The generational change was just around the corner, Sony was preparing to launch a certain PlayStation (it may sound familiar to you) and Sega was doing the same with the successor to the Mega Drive, Sega Saturn.
The company with the blue hedgehog, aware that the Mega Drive was dying and that its fans needed something to fill the void until the release of Saturn, decided to breathe life into its console. But how to get a four-year-old machine back to the fore? Well, with a jalopy, gadget, gizmo (or add-on, as we would call it in today’s slang) that increased the power of the Mega Drive. Gentlemens, we are honored to introduce you to the 32X.
Originally conceived as the low-cost option for those who couldn’t afford the next generation, this add-on slotted into the Mega Drive cartridge slot (the whole “introduction” thing gave rise to the ever-recurring Sega’s obscene advertising) and doubled the power of the console to the dreamed 32-bits (hence the name). And, of course, it had its own library of titles, although as we will see below, very few took advantage of the extra power it provided. And it is that the proximity of the next-generation consoles cast doubt on the usefulness of 32X, which made both developers and consumers turn their backs on it, condemning it to failure. In 1996, just two years later, Sega announced the end of its production.
1. Star Wars Arcade
– Company: Sega Interactive
– Year: 1994
32X launch title, it is also considered by fans as one of the best games for the device, and no wonder. After all… It’s Star Wars! And in 1994, with the first trilogy (episodes IV, V and VI) still going strong, you can imagine what it meant: giant queues to play a game in the arcade of the moment. Because indeed, the 32X version is an Arcade port, but a very faithful one, all told. At the controls of an X-wing or Y-wing fighter, and with a choice between third or first person perspective, we take part in some of the most iconic skirmishes in the movies, such as a battle against Imperial forces through a asteroid field or the assault on the Death Star itself. Quite a spectacle worthy of the mind of George Lucas.
2. Knuckles’ Chaotix
-Company: Sonic Team
– Year: 1995
How could it be otherwise, 32X had its own game starring Soni… Well no! The protagonist of this adventure is Knuckles, the red echidna who played the antagonist in Sonic 3, which we manage in a very similar way to that seen in the Mega Drive deliveries (that is, levels in which we must collect rings at full speed ). The main difference is that Knuckles and his companion are united by a bond that generates the special ring that each one carries in their hands, which we can use in our favor to, for example, stretch it to the maximum and release it, obtaining an impulse that it will shoot out at full speed. In this game secondary characters such as Espio the armadillo or Charmy the bee were introduced. The game takes advantage of the 32 bits of the plugin in the special phases,
3. Virtua Racing Deluxe
– Company: Sega AM2
– Year: 1994
Although today the franchise is stagnant, Virtua Racing was one of the most popular driving games in the 90s. This was largely due to its (at the time) revolutionary graphic aspect, which created a school and laid the foundations. for all upcoming driving titles. Come on, we could put the tag a on all racing games. VR (formerly Virtua Racing) and d. VR (after Virtua Racing). Jokes aside, this is a title that manages to convey a wonderful sensation of speed and its Arcade formula makes it addictive to the point of saying enough. The version that appeared for 32X, called Deluxe, had two extra cars and two new circuits, in case we were left wanting more.
4. Virtual Fighter
– Company: Sega AM2
– Year: 1995
And speaking of titles that have had a great influence on the history of video games, it’s Virtual Fighter‘s turn. If Virtua Racing was a turning point in driving titles, Virtua Fighter did the same for fighting titles. And it’s no coincidence that both games share the word “Virtua” because the same person hides behind them: Yu Suzuki, one of the fathers of the modern video game and also creator of the eternal Shenmue. Virtua Fighter was an absolute revolution, because accustomed as we were to the 2D sprites of Street Fighter and company, you can get an idea of how our faces were when we saw these ultra-polygon fighters distributing tow among themselves. In addition, the 32X version is the best of all those that have appeared for desktop consoles,
5. After Burner Complete
– Company: Rutubo Games
– Year: 1995
And we continue with After Burner, one of the first games designed by… Yu Suzuki (it’s normal for this man to be considered Sega’s Miyamoto). Although the version in question was closer to the Arcade of After Burner II, it is without a doubt the best port of this aerial combat simulator that appeared for desktop consoles. And it is a real delight to fly through the skies aboard an F-14 Tomcat, dodging missiles with impossible stunts and at the same time riddling enemy fighters. As a curiosity, After Burner II is one of the minigames in which we can spend our bitches in the arcades of Shenmue II.
