Mega-CD

The Mega-CD was also a pioneer in using CD audio tracks directly in games — many titles streamed music straight from disc, meaning original CDs are simultaneously games and albums. Sonic CD is the most famous example: the Japanese and North American versions have completely different soundtracks because the composers worked in parallel without coordinating. The Model 1, which sits horizontally beside the Mega Drive, has a motorised front-loading mechanism with a shutter — elegant and fragile. The laser degrades: a functioning Mega-CD today is already a minor find. Snatcher, Hideo Kojima's graphic adventure, is perhaps the most desired title in the entire library — and was never officially released in PAL.