I'm not sure I like the Sega CD

[Jmustang1968]

Eh, I'd still take Sega CD over Dreamcast any day. Sega CD library is a bit limited, and strange, but has several quality titles and supplements the Genesis well.

[Anayo]

This is probably a controversial thing to do, but if I had to rate all the Sega systems I'd do it like this:

1) Sega Genesis
2) Sega Saturn
3) Sega Dreamcast
4) Sega CD
5) Sega 32X

I haven't played any Sega Master System games yet. :-/

[Exhuminator]

This is probably a controversial thing to do, but if I had to rate all the Sega systems I'd do it like this:

1) Sega Genesis
2) Sega Saturn
3) Sega Dreamcast
4) Sega CD
5) Sega 32X

I haven't played any Sega Master System games yet. :-/

What about these guys?:

[Anayo]

This is probably a controversial thing to do, but if I had to rate all the Sega systems I'd do it like this:

1) Sega Genesis
2) Sega Saturn
3) Sega Dreamcast
4) Sega CD
5) Sega 32X

I haven't played any Sega Master System games yet. :-/

What about these guys?:

I haven't played the SMS, much less anything pre-SMS! lol!

I have a Game Gear and a Sega Nomad, too. I don't enjoy the Game Gear's library as much as the Game Boy's, and the Nomad's battery life just can't compete with modern devices. It's a neat conversation starter, though.

The only time I played Sega Pico was at a friend's house in 1997 or so. He had some Berenstain Bears platformer game. I remember enjoying it at the time.

[samsonlonghair]

What about these guys?:

The SG-1000 and the SG-1000 Mark II were completely superseded by the Master System (a.k.a. SG-1000 Mark III). I don't want either of these badly enough to import them, but I do think they look cool. I'm happy with my Master System.

The Game Gear is (as you know) the portable-ized version of the Master System with an improved color palette but a lower resolution. I would like it better if they were more reliable. I own two or three Game Gears now; each of them have their own glitches. Cartridges are cheap though, so that's a plus in my book.

I have a Pico too. Neat idea, but there's not a single game in the whole library that an adult would want to play. I just keep mine for the collection.

[BoneSnapDeez]

The SG-1000 is a great ColecoVision-esque system. I haven't imported one yet, but it may be my next console.

[Exhuminator]

First SEGA system I owned was a Master System circa 1988. Loved it then, love it now. The thing still works too! I owned a Genesis and a Game Gear in the 90s, both were good times. They're still good times actually.

Getting back on topic, I distinctly remember when the SEGA CD came out, because my uncle got it on release day (USA release day anyway). He also got a few of the launch titles. I happened to be at his house when he unboxed it and started playing it. I remember being impressed with the audio capabilities and FMV, but thinking the games were kind of crap. Luckily later on we started getting some quality SEGA CD games released. I never actually owned a SEGA CD though, just emulated the games over the years.

[ElkinFencer10]

I've only got the second version of SMS controller, I guess, since I didn't even know they had cords out the side.

If I had to rank Sega Systems, I'd go:

1. Dreamcast
2. Genesis
3. Saturn
4. Master System
5. CD
6. 32x
7. Game Gear

Haven't played the SG-1000 or Mk II, so I can't judge them.

[pierrot]

What genres are you most interested in, Anayo?

I love the Sega CD, personally.

A few of my favorite games for the console include Dungeon Explorer, Cyborg 009, Popful Mail, and Shin Megami Tensei. Dungeon Explorer is REALLY good, and is especially enjoyable if you like games like Gauntlet, or any of the other Dungeon Explorer games. It's the third entry in the series, and should technically be called Dungeon Explorer III (it is in the credits, anyway). Others' mileage will probably vary on Cyborg 009, but I love Ishinomori Shotaro's work, so the fact that it's a fun platformer is mostly icing on the cake. I agree that Popful Mail's controls are a little shaky at times, but I really enjoyed the game, regardless. I wouldn't sell it so short just because of that. SMT I'm guessing doesn't have a translation, but I'm pretty sure there's a lot of information for it based on the SNES version. The Sega CD version adds a number of little extras, and graphical upgrades, but has to load things from the disc. There are some trade-offs, but I try to avoid SNES versions of games wherever possible.

I really enjoyed Illusion City and Shadowrun for their cyberpunk styles, and stories, but both have a pretty high barrier to entry.

Earthworm Jim: Special Edition is great, if you like EWJ, or action platformers. Battlecorps is a really cool first-person, 3D-ish, mech shooter, if you're into that kind of thing. There are bunches of dungeon crawlers on the system, although many are Japan only. Strategy games? Plenty of those.

I would actually recommend avoiding the Sega CD version of Mickey Mania. The additional 'level' is a pain in the ass, and a bit of a joke. I prefer the soundtrack of the Genesis version, too, so that's the one I would go with. If you like Psygnosis platformers, Flink is really cool. You also have, perhaps, the best versions, not on PCs, of Out of This World, and Flashback.

Starblade, while not an excellent game, utilizes the Mega (Sega) Mouse, and is pretty fun with that setup. You might, possibly, like Devestator, although I found it to be a bit tedious, personally.

If you haven't already, I would say that you should definitely look into Shining Force CD and Robo-Aleste. If you like the first two Shining Force games, and MUSHA, those should be no-brainers.

Other shmups to consider: Lords of Thunder, Silpheed, Sol-Feace. There are a number of worthwhile adventure/FMV games; perhaps most notably Panic! and Road Avenger. Night Stalker is really cool, if you like something like SoulStar. Wolfchild could be worth a look. Do you have any nostalgia for Crime Patrol? I know I do.

[Jagosaurus]

I'm not sure I like the Sega CD

The rest of the world felt the same way. It sold 2.4 million units. That's only about 7-8% of the Genesis install base.

As someone who played it originally when it launched (my cousin got one), it was impressive at the time.

I've sold mine that I had for a couple years. The standout titles are too expensive these days IMO. The scaling in Soul Star really shows off what the console added.