The Sega CD, known as Mega-CD[a] in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan, October 15, 1992, in North America, and April 2, 1993, in Europe. The Sega CD plays CD games and adds hardware functionality such as a faster CPU and graphic enhancements such as sprite scaling and rotation. It can also play audio CDs and CD+G discs.
Sega sought to match the capabilities of the competing PC Engine CD-ROM² System, and added an additional CPU and custom graphics chip. They partnered with JVC to design the Sega CD. Fearful of leaks, Sega refused to consult with Sega of America until the project was complete. Sega of America assembled parts from dummy units to obtain a functioning unit. The Sega CD was redesigned several times by Sega and licensed third parties.
The main benefit of CD technology at the time was greater storage; CDs offered approximately 160 times more space than Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges. This benefit manifested as full-motion video (FMV) games such as the controversial Night Trap, which became a focus of the 1993 congressional hearings on issues of video game violence and ratings.
The Sega CD game library[2] features acclaimed games such as Sonic CD, Lunar: The Silver Star, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Snatcher, but also many Genesis ports and poorly received FMV games. Only 2.24 million Sega CD units were sold, after which Sega discontinued it to focus on the Sega Saturn. Retrospective reception has been mixed, with praise for some games and functions, but criticism for its lack of deep games and its high price. Sega's poor support for the Sega CD has been criticized as the beginning of the devaluation of its brand.
^Guinness World Records 2016: Gamer's Edition. Jim Pattison Group. 2015. ISBN 9781910561096.
^"Sega-CD/Mega-CD video games list, 'a' to 'm'". Universal Videogame List. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
The SegaCD, known as Mega-CD in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of...
SegaCD, originally released as the Mega-CD (メガCD, Mega-Shī Dī) in most regions outside of North America and Brazil, is an add-on device for the Sega...
The Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega Drive outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It...
Multiplayer. The SegaCD, a previous add-on for the Genesis, had not met commercial expectations, and the Genesis' successor, the Sega Saturn, would not...
Sonic the Hedgehog CD is a 1993 platform game developed and published by Sega for the SegaCD. As Sonic the Hedgehog, the player attempts to protect an...
Sega Genesis Mini 2, was released in October 2022 and includes 60 games from the Genesis and SegaCD. The Mini is half the size of the original Sega Genesis...
Master System games List of Sega Genesis games List of Game Gear games List of SegaCD games List of Sega 32X games List of Sega Saturn games List of Dreamcast...
pack, developed by Sega, allows the system to play Genesis and SegaCD games. Aiwa released the CSD-GM1, a combination Genesis/SegaCD unit built into a...
games, List of Sega Mega-CD games, List of Sega 32X games, List of Sega Saturn games and List of Dreamcast games For games released on Sega's arcade platforms...
Power Base Converter is installed. The Sega Genesis also sported numerous peripherals, including the SegaCD and 32X, several network services, and multiple...
1990s. While the Game Gear and SegaCD achieved less, Sega's arcade business was also successful into the mid 1990s. Sega had commercial failures in the...
Dracula" and "Last Action Hero" – for SegaCD." Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for SegaCD at MobyGames Mickey Mania for Sega Genesis Credits at MobyGames Billboard...
This is a list of cancelled SegaCD video games. The SegaCD never established much of a userbase, which resulted in a multitude of cancelled games. Early...
Sega Saturn left the Nomad under-supported, and it was incompatible with several Genesis peripherals, including the Power Base Converter, the SegaCD...
Shining Force CD (シャイニングフォースCD) is a 1994 strategy role-playing game developed by Sonic! Software Planning for the SegaCD, and a remake of the games Shining...
mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive (known as the Sega Genesis in North America) and the Super...
cancelled Sega Genesis games List of cancelled Sega Game Gear games List of cancelled SegaCD games List of cancelled 32X games List of cancelled Sega Saturn...
consoles such as Master System, Game Gear, Genesis, and SegaCD. Sega Visions was launched by Sega in 1990 as an answer to the popular game magazine Nintendo...
interactive movie developed by Digital Pictures and published by Sega for the SegaCD. Presented primarily through full-motion video (FMV), Night Trap...
games produced worldwide, including six that required both the 32X and the SegaCD add-ons, and ten that were only released in North America, as well as only...
successor to the successful Sega Genesis. The Saturn has a dual-CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, and its game library...
are in CD-ROM format, including several ports of arcade games and original games. Development of the Saturn began in 1992, the same year Sega's groundbreaking...
1992. The game was later ported to the PC Engine CD-ROM by NEC Home Electronics, to the SegaCD by Sega, to DoJa mobile phones by Bothtec, and to the Super...
Global Information
