Tag Archives: Sega CD

History of Lunar: The Silver Star & Eternal Blue

Anime characters with fantastical elements and themes.

Introduction: Lunar’s Place in JRPG History In the early 1990s, role playing games were at a turning point. On one side of the Pacific, Japan had embraced the genre with giants like Final Fantasy IV on the Super Famicom and Dragon Quest V continuing its cultural dominance. In the West, RPGs were still considered a niche market, often dismissed as too slow or too text heavy compared to action driven …

Read More »

Sega CD, Night Trap, and the Birth of the Ratings Era

Senator Joe Lieberman holds up a light gun revolver from Konami's "Lethal Enforcers" game

Introduction In the early 1990s a red book sized disc promised to change everything about home gaming. The Sega CD arrived with glossy full motion video, big stereo sound, and enough storage to make cartridges look quaint. It was marketed as the bridge between arcade energy and living room cinema. For a moment it worked. You could spin compact discs in your console, watch grainy actors run through a haunted …

Read More »

The Forgotten Consoles That Shaped Gaming History

Historical video game consoles that impacted gaming.

Legends never die When most people think about video game history, they picture the giants. The Nintendo Entertainment System that revived the industry in the eighties. The Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo that waged the fiercest console war of the nineties. The Sony PlayStation that turned gaming into a cultural juggernaut. The Microsoft Xbox that reshaped online play in the 2000s. These names are immortal, and for good reason. …

Read More »

#RetroReplayFYI – The Wildest Unused Game Idea You’ve Ever Heard

Hideo Kojima is known for pushing the boundaries of video games, but during the development of Snatcher he almost took things into a whole new dimension — smell. Kojima wanted the game’s floppy disks coated in a special chemical that, when heated by the computer, would release the scent of blood. His vision? To fill the room with the “stench of a murder scene” during key moments in the game. …

Read More »

Top Sega CD Title for Each Year Throughout the Console’s Existence

The Quintessential Sega CD Games for Each Year of the Console’s Lifespan The Sega CD, released in 1991 as an add-on for the Sega Genesis, brought CD-ROM technology to console gaming. Despite its limited success compared to the SNES, the Sega CD had a notable library of games that showcased its unique capabilities. Let’s take a journey through the most quintessential Sega CD games for each year of its lifespan. …

Read More »

SEGA CD’s Cult Classic JRPG Vay Set for Enhanced iPhone Port in 2024

SEGA’s nostalgic gem, Vay, initially released in 1993 for the SEGA CD and subsequently earning its place as a JRPG cult classic, particularly in the West, is poised for a resurgence. Fans can look forward to an “entirely new, fully reimagined port” specifically tailored for iPhone devices, set to launch later this year. The original game, developed by Hertz and released by SIMS in Japan, saw its North American debut thanks …

Read More »

The Sega CD collection [218 games] video evolution and review

The Sega CD: An Ambitious Leap into CD-ROM Gaming The Sega CD, known as Mega-CD outside North America, was Sega’s ambitious foray into the world of CD-ROM technology in gaming. From the moment I tore open the wrapping paper one Christmas morning to reveal a Sega CD, the year it was released, my gaming experiences were forever transformed. That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with …

Read More »

Robo Aleste [Sega CD] Review and Longplay [1993]

Retro Review: Robo Aleste – Mechanical Majesty As the Sega CD spun to life, heralding the arrival of “Robo Aleste,” it promised a journey to an era where the line between man and machine blurred amidst the backdrop of feudal Japan. This shoot ’em up title, developed by Compile, was a spectacle of technical prowess that demonstrated the Sega CD’s capabilities. It was a game that made an indelible mark, …

Read More »