Sega CD (Mega CD) - Fourth VideoGame Generation Recap - Adam Koralik

www.figureitoutproductions.com
/ figureitoutproductions
This is a discussion topic video about the fourth generation of videogame consoles. This will be part four of my nine part mini-series. Here we will discuss the Sega CD (AKA Mega CD), yeah I know it's technically an add-on.

[@michaelwolfe9496]

Sega was on some hard drugs in the 90s. We got the Master System 2, a shit ton of Genesis models, a couple different Sega CD models, the 32X, the Game Gear, the Saturn and the Dreamcast, not to mention all of the unreleased stuff like the Neptune, all in 10 years!! Personally, I think that anyone who blames the Sega CD or the 32X alone for the company's downfall, don't know what they are talking about.

[@AdamKoralik]

Michael Wolfe Unfortunately, people tend to want a simple answer. Tends to lead to a lot of misinformation.

[@Halbared]

@@AdamKoralik THe problem wasn't the CD but the CD was systematic of the problems Sega had.

[@madhatter8508]

Sega could have recovered from the 32X the same way Nintendo recovered from the Virtual Boy: by throwing everything they had behind their next gen console. Nobody remembers the Virtual Boy because Nintendo of America gave the N64 their full support. Sega of America, on the other hand, killed the Saturn in utero with that early launch and all but promising it would be backward compatible with Sega Genesis and Sega CD. They wouldn't outright confirm it, but they strongly hinted at it. The 32X was actually popular until the early Saturn launch in 1995, when they abruptly killed the 32X and alienated retailers who refused to carry the Saturn for the rest of the 90s, and subsequently alienated developers and consumers. Then they hired that idiot Bernie Stolar to finish the job by sitting out the console market from 1997-1999. The few games he allowed to be localized, like Panzer Dragoon Saga, were printed in such limited quantities that it made no impact at all. Panzer Dragoon Saga is at least on par with Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Zelda, but nobody remembers it in the west because Sega only printed 20,000 copies. The Sega CD, unlike the 32X and the early Saturn launch, did not hurt Sega. It helped Sega and other developers learn how to develop CD-ROM games a generation earlier than they would have otherwise. Had Sega thrown all that money they wasted on the 32X behind the Sega CD, and supported that for 2 more years instead of the 32X, they could have doubled its userbase and undercut the PlayStation. They could have had Star Wars Arcade with scaling and rotation. They could have had Virtua Racing or Daytona USA with scaling and rotation to simulate 3D, and consumers of that time wouldn't have known the differene. They could have used scaling and rotation to make Virtua Fighter for the Sega CD - they used it for Dark Edge in the arcades, after all. They could have even ported Dark Edge to the Sega CD. They could have had Doom in some shape or form, for crying out loud. Any game they made for the 32X could have been a Sega CD game instead, and with CD quality audio to boot. Saturn could have launched on time in September 1995 instead of alienating retailers, and the Sega CD could have offered a cheaper alternative to the PlayStation with CD quality audio and pseudo-3D. In the same way that people thought Donkey Kong Country was "revolutionary" on the SNES for its pre-rendered graphics, they would have thought the same about the Sega CD and another, more mature wave of pseudo-3D games on it. The American consumer in 1995 would not have seen much of a difference between the PlayStation and Twisted Metal vs. the Sega CD and Batman Returns, and the cheaper of the two (Sega CD) would have won out for a couple years, maybe until 1997.

[@jackrussell3084]

Lived through the 80s 90s time period. The whole "what was Sega's downfall?" is the wrong question to ask because there is no definitive answer. One of the big wigs of Sega America wrote an auto-biography where he pointed to a console here and a console there, and a lot of youtube "historians" all jumped on board and began an echo chamber around this. Did a console fail when it sold millions in the market that it was intended for (being Japan). One has to remember that Sega punched above its weight during its whole run and probably didnt plan on being a long term player in the market anyways..

[@Nin10Guy]

In 2012, I bought a Sega CD at a pawn shop for $20 which came bundled with Final Fight CD. I agree that it had a lot of untapped potential and it is unfortunately true that the system was plagued with tons of shovelware, but I actually think it's not as bad as what people make it out to be. There are tons of great games on the system like Snatcher, Spiderman vs Kingpin, Shining Force CD, Popful Mail, Silpheed, The Terminator, Soul Star, Lunar 1 & 2, Time Gal etc. But most of the really good games are usually the least popular ones which is why people will look at the Sega CD the wrong way. It's definitely one of the most underrated and most misunderstood systems out there.

[@AdamKoralik]

***** For sure dude.

[@johntracy72]

Wow! You got a very good deal. Sega CD itself goes for about $200 on Amazon and Final Fight CD is about $100 on Amazon now in 2020. That was probably about $150 total on Amazon in 2012.

[@madhatter8508]

@@johntracy72 I got my Sega CD on eBay and burned a ton of games to taiyo yuden CD-Rs. There's no point in buying used games because the people who made the games won't see a penny from it.

[@marccaselle8108]

I had a model 2 Sega CD and I model one Genesis 7 years ago. I burned all the games to blank CDs. The reason I did that was where I lived, all the Sega CD games were 50 dollars or more a piece. I think if Sega didn't bother with the full motion video crap, and focused on better games, it could have lasted longer. We could have had more original games or better ports of arcade and Genesis games too.

[@oskardeoz6823]

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs game it's a great for it

[@zakuguriin4521]

I'm actually one of those people who has the Model 1 Genesis hooked up to the Model 2 Sega CD with that extention attachment. I'm not sure why but I think the Model 2 Sega CD paired with the Model 1 Genesis looks sexy as all hell.

[@cdrums8996]

It’s also the most reliable and best sounding combo setup

[@BawesomeBurf]

I think this console was most misunderstood by developers, not by gamers. Instead of looking at what made the Genesis so successful and just expanding on it, they decided to make terrible FMV games instead. What were they thinking? Some developers knew what they were doing and pumped out some amazing classics like Lunar and Sonic.

[@RobertNES816]

But still the price of it put allot of people off. You have to remember in early 90's we were in a similar economic downturn that we were in 2008. People didn't have the money and also not allot of people wanted to spend another 350 for another console.

[@RobertNES816]

Shamal Jifan The Sega CD used the graphics chip in the Genesis so it was hindered by VDP in the Genesis. The Sega CD did add more processing power, scaling and rotation, more memory, better audio and a better audio amplifier. If Sega was to add another graphics chip then they would have been better off making the Sega CD its own console instead of an add-on.

[@johntracy72]

Working Designs did it right on the full motion animations in their four games. The animations augmented, not overtook the games.

[@madhatter8508]

Developers dumped FMV games on the market because that was the fad back then and it was easy money. It's easy to look back on it now and say how shitty those games were, but that's what consumers were clamoring for at the time.

[@goldenheartOh]

"Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side" was another great example of Sega CD done right. They took the cartridge version, balanced the characters better, made the animation smoother, added more characters & stages (including a ton of hidden ones), added FMV cinekills, and added quality FMV that told each character's story and why they were fighting each other, and of course much better sound track. Awesome, awesome game.

[@natgrant1364]

Yeah, I'm so glad the FMV thing died off. I completely agree that Sega CD was a seriously missed opportunity.

[@TheThingKing]

The Sega CD had the best port of The Terminator.

[@tonymcnamee2741]

Oh yeaaah! What a great game.

[@odjrin]

And... Final Fight, Fatal Fury Special; and a VERY good port of Samurai Showdown.

[@phantomhavok7407]

@@odjrin And a disappointing but still very functional port of Mortal Kombat.

[@SwashBuccaneer]

On a note of playing CDs being a big deal back then, I remember CD players being new and my parents taking their tax refund to buy a CD stereo system and how expensive they were.

[@ChosenOneSNK]

Man, I just Love Sega CD. I have one of the best childhood memories with that console. Yeah, has a lot of fmv crap, but has some gems too, like Final Fight CD, Road Avenger, Tomcat Alley, Spider Man vs Kingpin, Lunar, Chuck Rock... Oh, after seeing this video, I think I'm gonna buy a Sega CD again... I wish it was a little cheaper though...

[@nuketowncity]

I rented Power Rangers when I was 8 or 9 ..... I cried myself to sleep that night

[@carlosb8130]

Fiannix d-_- b

[@GamezOfWar]

Working Designs RPGS,shining force CD,Dark Wizard,Robo Aleste,Android Assault and Snatcher were great!!!! The scaling on Batman Returns smokes anything SNES could do..but, Where was Streets Of Rage CD,Chakan CD,Kid Chameleon CD, Gunstar Heroes CD, Vectorman CD, Ristar CD Sega made no effort to support the CD format, no new IPs or continuing Genesis series on the system...ITS Sega's fault!!!!!

[@KaliforniaJani]

Streets of rage is in collection cd with Only a few changes

[@madhatter8508]

@@KaliforniaJani It's not a standalone game, though. Just the Streets of Rage ROM on a disc. Even Columns on that same disc had a CD audio theme in the beginning.

[@madhatter8508]

Sega of Japan stopped developing new projects on the Sega CD as early as 1993, only a year after releasing it. Phantasy Star IV was going to be a Sega CD game but they gave up and moved it to the Genesis. Gunstar Heroes, Vectorman, and Ristar development all began years after Sega killed their own creation. I agree about Kid Chameleon though, and I'd add Comix Zone and other Sega of America properties to the mix. I also think Sonic CD was good enough for a sequel, and even though Yuji Naka was burned out on Sonic by the end of S3&K, they could have had the Sonic CD team make the sequel targeting a holiday '95 release date. Alternatively, they could have made a Sonic Jam-like compilation of the first three Sonic Genesis games with an enhanced CD soundtrack. They could have done the same with Phantasy Star, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and other Genesis trilogies. They could have done it with Shinobi too, and had a 16-bit version of the first game exclusive to the Sega CD. Back to SOA properties: Western developers supported the Sega CD better than Sega of Japan did, and I would have loved to play Comix Zone with that CD soundtrack they recorded and bundled with the cartridge. ToeJam and Earl and Vectorman also got CD soundtracks on the Sega Tunes label. Sega of America could have supported the Sega CD even after Sega of Japan killed it. If I was there, I'd try to persuade Nakayama to channel his passion for hardware back into the Sega CD instead of another add-on (32X).

[@Xenite227]

I absolutely loved my Sega CD, some of the best gaming experiences I ever had.

[@sonicwashere]

Really loving these generation recaps! Thanks for making them.

[@AdamKoralik]

sonicwashere Thanks for watching!

[@nosirrahx]

Would have been interesting to see how things would have gone if the CD could have increased the color palette and the devs focused on regular games with amazing audio.

[@PrinceRawD]

I remember buying this "console" as a teen with my Wal-mart money. Sonic CD, Final Fight CD, Lunar, Terminator and Eternal Champions: Challenge From The Darkside were my games. Was waiting for Soulstar but never got a chance to play that game. I can say that I enjoyed this console for maybe a year when I started to regret blowing my hard earned Wal-Mart cash. I even desperately picked up a few of those awful FMV (Ground Zero Texas) game just to play something new. If I knew then, what I know now...I would have picked up a SNES. I even bought that 32X. What a stupid teen I was

[@Ronny1031]

People can rail systems and add-ons for having crappy games, but people seem to neglect to understand that CDROM was a pretty new format and developers wanted to do something to take advantage of the format, and unfortunately, not a lot of developers had the best ideas. However, the same could be said of most video games and computer programs when a brand new hardware format first comes to fruition.

[@AdamKoralik]

Ronny Webster Very true.

[@IICrossII]

Ronny Webster I'm still waiting for the day when someone can point out a system with no crappy games.

[@MrDmoney156]

IICrossII uhhhhhhh.. ..... Sega Saturn?! :-D jk but that is a pretty good observation though.

[@SegaCDUniverse]

HAHAH! How did I miss my wonderful cameo!? Thanks SO much bro. Love it. Great video as always. Now only if you could..."Figure it out!"

[@AdamKoralik]

SegaCDUniverse Thanks for being part of it!

[@WigglyMalmsteam]

Quality content. Instant sub.

[@AdamKoralik]

+WigglyMalmsteam Welcome aboard!

[@enemyofthestatevcdking5982]

I converted this video to cinepak and I'm watching this on my Sega cd

[@legitdownz8926]

Hey are you making a joke or are you for real? Because that would be pretty amazing bro if you actually did.

[@thegamingchef3304]

You look older than me and I vividly remember the Sega CD when it was still in stores. I remember going to florida back in 1993 and playing it at my cousins. Then we bought one that never worked. We opened it up and everything was taped together lol.

[@khew1]

Great video as usual! What I love about most of your videos is you always tell me something I never knew about, info that isn't immediately available. Great stuff, keep it up. You should do retrospectives on various series of games like Metal Gear, Grab Turismo, Driver, Mario Kart etc etc.

[@AdamKoralik]

K Hewett Thanks! I'm considering doing some kind of "child hood games" series. But, for now, just floating the idea.

[@khew1]

AdamKoralik do it! Your vids are stupidly interesting

[@AdamKoralik]

K Hewett Thanks!

[@khew1]

AdamKoralik no problemo. How come you know soooo much about these consoles? Your enthusiasm is infection, apart of the reason I subbed you and Snestastic too. Keep up the interesting content. Loving these retrospective series the most.

[@AdamKoralik]

K Hewett Nerd power!

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

Consumers: Hey, Sega has this cool looking CD attachment with additional hardware. I wonder what games they got on it? Sega: Here's a totally awesome Power Rangers FMV game! ...

[@xan1242]

You have to take into account - they had plans for the console's ability for extensions since the early stages. The Sega Mark V prototype image showed not only the CD addon (or it may have just been an FDD addon which does exist for the Megadrive and is still referenced in the asm code of TMSS I think, or Mega CD or something can't remember), but also had many other different extensions and it was essentially to be something like a computer. Something like Famicom, except better.

[@madhatter8508]

At the same time, they tried to save pennies by leaving some CPU and VDP pins disconnected, which is why the Sega CD needed a second CPU and bridge RAM just to run the CD-ROM drive and why the 32X needed its own video out just to mix its own video with the Genesis. Had they designed the Genesis properly for expansion from the start, with those pins connected, the Sega CD would not have needed the second CPU and bridge RAM, and it would have at least doubled the colors onscreen and matched the SNES palette, all for $199 max. It would have rendered the 32X wholly unnecessary, and at $199 it could have sold exponentially more than it did at $299. CD-ROM could have become the Genesis' main media, like it did with the PC Engine in Japan.

[@rorabeyond2002]

I was born in 02, and I didn't discover that Sega made consoles until I was, like, eight years old. I was so fascinated by this when I discovered that all of the "PS2 Sonic games" I had been playing were actually from 90s Sega hardware. It was really funny. While everyone else in the third grade was arguing over whether the Xbox 360 or PS3 was better, I was the one nerd in the corner telling them that they were both wrong because the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast were the best 😅 Really wanted them both back then, but my kid brain told me that if they weren't at GameStop, then I was born too late, had missed my chance, and now I could never have them. Recently played a Dreamcast for the first time last year. My favorite game of all time is Sonic Adventure (played it on GameCube as a kid), so it was neat to go full circle in a way and play it on DC.

[@kennethjames9281]

Love your videos man! The Steve and Eric story has me cracking up.

[@sinjeet1]

Mate I could sit and watch your videos all day! Good work matey!

[@AdamKoralik]

sinjeet1 Thanks!

[@user-zi4sz8kj1g]

I just love Adams stories. I can just see the scenario infront of me when ever I hear him tell us about anything we can relate to :)

[@AdamKoralik]

Likea Spoon

[@doalwa]

The Sega CD for me was always "The Snatcher machine". Was lusting after a Sega CD for a long time, still haven't gotten round to get one, sadly. Man, I miss Sega..I know, they're still around and even published my favorite PS4 game so far in Alien:Isolation, but it's just not the same.

[@AdamKoralik]

doalwa I wish I had that game. Supposedly it's getting a Dreamcast release.

[@doalwa]

AdamKoralik Yeah, I know...heard something about fellow KZbinr Gamester81 having anything to do with the company who supposedly is porting Snatcher to the Dreamcast..I wonder what Konami thinks about such endeavors, though :-) Anyway, should it ever be released, I'll definitely grab a copy.

[@MrDmoney156]

AdamKoralik You can always get the Japanese Sega Saturn version of the game ;-)

[@AdamKoralik]

MrDmoney156 I have it actually.

[@MrDmoney156]

AdamKoralik ah that's cool, what do you think of that one?

[@weegeesoul]

Great episode. Your videos are always fun to watch!

[@AdamKoralik]

weegeesoul

[@Jelster64]

I love these videos about gaming history. Makes me feel like I understand the medium as a whole a lot better.

[@AdamKoralik]

Jelster64 Thanks for watching!

[@gpwhitem]

Been watching all your videos this week, I love your default optimism about the efforts of game makers and console makers throughout the generations, which is why I especially enjoy the few times you deride something. Just when I thought the rant was over, you went in one more time and called the game monkey shit and really made me laugh. Good work overall, I bought a Saturn and Xbox this week, inspired by these videos.

[@AdamKoralik]

Geoff Whiteman Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoy the consoles. :D

[@Blandrew]

Damn, Adam always uploading videos when I'm bored out of my mind. Thank you Based Adam!

[@AdamKoralik]

BigEaredGamer Thanks for watching.

[@DaveMire]

I bought the Sega CD model 1 (still have it) when it came out with the idea that FMV games were the future of video games. I was heavy into the laser disc arcade games of the late 80's and was overjoyed to see that Cobra Command was going to be a launch title. When I actually played it, the colors were quite dithered from the arcade quality but I didn't mind cuz it was my favorite arcade game at the time and the sega cd was the only way to play it on a console. All those FMV games were a neat novelty for a time but wore off quickly when that Corey Haim game came out and that Marky Mark video thing. Those games aside, I was quite satisfied by most of what came out for it.

[@johntracy72]

I just got a Sega CD again a few days ago. I had a Sega Genesis CD-X until about 17 years ago and made the mistake of selling it. I had the good games: Both Lunar games, Vay, Popful Mail, Dark Wizard, Shining Force CD, Sonic CD, Star Wars, Hook, Mickey Mania, Phantasy Star 2, 3 and 4 (Genesis carts), Shining Force 1 and 2 (Genesis carts), both Sonic the Hedgehog games (Genesis carts). I am slowly going to rebuild my collection starting with Dark Wizard that I bought about a year and a half ago.

[@tsangpogorge]

Great videos, some of the best I've seen from you.

[@AdamKoralik]

tsangpogorge Thanks.

[@jasonsteel9335]

Hi mate. Loving your videos. Would be cool to have a bit of footage for the more interesting games you talk about. Keep up the good work!

[@chrismyco7950]

i remember buying this with a game bundle and a rebate, it was awesome. so many of my favorite games on this system. joe montana football, lunar, snatcher, lunar 1 and 2, popful mail , dark wizard etc

[@zaneroote5798]

How would you get a Mega Drive 1 / Mega CD Combo for RGB? Audio has to be mixed from the Mega Drive 1 to the Mega CD, but the video still comes out of the Mega Drive, so...?

[@SleeperHonda]

I was the exact kid you described when i received the Power Rangers Sega CD game. Siiighh.

[@AdamKoralik]

Trippsol : Places hand to screen. :

[@yjzep9922]

I actually convinced my mom to get me one. She had already planned on buying me a cd boom box that in 1993 was $150. I parlayed the CD feature into a newly released sega CD Model 2 for $229. My dad got his old receiver and speakers out of the attic and Sewer shark. Sonic CD was great!! Lunar alone made it worth it. Earthworm Jim special edition. And my favorite, Eye of the Beholder! I also did use it as a main cd player in my room with a ridiculous top notch solid state Kenwood from the mid 70s that my dad replaced with inferior garbage to "modernize". Man I loved that thing! NHL 94 for years (especially since I lost my Whalers 2 years later). Then Shining force CD completed my purchase of a successful console. Didn't buy 3 games a month or more like I do as an adult. Lucky to get 3 a year. So I never felt the dearth of titles. Got Dungeon Explorer and Lunar 2 in 95. Thing lasted years before it died too, maybe replaced it in 2012 when the laser let go. I do agree however, what wasted potential. The Terminator was evidence of what that console could do! (RIP Silas Warner)

[@SXGi1b0]

Hey, just curious...what game/theme music is played at the beginning and end of each of your videos? I recognize the audio, just can't place it.

[@AdamKoralik]

SXGi1b0 Shenmue - I'm Still Waiting.

[@danf1518]

These are all a great series of videos!

[@superhighgaming5258]

I’m going back and collecting all the old consoles from the and I had no intentions of getting the add on’s for the genesis but you have single handedly convinced to get both the sets cd and the 32x lol

[@Mr357]

I 100% agree that the Sega CD is misunderstood and wasn't utilized properly. Its sound capabilities were absolutely amazing for its time, and most other gaming solutions (PC's included) paled in comparison. Just look at Snatcher- it was an entirely 2-D game with no FMV and still managed to take up 600MB out of a CD's 700. How is that possible? They packed the game with lots of high quality music and dialogue. Snatcher is a masterpiece and was the killer app the Sega CD needed, but it was released too late and not advertised in the US or Europe when it did finally hit the shelves in '94.

[@MeanMrMustard1]

Wow, I just commented on your Genesis video and said how I used to joke with my friends about the "Genesis does what Nintendon't" ads by saying "Nintendo is what Genesisn't". I never knew there was an actual ad that said that. Man I should've trademarked it.

[@izumi937]

Great review Adam, like always!

[@AdamKoralik]

izumi937 Thanks for watching!

[@damoderndance]

Excellent video as usual. I look forward to listening to this geeky stuff. It's like music to my ears.

[@AdamKoralik]

Joseph Robertson Glad you liked it.

[@arcadeutopia3035]

When I was younger I already had the Mega Drive and I remember pouring over magazines in anticipation for the Sega Mega CD. Now I was in the shop with my dad ready to pick up The Sega Cd and at the last minute I changed my mind and got a SNES instead. I still look back at that as an excellent decision lol

[@ForeverWinter1812]

Wanted you to know that I've really enjoyed all your videos. And your generation videos really gave me a better appreciation of our gaming history. And you really help remind me How much I loved Sega growing up. They had such amazing ideas that helped revolutionized the gaming industry. A be it poorly executed on there part. Lol. So I'm currently collecting all the old sega hardware. And that's largely because of you. So I sincerely thank you. You're super cool and please keep making the videos. :)

[@AdamKoralik]

+Retro Faiz Thanks for watching!

[@TNVGAMING]

SEGA should have marketed the SEGA CD as the RPG machine, or the platforming machine. The SEGA CD really could have benefited if SEGA ported games like Sonic 3 & Knuckles on 1 CD and sold both games on that 1 CD for the cost of a standard game. The price could have been overlooked too if the games were killer enough to justify it. I mean look at the PS3, if anyone bought it at launch, and stuck through it up to this point, they would've experienced some of the greatest games of the generation. Same thing COULD HAVE happened on SEGA CD, killer ports from the arcades (like Final Fight CD, Mortal Kombat) and killer "definitive editions" from existing GENESIS titles would've made the SEGA CD as popular as the GENESIS. But it's all in hindsight now. But for what it's worth the homebrew scene seems to be taking advantage of the SEGA CD's hardware and storage.

[@madhatter8508]

The price was worst at launch, but they cut it by $80 when the model 2 came out about a year later, and if they had stuck with it then it would have gotten cheaper and cheaper to produce. They released the CDX as a high-end $399 all-in-one when they should have made a very cost-reduced $199-249 all-in-one instead. I don't know how much money Sega wasted on the 32X, but it would have been better spent giving the Sega CD its second wind.

[@Noobsaibot21]

Very surprised at the lack of Snatcher in this video. One of the best reasons to own the console alongside ThunderForce IV, Batman Returns, Final Fight CD and Sonic CD (JP/EU soundtrack ALL DAY). Fun fact - The intro music (toot toot sonic warrior) appeared on SMS/GG as the Green Hills music in Sonic 2 :) Looking back on it, I think if Sega had just included a Megadrive/Genesis as part of the Mega CD, stuck 2 controller ports (6 button, naturally) and a video out, things might have been wildly different. I mean even today, I would love a Mega CD32X all in one device (rather than the monstrous solution we all have now) so back then, in it's prime, it would have been awesome!

[@guristaex3119]

I've just treated myself to a CDX with sonic CD from ebay I can't WAIT to try it. I've never owned a mega CD so wanted to go all out and get the Multi mega/CDX......just need to get a copy of Snatcher now.....

[@johntracy72]

That's the best version because it combined both into one unit and only needed one AC adapter. I used to have the CD-X.

[@madhatter8508]

@@johntracy72 It's a real pain to fix the laser when it goes, though, and it doesn't play burned games as well as the model 2.

[@jonathanthompson4296]

Hey Adam. Which Sega CD model do you recommend for Genesis model 1 owners?

[@aidinkelki2441]

AdamKoralik hello Adam, I really appreciate your work and I believe you are a true gamer since we have the same age but my family couldn't afford to buy me consoles at the time so it was nice to review what has happened here and there. If it is possible for you there is one thing that you didn't mention in PS 3 video which I always wonder about it.. Sony managed to do their best on PS3 and put everything in the box but when it came out, if you remember, it has no rumble or vibration support at the time and the controller was called sixaxis not dual shock 3..I always wonder why since that was sony's thing to begin

[@AdamKoralik]

Aidin Kelki Nintendo came up with that first, not Sony. As for the reason behind that, Sony had a lawsuit on them at the time by another company (honestly don't remember their name) claiming they had stolen the technology. They lost and couldn't use it. Eventually they developed a different type of rumbling feature.

[@stradlemonkey444]

I totally agree about SegaCD's need for an extra (not even universal) power block. Extension cord madness. Plus when the SEGA CDX came out (I hope you reviewed it- new to your KZbin and Twitter), the CDX only needed one power supply and the whole system was just slightly wider/taller than a DiscMan!

[@madhatter8508]

Sega's target price for the Sega CD was $149, but they didn't connect the right CPU pins on the Genesis to the expansion bus so it needed another CPU to handle the CD-ROM drive. Then they threw in a ton of bridge RAM so the CPUs could communicate. Then they threw in the Ricoh PCM chip that they were using in the arcades. Then they threw in the scaling chip to compete with the SNES. Then Sega of America promised it would increase the color count, but what they didn't know was that Sega of Japan didn't connect the right pins on the VDP to upgrade the VRAM and connect an external palette chip. After all that extra shit, they couldn't sell the Sega CD for $149. They had to sell it for double that. Had they designed the Genesis for expandability from the start, they wouldn't have needed the second 68K CPU, or the bridge RAM, or the RAM for that CPU. They could have had a CD-ROM drive with a modest RAM upgrade and a color palette upgrade for $149-199, and it would have sold much, much better.

[@scubasteve31583]

I got a working Model 1 at Too many games 2017, other than having to occasionally push on the door, the thing opens when I hit reset. I can re-cap and put a new belt in it when the time comes. But it plays Snatcher really well!

[@enemyofthestatevcdking5982]

Does the 3 in 1 power supply have a transformer inside ? If not humming will happen

[@hockeyprofit19]

Great vid man. You earned a sub. One thing you left out of this SegaCD. NHL 94. Its the best version ever of this game. Basically making it the best sports game of all time.

[@NicholasVargo]

When I had a Sega CD, I once found a separate copy of Sewer Shark, which was packaged in the box type that Night Trap was. I wish I still had the system but I can tell you it was definitely sold separately at one point before being packaged in the model two.

[@Mr_oedekerk]

Rotating and scaling would mean seeing the character you playing as in 3rd person point of view and turning left and right or in the game boss point of view while you fighting the boss

[@Nelbroth]

As a kid, I was so hyped for Sega CD leading up to its release. I'd never been more disappointed once I got my hands on it. There are some great games on it if you can wade through the crap.

[@MaxAbramson3]

Criminally underused... only 12-15 3D superscalers out of 200+ titles.

[@AdiSneakerFreak]

You are right it was a quality piece of kit, my favourite exclusive game, the sequel to Another World. / Out Of This World, called Heart Of The Alien.

[@That501st_guy]

I have a question about the Sega CD model 1 and 32X I just got me a model 1 Genesis like as of 2022 yesterday and I know I'm going to get the 2 add-ons because there's games on the 2 I always wanted to play but do they need the rf shields for the two add-ons

[@AdamKoralik]

Only if you want to use RF, and even then they don't NEED them.

[@That501st_guy]

@@AdamKoralik ok good because later on I'm going to get those and I didn't know if it would cause problems without them beside model 1 Genesis has the best audio but I didn't want to have problems if the shields were required

[@Linux4UnMe]

Cool. You've cleared up a lot of confusion for me thinking back upon the old Sega days... :D

[@bloodwolf1175]

I have a question for you Adam. In your personal opinion, how old does a console need to be, to be considered "retro"? Im asking because I've seen comments on certain videos when people called ps2 retro, which i think is crazy, but then again its 15 years old.

[@AdamKoralik]

UnlitSparxEchoes Personally, I'd say two things must happen. It must no longer be the relevant generation, and major retailers need to stop carrying it.

[@aaronk7487]

Hey Adam, do you think youll ever get the chance to play snatcher on your sega cd?

[@ChrisCobraEliteTM.]

I wish you we're my teacher back in my high school days adam but at least i get to enjoy you're video's and knowledge here ;) i remember those commercials about sega does what nintendont! I remember those commercials growing up but didn't pay much attention to it but i did have both console's but i enjoyed sega a bit more because of the blood in mortal kombat! But i never knew about the add-ons until i came a cross you're channel last year!

[@AdamKoralik]

chriscobra666 Thanks for watching!

[@benjokazooie]

my sega cd1 doesnt seem to power on when there is a cartridge in, but does when there isnt. is it just mine? or is it every model one? my model 2 i dont think has the same issue.

[@AdamKoralik]

+Benjo-Kazooie That's normal. If it's playing a Genesis game, it would have no reason to use the Sega CD. Save for the exception of Pier Solar.

[@benjokazooie]

brilliant, then mine works fine...apart from turning off, Raymond said that was down to the power board, he got it working again, but didnt have the parts to repair that board completley.

[@zac9181]

Finding this Add-On is so difficult! Finding is as easy as finding a knife on Mars. Where can I find one!?

[@FlintG]

I went to zerns in pennsilvania and its pretty much a indoor flea market and they had a retro video game store but couldn't find a sega cd system. But I did find a complete in the long box wipeout for playstation 1 for 5 dollars. I picked that up. I may have to go back there cause they had some pretty cool game boy handhelds. Heck I think I even saw a yellow original game boy.

[@TruthSword7]

It's 2019 and I've never heard of that trio power cable thing! Anyone got a link to where that's for sale? EDIT: I've found it, and it's not cheap!

[@xbaxdark]

You're description of Night Trap is very inaccurate. It's not burglars, it's a house of vampire aliens that have subservient demented vampires that they feed but those vampires for what ever reason cannot wait so they start stalking around the house looking for the guests and your job is to protect them with a series of traps rigged up to a security system.

[@AdamKoralik]

Oh well.

[@nicholasgutierrez7617]

+xbaxdark Apparently he hasn't even played Night Trap, yet he calls all the FMV games crappy. Night Trap was an innovative and impressive game for it's time, though it was hard and didn't have much replay value.

[@galacticzombie1942]

+Nicholas Gutierrez Yeah. I noticed his description of Night Trap wasn't accurate at all. It's clear that he has never played it, and just wants to talk crap about FMV games. Granted, most FMV games suck, and I'm not defending them. But it's dishonest of Adam to act like he knows about a game when he clearly does not. Therefore I gave this video a thumbs down.

[@AdamKoralik]

+Galactic Zombie Or I was operating off a misrecalled memory, I haven't played the game in well over a decade.

[@galacticzombie1942]

Fair enough. I was grumpy when I wrote that reaction (hope the fine bros don't sue me for reacting) ,and should have given you the benefit of the doubt. Keep on keeping on man.

[@TheRdfrota]

Adam, how do you play sega cd imports? I seem to find cotradictory info everywhere

[@AdamKoralik]

Personally, I have a region modded Sega CD, natively...I never got it to work.

[@idkzero]

where do you get the trio m1 for the sega cd 1?

[@DehnusNorder]

Considering the bandwidth, the CPU and the bandwidth from Cart to memory? Yeah, the Genesis still can do what the SuperNintendo couldn't.

[@madhatter8508]

The SNES CPU maxed out at 3.57 MHz but most games only ran it at 2.68 MHz. It's a shame the console was crippled and bottlenecked by its weak garbage CPU.

[@Fishmon14]

I remember getting my Sega CD. It was probably '09 or so, I managed to find a model 1 on ebay, along with a model 1 Genesis (which I already had, but whatever, another one doesn't hurt), and I think 10 Sega CD games and around 15 Genesis games, plus a few controllers, all for about 100 bucks. Definitely one of the best buys I've had for my collection. Keep in mind where I live is pretty terrible for retro collecting, so I have to buy most of my stuff online. So that was definitely a pretty good buy, I thought. Especially since I could almost never seem to find model 1's even alone for less than a couple hundred back then. They seem to have gone down since then.

[@Icestationzero]

great video adam keep up the good work

[@AdamKoralik]

Icestationzero Thanks for watching!

[@supersexysega]

Eternal Champions Challenge From The Dark Side is the best example of a genesis caliber game that utilized the advantages of the Sega CD to it's full potential. My vote for best 16 bit fighting game absolutely incredible with so much content.

[@BobbyHo2022]

In 92 Sega Cd was the holy grail. I would drool at EGM magazines on it. Crazy only 2 years after NEO GEO aes release. Another grail at the time.

[@MaxAbramson3]

SoJ would not supply SoA and devs of the best documentation and dev tools.

[@MegaManNeo]

That must've been one awesome week just to get that SegaCD unit from your buddy's friend. I'm amazed there's a little scene for independent games on that thing though (well, that means if you leave out _Sonic MegaMix v4_ ). Do you still know where you did get that ChuChu Rocket clone for it? Because I really like the game to play on either DC or GBA.

[@AdamKoralik]

***** GoodDealGames.com

[@MegaManNeo]

AdamKoralik Thanks for the reply, I'll take a look.

[@IMAN7THRYLOS]

In the early 90s there was a general problem in making good games on CD. Developers used to make games on cartridges and floppy disks and suddently they had 600-1000 times bigger storage. They didn't know how to fill it up. Initially audio and video were the first ideas that came into mind on how to fill up that space. 3DO had also similar issues. It was PC games that started benefacting from the CD medium before the consoles. Consoles games finally were able to offer good games on Cd when the hardware was powerful enough to render 3d environments and Playstation and Saturn came out.

[@nightwing245]

Have you seen any of the later Power Ranger series? If not I recommend In Space, Time Force, SPD, and RPM.

[@AdamKoralik]

nightwing245 Nah, I stopped watching during Zeo. I've seen select episodes after that.

[@jonzinnel7539]

You should do a review/comparison on the JVC X'Eye and CDX. There are not enough X'Eye and/or CDX videos on KZbin.

[@mg1822]

Adam, you have a photographic memory and are a great story teller! Thanks for putting out another great video. Regarding Power Rangers for CD Sega, that was the first Sega CD game I ever played and it totally turned me off the console. I played it at a friends house back when it first came out and he too also thought it sucked. He reminded me of the kids you talked about, being let down by buying Power Rangers CD.

[@AdamKoralik]

Matt Gill Thanks for watching! Yep, exactly what I think happened to a lot of people I'm afraid.

[@zacv1288]

Top video and very informative Adam. Mate are there any good shoot em ups on the Sega CD?

[@AdamKoralik]

I'm not as familiar with the library as I probably should be. The only one that comes to mind is Sol-Feace. But I can't guarantee that it's necessarily good.

[@powbitstestpow2093]

Nice vids about gaming history etc. Like em very much, thnx

[@AdamKoralik]

Powbits Testpow Thanks for watching!

[@TheGenesisCrisis]

I like your points on how the console was self-defeating itself especially on the power need, and looking at how you have the model 2's setup (take off the tum32xer) and I got to thinking the gen+cd looks alittle like a turbo duo system and then thought well since the addon needed its own power they could have designed a genduo like that portable mini gen/cd unit which probably would've cut some of the cost for both the consumers and sega if the genesis and cd drive was 1 console then I could see people buying it at that extra 300 cause then they'd get both the genesis and a cd player instead of buy genesis then 300 dollar add on later.

[@sule-ts8rl]

Hey Adam a few videos ago i posted a comment asking if the GBA works in the gc adapter in wii u and you replied why would that work in a sacastic way and i said a reply saying i meant does it work for a GBA games from Eshop and i wasnt sure if you were going to check it so thats why i am posting this comment so can you try it ?

[@AdamKoralik]

345 sule345 I wasn't being sarcastic, I had no idea what you were asking, I was looking for clarification. I have since answered by stating that I'm unsure because I don't download games, so I can't check on that for you. If I had to guess, I would say no, as Nintendo said the official GameCube adapter isn't supposed to work with anything other than Smash Bros.

[@newmoonsamesun]

Hey Adam great video very helpful, I have a question, I own a Japanese import Sega Megadrive model 2. would it be compatible with a USA Sega cd console?

[@AdamKoralik]

newmoonsamesun Actually, I'm not sure. I would assume no.

[@josephskater1994]

Not unless modded.

[@cax1179]

AdamKoralik I just got a Dreamcast today. Is it normally that loud?

[@AdamKoralik]

chandler lorentz Yep.

[@Redpipe327]

Happy 50,000 subs adam

[@AdamKoralik]

Redpipe327 Thanks!

[@DarthSega]

Awesmoe vid, thanks for sharing. Awesome Cameo from SegaCDUniverse.

[@AdamKoralik]

Darth Sega Thanks, I'm wondering what his reaction is going to be. He doesn't know he's in this. Shhhhh.....

[@eupher2]

Adam you forgot to mention that, if you have Model 1 Genesis you can connect a dual male 3.5mm cable from the headphone jack to the mix port on the Sega CD, and get stereo sound from the audio outputs.

[@CultureJunkies]

AdamKoralik I had a Sega CDX when I was a kid. Grandpa got it for me when I graduated middle school. I thought it was awesome wish I still had it. -The Great Daitokuji

[@SaneCanuck]

My friend had a sega cd when we where growing up and we thought it was awesome. I think because it was so different. Nostalgia alone is what makes me wanna plug it in now and then.

[@sunshinethuggery]

Just for reference, I've seen the ESRB and Pegi systems used on game cases over here (in the UK anyway, mainland Europe might exclusively use Pegi).

[@TheTripleJZoo]

Hey Adam lovin the series, but I have a question. Can you please make a video on future amiibos, and amiibos that you want in the future.

[@AdamKoralik]

JoeyJoeJo1 I wouldn't be qualified. The only one I wanted was the Sonic one you see in the background.

[@TheTripleJZoo]

I like the sonic amiibo too thank you

[@sonicfreak94]

The first scene from Sonic CD you showed doesn't use scaling or rotation at all. All that happened was the sky moved to give the illusion of perspective change, and Sonic's sprites changed to reflect that. Totally doable on a standard Genesis.

[@kei_nishimaru]

Wait, how much does snatcher go for over there Adam, over here in Europe it goes for £50 - £250

[@kei_nishimaru]

+John DiLoreto well, you have my condolences.