Hey, guess what? October 15th was Sega CD’s 20th birthday! (Don’t worry, I forgot too. I didn’t even get a card.) Yes, twenty years ago, Sega gave us its CD add-on for Genesis with its 512 kilobytes of RAM, 320 x 224 display resolution, 64 max displayable colors and library of weird, choppy full-motion video games like Night Trap. Mmm…there’s nothing like grainy, pixelated tits and ass.
It’s no secret around here that I’m a huge Sega CD fan, so I was delighted to see 1Up publish this great retrospective piece on Sega CD this week which celebrates the quirky system’s contributions to the 16-bit era of gaming. I have to agree with author Jeremy Parish, who writes:
“Gamers love to look backward and celebrate anniversaries, but yesterday came and went with very little to-do about the fact that it marked 20 years since the U.S. launch of the Sega CD. I suppose that’s because, in the eyes of many gamers, the Sega CD was something of a flop. A disaster. A waste of time and money. I disagree. The Sega CD was one of the best and most successful console add-ons ever.”
He goes on to discuss how the Sega CD was a great add-on for the Genesis, the evolution of the Sega CD’s designs–including that elusive CD-X model which I always lusted after but never got–and explain, in general, why it’s a system that’s deserving of respect. There’s also a hand-picked, staff-contributed list of Sega CD’s best games.
My own personal list of best games for Sega CD would look something like this:
- Lunar
- Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
- Popful Mail
- Vay
- Dark Wizard
- Snatcher
- Shining Force CD
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video!- Jurassic Park
- Willy Beamish
- Rise of the Dragon
- Keio Flying Squadron
- Space Ace
- Dragon’s Lair
- …ahh, fuck it. There’s too many great Sega CD games to list them all.
Happy Birthday, Sega CD!
I was going to celebrate this momentous occasion by posting a picture of a Sega CD-themed cake, but a Google Image search turned up nothing. Really internet? None of you have ever made a Sega CD-themed cake before? If the internet has taught me anything, it’s that people routinely bake cakes and cupcakes decorated with all kinds of obscure, nerd-centric themes. I’m feeling pretty let down here, guys. Not to be discouraged, I fell back on my Plan B and used this Birthday Cake Generator, which I’ve been meaning to find an excuse to use anyway.
