The 50 Greatest Sega CD Games of All-Time! (PART FIVE -- #010 to #001)

A Five-Part Countdown of 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 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?

#010 

Earthworm Jim: Special Edition

In a sea of pale Mario and Sonic imitators, “Earthworm Jim” stood out as one of the more remarkable platformers from the 16-bit era. With awesome action that rivaled the likes of “Contra III” and “Gunstar Heroes,” not to mention the title’s trademark irreverent humor, “Earthworm Jim” was easily one of the best cross-platform titles from the era, and if you’re itching to play the absolute best version of the game out there, it appears as if you’re going to need to get yourself a Sega CD ASAP. 

“Earthworm Jim” on the Sega CD truly is a “special edition,” with improved visuals and better animation than its 16-bit precursors. That, and it has an all new soundtrack, which as expected, is freaking marvelous. AND THEN there are the levels, which have been completely redesigned to be longer, more challenging and more secret-packed. Oh, and did I mention that they give you an all new weapon to toy around with, in addition to a completely new, built-from-the-ground up stage that you won’t find on any other console? Not only is the Sega CD iteration of the game the most impressive “Earthworm Jim” out there, it’s also the lengthiest and most fun to blast through.

The only downside here are the load times, which can be a bit excessive. Other than that, you really can’t complain about ANYTHING in the game, be it the terrific visuals, the fantastic music, the hilarious character exchanges, the tremendous controls or the super-memorable boss battles. And the “secret” ending where a narrator runs down a list of “facts” about actual earthworms? It’s a work of post-post-modern genius.

#009

The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin

If you ever owned a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, you probably played “The Amazing Spider-Man.” It was one of the absolute best Sega Genesis games, and to this day, considered one of the absolute best Spider-Man games ever (hell, in my opinion, it STILL is.) Now, how do you make that already awesome title even more awesome? Well, how about starting by completely beefing up the game with levels that are easily twice (maybe even three times) larger than the game worlds in the previous title? And on top of that, how about adding a hard rocking soundtrack by Mr. Big (yes, THAT Mr. Big!) and atop that, some all new animated cut-scenes, tons of new missions, a couple of new boss fights and redesigned stages? 

Clearly, this game truly lives up to its self-imposed moniker “Amazing,” and then some. While the Genesis version was more or less a linear side-scrolling action game, this title is actually something of a free-roaming title, with a HUGE map of New York City to explore. You traverse from mission to mission, ultimately confronting an all-time classic list of Spidey rogues, including Doctor Octopus, Venom, The Lizard and of course, The Kingpin. Hell, you even get to throw down with some foes that weren’t in the Genesis game, including Bullseye and Typhoid Mary!

Pretty much everything in the game is spectacular. The controls are tremendous, the visuals are outstanding, the animation is top-notch, the music is great, and the gameplay, while challenging as all hell, is still quite accessible. That, and it even throws in a few neat addendums, including a super-addictive pinball mini-game that will suck more hours out of your Sega CD than most full-fledged games. If you ask me, not only is this one of the best Sega CD games ever, it’s far and away the greatest Spider-Man game ever created; if you’re a fan of either Ol’ Webhead or awesome action games in general, this is a game you simply MUST experience.  

#008 

Popful Mail: Magical Fantasy Adventure

“Popful Mail” is a truly wonderful game, a delightful action RPG/platformer hybrid with some of the best cut scenes on the Sega CD, an absolute ton of voice acting, incredible music and of course, utterly fantastic gameplay. Produced by Working Designs -- perhaps the most important developer on the console --“Popful” is, at once, instantly accessible and something completely different from the norm. It truly is one of the best games on the system, and really, one of the most underrated platformer games of the early 1990s. 

The presentation in the game is really well done. At the time, how the game fused dialogue into the actual gameplay was pretty uncommon, and the incorporated role playing game elements -- like selling items for weapon upgrades -- was actually an aberration for contemporary platformers. The title is also one of the lengthier games to be found on the console, and additionally one of the most challenging. Take heed, novice gamers; despite the game’s cutesy animation and character design, this thing is “Ninja Gaiden” levels of difficult. 

There’s a ton of stuff to explore in the game, and as stated earlier, it will probably take you a pretty long time before your skills are advanced enough to fully conquer it. The graphics and music may not be revolutionary, but the solid-as-a-rock gameplay (not to mention the dynamite presentation) is enough to keep you glued to your console for as long as this majestic journey will take you. Copies of the game today are pretty rare (and are likely to cost you more than an arm and a leg online), but if you luck up and find a used copy at a yard sale or a local thrift shop? If you DON’T pick this one up, you’ll be kicking yourself for the rest of your life.

#007 

Silpheed

Forget “Star Fox,” THIS was the best polygonal space-shooter of the 16-bit-era. Game Arts’ “Silpheed” is an absolutely phenomenal pseudo-3D vertically scrolling SHMUP, with tremendous visuals, amazing music, excellent voiceover and controls that are smoother than a well polished ice cube. 

In some ways, I’d be secure in calling “Silpheed” something of a update to “Zaxxon,” aka, the arcade game that put Sega on the map way back when. The effects in this game were completely mind-blowing at the time, with HUGE polygonal spaceships floating by your teeny little fighter while literally hundreds of neon colored bullets swirled around you. The game is just so pretty to look at; odds are, the first couple of times you play it, you’ll end up getting whacked because you can’t keep your eyes off the game’s beautiful backdrops. The vacancy of space isn’t that vacant in “Silpheed” -- even today, some of the levels, including a fantastic, “2001”-esque warp speed level and a concluding dogfight through a Death Star facsimile, are just breathtaking to experience.

There may not be that much variety in the core gameplay mechanics of the title, but trust me, you won’t be complaining about the lack of upgradable weapons by the time you are weaving your spaceship in and out of floating space islands and blasting through a polygonal jungle. All in all, this is just a fantastic, cutting-edge arcade experience  -- a simple, albeit wildly innovative and, most importantly of all, extremely enjoyable space shooting sim that all self-respecting Sega CD owners ought to have in their collections. 

 #006 

Shining Force CD 

What’s better than a hyper-addictive, content-loaded tactical RPG developed by Camelot? How about FOUR hyper-addictive, content-loaded tactical RPGs developed by Camelot! 

“Shining Force CD” has a fairly strange pedigree. The first two game included on the set are actually high-gloss “ports” of two really awesome Game Gear titles, (“Shining Force Gaiden”,which never got a release in the U.S., and “Shining Force: The Sword of Hayja” if you really need the specifics.) The inclusion of those two games -- given the obvious graphical and audio upgrades -- would probably be enough to earn this game a spot in the top ten, but it’s the inclusion of two additional games -- a full fledged, feature-length sequel to “The Sword of Hayja" and an entertaining bookend that allows you to re-fight some of the series’ most memorable foes -- that really makes this game worth going out of one’s way to experience. 

This is just a remarkable title, all around. The graphics are terrific (although the limited animation may turn off some) and the music is positively stellar. Of course, the meat and potatoes here is the solid turn-based strategy combat and involving storyline -- and I assure you, what “Shining Force CD” gives you in both categories is MORE than enough to satisfy any hardcore RPG fan. To conclude? On a console loaded with some stellar RPG experiences  (a fact that is strangely overlooked in the gaming media), this is perhaps the absolute best of the best of what the Sega CD had to offer. 

#005

Robo Aleste

If you ever owned a Sega Genesis or Nintendo Entertainment System, at some point, you probably played a game developed by Compile. That’s the company responsible for some of the absolute best SHMUPS and SHMUP hybrids on the NES (games like “Gun-Nac,” “Zanac” and “The Guardian Legend,” among them) and what is routinely considered the absolute best SHMUP on the Genesis, “M.U.S.H.A.”  Calling “Robo Aleste” a special edition version of “M.U.S.H.A.” is both appropriate and a little misleading, but if that notion doesn’t get your trigger fingers itching a bit, you my friend, are probably lacking a pulse (or else, you don’t know shit about shoot ‘em ups. One or the other, I suppose.)

Simply put, “Robo Aleste” is 2D, 16-bit, horizontal-scrolling action at its finest. Personally, I still tend to view “M.U.S.H.A.” as a better overall experience, but as a stand alone offering? There’s no denying that “Robo Aleste” is the best of the best when it comes to Sega CD genre offerings, and next to “M.U.S.H.A.,” it probably is the best overall SHMUP from the timeframe. 

The visuals are crisp and clear while the sprites are detailed and well-animated. The soundtrack, this weird-ass techno-grocery-store-stock-audio-sounding stuff, if a little unorthodox, but it actually gels quite well with the gameplay. The gameplay is more or less identical to “M.U.S.H.A.,” with a few tweaks here and there; clearly, Compile didn’t really have to reinvent the wheel when it came to gameplay, and they wisely stuck with what works here. Unlike “M.U.S.H.A.,” however, the game actually has a bona-fide story, and I believe the “cruel” difficulty setting is much, much more challenging than the highest difficulty setting on the Genesis forerunner. Without question, this is one of the best titles to be found on the Sega CD, and for SHMUP fans? It’s probably reason enough to own the console. 

#004 

Snatcher

Even gamers that have never laid eyes on a Sega CD console are quite fond of “Snatcher,” if just for the fact that it was Hideo Kojima’s first opportunity to bring his wild-ass, semi-cinematic story-telling ideas to a home console. While clearly laying the groundwork for more narrative-heavy games like “Metal Gear Solid,” “Snatcher” is really an entirely different beast in terms of gameplay, more or less serving as  a “digital comic” ala “Rise of the Dragon.” And alike “Rise of the Dragon,” this game, ahem, borrows quite a bit from “Blade Runner,” albeit with that unique, Kojima-style kookiness turning the title into a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s pretty much incontestable; there isn’t a better narrative to be found on the Sega CD, and really, early '90s gaming, than this game right here. 

“Snatcher” is something of an adventure title, with your character (the semi-iconic Gillian Seed) roaming around a futuristic metropolis, alongside his trusty robotic companion, “Metal Gear.” Yeah, I have no idea where that namesake came from, either. As far as basic gameplay goes, it’s quite familiar material; option boxes pop up on screen that allot certain actions (look, drive, open, etc.), and triggering the right “clues” allows you to advance the storyline. And for those of you looking for a meaty experience, there is A LOT of story in “Snatcher,” making this one of the longest experiences to be found on the Sega CD. If you’re looking for the anathema of the 40 minute long FMV game, “Snatcher” is probably about as diametrically polar as you can get. 

The presentation in the game is simply fantastic. The cutscene animation is outstanding, and the voice acting is perhaps the absolute finest to be found on the console. The controls are quite fluid (although the sometimes static gameplay may put off some of the ADD gamers out there), and once again, you really can’t argue about the inherent greatness of the game’s plotline. Simply put, “Snatcher” was a game that was at least one console generation ahead of its time, and a comprehensively awesome experience that all serious Sega aficionados would be wise to explore. Trust me; there’s a reason why 20 years later, hardcore fans are STILL clamoring for a “Snatcher” sequel…

#003 

Sonic the Hedgehog CD

A lot of people consider Sonic’s only foray on the Sega CD to be the absolute best “Sonic the Hedgehog” game ever. While I tend to disagree (“Sonic 3” FOREVER rules this world), there’s no denying that it’s one of the best Sonic games ever, and easily the best platform game to be released on the criminally neglected console.

If you don’t know how “Sonic” games wok by now, you’ve probably been a prisoner of war since Grenada. The gameplay here is about as simplistic as it gets -- you hop, bop, run and occasionally tear through enemies like a power saw -- on a quest to save your girlfriend, who, in this scenario, is a bright pink rodent. Yeah, the game probably won’t win any points for an original premise, but the execution is so goddamn incredible that you really can’t criticize any aspect of the game. It’s just a straight-up, through-and-through excellent platformer, with terrific music (even if most fan boys agree that the Japanese/European version had the superior soundtrack) and terrific visuals, especially when you hop into the pseudo 3D bonus road race stages.

The stages are very well designed and the game incorporates a lot of neat effects -- for example, when you run through a loop-de-loop, the camera shifts to a second person, Sonic’s-Eye-View and towards the final stage, your character can actually be shrunken down to near microscopic levels (thus, making the platforming terrain appear downright ginormous.) While most of the stages are more or less rehashes of previous Sonic locales, there are so many cool addendums to the level layout that just walking around in the game is a sheer delight. All in all, this is a downright beautiful game, with virtually pitch-perfect gameplay and visuals that, to this day, are absolutely breathtaking. Not only is this a highwater mark for the Sega CD, it truly is one of the absolute best platforming experiences in the annals of video gaming. 

#002  

Championship Soccer ‘94

I was real late to the party on this one, and trust me: if you’re a hardcore gamer, especially a footy fanatic, this is one hidden gem you absolutely NEED to experience.

While this game is virtually unheard of in America, if you’re a European reader, you no doubt know all there is to know about this game, which was called “Sensible Soccer” over in the PAL region. A universally beloved offering in the Common Market nations, most U.S. gamers have never heard of “Championship Soccer ‘94,” which is a downright shame: not only is this a solid candidate for absolute best soccer game ever, it might just be one of the top ten video games to be released throughout the 1990s altogether. 

“Championship Soccer ‘94,” on the surface, looks pretty minimalist. The sprites are nowhere near as detailed as they are in some of the 16-bit FIFA games, but what the game lacks in aesthetics it MORE than makes up for in solid gameplay. Contemporary gamers will likely be astounded by just how much the game offers you, from the staggering number of teams, coaching options and game modes. What “Tecmo Super Bowl” is to American football, this game is to, uh, non-American football, I suppose -- an infinitely enjoyable, simplistic-yet-irresistibly addictive sports sim that’s nigh impossible to put down. For North American gamers, this is definitely the best iteration of the title out there…a pretty penny, it may cost you, but I assure you, this is a game you will be playing A LOT as the years chug along. 

And the moment of truth arrives! Of the 200 or so games that were released on the Sega CD in the U.S. region, if you’re looking for the absolute BEST the console had to offer, there is absolutely NO denying which piece of software you should have permanently wedged into your disc drive. Ladies and gents, I present to you the GREATEST SEGA CD GAME OF ALL-TIME…

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#001 

NHL ‘94

For my money, "NHL '94" on the Sega CD is the single greatest video game ever made, on any platform. If I was exiled to a desert island -- which, for reasons we don't really need to get into, has electricity -- with just a CRT-TV, a home console of my choosing, and one video game to play for all eternity, THIS is the game I'd take with me. It's not just 16-bit, old-school sim-hockey greatness, its interactive entertainment at its absolute zenith. Yeah, that seems mildly hyperbolic, but if you've ever played the game -- and you love yourself some early '90s hockey -- than you'll know its an utterance made in anything but jest. 

When you look at a list of games commonly cited as the "best ever," you'll usually note a recurring pattern; that those games, as great as they are, are the same experience every time you play them. As good as "Ocarina of Time" and "Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Metroid" may be, the games are virtually identical every time you play them. The sprites will always be in the same places, and the bosses will always follow the same attack patterns, and the special items will always be hidden in the exact same place. What makes games like "Tecmo Super Bowl," "Sensible Soccer" and, most certainly, "NHL '94" so fantastic is that they are entirely different experiences every time you play them. Thanks to snappy AI -- not to mention the factor of human err -- no two games of "NHL '94" ever play out identically.

If you never played "NHL '94" on the Genesis -- a game already considered godlike by most 16-bit gaming aficionado -- the Sega CD iteration is more or less the same game in terms of visuals and gameplay. Trust me, that is a HUGE positive, seeing as how the graphics were already quite crisp and the game mechanics nigh perfect in cartridge form. What makes "NHL '94" on the Sega CD the superior version, and again, the greatest game of all-time IMO, is the beefed up audio, complete with an all new theme song and full on voice acting from Ron Barr (who spends literally six minutes doing pre-game comparisons before every match-up). The goal sounds, the roar of the crowd, the on-ice grunts; the improved sound design makes the game that much more enjoyable and intense, turning what is already an all-time masterpiece into a game that can easily be considered THE all-time masterpiece in terms of virtual ice hockey. Granted, the loading times can be a bit pesky, but trust me; considering the high production values and presentation in this game, it's well worth the minuscule waiting periods.

In many ways, "NHL '94" embodies everything that was great about the Sega CD. While neither really did anything that new -- and there are much more similarities with each's 16-bit forerunner than there are differences -- there's no denying that the hardware and software in question took full advantage of the miniature upgrade in terms of audio and graphical horsepower, turning what were already legendary 16-bit experiences into awesome, special-featured-loaded collector's editions of some of the best games ever produced. All in all, the wheel may have not been re-invented with either the hardware or the software, but at the same time? You can say that this version of"NHL 94", and the Sega CD itself to some extent, no doubt perfected an already exquisite 16-bit experience.

And what a pity it was that so few people ever got to experience that perfection, either...

It's still loading...in our hearts. 

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The 50 Greatest Sega CD Games of All-Time! (PART FOUR -- #020 to #011)

A Five Part Countdown of 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 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?

#020 

The Misadventures of Flink

The 16-bit era represented the golden years for platformers, and with so many all-time genre classics released during the time frame, a lot of truly outstanding offerings ended up overlooked. “The Misadventures of Flink,” most certainly, has to stand out as one of the epoch’s most criminally underappreciated genre titles.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about “Flink” is the outstanding visuals. The graphics in this game look downright exquisite, with some of the most detailed sprites to be found on any console game in the early 1990s. The game is vastly superior to the Genesis iteration of the game, not only in terms of visuals, but also aurally -- the game has a really great, low-key soundtrack that, while somewhat subdued, adds so much to the overall experience.

The gameplay in “Flink” is fairly straight forward. You hop on enemy heads, you search for treasure chests, and you do lots and lots of jumping. The gameplay mechanics probably aren’t going to win any awards for sheer creativity (nor is the level design, which is, admittedly, fairly formulaic), but the fact that the controls are so smooth -- not to mention the inherent beauty of everything in the game -- makes this a title all serious Sega CD aficionados would be wise to do their research on. 

#019 

Final Fight CD

Capcom’s seminal brawler is one of the most beloved arcade beat em ups of all-time, and the Sega CD iteration is probably the closest we ever got to a truly “arcade-perfect” port on a home console in the 1990s. While the Super Nintendo version of the game looked and played fantastically, it was certainly lacking a ton of features -- deleted enemies, the complete omission of one of the game’s central characters, and the biggest sin of them all, no two-player mode. And not only did “Final Fight” on the Sega CD manage to remedy all of those SNES complaints, it may have actually provided a beat em up experience that was superior to the arcade original.

The visuals are crisp and clear, and all three protagonists -- Haggar, Cody and Guy -- are all fully playable from the start. And yes, you can team up with a body and wipe the streets of Metro City clean, if you so choose. While the SNES version did a little bit of censoring with the enemies (most noticeably, the purple haired trollops that, canonically, are supposed to be transgender prostitutes), the Sega CD version appears to be devoid of any gratuitous “amendments.” Then, there’s the all-new, remixed soundtrack, and yeah, it’s pretty awesome, if you were wondering. 

As far as the gameplay goes, you don’t need me to tell you how fantastic it is. Incredibly simple yet incredibly satisfying, you amble down the streets and pummel the hell out of Andre the Giant look-alikes and sundry rouges in identical regalia as part of gloriously fascist vigilante quest, periodically taking respites from whacking hookers upside the head with lead pipes only to chow down on fully cooked turkeys you pull out of dumpsters and telephone booths. Simply put, it’s one of the best genre offerings ever, and outside of owning your own coin-op, this Sega CD disc is the absolute best way to experience it. 

#018 

Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side

In the 1990s, “Mortal Kombat” was one of the hottest properties going. Clearly, the element that propelled the franchise to the forefront was its over-the-top reliance on wanton bloodshed and carnage, with the novelty of “fatalities” probably making up for the game’s (let’s admit it) less-than-stellar game play. “Challenge from the Dark Side” -- a sequel to an OK but not that spectacular fighting game original on the Genesis -- obviously tried to steal “Mortal Kombat’s” thunder by not only incorporating a greater emphasis on over-the-top mayhem, but making it more or less the single locus of the title. Simply put, “Challenge from the Dark Side” is one of the wildest and woolliest fighting games ever, with enough inventive uber-violence to make Midway’s much ballyhooed series look as tame as “Karate Champ” in comparison. 

The hyper-violence in “Dark Side” pretty much crosses over into the Sam Raimi/Peter Jackson “splatstick” dark comedy domain, with environmental fatalities resulting in characters being squished by Godzilla doppelgangers, shot repeatedly in gangster drive-bys, being flayed alive by wild monkeys, being melted in “Robocop”-like toxic waste baths and even being impaled by the Washington Monument! As for as degenerate mayhem goes, “Dark Side” is more or less teetering on “Itchy and Scratchy” levels of nigh-satirical comic violence. Hell, the game even included character-specific “Cinekills,” which were full motion, horrible animated CGI mini-movies with characters being liquefied into bloody puddles and having their necks snapped by sentient jungle vines! 

Obviously, “Dark Side” is a game worth experiencing just for its absurdity. The cast of characters is ridiculously diverse, with fighters ranging from a Creature from the Black Lagoon-type fish man to a cybernetic super hero from the year 2300 (a black dude named “Blade”…sound familiar?) and even a nefarious character called “The Senator,” whose attacks include literally entrapping his adversaries in red tape. While the title is far from being the most refined, technical fighting game on the system, its style is just impossible to resist: I mean, how could you NOT love a game that features cavemen and warlocks fist fighting outside a McDonalds? 

#017 

Lunar: The Silver Star

Probably the biggest genre gap on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive line-up was its role playing game offerings. Yeah, there were quality games on the system like “Phantasy Star IV” and, uh, “Phantasy Star II,” but compared to the SNES juggernaut of titles like “Final Fantasy II and III,” “Chrono Trigger” and “Earthbound,” the Genesis certainly paled in comparison to its 16-bit competitor when it came to RPG selections. 

“Lunar: The Silver Star” is probably one of the two best RPGs to be found on the Sega CD (and I bet you’ll NEVER guess what the other title is!) Although pretty standard today, the game was quite revolutionary for its time, with an outstanding soundtrack (just ignore the opening cutscene, though) and full-motion, wonderfully animated sequences which served as exposition for the game’s engrossing storyline. Really, the only negative thing you can say about the game is that it’s too short: at about 20 hours long, “The Silver Star” is a briefer affair than most Game Boy Color RPGS. 

As far as the gameplay goes, it’s fairly simplistic and easy to hop into. Everything is top-down, and while the animation here isn’t the greatest from the era, it is still very respectable. Turn-based-combat is similarly facile, and there is an absolute TON of stuff to explore in the game. Unlike most other role playing games on the Sega CD, this one is actually more story-oriented than it is grinding-based; all in all, it’s one of the absolute best traditional, JRPGs to ever appear on a Sega console, and arguably the very best to be found on the Sega CD. Well, except for…

#016 

Lunar: Eternal Blue

“Eternal Blue” is arguably one of the best 2D role playing games from the early 1990s, and certainly one of the absolute best to appear on a non-Nintendo manufactured console. It’s really hard to overstate just how much of a technical achievement this Working Designs classic truly is; the staggering amount of audio dialogue in the game was completely aberrational at the time, and even now, I think gamers would be impressed by the quality of the game’s voice acting. Add to that the amazing soundtrack, the tremendous storyline and the smooth gameplay, and you have what may very well be the best RPG on the Sega CD. 

Really, the reason to play this game is the storyline, which, in my humble opinion, just blows away anything that Square or Enix was producing at the time. Eschewing the usual “Final Fantasy” melodrama, “Eternal Blue” has a much more nuanced and complex array of heroes, including allies with severe drinking problems (Ronfar) and a Starfire-like alien with zero command of how normal humans works (Lucia.) The dialogue is pretty intelligent, and the storyline throws so many twists and turns at you that you’re utterly compelled to keep playing to see what happens next. I’m not really a huge fan of the genre, but even I was able to get caught up in the experience in this one. 

Pretty much everything that worked in the first “Lunar” offering on the Sega CD has been heightened in “Eternal Blue,” and the first title’s few shortcomings have been rectified. Overall, “Eternal Blue” is a much lengthier, much more complex experience than “The Silver Star,” with a lot more plot, way more characters, more diverse game worlds and larger towns to roam around in. The animation, while not world class, is noticeably better than in the first game, and the soundtrack, as expected, is downright stellar. The battle system hasn’t been changed all that much, but a few tweaks, especially a new auto attack feature, makes things much smoother. Outside of a somewhat crappy save system, I can’t think of a single major negative for the game; if you’re in need of a classical RPG, and you have a Sega CD lying around…well, what are you waiting for, exactly? 

#015 

The Terminator CD

It’s a truth universally acknowledged in the gaming world: if it’s a game from the 1990s, and its based on a movie, odds are, it’s going to suck. With that in mind, perhaps it understandable why so many gamers would proceed with the Sega CD version of “The Terminator” with much trepidation; that said, it’s actually an utterly fantastic game, and in my opinion, one of the most underrated run and gun titles of all-time. 

First off, the game looks and sounds terrific (thank you very much, Tommy T.) Secondly, the “Contra” inspired gameplay is very smooth and satisfying, and unlike most run and gun games from the era, the levels are actually pretty huge for a genre title. There are some neat environmental effects here and there, and I really enjoyed the diversity of the game worlds; just like in the 1984 movie, one minute, you’re dressed up like the dude from the box cover art of “Doom” and shooting robot skeletons in a nuclear wasteland filled with nothing but metallic debris and ladders, and in the next, you’re packing a shotgun and running around L.A. blasting holes a mile wide in various street criminals and hoodlums (who, for some reason, are all armed with Molotov cocktails.) 

Unlike most movie tie-in games, this one is actually quite faithful to its inspiration, right down to an awesome final boss bottle with Ah-nold, whom you have to vanquish in a pretty ingenious puzzle-solving/run-and-gun sequence. To be fair, you could probably complain about the game’s brief length (if you can’t beat it in under an hour, there’s probably something wrong with your controller), but up until its dénouement? It’s a seriously fun title, and easily one of the best Terminator games ever produced.

#014 

Soul Star

“Star Fox” on the Super Nintendo is regarded as one of the best space-shooter games of the early 1990s -- this, despite the fact that the gameplay was largely underwhelming (the ‘90s being a golden epoch for graphics whores, I think enough poor souls were wooed by the now-hideous polygonal visuals to give it a mostly undeserved reputation.) What “Soul Star” does, effectively, is the same kind of space shooting action, only with gorgeous 2D graphics and downright awesome parallax scrolling effects that, in my humblest of opinions, produces a far, far superior “second person” shooter than Nintendo’s much ballyhooed furry-bait. 

I tend to think of “Soul Star” is the absolute best version of “Space Harrier” ever made. Targeting is a breeze, the controls are smooth as silk and there’s enough challenge to keep you glued to your screen WITHOUT there being the unfortunate roadblocks (and I mean that literally in the case of “Space Harrier”) that made previous forays into the genre so frustrating. I also liked the sense of speed conveyed in the game -- it feels like your blasting through space at top speed, but it doesn’t feel unwieldy, like you’re going to be flying off into the recesses of space at any moment like in “F-Zero.” These are really difficult mechanics to peg down, and in “Soul Star,” they’re implemented about as perfectly as I’ve ever experienced them. 

The music is really good, the gameplay is accessible and satisfying, and the 2D visuals are just fantastic. Each game world feels unique from the last, and the boss fights (especially the grand finale) are absolutely awesome. Hell, at some points in the game, you even get to trade in your space cruiser for an aquatic sub and an AT-AT-like mech walker! Simply put, “Soul Star” is the kind of criminally overlooked, virtually unheard of titles that made the Sega CD such an underappreciated gem of a console, and if you’ve got a hankering for some space shootin’, than this is a game you definitely ought to give a try. 

#013 

Android Assault: Revenge of Bari-Arm

In case you kids haven’t figured it out yet, I’m kind of a sucker for SHMUP games. The Genesis may have easily been the all-time greatest console for SHMUP fans, but that’s not to say that there weren’t some fantastic, side scrolling shoot ‘em ups released on the Sega CD, too. Among them was “Android Assault,” a beautiful, solid-as-a-rock genre offering with some of the best beats and aesthetics the hardware ever produced. It’s a treat for the eyes and the thumbs, no doubt, providing the Sega CD with one of its absolute finest 2D offerings in any genre. 

What makes “Android Assault” different form most SHMUP games from the era is its power-up dynamics and its pace. One of the really awesome things about the title is that you’re able to “level up” until you transform into a super-ungodly-powerful mech warrior, and just annihilating every enemy spaceship on screen is an utter hoot. Secondly, the game is noticeably slower in tempo than most side scrolling shooters of the early 1990s -- while some may construe that as a negative, I actually kinda’ dug the more leisurely pace the game offered. Hey, that way, you actually have time to soak up all the pretty visuals and neat (albeit, subdued) stage effects, no?

All in all, “Android Assault” is just good old fashioned, old-school arcade fun, with diverse stages, which are not only more beautiful than most contemporary genre offerings, but considerably lengthier, as well. The boss fights are also quite impressive (although a little too easy for seasoned SHMUP vets,) and unlike virtually every other game in the genre? When you die, you DON’T lose all of your power-ups…a much needed kindness that makes replays of the game much, much more desirable than some other Sega CD discs. 

#012 

Road Avenger

Oh, full motion video games…you blight of the early 1990s, you digital disgrace to the medium, right? Although kids today reflect on FMV games as utter crap, the reality is that quite a few FMV games released on the Sega CD were not only enjoyable, but actually pretty damn good games in their own right. Yeah, they may not have been classics on par with “Super Monaco GP” or “Shining Force 2,” but at least games like “The Masked Rider” and “Night Trap” attempted to do something new with the medium. And in the case of “Road Avenger,” the ultimate outcome wasn’t just a unique gaming experience, but earnestly, one of the best racing games of the early 1990s. 

For my money, “Road Avenger” is the absolute best FMV game on the Sega CD, in addition to having arguably the best soundtrack of any game on the console. One part “Mad Max,” one part “Speed Racer” and one part “Death Race 2000,” the game is an awesome, extremely well-animated racing game with some of the absolute best visuals to be found on the hardware. Presentation-wise, it’s far and away the best FMV experience on the console, making for an extraordinarily gripping audio-visual adventure. 

The best way to think of “Road Avenger” is Steve McQueen’s “Bullit,” only in anime-form. With simple button commands, you weave your way in and out of oncoming traffic, occasionally tapping the brakes and hitting the turbo pedal to push enemies off cliffs. The quick-time-events and actual game footage meld together better than any other offering on the system, providing a super intense, super-enjoyable game of “Simon Says” that, while about as rudimentary as gaming can get, still manages to provide plenty of spills and chills. If only the game wasn’t so short -- and mostly, unchallenging -- this thing would be an all-time masterpiece, and possibly the game that could have made full motion video titles something more than experimental, niche offerings. Even so, “Road Avenger” is undeniably a fun experience, and a game I would highly recommend to any Sega CD owner out there. 

#011 

Rise of the Dragon

Digital comics were a pretty popular genre on PCs back in the late 80s and early 90s, but due to the hardware limitations of the 8-bit and 16-bit systems, the niche never really found a home on consoles until the Sega CD arrived. “Rise of the Dragon” is one of two games that more or less defined everything great about the unusual game medium, and as an added bonus? This Sega CD iteration actually includes animated sequences and voiceover segments that the original DOS game did not!

There’s really no sugarcoating it: the game is an unabashed ripoff of “Blade Runner”, with the developers of the title going as far as to ACTUALLY name the main character of the game “Blade Hunter.” That said, the game, despite its thematic uncreativeness, is a really rock-solid adventure game, with an absolute ton of stuff to explore, with literally hundreds of seedy, underground labyrinths to comb through. And if that’s not enough, the title even switches up genres every now and then, at times turning into a light-gun shooter and a side scrolling, “Elevator Action” type platformer. 

The presentation in the game is fantastic and the gameplay is satisfying, but it’s the story that’s the real reason to check out the title. “Rise of the Dragon” was one of the first home console games to attempt a truly mature story, with a plotline rife with more adult-oriented fare. Of course, there is some (censored, I am sad to say) sexual and violent content in the title, but it’s really the intellectual components of the narrative that are the most delectable elements of the game. It’s a title that makes you think  and isn’t afraid to step outside the “instant gratification” button-mashing safety zone and try to do something a little bit more cerebral with the medium. With a shockingly complex story and so much content to wade through, “Rise of the Dragon” is easily one of the most worthwhile games to be found on the Sega CD; if you’re in the mood for a game that doesn’t treat you like a kindergartner, I really can’t think of too many other games on the system that would serve you this well.

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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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