Pick-Ups – Sega CD Revenge and Avenger!

Posted by Sega Dude on March 25, 2019
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

So I’ve started to notice that while Sega CD games are not found as frequently through my favorite hunting grounds (Classifieds, Forums and Games Swaps) as compared to Sega Genesis Games they do appear regularly enough; specially considering how relatively small the Sega CD library is.

This Chuck Rock II Son of Chuck is actually an upgrade for my previous one. There was nothing much wrong with my old version except the manual was missing the back cover. This new one pictured below cost me $50 CAD (~$37 USD) and is in really great condition (found on Kijiji.ca). With any luck I’ll be able to sell the other for close to the same price.

Chuck Rock II, much like the first Chuck Rock, is just an average platformer. Maybe there’s some fun to be had here but I didn’t feel inspired to play it for very long.

The next three games are much more interesting… which is interesting in itself.

None of them are what you typically think of when you think 16-bit retro video games. One is a point and click adventure and the other two are animated Full Motion Video (FMV) Games.

…for the most part I hate FMV games.

The exception are the FMV games that are animated cartoons instead of live action. The Live Action titles reek of poor acting, poor scripts, poor stories and poor gameplay. To some this campy cheese has made these games endearing. But I can’t count myself among them. They just suck.

That’s not to say that the cartoon FMV games are amazing. Man alive, they are pretty dated. But they are playable. And as I’m discovering they’re kinda fun!

Road Avenger cost me $65 USD (~$87 CAD) and Secret of Monkey Island $75 USD (~$100 CAD). Unlike Chuck Rock II (which was priced a bit high) Road Avenger and Secret of Monkey Island cost me a little less than the average listed price at PirceCharting.com. These games I got from a solid member at Sega-16.com who goes by the handle SpaceFlea. Thanks SpaceFlea!

The final pick-up for today is Revenge of the Ninja which I found on Kijiji for $50 CAD (~$37 USD). Revenge of the Ninja and Road Avenger are the two most exciting pick-ups here and both play very much like Dragon’s Lair; which I believe is the game that started the trend of cartoon FMV games.

Of course Revenge of the Ninja and Road Avenger aren’t on Laserdisc like the original format for Dragon’s Lair and it’s painfully obvious how much visual quality is lost playing such games on a Sega CD or Mega CD.

However, the games are very playable and surprisingly fun but I’m not sure how much replay value they’ll hold.

Inside Revenge of the Ninja I found a receipt from July 2012. It would appear that my newly acquired Revenge of the Ninja sold for $10 CAD (~$7.50 USD) 7 years ago. I love seeing this kind of history and not surprisingly someone got a much better deal than I did. looks like 2012 was the time to get into the Sega CD!

Since we don’t yet have access to time travel we each need to decide what these old games are worth to us. I started my retro video game collection in 1998 (starting with the Sega Master System) and over the decades it has always surprised me how popular these old games are for a lot of people. And this popularity is reflected in continually rising prices.

I’d love to hear what you think about the Sega CD. What are your favorite titles? Do you like FVM games?

Pick-Ups – Sega Master System Mortal Kombat

Posted by Sega Dude on March 15, 2019
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, SEGA, Sega Master System. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

Thanks to Retro Quest, a lovely retro toy and video games store, I’ve manage to score a complete and excellent condition Mortal Kombat II for the Sega Master System.

Priced at $65 CAD (~$49 USD) this local pick-up was a good bit cheaper than PriceCharting.com‘s estimated value of $67 USD (~$90 CAD).

The Store Owner told me that this was his own copy of Mortal Kombat from back in the day. At one point he had been obsessed with all things Mortal Kombat and he held this game near and dear for a very long time.

I like to think it’s gone to a good new home. Thank you Retro Quest for the great deal!

Retro Quest will ship so you USA Retro Fanatics be sure to check them out.

I believe that Mortal Kombat II is the harder of the two Master System versions to find so I was really pleased to add it to the collection for a very fair price. At the time of this post recently sold ebay listing showed a few sales ranging from $45 USD to $60 USD plus shipping.

Below are some lovely glamor shots of both my Mortal Kombat I and II.


I really do feel very lucky to have so many complete Sega Master System Games. Despite how plain many of the earlier game cases are on a whole they look awesome. The Master System is a great console to collect.

Of course these 8-bit versions of Mortal Kombat are not the ideal way to play the franchise but I love having them. Even though it’s been many years since I was into Mortal Kombat I’m now tempted to pick-up a used copy of Mortal Kombat X for the PS4.

With any luck Nintendo Joe will also be keen to re-visit Outworld!

Pick-ups – Sega CD Model 1

Posted by Sega Dude on December 16, 2018
Posted in: Games, Genesis (North America), Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , . 6 Comments

For a very long time I’ve mostly ignored Sega’s CD add-on for the Sega Genesis. Known as the Sega CD in North America and the Mega CD for the rest of the world.

Back in the day it came out when my interest in my Genesis was fading (shame on me) and for decades beyond when I got into collecting I put most of my attention on just cartridge games for the Sega Genesis and Sega Master System.

Then in the past year after diving in and getting a chance to try out some really great Sega CD games (Snatcher, Dark Wizard, Popful Mail and Lunar) this add-on hardware that was, in its day, tainted by terrible ‘Full Motion Video (FMV) Games‘ has since won me over.

So much so, that I took some time to take a really pretty picture of it.

I’m going to start by saying the Model 2 Sega CD is just fine. Sure, optical drives are prone to wear out but that being said Sega made a pretty good piece of kit.

I’ve read that the model 1 Sega CD is actually more prone to failure and is harder to find as it had a shorter production run before being replaced by the model 2.

But there is something about the look of the Model 1 Sega CD that I really like. Stacked with a Model 1 Sega Genesis it some how pulls off looking part retro and modern; and combines to make something very unique and just plain awesome.

What I don’t love about the Model 1 Sega CD is that it typically costs about double the Model 2. So if the Model 2 Sega CD’s cost about $100 then we’re looking at about $200 for a Model 1 Sega CD.

What did I pay for my very pretty Model 1 Sega CD?

It cost me $240 CAD (~$180 USD). But wait! Just hold on… I can explain. I first saw this exact unit at one of my favorite local retro game shops (Retro Game Bros.) about 6-10 months ago when it’s sticker price was $350 CAD (~$260 USD). It had this steep price tag because it had been fully refurbished. It had the motor and laser replaced in addition to a full capacitors replacement. In fact, I’m told that the laser is a NOS Sega CD laser. The exact model originally used for the Model 1 Sega CD. I don’t know if that really matters but if nothing else it is cool and note worthy.

It’s my hope that this translates into a Sega CD unit that is going to have a very healthy and long life span. And that is easily worth the $40 premium.

I was able to get it for $240 discounted from $350 because of a wildly amazing Black Friday day sale put on by the glorious Retro Game Bros. Thank you guys!

And the steep discounts didn’t stop there. Oh, no… they did not.

There was another item at Retro Game Bros. that I had previously passed up and as fate would have it I found myself staring at it again this past Black Friday.

For $140 CAD they had a good condition Model 2 Sega CD box. Complete with packing and papers, everything except the hardware. I didn’t really want it at $140 but I asked about the sale price and they told me it would be $120 but before I could even blink they offered it up for $100 CAD (~$75). This is what I call a feel good price. Thanks guys!

Now my model 2 Sega CD will get packed away in a good condition Sega CD box while my new Model 1 Sega CD becomes the newest show piece for the man-cave. It still needs the Sewer Shark game disc (which wont be hard to find) but otherwise it’s complete.

Here’s a another photo of my New Sega CD along with one of my more recent favorite Sega Genesis games, Tanglewood.

I also bought a very nice Alien Crush for the TurboGrafx-16 from Retro Game Bros. that I already owned and it should have been Devil’s Crush that I bought… but I don’t want to talk about that blunder any longer. Kijiji will fix it.

Don’t forget to head over to see Nintendo Joe at My Nintendo Dimension for his Black Friday Retro Game Bros. scores.

Paprium Launch Party and Live Demo

Posted by Sega Dude on October 30, 2018
Posted in: Community, Games, Genesis (North America), Mega Drive (EURO), Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The modern made video game and ‘IN YOUR FACE!’ brawler PAPRIUM for the 1990’s Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis has finally launched!

Or has it?

On October 27th, 2018 Gwénaël Godde (a.k.a Fonzie) of Watermelon Games performed a live demo of PAPRIUM for the Sega Mega Drive / Sega Genesis at a launch party that was both celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sega Mega Drive and the release of Paprium.

Here’s how I know this:

“On the 27th of October 2018, we are having a party in Paris, France. Let’s celebrate SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive’s 30th anniversary and the release of PAPRIUM.” -Gwénaël Godde

But… something was missing; the video game Paprium.

What was shown was a very incomplete version of the game.

How could it possibly be that Paprium is ready for launch?

In short, and despite the quote above, this party was intended only as a celebration of the 30th anniversary. While having a glimpse of an old build of PAPRIUM was to be considered a bonus that didn’t have enough content to offer any spoilers. Is that true or does a complete version of PAPRIUM not exist?

The following message is believed to have come from Fonzie or Watermelon Games.
(*Sorry folks I have no actual facts. Consume all this with some healthy skepticism.)

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/443057080287363073/506444950343385088/Screenshot_20181029-122518__01.jpg?width=259&height=400

It’s safe to say that everyone’s disappointment at this event is entirely understandable. Communications from Watermelon Games has been exceptionally muddled and confusing.

Keep an eye on Watermelon’s Facebook page for more news.

Below is a recording of the live demonstration/party which showed off what we are told is an old Beta version of PAPRIUM. Hopefully it’s current state is much more complete and polished.

Despite all the heartbreak the one really good bit of news to come from this event is that after a very long absence Gwénaël Godde (a.k.a Fonzie) is back and it appears that he is intent on completing and delivering PAPRIUM.

Personally, I’m a bit concerned of all the very negative backlash Fonzie is receiving. Of course it’s understandable but I’m afraid of the retro gaming community pushing so hard that Fonzie might just disappear again. If he’s willing to show that’s he’s taking the game seriously and that he’s still able to deliver a game to everyone who paid then I am willing to continue to support Fonize, Watermelon Games and Paprium.

Are you relieved that PAPRIUM appears to have some traction again? Are you raging mad? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this heated topic. Don’t pull any punches. PAPRIUM wouldn’t.

Below is the original email communication which announced the October 27th 30th anniversary party:

October 8th, 2018 PAPRIUM Release date Announcement:

“On the 27th of October 2018, we are having a party in Paris, France. Let’s celebrate SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive’s 30th anniversary and the release of PAPRIUM.

We understand this is a long trip but if by any chance you are around at that time, you’re of course very welcome. Please contact us at 1988@watermelon-games.com for booking and details.

The party starts at 19PM for some talk with WM and some 16-bit fun and then turn into electro music feast from 23PM until 6AM.

The event is free but booking is required in advance. PS: We are working hard to ensure you to receive your games around that time but we can’t guarantee it at the moment.

You will receive another email shortly to confirm your shipping address. For the few people still awaiting for their refunds on Paypal, we are still looking for a solution at the moment, thanks for the extra patience.”

-Gwénaël Godde

Don’t forget to follow the Sega Dude and Retro Megabit on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/retromegabit/

Pick-Ups – Local Game Swap Buying and Selling

Posted by Sega Dude on October 24, 2018
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, Genesis (North America), Nintendo, SEGA, SNES. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This past Sunday October 21st Nintendo Joe and I hit up a local Retro Video Game Swap. This time around Nintendo Joe was just shopping; hoping to scoop up the last few affordable NES carts towards his goal of a full NES set. While I setup shop with our mutual friend Flavio to both buy and sell.

Flavio is a bit of a Titan when it comes to selling. He’s constantly buying large lots of games and re-selling at these kinds of events. Over the years he has really helped me bolster my Sega Master System collection. In fact, for years now he has become my only source for Master System games.

If you’re hunting for Retro Video Games be sure to visit Falvio’s Facebook page.

This Sunday was no exception; for $110 CAD (~$84 USD) Flavio sold me a complete and truly mint condition ALF for the Sega Master System.

Occasionally Flavio and I would take a break from our sales table and leave the other to man our station solo so that we could each browse around and do some game hunting. On my first go around the event floor I found a really excellent condition boxed Star Fox for the Super Nintendo. It was missing the manual but everything else was there, the condition was fantastic and it was selling for $25 CAD (~$20 USD). But because I didn’t bring any money with me I promised my self I would come back and snap it up once I had sold some stuff.

I had a few common Genesis games and some consoles for sale and it didn’t take long for a few items to sell. I dashed back for my Star Fox as soon I had the cash in hand.

Part of my excitement was because I knew I had a Star Fox manual at home so now this excellent game is complete and close to pristine.

When I was paying for Star Fox I saw this same seller had a complete Death and Return of Superman for the Genesis for $80 CAD (~$60 USD). That was about $20 less than the best I’ve ever seen for this title; so again I felt some urgency to sell more stuff.

When all was said and done I had sold a Model 1 Sega Genesis, a Sega Dreamcast, an original Xbox, some old Taiwan bootleg carts, an At Games handheld console and a few common Genesis games… and maybe a bit more that I’m forgetting about. All in, everything I sold was enough to pay for Alf, Star Fox and Superman and still left me with $70.

As we were nearing the end of the show and when things had really died down a lot, I found it. Something I so very rarely find at these local game swaps. A Japanese Sega Mega Drive game. I love these things! And this one game just happened to be a fantastic title that was not among my 200+ Japanese Sega Mega Drive game collection; Bare Knuckle III (or Streets of Rage III on the Genesis).

And with $70 burning a hole in my wallet I was a bit concerned when I saw the price tag of $200 CAD (~$150 USD). The event was done and there was no more time for selling. So I asked they guy selling Bare Knuckle III if he wanted to check out my table and see if I had anything he wanted to trade for it. Honestly, I was a bit concerned when he glanced over my remaining wares, looked at me and said ‘how much cash you got?’. This guy was going to clean me out. Straight up I told him I had $70. So he suggested my two Nintendo DS Lites, Mario Kart and New Super Mario Bros. (both for the DS) and my $70 cash. I did a lightening quick calculation in my head trying to compare the total value of my stuff next to his game. I panicked and all I could process was Bare Knuckle III + Bare Knuckle III = awesome. So, I said ‘awesome’ and he took my stuff.

Did you know that Bare Knuckle III came with a ‘move list’ sheet that is separate from the manual?

Now that the transaction is done I can more casually reconstruct what happened. I remember that I was trying to sell my two boxed DS Lites as two bundles; each coming with one of the Mario games. My price was $60 CAD for a completed Boxed DS Lite and one complete Mario game. So both bundles had a value of $120 plus my $70 cash for a total of $190 CAD. Had I found an interested buyer there is a good chance I might have been talked down to $50 for each bundle. So the cost of my Bare Knuckle III comes in at somewhere between $170 and $190 CAD (~$130 – $145 USD). Which is not amazing, not terrible but just about right. And I do like that I managed to unload some gaming stuff instead of paying for it all in cash.

Now after decades of collecting games for the Japanese Sega Mega Drive I have the complete Bare Knuckle trilogy and that just kicks-butt.

Be sure to check out my Instagram @ www.instagram.com/retromegabit where you can find more funky retro game photos from my personal collection.

‘Kung Fu UFO’ for the Sega Genesis is Ready for Crowd Funding!

Posted by Sega Dude on September 20, 2018
Posted in: Community, Games, Genesis (North America), Mega Drive (EURO), Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

The Indie development team Retro Nerve is ready to bring into the world a brand new Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive video game. Are you ready for ‘Kung-Fu UFO‘?!

Update: Unfortunately Kung-Fu UFO didn’t hit its IndieGoGo campaign target and it was not funded. I’ve been told first-hand that Retro Nerve will continue working on this project as best they can and hopefully we’ll still see this cool game sometime in the near future.

Here’s the scope of the vision direct from Retro Nerve:

“Kung-Fu UFO is a brand new and original game for the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis, to be released on cartridge sometime in the future. A 16bit story driven adventure game heavily inspired by sci-fi and martial arts movies from the 80s and 90s. While not trying to emulate any existing titles we’re taking some inspiration in games like the TMNT beat’ em ups, Battletoads, Prince of Persia, and Mortal Kombat. Even some more retro and obscure games like The Way of the Exploding Fist and The Way of the Tiger on the C64 and ZX Spectrum.” –retronerve.games

For all the details visit Kung Fu UFO’s IndieGoGo Campaign and help support this game.

A physical release for the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive is my favorite way to serve up retro video games. And this is exactly what Retro Nerve is promising.


From the look of these very early physical release mock-ups I’m hoping that we’re going to see several flavors offered. At a minimum we’re going to be treated to a Standard Edition and a Limited Edition.


Below are three animated gifs of Kung Fu UFO that collectively throw a lot of information at us.

For starters we can see the game is a platformer. We can also see that it does in fact appear to contain actual Kung Fu! …and actual fighting mechanics!

I am I seeing punches, upper cuts, kicks, and running drop kicks?
…and what’s that? …blocking too!?

“When it comes to dealing with those annoying bad guys we hand-crafted a fighting engine with kicks, punches blocks and combos that is very intuitive and can be simple or complex, depending on what the game needs and how you decide to play it. It will also include some very cool special attacks and powers to take care of the wide arrange of human and alien enemies.” –retronerve.games

Our hero has a life meter and what looks like a charge meter; while each opponent also has a life meter. It’s interesting to see how this platformer seems to have a lot in common with a traditional isometric brawler.


I am curious about how a combo system will be used in a game like this. Will there be an incentive to fight an enemy instead of just running past?

So, how about that parallax scrolling? It’s so good! For such an early stage of development Kung Fu UFO is looking really pretty.


Just as Retro Nerve has said, it is apparent that exploration will be a component of the game. Which I fully support. It’s important to change the pace of games to keep them interesting and engaging.

Is Kung Fu UFO going to be an amazing retro video game?

It’s really too early to say. And, honestly, too soon to ask. The game is still in it’s Alpha Development and I don’t know yet what type of experience to expect from it.

But what has already been achieved and displayed is truly amazing. Kung Fu UFO has no right looking as polished as it does at this point.

Here’s a quick summary of what we can expect:

  • A 16-bit cartridge – Playable on SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis consoles and compatible clones (PAL, NTSC-US, NTSC-J)
  • 16-bit pixel art – Beautiful hand crafted and animated graphics and cutscenes.
  • 16-bit chiptune – A  rocking soundtrack with a variety of songs and tons of sound effects.
  • Story driven gameplay – That mixes different genres like platformer, beat’ em up, fighting and more.
  • A main character with lots of different moves – Kicks, punches, combos and special attacks and more to be unlocked as you make your way through the game.
  • Vehicles to drive and boss fights – Because running around all the time is not that fun, you’ll also be able to drive a motorbike, a plane, and more… Stopping here and there to finish off some huge baddies in order to go on with the story.
  • Different stages – Not only graphically, but also in gameplay mechanics with bonus stages and huge levels for you to explore and clean out of enemies. Each level will have its own set of different enemies. Keeping the gameplay and the game’s progression varied in every chapter from beggining to end.
  • Difficulty levels – So anyone can enjoy and finish the game and everyone can set the bar to their preferred challenge.
  • Password system – Bringing back the almost forgotten yet thrilling experience of getting a pen and a piece of paper and writing down a code in order to be able to continue the game where you left off.
  • An amazing cover art – made by Yayo our concept artist.

Of course I’ve already pledged for my own Kung Fu UFO. And yes, there is some uncertainty but from what we have been presented so far I have a very good feeling about this one.

Consider sharing in this adventure and pledge for your copy if you like what you see.

Kung Fu UFO’s IndieGoGo Campaign