Best SEGA CD Games of All Time

With the announcement of the SEGA Genesis Mini 2 (SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 in Japan) – a new mini console that will also add supported SEGA CD games – it’s a good time to recall some of the best titles from this add-on system that we’ll love to see possibly included on its list of games when it comes out on October 27, 2022.

Related: All Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 Games Revealed (So Far)

Best SEGA CD Games of All Time

SEGA CD was the state-of-the-art technology of the early 90s, originally released as an add-on for SEGA Mega Drive in 1991. This additional system added support for running games from CDs, allowing developers to make games and experiences more similar to very early multimedia devices with games featuring (mega-compressed and blocky) FMV animations and, of course, high-quality CD audio. Also, more space on a Compact Disc allowed, in theory, for bigger games since there was no limitation of the cartridge size, but since those were very early years of the new format, the games were… different, to say the least.

Even if CD gaming didn’t really catch on before the next generation came along, and even if SEGA returned to cartridge-only games for their big releases in the latter part of the 90s, SEGA CD still had an amazing library of games – check out some of the best SEGA CD games of all time in our list below, in no particular order:

• Sonic CD (1993) – The most popular game on SEGA CD, you can check it out in Sonic Origins. And without a doubt, it will be included with the upcoming mini console.
• Snatcher (1994) – Original cyberpunk adventure by Hideo Kojima, this one aged very well.
• Lunar: The Silver Star (1992) – High-quality JRPG that took every advantage of the SEGA CD with FMV cutscenes, voiced characters, and fantastic music on top of an already very solid turn-based RPG.
• Shining Force CD (1994) – Another excellent JRPG for SEGA CD in the form of a remake of the previous two Shining Force games with additional exclusive stories.
• Road Avenger / Blaster (1992) – An anime-style FMV game where you chase bikers in Mad Max style with your muscle car in search of revenge. This kind of game was not feasible on the regular Genesis or on most other systems at the time.
• Slipheed (1993) – Scrolling space shooter with amazing graphics for its time.
• Night Trap (1992) – The infamous one. An FMV adventure with live actors and a US court case that made it legendary.
• Final Fight CD (1993) – Hands down the best version of the classic beat ’em up, OST alone makes it better than the arcade version.
• The Secret of Monkey Island (1993) – Who would have ever thought that Monkey Island had a SEGA release? The port of the iconic point-and-click adventure played on the SEGA CD just like on the early PCs of the time.
• Sewer Shark (1992) – First-person on-rails shooter with hilarious setup and FMV sequences with live actors. Truly a game from a different time that every video game historian needs to experience.

Related: Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 Revealed, Includes Sega CD Games

Some of these games will surely be on the list when the SEGA Genesis Mini 2 goes on sale in the US on October 27, 2022. Amazon has pre-orders up already, but for now, the complete list of SEGA CD and other titles is not known, nor if this mini console will be released in Europe.

For more retro games here on Prima Games, check out our recent reviews: Sonic Origins Review | Gotta Go Whatever Pace Feels Best for You and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Review: The Test of Time.