The Sega CD promised a lot of things. It was an upgrade to the Sega Genesis hardware that used compact discs for it’s form of media, and it also beefed up the hardware a fair bit. This add-on allowed for CD quality music, full motion video, enhanced sprite scaling and rotations, a deeper color palette, and more. Unfortunately a lot of developers out there didn’t know what to do with it. This resulted in the add-on receiving a large number of ports of Sega Genesis titles with various enhancements. That must have been pretty disappointing for early adopters. Rather than focusing on unique or exclusive titles we’re going to look at these enhanced versions. This is our list of the top 10 best Sega Genesis to Sega CD ports! Let’s get right to it.
#10. – Hook
Okay so this isn’t a great game. Licensed games rarely are, and Hook doesn’t live up to the movie on which it’s based. With that said I did get mild enjoyment out of it, and this Sega CD version is not only better than the Sega Genesis but also the Super Nintendo editions. This is a 2D side scroller where you play as a cartoon version of Robin Williams’ depiction of an adult Peter Pan. Gameplay is a little on the clunky side with a slow moving character and slow range of attack (he uses a dagger after all). So why is Hook included on this list? This is because it features redbook audio with a few tracks from John Williams’ score. That might seem strange to put a game on the list because of it’s music, but that’s par for the course when it comes to the Sega CD.
#9. – Fatal Fury Special
Even SNK’s big fighting game series Fatal Fury was on the Sega CD. This port offers a trade. On one hand you get arcade music, and better voice samples. With this port we have to trade that for background features. Gone are the animated crowds SNK fighters are known for. Some consider this a huge loss but for me it doesn’t matter that much. The actual gameplay feels slightly better than it did on the Sega Genesis. I was able to regularly make special moves register more frequently which in my eyes is a major win. It’s a good thing because at its core Fatal Fury Special is one of SNK’s best fighting games. It’s up to you if you want better music and controls or improved graphics. Honestly the developers could have, and should have put more effort into this port.
#8. – Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown has some bigger improvements on CD format than Fatal Fury Special did. Unfortunately this is mostly the same thing. You get worse graphics than the Sega Genesis version, but better audio. In the case of sound everything has been drastically improved. The screeching from the cartridge version is gone and replaced with beautiful melodies. There’s also a fully voiced introduction (like in the arcade) and characters names are announced before each match. Unfortunately, and I’m not quite sure why, but a lot of details have been lost in each stage. This includes details and animations. To make up for this a bit the color palette is a bit better in this version. Largely it’s the same game, and the changes are cosmetic. Personally I think the improved audio and colors are worth the trade off.
#7. – Ecco the Dolphin
At one point Sega was pushing non-violent video games. They thought that a dolphin murdering other animals would mess up kids less, apparently. It seems silly looking back, but that principle birthed Ecco the Dolphin. I’ve never been a huge fan of this game to be honest, but previously I had only played in on the Sega Genesis. It’s often revered for it’s soundtrack but it always was off-putting to me with screeching and robot farts. The Sega CD corrects this issue with ambient compositions that fit the action significantly better in my opinion. Besides that the gameplay is nearly identical. It’s really the music that bothered me most about this title, and what we have without the poor quality audio is a decent (but not great) side scrolling adventure game. Ecco is definitely better on the Sega CD.
#6. – Sol-Feace
I’m getting technical here, but the two games have different names. Sol-Deace was originally released on the Sega Genesis. It was an alright, and Sol-Feace is the same story. The audio is unquestionably better with redbook music however. In this case I wasn’t able to tell if there were any downgrades whatsoever in terms of graphics which is nice. As a shmup this one has a high difficulty level and some unique features. Your ship has a set of twin cannons that you can aim either forward, backwards, or diagonal. You’ll have to learn to switch these on the fly because enemies come at you from all directions. Outside of the aforementioned feature this shmup is pretty much by the books. The redbook audio with no tradeoffs does however make this one of the best Sega CD ports.
#5. – Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
Honestly this is one of the worst Mickey Mouse titles of the 16-bit generation. It was developed by Traveler’s Tales instead of Capcom, and that should give you a good idea of what to expect. This one was aimed mostly at classic Disney fans. It takes you through the history of Mickey Mouse in some pretty compelling ways. For example the first stage is based directly on Steamboat Willy complete with black and white graphics and even a film grain overlay. Others contain styles from classic cartoons like the Mad Doctor, Moose Hunters, Lonesome Ghosts and more. It’s a decent package but the level designs aren’t special. This Sega CD version has better audio than the other versions, and much voice acting. For a game based on historical cartoons this audio component adds a lot to the experience. Because of this the Sega CD iteration is the definitive version.
#4. – Batman Returns
Licensed games were usually rubbish. This is especially true when it comes to retro titles. You could usually rely on the dark knight for a good time, and Batman Returns continues the tradition. This 2D action platformer had the caped crusader beating up baddies through a series of well designed stages. It was plenty fun on the Sega Genesis, and so what does the CD iteration offer? Well for one thing it has redbook audio, and this is a huge improvement. The screeching is now gone and replaced with actually pleasant music. Furthermore this version has several added stages that take advantage of the new hardware. These are 3D and vehicular based. These are very impressive for the hardware, and are quite fun. This makes Batman Returns on the Sega CD the definitive version.
#3. – Cliffhanger
Action film fans of the 90s all remember Cliffhanger. In my opinion it’s one of the best films starring Sylvester Stallone. With its popularity came the obvious video game adaptation, and the base game was pretty decent. It is this Sega CD iteration that makes it a good time. At its core this is a standard single player beat ’em up. It runs well and you have a nice variety of attacks. The Sega CD adaptation adds several new features. The most obvious is full motion video. You’re treated to actual video sequences grabbed straight from the film. I’m sure at the time of release this was a super impressive feature, but now it’s just silly. The music is also improved but that’s a given considering the capabilities of the CD format. New 3D snowboarding stages have been added to this version and they’re the real highlight.
#2. – Mortal Kombat CD
I guess you could say that the original Mortal Kombat is growing on me. I was a fan back when it released but the it soured on me over time. Maybe that’s because I’m most familiar with the Super Nintendo edition. It had the better soundtrack and graphics, but much worse gameplay. The Sega Genesis release caused ear bleeding through it’s awful music and was an eyesore. This CD release fixes some of the problems with that. It has the gameplay of the Sega Genesis release, but with better graphics and arcade perfect audio. It’s sort of the best of both worlds. There’s even a full motion video introduction but this is just the commercial that aired back when the game first came out. The visuals are still a far cry from the arcade release but in my opinion this is the best home console port ever released.
#1. – Earthworm Jim: Special Edition
It’s no secret to hardcore fans that the Sega Genesis version of Earthworm Jim was better than it’s SNES counterpart. The trade-off for more content and better gameplay was significantly worse music. This port fixes that issue. With the redbook audio the soundtrack is vastly improved. We also have all of the same content from the Sega Genesis version. There’s even a new stage here. I expected it to be an afterthought but it’s actually really good. On its own merits Earthworm Jim is a product of its time. The developers clearly went with the zany mascot with attitude and they may have pushed the idea a little too far here. I’ve never been a fan of the character (even when I was a kid) but there are some funny over the top moments here and there. Earthworm Jim: Special Edition is definitely the best version of the original.
