While often scoffed at, the Sega CD is a fairly underrated system with a surprisingly deep
library of games, spanning a wide variety of genres.
On a previous episode of 5 Games I took a look at 5 Great Sega CD Games, but on today’s
episode we’re going to look at the next layer of games.
The following titles may not represent the cream of the Sega CD crop, but they are all
solid games in their own right.
So with that I present, 5 good games for the Sega CD.
Sol-Feace is a shmup developed by Wolf Team and released during the launch of the system.
The opening cinematic shows off some of the additional hardware capabilities of the Sega
CD.
There is some high quality music, complete with voice acting, and some razor sharp animated
sequences.
The actual gameplay itself is pretty solid.
Per usual you are humanity's last hope for survival, and success is dependent on your
ability to fly a ship, dodge bullets, and destroy enemies.
Your ability to alter your cannons is the game’s main hook.
If you stop firing, pressing up, down, left, or right, will alter the angle of your weapons,
changing them from a spread style shot, to something more focused.
The ability to change this on the fly is fun, letting you tweak your strategies with each
play through.
Graphically, the game is bit subdued.
Nothing here really wows or impresses like the best shooters on the system.
However, the contrast is excellent and enemies and bullets are always easy to keep track
of.
I do wish the backgrounds had a bit more detail, and the enemy patterns a bit more interesting,
but there is really nothing wrong here at all.
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, competent shooter, with a great CD soundtrack,
Sol-Feace fits
the bill.
The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin is a side-scrolling action game starring everyone’s
favorite web-slinging hero.
As one would expect, there is plenty of hand drawn FMV complete with above average voice
acting and a decent plot.
Per usual, the public has turned on Spider-Man and it’s up to us to win back their trust.
While FMV is to be expected, the terrific controls are a total surprise.
Swinging across the city slinging webs is a blast, and the combat is solid too.
The punches and kicks are quick and responsive, and Spider-Man moves surprisingly brisk, even
up walls and on ceilings.
The game has you browsing a map of New York City, locating bosses, and then traversing
a stage to take on the boss.
These bosses aren’t just generic baddies, but real villains from the Marvel Universe.
Upon defeat, you get to watch some cutscenes, collect a key, and move on to the next target.
Unfortunately, the levels don’t quite match the epic rock soundtrack or smooth controls.
Set pieces are fairly generic and lacking in detail.
This doesn’t prevent the game from being fun, I just wish the levels were more interesting.
Don’t let this detract you though, The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin is one of the better
comic book video games from the 16-bit era and a must-own on the system.
Speaking of comic book games, we enter the DC Universe with Batman Returns.
This is a tale of two games.
Part one is a generic action game with stiff jumping, clumsy controls, frustrating enemy
placement, and questionable hit detection.
There is no doubt it captures the dark mood of the film, from the gritty, gothic settings
to the awesome music arrangements.
I just don’t find the platforming bits to be an engaging experience.
Thankfully, there are the famous driving levels.
These too are brutal, requiring plenty of memorization and an aggressive style to beat
the timer.
But they are actually a ton of fun.
The driving controls are responsive and launching rockets at enemies and bosses is as satisfying
as one could hope.
And man are these gorgeous.
The scaling is exceptionally smooth and something just not seen outside the arcades at the time.
Everything zips by at a rapid pace and the entire experience is really quite stunning.
If Sega had focused more time and energy squeezing this kind of performance out of the Sega CD,
perhaps the system wouldn’t have the spotty reputation it has today.
The awesome soundtrack and fun vehicular combat more than make up for the, thankfully skippable,
action sequences.
Another, must-own.
Sylpheed has my favorite FMV of any Sega CD game.
The soundtrack has an almost Halo-like quality to it, and the flat shaded visual style matches
the time period, and system limitations, perfectly.
This of course, is another shmup, and a highly regarded one in some circles.
The gameplay doesn’t take place on a flat plane, but rather has some depth to it.
Things in the distance are small and move slower than objects in the foreground.
In can be a bit disorienting at first, but fits the overall 3D aesthetic.
Underneath all of the technical wizardry is a good game.
In many ways, this plays more like a classic shooter from the 80s, than something from
the 90’s.
Enemy patterns are simple, as are your weapons, and the game focuses more on twitch reactions
than memorization.
Still, weapon upgrades are available between levels keeping the game fresh from stage to
stage.
It lacks the depth of something like M.U.S.H.A.
but is fun none of the less.
The detailed backgrounds and high energy soundtrack are both things that couldn’t be done on
lesser systems, and do a terrific job utilizing the Sega CD hardware.
It’s pretty, it’s sound great, and is easy to recommend.
Last, but certainly not least, is Rise of the Dragon.
This is a point and click adventure, taking advantage of the Sega CD hardware with plenty
of detailed screens, and a ton of high quality voice acting.
This voice-acting is easily the highlight of the game, with the main character rivaling
many modern movies.
The rest of the cast is alright too, in a b-movie sort of way.
But it makes for an engaging experience.
You play the role of Blade Hunter, and have to solve the mysterious murder of the mayor’s
daughter.
Clicking on everything, paying attention to clues, managing items, not saying the wrong
thing, and solving puzzles, is the name of the game here.
Rise of the Dragon will let you screw yourself fairly easily, so if you’re new to the genre
you might want to seek the assistance of a guide.
In addition to the interesting story is the overall neo-noir vibe.
Blade Runner influences are found all over, from hovering cars, an abundance of neon,
and even our main heroes wardrobe.
My favorite part is just the mature feeling of the adventure.
From drug use to sexuality, it is hard to believe this came out in 1993, and it still
feels rather fresh.
If you refuse to shell out $400 for Snatcher, Rise of the Dragon just might do the trick.
So there you have it, 5 good games released for the Sega CD.
Now, this is not a definitive list, nor is it intended to be a best-of, and the Sega
CD has far more than 5 good games, so be sure to leave a comment and let me know which games,
you enjoy.