Presented by Ack

When considering reasons to get a Sega CD, RPGs are often one of the foremost genres in consideration.  And why not, some of the RPGs released on it were absolutely phenomenal and well respected titles that regularly go for decent amounts of money.  Unfortunately, many of them never made the leap to our shores, and in some cases information is extremely limited.  While this list is in rough order of quality, the majority of the RPGs on the console are good, so its difficult to really put them in a specific order.

Lunar: The Silver Star

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1992
It’s a JRPG, following a boy and his childhood friend who must save their fantasy-based world.  Combat is standard JRPG fare, and the storyline is very linear.  Yet this title is often championed as one of the greatest RPGs for the console.  Character interaction was the deepest it had ever been in an RPG before.  Party members talked amongst themselves and to other people.  The dialog alone for townspeople was three times longer than the standard RPG.  Released in the middle of 1992, Lunar changed forever what the JRPG could be, and became the best-selling game on the console in Japan(and the second best worldwide).

The game is well-balanced, and serves as an excellent RPG for both beginner and long time fans of the genre.  Unfortunately due to time constraints roughly a third of the material was cut, though it was put back in for the re-release on the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation.  As for the English version, the programmers went on a marathon session and finished the English script in eight weeks, though it was a whopping 4 megs.  Perhaps it caught up to them, considering they threw in lots of humorous jokes and bizarre quotes.  If you only play one JRPG on the console, let it be this one.
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Lunar: Eternal Blue

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1994
Not only did a sequel to Lunar: The Silver Star appear, but we got it in the states.  Unfortunately it was released late in the Sega CD’s lifespan, so it’s harder to come by than the original.  While it didn’t sell as well as its predecessor, that doesn’t mean much considering it held the third place slot in terms of worldwide sales(and second place in Japan, right after the original).

The game is again standard JRPG fare, but it expanded upon the first Lunar with a vastly larger storyline, though many people complain that something just seems to be missing.  Oh well, love it or hate it, the game is definitely worth checking out and it will keep you busy for a long while.  The recorded speech in the game alone runs for over an hour and a half.  The game uses twice as much dialogue as its predecessor.
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Record of Lodoss War

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1994
Record of Lodoss War is one of my favorite anime series ever.  If you’re a fan of western fantasy-based anime with a serious side, check out the original series.  You will not be disappointed.  The game is a tactical RPG that follows the plot of the series, including anime cut-scenes and voice acting pulled directly from the source material to advance the storyline.  It may not be as high quality as the actual anime, but it’s close enough for me.

Unfortunately this game was released in 1994, during the console’s closing days, so it never saw action outside of Japan.  That is a real shame as it is one of the best RPGs on the console, with an incredible soundtrack and quality graphics.  It’s also not an easy game, but it’s manageable for those of us who don’t know the language.  Import this.  Seriously.
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Seima Densetsu 3×3 Eyes

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1993
This title is sometimes known as 3×3 Eyes or 3×3 Eyes: Legend of the Divine Demon.  It’s based on the manga 3×3 Eyes, and similarly to Record of Lodoss War, it uses cut scenes and voice acting pulled directly from the anime OAVs in the game.  The plot covers an early section of the manga, occurring roughly around volumes 3 to 5.

The game is a turn-based JRPG that unfortunately happens to be very menu-heavy, so keep that in mind, though it follows the plot of the series very closely, enabling fans to keep track of what’s going on.  And again, much like Record of Lodoss War, it’s considered one of the best RPGs available on the console.  It also originally came with a two-sided poster.
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Shining Force CD

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U, PAL
Release Date: 1994
This is actually a remake and combination of the two Sega GameGear games, Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force Gaiden II, complete with a third section that connects the two together and rounds out the title.  Because of the upgrade, the games’ graphics and audio capabilities were all bumped up.  The game is a tactical RPG, and both of the two main stories can be played separate of one another.  The game was also released in all regions, so finding a copy in your language is a bit easier.

Unfortunately there is a downside to this title: due to hardware limitations, the game can only be saved in the third chapter if the backup RAM cart is in use.  Without it, the player is unable to save, thus hindering progress in the final section, so if you’re interested in picking this title up, go ahead and find a RAM cart as well.
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Shin Megami Tensei

Releases: NTSC-J (English Translation Patch for Super Famicom Version)
Release Date: 1994
Translation: None(the Super Famicom version does have a translation however)
There’s a group of folks that are reading this that are already drooling based on that title alone.  And as well they should, for the Japan-only Sega CD port of this title had some nifty enhancements over previous releases.  First off, it’s not really a port, but more of a remake.    The graphics have all been improved, and the font size is larger, allowing the use of kanji.  Characters now have close-up portraits when talking to them, and the audio has been remixed.  Plus, cut scenes with voice acting have been included.

For those not in the know, Shin Megami Tensei is part of a very broad series of video games, known as the Megami Tensei(or Megaten) series, and it is huge.  This particular title is a first person RPG set in modern day Japan, where Tokyo basically goes to Hell in a hand basket.  Also, nothing is censored in this version, though beyond a couple guys not wearing pants, that doesn’t mean much.  No version of this game has ever been released in English, though if you’ve never played a version of this title, your best bet is probably the English translation patch for the Super Famicom version.
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Popful Mail

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1994
It’s a 2D platformer and an RPG.  Popful Mail follows an elven bounty hunter named Mail, a young pointy-hatted wizard named Tatt, and a purple winged critter named Caw, as they pursue a wizard so evil and powerful that he could only be called…Muttonhead.

Switching between characters can be done on the fly, and each keeps a separate health bar, so if one gets weak, you can pop over to a different character and let them take a crack at things.  There’s no experience system, but upgrades can be purchased with the gold found by killing enemies.

It’s pretty, funny, and very quirky, and better yet, it made it out of Japan.  With voice acting and anime-styled videos no less!  If you’re a fan of titles like Ys or anime like Slayers, this is likely a title you’ll enjoy.  It should be noted, the difficulty was toned up for the US release, so don’t expect it to be a cakewalk.  For a very different take on the same game in terms of gameplay, check out the other versions on the PC98, PC Engine CD, and Super Famicom.
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Shadowrun

Releases: NTSC-J (English Translation)
Release Date: 1996
This was the last Sega CD game released in Japan, in late February of 1996, and though slated for a foreign release, it never made it.  It’s also a very different animal from the SNES and Genesis titles of the same name, and happens to be quite rare due to its limited print run.  It features anime cut-scenes, as well as a top notch soundtrack.

It’s also Japanese-only and extremely text-heavy.  How text-heavy you ask?  Shadowrun’s gameplay and story exposition is often compared directly to Snatcher.  Combat plays like a tactical RPG and is heavily based on dice rolls to judge success and damage of attacks.  That’s right, dice rolls, as in it actually shows dice on the screen and everything.  Of all the console based Shadowrun titles of this era, this is the one to play.  You just need to be fluent in Japanese to get anywhere in it.
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Dark Wizard

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1993
Dark Wizard holds the distinction of being the first RPG released in the west on the console.  And yes, before we get anywhere, it does feature anime cutscenes, and visually, they’re considerably more attractive than the rest of the game.  But the actual depth of gameplay in this strategy RPG more than makes up for it.  The plot follows the kingdom of Quentin, the last kingdom in Cheshire that hasn’t collapsed under the forces of the Dark Wizard, and is currently under siege from his forces.  To make matters worse, the king of Quentin has just died.  So the people of Quentin are going to have to find a new successor and fight their way out of their situation.  Fights are long, and the game isn’t easy.  It also suffers from poor load times.  But if you can see through this, you’ll find a game well worth playing.
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Dungeon Explorer

Releases: NTSC-U, PAL
Release Date: 1994
This is an action RPG, similar to titles like Gauntlet, that did manage to make the long journey to the United States, though it unfortunately did not manage a stop-off in Europe.  It is technically a revision of the PC-Engine version released five years before it, and the two share a different plot.  In Dungeon Explorer, a goddess has been imprisoned in a tower and it is rumored to answer a single wish to anyone that can rescue her.  The game allows the player to pick from six classes.  Players can level up their characters by killing monsters and fighting bosses in their quests, and can find and buy new weapons and armor, food, and items to help them on their quests.  The game also utilizes the multi-tap, so four can play at once.
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Dungeon Master 2: Skullkeep

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U, PAL
Release Date: 1994
The direct sequel to the hit RPG Dungeon Master, Dungeon Master 2 is considered one of the most impressive dungeon crawling RPGs on the console, though a considerable amount of the game doesn’t take place in a dungeon at all.  The plot revolves around the player racing the forces of evil to collect parts of the Zo Link, a device that can open doorways to alternate universes.  To do this, he must pick from a team of warriors to aid in his quest.

The game itself is gorgeous, with well done sounds effects, and the world is fairly open in terms of what you can do.  The interface takes a little getting used to, but once it’s understood, the game flows fairly smoothly.  As for leveling, if you’ve ever played an Elder Scrolls game, it’s the same idea: you must level skills to level your characters.  Of course, said skills are generally raised in combat, so have your characters do what they normally would do anyway, and leveling should be a breeze.
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Genei Toshi: Illusion City

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1993
Originally planned for a US release under the title Phantom City, this game was unfortunately never brought over.  Which is a shame, because another cyberpunk RPG is always welcome in my book.  In the year 200X(the same year the Mega Man games take place, mind you), Hong Kong is razed to the ground, and no one is able to discover why.  A corporation named SIVA International Information Group moves in, falsifies information, and takes over the area as reconstruction begins.  Twenty years later, Hong Kong is the most modern city in the world, and SIVA rules over it entirely.  The city is divided based on social class, and the poorer areas are still being ravaged by whatever destroyed the city.

You play, you guessed it, a couple of guys from the poor part of town who have to figure out what’s going on.  The game isn’t translation-friendly, and is very menu intensive, but allows heavier immersion than most JRPGs.  The graphics give it a gritty look that is built upon by the music.  If you’re confident in your kanji, check it out.
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Faeria

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
There’s a bit of a discrepancy with this title’s name, so if you’ve ever heard of Fhey Area, it’s the same game.  The title is a solid JRPG that never made it out of Japan, featuring a quality soundtrack, and while the gameplay isn’t innovative, it does offer a nifty use of character portraits during combat.

In Faeria, you play Raphael, a young man descended from a legendary warrior known as the Spirit Rider.  When asked to visit the queen, she mysteriously vanishes, and you must discover what has happened to her.  It features the standard anime cut scenes, and it’s not too hard to make it through the game with a limited understanding of the language.
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Alshark

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1993
Once again, this is a Japan-only RPG, but Alshark also has the distinction of being the longest, coming in at over 60 hours, and that’s if you can speak the language.  Graphically, the game is not up to par with other titles on the same console, but the overall length, well-done audio work, and multiple animated cut scenes make up for it.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t make up for the slowdown which occurs when too many sprites are on the screen.

The game features customizable characters, a large and diverse cast, and even a customizable spaceship, which will help getting across the 7 galaxies that this game spans.  The game also incorporates some shooter elements.  The title isn’t friendly to new players and boasts a high enemy encounter rate, but it did reach a cult level of appeal, so if you understand Japanese, give it a shot.
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Arcus 1-2-3

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1993
If you have ever played Arcus Odyssey for the SNES or Genesis, you have an idea of what this is about.  Just an idea, however, as this Japan-only release featured the entire trilogy of games, and the gameplay is radically different.  In fact, the general plot has changed, and the action elements have been thrown entirely out the window.

The game series is composed of dungeon-crawls and turn-based combat, with levels so large it may require the player to make their own maps.  It feature anime cut scenes and a wonderful soundtrack.  Plus, it features a continuous storyline, as one of the younger party members in the first title is the lead hero in the second and third.  Each title lasts about 20 to 40 hours, and they get progressively more challenging as time goes by.  But the story ties itself together in the end completely, making this a very satisfying series to see all the way through.
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Might & Magic III: Isles of Terra

Releases: NTSC-J  (PC Version was in English)
Release Date: 1993
In a very bizarre twist of fate, an English-language game for the PC is ported to a Japanese console, and then not ported to the English-language version of said console.  That is exactly what happened with Might & Magic III.  It’s another turn based first person dungeon crawler, and a good one at that.  The gameplay is deep and open-ended, and the main quest is non-linear, so the game can change every time you play.

The game uses text to tell information, and menus can be tough to navigate with little to no understanding of Japanese.  Truthfully, if you’re really interested in playing this game it probably would be easier to track down the PC version.
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Eye of the Beholder

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U, PAL
Release Date: 1994
Ok, technically the title to this game is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder, and it is also a dungeon crawler RPG.  That said, it’s a very well designed dungeon crawler that keeps to its roots.  The plot features a party of adventurers hired to find out what’s going on in the sewers of a town called Waterdeep.  Once they get there, a beholder traps them in and forces them to fight through Dwarf and Drow cities to its lair.

If you know what a beholder is in Dungeons & Dragons, you have good reason to be alarmed.  If you don’t…let me put it this way.  If you’re not a high level and you see a beholder, you run.  You run very fast.  They’re nasty.  They make manticores look like kobolds, and I HATE manticores.  Graphically, the game’s not the most impressive, though the art holds true to the game, much as the game’s system does.  Also, in an incredibly smart move, the game is compatible with the Mega Mouse, and movement with the D-pad can be enabled in the options menu.  The audio in the game is also high quality.  Unfortunately neither of the sequels would make the leap to the console.
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Aisle Lord

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
Aisle Lord was a Japan-only release by the now long-defunct Wolf Team(who went on to split, part of the team working for Namco on Tales of Phantasia, while the rest formed tri-Ace and created the Star Ocean series).  The title is a dungeon-crawler RPG, and while not particularly innovative in terms of gameplay, it did help start the trend for anime cut scenes in RPGs.

It did suffer from a few framerate problems, but a long quest is included, with some sidequests for kicks, and the game is apparently a solid title for fans of this kind of RPG.
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Death Bringer

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
This is another dungeon crawler, using the same engine as Aisle Lord, and once again, it’s Japan-only.  Originally this was a PC game that was ported to the PC-Engine, and then to the Sega CD.  The cut scenes are still there, backed by nice voice acting, though the actual music leaves something to be desired.  Unfortunately, not much seems to be known about the plot of this title in the west, though general impressions tend to say it’s somewhat bland.

If you can read Japanese and you like dungeon crawlers, look into it, but don’t expect anything particularly groundbreaking.  And it should be noted, this title has nothing to do with the Amiga game of the same name.
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Arslan Senki

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1993
Based entirely on an manga which was based on the book The Heroic Legend of Arslan(which has also been turned into an anime), this game saw a release in Japan in 1993 as a turn-based strategy RPG.  The plot follows an outcast prince who is trying to retake his kingdom, and the game focuses on large-scale battles.

Unfortunately beyond plot, the game doesn’t really offer much.  No items, no levels, and no special attacks of any kind.  While characters do have stats, fights will sometimes come down to luck more than skill.  And to top it all off, the main character is uncontrollable and wants to be his own man, so the most the player can do is give him a general idea of what to do and let him go off and do his own thing, which really sucks considering if he gets dropped it’s game over.  Still, it’s gorgeous, and it does feature some interesting scenarios, and it stays true to the designs from the manga, so if you’re a fan, check it out.
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Burai

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
Here’s an RPG directly from Sega, once again Japan-only, and once again featuring anime-style cut scenes with voice overs.  But this one is an updated version of the same title, released for the MSX(and later, the SNES).  Fights are classic turn-based affairs, though with a perspective change: instead of being first-person view, as the MSX and SNES versions are, the Sega CD version went for an over-the-shoulder approach.

The game also begins like a saga, with eight selectable characters with unique talents that culminate in the formation of the main party.  In terms of plot…well, you’ve played it before.  Dark god does evil, light god seals him away, evil demon tries to release him, eight warriors appear to stop him.  And yes, there is a prophecy.
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Heimdall

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1994
A western RPG, Heimdall loosely follows Norse mythology and the story of Ragnarok.  At the beginning of the end, Loki steals the weapons of Odin, Freyr, and Thor, and drops on the earth below.  To get them back, the good gods send Heimdall down to Earth to recover them.  The story begins with a series of minigames to determine which party members are available, and once they’re finished, players will travel around  three lands of islands to find the weapons: Midgar, Utgard, and Asgard.

The game’s very cartoony, which is good considering the material concerns the impending end of the world.  Combat is done in a first person perspective, while normally walking around is in an isometric perspective.  The biggest gripe seems to be a lack of inventory space, though you can stick items on unused party members(while you can have a max of six, only three can be used on any of the islands).  The sequel, Heimdall 2, never made the jump to the Sega CD.
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Vay

Releases: NTSC-J, NTSC-U
Release Date: 1993
This is a typical JRPG, more renowned for its bizarrely scaling difficulty than anything else.  In some cases, stronger variants of creatures will yield less experience and gold, and boss fights can be ridiculously hard when compared to their dungeons.  The game’s also light on puzzles, and the voice acting is pretty hammy.

The game starts with the main character’s wedding, only for it to be broken up by an attack by giant robots, who kidnap the wife-to-be and murder his parents, the king and queen.  It’s got fantasy, magic, and mecha all wrapped into one.  And since it was released in the United States, it can be found in English, though no such luck to the PAL regions.  Also, if you’re lucky, you might be able to find a copy complete with the poster-sized map that was packaged with it.  This game was also recently ported to the iPhone.
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Daihoushinden

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1994
Truthfully, there just isn’t that much known about this game in the west.  The plot apparently involves an army invading and the hero having to deal with the problems that arise.

The game is very text heavy, so even with some kind of translation guide, playing the game is a daunting task.  The combat is also very tough, so only the most hardcore will likely continue playing.  Still, it features quality music and the game features, you guessed it, animated cut scenes.  The game itself isn’t too shabby to look at either.  It plays as a standard turn-based JRPG.
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Magical Girl: Silky Lip

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
Some folks claim this title would serve as a pseudo-predecessor of the Sakura Taisen series.  While I don’t really know about that, it is true this is a quirky JRPG.  You play as a magical girl named Lip who is being forced to spend a year living in the human world so she can be properly judged for the position of queen of the demon world.

The game progresses as if it were a television show, with ending credits of an episode preceding an intro for the next.  While there are a few typical JRPG battles, many “fights” consist of conversations, where verbal choices will effect stats and outcomes.  Due to its text-heavy nature and focus on magical girls, it’s not really a title for those just dabbling in Japanese RPGs.
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Cosmic Fantasy Stories

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1992
First and foremost, this isn’t one RPG, it’s a 2-pack, featuring Cosmic Fantasy 1 and Cosmic Fantasy 2.  Cool, right?  Well, not entirely.  First, Cosmic Fantasy 1 is obviously older, with a very limited color palette.  Thankfully, Cosmic Fantasy 2 was built with the Turbo Duo in mind, so it’s prettier.  Audio quality isn’t what it’s cracked up to be either.  And yes, it does include the anime-esque cut scenes and voice overs, which at this point is practically required.

The games are also easy to play for a western audience, as they don’t really require much Japanese and all the player really has to do is move to the next town and do a simple task.  Also, the random encounter rate is absolutely abysmal.  Still, two easily manageable RPGs for the price of one that don’t require much knowledge of the language is pretty hard to turn down, especially if you’re just starting to get into translation guides.
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After Armageddon Gaiden

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1994
This game was a Japan-only release, though Working Designs was originally planning on releasing it in other regions.  Unfortunately the impending release of the Sega Saturn killed this before it really got a chance, and the western world would never see it.  After Armageddon Gaiden is a side story to Last Armageddon, released only in Japan for the Famicom, PC and PC-Engine, where demons fought robots for control of Earth several centuries after humans go extinct.  Yes, you read that right, demons fight robots.  For control of Earth.  Best. Plot. Ever.

Once again, this game has the player controlling a party of ever-evolving demons, and it plays as a traditional JRPG of the 16-bit era.  The soundtrack on this game is supposed to be pretty good.
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Funky Horror Band

Releases: NTSC-J
Release Date: 1991
This title is also known as Woodstock: Funky Horror Band or Wakusei Woodstock: Funky Horror Band.  The plot involves a boy seeing something crash from the sky at night, so he investigates and discovers some kind of alien electronic funk band.  This game has a reputation for being pretty bad, and it’s hideous in terms of graphics.  Combat is also dull and extremely static.

The one upside is that talking to important individuals will bring up nicely drawn portraits of them, and while their words are presented in text, they also feature voice acting, albeit not at the best quality.  That’s also the high point of the audio, as the sound effects are bland and the music is absolutely awful.

The game also seems pretty language-intensive, so it might be best to just avoid this JRPG.  And yes, it does feature anime-styled sequences. Still, it should be noted that this was also the earliest RPG on the console, so some of the problem may lie there.
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Honorable Mentions

Here’s a section including a few more titles that might interest RPG fans of the console, just in case you might want something similar but not quite the same thing as what was mentioned above.  It should also be noted, these aren’t in any order.

Pier Solar
This is an entirely original RPG that as of this writing hasn’t been released yet.  It’s also unofficial, and not really a Sega CD title, instead utilizing the Sega CD for better audio capabilities.  The actual game will be in cartridge format and will be available to all regions.  Check out the team’s website for more information.

Lords of Thunder
This is a hori shooter with RPG elements.  Also known by such titles as A-rank Thunder and Winds of Thunder, it was originally released on the TurboGrafx-CD, then ported to Sega CD.  While the PAL regions would see neither version, both PAL and NTSC-U now have access to it via the Wii’s Virtual Console.  The player plays as god-knight Landis, who must fight the evil god Zaggart’s army.  To do this, he must choose which of his four magical armors he will wear, and collect money so he can purchase upgrades at the local shop.

Strategy Games:
There are quite a few, and while some venture closer to RPG territory like Mega Schwarzschild, some like Genghis Khan 2: Clan of the Grey Wolf never quite make that distinction.  Still, they’re there if any strategy fan really wants to take a look.

Special thanks to Modemul.net,  Sega-16, HG101, and MegaDriver.org for the screenshots

Note from racketboy: Special thanks goes to Scooter for putting this guide together!  The RetroGaming 101 series is aimed at gamers who are just starting out in the classic gaming scene or are curious about an older console that they don’t know much about yet. 

After Sega established a strong lead in the console market in the early 1990’s, the company saw the possibilities that the new CD-ROM format could bring to gaming.  Sega produced the Sega CD add-on for the Genesis to bring the technology to the many Genesis owners around the world without requiring them to invest in a completely new system.  Unfortunately, they did not completely follow through with their vision.  Even though it was not a commercial success, that does not mean that a Sega CD isn’t worth picking up for a reasonable price to expand on one’s classic Sega collection.  The Sega CD is still an interesting piece of hardware and has some games that are still worth checking out.

Note:  Sega’s 16-bit wonder was titled the Mega Drive in all markets except North America where the name had previously been copyrighted and was thus named the Genesis in that market.  For purposes of this article, the term Genesis will be used but should be noted that it is interchangeable with the name Mega Drive.  Appropriately, the Sega CD was named the Mega CD outside North America and in this article the term Sega CD will be used but should be noted that it is interchangeable with the name Mega CD.

Historical Impact

• Sega CD was the first peripheral offered by Sega intended to expand the capabilities of and extend the life cycle of a basic gaming console (the Genesis).
• While the Sega CD was not the first unit to bring optical disc technology to a gaming environment, it was the most widely distributed unit in its day.
• The system attempted to fill the technology and release date gaps between a waning console (Genesis) and the next generation (Saturn).  Sega hyped the add-on quite well to keep bleeding-edge gamers from switching sides.
• The shortcomings of the system (price, limited unique library) and the subsequent lack of success of the unit in the marketplace was the first major misstep by Sega in the hardware market.  This and additional missteps led to some amount of consumer mistrust and played at least a part in the eventual exit of Sega from the hardware market.
• A number of Sega CD games were exclusive to the system and also sold in limited quantities making these games some of the most highly collectible games for the more mainstream retro console market.
• Sega CD provided full motion video (FMV) as a video game element to the masses.  While not the first system to provide such a graphical interface, FMV was heavily pursued as the “wave of the future”.
• Provided access to games otherwise relegated to a PC-only environment due to the increased data storage capacity of the CD media.
• More information on the Sega CD on Wikipedia

Strengths

• The Sega CD expands the Genesis library (albeit, many games are available in both Genesis and Sega CD formats).
• The systems are fairly reliable and durable.
• The systems also function as a full featured audio CD player.
• Both main versions are compatible with all Genesis consoles released by Sega.
• The CD based media can provide lengthy and CD audio quality soundtracks, sound effects and voice to the game playing environment.
• When properly installed, the system mixes the Genesis, Sega CD, and if also installed, 32X audio into a single stereo output source.  The stereo signal provided by the Sega CD unit is overall superior to the signal provided by the Genesis alone.
• Very simple and easy to use operating controls.
• The systems have built in game save memory (although the memory capacity is relatively small).
• The units are only moderately sought after, especially the Sega CD-2 and as such can typically be acquired at moderate cost.
• Exceptionally good system exclusive games justify the cost of acquiring and installing the system.

Weaknesses

• The system never sold in large numbers even though it was widely distributed in all major markets.  Finding complete boxed system can be difficult.  This is especially true of the first version.
• Much of the software library for the add-on system is either rehashed pre-existing Genesis games with little to no additional features on the CD version of the game or shovelware.  A good portion of the game library consists of FMV based games.
• Many games experience excessively long load times at the initial game load and inside the game, especially when loading upcoming video segments.
• North American game packaging is bulky and fragile.
• The system is bulky and will greatly increase either the vertical (version 1) or horizontal (version 2) space needed to house the unit when attached to a Genesis console.
• The systems are not compatible with the Genesis 3 distributed by Majesco.

Imports

• A number of region-specific games can provide an expanded library of games to those willing to address the technical requirements to make access to such games possible given their home television environment.  For example, North American based units can have easy access to Japanese games with the use of a cartridge slot based unit such as the Game Genie, yet access to European based games can potentially require much more involved technical accommodations.

Playing Backups (Burned Discs)

• No modifications are needed to play burned discs on the Sega CD.  CD burners were extremely expensive at the time of the Sega CDs release, so there is not any copy protection implemented.
• If you need turtorials for burning discs, please check out these guides for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
• If you want to be able to rip your own CD games to files, here’s a guide for Windows

Emulation

• Emulators are available from a variety of sources such as PC, Xbox, and PSP
• For Windows PC, I recommend either  KEGA fusion (see our guide here) or Gens

Affordability

• Since the units sold were roughly 1 Sega CD for every 5 Genesis console sold, Sega CD consoles are not entirely common nor entirely rare.  The initial popularity tends to carry over to today allowing the retro gamer to obtain a Sega CD relatively easily and relatively affordably.  Functioning systems can be obtained for less than $50.
• Complete boxed systems can command higher prices, easily reaching into the $100-$125 range and higher, especially for the first version of the system which is somewhat less common than the second version.
• Some of the more uncommon configurations can be quite uncommon and command substantial prices often exceeding $200, much more for some of the even more rare configurations.
• Many of the more popular games can be obtained locally in larger cities with stores which cater to older games for $10 or less.  Loose games without packaging can often be obtained for just a few dollars.

Hardware Variations

	Model 1 This unit is sometimes referred to as the front loader model.  This model sits entirely underneath the Genesis unit and shares the same footprint size as the Model 1 Genesis.  This unit is compatible with all Model 1 and Model 2 Genesis units, though it is more aesthetically matched to the Model 1 unit.  This item is somewhat more rare, more collectible and therefore more expensive even though it is considered somewhat less reliable than the later version.  Malfunctions in the sliding disc tray are usually the most common failure point.
	Model 2 This unit is sometimes referred to as the top loader model.  The unit sits partially under and partially beside the Genesis unit.  The disc drive section of the unit is placed to the side of the Genesis with the remainder being under the Genesis, thus requiring a substantially larger footprint than the Genesis model alone.  However, since the moving disc tray mechanism of the Model 1 version is no longer present, this unit is typically considered overall more reliable.  Model 2 versions were produced in much larger numbers than the Model 1 version and as such are easier to locate and less expensive to obtain.  These units are compatible with both the Model 1 and Model 2 Genesis units though are more aesthetically matched to the Model 2 Genesis
	Sega CDX This is a relatively compact unit that combines the hardware of both the Genesis and Sega CD into one relatively small unit.  The unit provides two control pad outputs at the front, a small array of CD system control buttons at the front top edge, a CD system door in the middle top and a cartridge slot at the top rear.  AV outputs and AC inputs are found on the sides of the unit.
	JVC X’eye/WonderMega These units combine the Genesis and Sega CD hardware into one complete package.

Sega CD Software

• Approximately 200 games were made for the Sega CD, yet a good portion of that library was also available in similar form as Genesis cartridge based games. Some Sega CD games include exclusive content, most often in the form of expanded cut scenes or an expanded soundtrack, yet seldom in actual game play enhancements or additional levels or actual game content.
• A handful of games were entirely exclusive to the Sega CD such as Heart of the Alien and Snatcher and a number of Working Designs RPGs and as such these games are highly desirable and can be expensive to obtain.
• A good portion of the Sega CD library also contains games based in part or in whole on Full Motion Video (FMV) which are live video clips that are used as the basis for the game play.  Given the system’s limited graphics ability the graphics are typically grainy and lacking color depth and game play itself is somewhat limited.  Most FMV games have a quirky, “you either hate it or love it” feel to them.
• Genesis 32X CD – A total of five games were made which exploited both the Sega CD and the 32X hardware (since all three pieces of hardware are required to play these particular games).  All five games are FMV games.  The games do provide modestly improved color and video resolution, but the video quality is still quite low.  None of the games were exclusive to the 32X CD format (all were available on the more accessible Sega CD format).
• Games That Defined The Sega CD –  Unfortunately for those that had a Sega CD in its prime time, most of the best games for the console were not widely available or promoted much. While publishers were mainly promoting quick ports of popular Genesis titles with enhanced sound like NBA Jam and Full Motion Video games like Slam City with Scottie Pippin, there were actually a very nice collection of unique RPGs, shooter, and platformers that are still relevant to today’s hardcore gamers. So, instead of focusing on what games defined the Sega CD when it was on store shelves, we highlight games that motivate retro gamers to actually pick up a Sega CD in this modern era.
• The Cheapest Sega CD Games Worth Your Time – If you want to build your Sega CD collection quickly on a budget, take a look at this guide to get your the values

Peripherals

• Memory Cartridges:  Memory carts greatly expanded the memory capacity of the Sega CD unit.  Some games are so memory intensive that they would entirely consume the Sega CD memory capacity requiring the gamer to either delete their game saves or obtain a memory cart to allow them to play and save other games.  The memory carts were available from Sega and third party sources.
• Some Sega CD games were compatible with and even a few were packaged with a light gun.  A number of such light gun capable games combined FMV with light gun use.  The light guns required were also compatible with similar Genesis cartridge based games.

Hooking Up The Sega CD

• If you don’t have the original Sega CD manual, check out these scans from the manual: Flickr Photset / PDF Download
• A MK1 Genesis to either Sega CD requires an audio mixing cable.  It goes from the headphone jack on the Genesis to the Mixing input on the back of the CD.  Output is (if you want stereo) audio from the CD from the CD’s RCA jacks and the video from the Genesis.
• With a Mk2, no mixing cable is required, just get the audio from the CD and the video from the Genesis.
• The mixer cable isn’t anything special.  It’s simply a mini-pin stereo cable, male plug on both ends.  You could get something that would work at Radio Shack for a few bucks.  The official Sega version has one of those noise reduder things molded into the cable, not sure how necessary it is.
• If so desired, all audio (mono) and video can be gotten out of the RF output on the Genesis.
• When the 32X is involved, there are no additional connections concerning the SCD, but the connections between the Genesis and 32X get more complicated.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I play Sega Genesis / Megadrive ROMs on the Sega CD via a CD-R?  Nope.  You would most likely need an emulator of some sort and that hasn’t been developed. See here for more detail and discussion.
• Can I use a Model 1 Genesis with a Model 2 Sega CD or a Model 2 Genesis with a Model 1 Sega CD?  You sure can.  In fact, for the longest time, I personally used a Model 2 Genesis with a Model 1 SCD as that’s the only SCD model my local Funcoland had.

Click for large view

What are the technical advantages of Sega CD?
Basically, it offers massive storage. which means we can now use real video action. A 16-bit cartridge could only hold a few seconds of motion video. But the CD holds over 500 megabytes, so you can now play for hours, interacting with real video.

So the games will be more realistic?
Yeah, way more realistic. We have a second processor and a special graphics chip, so our zooming, scaling, and rotation is incredible. And we use a lot of real-life video you can actually interact with. Characters will speak to you and harass you.

What do you mean “interact”?
For example, there’s a game called “Night Trap:— that uses all real-life footage with real actors. and you control the action. You have to rescue girls from a house full of ghouls by operating a surveillance system, and trapping them in different rooms. It’s like controlling the plot and the action of a real movie, from start to finish. It’s pretty wild.

Do you have a personal favorite CD game?
Yeah. I like the INXS music video game, where you can re-edit their videos with different special effects and graphics. The sound on all the CD’s is pretty amazing; it’s just as good as an audio component. Plus we’re using a lot of original music. When you hook it up to your sound system, it’s like playing in a whole new realm. It’s really amazing. You forget where you are.

Looking back, it’s easy to see how all these statements were blown out of proportion. I mean, we still don’t have many games that really live up to that kind of hype a decade later. While the Full-Motion Video was a rather cool gimmick at the time and I was rather blow away by the audio in some games like Sonic CD, I don’t think I was that excited.

I personally enjoyed the Sega CD a great deal (and still do), but of course, I didn’t spend a couple hundred dollars on it. It’s easy to understand how Sega fans quickly turned away from the company after it hyped up these add-ons without a great deal of follow-up. This particular advertisement is just one of the many mega-hype pieces that Sega put together. If you’d like to see some game specific ads filled with hype, take a look at the Make My Video and Sewer Shark ads.

Do you have any other great Sega CD ads you’d like to share? Feel free to post links in the comments section below in addition to sharing your thoughts on the Sega Hype machine of the mid 1990’s.

When you add a console to your collection, the first thing you want to do is get a handful of games to keep you busy with your new toy. However, most of us can�t spend afford to spend fat pile of cash for a few games. This budget-friendly list should help you quickly find which games will start you off well without emptying your wallet. (Prices listed are an average eBay price for US games, including shipping)
Check out the other Cheapest Games Worth Your Time articles

Cheap Classics

Sonic CD: $9
Many long-time Sonic fans (myself included) will argue that Sonic CD is actually one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games to date and will probably remain that way. The time-travel element (which adds replay value) and enhanced sound quality make Sonic CD a real winner. Sonic CD was also one of the more common games for the system (next to Sewer Shark)
Shop For Sonic CD at eBay
Shop For Sonic CD at Amazon.com

Silpheed: $5
Silpheed combines gameplay reminiscent of Galaga, pleasing polygon graphics, and excellent interstellar backdrops resulting in an classic that was simply ahead of its time. If you like vertical shooters, this will not disappoint. Silpheed�s shooting action is very good, and the stages offer a nice variety of challenges. And having huge asteroids and missiles whiz by in the foreground gives you a sense of speed lacking in most shooters. Although somewhat simplistic, Silpheed�s rapid-fire shooting action is fun and addictive.
Shop For Silpheed at eBay
Shop For Silpheed at Amazon.com

Ecco The Dolphin & Ecco: Tides of Time: $8 each
Once you dive into the Ecco games, you will immediately find out that they are full of challenging puzzles and adventures. These critically acclaimed titles also featured spectacular water effects and a brilliantly colorful undersea world. The goal of each of stage is not immediately apparent, but you�ll find hints by �talking� to other sea creatures you run encounter. Action-oriented gamers may find Ecco a bit tedious, but this is a very satisfying game.
Shop For Ecco the Dolphin at eBay / Amazon.com
Shop For Ecco: Tides of Time at eBay / Amazon.com

Rise of the Dragon: $7
While the side-scrolling adventure had a good showing with Flashback and Heart of the Alien, Rise of the Dragon is the only one under $10. Rise of the Dragon is set in a dark cyberpunk version of Los Angeles in 2053 which is very reminiscent of the cult-classic Sega CD game, Snatcher and the film Blade Runner. Many Sega CD owners don’t know about this gem, so I would pick up now on the cheap while you still can.
Shop For Rise of the Dragon at eBay
Shop For Rise of the Dragon at Amazon.com

Sewer Shark: $1
Ok, some of you may hate Sewer Shark, but I actually got many hours of entertainment out of the game when I first got my Sega CD. I believe I paid about 38 cents for the game at my local Funcoland when I bought my Sega CD. Now, your biggest cost will be shipping expenses if you order it online. Sewer Shark isn’t a deep game by any means, but it is a good test of your reflexes and/or memory and is an interesting look back at the short-lived FMV game genre.
Shop For Sewer Shark at eBay
Shop For Sewer Shark at Amazon.com

A Few Must-Haves Slightly Over $10�

Android Assault: Revenge of Bari-Arm : $11
If you aren’t an RPG fan, there are also a number of great 2D shooters available for the Sega CD as well. Other than Silpheed (which is a bit more unconventional), Android Assault remains as one of the best shooting values on the Sega CD. Bari-Arm is an intense shooter that seems like a great blend of Thunderforce and Gates of Thunder. While not quite as good as either, it still holds it’s own when compared to some of the Genesis and SNES shooters.
Shop For Android Assault at eBay
Shop For Android Assault at Amazon.com

Final Fight CD: $15
If you want one of the best versions of the legendary Capcom beatemup, you will want to look into the Sega CD version. This port was developed internally by Sega under license from Capcom. Final Fight CD is regarded much higher than the SNES version due to the inclusion of most of the missing elements from the arcade game, such as a playable Guy, the industrial stage with the Rolento boss fight, and simultaneous two-player mode. Also with the extra storage capacities of the CD medium, the developers saw fit to add extended opening and ending sequences, featuring full voice acting.
Shop For Final Fight CD at eBay
Shop For Final Fight CD at Amazon.com

Flashback: $12
If you want one of the finest adventure games on the Sega CD, take a look at Flashback. The game features fully hand-drawn backdrops and for its time remarkably fluid rotoscoped animation of walking, running and jumping movements, reminiscent of the earlier Prince of Persia. In addition to is beautiful graphics, Flashback has some of the most engrossing gameplay and puzzles that you will find on the Sega CD.
Shop For Flashback at eBay
Shop For Flashback at Amazon.com

Heart of the Alien: $18
In addition to Flashback & Rise of the Dragon mentioned above, Heart of the Alien is another excellent adventure title. The game is actually better known as the sequel to Out of This World/Another World. As an added bonus, the game includes an enhanced version of Another World as a bonus.
Shop For Heart of the Alien at eBay
Shop For Heart of the Alien at Amazon.com

My Starter Picks For $50 Budget

If I only had $50 to spend on starting out a Sega CD collection, here would be my top picks (in order of priority):

• Sonic CD: $9
• Silpheed: $5
• Android Assault: Revenge of Bari-Arm : $11
• Rise of the Dragon: $9
• Sewer Shark: $1
• Final Fight CD: $15
• Total: $48

Platformers

Obvious Choices:
Sonic the Hedgehog,, Toe Jam & Earl,

Featured Game: Ristar
Platformers were all the rage in the 16-bit era, so there were a number of gems that got lost in the mix. Ristar was a fresh adventure game in which the main character actually had some interesting capabilities. Ristar’s gimmick is simple, but effective: Ristar can’t jump very high, or do any feats of extreme acrobatics. Instead, he can stretch his arms about two Ristar-Lengths ahead of him, he can grab onto ledges, walls, handholds, ladders, and enemies. He can even climb walls by touching the wall multiple times, climbing up slowly.

As Ristar, you must use your arms as your weapons, grabbing onto whatever you can — to destroy things, to advance to new places, to get cool secrets. You can grab onto flying enemies, who will bring you to previously unreachable places. You can nimbly swing from poles and branches, among other things, without your feet ever touching the ground for moments at a time. Needless to say, Ristar will keep you fascinated for quite a while if you give it a chance.
Find Ristar on eBay

More Great Games:
Rocket Knight Adventures
Dynamite Headdy
Knuckles Chaotix (32X)
Bonanza Brothers
Donald in Maui Mallard
Pulseman
Cool Spot
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mania
Disney’s Aladdin
Disney’s Lion King
Wiz ‘N’ Liz
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Quackshot Starring Donald Duck
Puggsy
Taz-Mania
Kid Chameleon
Marvel Land
Tempo (32x)

Action/Adventure

Obvious Choices:
Revenge of Shinobi, Ecco The Dolphin, Castlevania Bloodlines

Featured Game: Flashback: The Quest for Identity
Touted as a “CD-ROM Game on a Cartridge”, Flashback: The Quest for Identity was one of the most graphically impressive Genesis games in its day.

The game features fully hand-drawn backdrops and for its time remarkably fluid rotoscoped animation of walking, running and jumping movements, reminiscent of the earlier Prince of Persia.

In addition to is beautiful graphics, Flashback has some of the most engrossing gameplay and puzzles that you will find on the Genesis.
Find Flashback: The Quest for Identity on eBay

More Great Games:
Phantom 2040
Alisia Dragoon
Cannon Fodder
Adventures of Batman & Robin
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
BatteTech: A Game of Armored Combat
Jungle Strike
X-Men
Splatterhouse 3
Blackthorne (32x)
Adventures of Willy Beamish (Sega CD)
Road Avenger (Sega CD)
Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin (Sega CD)

Run-N-Gun Shooters

Obvious Choices:
Gunstar Heroes, Contra: Hard Corps, Vectorman, Earthworm Jim

Featured Game: Alien Soldier
This run-n-gun is considered one of the hardest games ever developed by the cult-classic factory, Treasure, and was released only in Japan and Europe. It is very difficult to find in either region.

As usual, Treasure really put a lot of creativity into Alien Soldier’s graphics and animation. The characters are large, extremely detailed and fluidly animated. And as opposed to most other side-scrolling shooters, the levels are notably short and easy before reaching a boss. This results in the game being mostly large boss fights.
Find Alien Soldier on eBay

More Great Games
Ranger-X
Target Earth
MERCS
Mega Turrican
Rolling Thunder 2
Rolling Thunder 3
Rambo III
Soldiers of Fortune

Shmups

Obvious Choices:
Zero Wing

Featured Game: MUSHA
This old Genesis shooter is a “holy grail” of sorts, having achieved near legendary status while being extremely hard to locate in cartridge form. M.U.S.H.A. (Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor) is certainly one of the best shooters you can get for the Genesis, and easily the best of the vertical variety.

The controls are surprisingly complex, but in turn, can bring forth some serious firepower. There are ton of ways to collect and configure your weapons in this masterpiece. The graphics are impressive, featuring large, detailed enemies and it does not suffer slow-down even when there is a great deal of action on the screen.. Unlike other shooters where you see the same enemies over and over again, MUSHA seems to have an inexhaustible supply of new targets. Many of the bosses are huge faces grafted into high-tech machinery, and they look wild.
Find M.U.S.H.A. on eBay

More Great Games
Robo Aleste (Sega CD)
Thunder Force II
Thunder Force III
Thunder Force IV (Lightening Force)
Panorama Cotton
Android Assault: Revenge of Bari-Arm (Sega CD)
Lords of Thunder (Sega CD)
Silpheed (Sega CD)
Soul Star (Sega CD)
Keio Flying Squadron (Sega CD)
Air Buster
Twinkle Tale
Sub-Terrania
Super Thunder Blade
Super Fantasy Zone
Fire Shark
Super Thunder Blade
Twinkle Tale
Eliminate Down
Forgotten Worlds

Dangerous Seed
Bio-Hazard Battle

Sagaia/ Darius 2
Afterburner Complete (32X)
Shadow Squadron(32X)
Space Harrier (32X)
Kolibri (32X)

Fighting/Beatemups/Hack-N-Slash

Obvious Choices:
Streets of Rage Series, Golden Axe, Street Fighter II: SCE, Mortal Kombat II, Eternal Champions, Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, Samurai Shodown, Strider, Battletoads, Double Dragon

Featured Game: Comix Zone
This brawler is an extremely original and visually impressive game which immerses you in a comic book world. It’s probably one of the coolest games on the Genesis. Instead of featuring a character that simply walked down a city street and beat people up, Comix Zone had the game’s hero sucked into his own comic book creation and battle the villains within actual panels of comic book pages.

You can leap out of the page and back down into the next panel, perhaps even shortcut to the panels below. Add in the ability to rip loose chunks of the page itself to make deadly paper airplanes, or the power to punch an enemy through the ink boundaries of the panel and you have a fresh twist to the beatemup genre.
Find Comix Zone on eBay

More Great Games
Yu Yu Hakuso: Makyo Toitsusen
Battletoads & Double Dragon
TMNT: Tournament Fighters
TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist
The Lost Vikings
King of Monsters
Gauntlet IV
Saturday Night Slam Masters
The Punisher
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Dragon Ball Z: Bu Yu Retsuden

RPG

Obvious Choices
Phantasy Star II, Phantasy Star III, Phantasy Star IV, Lunar the Silver Star (Sega CD), Lunar Eternal Blue (Sega CD) , Snatcher (Sega CD)

Featured Game: Shadowrun
Based on a pen and paper RPG, the console versions of Shadowrun are an RPG that is set in a dark future. The gameplay is more similar to Western PC RPGs as opposed to traditional Japanese console RPGs. Because of this, it seemed to stay under the radar of mainstream console gamers.

Shadowrun offers the player an open style of gameplay, where one controls the main character, Joshua, in third person perspective during both exploration and combat. Battles are real time, and although of varying difficulty, tend to be brutally short. Initially, the player is restricted to a single area of the game, but shortly gains access to almost all other areas. Access to other areas is accomplished primarily by taxi, although various restrictions and other modes of travel also exist, such as requiring a visa, or bypassing the visa check with use of a helicopter.

Instead of using experience points that you find in most RPGs, which allow you to move up levels, Shadowrun uses karma points, which you earn one at a time. These Karma points are used to make your character more powerful in the aspects of your choosing.
Find Shadowrun on eBay

More Great Games
Dark Wizard (Sega CD)
Popful Mail (Sega CD)
Beyond Oasis
Beggar Prince
Eye of the Beholder (Sega CD)
Monster World IV
Warsong (Langrisser 1)
Crusader of Centy
Light Crusader
Landstalker
Shining in the Darkness
Faery Tale Adventure
Dungeon Explorer (Sega CD)
Vay (Sega CD)

Strategy

Obvious Choices:
Shining Force, Shining Force II

Featured Game: Herzog Zwei
Combining elements of real-time strategy and resource management into a shmup, Herzog Zwei is possibly one of the best games on Sega’s 16-bit powerhouse. Herzog Zwei is a two-player game in which the object is to destroy the enemy’s base. To accomplish this, the player was able to construct an assortment of units — including tanks, anti-aircraft guns, attack boats, infantry and armored cars.

Herzog Zwei was neglected by Sega at its release and was literally years ahead of its time. Nevertheless, it ultimately laid the foundation for games like Dune 2, Warcraft, BattleZone, and Command & Conquer by introducing most of the modern RTS conventions. The mechanics of Herzog Zwei make it a game with a slower feel than most modern RTS games, making for more
thoughtful play. I always find hybrid games like this to be interesting and such a neglected yet groundbreaking title should be shared with future gaming generations.

The single player game was good on its own, but it was Herzog Zwei’s multiplayer set the game apart. Players could engage each other on any of the game’s eight maps through the use of a vertical split screen. Against an actual breathing opponent, the game became much more complex and could make for hours of intense fun.
Find Herzog Zwei on eBay

More Great Games
Gain Ground
General Chaos
Aerobiz Supersonic
Dune: The Battle for Arrakis
Populous
Masters of Monsters
Gemfire
Starflight

Puzzle/Maze

Obvious Choices:
Ms. Pac-Man, Mega Bomberman

Featured Game: Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Even though the game wasn’t promoted a whole lot (other than the Sonic tie-in), Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine is the best puzzle games on the Genesis. The game itself is actually based on the established Puyo Puyo series that had been keeping Japanese gamers occupied for years.

There is not much complexity in the Mean Bean Machine’s gameplay. The player must group 4 or more different colored beans together so that they erase, and send Refugee Beans (aka Garbage) to the opponent. The more beans that link up, the more garbage is sent. Players may also activate step chains so that even more garbage is scored.

The one-player gameplay is very good as each “opponent” has a different technique and skill level. These different levels do an excellent job of testing your mastery of the game and have a great pace of difficulty. Beginners will not feel overwhelmed by the first level and will eventually progress until the final battle with Dr. Robotnik that will challenge even the most hardcore puzzle addicts.
Find Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine on eBay

More Great Games
Zoop
Panic! (Sega CD)
Klax
Pac-Attack
Snow Bros. Starring Nick & Tom

Sports/Racing

Obvious Choices:
World Series Baseball, NBA Jam TE, NFL With Joe Montana, Virtua Racing, Road Rash, OutRun

Featured Game: Zany Golf
Zany Golf is an amazing mini golf game that started on the Apple IIGS and PC, but was later ported to the Genesis. It was programmed mostly by the man behind Marble Madness, Will Harvey. The gameplay is very similar to standard mini golf, but you must complete the course in a specific number of strokes. If you finish a hole within a specified time period or if you hit specific targets, you can earn bonus strokes.

Zany Golf featured a stunning 3D isometric viewpoint and was filled with nine inventive holes of mini golf. What made Zany Golf’s course so interesting is that each hole had a creative theme and features different obsticales that are not physically possible in real life such as jumping hamburgers, telportation devices, and moving anthills.

Zany golf had intuitive and precise controls, but still offered quite a challenge. Many gamers will need to play a hole a few times through to be able to get through it without running out of strokes. I still remember being filled with anticipation when I was able to clear one hole and see what mind-blowing course would greet me next.
Find Zany Golf on eBay

More Great Games
Skitchin’
Championship Pro-Am
Super Baseball 2020
Micro Machines
Combat Cars

The Sega Genesis was a killer console in its day and even though the Genesis add-ons got a bad reputation, the Sega CD actually had a number of worthwhile games to amuse those who invested in one (the 32X wasn’t as bad as you might think either).

Looking back over the Sega CD game library, one may conclude that most of the games were just simple upgrades of Genesis titles and “downgrades” of games from the PC or 3DO.

Much of this was due to Sega of America’s failure to get development kits out to the Western developers. This put developers into a bind, so many were forced to either acquire rights to import titles or do what some of their Japanese counterparts had already done – take existing Genesis games off their storeroom shelves, slap a CD soundtrack on in and graft the odd bits of FMV cinema here and there, and then kick it out the door.

Unfortunately for those that had a Sega CD in its prime time, most of the best games for the console were not widely available or promoted much. While publishers were mainly promoting quick ports of popular Genesis titles with enhanced sound like NBA Jam and Full Motion Video games like Slam City with Scottie Pippin, there were actually a very nice collection of unique RPGs, shooter, and platformers that are still relevant to today’s hardcore gamers. So, instead of focusing on what games defined the Sega CD when it was on store shelves, I will be highlighting the games that motivate retro gamers to actually pick up a Sega CD in this modern era.

| Sega Genesis / MegaDrive | Sega CD | Sega 32X |

Sonic CD

Many long-time Sonic fans will argue that Sonic CD is actually the best Sonic the Hedgehog game to date and will probably remain that way. As much as I love Sonic 2 and 3, Sonic CD has a number of unique features that make it an important part of the series.

This Sonic iteration gives us blinding speed and creative levels just as well as any other. However, Sonic CD added a new dimension to the Sonic Formula: exploration. By incorporating a new time-travel dynamic, Sonic could jet to past and future versions of whatever level he was on. This opened a number of opportunities and really gave the game a whole new layer of depth and replay value.

Instead of simply finding the quickest route through a level, players could spend time learning the ins-and-outs of every stage in a totally different way. To see the game’s true ending, you must travel into the past and destroy a machine placed there by Dr. Robotnik. This causes the normally Blade Runner-esque future to become a “good future.” The hunt for the machines adds an element of exploration that was, unfortunately, never revisited in a Sonic game again. If you are up for all the time-traveling, you can have up to around 50 levels plus bonus rounds at your disposal. However, if you just race through the game, there are only about 15 or so.

Naturally, the CD format also made it very easy for the developers to include high-quality music and sound effects. Hearing the Dr. Robotnik’s theme teamed with his menacing, echoed laugh on a quality stereo system during the 16-bit days was jaw-dropping. It still gives me a bit of a chill to this day. The audio in each act of every level (past, present and future) is also different, resulting in a great variety of audio experiences.

The game does have a few quirks as it was not developed completely by Sonic Team. Some of the character animations are different from the normal Genesis counterparts. You will also find that instead of the spin-dash, you have a running-start move. In many ways, Sonic CD feels like a twist of the original Sonic game and Sonic 2.

The bonus stages are interesting – and can be either enjoyed or despised, depending on your outlook. They were designed to take advantage of the Sega CD’s Mode 7 scaling and rotating capabilities. These bonus rounds are very difficult to complete since it is challenging to judge your relation to the UFOs you have to jump at — which is necessary to earn Chaos Emeralds. Just like any other Sonic game, if you get all the Emeralds, you get to see the “best” ending.

In comparison of quality between the other 2D Sonic games, Sonic CD is a strong contender. Sonic CD may not have the polished animation of Sonic 2 and 3, nor the extra shield/moves than Sonic 3 offers, but the added depth of the time-travel feature and the incredible sound gives Sonic CD a real boost.
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Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side

The original Eternal Champions was Sega’s relatively successful attempt at creating a new fighting franchise that would have more a deeper fighting system, more interesting storyline, and even more gore than the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat powerhouses. On the surface, it looked like Sega was merely doing another quick Genesis-to-Sega CD port with Eternal Champions, but they actually did a number of improvements to resolve many of the complaints about the original game.

Like many fighting game sequels, Challenge from the Dark Side increased the playable character lineup from 9 to 25 (13 at start, 12 hidden) and each character actually had a specific fighting style, background, and story. This was quite a large feat at this time as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat hadn’t yet started their massive roster phases.

If Eternal Champion was to really succeed against Street Fighter 2’s rock solid controls and balanced gameplay, Sega would have to spend more time tweaking their engine.
There were a number of moved added to the already-extensive selection of attacks. The special moves that were carried on from the first game were also rebalanced and became easier to use.

Eternal Champion is known for its fatalities, and Challenge from the Dark Side offering an amazing four per finishing moves per character. Remarkably gory and awfully fun to watch, you’ll enjoy sights like a fighter getting devoured by a great white shark after being tossed off of a pirate ship. There were also new fatality moves known as “Cinekills”, which rewarded a player with a short FMV of their opponent’s gruesome demise.

In addition to the obvious sound improvements, the graphics were completely overhauled, so the characters look slightly sharper and the backgrounds no longer have that unsightly, grainy look. It is the only title in the Sega CD library that used programming tricks to pull off 256 colors on-screen at the same time on the Sega CD’s otherwise limited hardware. (The Sega CD was supposed to be limited to 64 simultaneous colors)

Even though the Sega CD was a commercial failure, Challenge from the Dark Side sold better in the U.S. than the Genesis versions of Street Fighter II. Some players griped about the game’s unforgiving difficulty, but fans loved it. It was everything they had wanted in a sequel and showed skeptics what the Sega CD could actually do.
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Snatcher

Snatcher is the classic example of a low-profile game that comes out during the final days of a short-lived console (actually an add-on in this instance) and is only discovered by hardcore gamers. Developed by Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear Solid fame) and his Konami teammates, Snatcher showcased and entertaining experience and creative cyberpunk story built upon strong sci-fi influences from movies such as Blade Runner and Terminator.

Instead of being a typical FMV game that was quite common on the Sega CD, Snatcher is similar to the graphical adventures of old on the PC (some gamers refer to it as a “digital comic”). Actually, it was originally released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX2 computers in 1988. It later went on to be ported to other consoles, but the Sega CD version remains as the only English release.

You can definitely see Kojima’s story-telling ability and love for cinema shine though in this game. The plot, while a bit complex, is full of twists and unexpected scenarios. The game is not overly-challenging in terms of gameplay, but the characters, dialogue, and storyline will definitely keep you engaged.

In addition to the adventure-style gameplay, Snatcher also contains action sequences, in which you shoot down incoming Snatcher robots or other enemies. These are fun, but a little rough around the edges. They were originally designed to be used with Konami’s light gun, so if you don’t have one you’re forced to make due with the regular Sega gamepad.

I’m always fascinated by cult classic games. I can’t help but be drawn in by titles that the majority of gamers have only heard in passing, but genuinely deserve to be played to their fullest extent. If you are into the same time of games, Snatcher is a must-play.
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Shining Force CD

The original Shining Force game was one of the pioneering console games in the strategy RPG arena and is one of my personal favorite Genesis games. If the first two Shining Force games for the Genesis don’t keep you satisfied, you can take a look at Shining Force CD which is divided into two “books”, which can be played in any order.

Each book is a remake of one of the Shining Force Gaiden games (Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force Gaiden 2: Sword of Hajya) from the Sega Game Gear with improved graphics and sound. These two books actually help connect the dots between the stories of the original Shining Force and Shining Force 2 for the Genesis.

After finishing both books, a third book can be accessed. Unfortunately, it is necessary to back-up the game saves with a Back-up RAM cart (which are a bit pricey these days), since the Sega CD’s internal memory isn’t enough to save both games data. (You can probably figure out a work-around via and emulator, if you’d like).

Even though there are actually a number of excellent RPGs on the Sega CD, the Shining Force series is your best bet if you like more of a strategy element. Shining Force CD doesn’t necessarily replace the original Genesis game, but complements their gameplay and story for a complete experience.
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Lunar and other RPGs

Yes, RPGs are the main reason to pick up a Sega CD a decade after its release. While it may not be the RPG wonderland that is the original Playstation or the SNES, it does have quite a few titles that will keep RPG fans entertained for many hours.

As one of the leading localizers of the great RPGs of the late 1990’s, Working Designs, smiled on the Sega CD with many releases that pushed the add-on to its limits in terms of full-motion video, audio, and storage capabilities.

In 1993 they secured the rights to produce an English-language version of GameArt’s monster hit RPG Lunar: The Silver Star, and the rest is history. Lunar was named Best RPG of 1993 by GameFan magazine, and eventually went on to become the #1 best-selling Sega CD title of all time. Three other essential RPGs followed close behind – Vay, Popful Mail, and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue.

In addition to the Working Designs/GameArts games and the aforementioned Snatcher and Shining Force CD, RPG fans may also enjoy other Sega CD titles such as Dark Wizard and Dungeon Explorer.

2D Shooters

If you prefer hardcore twitch shooting to RPGs, the Sega CD may still be up your alley. The shooter lineup on the Sega CD was surprisingly diverse and had high quality standards.

The Sega CD’s shmup library ranged from your standard 2D space shooters like Android Assault and Lords of Thunder to the 2.5D Galaga-inspired Silpheed (one of my personal favorites) in addition to the quirky Keio Flying Squadron.

Keio Flying Squadron is a very cute horizontal scroller starring a girl in a bunny suit riding a dragon. While it is hilarious and very playable, it is considered to quite challenging.

Robo Aleste is an excellent follow-up to the impressive M.U.S.H.A. on the Genesis an some consider it to be the best shooter of the Sega CD’s selection. Lords of Thunder and Android Assault (aka Bari Arm) also are excellent games if you like PC-Engine CD shooters like Gate of Thunder.

Honorable Mentions

Some good ports of PC games include Flashback, Heart of the Alien (Out of This World Parts 1 + 2 combined), Rise of the Dragon (has extras such as great voice acting), and The Secret of Monkey Island.

Some of the better SNES/Genesis-to-Sega CD ports include Final Fight CD (which actually included multiplayers and all the characters unlike the SNES version), Earthworm Jim SE, and Ecco The Dolphin (The better audio completes the experience), Mickey Mania, and Spiderman vs. The Kingpin

Finally, some other interesting titles to take a look at include Night Trap, Ground Zero Texas (the two better FMV games), Batman Returns, AH3 Thunderhawk (uses alot of the Sega CD’s sprite scaling and rotation), and Soul-Star.

Much like the 32X, the Sega CD actually had quite a bit of potential (especially if you combined the two). The platform was proven to thrive for both RPGs and Shooters and could have been stretched out if Sega wasn’t feeling the pressure to release the Saturn before the Playstation.

| Sega Genesis / MegaDrive | Sega CD | Sega 32X |