Sega CD/Mega CD

Logo captures and editions by mr3urious

Background: CD-ROM technology had been starting to get popular with computers in the early 90s, and NEC was a pioneer in using 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, 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 CD, Snatcher, 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 "C" in a baby blue oval, and "D" in a tan 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 "(C) SEGA 1991 Ver1.00" is seen on the top a small Sega logo is in the bottom right corner, and below that is text saying "Please Press the Reset Button", written in Japanese.

FX/SFX: The Mega CD logo animating.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy synth tune.

Availability: Appears on all Japanese MK1 Mega CD add-ons. Might appear on NTSC Asian and Korean units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Screen
(April 23, 1993-1994)

Logo:On athistle-colored background with a dark mirror on the bottom, and containing three silver spheres, a silver cone, Sonic in his trademark "finger wagging" pose and the word "SEGA SONIC" below him. The Mega CD logo 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 copyright info this time is spaced out, is copyrighted as 1993 and is listed as ver2.00 or ver2.11.

FX/SFX: The same as the last logo.

Music/Sounds: The dreamy synth tune once again.

Availability: Appears on all Japanese MK2 Mega CD add-ons. Once again, this might appear on NTSC Asian and Korean units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

North American BIOS screens

1st Logo
(October 15, 1992-1994)

Note: This sequence only appeared on MK1 Mega CD/Sega CD consoles.

Logo: On a background of space with Earth in the 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 "(C) 1992 SEGA Ver. 1.10. Below that is "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 the Mega Drive/Genesis controller, which starts the game up.

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

Music/Sounds: A synth disco tune.

Availability: Appears on all North American and PAL Mega/Sega CD MK1 (front-loading) add-ons.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo
(1993-1994)

Logo: The exact same background from the first US 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 rather funky synth disco tune.

Availability: Appears on all North American MK2 Sega CD add-ons. Also appears on all Sega CDX systems.

Editor's Note: None.

PAL BIOS Screens

1st Screen
(April 1993-1994)

Note: This sequence only appeared on MK1 Mega CD/Sega CD consoles.

Logo: On a darker version of the same earth background as the first American BIOS screen, we see the Sega logo and the "MEGA-CD" logo (in a swirlygreen/silver futuristic font, whose colors also animate) animate with the same animations as the 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 first US BIOS screen.

Music/Sounds: The same dreamy synth tune as the Japanese BIOS screens.

Availability: Appears on all PAL Mega/Sega CD MK1 add-ons. Appears on Asian units as well.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo
(1993-1994) (MK2, PAL Version)

Logo: On the same background as the second Japanese BIOS screen and a gold CD, we see the Mega CD logo from before, and what also has the Sega logo on the bottom left. 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 other second BIOS screens.

Music/Sounds: Again, the dreamy synth tune.

Availability: Appears on all PAL MK2 Mega CD add-ons. Also appears on all Sega Multi-Mega (European/Asian name for the Sega CDX) systems.

Editor's Note: None.

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Victor Wondermega/JVC X'Eye

(April 1, 1992-1994)

Note: The Wondermega is an all-in-one Megadrive/Genesis and Mega CD/Sega CD developed by Victor/JVC. The system is called the X'Eye in North America. This system was never released in PAL territory.

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 Jap. 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" or "X" 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: The same dreamy synth tune as before, 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.

Sega CD/Mega CD

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