Sega 32X
Encyclopedia
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console
by Sega
. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES
. While connecting it to Mega Drive did increase its capabilities, reluctance to adapt due to the previous failure of the Mega-CD and the upcoming Sega Saturn
system led to low sales and a short lifespan.
It was distributed under the name Sega Super 32X in Japan, Sega Genesis 32X in North America, Sega Mega Drive 32X in the PAL region, and Sega Mega 32X in Brazil.
-based Virtua Racing
is the only exception – the game will not run on a Mega Drive/Genesis with a 32X unit attached due to its processor (there was an enhanced version of the game, Virtua Racing Deluxe
, available for the 32X, however). Also, Sega's Power Base Converter, which allows one to play Sega Master System
games on a Genesis/Mega Drive, could not be used with the 32X attached. This is because the Power Base Converter uses a specific grounding pin to tell the Mega Drive/Genesis to enter Master System mode. The 32X itself does not pass through this pin to the Mega Drive/Genesis, and therefore, the Genesis/Mega Drive is unable to enter Master System mode with the 32X attached.
The 32X came with a spacer so it would fit properly with the Mega Drive/Genesis II. It could be used with the Sega Multi-Mega/Sega CDX system, but according to the 32X manual the two consoles were not compatible. This is likely due to FCC regulations and the fact that the CD door cannot be opened with a 32X attached. The combined unit was also very prone to tipping over, risking damage to the unit and games.
Most 32X games cannot be played unless the distribution region of the game matches the region of the console. Two games, Darxide
and FIFA Soccer '96, were only released for the PAL
32X. However, FIFA 96 is one of the few games with no regional lockout
, meaning that it can be played on systems from other regions.
All but one of the games released for the Japanese market were released in the United States, albeit some had different names. The one Japanese-only game was Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire
.
The 32X employs two PWM
sound channels which are mixed through the audio lines of the main system's cartridge port. The size of the PWM width latch can be selected by one of the audio registers. Any sort of wavetable synthesis requires one of the two SH-2 processors to do this in software. This includes frequency scaling and mixing of software channels back into the two-channel output, though most 32X games used the PWM unit to play back fixed-frequency samples such as drum kits, voices, and sound effects, and have the main part of the music run from the YM2612 and PSG channels. The PWM unit in the 32X is also similar to the two PWM DACs used in the Game Boy Advance
. Although the 32X could theoretically produce sound on par with the SNES, the difficulty of programming the sound system combined with the generally rushed nature of most 32X games meant that the system's improved audio capabilities mostly went unused.
, then CEO of Sega, ordered his company to make a 32-bit cartridge based console that would be in stores by Christmas
1994. This would at first be named "Project Jupiter", but after Sega found CD technology cheaper, they decided to modify it instead of dropping the cartridge project (that would be called "Project Saturn
"). Hideki Sato
and some other Sega of Japan engineers came over to collaborate about the project with Sega of America's Joe Miller. The first idea was a new Mega Drive/Genesis with more colors and a 32-bit processor. And so, this project was codenamed Project Mars, and Sega of America was going to shape the project.
The 32X was primarily envisioned as a system which would extend the life of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and provide revenue while the installed userbase of the Sega Saturn
slowly grew.
. The console was unmasked as the 32X, with a price projection of US$170, at a gamers' day, held by Sega of America in September 1994.
The 32X was released in North America on November 21, 1994 for US$
159, in Europe in Mid-November 1994 for £
170 / DM400, and in Japan on December 3, 1994 for ¥
16,800.
The 32X hit the market in North America with four launch titles: Doom, Star Wars Arcade
, Virtua Racing Deluxe
, and Cosmic Carnage
.
The console faced several problems at launch. Although retailers had preordered over 1 million 32X consoles, Sega had difficulty trying to fill these orders. By December 12, 1994, three weeks after launch, Sega had only managed to ship 350,000 consoles. Sega had planned to ship at least 600,000 consoles to retailers by Christmas
; this number was eventually met in January, 1995.
In addition, a major launch game had been rushed; the 32X version of Doom was missing ten levels present on the PC version, though three of those levels (five on the SNES) were not present in other console ports of Doom either. Homebrew
roms have been made to add the missing levels from the Jaguar
port of Doom.
In spite of these issues, initial sales in North America were strong. Sega had managed to sell 200,000 32X consoles in the first three weeks of availability; 100,000 consoles being sold during Thanksgiving
weekend alone. By Christmas, the number of 32X consoles sold had reached 500,000.
The console faced additional problems in Europe. Since this was an expensive add-on system, Sega decided to offer a £50 discount on games with the console. However, the offer came in the form of five discount vouchers to the value of £10 each, which were difficult to take advantage of. Just like its North American counterpart, this console was initially popular.
. Even though the 32X was a 32-bit system, the games did not appear to take full advantage of 32 bit processing. Many were just slightly-enhanced ports of Mega Drive or old arcade games such as Space Harrier
. In reality, as stated by Steve Snake, creator of NBA Jam, NBA Jam T.E, and Mortal Kombat II, these games were seriously pushing the limits of the console even though they looked like minor enhancements. He cites that people were expecting far too much from it, and over-hyping from magazines had helped to hurt it. Customers perceived the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64
, and the PlayStation
as the true next-generation consoles, due to their rich launch titles and 3D graphics. Sega planned a console named the Sega Neptune, which would have been a Mega Drive and 32X in one.
One of the last games released for the 32X in North America was Spider-Man: Web of Fire
(1996), and one of the last ever was Darxide
, released only in Europe, which had been intended by Frontier Developments
to be a launch title for the ill-fated Neptune. Both these games now command a high value from collectors—but especially Darxide (up to $1000) due to its scarcity, reputation, and auspicious creator (David Braben, co-writer of the groundbreaking game Elite). Nevertheless, it is exceeded in rarity by the European PAL versions of the games Primal Rage
and T-Mek
. For obscure reasons a mere handful of copies of these games are known to be in circulation—with T-Mek being so scarce that until a copy surfaced on eBay
in late 2005, it was widely held that the PAL release was only a rumor. The appearance of a copy has fueled speculation that other rumored but unconfirmed PAL games may also exist, in particular BC Racers
. Surgical Strike
, a 32X CD game widely believed to be unreleased, was discovered to have been released exclusively in Brazil.
For many years prior to the 32X, console makers promised devices like the 32X (for consoles such as the ColecoVision
, Intellivision II and some Atari
systems) that would extend and enhance the original system. Sega's 32X effort lacked the software titles and 3D capabilities the gaming community demanded; the add-on technology represented a dead end, ultimately punishing early adopters. Ignorant of the idea that console systems' primary strength is in standardization, Sega had created three different platforms (the Sega Mega Drive, and the Mega-CD/Sega CD and the 32X add-ons) all under the same banner, stealing valuable shelf space from itself and confusing both vendors and consumers in the process. The entire episode demonstrated that producing such add-ons is likely to have detrimental effects on a system's brand marketing strategy
.
The final nail in the coffin for the peripheral came in October 1995, when Sega's CEO, Hayao Nakayama, ordered that the 32X and other Sega consoles be cancelled in order to focus its limited resources on the Saturn system.
Sega of Japan later recycled the hardware from unsold 32Xs for a TV based drawing tablet called Picture Magic. The internals are consist of unmodified 32X PCBs, with a stripped down Mega Drive (lacking things like controller I/O and sound) used to boot the 32X, and some additional hardware for measuring the pen's position and SmartMedia
card storage.
The Sega Neptune was a two-in-one Mega Drive/Genesis and 32X console which Sega planned to release in 1994 or 1995. The proposed retail price for the unit was US$
200.
Sega had admitted how expensive and problematic the 32X was, so it decided to make a combined version of the Mega Drive/Genesis and 32X; however, by the time a prototype came out, the Sega Saturn was ready for release. Sega felt that the console could have replaced the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, but consumers would not be interested in the Sega Neptune, so the project was scrapped. There are several prototypes, and at least one was declared to work.
Electronic Gaming Monthly
used the Sega Neptune as an April Fools' Day
prank in its April 2001 issue. The issue included a small article in which the writers announced that Sega had found a warehouse full of old Sega Neptunes, and were selling them on a website for only $150.
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. While connecting it to Mega Drive did increase its capabilities, reluctance to adapt due to the previous failure of the Mega-CD and the upcoming Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
system led to low sales and a short lifespan.
It was distributed under the name Sega Super 32X in Japan, Sega Genesis 32X in North America, Sega Mega Drive 32X in the PAL region, and Sega Mega 32X in Brazil.
Technical aspects
The Sega 32X can only be used in conjunction with a Mega Drive/Genesis system. It is inserted into the system like a standard game cartridge, although it does require its own separate power supply and a cable linking it to the Mega Drive/Genesis. Without the cable to the Genesis/Mega Drive, the sprite layer is invisible. Besides playing its own cartridges, it also acts as a pass-through for Mega Drive/Genesis games, so it can be used as a permanent attachment. The Sega Virtua ProcessorSega Virtua Processor
The Sega Virtua Processor is a DSP introduced by Sega in 1994 to expand the Mega Drive's 3D capabilities. The SVP was Sega's answer to Nintendo's Super FX processor used in some of their SFC/SNES cartridges....
-based Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing arcade game, developed by Sega-AM2 and released in October 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D-graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging, that...
is the only exception – the game will not run on a Mega Drive/Genesis with a 32X unit attached due to its processor (there was an enhanced version of the game, Virtua Racing Deluxe
Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing arcade game, developed by Sega-AM2 and released in October 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D-graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging, that...
, available for the 32X, however). Also, Sega's Power Base Converter, which allows one to play Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
games on a Genesis/Mega Drive, could not be used with the 32X attached. This is because the Power Base Converter uses a specific grounding pin to tell the Mega Drive/Genesis to enter Master System mode. The 32X itself does not pass through this pin to the Mega Drive/Genesis, and therefore, the Genesis/Mega Drive is unable to enter Master System mode with the 32X attached.
The 32X came with a spacer so it would fit properly with the Mega Drive/Genesis II. It could be used with the Sega Multi-Mega/Sega CDX system, but according to the 32X manual the two consoles were not compatible. This is likely due to FCC regulations and the fact that the CD door cannot be opened with a 32X attached. The combined unit was also very prone to tipping over, risking damage to the unit and games.
Most 32X games cannot be played unless the distribution region of the game matches the region of the console. Two games, Darxide
Darxide
Darxide is a shoot 'em up for the Sega 32X by Frontier Developments, released only in Europe. It was also scheduled to be a launch title for the unreleased Sega Neptune...
and FIFA Soccer '96, were only released for the PAL
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
32X. However, FIFA 96 is one of the few games with no regional lockout
Regional lockout
Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country.-Video games:...
, meaning that it can be played on systems from other regions.
All but one of the games released for the Japanese market were released in the United States, albeit some had different names. The one Japanese-only game was Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire
Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire
Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series of turn-based strategy games produced by Koei and based on the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms...
.
The 32X employs two PWM
Pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation , or pulse-duration modulation , is a commonly used technique for controlling power to inertial electrical devices, made practical by modern electronic power switches....
sound channels which are mixed through the audio lines of the main system's cartridge port. The size of the PWM width latch can be selected by one of the audio registers. Any sort of wavetable synthesis requires one of the two SH-2 processors to do this in software. This includes frequency scaling and mixing of software channels back into the two-channel output, though most 32X games used the PWM unit to play back fixed-frequency samples such as drum kits, voices, and sound effects, and have the main part of the music run from the YM2612 and PSG channels. The PWM unit in the 32X is also similar to the two PWM DACs used in the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. Although the 32X could theoretically produce sound on par with the SNES, the difficulty of programming the sound system combined with the generally rushed nature of most 32X games meant that the system's improved audio capabilities mostly went unused.
Sega Mega-CD 32X
In addition to regular cartridge-based 32X games, there were also a very small number of CD-ROM games for the 32X. These games were labeled with Sega Mega-CD 32X (Sega CD 32X in North America). As the name suggests, these required both the 32X and Sega CD/Mega-CD add-ons. Only five of these games were released in North America, only one of which was developed by Sega.List of Mega-CD 32X Games
There were 6 total Mega-CD 32X games, 5 in the US. They are:- Night TrapNight TrapNight Trap is a video game that was released in North America on October 15, 1992 originally for the Sega Mega-CD. It was filmed over a three week period in 1987 for an unreleased game entitled "Scene of the Crime"...
- Fahrenheit
- Corpse KillerCorpse KillerCorpse Killer is a game released for the Sega CD, Sega CD 32X, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Windows 95 and Macintosh computers that features full motion video in a format similar to other games developed by Digital Pictures. Each version of the game is identical except for two major differences. The quality...
- Supreme WarriorSupreme WarriorSupreme Warrior is a full-motion video action game developed by Digital Pictures and was released in 1995 for North America and Europe. It was released for multiple consoles, including the Sega CD 32X.-Story:...
- Slam City with Scottie PippenSlam CitySlam City with Scottie Pippen is a FMV basketball video game developed by Digital Pictures for the PC and CD-ROM-based video game consoles such as the Sega CD....
- Surgical StrikeSurgical Strike (video game)Surgical Strike is a full motion video based video game developed by The Code Monkeys and published by Sega of America. It was released on November 16, 1993, although some sources suggest that it was first sold in 1994 or 1995. It is best known as Joe Flanigan's filmographic debut.A 32X CD version...
(Brazil only)
Technical specifications
- ProcessorCentral processing unitThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
: Two SH2SuperHSuperH is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by Hitachi. It is implemented by microcontrollers and microprocessors for embedded systems....
32-bit32-bitThe range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
RISCReduced instruction set computerReduced instruction set computing, or RISC , is a CPU design strategy based on the insight that simplified instructions can provide higher performance if this simplicity enables much faster execution of each instruction. A computer based on this strategy is a reduced instruction set computer...
processors with a clock speed of 23.011 MHz, approx 20 MIPS each - Video RAMVRAMVideo RAM, or VRAM, is a dual-ported variant of dynamic RAM , which was once commonly used to store the framebuffer in some graphics adapters....
: Two linear framebuffers with support for RLE compression and an overdraw mode to simplify compositing objects with transparency. All scaling, rotation, and 3D operations are performed in software on the SH2 processors. - ROM (BIOS): 3 kb
- Color depthColor depthIn computer graphics, color depth or bit depth is the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. This concept is also known as bits per pixel , particularly when specified along with the number of bits used...
: 32,768 simultaneous colors on screen at standard Mega Drive/Genesis resolution. Video output can overlay Mega Drive/Genesis graphics or vice versa. Mega Drive/Genesis video effects such as shadow or highlight do not affect 32X video. - Memory: 256 kB (2 MBit) program RAM and two 128 kB (1 MBit) framebuffers.
- Audio: Stereo 10-bit PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) mixing with Mega Drive/Genesis sound for a total of 12 audio channels of varying capability, 20 with the addition of a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
- I/O: Same as Mega Drive/Genesis.
- Storage: 32X cartridges are fundamentally the same as Mega Drive/Genesis cartridges with some small differences in the plastic casing. A few CD-ROM games were developed that also required a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
- Compatibility: Compatible with Mega Drive/Genesis models 1 and 2, JVC Wondermega/X'Eye and the Multi-Mega/CDX. The 32X does not work with the Genesis 3 which lacks some of the necessary interface logic.
- Dimensions: 107 × 205 × 110 mm (4.2 × 8.1 × 4.3 in)
- Mass: 495 grams (17.5 oz)
Development
On January 8, 1994, Hayao NakayamaHayao Nakayama
Hayao Nakayama is a Japanese businessman and former President 'Sega Enterprises, Ltd '.-Sega:In 1984, he purchased the shares of Sega Enterprises from Bally with the head of a company Rosen purchased in 1979, David Rosen, and the CSK Corporation....
, then CEO of Sega, ordered his company to make a 32-bit cartridge based console that would be in stores by Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1994. This would at first be named "Project Jupiter", but after Sega found CD technology cheaper, they decided to modify it instead of dropping the cartridge project (that would be called "Project Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
"). Hideki Sato
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
and some other Sega of Japan engineers came over to collaborate about the project with Sega of America's Joe Miller. The first idea was a new Mega Drive/Genesis with more colors and a 32-bit processor. And so, this project was codenamed Project Mars, and Sega of America was going to shape the project.
The 32X was primarily envisioned as a system which would extend the life of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and provide revenue while the installed userbase of the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
slowly grew.
Launch
The video-gaming public first got a glimpse at the Summer 1994 CES in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The console was unmasked as the 32X, with a price projection of US$170, at a gamers' day, held by Sega of America in September 1994.
The 32X was released in North America on November 21, 1994 for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
159, in Europe in Mid-November 1994 for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
170 / DM400, and in Japan on December 3, 1994 for ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
16,800.
The 32X hit the market in North America with four launch titles: Doom, Star Wars Arcade
Star Wars Arcade
Star Wars Arcade is a video game released in 1993 to arcades. A home port served as a launch title for the Sega 32X in 1994...
, Virtua Racing Deluxe
Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing arcade game, developed by Sega-AM2 and released in October 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D-graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging, that...
, and Cosmic Carnage
Cosmic Carnage
Cosmic Carnage, known in Japan as , is a 1994 2-D fighting game released for the Sega 32X add-on for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis developed by Givro and published by Sega...
.
The console faced several problems at launch. Although retailers had preordered over 1 million 32X consoles, Sega had difficulty trying to fill these orders. By December 12, 1994, three weeks after launch, Sega had only managed to ship 350,000 consoles. Sega had planned to ship at least 600,000 consoles to retailers by Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
; this number was eventually met in January, 1995.
In addition, a major launch game had been rushed; the 32X version of Doom was missing ten levels present on the PC version, though three of those levels (five on the SNES) were not present in other console ports of Doom either. Homebrew
Homebrew (video games)
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods...
roms have been made to add the missing levels from the Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
port of Doom.
In spite of these issues, initial sales in North America were strong. Sega had managed to sell 200,000 32X consoles in the first three weeks of availability; 100,000 consoles being sold during Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend alone. By Christmas, the number of 32X consoles sold had reached 500,000.
The console faced additional problems in Europe. Since this was an expensive add-on system, Sega decided to offer a £50 discount on games with the console. However, the offer came in the form of five discount vouchers to the value of £10 each, which were difficult to take advantage of. Just like its North American counterpart, this console was initially popular.
Decline
Developers and licensees had abandoned this console in favor of what they perceived to be a true 32-bit console, the Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. Even though the 32X was a 32-bit system, the games did not appear to take full advantage of 32 bit processing. Many were just slightly-enhanced ports of Mega Drive or old arcade games such as Space Harrier
Space Harrier
is a third-person rail shooter game, released by Sega in 1985. It was produced by Yu Suzuki, responsible for many popular Sega games. It spawned several sequels: Space Harrier 3-D , Space Harrier II , and the spin-off Planet Harriers ....
. In reality, as stated by Steve Snake, creator of NBA Jam, NBA Jam T.E, and Mortal Kombat II, these games were seriously pushing the limits of the console even though they looked like minor enhancements. He cites that people were expecting far too much from it, and over-hyping from magazines had helped to hurt it. Customers perceived the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, and the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
as the true next-generation consoles, due to their rich launch titles and 3D graphics. Sega planned a console named the Sega Neptune, which would have been a Mega Drive and 32X in one.
One of the last games released for the 32X in North America was Spider-Man: Web of Fire
Spider-Man: Web of Fire
Spider-Man: Web of Fire is a video game released for the Sega 32X and based on the popular Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The game was one of the last games released for the 32X system and thus is hard to find, commonly selling on eBay for well over 100 US dollars.In the game, the player...
(1996), and one of the last ever was Darxide
Darxide
Darxide is a shoot 'em up for the Sega 32X by Frontier Developments, released only in Europe. It was also scheduled to be a launch title for the unreleased Sega Neptune...
, released only in Europe, which had been intended by Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments is a video game developer based in Cambridge, England. It is a private limited company and was incorporated in January 1994. The company is still headed by David Braben, in the position of Chairman....
to be a launch title for the ill-fated Neptune. Both these games now command a high value from collectors—but especially Darxide (up to $1000) due to its scarcity, reputation, and auspicious creator (David Braben, co-writer of the groundbreaking game Elite). Nevertheless, it is exceeded in rarity by the European PAL versions of the games Primal Rage
Primal Rage
Primal Rage is a versus fighting game developed and published by Atari Games in 1994 as an arcade video game. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were also produced.-Storyline:...
and T-Mek
T-Mek
T-Mek is a two-player, sit-down, virtual reality fighting arcade game manufactured by Atari Games in 1994. Each player can choose their MEK . One player can play against 6 AI players and the occasional Boss, or two players can play against each other and 4 AI players...
. For obscure reasons a mere handful of copies of these games are known to be in circulation—with T-Mek being so scarce that until a copy surfaced on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
in late 2005, it was widely held that the PAL release was only a rumor. The appearance of a copy has fueled speculation that other rumored but unconfirmed PAL games may also exist, in particular BC Racers
BC Racers
BC Racers is a racing video game released by Core Design in 1994 in Mega-CD, in 1995 in Sega 32X and 3DO, and also released by the company in PC as freeware in 1995. It was the third game released in the Chuck Rock series...
. Surgical Strike
Surgical Strike (video game)
Surgical Strike is a full motion video based video game developed by The Code Monkeys and published by Sega of America. It was released on November 16, 1993, although some sources suggest that it was first sold in 1994 or 1995. It is best known as Joe Flanigan's filmographic debut.A 32X CD version...
, a 32X CD game widely believed to be unreleased, was discovered to have been released exclusively in Brazil.
For many years prior to the 32X, console makers promised devices like the 32X (for consoles such as the ColecoVision
ColecoVision
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console which was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware...
, Intellivision II and some Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
systems) that would extend and enhance the original system. Sega's 32X effort lacked the software titles and 3D capabilities the gaming community demanded; the add-on technology represented a dead end, ultimately punishing early adopters. Ignorant of the idea that console systems' primary strength is in standardization, Sega had created three different platforms (the Sega Mega Drive, and the Mega-CD/Sega CD and the 32X add-ons) all under the same banner, stealing valuable shelf space from itself and confusing both vendors and consumers in the process. The entire episode demonstrated that producing such add-ons is likely to have detrimental effects on a system's brand marketing strategy
Brand management
Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand.The discipline of brand management was started at Procter & Gamble as a result of a famous memo by Neil H...
.
The final nail in the coffin for the peripheral came in October 1995, when Sega's CEO, Hayao Nakayama, ordered that the 32X and other Sega consoles be cancelled in order to focus its limited resources on the Saturn system.
Sega of Japan later recycled the hardware from unsold 32Xs for a TV based drawing tablet called Picture Magic. The internals are consist of unmodified 32X PCBs, with a stripped down Mega Drive (lacking things like controller I/O and sound) used to boot the 32X, and some additional hardware for measuring the pen's position and SmartMedia
SmartMedia
SmartMedia is a flash memory card standard owned by Toshiba, with capacities ranging from 2 MB to 128 MB. SmartMedia memory cards are no longer manufactured.- History :...
card storage.
Sega Neptune
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
200.
Sega had admitted how expensive and problematic the 32X was, so it decided to make a combined version of the Mega Drive/Genesis and 32X; however, by the time a prototype came out, the Sega Saturn was ready for release. Sega felt that the console could have replaced the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, but consumers would not be interested in the Sega Neptune, so the project was scrapped. There are several prototypes, and at least one was declared to work.
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
used the Sega Neptune as an April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
prank in its April 2001 issue. The issue included a small article in which the writers announced that Sega had found a warehouse full of old Sega Neptunes, and were selling them on a website for only $150.