Episode I:

Episode II:

Episode III:

Episode IV:

Episode V:

Episode VI:

Episode VII:

Episode VIII:

Episode IX:

Episode X

PlayStation 2
Sony
Discontinued: Still going…
Sold based on the strengths of the original PlayStation, backwards-compatibility and built-in DVD player, the PS2 has pushed more than 127 million units worldwide as of last year – making it the highest-selling console of all time.

As the most popular console of the last generation, the PS2 secured exclusive rights to giant franchise sequels, including: Final Fantasy X, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2, SOCOM and Gran Turismo 3.

Not without faults, Sony made a weak effort to take gaming online. Still, the PS2 surpassed the Dreamcast and was one of the major players to drive a stake through Sega’s heart.

PSone
Sony
Discontinued: 2006
This newer, slimmer PS1 was released a few months before the PS2 hit shelves and still managed to outsell all other consoles that year, including its big brother.

The only differences were the size (duh), the slightly different interface and the extra protection against modding the console.

Also, it was easier to run the games, so we didn’t have to play the PSone upside down anymore.

Xbox
Microsoft
Discontinued: 2007
Microsoft’s first entry in the console market was met with equal parts doubt and cautious optimism. Many worried the Xbox would play nothing but PC ports and were scared that it was a glorified Windows console.

After many delays, the Xbox released against Nintendo’s GameCube and not only improved upon online play (sorry Dreamcast), but came with a built-in hard drive.

This eliminated the need for memory cards and let gamers to rip music and play custom soundtracks. The list of console exclusives was small, but included gems like Knights of the Old Republic and Ninja Gaiden. Oh, and if you’ve ever heard of Halo or Halo 2, then you’ll understand how the term ‘multiplayer’ is synonymous with Xbox.

GameCube
Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Released against the Xbox, the GameCube was Nintendo’s attempt to recapture the market lost by their last console, the N64. Sadly, it didn’t work. Nintendo trailed in third during last generation’s console war in terms of sales. This was partly attributed to Nintendo’s focus on family-friendly games, poor online support (their eventual modem didn’t do much) and very little third-party support.

Even with spectacular first-party releases like Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Smash Bros. Melee and third-party (then exclusive) Resident Evil 4, the GC was not the major contender everyone wished it could be.

GameBoy Advance
Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Described as a portable SNES (but with better hardware), the GBA was insanely popular and technologically superior to the GameBoy Color in everything from battery life to color palette.

Since its release, the GBA (and GBA SP) have sold just over 81 million copies and proved that sprite-based games could still stand against the 3D powerhouse consoles available at the time. Was also popular due to the amount of old school love including the Super Mario Advance series, Metroid Fusion, Castlevania and many Mega Mans.

Swan Crystal
Bandai (Japan)
Discontinued: Shortly thereafter
The Swan Crystal was practically the same as its predecessor, the WonderSwan Color. The major difference was that the LCD used in the Crystal is the same type found in many flat-paneled TVs and therefore provided sharper contrast ratios.

In plain speak, the screen was more vibrant and looked better. It was backwards compatible with the previous two Swans and could be played for 15 hours on one AA battery. The GBA’s dominance would scare it into submission.

GameBoy
Advance SP
Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Slightly more than half the size of the original GBA, this version folded in half like earlier Game & Watch units or – as we’ll see later – the DS.

Interestingly, Nintendo opted to omit a headphone jack. So you either had to buy specific headphones or a special jack. Two years after its release, a newer model of the SP featured a backlit screen – perfect for nighttime playing.

Also, the latest iterations of Pokemon – Ruby and Sapphire – hit Japan one month after the SP went on sale, bolstering sales.

N-Gage
Nokia
Discontinued: The phone service continues
Although Nokia is immensely successful as a network communications brand (its the 5th most valuable global brand according to BusinessWeek), their venture into the gaming market has proved disastrous.

Ugly for both a phone and a handheld, the N-Gage cost twice as much as the GBA SP and was three times as much of a joke. The most basic function of inserting a game was a chore: you had to pop off the phone’s plastic cover and the battery compartment just to slide the game card in.

Somehow it managed to nab known franchises like Sonic, Tomb Raider and Tony Hawk. It still sucked, though.

Zodiac
Tapwave
Discontinued: 2005
Designed to run off an updated version of the Palm OS, the Zodiac received all kinds of awards from tech magazines for merging PDAs with gaming. However, due to pressure from its direct competitor, the DS, Tapwave decided to stop developing for it.

PlayStation Portable
PSP-1000
Sony
Discontinued: Still going strong
With Nintendo eating up the handheld market, it made sense for Sony to try and take back territory. It had the console market by the balls, so why shouldn’t it have a handheld?

Enter the PSP – complete with wide widescreen, analog nubbin for 3D gameplay and multimedia capabilities never before seen on a handheld (stuff like internet, cross media bar, mp3 player, connectivity with other Sony products). The PSP also had the distinction of playing an optical disc – the UMD – which played not only games, but movies.

But even with stellar hits like Metal Gear Portable Ops, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Daxter, Crisis Core and a hell of a lot more, the PSP trails the Nintendo DS in sales even now. As of December 2007, it’s behind by about 34 million.

PStwo
Sony
Discontinued: Not yet
Released just before the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the redesigned slimline PS2 was just that: smaller, thinner and quieter than the comparatively gargantuan original design.

However, due to its new size, the PStwo lacks the expansion bay and thus, doesn’t support the internal hard drive used to play specific games like Final Fantasy XI. Also, there was no internal power source, hence the AC power brick that comes with the system. But even so, it was still way more attractive to display in homes.

And in 2007, an even slimmer PS2 slim was released with a smaller motherboard.

DS
Dual Screen
Nintendo
Discontinued: Probably never
Originally announced as the third pillar of Nintendo’s console line (has since replaced the GameBoy), the DS looks amazingly similar to the original Game & Watch’s. With two screens – the bottom of which is a touch pad that utilizes a stylus – the DS competes with the PSP in terms of innovation, not hardware.

Since its release, the DS has been marketed to a broader audience – which is one reason why it’s sold over 70 million units (including the DS Lite). The DS is also compatible with GBA games, contains Wi-Fi service and is even known to have a large homebrew audience by playing SD cards that house emulated games.

N-Gage QD
Nokia
Discontinued: Service still exists
Nokia’s second attempt at conquering the portable market corrected design flaws of the original, including the cartridge slot and earpiece issues.

It’s still a joke.

XaviXPORT
SSD
Discontinued: Still sold in stores
The console uses cartridges and special wireless controllers. The controllers are shaped like sports equipment (such as baseball bats or tennis racquets) that use motion sensors. With no third party game publisher support the library of games is fairly limited.

Xbox 360
Microsoft
Discontinued: No way, Jose
As the first console and forerunner of the “next-generation” of hardware, the 360 launched with a much-improved Xbox Live online service and high-definition support (although games are encoded on regular DVDs).

The 360 is also known for launching with different retail options – Elite, Core, Premium and Arcade – and some of the highest failure rates we’ve ever seen in a console. Microsoft’s “red ring of death” problem was so bad that the company took a pretax charge of $1 billion to up everyone’s warranty to three years.

Even with all those returns and refurbishes, the 360 is amazingly popular and coupled with some of the best games on the market today, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Ninja Gaiden II and Project Gotham Racing 4.

GameBoy Micro
Nintendo
Discontinued: Still out there
As the GBA’s second redesign, the GBM was released for people who loved extremely small things. The Micro omitted compatibility with the original GameBoy and GB Color, but added the headphone jack back in the design. Since release, it’s sold about 2 1/2 million copies, but failed to meet expectations when going up against the newer, more powerful DS.

Gizmondo
Tiger Telematics
Discontinued: Might get a new release
This shitty handheld game came with GPS, mp3 player, prepaid text messages and in-system ads (booooo!). However, Gizmondo’s most interesting story deals with greed, the mafia and car wrecks. Apparently a number of Gizmondo employees, including noted criminal Stefan Eriksson, were dealing with the Swedish mob while extorting cash from the company. It’s a convoluted story, but we’ll let Next Gen finish this sordid tale…

“In February 2006 Stefan Eriksson, former executive at Gizmondo, taught his Ferrari Enzo how to fly on a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, slicing the million-dollar car neatly in half, and creating the world’s first performance art re-enactment of the rise and fall of a videogame company.

Of course, it wasn’t really Eriksson’s fault. As he told it, a mysterious German named Dietrich was driving the doomed sportscar when it crashed. Eriksson was just innocently sitting in the passenger seat of a flying Ferrari when it collided with a pole and blood flew off his lip and onto the driver-side airbag.”

Wii
Nintendo
Discontinued: Are you kidding?
Originally codenamed “Revolution,” the Wii is known for the Wii Remote – that remote-control looking doohickey that you swing around to play games.

The sleek white console (possibly taking a cue from Apple) is notorious for reaching people who don’t normally play games and is populated mostly by third-party “casual” releases. This may account for the console having sold close to 25 million units worldwide, but you wouldn’t know it considering you can’t find the damn thing anywhere.

Even though online play is proving to be dismal when compared to the 360 and PS3, the Wii store enables gamers to download older games from systems like the Genesis, NES, SNES, N64 and Turbo-Grafx. Amazing first-party games like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Twilight Princess and Smash Bros. Brawl are among the finest in its library.

DS Lite
Nintendo
Discontinued: Yeah, right
The redesigned DS is slimmer, has a brighter screen and the stylus storage is on the side of the system. Also, the power button is now a slider and the battery holds a longer charge. It’s sold about 52 million units worldwide and when combined with the original, that adds up to about 70 million. You just might have one of these.

PlayStation 3
Sony
Discontinued: Give it about ten more years
Announced at the ridiculous price point of $500/$600 before dropping to a much more affordable range, the PS3 was built to be essentially future-proof with its incredible graphical prowess and built-in Blu-ray player.

Even with all that muscle tech behind it, the PS3 lags in sales with an estimated 13 million units sold worldwide. This can be attributed to pompous marketing, a higher-than-competitive price point, lack of killer-apps (for now) and console ports that take longer to develop for. Not to mention a lawsuit that initially kept rumble from its controllers. Still, it’s one hell of a machine and seems to be hitting its stride with its Home service and hit games like Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank Future, Resistance and Metal Gear Solid 4.

PSP-2000
Sony
Discontinued: Nope
1/3 lighter and 19% slimmer, the new PSP accounted for a surge of sales. Even with a slimmer battery, a more efficient use keeps the runtime the same as the previous version. With a number of slight design and hardware changes, this newer model has met a fair bit of praise, including more tactile feedback in the buttons.

PSP-3000
Sony
Discontinued: No
Sony’s latest update improved screen that’s brighter with no glare and a built-in mic. Scan-line issues are a problem with 2D games and Sony isn’t fixing them.

DSi
Nintendo (Japan)
Discontinued: No
The DSi removes the GBA cartridge slot and adds an SD card slot, the screens are a bit larger in size yet resolution remains the same a previous DS models, there’s now a camera installed on the front and back and overall it’s a bit wider and thinner than the DS Lite. Currently the DSi is only available in Japan.

PSP go
Sony
Available 10/1/2009
Newly restyled and now sporting a 3.8 inch LCD, 16GB internal hard drive, and built-in Bluetooth support. Other than the lack of UMD drive the PSP go functions just as its predecessors, play games, watch movies, videos, music, web browser & Skype.

The PSP go System is due this fall (October 1st, 2009) at a MSRP of $249.99.

[source ]]> http://videogame2play.com/platform/console/video-game-consoles-of-the-2000s/ /feed 8 http://videogame2play.com/platform/console/video-game-consoles-of-the-1990s/ http://videogame2play.com/platform/console/video-game-consoles-of-the-1990s/ #comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:48:12 +0000 aDub http://videogame2play.com/?p=1816

TurboGrafx-CD
NEC
Discontinued in: ~1999
The TurboGrafx-16 and its many  additions (like this CD) never took off in the US or Europe, but the Japanese market was much more attentive to NEC’s multimedia plight. There are so many revisions and changes to this basic idea – CD-ROM games – that it’s no wonder the console failed to find a large audience. The variants also make it tough to pinpoint exactly when this console went belly up.

Turbo Express
NEC
Discontinued in: ~1999
A handheld Turbografx-16 that had a state-of-the-art (at the time) backlit LCD screen and played the entire library of Hu-Card games and featured a TV Tuner. Despite its technical advantages, the Turbo Express didn’t sell well perhaps due to NEC initially pricing it at $399.99, then reducing it to $249.99 then raising it back up to $299.99 and then by 1992 it was lowered to $199.99. 6AA batteries lasted about as long as Sega’s Nomad but worse than the GameGear and GameBoy.

Game Gear
Sega
Discontinued in: 1997
Essentially a portable Master System, Game Gear tried to fend off Game Boy but ultimately faded into nothingness. Partly to blame for its demise were the six AA batteries needed for power that it guzzled like a stretch Hummer with stadium lighting. Strangely enough, it saw a brief resurgence post-2000 through Majesco. The re-issued unit allegedly had a better screen and higher-quality speakers.

Master System II
Sega
Discontinued in: 1992
A small re-issue of the original Master System, with no card slot or, oddly enough, reset button. Apparently included Alex Kidd in Miracle World as a pack-in game already programmed into the console. It didn’t reignite interest in the Master System, so Sega wisely put its efforts behind the Genesis and Mega Drive platforms.

Super Famicom
Nintendo
Discontinued in: 2000
Designed by Masayuki Uemura, the designer of the original Famicom, the Super Famicom was released in Japan on 11/21/1990 for ¥25,000. Only two games were initially available at launch Super Mario World and F-Zero. While technically slower than the Mega Drive, its many other advantages (better sound quality and graphics) helped propel it to an eventual victory for its generation.

Super NES
Nintendo
Discontinued in: 1999
The US release of the Super Famicom was released at the end of summer ‘91 for $199.99 and a launch lineup that added Pilotwings, SimCity, and Gradius III.

Overcoming it’s relatively late start and fierce competition it faced from the Genesis console the Super Nintendo became the most successful console of the 16-bit generation, with more than 23.35 million sold.

Turbo Duo
NEC
Discontinued in: ~1999
Yet another CD/game card hybrid from NEC, and therefore another system that’s hard to say when it died. The graphics looked like NES, but the audio was far beyond anything carts could accomplish (thanks to vast CD storage).

Didn’t matter though, and that’s why you’ll be playing its best games (Ys, Lords of Thunder) on the Virtual Console.

Lynx II
Atari
Discontinued in: 1994
The second version of Atari’s ill-fated handheld. It should have been obvious there was no stopping Game Boy, even with a new look and some mumbling about better specs. Doesn’t matter anyway, as barely anyone played either version of the damn thing. Kung Food, really?

Mega CD
Sega
Discontinued in: ~1995
The development of the Mega CD was confidential; game developers were not made aware of what exactly they were working on until the add-on was finally revealed at the Tokyo Toy Show in Japan and was awarded Best New Peripheral of 1992 by Electronic Gaming Monthly. In April 1993 the Mega CD was introduced to European and Australian markets.

CD-i
Philips
Discontinued in: 1998
The expensive Compact Disc Interactive didn’t take the world by storm with it Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace ports, large selection of interactive information and educational titles, and surprisingly great version of Tetris.
Philips did release a few Nintendo licensed games for the console, Hotel Mario and three Legend of Zelda games Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda’s Adventure.

Nintendo and Philips had established an agreement to co-develop a CD-ROM enhancement for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (after Nintendo and Sony scrapped a previous deal on an earlier add-on for the SNES, which would eventually result in the creation of the PlayStation), and Philips was contractually allowed to continue using Nintendo characters after the deal fell through.

FM Towns Marty
Fujitsu
Discontinued in: 1999?
Another Japan-only machine that made little impact. It was backwards compatible with previous FM Towns machines, which might have been good news for a few distraught children who couldn’t find a Super NES. It is, however, the first 32-bit console and sported a CD and hard drive, so eat it everyone else!

Sega CD
Sega
Discontinued in: ~1995
Released in the US a year after Japan’s Mega CD the Sega CD was meant to enhance the Genesis beyond the SNES. The marketing ploy “Welcome to the Next Level” drove the idea home, though anyone who actually played the thing knew the truth – most of the games were low quality FMV with frustratingly bad gameplay or Genesis ports with a new soundtrack. There were some gems though, Lunar, Sonic CD, Ground Zero Texas, Snatcher, Rise of the Dragon and Dark Wizard.

Intellivision
Mattel Electronics
Discontinued: 1991
Known as the first console to pose a serious threat to Atari’s 2600, the Intellivision sold 175,000 consoles in its first year and started a TV smear campaign against its rival. Interestingly, Mattel rolled out a voice synthesis peripheral in 1982 called the Intellivoice, which made speech integral to gameplay. Intellivision was also known as the first 16-bit console, even though you’d never recognize it as such.

Game & Watch
Nintendo (Japan)
Discontinued: 1991
These LCD electronic games came in different models  - all of which have resembled an iteration of the Game Boy or DS at one point. The Game & Watch pioneered left-handed directional control with the d-pad, seen on every console and handheld in the modern age. Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, who’d later create the GameBoy.

VIC-20
Commodore
Discontinued: 1985
As the first microcomputer to sell a million units, the VIC-20 was designed to be way more economical than the PET – a PC Commodore released three years prior. The VIC-20 played games on cartridge and tape and was  the first computer to be sold at a K-Mart. Hell, William Shatner was even  the spokesman at one point. The VIC-20 also held the distinction of introducing many software developers to basic programming skills.

IBM PC 5150
IBM
Discontinued: 1987
Even though the IBM PC appeared in 1975, the price was deemed way too high to compete with cheaper alternatives. The newest model was the first computer to be legally reverse engineered by other manufacturers to create PC or IBM clones – hence that old term “IBM compatible.” Yeah, rivals were able steal the BIOS through backdoor shenanigans.

Sinclair ZX81
Sinclair (UK)
Discontinued: 1983
An upgrade to the ZX80, the newer Sinclair model used ordinary audio cassettes for saving and loading programs. This model was known for various oddities, including no sound capability and strangely giving the square root of .25 as 1.359. Sinclair eventually replaced this model with the more popular Spectrum.

Cassette Vision
Epoch (Japan)
Discontinued: 1984
Ignore the console name, because this thing played cartridges. And did you know the CV was the first ever programmable console to be made in
Japan? The graphics were a little iffy for its time (following the Atari 2600) and controls were located directly on the console (two knobs per player!). Not incredibly successful, but did manage to spawn two spinoff consoles.

Philips
Videopac
G7200
Philips (UK)
Discontinued: Mid 80s
Because Philips was the parent company to Magnavox, Philips released the Odyssey 2 in foreign countries under its own name. This console is the exact same as the O2, except it came with a built-in B&W monitor. Fancy and rare.

Atari 5200
Super System
Atari
Discontinued: 1984
Created as a powerful successor to the 2600, the 5200 competed with the Intellivision and ColecoVision once it hit the market. Unfortunately, Atari spent more attention on the oversaturated (and far more popular) 2600 rather than their new console. Also, Atari underestimated the value of backwards compatibility – at least until they released an adapter the following year. Generally considered a failure, the newer controller also featured a pause button  which has since been  seen everywhere in the world of gaming.

Coleco
ColecoVision
Coleco
Discontinued: 1984
Was this a Pong system? Hell no, Coleco came packaged with arcade-hit Donkey Kong, which certainly helped boost its popularity. The ColecoVision was powerful enough to display arcade-quality graphics and even contained the ability to play Atari 2600 games – a nice jab indeed. The detachable controllers included a keypad, smaller buttons and a tiny joystick. Even including the crash of ‘83, the CV sold around six million units.

Coleco
Gemini
Coleco
Discontinued: 1984
Taking their nefarious ways a step further, Coleco built and sold this 2600 clone. The consoles were pretty much the same, except in controller design (the joystick and paddles were switched around). Atari made some noise (as well they should’ve),  but  a judge ruled that because Coleco used off-the-shelf materials for their specific design, they weren’t infringing on any Atari patents.

Commodore 64
Commodore
Discontinued: 1994
The C64 entered the home PC market with 8-bits and a higher color resolution and better sound abilities than the Apple II and IBM PC – its direct competitors. Its success helped muscle Texas Instruments out of the PC market just in time for the industry crash. Even when the Master System and NES appeared on the scene quite a few years later, the C64 exhibited a healthy challenge. And nowadays, you can download some of the games on the Wii Virtual Console.

Arcadia 2001
Emmerson
Discontinued: Soon thereafter
Designed to wage war against the 2600, it was released just as the Atari 5200 and ColecoVision came out. The Arcadia 2001 was created to be portable, so if you were one of several people who owned a portable TV in 1982, then you were golden. It died quickly amongst its more recognizable and way more powerful competitors.

ZX Spectrum
Sinclair (UK)
Discontinued: 1990
Aptly titled Spectrum (color graphics), the latest ZX model led to a boom in the UK videogame market and had a positive impact on the companies producing software for it. Many enthusiasts made illegal copies of games through tape duplication, leading to increasingly complex prevention techniques. The rubber keyboard was surprisingly comfortable. And it has a rainbow on it!

Intellivision II
Mattel Electronics
Discontinued: About the same year
A redesigned (and smaller) model of the Intellivision was ordered after the first installment started losing ground to the ColecoVision and the 5200. This version contained detachable controllers and a sleeker case. Because the Intellivision had way more games than the ColecoVision before 2600 compatibility, Mattel designed a “System Changer,” which was an adapter that played 2600 games.

Adam Family Computer
Coleco
Discontinued: 1985
This stunningly lousy system by Coleco elicited an electromagnetic charge upon boot-up, ultimately erasing any media left inside (e.g. games). With an exceptionally high price in 1983 ($725), poor sales and the fact that the computer came packaged with a magnet bomb, the system was kind of a failure and  Coleco filed for bankruptcy in 1988. They should’ve made more Pong systems.

Aquarius
Mattel Electronics
Discontinued: 1989
It’s a great sign that once the Aquarius was released, the Aquarius II was announced. Internally dubbed “the system of the 70s,” the Aquarius was a weak PC compared to the TI-99/4A and Commodore’s VIC-20. It used cassette tapes as a secondary storage unit and was on the tip of no one’s tongue.

Apple IIe
Apple
Discontinued: 1993
The “e” stands for “enhanced”. No, really. It does. The third model in Apple’s insanely popular II series and the longest-lived in computer in Apple’s history, the IIe added a full ASCII character set and keyboard. Also, the ever popular Delete and Tab keys were introduced. Low production costs coupled with an attractive feature set caused a number of these things to be snatched up at retail.

Nintendo
Famicom
Nintendo (Japan)
Discontinued: 1995
After a disastrous release including a product recall, the Nintendo Family Computer better known as the Famicom bounced back and became the best-selling console in Japan. This is mostly due to the success of  console-specific games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda (as opposed to the multi-platform  Pac-Man of times past) and to a new business model of software licensing agreements with third-party developers. Even greater success would be found in America’s launch of the system.

SG-1000
Sega (Japan)
Discontinued: 1984
The SG-1000 marked Sega’s first entry into the console market. It was quietly released and sold moderately. Basically,  the SG-1000 was a  test ground for the Master System.

Philips
Videopac
+G7400
Philips (UK)
Discontinued: 1983
While the G7400 was the UK equivalent of the Magnavox Odyssey 2, the +G7400 was released only in Europe with very limited quantities. RAM and ROM were bumped to 16 KB, meaning specific high-res games could be played in addition to normal G700 games. It kinda looks like a typewriter.

Sony MSX
Sony (Japan)
Discontinued: 1995
Sony’s MSX was a Microsoft of Japan-led attempt to create some unified standards among hardware developers. The console was a success overseas, selling about five million units and was even the major Japanese platform to develop for  (until the Famicom was released). Back in those days, Konami and Hudson Soft originally developed for the MSX. In fact, the first-ever Metal Gear was developed specifically for the MSX2, a revision of the hardware.

Apple
Macintosh
Apple
Discontinued: 1987 with the Mac II
The original Mac was the first commercially successful computer ever to feature not only a mouse, but a graphical user interface (desktop) and not a command-based one. In fact, the bundled software – MacWrite and MacPaint – were designed to show off its GUI. Its ease of use led many to complain that it was nothing more than a toy, a common argument heard today. Also known for that 1984-esque commercial that aired only once during the  Super Bowl.

SG-1000 II
Sega (Japan)
Discontinued: 1986
Pretty much identical to the original SG-1000, numero dos merely redesigned the console and switched where the keyboard port was. Yup.

Super
Cassette Vision
Epoch (UK)
Discontinued: A short time later
As if Epoch didn’t get the hint, they released the Super CV a short time after their original baby didn’t catch on. This time the hardware was improved just slightly. It sold very little in Europe. Besides the Cassette Vision Jr., they didn’t release another console again. Shame.

Amstrad
CPC 464/CPC664
Amstrad (UK)
Discontinued: The whole line was discontinued by 1990
Amstrad build these PCs as direct competitors to the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The CPC 454 was packaged with its own monitor (still pretty rare at the time) and a built-in cassette deck. The 664 contained a built-in floppy disk drive instead of the tape deck. However, later in ‘85, they replaced their hardware yet again. The strategy here is: if one computer don’t get ‘em, a few dozen more might.

Nintendo
Entertainment
System
Nintendo
Discontinued: 1993ish
North America’s Famicom counterpart, the NES ruled the console roost up until its successor, the SNES, came along in 1991. Debut franchise series on this system include Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man, Castlevania, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The incredible sales in North America, combined with Japanese popularity helped cement the NES as one of the highest-selling consoles of all time (estimated 62 million units sold) and evolved Nintendo into a serious gaming publisher whose popularity still exists today.

Atari ST
Atari
Discontinued: 1993
Atari’s commercially popular PC was based on Motorola hardware and was the first computer to come with a fully bit-mapped graphical interface. Even though the ST competed with the Apple Mac and Commodore Amiga, the ST was cheaper and ideal for business use.

Commodore
Amiga
Commodore
Discontinued: 1987
Cheaper than the Apple Mac and IBM PC, the Amiga was especially popular with professions relating to video production. As a 16-bit (and later 32-bit) machine, the Amiga was popular enough to warrant a new design every year or so. The company stopped producing Amigas in 1996.

Intv System III
INTV Corp.
Discontinued: 1987
Intellivison changed their name to INTV Corp and released the INTV System III (or Intellivision III). Priced at $60, it went on to reach $6 million in sales worldwide. New games like Super Pro Football and Pole Position went head to head against Sega’s Master System and the NES.

SG-1000
Mark III
Sega (Japan)
Discontinued: 1992
Released as a direct competitor to the Famicom/NES, the Mark III was backwards-compatible with the other SG-1000s and used “Sega Cards” (additional slot for games) along with its cartridge system. Video hardware and an increased amount of RAM did wonders for the system as it made minor waves when it was renamed the Master System a few short months later.

Sinclair
ZX Spectrum +
Sinclair (UK)
Discontinued: 1985
Same as the original Spectrum, but included a new reset button and injection-molded keyboard.

Amstrad
CPC 6128
Amstrad
Discontinued: 1990
Replaced the CPC 664 released only just a few months beforehand. Came with the new built-in floppy drive and 128KB of memory. Hot diggity damn!

Atari
2600 Junior
Atari
Discontinued: 1992
Right before the Atari 7800 launched, Atari made a push to revitalize interest in their (at that point) technologically inferior 2600. Hence the Jr. edition. Retailed for $50 and wasn’t that great compared to Nintendo or Sega’s worst efforts.

Sega
Master System
Sega
Discontinued: 1990
Known as the SG-1000 Mark III in Japan, the Master System was a direct threat to Nintendo’s entertainment system, but it didn’t really matter since the NES held 95% of the North American gaming market. No matter – after dismal sales Sega bounced back with a vengeance.

Atari
7800
Atari
Discontinued: 1992
Because the 5200 was so abysmal, the 7800 was created to reestablish market dominance (that didn’t happen). But the 7800 fixed everything wrong with the 5200 – simple joysticks, fully backwards compatible and was completely affordable at $140. However, the number of titles developed specifically for the 7800 were the lowest of any Atari console up until that point. Profitable due to low investments, yet nowhere near as popular as the NES.

Famicom
Disk System
Nintendo (Japan)
Discontinued: 1992
A system designed to use floppy disks for data storage; you hooked it up to the Famicom and enabled temporary program storage for larger games and save states. The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Kid Icarus were some of the first games released to utilize this feature, even though they were subsequently ported as cartridges. Never made it to the States.

Sharp
Twin Famicom
Sharp (Japan)
Discontinued: 1992
Sharp released a combined console of both Famicom and the disk system under a licensed agreement. La-dee-da.

Sinclair
ZX Spectrum +2
Amstrad (UK)
Discontinued: 1990
After Amstrad bought the Sinclair range, they released the Spectrum +2 under their Sinclair banner. This new console was pretty much the same as the last one, except it had dual joystick ports and a built-in cassette recorder. That’s it.

Atari XE
Atari
Discontinued: Relatively quickly
Now that Nintendo was raking in cash, Atari was throwing out computers and game consoles left and right trying to snag some of that market. The XE was a repackaged 65XE (part of their home computer line) and came bundled with a keyboard, joystick and light gun. Too bad they couldn’t really market the damn thing and didn’t end up selling very many units.

Commodore
Amiga A500
Commodore
Discontinued: 1991
Commodore’s best-selling model in the Amiga line, the A500 was the first low-end Amiga PC. The A500 was extremely popular for its use as a gaming machine and not as another boring computer.

Sinclair
ZX Spectrum +3
Amstrad (UK)
Discontinued: 1990
Looking remarkably similar to the +2, the +3 had a black case and featured a built-in floppy disk drive. Also, a bunch of small hardware changes were made that enabled you to do slightly better things. Like most hardware upgrades.

PC Engine
NEC (Japan)
Discontinued in: 1999
NEC’s popular-in-Japan console that actually fended off the Famicom but was a non-issue in the US and Europe. Technically superior and later enhanced by a CD-ROM drive, the PC Engine hit US shelves as the TurboGrafx-16. It used game cards (called HuCards) instead of carts, and ended up being remodeled and tinkered with so many times that we’re kind of glad it never took off over here. At least the TurboDuo had some quality games…

Mega Drive
Sega
Discontinued in: 1998
Sega’s first big success actually flailed for a while in Japan before soaring to great popularity elsewhere after Sonic the Hedgehog dethroned Mario. Far and away Sega’s most popular console, it was known in the US as the  Genesis, presumably due to a trademark dispute with Mega Drive Systems, Inc. Fascinating!

Genesis
Sega
Discontinued in: 1998
The US Mega Drive. At one point it was so successful it actually had Nintendo on the defense with a constant 50/50 handle on the market. This was achieved via savvy marketing (Genesis Does What Nintendon’t), near arcade perfect games (Altered Beast, Space Harrier) and deals with celebrities (Michael Jackson, Joe Montana, Buster Douglass). It all made Sega seem like the cool console and Nintendo the kiddie system.

This is where the term “console war” really got going – people would get in actual fights (including some then-children GR editors) over this stuff. It wasn’t until Sega went batshit insane with the near-simultaneous releases of Sega CD, 32X and Saturn that it started to lose control of the market, eventually ceding to the SNES.

Turbografx-16
NEC
Discontinued in: 1999
Debuted just 2 weeks after the Sega Genesis launch in the United States, the TurboGrafx-16 shared identical hardware as the PC-Engine, 8-bit CPU with a 16-bit GPU as well as the same custom video encoder chip, in fact you could play Japanese HuCards with only a slight modification to the console.

The TurboGrafx-16 enjoyed moderate success is large markets like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but NEC failed to market the console to less populated areas of the country which contributed to lackluster sales overall. Third-party support wasn’t that good, with most developers choosing to wait until the system became more popular, which made it more difficult to gain marketshare with only a handful of developers making games for it. This also helps explain why most of the TurboGrafx-16 TurboChips were designed by first party Hudson Soft.

Lynx
Atari
Discontinued in: 1994
Interesting, this one. Lynx came out roughly the same time as the Game Boy, had a color screen and superior visuals, yet failed miserably, with less than a million units sold to date. Goes to show that all the hardware in the world can’t make up for lack of games, something both Game Boy and Game Gear had in abundance. Cat names would eventually spell the end of Atari, as both Lynx and Jaguar are little more than humorous footnotes, even with fairly active homebrew audiences.

Game Boy
Nintendo
Discontinued in: 1999
You’re looking at one of the most successful, popular and long-lived gaming machines of all time. In addition to the backwards-compatible Game Boy Color, it’s sold nearly 120 million units since its 1989 release, with several colors and limited-edition variants spicing thing up in between. Yes, it had fugly, blurry green graphics that looked kinda crappy even then, but its battery life and software support were so impressive you couldn’t not own one. This little machine also supported multiplayer via link cable, spawned the very first Pokemon game in 1996 and was initially bundled with Tetris – perhaps the smartest move Nintendo has ever made.

SuperGrafx
NEC (Japan)
Discontinued in: 1990
The first of many, many bizarre revisions to the PC Engien/Turbografx-16, the SuperGrafxit had a duplicate set of video chips (and an extra chip to coordinate the two), four times as much RAM, twice as much video RAM, and a 2nd layer/plane of scrolling. Unfortunately all of this was built around an 8-bit main processor that simply couldn’t keep up and ultimately the SuperGrafx only had seven games developed specifically for it (it also played older PC Engine and CD games) never made it outside of Japan and quickly faded away. Bring on the TurboDuo!

[source]

Magnavox
Odyssey
As the first home console ever, the Odyssey ran on batteries and games came on removable circuit cards, not cartridges. The Odyssey tragically lacked sound capability, but that was later rectified. Also looks uncannily like a defibrillator.

Atari Pong
While the Odyssey used separate electronic components for its chip system, the Atari Pong used in integrated circuit on one chip – or in simple speak: it was the most complex chip for home use at the time. Pong’s differences went above and beyond the Odyssey – beeps and boops for sound, digital onscreen scoring and eight levels of spin on the ball. Technology!

Sears
Tele-Games
Pong
Videogames hadn’t yet caught on with major retailers, but after the Consumer Electronics Show in ‘75, Atari got a hold of the sporting goods buyer for Sears. Thinking they could turn a mighty profit that Christmas, Sears offered to help produce enough units to meet a healthy demand. Thusly, they became the exclusive retailer of Pong.

Magnavox
Odyssey 100
Ralph Baer – the creator of the Odyssey – wanted to improve on his original design and signed a contract with Texas Instruments (they make killer graphing calculators). The O100 didn’t use cartridges, but it did have action sounds and a switch to go between two games – Tennis and Hockey.

Magnavox
Odyssey 200
But wait! That’s not all. Magnavox released a slightly improved version – this time adding a third game, Smash – complete with onscreen scoring. Also, this baby enabled 2-4 players to join in on the ruckus. Eat your heart out, N64.

Fairchild
Channel F
Using a chip invented by the man who founded Intel, the F was the world’s first cartridge-based console. Even with simple color graphics, they were leagues better than any of the Pong systems at the time. Only 26 cartridges were released and the console looked like a glorified answering machine.

Atari
Super Pong
Super Pong was essentially the same damn thing as regular Pong, only with slight modifications. It played four games. One of them was Pong. There you go.

Coleco
Telstar
Keeping with the theme of including wood paneling on home consoles, Coleco released the Telstar, which only played Tennis. However, because it went for $50, it was attractive to families. Coleco sold over a million Telstars that year – mainly because the company placed the first orders from microchip maker, General Instruments. Their competitors only received a fraction of their orders that year.

Coleco
Telstar Classic
Tasting way better than Pepsi and RC Cola, the Telstar Classic added a wood grain finish (what the hell?) and enabled three games to be played: tennis, hockey and handball.

Magnavox
Odyssey 300
The first system to use a single game chip containing the entire magic of one Pong system. Curiously, it used only one knob per side. Also: it was yellow and contained the three games of the O200.

Magnavox
Odyssey 400
The O400 was the exact same as the O200 (three knobs and all), yet this time it included onscreen scoring. And if you somehow lost track of superfluous aspects of the game like who won, a helpful “W” displayed on the victor’s side.

Magnavox
Odyssey 500
For all intents and purposes, the 500 was incredibly similar to the 400, except for the stunning inclusion of color graphics. At this time, the four games (Soccer was the newest) were the sharpest they’ve ever been. This was the last three-digit Odyssey entry.

Atari
Stunt Cycle
Based on the arcade game and popularized by the Evil Knievel daredevil craze, Atari released a home version of Stunt Cycle that worked remarkably well. The point of the game was to leap over an ever-increasing amount of buses as a motocross rider. The controllers resembled a motorcycle’s handlebars and were used for the bike’s throttle.

RCA Studio II
Already obsolete by the time it hit stores in January 1977; the Studio II’s games were in black and white and made simple beeping sounds from a single speaker located inside the console. The Studio II retailed at $149.95 with five games built into the system as well as two key pads that controlled the games. The Studio II was the second console to support removable cartridges and RCA produced a total of nine games for the Studio II before exiting the video game market in 1979.

Atari VCS
Atari 2600
By the time it was released in October 1977, Atari had already spent about US$100 million on the development on the Atari Video Computer System, also known as the Atari 2600. Ready on store shelves for the holidays the 2600 sold for US$199.95 and that included two controllers, a built in game Combat! as well as many innovative features such as, switches for color/B&W graphics, handicap play and game select, it also cycled through color schemes to help avoid images being burned into your TV. While not the first console to feature removable game cartridges, it was the most successful, boasting over 900 titles in it’s library of games. Unfortunately a number of third-party developers crapped out worthless third-party games like a horrible port of Pac-Man and ET, thus leading to a waning public interest, which then helped crash the entire industry in 1983.

Coleco
Telstar Arcade
The last of the Coleco Pong consoles, the Telstar Arcade utilized cartridges even though only four were ever released. Besides tennis variants, the Arcade had a racing game and a shooter. We only know that from looking at the Frankenstein-esque console. If that abomination could talk, it would probably whisper “Shoot me.”

Nintendo
Color TV-Game 6
Only a few hundred of these units were ever produced of Nintendo’s first shot at a dedicated game console that was only released in Japan. The TV Game 6 contained six variations of Pong, with the players controlling their paddles with dials that were attached directly to the machine. Nintendo was never heard from again.

Apple II
Home Computer
This little number was the first mass produced computer from Apple and was one of the first popular computers for home use – due in fact to the agreeable price range. Popular with schools and businesses alike, the Apple II had simple spreadsheets and word processor applications. Its popularity helped bolster the computer game market. Chances are that if you’re at least in your early twenties, you’ve used this hardware. Apple went on to make some mp3 players and faded away from the spotlight.

Coleco
Telstar Ranger
Another release in the Telstar line, Ranger included four Pong variants and had two light gun games. Guys had enough Pong yet? Us neither.

Coleco
Telstar Alpha
Not much different here. Four Pong variants, complete with a black and white plastic case. Also: fixed dials on the console itself. Yup.

Coleco
Combat!
Thankfully no Pong was seen here, but rather up to four players controlled variants of the game, Tank. Four joysticks were included on the console itself and the only color it came in was pea soup military green.

Magnavox
Odyssey 2000
You thought you were done with Pong. Think again – Magnavox released three Odyssey consoles in 1977.  Three. The O2000 is notable for being similar to the O300 (the one with only one playable knob) and for  not having the color graphics introduced in the O400.

Magnavox
Odyssey 3000
The O3000 contained the same games and was exactly like the 2000 except for a brand new case design (gasp!) and detachable controllers. This system also played Pong and three other games.

Magnavox
Odyssey 4000
The last Pong system released by Magnavox contained eight games (!) that were in color (!!). The O4000 sported a sleek, white design that’s more attractive than the plastic or wood paneled systems that came before it – reminiscent of today’s Wii or any Mac product. Too bad the market had been bombarded by roughly a trillion Pong consoles by this point.

Coleco
Telstar Gemini
With a package claiming “6 Video Games in Color,” how could you go wrong? The six on display were four pinball variants and two light gun shooters. The console contained the buttons directly on it, foregoing a traditional controller. But hey, at least there wasn’t Pong.

Atari
Video Pinball
Now that Pong had its time in the sun, digital Pinball was the new craze. Atari released a dedicated console to capitalize on this popularity, which included two extra game variants – Basketball and Breakout. The console included bumpers on the side to play Pinball with, while the other games were controlled with the dial mounted prominently on the wooden finish. Yup, they were still making wooden consoles.

Mattel Electronics
Handheld Games
Predating the DS and thousands of colors by close to 30 years, were these simple handheld games featuring LED displays similar to that of a calculator or digital watch. Auto Race and Electronic Football were the first two Mattel handhelds and required players to navigate either a car or quarterback through obstacles. Newer 3D versions of these genres retain the same essential gameplay.

Magnavox
Odyssey 2
As a subsidiary of Philips (who released this console abroad as the Philips Odyssey 2), Magnavox’s new design finally enabled users to play cartridges, rather than Pong games booted from the console’s memory. The O2 included a full keyboard for edutainment games and a standard joystick complete with a big-ass red button on each. The console sold relatively well, pushing over a million units by 1983.

Bally
Professional
Videocade
Developed by Midway, the gaming division of Bally at the time, the Videocade or Astrocade as it was known in the early 80s was notable for its graphical prowess. Midway had wanted a video display chip in their successive systems, from arcade to consoles and ended up producing one of the most powerful 8-bit systems. Utilized cartridges and came with a 24-key keyboard.

Coleco
Telstar Colortron
Coleco kept pumping out the same damn thing – this time, the Colortron contained four Pong variants in glorious Technicolor. Colortron comes complete with various beepy sounds and fixed dials on the console.

Coleco
Telstar Marksman
Bundled with six color games, the first four were of course variants on Pong, while the other two were light gun shooters. The light gun featured an attachable stock and barrel, similar to the late Sega Menacer. Your parents may have been duped into buying this.

APF M1000
One of the earliest 8-bit cartridge consoles, the M1000 could only be used on a color TV and came with non-detachable joysticks. A number of games came out for this boringly-titled system, and chances are you’ve never heard of Rocket Patrol.

Philips
Videopac G7000
Literally the same exact thing as the Magnavox Odyssey 2. Philips – parent company to Magnavox – released it as such in Europe.

Nintendo
Color TV-
Game 15
Selling over a million units in Japan, the TV-Game 15 enabled easier play now that the controllers were on cables, rather than both players having to crowd the console. Also, fifteen different versions of Light Tennis (read: Pong) were included in the package. Not to be confused with…

Nintendo
Color TV-
Racing 112
The same year in Japan, Nintendo put out a bird’s-eye-view racing game with the console itself doubling as a steering wheel and gearshift. Trust us, the TV-Racing 112 was way less goofy than the Wii wheel. Also, the system came with two smaller controllers if you ever wanted some low-def multiplayer.

Atari 400/800
Home Computer
The Atari 400 and 800 series were introduced to compete with other home computers, which at the time included the Apple II and Commodore PET. The 400 and 800 stood for how much RAM each system contained (4KB and 8KB respectively), but by the time both were released the prices of RAM had dropped so much that they all included 8KB. Despite the feature-rich 800, the more affordable 400 outsold its big brother. Atari would continue to introduce a billion new home computers each year.

Milton Bradley
Microvision
Developed by prominent board game kingpin, Milton Bradley, the Microvision was a handheld, cartridge-based system. Very few games were ever developed for it and hardly any third-parties gave a shit about it. The Microvision was also accident prone as it was susceptible to problems including the LCD screen to spontaneously leak, a jumpy motherboard and being able to easily break the keypad. This console didn’t deserve to live.

TI-99/4
Home Computer
Texas Instruments released the TI-99/4 Home Computer at a price of $1,150 in the late seventies, it featured a calculator-style keyboard, which lacked the ability to type lowercase text. No matter, the TI-99/4 holds the distinction of being the first 16-bit PC. The TI-99 line popularized “plug and play” support for peripherals (what happens when you plug new devices into your computer). It was redesigned in 1981 and sold at half the price.

Nintendo
Color TV-
Block Busters
Featuring a similar design to the Color TV Game 6, this design featured one dial for use on included game, Breakout. This system holds the honor of being one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s first videogaming projects after joining up with Nintendo a few years prior. Undeniably, he would have a great effect on Nintendo. But that’s a story for another day.

[source]

ClassicGaming.com’s Museum had this Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) regarding the Sega CD. The following should answer any question you may have, and provide a complete look at the history, a list of all games, little known facts and more.

Sega CD FAQ – By Barry W. Cantin

Sega CD FAQ 1.0
June 1996
Barry W. Cantin  (BCantin@aol.com)

Note: This document may be FREELY distributed in its original form.
Nochanges or modifications are to be made without the author's permission.

Contents

O.   Introduction
I.   Description
II.  History
III. System Specs
IV.  The Sega CD line of machines
V.   Software
VI.  Conversion - US/Japanese/Europe
VII. Leftovers

O.  Introduction

Why?

This project began some months ago when I simply wanted to compile a
list of Sega CDs.  I got my Sega CD unit (the original one) as part of a
trade in May 1995 and very quickly began collecting the games.  They
have been heavily discounted nearly everywhere as places are rushing to
unload their Sega CD stock.  I've seen various titles sell for as low as
$2 apiece, new.

The collector bug bit me and I started to amass these things.  %^)  So I
decided to make a list to track my collection.  That list then grew to
include a few imports I acquired in a trade, then some info from
magazines looked good, then I dug up some old Japanese magazines for
info, and so on... before I knew it, I had enough information for a
bona-fide FAQ!  The information here is not exactly presented in FAQ form
- true, there
ARE a few FAQs inside this document - but it's more like a GUIDE.  My
object here is to answer the questions before they're asked.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions not
answered here, or ANY comments in general related to the Sega CD.  I
will be updating this FAQ/guide periodically, and I'm only too happy to
give credit where credit is due.  There are still several gaps here and
there, and I don't plan on version 1.0 of this FAQ being the last.

Speaking of credit, this FAQ would be a lot smaller without the valuable
contributions from the following individuals:

Clint Dyer (clint_dyer@prodigy.com)
   Clint's help has been unspeakably important in getting this done, and
for verifying a lot of the FAQ content.
Thien Tran (darkflt@cyberg8t.com)
   "Sonic" has supplied me with nearly 20k of text that has really added
   to the depth of the information in this FAQ.  He's put a LOT of time
   into compiling it all for the FAQ and it shows...
Steve Wargo (swargo@phoenixat.com)
   Steve has been maintaining a great Sega CD cheats list, get it from

http://www.phoenixat.com/~swargo/

Nathan Stehle (stehle@aries.scs.uiuc.edu)
   Nathan has given Usenet readers great advance info on RPGs,
   particularly Working Designs titles (how do I get on that WD preview
   list anyway?)
Larry Brackney (zeiram@mail.hsonline.net)
   Larry's responsible, ultimately, for all this -- he traded his Sega
   CD to me and got me started!  [and a monster was created...]  %^)
Andy Wei Wu (no E-mail address... yet!)
   Wei is my video game "broker" (well more like a buyer's agent!) and
   source for much of this information
Vic Ireland and the rest of the Working Designs staff
   For bringing over those wonderful RPGs that made me want a SEGA CD in
   the first place
And to Bt Garner, Juan Gonzalez, Jon Folkers, and also the folks who
   frequent rgv.sega who still discuss the Sega CD... thanks!

Please address any comments, changes, additions, updates, yadda yadda
yadda, to me at BCantin@aol.com and I'll put your name in lights.  %^)

I.  Description

The Sega CD is an add-on peripheral for the Sega Genesis that allows the
use of CD-ROM games specially written for the Sega CD system.  It can
also be used as a regular CD player (the sound comes through the
television) and has CD+G capability.

The Genesis is connected to the Sega CD unit via the interface slot, and
a/v hookups are made through the Sega CD unit instead of the Genesis.
The advantage of this is that games can take advantage of the sound
provided directly by the compact disc in addition to sound effects from
the Genesis unit itself.

There are currently (as of 5/96) 147 Sega CD titles in the U.S.

The Sega CD was released first in Japan as the "Mega CD", and was also
released in Europe as the Mega CD.  Most Japanese and European games can
be played on the U.S. Sega CD unit via a converter cartridge (See
section VI) but without the cart, the Japanese and American systems are
not compatible.

Q: What does the Sega CD do to improve the system?

A: Here's what it adds to the Genesis:
   - 10 extra sound channels to complement the sound from the Genny's
     Z80 sound processor
   - sprite enhancement features such as scaling and rotation, similar
     to that of the SNES Mode 7
   What it did NOT improve was color.  The games still used 64 out of
   the total 512 colors possible (maybe more if you really knew how to
   tweak the system).  Why no color improvement?  Supposedly, cost.
   Sega's engineers reportedly wanted to include a new chip that would
   add to this, but it would have been an extra $5 part... which would
   more than likely translate to an extra $50 added to the cost of the
   machine.  Full sprite scaling and rotation were helpful, bringing new
   levels of excitement which weren't fully utilized (except perhaps in
   a few games from Core Development, Ltd.). The Sega CD also allowed
   the Genesis to play FMV ("full-motion video").  The FMV was
   originally about 1/4 screen (Sewer Shark) but later expanded to that
   of Tomcat Alley (FULL screen).

Advantages of CD games: better sound, much more information can be
stored on a CD than a cart (CD=650 MB, cart typically around 1 to 4 MB,
currently as high as 32 MB).  CDs also theoretically have an infinite
lifespan.

Disadvantages of CD games: loading time can be a pain, CDs scratch
easily.

Q: Are the Sega CD and Saturn compatible?

A: Not at all.  They are two COMPLETELY different machines.
   There were some rumors circulating back in '94/'95 that Sega would
   make an adapter that would allow you to play Sega CDs on a Saturn...
   but evidently due to cost constraints of developing and manufacturing
   such a "Power Base"-type converter, it was determined to be not
   feasible for sale in the retail market.

Q: Is the Sega 32X compatible with the Sega CD?

A: Yes.  When the 32X is mounted on top of the Genesis (attached to the
   Sega CD) there is absolutely NO interference to regular Sega CD
   games.  There were also six CD titles designed for use with the 32X
   (see Titles section) but all are just Sega CD titles ported over to
   take advantage of the 32X hardware.  The difference is a noticeably
   clearer, crisper FMV and generally a larger screen.  These titles
   were also sold in yellow-stripe boxes (Digital Pictures titles),
   consistent with 32X cartridge packaging.  "Fahrenheit" (Sega) was
   sold as a combo pack, you got both the Sega CD version and the
   32X CD version in one package.  NOTE:  All Sega 32X CD titles are
   FMV-based games.

Q: Is the Sega CD compatible with the TurboGrafx-CD/PC Engine
   CD/TurboDuo CD?

A: No, these are two entirely different game machines.  However,
   original Mega CD players COULD recognize a PC Engine CD (CD-ROM2),
   but could not play them.  A message appeared, informing you that a PC
   Engine CD was inserted in the unit.

II.  History

Development of the Sega CD was top secret.  Programmers did not know
what was being designed until the system was unveiled at the Tokyo Toy
Show in Japan.  Upon release, companies were told to start with "high
memory"-based cartridge games and work from there (add cinemas, CD-
music, FMV, etc., later).  The Sega CD was designed to take on the PC
Engine (TurboGrafx-16) CD unit, and NOT the SNES.  The key factor to the
Sega CD's design was that engineers based it somewhat on the PCE-CD, but
with MORE memory and a slightly faster drive (6 Mbits and 150k transfer
rate at 0.8 access time).

The original Mega-CD was released in Japan in (June 1991?), and was
developed to compete with NEC's PC Engine CD-ROM drive (equivalent to
the TurboGrafx-CD in the U.S.).  The machine was released with the
following titles in Japan:  Earnest Evans, Woodstock Funky Horror Rock
Band, ... etc.  The system was initially a hit in Japan, due to the CD
based RPGs (!) and the inherent advantages of CD-based titles (lots of
text, pics, animation, CD-based music, etc.).  Lunar: Silver Star was
one of these and helped sell the system during slow sales periods.

The Mega Drive (Genesis) is mounted to the Mega CD (Sega CD) unit
through the interface slot on the right side, and rested on top of it.
This is the front-loading model.  The drawer is opened by hitting the
 button, and closed by either hitting the pause button on
controller #1 or via the CD system software CLOSE command.

The Sega CD was released in November 1992 in the U.S. and looked very
much like the Japanese Mega CD counterpart.  Several pack-in titles were
included: the Sega Classics 4-in-1 CD (Shinobi, Columns, Streets of
Rage, and Golden Axe), Sherlock Holmes I, Sol Feace, and two CD+G/music
CD samplers.  The original selling price was $299.  (The second U.S.
production run after the initial 50,000 units had the Sega Classics
5-game CD instead of the four-game CD above - see CDX)

These were the Sega CD titles available at the time of launch:

   Cobra Command
   Night Trap
   Black Hole Assault
   Sewer Shark
   Chuck Rock
   INXS Make Your Own Music Video
   Marky Mark Make Your Own Music Video

Initial hype resulted in incredible sales.  There were 50,000 units
originally allotted in early November for the US launch.  ALL the units
were sold by the third week (prior to Thanksgiving).  The second run
began arriving in stores December 1992, approximately three days before
Christmas.

In (1994) Sega released a new, smaller Genesis and had a Sega CD II to
go with it.  This model connected to the Genny and sat (somewhat) side
by side with it.  Discs are loaded into the top of the unit, through a
manually-opened door.

Several third-party developers had signed on to do Sega, including Sony
Imagesoft, Vic Tokai, Konami, Data East, EA Sports, Psygnosis, Working
Designs, and many others.  All in all, 148 titles were produced for the
U.S. market.

The early Sega CD titles were packaged inside a cardboard box with the
instructions, and CD in a regular jewel case inside.  (Examples include
WonderDog, Jaguar, all the "Make My Video" titles except C+C Music
Factory)  In 1993, Sega of America began packaging them in large plastic
jewel cases, about 8-1/4" by 5-3/4" and about 3/4" thick.  These are the
same jewel cases used by Saturn games and some Playstation titles today.

Note that Sega of Japan continued to use regular-sized jewel cases for
all Mega CD games, with small instructions to fit inside, just like a
music CD.
   * Production runs for the Sega CD (original model) ended in 1993
   * Production runs for the Sega CD2 ended in December 1995, in order
     to increase the production of the Saturn

   * Total number produced: officially - ???
     - Unofficial estimate: 2.5 million, U.S., 2 - 3 million, Japan, 1
       million, Europe

III.  System Specs

The Sega CD adds graphics and sound capabilities to the standard Genesis
console.  Graphically, it provides superior scaling and rotation.  Most
of the sound for Sega CDs comes right off the disk, in addition to game
sound effects which can be provided by the Genesis.

System specs:

Main CPU: Motorola 68000 @ 12.5 MHz
   * Same as the Genesis... runs in parallel with it... except the Genny
     CPU runs at the slower clock speed 7.9 MHz

Graphics Processor: Custom ASIC

RAM:
   * 6 Mbit Main RAM
     - Program
     - Picture
   * 512 Kbit PCM Waveform Memory
     - Wavefile memory
   * 128 Kbit CD-ROM data cache memory
   * 64 Kbit Internal Backup RAM

Colors:
   * Originally 64, same as Genesis
   * Using programming tricks, can get 128 colors via HAM ("Hold and
     Modify")
     - Originally developed on the Commodore Amiga to boost color
       capabilities
     - Basically a graphic over a graphic = a double-color
   * Using Cinepak and TruVideo:
     - 128 to 256 colors
     - Increase screen size from 1/4 to full
     - Advanced compression scheme, used in Win 95
     - Software-based upgrade
   * Eternal Champions CD uses 256 colors simultaneously (only game to
     do so)

Storage capability of a Sega CD
   * Approximately 500 MB of data (62 min of audio data equivalent)
   * 1/4 screen B/W footage video: 1.5 to 4 hours
   * 1/4 screen color footage: 45 minutes
   * Above specs are prior to compression

Transfer rate of Sega CD: 150 kbytes/sec (Single Speed)

Boot ROM:
   * 1 Mbit, contains:
     - CD Game Bios
     - CD Player Software
     - CD+G Software

Bios versions:
   * When you start the Sega CD, the title screen displays the Bios
     version in the upper-right corner of the screen.  This helps
     identify what machine version you are using and in a way the
     security capabilities.  (Startup music and startup screen of the
     Sega CD is different for each Bios)

   Bios Version     Machine
       1.00         Original Mega CD
       1.10         Original Sega CD, Motorized Drive
       2.00         Mega CD2
       2.05         Sega CD2
       2.10         Sega CD2

CD Access time: 800 ms

Sound Circuitry:
   * PCM Sound Source
     - Stereo, 8 channels
   * 32 KHz Maximum sampling wavelength
   * 16 Bit D/A converter
   * 8X internal over-sampling digital filter

Audio characteristics:
   * Frequency Range: 20Hz - 20 KHz
   * Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >900dB@1K
   * Channel Separation: >900dB

Output: RCA Pin Jack x2 (L/R)

Dimensions: 301mm (w) x 212.5 (d) x 112.5 (h)

Weight (Sega CD1): 3.1 lbs / 1.4 kg

IV.  The Sega CD line of machines

The Sega CD exists in many forms.

     Sega CD I  (Mega CD I in Japan)
     Sega CD II (Mega CD II in Japan)
     JVC X'Eye  (Wondermega in Japan)
     Sega CDX   (Sega CDX in Japan)
     LaserActive (by Pioneer) Sega CD module

[Sega CD I]

The Sega CD I was the original unit.  It features a front-loading CD
tray and lights to indicate power to CD unit (green) and CD access
(red).  The Genesis attaches to it via the slot located on the right
side of the Genesis console..  This was the production run for Japan
(Mega CD) and the initial 50,000 units for the U.S market.  SCD 1.5 was
the second US production run, beginning after brisk sales of the first
run.

Since the original Genesis has a built-in audio output (with volume
control), the Sega CD requires this output as part of the connection.
Besides the interface connection on the side of the Genesis (which sits
on TOP of the Sega CD unit), an audio cable is used from the headphone
output of the Genesis to the "Mixing" input of the Sega CD.  This allows
you to change the volume of the Genesis while the Sega CD volume is kept
constant.

[Sega CD II]

The Sega CD II was released to match the newer-style Genesis II.  The
machine is 100% compatible with the first unit - i.e., all Sega CDs play
on both machines.  There are several differences between the newer model
and the first one: the never model has a top-loading tray, the power and
access lights are small red LEDs on the top of the unit, and the
construction seems to be less sturdy than the first model.  The
Sega CD II unit had several pack-in configurations, the most popular
being Sewer Shark.  Other pack-in configurations include:

SCD2b: Sonic CD
SCD2c: Sonic CD, Power Rangers, and Sewer Shark
SCD2d: Joe Montana Football (Sports Pack)
SCD2e: Tomcat Alley (Current and FINAL run)

Some older games like Lunar: The Silver Star and Dark Wizard
occasionally lock up on the Sega CD2.  It does have, however, slightly
shorter access times with games such as Lunar: Eternal Blue.

     Q:  Can I use my Sega CD II unit with my older-model Genesis?
     A:  Yes.  It attaches like the original model Genesis (I) to the CD
         Unit.  A special plastic extender plate adds on to the left
         side of SCD2 to hold the original Genesis.

     Q:  How about using a Sega CD I (older) unit with the newer model
         Genesis?
     A:  "Officially", no.  However, a special cable CAN be made to
         attach it as such.  It will not be as sturdy, and it's unsure
         how reliable this would be.  The hookups don't match for sound
         and you'll have to use the RF box unless you patch everything.
         Also, you cannot use the connector plate.

[JVC X'Eye]

The JVC X'Eye is an all-in-one unit, as it contains a Genesis-compatible
and a Sega CD-compatible in one housing. (3) The X'Eye includes the
pack-in titles "Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia" and "Prize Fighter",
both in cardboard sleeves.

In Japan, the X'Eye is known as the "Wondermega".  There were two
versions:

   * Original
     - Larger than the current model (Approx. size of SCD2 and SG2 in
       width)
     - Capable of handling oversized CDs (> 5"), which was the original
       concept behind CD movies in Japan... the format was NOT adopted
     - MIDI connection (music keyboard compatible)
     - Specialized MIDI/Keyboard development kit/program available in
       Japan ONLY.
   * Current version
     - Same as US X'Eye
     - Slimmer than Wondermega I
     - Lack extra features of the original

All Wondermegas were built by JVC Musical Industries of Japan.

[Sega CDX]

The Sega CDX is similar to the X'Eye in that it plays standard Genesis
carts as well as most Sega CDs.  Its advantage is the size -- about the
size of a portable CD player.  This unit is portable (there's even a
carrying case for it) but still requires a television or monitor to
play.  There were three CDs included as pack-ins: Sega Classics V
(Streets of Rage, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Columns, and Super Monaco GP),
Sonic CD, and Ecco the Dolphin CD.

There are a few Sega-CD titles that are not compatible with the CDX:

   Jurassic Park
   Radical Rex
   Terminator
   Who Shot Johnny Rock?

     Q:  Can I use my Sega CDX with the Sega Channel?
     A:  Yes - they are compatible.  Of course, only for cart-based
         games.

     Q:  Can I use a 32X add-on with my CDX?
     A:  Yes.  Although it's not officially endorsed by Sega, it *is*
         possible.  There may be a problem with spacing the 32X device
         over the unit, though.

[LaserActive]

The LaserActive system by Pioneer was a noble attempt at an all-in-one
unit.  It is essentially a Laser Disc player with available add-on
"modules" for Sega CD/Genesis and TurboGrafx-16/CD/PC Engine games.  The
machine also has its own library of 7 or 8 (?) LaserActive game titles.
The LaserActive was expensive ($800?) and each add-on module cost nearly
as much as the machine it was emulating ($200?), so cost was a
prohibitive factor in large volume sales of the unit.

V.  Software

This list of Sega CD titles was the very first part of the FAQ.  Once I
completed it I had amassed enough information for an entire FAQ, and it
just kept growing, and growing, and growing...

Numbers in parentheses () refer to notes at the bottom.

Guide to nomenclature:

   1st person shooter - a non-overhead, non-side-scrolling shooting game
      which takes place from the point of view of the player's
      ship/character/etc.  These games usually take advantage of the
      Sega CD's additional hardware and have much better effects than a
      comparable Genesis shooter.
   Action - arcade action, includes flying, and games with multiple
      elements (driving, shooting, platform, etc.)
   FMV - "Full Motion Video".  This is a type of game which uses
      digitized video or digitized animation for its graphics and
      gameplay is usually limited to pressing buttons at certain times.
      "Dragon's Lair" in the arcade is a very early (the first?) example
      of this, in which you had to time the main character's actions
      precisely, or else he was toast.
   Platform - Run and jump type of game, side-scrolling, in which the
      character can explore a landscape while running, jumping, and
      attacking with various types of weapons.  The word platform comes
      from early platform titles (e.g. Super Mario Brothers) in which
      the character actually jumped on various platforms.
   RPG - "Role Playing Game".  The first person RPGs refer to those
      games in which your view is a 3-D character's view of the dungeon,
      and you "see what your characters see".

There are 148 titles available in the U.S.

Name                                            Type
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Adventures of Batman and Robin              Driving
   (different from cart)
Afterburner 3                                   Action
AH-3 Thunderstrike                              Flying sim
Amazing Spiderman vs. Kingpin                   Action/Platform
Android Assault                                 Shooter
The Animals! (San Diego Zoo)                    Educational/Reference
AX-101                                          FMV Shooter (1st person)

B.C. Racers                                     Driving
Batman Returns                                  Action (driving)
Battlecorps                                     Shooter (1st person)
Bill Walsh College Football                     Sports
Black Hole Assault                              Fighting
Bouncers                                        Action/sports-like
Brutal - Paws of Fury                           Fighting

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs                         Driving/shooting
Championship Soccer '94                         Sports
Chuck Rock                                      Platform
Chuck Rock II - Son of Chuck                    Platform
Cliffhanger                                     Action/platform
Cobra Command                                   FMV shooter
Colors of Modern Rock (8)                       Music Video
Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia (4)          Educational/Reference
Corpse Killer                                   FMV shooter (6)
Crime Patrol                                    FMV shooter (uses gun,6)

Dark Wizard                                     RPG/strategy
Demolition Man                                  Platform
Double Switch                                   FMV action
Dracula                                         Action (minor FMV parts)
Dracula Unleashed (2CDs)                        FMV action
Dragon's Lair                                   FMV action
Dune                                            Action/platform
Dungeon Explorer                                RPG/arcade
Dungeon Master 2: Skullkeep                     RPG/1st person

Earthworm Jim CD (Special Edition)              Platform
Ecco the Dolphin CD                             Action/platform
Echo the Dolphin 2: The Tides of Time CD        Action/platform
ESPN Baseball Tonight                           Sports
ESPN National Hockey Night                      Sports
ESPN NBA Hangtime '95                           Sports
ESPN Sunday Night NFL                           Sports
Eternal Champions CD                            Fighting
Eye of the Beholder                             RPG/1st person

Fahrenheit (packaged with 32X version)          FMV action
Fatal Fury Special                              Fighting
FIFA Soccer                                     Sports
Final Fight                                     Fighting
Flashback CD                                    Platform
Flink                                           Platform
Formula 1 World Championship                    Driving
Frankenstein/Dracula (combo)                    FMV action/FMV action

Ground Zero Texas (2 CDs)                       FMV shooter

Heart of the Alien                              Platform
Heimdall                                        Puzzle/RPG
Hook                                            Platform

INXS: Make My Video                             FMV music
Iron Helix                                      action/puzzle/sci-fi

Jaguar XJ220                                    Driving
Jeopardy                                        Quiz
Joe Montana NFL Football                        Sports
Jurassic Park (5)                               Action/1st Person/Puzzle

Keio's Flying Squadron                          Shooter (side-scrolling)
Kids on Site                                    FMV educational
Kris Kross                                      FMV music

Lawnmower Man                                   1st person action/puzzle
Lethal Enforcers (with gun)                     Shooting (uses gun) (6)
Lethal Enforcers 2: Gunfighters                 Shooting (uses gun) (6)
Links: The Challenge of Golf                    Sports
Loadstar                                        FMV action
Lords of Thunder                                Shooter (side scrolling)
Lunar: The Silver Star                          RPG
Lunar: Eternal Blue                             RPG

Mad Dog McCree                                  Shooting (uses gun) (6)
Mad Dog McCree 2: Lost Gold                     Shooting (uses gun) (6)
Mansion of Hidden Souls                         Action/puzzle
Marky Mark                                      FMV music
Masked Rider (Kamen Rider ZO)                   FMV action
Mega Race                                       1st person action
Mickey Mania                                    Platform
Microcosm                                       1st person action
Midnight Raiders                                FMV action/shooter
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers                    FMV action
Mortal Kombat CD                                Fighting
My Paint                                        Educational

NBA Jam CD                                      Sports
NFL Trivia                                      Quiz/sports
NFL Greatest Teams                              Sports Trivia
NHL '94                                         Sports
Night Trap (2CDs) (see note (1) below)          FMV action
Nova Storm                                      1st person shooter

Panic!                                          puzzle/humor
Pitfall CD                                      Platform
Popful Mail                                     Platform/RPG
Power Factory                                   FMV music
Power Monger                                    Strategy/sim
Prince of Persia                                Platform
Prize Fighter (Video Boxing) (2 CDs)  (4)       FMV action
Puggsy                                          Platform

Racing Aces                                     Flying sim/action
Radical Rex (5)                                 Platform
RDF Global Conflict                             1st person shooter
Revenge of the Ninja                            Fighting
Revengers of Vengeance                          Fighting
Rise of the Dragon (See note 2 below)           Mystery
Road Avenger                                    FMV action
Road Rash                                       Driving
Robo Aleste                                     Shooter (side scrolling)

Samurai Shodown CD                              Fighting
Secret of Monkey Island                         Mystery/puzzle
Sega Classics 4-in-1 CD (1)                     Misc. arcade/puzzle
Sega CDX Classics 5-in-1 CD (3)                 Misc.
arcade/puzzle/driving
Sewer Shark (2)                                 FMV action
Shadow of the Beast II                          Platform
Sherlock Holmes (1)                             Mystery/puzzle
Sherlock Holmes II                              Mystery/puzzle
Shining Force CD                                RPG/strategy
Silpheed                                        1st person shooter
Slam City with Scottie Pippen (4 CDs)           FMV action
Snatcher                                        Mystery/gun (6)
Sol Feace (1)                                   Shooter (side-scrolling)
Sonic CD                                        Platform
Soulstar                                        1st person shooter
Space Ace                                       FMV action
Space Adventure                                 Mystery/Digital Comic Book
Starblade                                       1st person shooter
Star Wars Chess                                 strategy
Star Wars Rebel Assault                         FMV action
Stellar Fire                                    1st person shooter
Supreme Warrior (2 CDs)                         FMV action (fighting)
Surgical Strike (9)                             FMV action (shooter)

3 Ninjas/ Hook (2 CDs)                          Platform/platform
Terminator (5)                                  Platform
Third World War                                 Strategy/sim
Time Gal                                        FMV action
Tomcat Alley                                    FMV action
Trivial Pursuit                                 Quiz

Ultraverse Prime/Microcosm                      Platform/1st person
shooter

Vay                                             RPG

Wheel of Fortune                                Quiz
Who Shot Johnny Rock (5)                        Shooting (uses gun) (6)
Wild Woody                                      Platform
Willy Beamish                                   Action/adventure
Wing Commander                                  Action
Wirehead                                        FMV action
Wolfchild                                       Platform
Wonderdog                                       Platform
World Cup USA 94                                Sports
WWF Rage in the Cage                            Sports

32X versions of the following CDs were also released:

   Corpse Killer     (Digital Pictures)
   Fahrenheit (packaged with Sega CD version)  (Sega)
   Night Trap        (Digital Pictures)
   Slam City         (Digital Pictures)
   Supreme Warrior   (Digital Pictures)

Notes:
(1)    Sega CD 1 pack-in item.  Complete Pack-ins for Sega CD 1 (5 items):
          Sega Classics 4-in-1 CD (Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Columns,
             Golden Axe)
          Sherlock Holmes
          Sol Feace CD
          CD+G Sampler
          R&R Music sampler
(2)    Sega CD 2 Pack-in item.  (no box included, as well as smaller
       manual)
(3)    Sega CDX Pack-in item.  Contains Same four games as 4-in-1 plus
       Super Monaco GP.
(4)    JVC X'eye Pack-in item.  Compton's and Prize Fighter are in
       cardboard boxes/sleeves.
(5)    Does not work with Sega CDX system.
(6)    There were two types of light guns produced for Sega CD games.
       The first is the "Justifier", by Konami, which is included with
       Lethal Enforcers.  It can be used to play these titles: "Lethal
       Enforcers", "Lethal Enforcers 2", and "Snatcher".  The other
       light gun is by American Laser Games.  It isn't included with any
       of their Sega CD titles, but can be purchased separately.  A
       second gun (for player 2) was also made but is currently
       hard-to-find.  (Note: The Sega "Menacer" can also be used for
       these games, but unlike the American Laser Games guns, the
       Menacer requires batteries.)  These guns can be used with the
       following games:  "Crime Patrol", "Mad Dog McCree", "Mad Dog
       McCree II: The Lost Gold", and "Who Shot Johnny Rock".  Also,
       "Corpse Killer" (Digital Pictures) can be used with the Menacer.
(7)    All American Laser Games are FMV shooters
       All Digital Pictures games are FMV-based
(8)    "Colors of Modern Rock" is a promo-only CD by Sega and Digital
       Pictures.  It's a CD with six music videos produced in
       conjunction with Warner Custom Music.  You can play the videos as
       in a normal VCR tape.  The screen is approximately 1/3,
       combination of color and black-and-white.  It allows for play,
       stop, search, skip, freeze, and storage of 9 frames (based on
       available backup RAM space).  @1993 Sega, product code:
       WCM-9302-00 (in case anyone's interested).
       Featured bands (and song titles):
          Too Much Joy         Donna Everywhere
          T-Ride               Back Door Romeo
          The Belltower        Outshine the Sun
          Xtra Large           Hooker
          Mr. Big              To Be With You
          Dramarama            Haven't Got a Clue
(9)    Surgical Strike was never released for the 32X, despite the offer
       for an upgrade.  The original offer (noted on the cover of the
       instruction booklet as well) was to send Sega the card from the
       instruction booklet along with $3.75 for P&H, and Sega would send
       you an upgraded Surgical Strike CD for the 32X.  In early 1996,
       the 32X version was cancelled.  As of this writing (5/96) Sega
       has not decided what to do for the buyers of Surgical Strike who
       sent in the cards and money for the upgrade, but likely it will
       be an offer for another (possibly multiple) titles.

Here is a partial list of some Japanese titles (please send info on
others to BCantin@aol.com):

   A-Rank Thunder (RPG)
   Aisle Lord (RPG)
   AlShark (RPG/Adventure)
   Annet Again (Platform Fighting Adventure game - sequel to El Viento)
   Arcus 1 2 3
   Burai (RPG)
   Burning Fists (Fighting)
   Cosmic Fantasy Stories (RPG - Cosmic Fantasy parts 1/2)
   Cyborg 009
   Death Bringer (RPG)
   Detonator Organ (RPG)
   Devastator (Side scrolling shooter)
   Dynamic Country Golf (Sports)
   Earnest Evans
   F-1 Circus CD (racing)
   Fhey Area (RPG)  (note - also spelled "FAERIA" on other platforms)
   Funky Horror Band (RPG)
   Heavy Nova (fighter)
   Kelo Yugskitai
   Mega Schwarzchild (sim)
   Might & Magic 3 (RPG)
   Ninja Warriors (Action Arcade)
   Phantom City
   Power League Baseball (sports)
   Ranma 1/2 (anime puzzle?/fighting?)
   Side Story of Armageddon (RPG)
   Silky Lip (anime adventure/detective)
   Super League CD (Baseball)
   Tenkafubu (ancient Japan military strategy?)
   Tokyo Mah-Jongg (tile game)
   Wonder Mega Collection (WonderMega pack-in)

***equivalents to U.S. titles***

   Bari Arm = Android Assault
   Heavenly Symphony = Formula One: Beyond the Limit
   Ninja Haygate = Revenge of the Ninja
   Switch = Panic!
   ThunderStorm = Cobra Command
   Yumeni Mystery Mansion = Mansion of Hidden Souls

*** also released in U.S., same names ***
   Afterburner 3
   Black Hole Assault
   Final Fight CD
   Lunar
   Popful Mail
   Prince of Persia
   Shadow of the Beast 2
   Shining Force CD
   Silpheed
   Sol-Feace
   Sonic CD (music is different)
   Starblade
   Third World War

Here is a list of some European games, from a European game mag:

   Afterburner 3
   Another World  (AKA "Heart of the Alien")
   Batman
   BC Racers
   Black Hole Assault
   Cannon Fodder
   Chuck Rock
   Cobra Space Adventure
   Corpse Killer
   Cosmic Fantasy Stories
   Demolition Man
   Dracula Unleashed
   Dungeon Explorer
   Dungeon Master 2
   Earnest Evans
   Earthworm Jim
   Ecco the Dolphin
   Ecco 2
   Eternal Champions
   Eye of the Beholder
   Fahrenheit
   Fatal Fury Special
   FIFA Soccer
   Final Fight
   Heavy Nova
   Heimdall
   Jaguar XJ220
   Keio's Flying Machine
   Lethal Enforcers
   Lethal Enforcers 2
   Links Golf
   Lords of Thunder
   Marko's Magic Football
   Mega Race
   Midnight Raiders
   Myst
   Night Trap
   Nostalgia 1907
   Power Monger
   Power Rangers
   Prince of Persia
   Puggsy
   Road Avenger
   Samurai Shodown
   Sensible Soccer
   Sewer Shark
   Shining Force
   Silpheed
   Slam City
   Snatcher
   Sol-Feace
   Sonic CD
   Soul Star
   Starblade
   Supreme Warrior
   Surgical Strike
   Syndicate
   Theme Park
   Thunderhawk
   Thunderstorm-FX
   Time Gal
   Tomcat Alley
   Wolfchild
   Wonderdog
   World Cup Golf
   Yumeni Mystery Mansion (aka "Mansion of the Hidden Souls")

There were also some demo CDs that were occasionally included with UK
magazines, such as "Sega Pro" and "Mega Power".  These typically
included partial versions (demos!) of Sega CD games about to be
released.

Q:  I thought (GAME X) was released.  I've seen it listed for sale in
    various magazines.  What happened to it?

A:  This happens all the time.  A video game retailer (new or used, they
    all seem to do it) gets wind of a game under development, and
    they'll list it for sale - even if it hasn't been released yet.  Of
    course, when you call in to order it, it's not available - but will
    be as of [...some date, a few months in the future].  They devise
    their sale lists to reflect changes to accommodate new releases.
    What happens sometimes is that a title will be canceled before it's
    complete, yet it's still listed for sale all over the place.  This
    is not the developers' fault, but the fault of the video game
    retailers that include unreleased titles on their sale lists.
    Sometimes a game will be reviewed in a magazine, fooling some people
    into believing that it's been released.  In these cases, the
    reviewers nearly always get demo versions or early copies of games,
    that are occasionally canceled prior to release.  Meanwhile, there's
    a review of it out there somewhere, getting people ready for it.
    Sad, but true.  (Good example currently is "Penn & Teller's Smoke
    and Mirrors", which has probably been reviewed by every major gaming
    rag... yet at this time has not been released, nor does it appear
    that it will be).

Q:  What are some of those titles that have never been released, that
    will probably NEVER see the light of day?

A:  NOTE: SOme titles change before release also, which may account for
    this.  I'll be sure to let you know if I find any such examples.

    This list is naturally subject to change... but it doesn't look like
    it will.  I haven't gone through ALL the ads I've seen, these are a
    few of the more prevalent ones (I've seen ads for most of these, a
    few reviews too... and no, they're not out yet).  If I included all
    the unreleased titles from the many sale lists I've looked at from
    1993-present, there would probably be 30-40 more titles on it...
    Work has been done (in some cases to near-completion) on each of
    these titles below.

     UNRELEASED SEGA CD TITLES THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE (and still can!):
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
        Battle Frenzy (Core)  (WAS released as "Battlecorps")
        Braindead 13 (Readysoft)
        Citizen X (Digital Pictures)
        Clue
        Crime Patrol 2: Drug Wars (American Laser Games)
        Dai Bing
        Dark Seed (Vic Tokai)
        Dragon's Lair 2 (Readysoft)
        Exterminators (Sony Imagesoft)
        Flying Nightmares (Domark)
        Myst (Broderbund)
        No Escape (Sony Imagesoft)
        Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors (Accolade)
        Power Drift
        Prince VVCR (Sega) ("Prince", as in "SymbolMan")
        Side Pocket (Data East)
        Space Pirates (American Laser Games)
        Young Indiana Jones (Sega)

VI.  Conversion

   Q:  Is it possible to play foreign CDs on my Sega CD/Mega CD?
   A:  Yes, but...

If you insert a foreign CD into your Sega CD (remember, there are three
nationalities of Sega CDs here: European, Japanese, and U.S.), you will
not be able to load it.  The reason for this is that a "nationality"
lockout code is on each Sega CD and Mega CD unit.  This assures (without
outside help) that a particular CD will only be playable on its
particular system.
   There is a way around this lock-out code.  There are cartridges
available that plug directly into the Genesis slot that allow foreign
CDs to be used by any system.

[The Lockout Chip]

The Sega CD unit had a specially designed BIOS chip/security program
that prevented the unit from reading CD games intended for other markets
(US, Japanese, European), such as Japanese or European CDs on a U.S.
machine, and vice-versa.  This Lockout chip or BIOS information
instructed the CD unit to read the CD and look for a certain
file/security identifier that indicated that the CD was authorized for
use on the system.

To work around this, the folks at Datel designed the Pro CD-X and
Pro CD-X Plus.

Pro CD-X (and Pro CD-X Plus)

This is a special cartridge that plugs into the Genesis in the cart slot
and overrides the security commands of the Sega CD.  This allows you to
play any Sega CD or Mega CD title on any Sega CD or Mega CD system of a
different origin.  However, it wasn't 100% effective - not all games
were compatible with this unit, making its appeal very limited.

During Sega's redesign of the Genesis and CD system, they improved the
Bios to prevent this cartridge from working.

CD+Plus

   This cartridge looks like a regular Genesis cartridge and has better
success with compatibility than its predecessors.  When the Sega CD is
powered up with this cart in place, it's possible to run the Sega CD via
the options screen (select "CD-ROM").  The reset button does NOT open
the Sega CD tray (first model), you have to do that via the options
screen as well.

CD+PLUS does not work with the 32X installed.

   Japanese CDs known to work successfully with CD+PLUS:
           AlShark
           Burai
           F-1 Circus CD
           Final Fight CD
           Heavenly Symphony
           Lunar
           Prince of Persia
           Sega Classics Arcade Collection (4-in-1)
           Silky Lip
           Silpheed
           Sol Feace
           Super League CD
           Tenkafubu
           Thunder Storm

   Known NOT to work with CD+PLUS:
           Black Hole Assault
           Heavy Nova

   Known NOT to work with Pro CD-X:
           Ranma 1/2

Secondary security lockout Bypass -
   This is the option to using one of the above carts.  It is possible
   to build your own switch onto the back of the Sega CD.  It requires
   rewiring two transistors, indicating US or Japan (no idea how
   European Sega CDs would work with this).  No details are available in
   this FAQ.

VII.  Sega CD Backup RAM Cart

This is an ordinary-looking Genesis cart which allows you to copy
individual files to and from the Sega CD internal RAM.  It allows 16
times the storage of the Sega CD's internal RAM.  One nice advantage is
that many games (particularly the memory-hogging RPGs) will allow you to
play directly from the backup RAM cart.

The cart allows you to copy individual files or the entire directory to
it from the RAM, and allows individual files to be copied over (space
permitting) to the Sega CD Internal RAM.

It behaves very much like a floppy disk, in that it must be formatted
before use, then files can be copied to/from it.  Individual files can
also be deleted.  Known shelf life is probably on the order of several
years, maybe longer.

The RAM cart has capacity for 1 Mbit of data storage (which translates
to 2000 blocks), or sixteen times the storage capacity of the internal
Sega CD RAM (125 blocks).

It is also required to perform certain things, such as access the third
"hidden" battle stages in Shining Force CD.  Since each Shining Force CD
saved game takes up almost all the internal Sega CD RAM and you have to
have saved games from both parts 1 and 2, you must have at least one of
them stored on the RAM cart.  Also, some games such as "Shining Force
CD", "Third World War", and "Eye of the Beholder" take up all 125 blocks
with a save game, so if you want to save anything else (or have multiple
saves) the backup RAM cart is essential.

One note: the External RAM cart instructions do not mention how long the
cart will keep the files but more than likely will keep them
approximately 3-5 years, assuming that the player occasionally plugs it
into the Sega Genesis WITH the Sega CD attached to recharge it and keep
power at optimum levels.  Later versions of the FAQ will have an index
of the savegame filenames.  This way, you will know what those "mystery
files" are that have been there for a long time...

The RAM cart retails for $59.99, although they have been on sale at Toys
R Us for $29.99.  Highly recommended for RPGs. (No, I don't work for Toys
R Us...)

VIII.  Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Do any Sega CD titles use the "Mega Mouse"?

A:  Yes, they are:
       Eye of the Beholder
       Mansion of the Hidden Souls
       My Paint
    These titles are MUCH easier to use with the Mega Mouse instead of
    a standard joypad.

Q:  Is there an emulator that will let me play Sega CDs on my Mac/PC?

A:  No.  There has been extensive discussion on the Internet over such
    an emulator but no evidence of one has been brought forward.  It has
    been rumored that such an emulator did exist for the Macintosh since
    the Genesis and Mac are both 68000-based machines, and that the
    "emulator" was based on the development kit used by programmers to
    make Sega CD-based games.  With the appearance of NES, ColecoVision,
    and other game system emulators within the last couple years,
    chances are that a Sega CD emulator for Mac/PC/Unix might appear
    someday.

Q:  Is there a Game Genie for the Sega CD system?

A:  No.  There never was a "game enhancing" device for the Sega CD.
    Neither Galoob nor Datel ever brought one on the market.  At one
    point in time, approximately mid-1993 when the Sega CD was in its
    heyday, Galoob announced that they were working on a Game Genie for
    the Sega CD.  Based on comments from Galoob officials, the device
    would fit between the Genesis and the Sega CD.  However, due to
    market conditions (i.e. the system wasn't a booming success) and the
    inherent change invoked by Sega from the original Sega CD style to
    the newer Sega CD2 style made it not feasible for Galoob to develop
    such a device and thus it was shelved.  Reasons for this being, the
    change in system design by Sega made it harder for Galoob to make a
    "universal" style adapter that would work with both units (Sega CD 1
    and CD2) along with relatively few games and wavering public
    support.  (Side note: on review of the design of the original and
    newer Genesis and Sega CD systems, it is theoretically possible to
    have made it work.  It might have looked a little weird, but it was
    possible.)

Q:  What is the advantage of a CD title over the equivalent cart title
    (Example: Pitfall)?

A:  The CD version usually has better music (and more of it) since it
    comes directly from the CD.  Ecco the Dolphin is a good example of
    this.  In some titles, as in the case with Pitfall CD and Earthworm
    Jim CD, extra levels, sports teams, etc. are included.  Some titles
    also have FMV cinemas between levels.  Also, in some cases (such as
    Jurassic Park) it's an entirely different game.

Q:  Where can I find a list of cheats for Sega CD games?

A:  There are two places on the net you can look.  First, try the Sega
    Sages' page:

http://www.nebula.net/sega

    This site is a veritable encyclopedia of gaming info, from the NES
    to the Saturn.  There's a great section in there on the Sega CD, too.

    Also, Steve Wargo has a cheats list that is as complete as any I've
    seen (also includes some strategies).  Check here:

        http://www.phoenixat.com/~swargo/         - OR -

http://athos.phoenixat.com:80/~swargo

    Steve's database has been very well kept-up and includes hints as
    well as codes.

    Off the net, you can look for a book called "Sega CD Official Game
    Secrets", by Rusel DeMaria and Tom Stratton Jr.  (Prima Publishing,
    1994).  It's got EXCELLENT tips and walkthroughs on 27 Sega CD
    titles, including a few cheats here and there.  Very highly
    recommended for the library if you collect Sega CDs.

    The magazine "Tips and Tricks" also keeps a list of Sega CD cheats
    and Easter eggs.

Q:  Are there any other sources on the Internet for Sega CD information?

A:  The Usenet newsgroup rec.games.video.sega is a good place to look.
    Another newsgroup to check, although it's less busy, is
    alt.sega.genesis.  Generally, if you have a Sega CD-related
    question, post it there and someone will probably post an answer.
    Unfortunately, the Sega of America webpage:

http://www.segaoa.com

    no longer carries information about the Sega CD system or its games.

Q:  What is "QSound"?

A:  From the Sonic CD manual: "QSound Virtual Audio is a revolutionary,
    multi-dimensional sound placement technology.  If your Sega CD is
    connected to stereo sound, you can submerge yourself in the magic of
    state-of-the-art QSound.  This amazing sound technology gives you
    180 degrees of audio in a greatly expanded sound field.  You'll be
    surrounded in waved of 3-D sound!"  Sega CD titles which utilize
    QSound include:

       Spiderman vs. Kingpin
       Sonic CD

Q:  What are the RPGs available for the Sega CD?

A:  First, there's the Working Designs games:
       Dark Wizard (hex-grid battle-sim RPG)
       Lunar: The Silver Star  (most popular)
       Lunar: Eternal Blue
       Popful Mail (more of a platformer but lots of RPG-type elements
          to it)
       Shining Force CD (completely different stories from the cart-
          based games, and the stories here are VERY linear (ie no town
          exploration, just battle after battle)
       Vay (very good)

    There are a few others, which are ports from computer games:
       Eye of the Beholder
       Dungeon Master II
       Heimdall (more like a puzzle game)
    And then the misc. RPG-like category
       Dungeon Explorer II  (a Gauntlet clone, it's based on the Dungeon
          Explorer games for the TurboGrafx-16/Duo/PC Engine, although
          it's different from those two titles)

NOTE: There are more available for the Mega-CD (Japanese) and generally
   require the player to read Japanese in order to play them.  See the
   List (Section V) above for specific titles.

Miscellaneous tidbits...

   * Majority of Sega CD/CD2 design based on JVC CD technology
   * All original Sega CD game CD-ROMs were pressed by JVC for Sega
   * Many games can be reset with the joypad by simultaneously pressing
     A,B,C, then
   * Mega CD (Japanese) version of Sonic CD has different music than the
     US version and features a rap-based intro (!)
   * The most popular renter of Sega CD units and games was Blockbuster
     Video.  They were discontinued from most stores 1995-1996.

The SC-3000 was the computer equivalent of the SG-1000 cartridge-based gaming console manufactured by Sega.

The SC-3000 sold for ¥29,800 in 1983 and was marketed as a computer for beginners. Since games were compatible with both the SC-3000 and SG-1000, and since the SC-3000 was also able to run computer applications, it outsold the SG-1000.

Users were able to create their own programs and games on the machine. A speech synthesis unit, light pen, and several other third party accessories were also available.

The SC-3000H, which originally sold for ¥33,800, was an upgraded version of the SC-3000 with more RAM and an upgraded keyboard (the original keyboard was of the low-end membrane type).

The SC-3000 had an add-on called the SF-7000. The SF-7000 added 64KB of RAM and 8KB ROM, a 3-inch floppy disk drive, a Centronics parallel port, and an RS232 serial port.

[source Wikipedia & TVinJapan]

The following 13 part retrospective is narrated by Geoff Keighley who guides us from Final Fantasy’s earliest titles to the most recent.
Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Part 7:

Part 8:

Part 9:

Part 10:

Part 11:

Part 12:

Part 13:

Lowood is the curator of the History of Science and Technology Collections for Stanford University. More relevant to gamers, though, is the fact that Lowood recently got together with another game researcher, a blogger and two highly respected developers to come up with a list of games they feel should go in a museum.

“The video game canon is a list of 10 games that are important for history and all of game culture,” he said when the five-person panel sat down with MTV News at the Game Developers Conference earlier this month in San Francisco. “The reason we wanted to put a canon together was to jump-start efforts to preserve the history of digital gaming.”

Last July, the Library of Congress put out a call for suggestions on how the institution could preserve digital content, including “interactive games.” The Library collects important cultural and literary works from throughout the world, but so far hasn’t archived games. “I believe that was the first time a major American cultural institution said, ‘Games belong on that list,’ ” Lowood said. He decided to make a list, a suggested starting point of what should be saved.

A few months ago he roped in game designers Warren Spector (“Deux Ex”) and Steve Meretzky (“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) along with fellow academic Matteo Bittanti and gaming blogger Christopher Grant of Joystiq.com. Their mission, at first just by e-mail, was to submit two games apiece for the proposed museum list. Then they argued. Then they presented at GDC.

The list:

“Civilization” (series)

“Doom”

“Sensible World of Soccer”

“SimCity” (series)

“Spacewar!”

“Star Raiders”

“Super Mario Bros. 3″

“Tetris”

“Warcraft” (series)

“Zork”

Those 10 games weren’t the first ones the group selected. At least one major argument ensued when Bittanti initially nominated the “Call of Duty” series. “I was attacked by everybody,” he told MTV News. “Not too many people consider ‘Call of Duty’ a masterpiece.” He does, referring to the second game as a masterpiece of “merging cinema and games.” He argued that including the game would also touch on the close historical ties between the games industry and the military. The four others didn’t care; he was talked out of it. “Doom” would be the first-person-shooter on the list.

Grant was the one who officially backed “Doom” as one of his two choices. He too had considered a different first-person shooter. “My next game that I would have added that would have been hard to leave out was ‘Half-Life 2,’ he said. “I wanted to get a game that had been made more recently. The latest game on our list is from 1994.”

Meretzky was sympathetic. “I was actually pushing to have ‘Half-Life’ on there instead of ‘Doom’ because I thought it was a better example of the first-person-shooter genre.”

Spector didn’t care. “I would have resisted having a game that recent on the list if only because we don’t have the perspective to know what is going to have lasting value and what is going to change things.” He said “Grand Theft Auto” would surely make a future list, but games that recent need more time to settle in proper historical context.

The group debated whether recent games should go in. They pondered which versions of a game would go into a museum. If “SimCity” gets preserved, then which version? If “Doom” is preserved, then should the game’s most popular mods be as well? Should special credence be paid to what was first or is it more important, since these are games, after all, to preserve what was most fun?

“This is the real question,” Bittanti said. “Do you select a game that was groundbreaking because it was the first of a genre or do you pick a game like ‘Call of Duty’ or ‘Half Life 2′ which perfected the genre?”

Grant settled that debate for himself when he went about picking which Mario game to nominate.

“We were looking for originators, so I didn’t want to jump to Super Nintendo, and I didn’t want to jump to the 3-D games,” he said. “I wanted to stick to the original Mario series on NES. ‘Mario 2′ automatically kind of gets booted — sorry, ‘Mario 2.’ So it’s between ‘Mario’ 1 and 3. When it gets down to games you want to play, ‘Super Mario Brothers 3′ added more levels, more creativity, more power-ups, better graphics.” Plus “SMB3″ was marketed more extravagantly — it was featured in a movie, for one thing — than many games of its time, making it a precursor for the blockbuster treatment many more recent games get. So he picked that game, the one with Mario sporting a raccoon tail.

The group of five all emphasized the major impetus of this exercise: Games need saving. Digital entertainment doesn’t have the lasting power of books. A novel printed a decade ago may be dusty; its pages may be crumbling. But it’s not hard to preserve. A game made for an early 1980s video game console doesn’t get made anymore.

“I felt a little guilty talking about ‘Tetris’ because it is so accessible and it is so easy to play, easy to find, and so not in need of preservation,” said Spector. “But ‘Star Raiders,’ I can’t play it.” The game was released in 1979 on the long-defunct Atari computer. “Someone asked me, ‘Well, what was it like to play?’ I honestly have vague memories of it. I have memories of emotions it evoked. The fact that we can’t play that game anymore speaks to the importance of preserving our history and starting to do that right now before it’s all gone.”

[via Stephen Totilo at MTVnews]

Not so well.

As reported by the Associated Press, 19-year-old Patrick Morris was found guilty of the 2006 shotgun murder of a 15-year-old boy. According to the AP:

Defense attorney Robert Abel said violent video games, a history of emotional and behavior disorders and the use of mind-altering mushrooms affected his client…

His mother, Irma Espitia, told the judge her story about a troubled son, whom she tried to reach out to over and over. “He would just go into his room and play those video games,” she said.

The prosecution’s expert witness, Dr. Michael Knapp of Ashland, said it was ridiculous to blame video games. Moreover, he said, while you usually can’t predict violent behavior, other risk factors in Morris’ life, such as his drug use and his emotional disorders, were stronger factors.

Klamath County Judge Marci Adkisson apparently wasn’t buying the video game defense. After deliberating for 30 minutes she sentenced Morris to life in prison.

[via GamePolitics]

There’s been a lot of talk about Virtua Fighter 5 and the lack of online multiplayer. Ben’s review covered the game soundly, but we decided that a more lengthy discussion about the online multiplayer would be worthwhile. Some claim that the omission of an online mode in VF5 was simply due to Sega’s laziness. Some claim that Sega doesn’t have a competent programming staff. Without being able to get a direct, non-PR answer from Sega, we’re likely to never know the true reason. However, with a little consideration and some research, one of the claims proves to be the most likely scenario: lag would kill the experience. Fighting games and online play have a sordid history. While games like Dead or Alive 4 have proven to overcome the obvious problems that accompany an online fighter, others like Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 illustrate quite readily the deficiencies of network play for fighting games. The sheer speed and accuracy of transmission necessary to create a seamless online fighting experience is simply not possible in the average case.Of course, many would dispute the fact that lag hinders online play at all. Those who have played DOA4 may protest with anecdotal evidence that they’ve “never seen lag in X amount of games” while others would claim lag so common that it renders the entire game unplayable. The fact of the matter is that the inconsistency and unreliability of connection and transmission is a contributing factor to omission of online multiplayer in fighting games.

In the specific case of the online multiplayer found in Dead or Alive 4, you have to consider a few key mechanics before you conclude that since it has online play, all fighting games should. DOA4 is what you could call a “loose” fighting game. The hits and counters all have large windows of effectiveness: that is to say, when you issue a command, the attack will have an effect for a given amount of time. You may notice this when you attempt to complete a reversal: your character will reach out and hold a position for a second or two, during which any attack of the proper type will be reversed. The same is evident for “late” hits: moves that were launched and connected later than would be expected. This “window” of effectiveness is one of the things that allow DOA4 to be successfully played with a moderate amount of lag: the window allows the transmission of data to catch up with the on-screen action, so even if you’re lagging a bit, there’s still a good chance that you’ll execute the move with the proper timing. Yet even with these effective counter-measures, DOA4 is still hardly consistant in its playability: lag is common and detremental.

Virtua Fighter 5, on the other hand, is popular because it is a highly technical fighter that requires precision and reflex far beyond the typical fighting game: frame-specific blocks, miniscule dead-zones, and meticulous balance are all contributing factors to why the series is so highly regarded by die-hard fighting game fans. Most of these pluses, though, require pinpoint accuracy in the hit calculations and timing. Any small degree of lag would upset the careful and meticulous balance that makes the game so appealing to hardcore fighting fans in the first place; a 10ms lag could be the difference between a round-ending KO and a tide-turning counter. The aforementioned window in DOA4 is non-existent in games like Tekken and VF, where counters and blocks are calculated on a frame-by-frame basis rather than simply if hit within a given window of time.

But there are more problems. Say that the programmers decide to go ahead and push the knowingly subpar mode into their game. Having experience as a network programmer, I can tell you that a team never works on the assumption of the “best case.” Thus, knowing that the connection would be less-than-ideal in the average and worst cases, I would be programming for the worst case while accommodating and not hindering the best case. This would require some kind of compensation for the inherent lag in an online game. We’ve seen this type of compensation before. Counter-Strike, for example, was previously programmed to anticipate where a player was moving and translate the hit-boxes of that player forward by a degree of the latency for each user. This meant that hitting the player would actually mean aiming slightly in front of him. In technical fighting games, though, no such simple solution exists.

Consider Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the XBLA. The only coping mechanism for lag is to bog down the frame rate to allow for data transmission to keep up with the action. This has been thoroughly criticized by the media and by gamers in general, yet the call for online in Virtua Fighter 5 foregoes this obviously detrimental effect. Should Sega have included multiplayer, it would have likely led to situations like these and would likely have been criticized the same, belittling the product as a whole. Not a smart idea.

There are numerous reasons why online play in Virtua Fighter 5 would be unacceptable, but the latency issues are arguably the most influential. The fact of the matter is that any lag at all would ruin the core experience of VF5: the technical precision that has made the games so popular. To take that away would be taking away the very thing that makes the game worth playing to begin with, and the only people who would really want to do that are the people who don’t understand or don’t appreciate what the VF series is all about. If you want to play an online fighter, grab one of the arcade games or DOA4; leave Virtua Fighter to the gamers who would rather live or die by the split-second reaction of a joystick than the blinking lights of their broadband modem.

The Nintendo Wii will arrive stateside November 19 for $250. It will also include a copy of Wii Sports.

If true, this will be the first Nintendo console in history to launch at a price other than $200. According to the article (also being run by GameSpot and Engadget, among many others), 25 to 30 titles will be released for the Wii this year, including Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, and at least eight from Ubisoft.

Nintendo expects worldwide shipment numbers to total 4 million by the end of the year (we’re unsure whether they mean fiscal or calendar year). Virtual Console titles will be priced in the range of $5 to $10, similar to the prices (between 500 and 1000 yen) just announced in Japan.

That means the closest blogger to the correct release date / cost is tied between Blake and Jennie — congratulations, you guys have 15 mintues to gloat.

The Seattle Post-Intelligence confirmed to Nintendo Wii Fanboy that Scheisel’s article was posted in the NYT wire but quickly pulled. It was not altered by the Seattle publication and, after being pulled and then republished on PI’s website, remains in its original published form. As of 2:44 p.m. EST, the article has not shown up on The New York Times’ website. [Update: The article is now live at The New York Times website.]

That they are launching after the PlayStation 3, on a Sunday, sounds kind of fishy to us. We are still awaiting final confirmation from tomorrow’s NYC event, so don’t take this as the final word just yet. More details to come, so stay tuned.

Tecmo Bowl sucks, I got Joe Montana. You’re still playing Mario, Dude! Ask your Mom if you can come over. I’ll let you play on a real video game system. My Genesis has 16-bit graphics, what’s yours again? 8-bit, that’s funny. Oh the good old days of harassing Nintendo players. Being the first kid to own a Sega Genesis on my block was the biggest thrill of my adolescent life. Until Mark “My Parents are so Rich” Bradley brought in his Neo Geo instruction manual, everyone was my friend. But that’s another story for another time. It was a time when wearing British Knights and Air Jordans was as important as having a Triple Fat Goose and a Starter hat to be in the upper echelon of public middle school society. It was the pinnacle of Sega’s Pax Romana. Sadly, like a VH1 “Behind the Music” episode, the downward spiral soon began.

After being released in Japan back in 1985, the Sega Master System was brought to the United States with no great success. Almost every one I talk to fails to remember it at all. “What’s this?” I remember asking when I opened a present from my Father. Being rather disappointed that all my friends had the NES with “Rob the Robot” and I got stuck with some crappy black brick, I barely played it. While everyone else was getting it on with Super Mario Brothers, Excite Bike, and Legend of Zelda, I was sulking in the shadows with the likes of Rambo and Alex Kidd. Let’s just say, as a venture console here, it was a flop. Third party games were flocking to the NES while Sega was producing only their own games.

With mediocre sales in Japan and U.S. markets, Nintendo was looking down its nose at Sega. European sales of the Master System, strange as that sounds, brought Sega enough money to give birth to the greatest of its consoles, the Genesis. I literally shredded the box opening it when it released in1989. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely open the packaging. In minutes I was punching and kicking my way through Altered Beast in search of those magic blue floating orb thingies filled with super steroids. After gaining 50 lbs of muscle and some mystical glow around my fists and feet with the first two juice injections, I found the third one and got taken to an awe-inspiring cut scene of my guy morphing into a werewolf (Hooowwwlll). That’s when I knew Nintendo’s days were numbered. Genesis games were averaging $50 at Toys’R'Us. I begged and pleaded to get Styrder, which was the most expensive game out at $69.99, and finally got it and Streets of Rage for Christmas that year. Phantasy Star, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pat Riley’s Basketball, Shinobi 3, Truxton, Shining Force, I could go on and on about all the awesome games that came out. Sega became number one here in the U.S with a battle cry of “Genesis does! Genesis does! You can’t do this on Nintendo,” and the “Sega!” Yell. Come on, who doesn’t remember those commercials? They were great. I was a little daunted about my Genesis’ console supremacy when the Turbo Grafix 16 came out, but laughed when I saw how rushed and full of bugs it was. I continued in my reverie until Nintendo struck back with the Super NES in 1991. It came with a six button controller and was the first system to bring Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat to home gaming. Not to be outdone, Sega ported the games and made a redesigned controller housing six buttons, but this did little to bring back Sega’s dominance.

While everyone was playing their new Super Nintendo, I was thinking of what Sega was going to unleash next. Boy was I disappointed in the end, but I’ll get back to that ballyhoo later. I’m going to rewind, then fast-forward a little here. See, there was this thing called the “Gameboy,” and Nintendo was making a killing with it. There was no such thing as mobile gaming on your cell phone back in the late 80’s early 90’s. Cell phones then were owned by rich people who wore power suits and rode around in limos. So, if you didn’t have a “Gameboy,” you had Tiger handheld games if you wanted mobile games. Well, that and thumb wrestling. Sega thought since they were dominating the home gaming industry, and 99% of people already have thumbs, then they should try and dominate mobile handheld games too. In 1991, Sega unveils its own hand held. Sound the trumpets; here comes the “Game Gear.” Good idea, but if you weren’t near a wall socket with the AC adapter or just happen to be carrying a pound of AA batteries with you, you were sucking. They said it had a three-hour power capacity with new batteries, but I think it was more like 20 minutes. Energizer must have had stock in that thing, I swear. There weren’t many new or innovative games for it either. Most of them were just Genesis games formatted into 8-bit graphics. Basically, crappier looking games you’ve already played, on a battery-devouring black brick. I don’t know who devised the design, but it seems the black brick thing is here to stay. I was not impressed when I got this, but it was in color. That’s right color… oooh… ahhh. Next, we fast-forward four years to the Nomad. Of course Sega didn’t learn their lesson with the Game Gear. Instead of crappy looking 8-bit versions of Genesis games, they made a hand held that you could play all your Genesis games on. All right sweet, I can play my Genesis games on the bus…what the…man this thing eats more batteries than the Game Gear. I guess Duracell found out about Energizer’s stock in the Game Gear and wanted to get in on the action too. I didn’t own one, but my friend Kevin did. I’ll give you one guess on what it looked like. That’s right a black brick. How’d you guess?

Now, I am going to bring up the dumbest, bass-ackward, WTF time period for Sega or any video game company for that matter. I’m sure at the time it must have sounded like a great idea, but why would any company make itself a competitor? I guess when you’ve been backed into a corner you’ll do anything to fight your way out. They’d try one thing and when it didn’t get results right away they brought out something new. After the huge loss of revenue at the hands of the SNES, Sega tried to return to its powerhouse sales – and failed horribly . Let’s begin in 1992 shall we?

Genius idea #1: Sega CD. As the name implies, the games were on CD; hurray! Who’s laughing now Turbo Grafix 16? It was an add-on, or should I say large black brick looking tray thing, that the Genesis sat on top of and slid over to connect them via a side port. It costs a wallet-raping $299.99. The Sega CD had its own games. About the only one I liked was Lethal Enforcers, but it was really expensive too. You had to buy the gun(s) to really play the game. The Sega CD had a very limited run of games because Sega was really stingy with its development tools. With so few games and a huge price tag it flopped horribly, driving profit further into the red.

Genius idea #2: The 32X. It was another add-on that plugged into the cartridge slot of the Genesis, doubled the bit rate, and cost a measly $159.99. It had its own games with their own special cartridges. It did have a few cool games like Afterburner, Doom, and my personal favorite Space Harrier. Initially the Sega CD and 32X were supposed to be compatible, but that fell through. So, those of us who picked tobacco, mowed lawns, and bucked hay in the middle of summer to earn money so our parents would buy us this got screwed. The result of such a poor idea and implementation was mass revenue loss.

Genius idea #3: Enter the Dragon of the Sega Saturn. For only $399.99 you could own the newest installment of Sega consoles. If gamers and parents weren’t already confused and unsure in 1995, they were after Sega released the Saturn. “Which system does my kid own?” I heard in many game stores from parents not in the know. I never bought a Saturn because I was about to finish high school and go off to the Navy. Other than getting to play Panzer Dragoon at a friend’s, I didn’t get a lot of exposure with the system. The biggest problem besides all the different consoles Sega manufactured was an upstart in the gaming industry called Sony. That and the fact Sega still hadn’t learned to make it easier for developers to make games. Sony’s debut of the Playstation that year was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Sony quickly grabbed Sega’s reeling gamers who felt betrayed and used by the company. I was one of those gamers who cut my losses and turned my back on a franchise I had loved for years.

After almost four years of nothing, Sega announced the Dreamcast woud go on sale on 9/9/99. A lot of gamers felt the same as I after the CD/ 32X/ Saturn fiasco: “Why should we show you any brand loyalty after everything you put us through?” . Undaunted, with the backing of Microsoft and with their super-hyped “Next-Gen” system as a bayonet, Sega rallied for one last charge into the trenches of the console war. They had great first year release games like Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead 2, Power Stone, and Sega Bass Fishing. With that, Sega seemed on the rebound sporting the best controller ever made to date (It is the best and I don’t care what anyone else says on the matter), an innovative memory card which you could play mini games on, and online play forecasted in the “then” near future. My faith returned to the Sega name after a short stint with my new Dreamcast. I brought my Dreamcast and game collection with me when my ship was being deployed to the adulation of the rest of the crew. Not since Golden Eye for the N64 had there been gaming marathons onboard. Young, old, enlisted, and officers alike waited their turn to take on the current champ of Soul Calibur or in some 4-way Power Stone. I remember getting woken up many times by people asking to borrow it so they could try their luck at fishing or owning some zombies. When the PS2 dropped in 2000, I laughed at the release games and left EB Games without one. I did eventually buy one, but I used it as a DVD player for the longest time. In 2001, good games did start coming out for the PS2 and Sega was once again cast from the forefront. After two years of production Sega pulled the plug on the Dreamcast and sold off many of its franchises.

Sega started as a small business from which spawned a gaming giant. As with all great Empires, they eventually rot, crumble, and fall from their own ever-grasping hand. After the Genesis they tried to go in too many directions at once and spread their resources too thin. They knew they would have major competition from other game developers, but I bet when they started, they never imagined they would be their own worst enemy. If Sega had used the CD unit as a springboard until perfecting the Saturn, things might have gone differently. Alas, you can’t re-fight Sunday’s battle on Monday, for which I’m sure the then CEOs are still kicking themselves. I still have fond memories of my childhood and younger adult life playing some of the greatest games ever made. Sega had numerous wonderful ideas, but none ever came to profitable fruition. [via 2old2play]