The Weekender is back!After a quiet period,
the chat in the retro thread and
the impending arrival of Virtua Racing on Switch has encouraged me to revive this collection / photo share initiative.
Virtua Racing got me thinking about
my Sega 32X collection and so I wandered over to my cupboard.
Getting into the 32X: a delayed reactionI never had a 32X at the time of release as it was quite expensive and there was the promise of new dedicated 32-bit console on the horizon. I remember wanting to play Star Wars Arcade and Space Harrier but even they wern't enough to get me to splash out. Years later - around 2008 - I picked up a 32X console and started to search out games for it. I was lucky to have squeaked into this just before the prices started becoming quite expensive.
So, now I am fortunate to have two 32X systems (with all boxes and cables) and ten games. Lets take a closer look at the games' cover artwork.
The gamesAfter Burner | Doom | Knuckles' Chaotix
I am a fan of Sega's acade hits and so AB was a must, even though I'm terrible at playing it! Doom 32X has a mixed reputation but I quite like it; it plays slickly and remains fun. Knuckles is probably the jewel in my 32X collection, especially as it is in great condition. It is a quirky game that takes some getting used to... it is odd but interesting!
NBA Jam TE | Mortal Kombat II | Space Harrier
NBA is notable for having a Mega Drive-like plastic clam case; I like it as it is far more hard-wearing than the thin cardboard boxes that all other games used! The cardboard boxes are so difficult to keep in good condition although I guess it adds to their collectibility. MK is nice on the 32X although not a huge step up from teh MD version. Harrier is an excellent arcade conversion; it looks and plays great.
Star Wars Arcade | Stellar Assault | Virtua Fighter
Star Wars is a great demonstartion of the tech power of the 32X, both looking and sounding really cool. I
think it remains the only conversion of Sega's arcade title, too. Stellar steps things up as a showcase for filled polygons moving at a reasonable speed - this title seems quite hard to find. VF is another top arcade conversion, sometimes regarded as being slicker than the later Saturn version.
I managed to pick up a sealed copy of Virtua Racer. Sega approached their sealing of 32X games rather oddly; by placing a black sticker across the box that you had to tear to open. I left this one sealed as I am fortunate to also have a loose cart of the game. My boxed copy of Doom is also sealed and, again, I have a loose cart copy to play.
Knuckles' Chaotix is in lovely condition; a little wear on the box but complete with inner case and manual.
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So, that is my 32X collection. It may be small in size but I love it :-) . The 32X really was an odd beast but that just makes it even more fun to look at and play... not that I have for a while now and so I may set it up again soon.