Sega CD/Mega-CD

Background

CD-ROM technology had been starting to get popular with computers in the early 1990s, and NEC was a pioneer in using compact discs (CDs) for video games on a console (in place of the still-popular cartridge) with its Super CD-ROM add-on for the PC Engine in Japan (also known as TurboGrafx-16 in America, with the CD unit just called TurboGrafx-CD). For rivalry in 1991, Sega created a CD-ROM based add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis, called the Mega CD (or Sega CD in America), and although it sold well at launch, it wouldn't last for very long (only about five years worldwide), though there are some classics like Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Snatcher, The Adventures of Willy Beamish, and so on. 6,000,000 units were sold worldwide, and 220 games were released for the add-on. Some games on Sega/Mega CD also required the use of another Genesis add-on, the 32X (which wasn't as successful as the Sega CD, it had only 34 games released for it, and only 200,000 were sold worldwide), with games dubbed CD-32X, and only five of those games came out before Sega gave up on trying to save the Genesis' life in favor of a true hybrid of the Sega CD and 32X—the Saturn—in 1994.

Japanese BIOS Screens

1st Screen (December 12, 1991-1993)

Logo: On a cloudy sky background, we see a black square with the word "MEGA" on the top left (in white), while below that, we see a black "C" inside a baby blue oval and a "D" inside a gold oval, separated by four black streaks. As in the previous logo, the Sega logo is also seen, but always in the bottom-right corner, and does not animate while "Mega CD" does, for about the same length as the previous logo. A copyright date reading "© SEGA 1991 Ver1.00" is seen on the top right of the screen (above the cloud BG), a small Sega logo is displayed in the bottom right corner of the BG, and below the BG is Japanese text saying "スタートボタンを押して下さい", which means "Press the Start button".

FX/SFX: The Mega CD logo animating.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy synth tune.

Availability: Appears on all Japanese Mega CD Model 1 add-on units. Might appear on NTSC Asian and Korean units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Screen (April 23, 1993-1994)

Logo: It all takes place on a lavender-colored background with a dark mirror on the bottom and containing three silver spheres, a silver cone, a figure of Sonic the Hedgehog in his trademark "finger wagging" pose, and the word "SEGA SONIC" below him. The Mega CD logo, displayed to the left of Sonic, consists of a metal slab with the Mega CD logo from the PAL version in black with a large black "2" behind it. The Sega logo is shown below the Mega CD logo. The copyright info this time is spaced out, is copyrighted as 1993 and is listed as "Ver2.00" or "Ver2.11".

FX/SFX: Same as the previous screen.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous screen.

Availability: Appears on all Japanese Mega CD Model 2 (also known as "Mega CD 2") add-on units. Once again, this might appear on NTSC Asian and Korean units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

North American BIOS Screens

1st Screen (October 15, 1992-1994)

Logo: On a background of space with the planet Earth on the bottom right corner of the screen, the Sega logo and the Sega CD logo (a blue rectangle with the animated rainbow-colored text "SEGA CD" with "CD" arranged to look like a compact disc) appear and animate in various ways for several minutes. The top right corner of the screen contains a copyright date, reading "© 1992 SEGA Ver. 1.10". Below that is this text: "Press RESET to open the CD tray." If a disc is placed inside the system, the text will say "Press the START BUTTON". until you press the Start button on a Mega Drive/Genesis controller, which starts the game up.

FX/SFX: The Sega CD and Sega logos animating.

Music/Sounds: A synth disco/electronic rock tune.

Availability: Appears on all North American Sega CD Model 1 (front-loading) add-on units.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Screen (1993-1994)

Logo: The exact same background from the first North American BIOS is used, except it reuses the same animations as the second Japanese BIOS. The version in the copyright will be displayed as ether "Ver 2.00" (Sega CD 2 units) or "Ver 2.21" (Sega CDX units). Outside the box, the words "CHECKING DISC", in a different font, appear below for a few seconds. If there is no disc inside the add-on or there is one, the text "PRESS THE START BUTTON" will display below. If the disc tray is open, "CLOSE THE CD DOOR" will be shown.

Variant: On Sega CDX models, "NO DISC" will display below if there isn't a CD inside.

FX/SFX: The Japanese Mega-CD 2 animations.

Music/Sounds: A funky synth disco/electronic rock tune, different from the one used in the North American Model 1 BIOS screen.

Availability: Appears on all North American Sega CD Model 2 add-on units and Sega CDX units.

Editor's Note: None.

PAL BIOS Screens

1st Screen (April 1993-1994)

Logo: On a darker version of the same earth background as the first North American BIOS screen, we see the Sega logo and the "MEGA-CD" logo (in a swirly green/silver futuristic font, whose colors also animate) animate with the same animations as the North American BIOS screen. The same text and copyright are also displayed from that, although the version remains at 1.00.

FX/SFX: Same as the North American Sega CD Model 1 BIOS screen.

Music/Sounds: Same as the Japanese Mega CD Model 1 BIOS screen.

Availability: Appears on all PAL Mega CD Model 1 add-ons. Appears on Asian units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Screen (1993-1994)

Logo: Same as the Japanese Model 2 Mega CD BIOS screen, except that the figure of Sonic the Hedgehog is replaced with a gold compact disc, the Mega CD logo being the green-silver one used in the first PAL BIOS screen, and the Sega logo below it is bigger. As in the previous two logos, they animate all over. The same copyright info (except for it using "Ver. 2.xx") is shown in its usual place, and has the same copyright, version info, and text as the second North American BIOS screen.

FX/SFX: Same as the BIOS screens for the Japanese and North American Model 2 add-on units.

Music/Sounds: Again, same as the Japanese Mega CD Model 1 BIOS screen.

Availability: Appears on all PAL Mega CD Model 2 add-on units. Also appears on all Sega Multi-Mega (European/Asian name for the Sega CDX) systems.

Editor's Note: None.

Victor Wondermega/JVC X'Eye

(April 1, 1992-1994)

Note: The Wondermega is an all-in-one Mega Drive/Genesis and Mega CD/Sega CD developed by Victor/JVC, known as the X'Eye in North America and was never released in the PAL territories.

Logo: Against a blue/black gradient background, the top of a large Earth-like globe with a hole in the center is shown below, which glows several different colors. "WONDERMEGA" is shown below in white futuristic letters for the Japanese version, and "JVC" (in its corporate font) "X'EYE" (in a similar futuristic font) is shown below in the North American version. A large purple/black/white "W" (Wondermega) or "X" (X'Eye) is shown animating as usual. The copyright notice on the Model 1 is the same as before in the Japanese version, but the Model 2 also includes a Victor copyright and is version 2.00 instead of 1.00, both containing the same Japanese info as the Mega CD versions. The North American copyright notice credits JVC rather than Victor. The text "Put a Disc on the turn table" is shown below in the North American version.

FX/SFX: The W/X animating with some of the animations from the Model 1 Japanese Mega CD Bios. Many of the animations are excluded from the X'Eye version (likely due to the way some of them worked on the Wondermega version), and instead the X remains still until the next animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as the Japanese Mega CD Model 1 BIOS screen, but with more of an "echo" applied to it.

Availability: Can be seen on all Wondermega/X'Eye consoles, which are pretty hard to find.

Editor's Note: None.