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| − | [[Image:SegaCD.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Sega Mega Drive with Sega Mega CD console]]The '''Sega Mega CD''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: '''メガCD''') is an add-on device for the [[Sega Mega Drive]] released in Europe, Australia and Japan. The North American version is called the '''Sega CD'''. The device allowed the user to both play CD audio discs and specially designed game CDs. It can also play [[CD plus G|CD+G]] discs. | + | [[sega:Sega Mega CD]] |
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| − | The development of the Mega CD was top secret; game programmers didn't know what they were designing for until the Mega CD was finally revealed at Tokyo Toy Show in Japan. The Sega Mega CD in Japan was designed to compete with the PC Engine, which had a separate CD-ROM drive. The Sega Mega CD was not meant to compete with the Super Famicom ([[Super Nintendo]] outside Japan).
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| − | At first, the Mega CD was a CD tray unit that sat under the console. The Sega Mega CD 2 model had a smaller, cheaper top loading drive that would attach beside the Sega Mega Drive.
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| − | ==Markets==
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| − | ===Japan===
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| − | The Sega Mega CD was released first in Japan on December 1st 1991. Its retail price was about ¥49,800. Initially, it was a great success because of the inherent advantages of CDs (high storage capability and the low cost of media). The fact that it had a nice RPG catalog also helped.
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| − | The system sold 100,000 units during the first year of release in Japan. However, cost issues prevented more units from being sold.
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| − | ===United States===
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| − | Sega of Japan did not speak to Sega of America about their Mega CD plans for that market until a few months after the Tokyo Toy Show in Japan. The Sega CD was announced at the Chicago CES on November 1992.
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| − | In the end, the Sega CD failed to convince American gamers, mostly due to the cost of the console. There just was not enough value for the price. Moreover, the game experience was little improved.
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| − | Sound was likely to be better if it included some CD audio tracks, but on the average, conventional games looked the same. Sega wanted to showcase the power of the Sega CD, and so focused on the "FMV" games rather than importing "extended" games that only expanded ordinary games by taking advantage of the extra storage space of the CD media. Sega insisted on licensing and producing primarily "full motion video" games similar to earlier Laserdisc games, that were universally panned by game reviewers. The single speed CD drive added load times to all games, and the 64-color graphics and underpowered processor (for video rendering) made these full-motion games look terrible.
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| − | ===Europe===
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| − | In Europe the Mega CD was highly overpriced. It was released in April 1993 in the United Kingdom for £270. Its userbase was small as only 4% of European Mega Drive owners bought a Mega CD. Unlike the [[Mega Drive]], which was a very successful console in Europe, only 60,000 of the 70,000 Mega CDs shipped to Europe were sold by August 1993.
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| − | Some European countries (Spain for instance), wouldn't get the original Mega CD at all, but instead would get the upgraded Mega CD 2, which also slowed sales.
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| − | ===Australia===
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| − | The Australian release for the Mega CD was April 19, 1993.
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| − | ==Models==
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| − | The following models were released:
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| − | *Sega Mega CD I (Sega CD I in North America)
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| − | *Sega Mega CD II (Sega CD II in North America). Redesigned to accommodate the Mega Drive/Genesis II and reduce manufacturing costs.
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| − | *JVC Wondermega ([[X'eye]] in North American release, never released in Europe), this was a all-in one Genesis /Sega CD unit.
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| − | *Sega Multimega (called [[Sega CDX]] in North America). A portable CD player that plays both Mega Drive and Mega CD games. It's identical internally to the Mega Drive model II.
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| − | *Pioneer LaserActive Sega CD module, an add-on device you could add to a Laseractive Pioneer Laserdisc player.
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| − | ==Technical Specifications==
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| − | ===CPU===
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| − | Main CPU: Motorola [[68000]] 16 bit processor running at 12.5 MHz
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| − | ''(Same as the Mega Drive/Genesis. Acts as a coprocessor along with the Genesis CPU. One must note that the Genesis clock speed is slower (7.67 MHz))''
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| − | ===Graphics===
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| − | * Graphics Processor: Custom ASIC
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| − | * Number of simultaneous [[palette|colours]] on screen: 64 (Using programming tricks, this limit is increased to 128 colours via raster effects)
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| − | * Colours available in Cinepak and TruVideo modes: 128 to 256 colours
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| − | * Video size from 1/4 to full screen
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| − | * Advanced compression scheme
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| − | * Software-based upgrade
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| − | ===RAM===
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| − | * Main [[RAM]]: 6 Mbit
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| − | * PCM samples: 512 Kbit
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| − | * CD-ROM data cache: 128 Kbit
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| − | * 64 Kbit Internal Backup RAM
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| − | * 1 MBit Memory Card [[CD BackUp RAM Cart]]
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| − | The Mega CD also features sprite enhancement effects such as scaling and rotation, similar to that of the [[Super Nintendo|Super Famicom/SNES]] Mode 7.
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| − | ===Storage===
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| − | * 500 MB CD-ROM discs (equivalent to 62 min of audio data)
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| − | * Access time: 800 ms
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| − | * 1/4 screen B/W footage video: 1.5 to 4 hours
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| − | * 1/4 screen color footage: 45 minutes
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| − | * CD-ROM drive transfer rate: 150 Kbytes/s (1x)
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| − | ''(Above specs prior to compression)''
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| − | ===[[BIOS]]===
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| − | * Size: 1 Mb
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| − | * Used for games, CD player, CD+G viewing, karaoke (limited to Japanese systems) and regional lockout
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| − | {| class="wikitable" border="1"
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| − | |+ BIOS Revisions
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| − | |-
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| − | ! width="50"| BIOS Version
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| − | ! Machine
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| − | ! Download
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| − | ! CRC
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| − | |-
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| − | | rowspan="2"| 0.98
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| − | | rowspan="2"| Pioneer LaserActive
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| − | | {{file|Us lsr 930329.zip|0.98 (NA Version)}}
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| − | | 8c3e3945
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Jp lsr 930329.zip|0.98 (Asian Version)}}
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| − | | 9f5771d2
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| − | |-
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| − | | rowspan="4"| 1.00
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| − | | rowspan="4"| Original Mega CD, Victor WonderMega 1 (Asia), Sega WonderMega (Asia)
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| − | | {{file|Jp mcd1 911217.zip|1.00p (Asian NTSC Bios)}}
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| − | | 9d2da8f2
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Jp mcd1 911228.zip|1.00s (Asian PAL Bios)}}
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| − | | 550f30bb
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Jp wmg 920206.zip|1.00w (Sega WonderMega Bios)}}
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| − | | d21fe71d
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Eu mcd1 921027.zip|1.00 (European PAL Bios)}}
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| − | | 529ac15a
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| − | |-
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| − | | 1.04
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| − | | Pioneer LaserActive
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| − | | {{file|Us mld 930922.zip|1.04 (NA Version)}}
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| − | | 2ed602d7
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| − | |-
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| − | | 1.10
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| − | | Original Sega CD
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| − | | {{file|Us scd1 921011.zip|1.10 (North American)}}
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| − | | c6d10268
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| − | |-
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| − | | rowspan="7"| 2.00
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| − | | rowspan="7"| Sega/Mega CD 2<br/>Victor WonderMega 2 (Asia)<br/>JVC X'eye (North America)
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| − | | {{file|Us scd2 930314.zip|2.00 (1st NA Version)}}
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| − | | 8af65f58
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Us scd2 930601.zip|2.00w (2nd NA Version)}}
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| − | | 9f6f6276
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Jp mcd2 921222.zip|2.00c (Asian Version)}}
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| − | | dd6cc972
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Eu mcd2 930330.zip|2.00 (1st European Version)}}
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| − | | 0507b590
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Eu mcd2 930601.zip|2.00w (2nd European Version)}}
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| − | | 4d5cb8da
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Us xeye 931227.zip|2.00x (X'eye)}}
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| − | | 290f8e33
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Jp wmg 930527.zip|2.00 (Wondermega)}}
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| − | | 2b19972f
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| − | |-
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| − | | 2.11
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| − | | Sega/Mega CD 2, Aiwa CSD GM1 (Japan)
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| − | | {{file|Us scd2 930621.zip|2.11w (NA Version)}}
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| − | | 2e49d72c
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| − | |-
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| − | | rowspan="2"| 2.21
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| − | | rowspan="2"| Sega Multimega (Europe & Japan), CDX (North America), Linguaphone Education Gear (Japan)
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| − | | {{file|Eu mmg 930916.zip|2.21x (MultiMega)}}
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| − | | aacb851e
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{file|Us cdx 930907.zip|2.21x (CDX)}}
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| − | | d48c44b5
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| − | |}
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| − | ===Audio===
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| − | ''The Mega CD adds 10 extra sound channels to the existing Mega Drive [[Z80]] [[SPU]].''
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| − | * Sound format: Stereo PCM
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| − | * Sound channels: 8
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| − | * Maximum sample rate: 32 KHz (44.1 KHz for CD-DA)
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| − | * 16 bit DAC
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| − | * 8x internal over-sampling digital filter
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| − | * Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 20 KHz
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| − | * Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 90 dB @ 1K
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| − | * Channel Separation: > 90 dB
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| − | * Input: Mixer cable for Genesis Model 1 compatibility.
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| − | * Output: Stereo [[RCA jack|RCA]] connectors.
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| − | ===Other===
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| − | Dimensions: 301mm x 212.5 x 112.5</br>
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| − | Weight: 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs)
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| − | ==Box Scans==
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| − | <gallery>
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| − | Image:mcd console jp box front.jpg|JP retail box (front)
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| − | Image:mcd console jp box back.jpg|JP retail box (back)
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| − | </gallery>
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| − | ==Sonic-related games released for the Mega CD==
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| − | *''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]'' (1993)
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| − | ==Pre-release Sonic-related games released for the Mega CD==
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| − | * ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 510)]]''
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| − | * ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 712)]]''
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| − | * ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 806)]]''
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| − | * ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 920)]]''
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| − | ==External Links==
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| − | *[http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/segamegacd/index.html Console Database] - Sega Mega CD/Sega CD
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| − | *[http://www.retrodev.com/segacd.html Sega CD Development Guide] By [[Mask of Destiny]].
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| − | {{MegaDrive}}
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| − | {{Sega_Consoles}}
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| − | [[Category:Mega Drive Hardware]]
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| − | [[Category:Hardware]]
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