System Profile: Sega CD & 32X

There was a time about 15 years ago when Sega seemed completely fearless. While Nintendo was busy making the greatest games of all time, Sega was pushing the limits and trying everything that seemed like even a halfway good idea. They released game systems for kids, made a game that you could attach other games into, attempted early internet experiments, and had a few infamous add-ons. Probably the two most famous, although not the least successful, are the Sega CD and the 32X. It seems like these machines get insulted constantly on line, and so of course I had to pick them up. I'm looking forward to setting the record straight.

In case you've never seen them in action, here's what the set up looks like:


And here's what it looks like when you squish a model 1 Genesis in there:


I think they are both beautiful things, even with q-tips on the floor. When you collect video games you end up with those all over the place.

Actually most people feel that this is an unwieldy monstrosity, and they are partially right. It does drive me crazy how many wires it takes. Still when I first put the pieces together I got very excited. I would've been the king at my school back in 1995, at least until somebody got a Playstation.

Here's what it looks like when you've got it hooked up. Yes, it takes three plugs to have all three at once, and there are a few games that require this. I'm sure that's a fire hazard, but as a collector I've seen worse.


I am going to talk about 32X first because it is the less interesting of the two. It's got plenty of character, but it also had a very short lifespan. Actually of all the things Sega ever did, this is possibly the most confusing. It was released only a few months before the Saturn, and its graphics are only a little bit up from the CD. Nevertheless there it is.

I actually think it's got some pretty good games on it. The version of Virtua Fighter is excellent, and so is the version of Virtua Racing. It must've made people feel like chumps who paid 100 dollars for the original Genesis version. I would love to post about some games I've beat for it, but as it turns out I suck at 32X. I've never won a race or even got through Virtua Fighter on the easiest setting. I'm alright at Metal Head, but it is very boring. That seems to always be my luck.

There's actually not that much to say about it. It's a lump that sits on top of your Genesis and plays a few slightly better looking games. It didn't make any sense then and, it doesn't make sense now. There's only 36 games for it that makes it easy to collect for. Of course there are two that are ridiculously expensive. Isn't that always the way?

Now on to the Sega CD. This probably won't surprise you too much, but I love this machine. The entire game library seems to be made up of underrated gems and extremely funny cult classics. I mean, what's better than watching extremely grainy Soundgarden videos?

That's actually the biggest caveat of the Sega CD. The sound is good but the picture is not. It has real actors and filmed cutscenes, but they are very grainy because of the lack of colors. Most of the gameplay sections of the games look fine , but they are often interrupted by grainy videos that don't even make much sense. In its defense there are some games that look very good. Games like Silpheed wouldn't look too bad on Playstation. However, some of them do give you the sense that you are fighting in front of a back drop, which I guess in a way you are.

Of course the system is best known for its full motion video which features a bunch of games that remind me of Syfy movies. The difference is that every once in a while the characters will look at the screen and say "well what are you going to do now?" and then you will have to shoot something or solve a puzzle. As I said before, they are mostly lousy but definitely entertaining. I actually don't have many of these yet, but I will keep you posted.

So those are the latest editions to my Sega collection. I admire the company's boldness, and I wish that people would go back and see their failed systems in a more sympathetic light. Sure you make fun of Sega CD now, but you know you wanted one. Didn't you think that Sewer Shark looked like the most awesome game ever? Well anyway you should track one down. It's especially good if you like good space shooters, cheesy FMVs, and obscure, expensive RPGs. Luckily, these are all my favorite things.