Shining Force CD · Sega CD · Sega · 1994
Shining Force CD collected Sega's two Game Gear Shining Force Gaiden tactics games, remade for the Sega CD with an extra scenario — one of the add-on's few substantial RPG exclusives in the West.
Shining Force CD was released for the Sega CD in 1994 in Japan and in 1995 in North America. It remade Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force Gaiden II (Sword of Hajya), both originally Game Gear games, with improved Mega Drive-style graphics and CD audio, and added further scenarios that unlocked as the player progressed. Like other Western Sega CD releases of the period, it was sold in the platform's tall case format. Its significance for the add-on was mostly about content: the Sega CD's library was dominated by full-motion video titles and enhanced ports, and a long tactical RPG was a rare draw for owners.
Bringing two handheld Shining Force games to the Sega CD in one package, giving the add-on a rare long-form tactical RPG.
The Shining Force Gaiden games had been released on the Game Gear, and the first never received a Western handheld release. Shining Force CD gave those campaigns a second life on a home system, redrawn for the larger screen and accompanied by CD-quality music.
The Sega CD struggled commercially, with a high add-on price and a library heavy on full-motion video. Substantial exclusives such as Shining Force CD, Lunar: The Silver Star and Snatcher are the titles collectors most associate with the platform today.