sega was the orignal Genesis, the front-loading Sega CD and the 32X.
 
For me this kicked off my Sega obsession. I enjoyed the Genesis, but I adored the Sega CD.

My gems:

Night Trap
Road Avenger
TYxtKv5.jpg


.

Road Blaster FX is what I know Road Avenger by
Vn7b.jpg


One of my great Mega CD memories as well. Must've completed Road Blaster 40-50 times

I have to give a mention to Earnest Evans
mioyQbR.jpg

Not a great game but I enjoyed it at the time.
 

Clockwork

Member
Released: Dec 12, 1992 (JP), Oct 15, 1992 (US), 1993 (EU)

1991 in Japan.

Anyway, I got this when the model 2 version with Sewer Shark pack in was released. I had been begging for it for quite some time and finally managed to get one after trading in some NES and SNES stuff.
 

Tigerfog

Member
Aah, the Sega CD.
The first model looks so sleek and cool. Too bad it was apparently prone to breaking down easily.
Thankfully, the second model of the sega CD is a lot studier and is compatible with both the Genesis model 1 and 2, though part of the Genesis 1 is in the air due to it being longer than the Genesis 2.
There's an extender that came with the Sega CD 2 to solve that minor problem, but nowadays, it goes easily for 40$ online...
 
My favorites were Lunar, Dark Wizard, Adventures of Willy Benish, F-16 Tomcat, Sonic CD, Silpheed, etc. Good system for awhile but man those load times were BRUTAL. It took a good 45s - 1m for each new area to load in adventures of Willy Bemish and that was a point and click adventure where you Could go into a new room every 15 seconds or so
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Aah, the Sega CD.
The first model looks so sleek and cool. Too bad it was apparently prone to breaking down easily.
Thankfully, the second model of the sega CD is a lot studier and is compatible with both the Genesis model 1 and 2, though part of the Genesis 1 is in the air due to it being longer than the Genesis 2.
There's an extender that came with the Sega CD 2 to solve that minor problem, but nowadays, it goes easily for 40$ online...

As much as I think it looks better with the M2, I had mine with the M1 forever. (Also, M1 has the headphone jack.)
 

Soltype

Member
I have an X'Eye, but I really want a model 1 system, I love how it looks with the genny.What exactly is wrong with the Model 1 Sega Cds, why are they unreliable?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Aah, the Sega CD.
The first model looks so sleek and cool. Too bad it was apparently prone to breaking down easily.
Thankfully, the second model of the sega CD is a lot studier and is compatible with both the Genesis model 1 and 2, though part of the Genesis 1 is in the air due to it being longer than the Genesis 2.
There's an extender that came with the Sega CD 2 to solve that minor problem, but nowadays, it goes easily for 40$ online...

You want the Model 1 Genesis for its superior sound quality.

But you want the Model 2 Sega CD for its reliability.

Too bad it's kind of a design mismatch when attached together. Each model of Genesis looks better with its corresponding Sega CD.

I rock the Model 1 Genesis with Model 2 Sega CD. It's a monstrosity but the function can't be beat.
 

shanafan

Member
double_switch.gif


Double Switch, my all-time favorite game. I always get a kick out of FMV games. I just really dig them, lol
 

Ramune

Member
Nice thread, will sub! I never had a Sega CD although I intend to get one sooner or later. I never thought it was a failure, and the side effect of helping the industry transition to optical media, shouldn't be ignored.

I do have a few games for the system though....

SegaMega%20CD%20games.jpg


Keio was not cheap back then, but no where NEAR the asking price it goes for now a days, WOW! Lunar 1 & 2, my Younger Bro bought for me at a flea market....$5 each(apparently there were other SCD games for the same price too)!

I actually also enjoy the US soundtrack, but....JP won in the end for me
 
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