Sega CD |

Sega wanted to showcase the power of the Mega-CD, however with the actual capacity of Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges being small (hundreds of Genesis cartridges could fit on one CD), there really weren't many companies ready to adapt to the larger capacity of the storage medium, especially when they were hindered by the game systems' limitations.

Seeing the technology already in use for laserdisc classic arcade, and even a few titles on the PC Engine, video seemed to be the best choice at the time. So they focused on FMV game. Sega started off licensing and producing primarily "full motion video" games similar to earlier Laserdisc games, that were initially praised by reviewers (for example: Gamepro's "SWAT PRO" magazine initially gave Sewer Shark a perfect score, then later re-reviewed it with a much lower score as their feelings toward the system changed)

Eventually, most FMV games became universally panned by game reviewers, no matter which console the game was designed for. The Mega CD's limited 512-color palette, combined with the processor not being well-suited for video, did not lend itself well to reproducing video, resulting in grainy images running at a lower framerate and resolution in most games.

Another criticism of the software library was that most titles consisted of Shovelware," in which a developer takes an existing title and adds minor new content (usually a CD audio soundtrack, or video sequences) while not expanding the original game itself. Few titles received major changes, but two exceptions were Earthworm Jim which featured additional levels and game changes, and The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin , which featured many changes, which drastically restructured the game, making it less linear, and adding animated cut scenes.

Despite a somewhat lackluster library of games, the console introduced some notable franchises. The Lunar series, which despite the relatively narrow circulation the two titles on the Mega-CD received, went on to be critically acclaimed and became a cult classic, with both games receiving remakes for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in the late '90s; and a prequel to the series for the Nintendo DS in 2005. The English publisher of the two Lunar titles, Working Designs, also published another RPG for the platform, entitled Vay. While it received generally positive reviews, the game did not obtain the same popularity as the Lunar titles. Working Designs also published Popful Mail for the Mega-CD. Another notable title was the cult-classic Snatcher , a Cyberpunk Digital comic released by Konami and designed by Hideo Kojima and the only version of the game released in English.

One exclusive game that was published for the Mega-CD is the now-famous Sonic the Hedgehog CD , or Sonic CD has been praised for its visual style, superior CD sound, and an innovative time-travel mechanic, allowing players to explore four versions of each stage.