Best Sega CD Platform Games

Highlights

• The Sega CD accessory for the Sega Genesis offered CD-ROM capabilities and graphical enhancements to the limited hardware.
• Games like Flashback, Popful Mail, and Prince of Persia showcased the Sega CD’s capabilities and provided unique gaming experiences.
• Earthworm Jim and Sonic CD were critically acclaimed for their gameplay mechanics, graphics, and storytelling, making them must-play titles for Sega CD owners.

Despite its 1992 release, the Sega CD or Mega-CD was an iconic accessory to the Sega Genesis as it added CD-ROM capabilities to the Sega platform’s limited hardware. When attached to the Sega Genesis, the Sega CD gives players opportunities to enjoy not just CD games but also graphical enhancements and faster CPU performance.

While games such as Dune, Dark Wizard, and Road Avenger offer some of the best Sega CD experiences due to the way they maximize the accessory’s graphical and processing offerings, the Sega CD also offers quite a plethora of platform games that make the Sega Genesis attachment a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts.

7 Flashback

Metascore: 50

Being a cinematic platformer, Flashback plays more like a movie than a video game, with players taking on the role of intelligence agent Conrad Hart as he tries to warn the world of shape-shifters named Morphs. Its setting of 2142 is presented with a surprising level of detail that can make interactive components blend with the background, much like Another World. Conrad himself is rotoscoped, giving his movements a degree of life-likeness akin to the Prince in Prince of Persia.

The mixture of the two presentation styles with its sci-fi premise makes Flashback quite a film-like experience. The game also presents surprisingly challenging mechanics with gadgets that bring a Bond-esque experience to Conrad’s adventures. Such tools include a rechargeable force field that acts as life, a portable force field to temporarily block attacks, and even a teleporter to work one’s way around obstacles.

6 Popful Mail

GameFAQs Rating: 3.3/5

The Sega CD port of Popful Mail has become one of its most recognizable versions past its initial release for the NEC PC-8801, although its premise remains the same: when bounty hunter Popful Mail embarks on a mission to hunt the wizard-criminal Muttonhead, her new adventure will put her at the crosshairs of the fallen gods known as the Masters of Evil. Despite its setup as an RPG, Popful Mail plays into multiple genres: RPG for Mail and her team’s weapon and item customization, side-scroller for real-time fights, and platformer for exploration.

However, the game’s genre mix has paved the way for a compelling RPG-lite experience despite its comedic premise. The game’s weapons have straightforward upgrades but still require skill to engage foes across its side-scrolling combat. Exploration via platforming offers its fair share of challenges and hazards, forcing players to stay on their toes inside and outside of combat.

5 Prince Of Persia

GameFAQs Rating: 3.48/5

Released originally for the Apple 2, Jordan Mechner’s rotoscoped prince gets a graphical and performance update as Prince of Persia was ported to the Sega CD. As the port removes the Prince’s all-white wardrobe in favor of the more iconic colored vest and white bottoms, the game also provides much-requested saves as well as voice-acted cutscenes. Visuals and processing power received much of the boosts in the Sega CD port, as Prince of Persia has already become quite the critically acclaimed title despite its initial commercial failure.

Mechner’s design choice of rotoscoping the Prince’s movements resulted in a more cinematic platforming experience. Momentum is a priority in the game, especially when jumps, turns, and breaks factor into the Prince’s survival throughout the timed experience. Such was the innovation Prince of Persia introduced to the platforming genre that life-like rotoscoped controls and eventual parkour became part of the franchise’s main selling points.

4 Earthworm Jim: Special Edition

Metascore: 72

When a super-suit falls on top of regular earthworm Jim, he becomes the protagonist of Earthworm Jim when the suit hyper-evolves him into an intelligent humanoid worm. However, Earthworm Jim is also pursued by the evil Psy-Crow and his boss Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt. Thankfully, players can help Earthworm Jim traverse the game’s many stages with a plethora of tools: a Whip, a Plasma Pistol for shooting, and a Pocket Rocket for flight.

On top of its cartoony visuals, Earthworm Jim earned critical acclaim for its self-aware humor and rather comedic story. Not only that, but the title’s intuitive mechanics give this run-and-gun/platformer hybrid many gameplay options. On top of being able to control one’s descent after jumping and flight, Jim’s whip can also grab objects and help him swing from platform to platform. The game also features mini-games such as racing levels, a timed underwater maze, a fighting level, and even competitive bungee jumping.

3 Another World

Metascore: 80

Compared to more action-packed franchises such as Castlevania and Sonic the Hedgehog, players can describe Another World as more of a cinematic platformer than a traditional member of the genre. Developed solo by Eric Chahi over the course of two years, Another World tells the story of how physicist Lester Knight Chaykin tries to escape an alien world after an experiment gone wrong.

Presented without a HUD, Another World puts players in the shoes of Lester as they try to figure out how to escape the game’s various stages. Lester eventually obtains a laser gun which he can use to attack enemies and create force fields, but the game prompts a game over once he and his ally Buddy are hit. The lack of the HUD blends well with the game’s intentional level design, giving each stage a unique presence that weaves an overarching narrative that demonstrates rather intricate storytelling for its time.

2 Flink

GameFAQs Rating: 4/5

Set in the world of Imagica, Flink tells the story of the eponymous Flink, a wizard’s apprentice, to save the four elders of the world from the evil wizard Wicked Wainwright. While the rather typical nature of the game’s story resulted in middling reviews, Flink shines in its usage of detailed cartoony graphics, making the platformer more atmospheric compared to its more popular competitors such as Donkey Kong Country and Sonic The Hedgehog 3.

Moreover, Flink easily becomes a worthwhile experience with the protagonist’s ability to create spells. When the game is paused, Flink can combine ingredients he collects to learn spells that range from combat abilities to platformer aids such as shrinking and plant growth. Flink also needs magic energy to cast spells, which he can gain from enemies and lose by being hit, much like with Sonic and his rings.

1 Sonic CD

Metascore: 82

Initially planned as a Sega CD port of 1991’s Sonic the Hedgehog, the Sonic CD project evolved into becoming one of the most celebrated Sonic games of all time. Set some time after the first Sonic game, Sonic has to stop Dr. Robotnik from using the mystic Time Stones to transform the extraterrestrial body known as Little Planet into his personal fortress. Using the Time Stones’ powers, Sonic has to travel across time to ensure Dr. Eggman doesn’t fulfill his goals.

A key part of Sonic CD’s appeal is its time travel component, as its presence in the Sonic game isn’t just for the story. In a bid to improve Sonic’s speed-based platforming formula, levels in Sonic CD have four time-based zones (Past, Present, Bad Future, and Good Future), all of which contain different layouts and visuals. Stages have become more cramped and complex, discouraging players from reckless speeding and instead staying alert on nooks and crannies that may lead to special bonuses.

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