The 50 Greatest Sega CD Games of All-Time! (PART THREE -- #030 to #021)

A five-part countdown celebrating the best games the Sega CD had to offer! 

Hey You! Looking for the Previous Installments in this Series?

PART ONE, counting down games #050 to #041, can be found right here.

PART TWO, counting down games #040 to #031, can be found right here.

PART THREE, counting down games #030 to #021, can be found right here.

PART FOUR, counting down games #020 to #011, can be found right here.
PART FIVE, counting down games #010 to #01, can be found right here.

For what it’s worth the Sega CD (known as the Mega CD in Europe) might just be the single most underrated console in the history of video gaming. Considered a proverbial laughingstock by gamers that have hardly spent any time at all with the system, the Sega CD was actually a pretty damn good little console, stocked with plenty of killer console exclusives, graphically and musically superior special editions of 16-bit classics, and even a couple of standout genre offerings that, sadly, have become outmoded in today’s all-too-familiar virtual world. Come on, you know you miss side scrolling shoot ‘em ups and digital comic books as much as I do…

After tackling a list of the best the Sega Dreamcast had to offer, I thought long and hard about which console I wanted to focus on for my next countdown. Seeing as how the unsung, unheralded Sega CD generally gets about as much recognition and praise as gonorrhea, I figured the criminally underappreciated console was absolutely perfect the “Top 50” treatment. For those of you that had the honor of owning and playing through some of these classic games (many of which remain under-the-radar gems to this day), consider this a fond recollection and celebration of what once was, and for all of you young whippersnappers that equate the console with “pure fail?” Something tells me that’s a tune you’re going to change in a hurry after seeing everything you’ve missed out on.

As for the criteria for the list, I was pretty lax and subjective. Ever the jingoistic American that I am, I decided that only games that were given North American releases, while the Sega CD was still in production, should qualify as candidates, so no obscure-ass Japan-only SHMUPs or home-brew RPGs some dude made in his basement in 2008 are in contention here.

As always, the opinions expressed herein are solely my own, and your list would surely differ. That said, whose ready to take things to THE NEXT LEVEL?

#030

Ecco the Dolphin CD

Superior to the Genesis original in just about every way, I tend to think of “Ecco” on the Sega CD as the “Criterion Collection” iteration of the game. Not only do you get a much-improved soundtrack, the Sega CD version of the game also includes a new checkpoint system (which makes the game infinitely less frustrating than its Genesis progenitor) as well as six new levels to explore.

Of course, “Ecco” is an easy game to discount. When the game first boots up, the objectives are so abstract…and the control scheme so unusual…that it seems like the game is nothing more than a slapdash, weirdo experiment meant to capitalize on the marine biology boom kicked off by “Free Willy.” However, once you get into the meat of the game, you’ll come to discover the game’s enchanting nuances and subtleties. There’s quite a number of side quests to partake of, and you can easily spend hours upgrading your porpoise with different songs, which more or less act as sonic death rays and all-purpose puzzle skeleton keys. Much like the ocean itself, there is a LOT lurking underneath the surface on this one.

The visuals are very good, and the gameplay, while unorthodox, gets pretty comfortable after you spend a few afternoons with the title. The enemies are quite interesting, and I like how the difficulty of the game progresses (although if you level up early, the game actually tends to get easier as it chugs along.) The latter stages get really freaky (be prepared to do battle with trilobites and space aliens), and you might be surprised by just how long the overall experience is (it took me 30 hours to beat the game on my first play through.) Somewhere between “Sonic”, “Metroid” and “The Little Mermaid,” there exists “Ecco”…and if you’ve never played the game before, you might be surprised by what you’ve been missing out on.

#029

Flashback: The Quest for Identity

At the time of its initial release, the graphics in “Flashback” were utterly amazing. Polygonal graphics, on a 16-bit machine? Not only did “Flashback” do it before “Star Fox,” if you ask me, the guys at U.S. Gold actually did it better than Nintendo!

If you’ve ever played “Out of this World” or “Heart of the Alien” before, you know what to expect with “Flashback.” With a solid storyline (or at least, a fairly solid storyline compared to “Donkey Kong Country” or “Streets of Rage”), excellent animation and satisfying trial-and-error gameplay, “Flashback” was the kind of game that was both a cerebral joy and a cerebral headache to experience. As one of the most intellectual side-scrolling platform-action titles of the early 1990s, there’s no denying that “Flashback” is a watershed genre title…and without question, the Sega CD version of the game is the highest quality console iteration of the offering out there.

As expected, the Sega CD version gets an all-new soundtrack, and since the hardware allows FMV, we end up getting a completely re-done opening cinematic that kicks the crap out of what SNES and Genesis owners were given. The gameplay and level layout, however, remains quite similar to the cartridge iterations of the title, although a slight visual upgrade can be detected in the CD-ROM version. The title is every bit as challenging as its cart-based forerunners, with mind-bending death traps on literally every screen…and old school game through and through, you might want to keep a notepad handy to aid you in your adventures. Despite being pretty difficult at times, it’s a rather short experience, sadly -- I say I’d take most grizzled gamers a week, two weeks tops to conquer it -- but for those of you that had never had the privilege of playing “Flashback” before? This Sega-CD version is DEFINITELY your best way to experience it.

#028  

Heart of the Alien

In tenth grade English class, you probably had to read “Of Mice and Men.” Well, “Heart of the Alien” is more or less the exact same story, only Lennie is now a nine foot tall pink alien that can pick up boulders. And also, it takes place on an alien world, with laser whips and death traps galore. OK, so in retrospect, maybe the game has more in common with “Enemy Mine” than Steinbeck’s classic novel, but what isn’t debatable is just how awesome this game is.

“Heart of the Alien” is a sequel to “Out of this World,” a super-popular, highly-influential action-platformer that was among the first console games to deliver gamers both cinematic cut scenes and polygonal graphics. What makes “Heart of the Alien” unique is that it’s a Sega-CD exclusive, so if you never owned the add-on, you never got a chance to play the game otherwise (emulators don’t count, of course.)

The game is more or less a role reversal of the original game, with the player taking control of the alien assist character from the “Out of this World” (and if you never played that game before? No problemo, because it’s actually included, in its entirety, on this disc!) The visuals are outstanding, the soundtrack is fantastic and the way the story is so seamlessly merged within the gameplay though brief cut scenes clearly paved the way for titles like “Metal Gear Solid” and “Oddworld.” Of course, the big drawback here is the insanely unforgiving trial and error gameplay, which results in deaths a plenty; that said, the overall experience of the title -- with its impressive, cinematic atmospherics and engrossing gameplay, not to mention the two-for-one deal --makes it an absolute must-play for Sega CD owners.

#027 

Vay

When it came to third party support, there’s no denying that Working Designs was one of the Sega CD’s MVPs (most valuable publishers.) For the architects behind several of the console’s classic titles (several of which you’ll be seeing later on in the countdown), “Vay” seems to be the publisher’s forgotten Sega CD gem…a major disappointment, considering just how solid the game turned out.

On the surface, “Vay” is your standard JRPG. You play a somewhat stereotypical anime-styled hero, and you spend the first few levels of the game slaying enemies over and over. Of course, as the game progresses, more characters join your party, and you go from being a weak-ass sprite to a walking death machine, loaded with all sorts of cool weapons and magical abilities. So yeah, as stated earlier -- it’s your basic JRPG, through and through.

What makes “Vay” stand out from the fray are a few things. First and foremost, it’s a high-quality, traditional RPG on the Sega CD -- a console that really didn’t have that many high-caliber genre offerings to choose from. Secondly, both the animation and the sound design are terrific -- there’s a really simplistic, albeit distinct, style to both the graphics and the music that’s quite enchanting, without being too extravagant. And lastly, the game is both SUPER long -- be prepared to sink in about 20 hours on a blind play through, at the minimum -- and extraordinarily challenging, with a final boss fight that is among the toughest I’ve ever experienced. Needless to say, if you’re a hardcore RPG fan in need of something to tide you over on the Sega CD, “Vay” ought to be more than enough to keep you occupied for some time.

#026 

The Masked Rider: Kamen Rider Zero

When I say “Masked Rider,” you probably think about that one “Power Rangers”-esque show that used to come on back in the mid-90s, which had that little alien dude in it that was more or less a “Furby” before “Furbies” were even released (shit, the name of the character was “Ferbus,” for crying aloud!) Well, that show was actually based on the long-running “Kamen Rider” series, which was kinda’ like “Ultraman,” and in 1994, the iconic Japanese superhero got his own Sega CD game (which I am almost certain predates that Americanized kids show, too.)

As far as FMV games go, I think this has to be the best live-action offering on the console. While the “gameplay” is limited mostly to quick time events, the overall presentation in “The Masked Rider” is simply fantastic, doing what pretty much every other FMV game on the console wished it could do. “The Masked Rider,” as such, is more or less an interactive, awesomely cheesy B-Movie, and if you can’t enjoy yourself while kung-fu-ing giant bug monsters…while dressed as a dude in a plastic mantis costume…you, good sir or madam, need a listen or two on what this whole “living” thing is all about.

The game, while super-short and super-easy, is pretty damn fun while it lasts. It may sound weird, but I think “The Masked Rider” makes for a perfect social gathering experience -- you pour back some brews, crank up the volume on your CRT-TV, and “play” what is essentially an hour long episode of “Power Rangers.” (And yes, I know there actually was a “Power Rangers” game on the Sega CD, but trust me…this one is WAY better.) There’s not a lot of longevity to be found here, but as a singular “gaming” experience? This is a game I would highly recommend playing once or twice, if only for the sheer novelty (and nostalgia) of it all.

#025 

Panic!

Data-East’s “Panic!” (called “Switch!” in Japan) is the sort of game that Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali would really have appreciated. Years before games like “WarioWare” and “Katamari Damacy” got all the credit for kicking off the “abstract surrealist” movement in video game, this unsung (and at the time, quite despised) Sega CD title was weirding everybody out way before it was cool to be self-reflexive and intentionally indecipherable.

“Panic!”, at its core, is a very simplistic puzzle game, anchored entirely around trial-and-error gameplay. In the title, you control a young boy and his dog, who get sucked inside a Sega CD in order to combat a worldwide computer virus pandemic that’s threatening the whole of civility (and keep in mind, this game came out a good six years before the Y2K brouhaha.) Gameplay consists almost entirely of pressing buttons on a virtual keypad -- one option allows you to “complete” a puzzle and move on to the next stage, while the others halt you dead in your tracks. It’s extraordinarily simple, I know, but the presentation and humor of the title makes it an obscure offering well worth exploring.

So what sort of madcap antics does “Panic!” entail, you may be wondering? How about a room filled with snow that turns to poop, a vomiting Frankenstein monster, a killer toilet, and a puzzle involving trophies that come alive and literally start shaking their asses at you? Believe it or not, those are actually some of the more reserved elements of the game; and if my description of the title hasn’t piqued your curiosity yet, I’m not quite sure what you’re doing reading this countdown to begin with.

#024 

The Secret of Monkey Island

For kids in the early ‘90s that didn’t have high end computers, the Sega CD was pretty much our only means of experiencing PC-titles like “The Secret of Monkey Island,” a seminal LucasArts offering that stands out as one of the decade’s finest classical adventure titles.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave since 1989, you’ll know that Lucas Arts (at the time of this game’s release, named LucasFilm Games) was responsible for some of the finest point-and-click personal computer games ever. Simply put, “The Secret of Monkey Island” is the kind of title that just wasn’t doable on the Genesis or SNES, due to the extremely high-quality music and sound effects. Granted, the graphics and animations were quite substandard compared to the PC iteration of the game (not to mention there’s a ton of lacking content), but on the whole? “Monkey Island” is a fun, challenging and immersive adventure title that’s at least worth a playthrough or two.

More or less, this title is “The Princess Bride: The Game.” You take control of  a wisecracking pirate, who finds himself in all sorts of wacky adventures. The gameplay is pretty diverse, but for the most part, you’ll be exploring rooms for certain objects and engaging in discourse with non-playable-characters. And, of course, you have plenty of dialogue options to choose from, which are frequently quite humorous and self-parodying. Overall, the gameplay, while somewhat rudimentary, is quite enjoyable, and the plotline is an absolute hoot and a half to play through. Even the visuals aren’t that shabby; for adventure game fans, it’s definitely one of the best offerings to be found on the system.

#023 

Dark Wizard

“Dark Wizard” is, unmistakably, a primitive looking game. The opening animations are very crude, and the game’s sprites are almost laughably minimalist. While the game may not be much to look at, “Dark Wizard” does, however, manage to bring the goods in the form of a fantastic soundtrack and super-complex, highly satisfying hexagonal strategy action, with one of the richest narratives of any game on the console.

If you’ve played games like “Final Fantasy Tactics” or “Ogre Battle 64” before, you know what to expect here. While the gameplay is fairly slow compared to more modern strategy offerings, there’s no denying the depth of the experience; unlike “pop-strategy” games ala “Advance Wars,” this is a title that’s built from the ground up to satisfy the most hardcore of the hardcore.

One of the things I really dug about the game was its’ “Rashomon”-like storyline, in which four separate plotlines merge into a single narrative towards the end of the game. As before, the visuals may be uninspiring, but the addictive, bare-bones gameplay certainly makes up for the title’s aesthetic shortcomings. The replay value on this one is much higher than most Sega CD offerings, and of course, you can always go back and revisit battles, applying different techniques and approaches…should we use the serpents by sea and then pound the enemies with a rock monster onslaught, or vice versa? For Sega CD owners eyeing a more cerebral challenge than the norm, “Dark Wizard” is a title well worth tracking down.

#022 

Road Rash CD

Every console has that “a-ha!” moment where you become a believer in the new hardware. Seeing “Castle of Illusion’s” graphics for the first time sold me on the Genesis, and running around with the analog controller in “Super Mario 64” sold me on Nintendo’s last cartridge-based home console. For me, the moment that absolutely MADE the Sega CD worth owning was seeing this game boot up for the first time, and hearing Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” start blaring over the opening cinematic. Hearing actual, ass-kicking music on a video game console instead of your standard bleeps and bloops? Yeah, that “Sega CD” hardware got added to my Christmas list, and in a hurry.

“Road Rash CD” is more or less a port of a 3DO version of “Road Rash” released the same year as the Sega CD iteration. While the title doesn’t look as crisp as that iteration, the game is certainly an improvement -- aesthetically and visually -- over the Sega Genesis series of racing games. With a soundtrack featuring such alt-rock titans as Monster Magnet and Therapy?, the title was sheer, white-knuckle arcade fun; but beyond the thrills and chills, the game also had a substantial amount of depth underneath its hood.

#021 

Batman Returns 

There was a “Batman Returns” tie-in on virtually every console out there back in 1992, and pretty much all of them were great. What makes the Sega CD game different from the others is that it’s more or less two games in one -- a really good platform-action title (think, the first “Batman” game released on the NES) and a really, really good arcade-driving game. 

The platform stages are pretty straightforward. You have all of the standard Bat-gadgets to play around with, and the combat is quite enjoyable. Ultimately, the levels could have been a little more diverse, but as a basic side scrolling action title, it’s more than acceptable. Where the game truly shines, however, are the driving stages, which almost play out alike EA’s “Burnout” series of games…only intensified with machine gun turrets and rocket launchers. The controls here are very, very smooth, and the vehicular combat aspects are expertly designed. Imagine a combination of “Top Gear” and “Spy Hunter,” and you pretty much have the idea here. And that final “driving” sequence, in the sewer system? That, my friends, is reason ENOUGH to give this game a play. 

The music is really good (although it doesn’t utilize the Danny Elfman score from the movie to any capacity), and while a little blurry, the visuals, especially during the driving sequences, are a bit better than the console’s norm. Way back when, this was one of the titles that really made the Sega CD stand out from the SNES and Genesis; and as a testament to the game’s quality, it’s still pretty damn fun to this day.

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The 50 Greatest Sega CD Games of All-Time! (PART TWO -- #040 to #031)

A Five Part Series Counting Down the Best Games the Sega CD Had to Offer!

Hey You! Looking for the Previous Installments in this Series?

PART ONE, counting down games #050 to #041, can be found right here.

PART TWO, counting down games #040 to #031, can be found right here.

PART THREE, counting down games #030 to #021, can be found right here.

PART FOUR, counting down games #020 to #011, can be found right here.
PART FIVE, counting down games #010 to #01, can be found right here. 

For what it’s worth the Sega CD (known as the Mega CD in Europe) might just be the single most underrated console in the history of video gaming. Considered a proverbial laughingstock by gamers that have hardly spent any time at all with the system, the Sega CD was actually a pretty damn good little console, stocked with plenty of killer console exclusives, graphically and musically superior special editions of 16-bit classics, and even a couple of standout genre offerings that, sadly, have become outmoded in today’s all-too-familiar virtual world. Come on, you know you miss side scrolling shoot ‘em ups and digital comic books as much as I do…

After tackling a list of the best the Sega Dreamcast had to offer, I thought long and hard about which console I wanted to focus on for my next countdown. Seeing as how the unsung, unheralded Sega CD generally gets about as much recognition and praise as gonorrhea, I figured the criminally underappreciated console was absolutely perfect the “Top 50” treatment. For those of you that had the honor of owning and playing through some of these classic games (many of which remain under-the-radar gems to this day), consider this a fond recollection and celebration of what once was, and for all of you young whippersnappers that equate the console with “pure fail?” Something tells me that’s a tune you’re going to change in a hurry after seeing everything you’ve missed out on.

As for the criteria for the list, I was pretty lax and subjective. Ever the jingoistic American that I am, I decided that only games that were given North American releases, while the Sega CD was still in production, should qualify as candidates, so no obscure-ass Japan-only SHMUPs or home-brew RPGs some dude made in his basement in 2008 are in contention here.

As always, the opinions expressed herein are solely my own, and your list would surely differ. That said, whose ready to take things to THE NEXT LEVEL?

#040 
Wirehead

Clearly, the most maligned genre on the Sega CD has to be its full motion video (sometimes called “interactive movie”) library. Yes, no one is going to call games like “Night Trap” and “Sewer Shark” all time classics on par with “Mega Man 3” or “Gunstar Heroes,” but games of the sort really don’t deserve the critical lambasting they receive from today’s tweens and teens -- who, obviously, have never even held a real life “lime bean controller” in their hands before.

“Wirehead” is one of the more memorable FMV games to be found on the console, thanks to its unique plot, solid acting, and quirky screenplay. A release by MGM’s short-lived interactive division, “Wirehead” was one of the last games to be released on the console, and as such, was only experienced by a scant few players. And if you’re looking for a title that might just change your perspective on the interactive movie genre, there are very few games out there that I think would alter your outlook as much as this one.

The game, more or less, puts you in control of an (intentionally?) bad, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!”-style family sci-fi comedy. It’s your job to navigate the main character -- the eponymous “Wirehead,” a stereotypical suburban dad who just so happens to have a lightning rod welded on top of his noggin -- through a wide array of misadventures. The gameplay, though limited to “Dragon’s Lair” and “Shenmue”-like quick time events, is actually pretty painless, and the game’s pell-mell plotline throws so many curveballs at you that you really do want to keep playing just to see what crazy shit happens next. Believe it or not, the trial and error gameplay actually gives the title some extended replay value; of course, once you figure out the “right” button presses (and memorize them accordingly), the game more or less plays itself, but up until then, “Wirehead” is a surprisingly fun FMV experience that will have you glued -- perhaps in spite of yourself -- to your Sega CD.

#039  
Kids on Site

“Kids on Site,” at first glance, a fairly innocuously looking “kiddy game,” is actually one of the most subversively intriguing offerings on the Sega CD. Sure, it may seem like a boring, “edu-game” for the elementary school set, but once you actually get into the nuts and bolts of the title, you’ll actually uncover quite a bit of full motion havoc to wreak.

The “intentional” design of the game, I suppose, is quite the rarity; a “heavy machinery operating simulator.” However, the same way the free-roaming natures of “Grand Theft Auto III” and “The Sims” led to gamers turning the titles into (unintentional?) orgies of sadistic mayhem, “Kids on Site” allows gamers with mischievous intent to COMPLETELY subvert the game into impromptu mass mayhem. A deranged third grader’s mind, and full access wrecking balls and bulldozers -- seriously, what’s the worst that could happen here?

Yeah, yeah, you could play the game the way it was meant to be -- an extraordinarily easy endeavor, which entails simply pressing face buttons at certain junctures, a la “Shenmue” and “Dragon’s Lair” -- OR you could use your excavator lifts to pick up co-workers and drop them…presumably to their deaths…into various trenches. Or how about cranking up that bulldozer of yours and running over some watermelons (this title is a veritable wet dream for Gallagher) and then paving over your foreman’s corpse? Believe it or not, all of the above are options this “kids-oriented” title offer you -- concluding with a final stage in which you get to blow up tons and tons of TNT. Clearly, there’s not a whole lot of meat to the experience, but as a simple WTF experience, this is a compact disc you might want to scoop up, pending the opportunity arises…

#038 
Night Trap

Alongside “Mortal Kombat,” one of two games responsible for bringing the violent video game debate to the forefront of American politics, and the title, more or less, single-handedly responsible for the ESRB video game rating system.

Admittedly, there’s not a whole lot to talk about regarding the gameplay in “Night Trap.” As a member of the “Sega Control Attack Team” (yes, a piece of “SCAT,” that makes you), it’s up to you to protect a house filled with sorority-type girls, who are under siege by a gaggle of vampiric ninjas. The gameplay thusly boils down to switching between cameras (there are eight in total) and activating specially laid-out traps before the afore-mentioned vampire ninjas (who use this utterly absurd drilling mechanism to do in their victims) get their undead hands all over Dana Plato and her pals.

As with most FMV titles on the console, there is a LOT of trial and error, and once you have the sequences memorized, the game requires virtually no effort at all on the behalf of the player. As a huge fan of crappy B-horror movies, I suppose I have a soft spot in my heart for this one -- and as such, I am able to overlook a lot of the game’s apparent problems, such as the grainy video and occasionally tedious “trap-em-up” game mechanics. And despite the Senate hearings the game inspired, the title is virtually bloodless, and completely devoid of any nudity whatsoever; and whether or not that’s a positive or a negative, I suppose, is up to the individual to determine.

#037 
Mortal Kombat

And speaking of hyper-controversial video games, here’s the OTHER title responsible for turning violent video gaming into an ineffaceable pillar of U.S. polemics!

At this point, what really needs to be said about “Mortal Kombat?” It’s a fairly straight-forward, kinda’ 2D fighting game with blood galore, some REALLY annoying spam attacks (in particular, the teeth grinding, pain-in-the-ass that is Scorpion’s spear-uppercut-and-teleport combo) and of course, the merriment that arises from literally punching a dude’s head off his spinal cord or uppercutting someone so hard their torso flies off. Yeah, in hindsight, it was no “Street Fighter II,” but if you couldn’t get at least a couple of hours on enjoyment from the experience, you might as well be playing pachinko and lugging around a Hello Kitty purse instead.

The original “MK” was stupid, all style-and-no-substance fighting game excess at its very uncultured best, and the Sega CD version is superior to the Genesis cartridge for several reasons. For starters, the visuals are a bit crisper, and the sound is MUCH better -- although the sound effects do remain a little warbled. Surprisingly, however, the game still looks inferior to the SNES version, and I will be several shades of damned if the music in the game is STILL subpar compared to the audio of the Super Nintendo iteration of the game. Of course, us Sega gamers get blood and full fatalities, but is it worth the graphical and audio trade-off? Well…yeah, probably.

#036 
Wild Woody

At a certain juncture, I suppose you would run out of decent candidates from the mammalian world to use as viable mascot-platformer characters. Ever the progressive sorts, the fine folks at Sega decided to abandon the animal kingdom altogether for “Wild Woody,” a better-than-average platforming title in which you take control of…an anthropomorphic pencil?

As one of the very last games released on the Sega CD, “Wild Woody’s” datedness shows quite a bit -- especially when you compare the grainy cut scenes to the video quality of the PS1 and Saturn. Admittedly, the soundtrack (scored by, of all people, a dude that went on to play guitar for that thing Axl Rose wants us to believe is “Guns N Roses”) is a little grating, and dear lord, that voice acting! However, once you get past those issues (a hard sell for some, I know), what you’ll uncover in “Wild Woody” is 2D platformer that’s actually quite a bit of fun.

Of course, it’s easy to mock “Wild Woody” for its aesthetics and its goofy animations (your attack, I might add, entails hopping on enemy heads and “erasing” them with your ass), but once you get past all the superficialities, the meat of the gameplay is actually quite satisfying. It feel pretty safe in describing “Wild Woody” as a mixture of “Comix Zone” and “Donkey Kong Country,” although not as enjoyable or well-constructed as either title. That said, if you’re looking for a standard, no-frills platformer -- on a console with a real dearth of quality  side scrolling platformers, as is --“Wild Woody” is actually a shockingly competent title.

#035 
Lethal Enforcers CD

If you spent any amount of time in an arcade in the mid 1990s, you surely squandered many a quarter on Konami’s “Lethal Enforcers,” a light-gun game that drew a considerable amount of controversy for including (what was considered at the time, anyway) photorealistic, digitalized graphics. While the game was ported to both the SNES and Genesis, it should go without saying that this version is the best of the bunch -- thanks in part to the improved CD audio soundtrack, and definitely because of the graphical boost from the hardware.

First off, if you were lucky enough to buy the game when it first came out, you also scored yourself an awesome, blazingly blue proprietary light gun produced by Konami, called “the Justifier,” which, yes, sounds just like a bad Clint Eastwood movie from the early 1980s. Although you can play the game with your standard lima bean pad, I recall having a (literal and figurative) blast with the old school peripheral; while the game is still playable with the regular Genesis controller, the actual light gun input is much preferred here.

The backgrounds, for the time anyway, look outstanding, even if some of the bad guys look a little stiff and ill-defined. The sound effects are downright incredible, with menacing terrorists shouting gruff threats at you while innocent bystanders scream bloody murder. There are only five stages in the game (six, if you count the target shooting mini-game), but the title is fairly tough, and there’s quite a bit of replay incentive -- especially when its you and a buddy tag-teaming to wipe crime off the streets of Chicago. A bit primitive by modern standards, there’s no denying the bare-bones, gallery shooting fun of “Lethal Enforcers,” which is certainly one of the best “shooters” to be found on the console.

#034 
Double Switch

Another FMV game from Sega’s Digital Pictures, “Double Switch” is definitely one of the hardest games to be found on the Sega CD. While extraordinarily difficult, it’s also a pretty entertaining little title, filled with a rather surprising cast and a B-movie plotline that’s actually somewhat involving and entertaining.

First off, we’ve got to talk about the cast here. The main protagonist of the title is played by Corey Haim (that Corey Haim), and the supporting cast includes R. Lee Ermey (aka, the sadistic drill sergeant from “Full Metal Jacket) and, of all people, Deborah Harry playing a super MILF in Egyptian get-up. Calling the title “star-studded” may be a bit of a stretch, but it’s certainly more well-acted than, oh say, “Corpse Killer” or, shudder, “Power Factory, Featuring C+C Music Factory.” And that’s not even noting the soundtrack, which was produced by Thomas “She Blinded Me With Freakin’ Science” Dolby!

Gameplay-wise, the title is remarkably similar to “Night Trap,” with the player controlling several cameras and activating booby traps at particular junctures. “Double Switch,” however, is a much more complex game than “Night Trap,” as it throws in quite a few additional objectives along the way, including some extremely challenging scavenger hunts. Unlike most of the FMV games on the console, “Double Switch” will probably take you quite a while to get down (if you don’t get too frustrated first, of course), but for those of you looking for an interactive movie game with a little bit of longevity, it’s probably the most intricate FMV game on the system. And just wait until the mummy makes his grand entrance!

#033 
Ground Zero Texas

Hey, why not one more FMV game from Digital Pictures while we are at it? Of all the games produced by Tom Zito and company, I believe this one is far and away my favorite. It’s trashy B-movie sleaze meets shooting gallery hokum, and while insanely simplistic as a gaming experience, it’s also pretty darn enjoyable.

Alike “Night Trap,” the game utilizes a multi-camera set-up. However, instead of trapping foes like in “Double Switch,” the game utilizes a more straight-forward, “Lethal Enforcers” and “Sewer Shark”-type cursor-shooting system of game play. While the title is extraordinarily uncomplicated (and admittedly, quite repetitive), the super-fun, better-acted-than-the-norm screenplay keeps you glued to your cathode ray tube, regardless.

The title -- which is one part “Tremors” and one part “V” -- was actually a full-fledged Hollywood production, costing $2 million and utilizing almost two full hours of video (which, considering the console’s hardware limitations, is actually quite astounding.) Hell, the game itself actually had a credited director -- that being the same dude that helmed “Halloween 4” and “Free Willy 2.” You’ll probably be able to blast through “Ground Zero Texas” in an afternoon, and yeah, once you’ve already beaten the title, there’s not much to revisit. That said, if you’re looking for a wholly unique, hybrid video game/movie experience…well, this is probably one of your better bets out there.

#032 
Bram Stoker’s Dracula 

At last estimate, I believe there were about 4,000 different version of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” released on home consoles in the early 1990s, from the Master System to the SNES to the Game Gear. What makes the Sega CD version of Francis Ford Coppola’s movie tie-in different from other iterations is two-fold; first, this one uses pre-rendered graphics (meaning, you more or less take control of a digitalized Keanu Reeves, “Mortal Kombat”-style), and of course, the title features lengthy clips from the 1992 film of the same name. Yeah, that’s not really an impressive feat nowadays, but back then? Being able to see real scenes from a real movie on a video game console was just mind-blowing.

The music in this game is also really good, creating a somewhat spooky atmosphere that definitely keeps you on your toes. The graphics -- while a little hokey -- are also detailed enough to keep you wondering what’s ahead, with some pretty diverse backgrounds and level lay outs. There are even some surprisingly decent looking, pseudo 3D environmental effects, too, like pendulums that literally swing right in your face as you hop and punch your way through Dracula’s castle.

OK, so “Castlevania III” this one isn’t; the sound effects are repetitive, the enemies are just ridiculous (seriously, who punches spiders and snakes?) and the boss fights typically leave a lot to be desired. That said, the gameplay -- which entails rudimentary platforming, at times, taking on the vibe of a side scrolling beat ‘em up --is altogether satisfying, and the general ambiance of the game is pretty unique and just a wee bit scary. It’s not going to replace “Splatterhouse 2” and “Zombies Ate My Neighbors!” on your list of essential Halloween-time plays, but if your looking for a new All Hallow’s Eve gaming experience, you could certainly do a lot worse than this one.

#031 
Sol-Feace 

Despite having a name that sounds suspiciously like “feces,” this is actually a downright awesome side scrolling SHMUP, with terrific music, hyper-addictive and challenging game play, and some extraordinary looking 2D visuals. The title would certainly rank a lot higher on the countdown, if it wasn’t so short; once you pare out the opening cinematics, end credits and load times, you’re left with a title that’s barely 20 minutes in length.

I suppose I would feel comfortable referring to “Sol-Feace” as a standard SHMUP, alike “R-Type” and “Life Force.” Of course, the big variable this game has that those others don’t is the CD-audio, which is thumping with intensity from start to finish. The soundtrack on this one is so good, it actually improves the quality of the gameplay; when that techno bass starts pumping, you can’t help but get a little nervous, and thusly start losing your grip on the control pad. This is a game that knows how to make gamers antsy, and it does so majestically.

On a system glutted with kick-ass SHMUPS, there’s really not that much that makes “Sol-Feace” stand out, however. While the dual cannon gameplay is satisfying, you don’t really get that many power-up options (which is just ridiculous, seeing as how NES-era games like “Zanac” gave you twice as many upgrades as this title) and to be fair, the backgrounds are a little plain compared to some other genre offerings on the system. That said, with the terrific music and rock-solid side scrolling action, “Sol-Feace” is clearly a must-play for any arcade-loving Sega CD owners And yeah, it’s a much better game than the downgraded Genesis port, which was called, inexplicably “Sol-Deace.” Seriously.

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The 50 Greatest Sega CD Games of All-Time! (PART ONE: #050-to-#041)

A Five-Part Series Counting Down the Greatest Games the Sega CD Had to Offer!

Hey You! Looking for the Previous Installments in this Series?

PART ONE, counting down games #050 to #041, can be found right here.

PART TWO, counting down games #040 to #031, can be found right here.

PART THREE, counting down games #030 to #021, can be found right here.

PART FOUR, counting down games #020 to #011, can be found right here.
PART FIVE, counting down games #010 to #01, can be found right here. 

For what it’s worth the Sega CD (known as the Mega CD in Europe) might just be the single most underrated console in the history of video gaming. Considered a proverbial laughingstock by gamers that have hardly spent any time at all with the system, the Sega CD was actually a pretty damn good little console, stocked with plenty of killer console exclusives, graphically and musically superior special editions of 16-bit classics, and even a couple of standout genre offerings that, sadly, have become outmoded in today’s all-too-familiar virtual world. Come on, you know you miss side scrolling shoot ‘em ups and digital comic books as much as I do…

After tackling a list of the best the Sega Dreamcast had to offer, I thought long and hard about which console I wanted to focus on for my next countdown. Seeing as how the unsung, unheralded Sega CD generally gets about as much recognition and praise as gonorrhea, I figured the criminally underappreciated console was absolutely perfect the “Top 50” treatment. For those of you that had the honor of owning and playing through some of these classic games (many of which remain under-the-radar gems to this day), consider this a fond recollection and celebration of what once was, and for all of you young whipper snappers that equate the console with “pure fail?” Something tells me that’s a tune you’re going to change in a hurry after seeing everything you’ve missed out on.

As for the criteria for the list, I was pretty lax and subjective. Ever the jingoistic American that I am, I decided that only games that were given North American releases, while the Sega CD was still in production, should qualify as candidates, so no obscure-ass Japan-only SHMUPs or home-brew RPGs some dude made in his basement in 2008 are in contention here.

As always, the opinions expressed herein are solely my own, and your list would surely differ. That said, whose ready to take things to THE NEXT LEVEL?

#050 
Sewer Shark

You know, nobody in their right mind is ever going to consider “Sewer Shark” to be a good game, by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, considering the ultra-simplistic game play involved with the experience, there are sure to be scores of folks out there that don’t think “Sewer Shark” is meaty enough as interactive experience to even be considered a “video game” in the first place. That said, “Sewer Shark” remains an iconic title that, for better or worse, has become emblematic of what the Sega CD was all about, and no countdown of the console’s 50 best games would be complete without it’s presence.

I guess the best way to describe “Sewer Shark” is “Top Gun” meets “C.H.U.D.” with a healthy bit of “Weekend at Bernie’s” thrown in for good measure. In the full motion video (FMV) offering -- which, eventually, came bundled with the Sega CD itself -- you take control of this really grainy looking, cyber-punk style amphibious vehicle and blast your way through some very skuzzy, brown and grey environments while a higher-up barks directional commands at you. So, yeah, it’s basically nothing more than a glorified game of “Simon Says” at certain junctures, but that’s not to say that there isn’t a modicum of fun to be had, either.

As a fairly primitive first person shooter, however, it’s actually somewhat competent, and the game’s quirky humor and B-movie “plot” is strangely endearing. Of course, it’s not a very challenging game (at all), and even novice gamers could probably blow through the experience in about an hour, but just for the sheer absurdity and nostalgia of it all, it’s probably worthy of at least one play through. That, and the credits on this one are just crazy. I mean, how could you possibly resist a game that features music from that one dude from Devo, special effects by the guys that made “Critters” and features the guy that voiced Harvey Bullock on the ‘90s Batman cartoon as the central villain?

#049 
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder

A lot of people consider the Westwood Associates developed “Eye of the Beholder” to be one of the greatest RPGs on the Sega CD…you know, like that’s such a deep pool to be swimming in to begin with. While it’s certainly a solid game, with some neat music and decent graphics, I don’t think it’s necessarily the be-all, end-all role-playing magnum opus some make it out to be. Even so, it’s still an undeniably fun game, and one of the better dungeon-crawlers to be found during the timeframe.

One area that most certainly is not up for debate is the greatness of the game’s soundtrack. With a downright thumping, techno-esque score by video game legend Yuzo Koshiro, there’s no doubt that you will be bobbing your head while slaying orcs and looting dungeons for gold pieces. If for the music alone, it’s certainly a better iteration of the game than the Super Nintendo iteration, which was handled by Capcom (and if you were wondering, Sega itself was responsible for handling this port right here.)

The graphics are actually quite good, and the gameplay -- although a little repetitive -- is also fine-tuned and deeply satisfying. Of course, there are some downsides; the story is formulaic, there’s not a whole lot of character customization options and the big kicker, the inherent clumsiness of playing a point and click adventure with a directional pad. Even so, it’s a really enjoyable  game, and a title well worth playing if you are a hardcore AD&D junkie. And hey, did I mention how awesome that music was?

#048 
Ecco: The Tides of Time

I have never, nor do I ever plan on becoming, a huge fan of the “Ecco” series, but in some ways, I suppose you could call the “Free Willy”-inspired franchise something of a guilty pleasure. While “The Tides of Time” is mostly just a rehash of the original “Ecco the Dolphin” -- hell, most of the same graphics and sound effects are recycled here -- the game remains largely entertaining, and some of the new gameplay features are…gasp…actually sort of cool.

The controls in “Tides of Time” are more or less identical to the controls in the first game, so experienced Ecco enthusiasts ought to have no troubles at all getting their fins wet with this one. Similarly, the game employed the very same metrics (the health bar and the air meter, most significantly) from “Ecco the Dolphin,” and as an added bonus, you actually begin this game with two of the most powerful upgrades from the original already mapped to your repertoire. And if that wasn’t enough, the game includes an oblique nod to the beloved “Altered Beast” series, with a new game play mechanism in place that sees your eponymous porpoise transforming into a variety of sea creatures, including jellyfish, seagulls and even a freaking shark (which, unofficially, makes this the best “Jaws” game ever by default.)

As far as some of the other “tweaks,” however, I’m still not a very big fan. For one, I HATED those 2.5D vertically-swimming (as opposed to vertically-scrolling levels,) which were sort of like the ring challenges in the much, much detested “Superman 64.” And the less said about those stupid escort missions, I assure you, the better. Alas, even with those sidesteps taken into consideration, “Tides of Time” isn’t a bad game, and that funky soundtrack -- think, a cross between DJ Shadow, Yanni and Tangerine Dream -- clearly makes this one a much superior title than the comparably dry and sandy Genesis version.

#047 
Bill Walsh College Football CD

“Bill Walsh College Football ‘95,” as we all know, is one of the absolute best football games of the 16-bit era. While this Sega CD re-do of the first “Bill Walsh” game isn’t quite as awesome as it’s Genesis successor, there’s no denying that this collegiate pigskin sim is a thoroughly fun title -- especially since the audio capabilities of the hardware actually allow for REAL school fight songs and not just those cruddy MIDI files were used to with most 16-bit sports games.

The gameplay, for what its’ worth, is identical to the Genesis version, and the graphics really aren’t all that improved from the cartridge-based game, either. That said, it’s still an immersive, enjoyable football sim with a ton of teams to choose from and some very robust playbooks -- considering this game came out in 1993, I think oust modern gamers would be utterly shocked by the wide array of options the title offers you.

That said, there are still quite a bit of peculiarities on display. For one, one, some of the official team names aren’t included, so if you want to have a throw down between Ohio State and Notre Dame, you’ll just have to suffice for a “Columbus” vs. “South Bend” match-up instead. And considering that the Genesis was capable of providing fairly respectable play-by-play audio, there’s really NO excuse for this game to lack running commentary. Everything considered, though, “Bill Walsh” is still a really enjoyable little sports game, however, and it’s far and away the best American football title to be found on the console.

#046
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck

If you got around as a platforming fan in the early 1990s, you probably stumbled upon “Chuck Rock” on the SNES or Genesis. By and large, it was a fairly forgettable, albeit harmless little hop and bopper - - well, unless you get really offended by games in which your primary attack looks hilariously like an overweight caveman thrusting his junk up against enemies like or something.

On the surface, “Chuck Rock II” bares an uncanny resemblance -- both graphically and conceptually -- to the “Bonk” series on the Turbo-Grafx 16. That said, “Chuck Rock II” is actually a pretty enjoyable, if not derivative platformer with lots of neat environmental effects, vivid visuals, and even a couple of entertaining and unique boss fights.

The music in the title may fluctuate from just OK to irritatingly saccharine, but the sound effects are actually really good. The animation is nice, and the overall graphical quality is much better here than it is on the Genesis or Super Nintendo versions. It’s a pretty short affair (most gamers could blast through it in an hour or so), but that’s not to say there aren’t a few challenging sections here and there. “Sonic CD,” this one may not be, but as a standalone platformer, it’s actually one of the more enjoyable offerings to be found on the console.

#045
FIFA International Soccer

Admittedly, this game would probably be ranked a whole lot higher if it weren’t for the existence of a certain other footy game, which, SPOILER, ranks very, VERY high on this countdown. Even so, there is a lot to like about Electronic Arts’ soccer sim, beginning with the impressive (for its time, at least) audio.

Known as “FIFA International Soccer Championship Edition” in the PAL region, this version is more or less a highly polished version of the Genesis release “FIFA International Soccer” (hence, the namesake, I suppose.) As with cartridge-based game, you get tons of game play options here, and with it, a wealth of teams to select -- which, in turn, provides an almost endless array of roster tweaks and substitution possibilities. Of course, the big selling point here is the greatly improved audio. You may not think that something as simple as real crowd noises would improve the overall quality of a game, but trust me: the awesome audio atmospherics here -- complete with soccer chants and the occasional bull horn blurt -- make the game infinitely more engaging and riveting.

The only real downside to the game -- and it may be a backbreaker for some -- are the game’s lengthy load times. Granted, it may not take as long as some first-wave PSP games to boot up, but if you’re itching to hop right into the pitch, you may be turned off considerably by the waiting time. Overall, though, “FIFA” is a really enjoyable soccer title, and if you’re a hardcore footy fanatic with an operational Sega CD in your possession, it’s definitely a must-own.

#044 
WWF Rage in the Cage

As far as I know, “Rage in the Cage” is the only pro wrestling game released on the Sega CD. While it’s not necessarily a grappling classic on par with the “Fire Pro” series offerings of the timeframe, it really isn’t a bad little title considering its own merits, either.

Granted, the game is more or less a slightly refurbished version of “Royal Rumble,” a popular 16-bit WWF-branded game on the SNES and Genesis -- which, admittedly, was a pretty good little grappler by its own right. That said, there are a lot of neat tweaks to the already-solid game engine including the inclusion of mid-90s ‘rasslers like The Headhunters and Kamala, who -- and I could be wrong here -- never made any additional appearances in officially licensed WWF games throughout the decade. Add to the mix several “exclusive” game modes, including a pretty fun steel cage option and a “brawl” mode that allows you to fight dirty as a mofo sans referee repercussions, and you wind up with a pretty respectable little title that, at the time, featured more playable characters than any other wrestling game out there.

Of course, there were some anomalies at play, however. For one, even though the game included several tag teams, the game, inexplicably, lacked a tag team mode, and even though the title contained some full motion wrestling clips -- with in-ring audio introductions by Howard Finkel, no less -- the game utilized chip tune versions of the wrestlers’ iconic theme songs. That’s right, folks -- for whatever reason, LJN decided to use MIDI music for its CD-based software!

#043 
Keio Flying Squadron 

Imagine, if you will, a 2D version of “Panzer Dragoon Orta,” only developed by Treasure and incorporating some of the zaniest, bullet-hell gameplay this side of “Cho Aniki.” What sounds like an LSD trip mixed with a stomachache is actually one of the system’s greatest unsung SHMUPS -- a wild, wooly side-scrolling shooter with tremendous music, intense action and some really, really annoying and overlong FMV sequences. But, uh, the less said about those, the better, I suppose.

Essentially, “Keio Flying Squadron” is your standard side scrolling shoot ‘em up, only instead of piloting your tried-and-true space ship, you’re actually a semi-naked rabbit woman piloting a Plucky Duck look-a-like that can launch fireballs out its armpits. And instead of merely blasting away at your generic aeronautic foes, this one has you duking it out with absolutely MASSIVE, exquisitely detailed and animated foes -- among them, a gigantic wooden tank, a squirrel carrying a giant acorn with an elephant demon inside it (with a dude wearing a fish suit riding atop its head) and a gargantuan flying contraption made out of dozens of tanks with an American flag on it. Oh shit, did things just get all sorts of political up in here all of a sudden?

Clearly, “Keio” is a beautiful looking game, with rich animation and downright gorgeous sprites. The levels look crisp and vibrant, and the character design is utterly astounding (just wait until you get to the boss fight with the giant kitten headed automaton!) The problem is that it’s just too short a game (probably less than an hour in length for most players) and, at times, the boss fights do tend to drag on longer than they should. If this game were a little longer -- and a little bit more diverse -- it surely would’ve ranked even higher on this countdown. Even so, it’s a really fun SHMUP, and one of the console’s many, MANY unheralded gems.

#042 
Wolfchild CD

“Wolfchild,” an Amiga original that was eventually ported over to the much, much more popular 16-bit consoles, was a game that was overlooked by most Genesis and Super Nintendo owners. In hindsight, while it wasn’t necessarily the best action game of the time frame, there’s no denying that “Wolfchild,” as a whole, was really enjoyable. If you ever wondered what would happen if you put  “Altered Beast,” “Mega Man X” and “Contra III” in a blender and hit puree…well, Wolfchild isn’t the best possible result of turning the switch, but it ain’t too shabby a mixture, regardless.

Following your requisite horribly animated opening cut scene, the game plops you down straight into the middle of the action, with your lion-haired avatar shooting his way through a futuristic enemy airbase. From there, you’ll be jumping and shooting your way through all the standard locales, including jungles occupied by Predator-esque, uh, predators and the obligatory underground laboratory (patrolled by giant wasps, of course.) Clearly, “Wolfchild” borrows heavily from a lot of series, including “Contra,” “Metroid,” “Mega Man” and even a little bit of “Sonic,” and when I say the game apes “Altered Beast” HARD, I mean it: not only does the game utilize a same “grab the orb to power-up” gimmick that the infamous Genesis pack-in utilized, I am almost 100 percent certain that the developers of this game used the exact same howling sound effect that Sega utilized!

There are a lot of negatives working against the game, however; the graphics are really underwhelming, the sound is a little warbled and it’s pretty short (I managed to blow through the game, on my first play through, in less than an hour.) That said, it’s fun while it lasts, and it’s simplistic, unrefined mechanics make it a game anyone can easily hop into and enjoy. An all-time classic the game may not be, but for a boring afternoon, you could do worlds worse than “Wolfchild CD.”

#041 
Wonder Dog 

Developed by Core Design, “Wonder Dog” was one of the very first games to be released on the Sega CD. In many ways a standard platformer, the game stood out due to its crisp graphics (with super detailed sprites and fluid animations that were years ahead of what the Genesis and SNES was capable of doing) and its unique combination of speedy and exploration-based game play. Think of it as a combination of “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Kid Chameleon”…just not as good as either, of course.

One of the things I really dug about the game was its backgrounds. While most platformers of the time frame relied on the usual dull and drab color schemes, the landscapes in “Wonder Dog” were actually quite varied, and some even utilized some neat scaling effects that really wouldn’t become the norm in 2D platformers until the emergence of the PS1 and Saturn.

Clearly, the game suffers from repetitive level structures (the backgrounds, as diverse as they are, don’t hide the fact that the actual stage infrastructure is basically the same throughout), and the formulaic boss fights -- which entail your character going toe to toe with huge sprites, including a Sasquatch-like monster and a Goliath-sized Elmer Fudd knockoff -- get pretty irritating after awhile. Even so, the game as a whole is quite enjoyable, and as the stages progress, the title takes on more of a puzzler-esque vibe, with levels that are a whole lot more varied and complex. “Super Mario World,” it ain’t, but if you’re looking for a straight-forward platformer with vibrant visuals and solid gameplay, “Wonder Dog” is one of the more fine-tuned options to be found on the console.

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