Down and Dirty Reviews: Sega CD -- A - Z
This one system is not too bad for Sega fans and this add on really helped to get the CD off the ground in the console market. The Sega CD had a lot of good and unique games for it like the Lunar series, Sonic CD, and Snatcher. Forget about those FMV games though, I can't think of any good ones out there and there are plenty of them for the Sega CD unfortunately. Look at all those rare games down there, eh? There is currently 48 reviews here!

The score are out of 100.

The graphics, sounds, and gameplay are out of 10.

Score / Name
90 ARCADE CLASSICS (Sega, 1994)

This exclusive 5 in 1 CD even has the sound improved in these already great games so if you're a fan of these classics then you have a reason to check them out all over again. The five games are Streets of Rage (great beat em up), Golden Axe (cool hack and slash), Super Monaco GP (good racing sim), Revenge of Shinobi (excellent action game), and Columns (lame generic puzzler). Not too bad of a line up of games, eh?
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 9
gameplay: 9

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51 AFTERBURNER III (Sega, 1994)
This is definitely not has intense has the real arcade Afterburner and this is suppose to be the grand sequel!? For starters the background graphics look just horrible after the cool zoom in with cockpit view and the other 3D effects are nothing special either. The retro remixed music was cool though but we still need more here. You could do worse but you could also do a lot better because Afterburner III is nothing more then a fairly basic 3D flight game.
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 6
gameplay: 5

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62 ANDROID ASSAULT (Sega, 1995)
"Do you remember the game Android Assault?" I'm guessing no. Here is another fairly decent shoot em up for the Sega CD with a nice list of upgradable weapons and some solid graphics so it does have something going for it even if it isn't a whole lot. The reason it didn't get any major attention because this game is hardly unique from all the other shooters out there so this isn't a must have title.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6

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34 BLACK HOLE ASSAULT (Bignet, October 15, 1992)
This game's name may sound kind of dirty but this title is nothing but a rather lackluster one on one fighter with ugly looking cinemas and even uglier looking robots. The suck doesn't stop there because the controls are delayed and the CD music is forgettable too. Back hole Assault is a second rate Street Fighter II clone all the way.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 6
gameplay: 5

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21 COBRA COMMAND (Sega/WolfTeam, 1991)
Here is another Full Motion Video game based on a Anime cartoon but this one is all about a helicopter for some reason. Again the visuals are pretty nice but the game itself just requires basic yet precise button presses and is hardly playable. Despite the name, Cobra Command plays nothing like the older NES 2D game and even that average game was better then this.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 5
gameplay: 1

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69 DARK WIZARD (Sega, 1993)
This Dark Wizard game here is a very deep Strategy/Role Playing title with unique anime looks but slow overall game play. In the game you can take the role of 4 different warriors like a young knight, a sorceress, a princess, and even a vampire, each one as their own reasons for war. If you are looking for a long of challenging game with some excellent music and good looking cinemas then give this Dark Wizard a try.
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 8
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52 DRAGON'S LAIR (Ready Soft, 1992)
Dragon's Lair is one of the first real cartoon video game and it finally comes home to the Sega CD. The story line here is a simple one: you help Dirk the Daring on a rescue mission to save the beautiful and half naked princess from a giant dragon. The problem is he must travel through a deadly castle first. Since this game is just a series of very high quality but very linear cartoon missions the game can be very hard to play. As you watch clips of what is going on here you must input the proper command if you wish to go any further. Unfortunately this trial and error game play isn't too fun for action seekers but at least the Sega CD version gives the player some clues on what to do and full screen action............. I guess.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 6
gameplay: 2

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59 DUNGEON EXPLORER (Hudson Soft/West Stone, 1995)
I was expecting something really good here but it didn't turn out that way. In this Gauntlet clone playing the single game here is very tedious since the screen can easily get filled up with a bunch of annoying creatures and its highly recommend you go for the multi-player game instead. This game was so hard to play that I even liked the older Turbografx-16 version better than this.
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 to 4 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 6
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77 EARTHWORM JIM: Special Edition (Interplay, March 15, 1995)
Are you a fan of Earthworm Jim? If so then you may interested to know that there is a special remix of the original Genesis and Super Nintendo hit. There's one new level included here plus there is a new homing missile gun as well in this newer version. If you are new to the game it features everyone's favourite worm in a super hero suit in space trying to save a princess with a crappy name. If you want an intense action game then you can't go wrong here but don't expect a major improvement either because it still plays like action packed original.
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 9
gameplay: 7

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55 ECCO the Dolphin (Sega, July 1993)
This is the same game that's for the Sega Genesis but now the music and sound effects have been vastly improved. OK, so the story here is about aliens taking over the ocean and Ecco the Dolphin must use his speed, sonar, and other tricks to help save the earth. Ecco is a good but very non-action packed game.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 2

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45 ETERNAL CHAMPIONS: Challenge From The Dark Side (Sega/Deep Water, 1996)
I was never a big fan of the original beat em up on the Sega Genesis and this version of Eternal Champions isn't very compelling either. This standard 2D fighting game features 13 lame looking characters, slow overall game play, and poor hit detection. If all that wasn't enough that Deep Water intro was totally tasteless too and I think was just created for shock value. This generic fighting game is nothing but total garbage on a CD.
*Save option available (1 block)
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 4
gameplay: 6
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SECOND OPINION!

Hi! I really enjoyed your website, it was a great stroll down memory lane, but I have to disagree with your review on eternal champions. I think it is one of the best 16-bit fighters ever made 3rd place after Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat!!
-Nick Kang (11-20-04)

61 FATAL FURY SPECIAL (SNK, 1994)
This game here is a upgrade to the popular arcade title Fatal Fury 2. Although the game doesn't appear to have much new since it looks the same one on one fighter, the 4 bosses fully are playable now and to sweeten the deal even further there are 4 other new playable characters as well so there are 16 playable character here altogether. This version is fairly good as a Street Fighter II clone could be but it plays kind of slow on the Sega CD here and some of the moves can be very hard to pull off too.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
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81 FINAL FIGHT CD (Sega/Capcom, 1993)

Capcom's popular Final Fight comes to the Sega CD and it is a far better arcade translation compared to the lack luster SNES version. Final Fight lets you control 3 Street Fighters as they brave the mean alleys of Metro city to rescue the mayor's daughter Jessica from a powerful street gang. Final Fight can get boring late in the game when you are fighting the same opponents over and over but it's as close to the intense arcade version as your may ever get on a console from the 1990's here at least and it comes with superior audio too that is even better then the arcade version. Final Fight is a good action game for Sega CD fans and you can beat up the ladies too since the girls are suppose to be packing meat down below. Anyway Final Fight CD rocks!
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
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59 FLINK (Psychosis, 1994)
In this oddly name game Flink here you must help a young wizard through deadly forests, dungeons, castles and much more in order to save his kingdom and crap like that. Sadly this another slightly better then an average action/adventure platformer but the game does have decent graphics at least thanks to the attention to detail.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 5
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71 HEART of the ALIEN (Interplay, 1993)
Here is the sequel to the award winning PC game Out of this World but this not only plays both Out of this World II: Heart of the Alien but it also has the original Out of this World as well. You can now play as your alien friend in this game and you even get a background story about him and why he's helping this lost human character in the first game. Both games are polygonal 2D action games with a lot of traps and instant deaths so expect a challenge. Heart of the Alien isn't too fun for casual players but it's a great package especially for those that love these trial and error games.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 8

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65 HOOK (Sony Imagesoft, 1992)
Hook is the same game as the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis editions but the Sega CD has digital actors playing the roles (not from the real movie though so no Julia Roberts I'm afraid). Just like the old movie the older, fatter Peter Pan is all grown up and banging Wendy and has 2 kids to prove it. Peter's arch rival Captain Hook decides one day to kidnap his kids and now Peter must travel back to Neverneverland to get them back. Anyway Hook here is still a solid action platform game with some good presentation thanks to the decent graphics and audio but the action maybe a bit too slow for some gamers since Peter Pan is slow as hell.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6
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10 JOE MONTANA FOOTBALL (Sega, 1993)

For years Sega relied on famous Quarterback Joe Montana to sell their football games in the early 1990's and to be fair most of them were not too bad. Sadly, Sega tried way too hard to create the ultimate football game here thanks in part to the new but super blurry 3D graphics which made doing a simple thing like a pass a chore in itself. In the end the game just fails to live up to the much easier to play Genesis counterparts. "You won't be ready for this Football!"
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 2
sound: 5
gameplay: 1
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81 KEIO'S FLYING SQUADRON (JVC, 1994)

Keio's Flying Squadron is a very goofy looking shooter starring an scantily clad but way too young looking bunny girl on a fire breathing dragon believe it or not. Keio is a very short game with only seven levels but the game was still solid and some of the enemies here like the giant Cat head run by a hamster just have to be seen to believe. This is a weird but interesting title with a good power up system.
*Extremely Rare Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7

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60 LETHAL ENFORCERS (Konami, 1993)
Before there was Sega's Virtua Cop, Konami created a realistic cop simulation that still had enough action to please arcade fans. The graphics are very grainy and the enemies really start to look a like after a while here but it's a fun gun game. This game can be bought with or without a blue light gun by the way.
For 1 or 2 players
Rated (MA-17) for Mature
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 5

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53 LETHAL ENFORCERS II Gunfighters (Konami, 1994)
The kind of famous arcade game gets another chance to earn some cash and the big difference now is the location has changed now to a wild, wild west setting instead of the urban cities. Big freakin' deal! Everything still plays the same since you still have to shoot outlaws and not the innocent losers that get in the way here but when kill either one of them they just blink away in a very unrealistic matter. If that wasn't enough the voices and action get very repetitive so Lethal Enforcers 2 gets tiresome very quickly. Sadly, this sequel has little new here to please Light gun fans.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 5

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79 LORDS OF THUNDER (Hudson Soft, 1995)

The acclaimed Turbo Duo shooter now comes to the Sega CD system as well. Here you must help a flying warrior use powerful magic to take back the elements of earth. One of the better shooting games on the machine thanks to all the impressive weaponry and intense action. Lords of Thunder is not too different from the Gates of Thunder title which also appeared on the Duo, however you have to love the new theme, eh? This game not only comes packed with some nice looking graphics but the game also has cool heavy metal music too. What more could you want in a shooter?
*Rare Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7

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78 LUNAR The SILVER STAR (Working Designs/GameArts, 1994)
This role playing game is famous for having a rich story line and some good music as well but I did have a few problems with it. The in game graphics are fairly weak for one thing, even for Sega CD standards these tiny characters and plain backgrounds are just not too impressive. Still the unforgettable story line about a young man and his singing girlfriend adventures is what keeps this role playing game here a classic.
*Save option available
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 8
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87 LUNAR II Eternal Blue (Working Designs/GameArts, 1996)
The Lunar series returns yet again on the Sega CD but is it any better? The graphics are actually pretty basic in a 8-bit kind of way much like the first Lunar was but it's still a very good role playing game with cool anime cut scenes and an excellent storyline that no Sega CD owner should miss. In the story a thousand years has pass since the original Lunar adventure and you play the role a young man named Hiro and meets up with a cool but mysterious girl early on in the game and the two must stop a plot to destroy the world. Lunar II is a great and long RPG with a lot of style and decent voice acting too.
*Uncommon Sega CD game
*Save option available
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 8
gameplay: 8

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62 MADDOG MC GREE (American Lazer Games, 1994)
Maddog is a full motion gun video game that works fairly well with a Light gun. In this wild west adventure you play as a bounty hunter in search for the evasive outlaw; Maddog Mc Gree. It's going to be no easy task in this lawless wild west town as he has a bunch of friends protecting him. The game may look grainy but it has excellent hit detection especially for FMV game.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6

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50 MADDOG MCGREE II: The Lost Gold (American Lazer Games, 1995)
This rare sequel expands the old west story line a little but it still not enough new here to be called part II since it plays like the same old Full Motion Video light gun from before. This game still looks surprisingly well even on the old Sega CD unit here since the action covers the entire screen so it isn't all bad.
*Rare Sega CD game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 5
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30 MEGA RACE (Ready Soft, 1993)
After a strange old man tell you everything there is about the Mega Race contest (which is so long it takes around 5 F'N minutes!), all you get after all that is a really fake looking racer in the future. The graphics look decent at first but the sprites look like they were just pasted on to this blurry pre-rendered set of tracks so overall this dull racing game is hardly interactive!
For 1 player only
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 4
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33 MICROCOSM (Psychosis, 1993)
Microcosm is a very linear shooter with Full Motion Video backgrounds and sprite produced enemies. It sounds like a cool idea kind of like Slipheed but the action can just be outright confusing here. Although this is better than most FMV games, you're bound to be bored with this after a few levels. FUn with a capital F U.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 2
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34 MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS (Sega, 1994)

Those cheesy Power Rangers also arrive on Sega's CD system too but this is just another one of those lame Full Motion Video games. If you are a fan of the show (by the way, 'get a life!') you will instantly recognize that this game actually uses real clips from the original show. This game is much more forgiving then most FMV games since it takes multiple hits to kill you but when you are watching non-interactive movies and pressing buttons, it really feels like you are wasting your time.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 1
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58 MORTAL KOMBAT (Acclaim/Midway, 1994)

This popular 2D fighter plays and looks just like the Sega Genesis version of Mortal Kombat but at least this version has those mini full motion videos from the arcade in here. If you are new to the series you get to select from 7 warriors and then you have to survive a deadly one on one fighting tournament. Don't expect anything arcade perfect though since the game comes with unbelievably bad loading times that even accrue during the game play.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 8
gameplay: 5

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83 POPFULMAIL (Working Designs/Falcom, 1994)

This is a fun action/RPG game starring a cute but clumsy female warrior who is down on her luck. She then sees that there is a huge bounty on a wizard and that's where her long adventure begins. One of Popfulmails shining moments is its excellent storyline and colourful cinemas (with actually good voice overs believe it or not). The game is also a fun 2D platformer with a great list of enemies and bosses. This is the only Popfulmail game to make it to North America, so don't miss it!
*Save option available
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 8
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54 REVENGERS OF VENGEANCE
ROV may be a stupid name but this game has some good qualities. The game comes with some fairly good Anime style graphics and there are lots of modes to try out too. This game also has a weird selection of fighters like a werewolf, a giant rhino, and lots more. Sadly, this is a very slow moving one on one fighting game and the controls are not always responsive. This game is worth a shot at least but this is no Street Fighter II.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
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34 ROAD AVENGER (Renovation, 1993)
In this colourful but violent game, you are trying to get revenge on reckless street gang for killing your new bride from a car crash, its your mission to race after the thugs in your car to until find their leader. Road Avenger is a great looking Anime racing game but again like so many other games of this nature, it's barely interactive.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 1
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27 SEWER SHARK (Sony Imagesoft, 1992)
One of the first Sega CD games is this awful Full Motion Video shooter that has a dumb plot of shooting rats in a sewer. If the idea wasn't bad enough the controls are barely interactive and the objectives aren't always clear so good luck playing through this one and not getting an instant game over. All you get is a half way decent B movie story line that's funny in a sad sort of way but otherwise it's a very overrated game and it shouldn't have been packed in with the system originally!
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 6
gameplay: 3

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82 SNATCHER (Konami, 1995)
Do you like mature text based games with a little bit of action? OK so the deal is in the not so distance future, the Junkers police unit have the difficult task to stop super human-like machines called the Snatchers from stealing other people's identity. It's up to you solve the many mysteries here and get rid of the Snatchers for good. Although this game involves a lots of talking and searching, it's still filled with a great and very violent anime story line that should please Sega CD fans that had to put up with games like Marky Mark: Make your own Music Video and Sewer Shark. There are even some unique action scenes where you get to shoot down various enemies. Snatcher is a rare and underrated video game that even works with Konami's Justifier light gun.
*Save option available
*Rare Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 6
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84 SHINING FORCE CD (Sega/Camelot, 1995)
Although this game plays the same as the original Genesis games and the towns have been limited to what we had before, it's still a great game for the Sega CD since there are not too many role playing games on the system. The new CD music is great and the new story really draws you into the game. This is the prequel of sorts to the Game Gear version of Shining Force: Sword of Hayja. Buy them both!
*Save option available (99 blocks)
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7

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70 SLIPHEED (Sega/Game Arts, 1992)
Slipheed is a linear but very cool looking shooting game featuring stylist polygon graphics similar to Nintendo's Star Fox on the SNES but these visuals here look even better believe it or not. The game itself is not as interactive as other true 3D shooters and the weapons available are pretty disappointing as well but the shooting action is still very intense so the game is definitely worth a look.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 5
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BEST SEGA CD GAME!
88
SONIC CD (Sega, 1993)

This is a cool new Sonic game that's only on the Sega CD and a few collection paks. Not only is there are 7 long levels here but now there's also some time traveling involved too which can change the backgrounds and even the music but honestly don't effect the game play too much. Sonic CD is still a fully loaded game with time trial modes and lots of secrets to find so that makes this game a must own for Sega CD gamers out there.
*Save option available (11 blocks)
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 9
gameplay: 7
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69 SOL FEACE (Sega/Wolfteam, 1991)
This game was actually the original pack in game for the Sega CD which kind of surprises me because there is nothing really too special about it but I seen worse. Sol Feace is another slightly average shooter with boring looking levels and standard weapons like lasers and spreadshots but at least it had some cool music and fast action though. This game is also on the original Genesis but they named that one Sol Deace instead. Why I don't know?
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 8
gameplay: 5
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71 SPIDERMAN (Sega, 1992)
Here is another underrated action platformer by Sega. Its kind of easy to terms of difficulty but Spiderman on Sega CD is still has a very interesting story (complete with cheesy animated cinemas) and the game play is quite easy to get into as well since you have a lot of Spiderman's powers like the ability to climb walls and swing from a web. Spiderman here may surprise you.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7

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31 SURGICAL STRIKE (Sega, 1995)
"Does anybody out there remember this game? I never heard of it before myself." Anyway, this is another one of those stupid Full Motion Video game where you shoot down terrorist in goofy hovercrafts. The game is just too weird and slow to be taken seriously and sadly this isn't the only Sega CD game that's a complete and utter joke (i.e. Marky Mark and the funky bunch).
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 2
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66 TERMINATOR (Sony Imagesoft, 1993)

Unlike the movie you're starting in the future where the world is in ruins and killer robots are wiping out mankind and once that is all taken care of you then travel to the 1980's to save a women who's key to machines downfall if they don't kill her first. So the game asks the question: can you be the earth's savior and destroy all the Terminator robots before the terror even starts? The Terminator is a good but very repetitive action game thanks to the overly huge levels but at least it comes with an excellent soundtrack.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 5

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59 THUNDER STRIKE

Thunder Strike is an easy to play 3D helicopter shooter that also had a Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn sequel. The graphics even make use of the Sega CD's mode7 capabilities although they are fairly ugly by today's standards. Thunder Strike doesn't break the mode but at least it isn't another lame FMV game.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6
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29 TIME GAL (Renovation, 1993)
Here is another one of those full motion video games that seem to be so popular on the Sega CD but these game sure does not age well. This game stars a young women trying to survive the dangers of time travel and it's all in glorious Japanimation. Time Gal may look nice since I'm playing as a half naked girl here but it plays horrible.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 1
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17
TOMCAT ALLEY (Sega, 1994)
Yet another Full Motion Video game that doesn't look all too bad for a Top Gun clone but this After Burner want to be is almost void of any true game play and the lame story sucks too. You know this is bad when the awful After Burner III is better than this.
For 1 player only thank god
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 0
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67 VAY (Working Designs, 1994)
This hard to find game features some truly weak graphics that remind me of the RPG's found on the 8-bit NES but it does have a rather nice old school feel in the game play department so it's a nice trade off. Vay also has fairly good music and it is quite challenging too. The game is overall game is nothing too unique but it still plays well.
*Uncommon Sega CD game
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
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63 WHEEL of FORTUNE (Gametek, 1993)

Here is one of the first console versions of Wheel of Fortune to feature full motion video and that has to count for something, no? If you new to the game you and or two other contestants spin a giant wheel to help you earn cash and get a chance to slowly guess what the puzzle is by calling out letters. It's kind of slow in some places since it has to load in certain places but it was still fun to play nonetheless so if you're a fan of the show and you have a Sega CD then be sure to check this out.
For 1 to 3 players
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 6

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60 WONDERDOG (JVC, 1990)
It's not everyday that we have an actual action platformer on the Sega CD especially one starring a Super dog from outer space. The game may sound fairly odd but at least it's a solid game. Wonderdog is a very playable and very cute game with a lot of good game play elements but it's a little too familiar to many other action titles out there and the controls take awhile to master as well. Bad dog!
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
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