DF Retro Marathon: The Sega 32X Failure - Every Game Tested

This compilation video compiles two DF Retro episodes into a single, 75 minute video and forms part of our brand new, DF Retro Marathon playlist.
This episode takes us well back into the archives. Return with us to 2018, where a younger, fresh-faced John Linneman gets to grips with the problematic history of the Genesis 32X/ Mega Drive 32X - before beginning a relentless deep dive begins into the system's ENTIRE LIBRARY of games. How did the peripheral actually work? What parts of the game were rendered with Genesis and which parts were handled by 32X? The results are often surprising.
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Sega 32X thumbnail photography by Evan-Amos, license here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32X#/me...

[@JamesOfEarth]

Was an associate producer on MK and MKII. The 32x version was sadly rushed to meet release. I also produced the 32x version of NFL Quarterback Club. Going to have to search for part 2 vid to see what you thought. I still have six copies in mint, unopened I should probably try to sell someday. Edit: Seems both parts were included here. I’ll take “not terrible” and “a step up from Madden games of the era” as compliments!

[@corey2232]

That's cool! I think most people realize a lot of 32x versions were rushed to meet release, especially given the limited window in which the 32x was even a focus. You should get 1 of your copies graded first before selling. I'm sure it'd be a pretty cool find for a collector

[@rangersnut]

That is cool that you were a part of that.

[@jesseslack2089]

I phucking love MK2 on the 32x!!!

[@wizzgamer]

Loved Probe I once got them to make 10 ports of the same game they had them all ready in 6 months.

[@michaels9917]

Bro!!! Loved NFL Quarterback Club. Character animation was amazing. Controls felt great as well.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Oh god it's a baby John!

[@tricky2917]

Sir baby John.

[@user-ce1nf1fx2z]

Master System II

[@M.W.H.]

It's actually level-1 John.

[@user-ce1nf1fx2z]

@@M.W.H. Yeah I'm not into sloppy seconds.

[@kupokinzyt]

a baby, it's a human baby!

[@princepeachfuzz]

stop buggin my man John for changing customization options, the subsurface scattering & strand based hair system on his model are top notch and I'm glad I'm seeing my favorite host in another light

[@electrikoptik]

The 32X would have succeeded if it weren't held back by Xbox Series S

[@glenn3646]

[@joejoe2658]

i found an S in a dumpster in 94. i left it there.

[@fcukugimmeausername]

Lol

[@matthewjohnson1891]

Lol

[@tony_0088]

😂😂

[@andyward8430]

I begged and begged for a 32x as a kid, along with the jaguar and never got either. In hindsight I’m thankful. It would be fun to have one now though.

I got my 32X for like $30 in 95. No joke. It also came bundled with Virtua Fighter. I wish I had kept it and the games, because a few are pretty valuable right now, like Blackthorne, Spiderman and Knuckles Chaotix.

[@Daniel__Nobre]

I still dream about getting one tower of power, just for a weekend, play the hell out of it and then sell it. Just to appease that wish I had as a kid and get closure 😂

[@thedudely1]

I definitely prefer these "marathon" compilation videos vs multi part videos. Love this one!

[@gunstar7538]

why does Jon look about 10 years old :O)

[@padibuz]

Haha, my first thought was "hey, this is old footage". He looks way younger! And it's not just the part where he shaved :)

[@HoroJoga]

almost that on the first video lol

[@Skradgee]

This is a re-upload… not sure why.

[@Name-tn3md]

Hes your brother older one

[@somatyk]

​@@Skradgeedunno. So was the PS1 history. 3 episodes into 1. Still great stuff.

[@Aggrofool]

Mommy, what are those two Sega machines doing??

[@ottolehto]

They are having 32X

[@Mike-fu8bq]

Lol

[@D33PLOV3]

Amazing

[@donjohnson7768]

Magazine ads in the 90's have no equal

[@kyleAGB]

Imagine thinking ‘I should post this on the internet’

[@VincentVanBro]

Nothing makes me happy quite like a thicc DF Retro video dropping on a Friday afternoon 👌

[@ebridgewater]

Even if it is a repost?

[@quicklern818]

I'm one of the fools who went from Genesis to the Sega CD, then the 32x. When the Playstation came out...I bought a Saturn. I remember going to Blockbuster to rent a Saturn game, and it was half of a shelf of games. Playstation games needed a full aisle...I finally just got released from the mental institution a couple months ago after 29 years, did I miss anything?

[@glenn3646]

Sega had some awesome games back in the day, shinobi,street of rage series, sonic, ecco the dophin, joa montana football, and they had blood on mortal kombat what cheat code that was, I remember seeing a fatality first time of sub zero all the blood just crazy

[@hw5091]

you were a glutton. I had a genesis, no cd, then got a 32x when I hit up my dad for it in a rare opportunity. I then got an n64, but traded mario party for a saturn and a few games n demos. I then bought some saturn games, a lot of them being japan capcom fighters and some $3 games from the local game store. Saturn is ok, 32x was......passable in the moment, and the genesis was fucking great.

[@jonnymack1974]

If it's any consolation I am also you 😂

[@TechRyze]

Sega was popular, so lots of gamers bought the hardware. Not enough to save them, and the games just weren't plentiful or up to standard in general by the time the 32X and Saturn came along. Lots of missing games and scruffy, poorly ported titles unfortunately. The reports on the 32X and Saturn said they were more capable than the Model 1 Arcade board. They just showed fake Arcade screenshots before the crap like Cosmic Carnage and Motor Cross garbage arrived with the system. Terrible start.

[@TheWarmotor]

I also had the model 1 Genesis, Model 2 SegaCD, and I bought a 32X with all of the worthy games (Doom, VF, VR, Star Wars, MH, etc) from a kid at school for $50. I loved all of them, and for a few months no other console games could touch what the 32X had, unless you're talking about a $700 3DO or whatever. In my room I had the Tower of Power hooked to my Kenwood with 15" Sansui speakers with my SCD as my CD player... I sold my massive collection of carts and CDs, along with the console(s) for $200 so I could buy a PlayStation. It took about 20 years before I regretted it, my copies of Snatcher and Rise of the Dragon would probably buy me a used car today. C'est La Vie!

[@TheBean87]

NBA jam, motocross championship, virtual fighter, space harrier and wrestlemania were my jams!

[@HoroJoga]

The intro with the Saturn sound is great.

[@JJKoester]

49:28 - You say that knowing darn well that a hummingbird-based shooter was one of the top 40 selling games of all time for the console.

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

It was probably one of the best games on the platform though. The only real knock against it is that it's brutally difficult and you won't have an easy time getting the most out of it. The game is beautiful, but barely anyone got to see it past the first couple of levels and the gameplay is a bit basic for the amount of repetition you'd have to do to get good. I think it's the same developers as Shadow of the Beast, which is a series of games with beautiful graphics and sound, but mindless gameplay that rewards rote memorisation over player expression by basically making you fight off so many assailants that it's an achievement to move more than two steps towards your destination at a time. Imagine if that Dr Jekyll game on the NES was a psuedo-metroidvania with maze like level design where you had to find key items to progress to the next stage, or if Abe from Oddworld decided to go around slapping people. In short, they had form for that kind of design.

[@JJKoester]

@@casanovafunkenstein5090 Yes, but... Dude, can we bring the brewskis?

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

@@JJKoester of course ve can bring ze brewskis

[@pixelsncreatures]

For years I thought my copy of Knuckles Chaotix was broken. I found out years later that my Genesis wasn't working right with the 32x

[@gummislayer1969]

...and it NEVER would!!! 🤦🏾‍♂🤦🏾‍♂🤦🏾‍♂ I LOVE Sega, Chaotix is VERY nice to look at, sounds groovy - HELL to play. But let's be VERY frank - the 32x is a piece of 💩💩💩!!! It's no wonder it's formed as a mushroom - get it: portabella mushrooms grow in...well, you know? 🤷🏿‍♂🤷🏿‍♂🤷🏿‍♂ I have (pretty much) a full set for 32x, enjoyed IMMENSELY a number of games from the mega drive & SegaCD, have a Saturn AND a Dreamcast. (HUGE sigh...) Yeah...THAT one: fail - Sega!!! To me (REALLY!?!?!?) nothing redeeming bout it, whatsoever... 😞💔👎🏾

[@MMaxMacUser]

Congratulations, not only for the quality of the content, but also for the choice of topics: truly

[@hyznth]

Really enjoyed this! Thank you for putting so much effort into the great captures. A pleasure to look at!

[@slot9]

Great to see this come out as one combined video. This was among my favorite DF Retros. I must admit, I still look forward to a potential 'every game on the jag' video :D

[@Nolasco.]

Really well done John, a pleasure seeing this video. Thanks for your hard work ❤

[@tecwizkid]

Wow looking really well John! Stunner bro 🙌🏻 Love the retro reviews. Pure quality 👌🏻

[@scrunkge]

So uh... where can I find Fred Couples and his 36 great holes???

[@MrKoblepot]

Not only they're 36 but they're great 🤩🤩🤩

[@Wild_Samurai]

These DF retro marathons are a treat! Love to journey through gaming systems I never owned.

[@rangersnut]

These DF retro videos are so well done. Thank you.

[@ViperGTS737]

Loved the intro with the Saturn boot sound

[@akaimizu1]

Darkxide definitely looked like they were trying hard to bite off more than they can chew. Even the Wing Commander series, initially, did not even touch the concept of full 3D polys, using instead 2D images that were scaled and had specific angles of which they chose which 2D image to show.

[@Alianger]

31:33 The chords and hi-hat are actually handled by the SN76489 (Master System) chip :)

[@dmer-zy3rb]

It was pretty cool that the legacy sound chips of the Sega consoles could contribute blto the music and sound effects. GBA also could use the Gameboy chip. Ace Attorney games on Nintendo DS also had Gameboy sounds, but they were probably just sampled at that point.

[@skalt711]

​@@dmer-zy3rbDS audio chip's second 8 channels out of 16 can use Game Boy-like PSG sound

[@0xF00F00]

Golf Magazine: 36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples

[@spahr001]

Actually a very good golf game for the time.

[@jordanbisasky4586]

But unlike Craig Stadler,, you can't get it inside mine 😂

[@davidt3563]

Dang 59:03 that is actually incredibly impressive for the time!

[@sandervanleth8518]

wow, way to unlock a core memory with the Street Rod music during the golf section there, DF! Well done :D

[@scalliano]

Of course, it took homebrew devs to show us what the 32x was truly capable of - the Doom 32x Resurrection hack absolutely trounces the official release and even beats the Jag version in terms of features and performance. It even has a 2-player split screen mode that runs surprisingly well.

[@linchpin666]

aww MAAAN.....this takes me back HARD. ❤ plus I feel very old all of a sudden. Thanks, John. Well done!!!

[@johnellis3383]

Oh man i still remember seeing MK2 for the 32X at my local blockbuster. I bugged my mom SO much to get me a 32X but she wouldnt budge. I guess having an "arcade perfect version of Mortal Kombat" didn't mean as much to her lol

[@yanceyboyz]

Wise woman! Nowhere near arcade perfect! She knew!!!! Haha

[@James-gj8rn]

I hope regular DF Retro episodes are still a thing, they are my favourite videos on the channel

[@CaspisSinclair27]

Much appreciation for your hard work!

[@thedude8128]

DF is the greatest gaming channel on YT. I love geeking out on stuff like this. You're a legend John! It's so cool disconnecting the pass through. I wonder if there's someone on YT that shows every 32x with/out pass through

[@jaydy71]

Back in the days, seeing After Burner and Space Harrier on it, I was simply blown away. To my eyes they were the same as those magical arcades and I really wanted one. I could've seen this taking off if Sega also ported other popular arcade titles to it such as Out Run, delaying the Saturn for a year or 2 and releasing an all-in-one MegaDrive+32X+CD.

[@phrozac]

The 32X was the first video game hardware I ever bought. I got a Genesis for Christmas and the 32x a few years later. I only had 2 games for it, Virtua Racing and Doom. I played the S*** out of those. The 3dness was mind-blowing at the time.

[@richtersundeen6105]

It'd be great for Sega CD and 32X games to come to Switch Online's Genesis app. It'd make the Genesis app more interesting than the dozens of Genesis compilations out there.

[@cordia96]

45:40 excellent choice. cool to see a shoutout to Blackthorne. love the breakdowns of the music tracks.

[@Toadws85]

As someone who got their 32x around Christmas the year it launched, I always enjoyed my time with it. I had also had the Sega CD and really loved that add on. We also had a 3DO when they went on sale down to $500, but even after newer hardware came out, my friends and I would return to the 32x often. Virtua Racing was amazing for the time. Mortal Kombat 2 was the absolute best port at the time and my friends and I were absolutely obsessed with MK and that alone made it worth while. Hated going to my friends and playing it on their SNES lol. We poured a lot of time in to NBA Jam. Doom was so much fun, as most of my friends didnt have PCs it was the first introduction for them. We also really liked Cosmic Carnage and Metal Head, titles people dont look back on fondly. And then the 32x and Sega CD games. Loved, loved, loved Fahrenheit, Slam City and Night Trap. I dont care what people say, I loved my 32x then and still really enjoy it!

[@eligaller9190]

Fantastic episode full with nostalgia. Thank you.

[@KaramRahat]

Perfect to listen to at work

[@parappatherapper4141]

literally me right now lol. Love these podcasts, thought I was the only one who fired these videos up while working.

[@matthewjohnson1891]

What job can you watch videos at?

[@jonRock]

I am listening to this while programming some software. Great background noise.

[@KaramRahat]

@matthewjohnson1891 hospitalist. Sometimes listen to a podcast or video after rounding and charting on slow days.

[@JFinns]

Yea but not really look, this console was a dumpsterfire lol. Surprised DF even made this video.

[@spx2327]

Thank you for another masterpiece John! 🦾

[@harlockmbb]

They Create Worlds podcast just did a two episode about Sega Saturn and has a lot of new info about the background of the 32X.

[@onceuponatimeonearth]

I love these marathon episodes on retro console games. Reminds me of the CGQ launch episodes and it's super comfy to watch.

[@KateKehoe-on6cf]

Great watch this John

[@michaels9917]

I feel obligated to defend Golf Magazines 36 Great Holes every time it gets dunked on. Honestly, it's a lot of fun, and the swing mechanic is very forgiving for novice video golf fans like myself. Don't listen to the hate Fred Couples. I still love you.

[@alexanderramirez158]

In your Sega 32x DF Retro Marathon video, what is the name of the song playing in the background during the Darkxide segment (54:29 to 56:11) (clearest at 55:44 to 55:48)!? I BEG! PLEASE! I NEED TO KNOW!

[@Renk1]

Having recently completed a CiB Sega 32X set I approve the rewatch of this video. A nice system, really!

[@M3troid.]

I can see John was really having fun with Fred Couples game.

[@matthewnikitas8905]

Funny to see this re uploaded I was just watching the original video the other day 😆

[@iwanecky]

That Diablo 2 music in the background activated some really good memories.

[@gregmitchell5138]

Great, in depth video as ever, DF! I sort of can't believe I watched the entire thing. As a long time Sega guy, I had a fully functional CIB 32x until recently. The only games I personally found worthwhile for it were Shadow Squadron, Virtua Racing, Zaxxon's Motherbase, and maybe MKII. It was a well marketed system by Sega US; launching with VR Deluxe, Star Wars (especially when no Star Wars games came out for Genesis!), and Doom was a great kickoff. It was...what happened afterward that doomed it, IMO. Oh, and you HAD to hate having three wall wart plugs.

[@xbxreg1]

i haven't even watched the video yet, but you get a thumbs up just for bringing back childhood memories of my 32x games (ahh that space harrier tune)😊

[@ByungSuk]

I get it! You're re-uploading everything or at least this video and upscaled it with the Retrotink 4K. DF also added new images and additional context.

[@spencerhon4430]

I love when John asks, "You remember *random game* right?" when in fact, I do not. Actually, 90% of the time he asks that question I have no idea what he's talking about and I consider myself pretty well versed in video game history 😅 Just one of those things that makes me chuckle every time he says it.

[@tuc5987]

Early 90s console reviewed by early 90s John, such dedication!

[@dunnono00]

3:32 Phew.... you had me going there for a moment. Was about to call the aspect ratio police on that one. lol, nah, I do like the sincerity in keeping things legit

[@aeron5162]

I love the weird Era of the 32x, 3do, Jaguar, PCfx, and the other "in-between" consoles. Hopefully we get more videos of them!

[@AndyGaskin]

Love the little sound effects 3:25

[@bigredgumbo]

Great vid John, I wasn't into DF when this was first released. maybe a short intro would've helped with orientation 😂

[@FinalDisintegration]

This is gonna be good. I remember buying my 32x for like $25 at a Sears, if i remember correctly. The box was so dinged up and damaged. Cheap and broken was a perfect analogy for the 32x.

[@noname9935]

You guys just threw me off. I was watching this and I was like wait a minute.. I've seen this already..how?? I realized You guys just condensed both episodes into one video. Good idea. This was a great episode really and really worth the watch.

[@guestbedroomstudios5589]

Working at a gaming retailer at the time, there was a lot of consumer confusion about this device. Also it was really obvious there was no way this was going to last unless Saturn could play the carts too.

[@guilhermoadib]

Great content, but it's just a shame Doom 32x Resurrection is not mentioned. Chilly willy wolf3d made the way, but the more impressive homebrew didn't cut. It would be a showcase of what a reasonably optimized and developed game could be, presented by 32x hardware. Open Lara proof of concept should be there too.

[@renereiche]

Jon, you are NUTS! Pulling all those music samples from the different versions of Star Trek Star Fleet Academy... I love ❤that you have the passion to see those ideas and excursions through, but I hope you don't overdo it and burn out; there have been so many of those from you in a short time lately.

[@myaccount__7269]

This is a old video

[@michaelbusto4429]

John looking so young I had to look to check how old the video was. Looks like a smoothing filter processed the video and made the skin look a lot smoother and John younger.

[@AndrewTSq]

gotta love the intro music from sega rally 2 :D

I had a 32X as a kid, I remember it well. My feelings went from excitement to disappointment in a matter of months, when I realized no new games would be coming out for it and Sega was focusing on the Saturn. I don't understand why they couldn't have kept the 32X going another year. There was suppose to be an Alien vs Predator game, a port of Daytona USA, Outrun, an X-Men game and a bunch more titles.

[@VOAN]

More games such as Darkstalkers, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Revolution X, Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Rayman, Sonic 32X, Sonic the Fighters, Aladdin, Ratchet and Bolt, X-Men: Children of the Atom, The Need For Speed, Madden NFL 96, NBA Hangtime, Shaq Fu, Dragon Ball Z: Shin Butoden, Samurai Shodown 3, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, The King of Fighters 96, Fatal Fury 3, Tempest 2000, Astal, Waterworld, and Battle Arena Toshinden were all plan for the 32X but all are either cancelled or were re-released exclusively for the Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, or PlayStation.

[@AntneeUK]

I must admit I'd have really enjoyed a version of this that had gone through a Retrotink 4K to get a more realistic "what you'd have seen at the time", but 35 minutes in, so far so good!

[@nicolascattelan]

Johns videos are unmatched

[@aterikasedi]

Old but gold video.

[@bsaintnyc]

John produces the best content on this channel bar none. It's not even close. If DF has the budget they need to have John pumping out these retro videos constantly. Failed consoles are fantastic. I love watching this because in the 90s i skipped 32x I knew it was a POS from the beginning, none of the games looked good. From DF retro I can experience all of the titles I missed good and bad. I am a videogame fanatic like John. I'd play them all good and bad if I had the time and money.

[@rangersnut]

I never had one but a friend did back in the day. I remember being blown away by virtua fighter and doom on it. Being impressed, seems funny today, but it was quite good at the time.

[@crithon]

such a fun time capsule of the era.

[@Phelaidar]

Beard and High-Definition changes a man.

[@Benhind]

Nice use of SMW sound fx in 3:26!

[@Polymate3D]

32X has as many exclusive titles as the Playstation 5...

[@captain-argento3671]

Awesome vídeo. Would love to see some neo Geo AES content.

[@Green_Ninja325]

My grandma bought me a 32X when I was 10. Loved it back in the day

[@maxcady360]

The fact that the 32x had a better version of Virtua Fighter compared to the Saturn is nothing short of stunning.

[@VOAN]

That's probably due to the format it use, on cartridge the loading are more precise and there are less glitches. On disc the loading cause the game to flicker too much making it unpleasant to play.

[@Myako]

It's a shame you didn't seize the opportunity to include the newest homebrew like Doom 32X Resurrection, Mortal Kombat II Arcade Edition MSU-MD, Golden Axe 32X, Sonic 32X and Pinocchio 32X Special Edition. 😔

[@matthewjohnson1891]

I want to try sonic 32x

[@rangersnut]

I haven't heard of those things, but that is interesting. I would like to see that.

[@scottlinux]

This is a repeat of about a 10-year old video, ha.

[@Myako]

@@scottlinux ...hence my statement about it being a shame they didn't use this as an opportunity to expand it.

[@Camtrack]

and tomb raider

[@cheochessman2922]

Reuploaded video from 2015

[@Bassquake76]

Was only 5 years ago tho right? RIGHT??

[@dotfearlolpwned]

Just in time, sat down with a cuppa.

[@satekeeper]

It's a crime that we've yet to get a Fred Couple's golf 4K HD remaster.

[@pobbityboppity1110]

Love these videos

[@Spodlude]

Why does John look younger by 10 years!?

[@_TheElMan]

Because it's an old video from before they were big

[@michaelrhodes4235]

This is a compilation of old DF videos.

[@wusstunes]

Knowing how 32X development kind of sidetracked sega devoting internal resources to saturn, all the solid internal projects on this platform are kind of just upsetting. Imagine if this energy was all concentrated on saturn instead of the mushroom.

[@NiGHTS1980]

I'm getting a Wreck-it-Ralph vibe from John.

[@eqjase]

You know. I’m one of the rare people that was stoked on this as a kid. I got one basically right at launch. I had Star Wars, virtua racing, nba jam, mk2. My personal experience was great. I eventually moved to PlayStation but I loved my 32x and remember really wanting doom. Did it have a ton of good games? No. But the ones I had I loved. I still keep it in a box in the garage. It’s not worth much but it’s worth something to me.

[@x100bullets]

John’s got a legit game collection

[@highlycaffeinated6864]

I was so confused when I first saw John in this video. Thought I was seeing a glitch in the Matrix and my reality from 2018 got reuploaded somehow.

[@bonoab]

why are they re-uploading videos?

[@PistNRods]

32X had some bangers. Was one of the best christmas' with Doom and Star Wars arcade.

[@RetroGamingDev]

"Just Doom" - love it!

[@SystemBD]

Knuckles' Chaotix.... with Fred Couples!

[@NickBlanco]

I love the probe entertainment logo

[@michelanvalo]

This list is missing WWF RAW for the 32X. That game had a specific 32X release. There wasn't a ton of changes but it added updated graphics and Kwang as a wrestler Edit: RAW and WrestleMania the Arcade Game are in the original videos but cut from this compilation

[@Dragonfury3000]

That's weird

[@coliander4180]

Copyright strike, probably.

[@Bezzer1975]

Eh?. Just watched it! Starts @ 1:04:55

[@michelanvalo]

@@Bezzer1975 That is so weird, it was in there yesterday when I made the comment

[@tilda5944]

One question, do effects like motion blur and film grain increase input lag?

[@thisthatpresents3261]

I love df retro. You should cover the Capcom beat'em ups

[@Cricket-qd5ri]

I was hoping to watch something about the recent released 32x Tomb Raider home port =( But that was awesome, thanks for the video.