10 Games That Should Have Been Released For Sega 32X

Sega's ill-fated add-on, the 32X, was discontinued and forgotten almost as soon as it hit the market. While the console's library of about 40 games is fairly underwhelming, there was potential for something much greater and it's sad that Sega didn't provide the system better support as it could have been a great buy for someone interested in the new-at-the-time 3D gaming that couldn't afford the pricier next generation consoles. Here are 10 games that totally should have been on the 32X back in the day.

Alone in the Dark

By Scanned image from Alone in the Dark (1992 video game) box art, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17540935

Alone in the Dark would have been an excellent launch game for the 32X. Being a groundbreaking and popular title on the PC with 3D graphics that still looked good at the time, it's hard to believe Sega didn't end up making this happen. They needed mature games that did new and interesting things to appeal to the older market that they were targeting, and being the original survival horror game, there was nothing like Alone in the Dark on previous consoles.

Ultima Underworld

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31970019

Here's another groundbreaking PC game that would have been a great get for the 32X. Imagine, in 1994, how amazing a first-person 3D open world RPG would have been on a console. And this game came out before Doom! It was absolutely incredible back then and would have been a major selling point for Sega.

Doom 2

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Considering Sega already had the engine for this game ported to the 32X when they brought the original Doom over, it's mind-boggling that we never saw the sequel on the system. There's really no excuse for Sega to have not released Doom 2 for the 32X.

Daytona USA

Daytona USA was one of video gaming's biggest hits back in the day, and releasing a version of it on the 32X would have been a great way for Sega to get the game in the living rooms of people who couldn't afford an expensive Sega Saturn. It could have been a fairly easy port as well, as Sega could have simply used the 3D engine from the port of Virtua Racing to make a fairly reasonable version of the game for the 32X.

Resident Evil

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38343768

Had the 32x been more successful at retail, a port of Resident Evil would have been an excellent addition to the system's library and likely would have helped sell more consoles. Being a game that only has a couple of 3D models moving around a 2D background, this game would have been right in the 32X's wheelhouse and a decent port definitely could have been made. Sure, we would probably lose the awesome FMV and maybe some of the amazing voice acting, but other than that it would have been great to have Resident Evil running on a souped-up Sega Genesis.

Tomb Raider

Another early 32-bit hit that would have been great to see on the 32X, Tomb Raider was one of the most iconic games of the era and would have been a system-seller for Sega's budget-priced add-on. Sure, it would have likely been the worst version of the game, but it could have been done, and Sega missed out on not getting this game on their system.

Bug!

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52159775

The 32X definitely could have used some more platforming games, and, being a fairly simple (but charming) game, Bug! would have been an easy one to bring over from the Saturn. Bug was an appealing character and would have fit right in with the Genesis' audience, and it's a shame he never got more exposure from appearing on other systems besides the Saturn back in the day. Maybe this series would still be going today if that had been the case.

Clockwork Knight

Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39862361

Here's another early Saturn game that would have been great to have on the 32X and should have been fairly easy to port. It features the same kind of 2D platforming action that was commonplace on the Sega Genesis, but with cool 3D graphics and effects that the 32X could have handled well. And, like Bug!, Clockwork Knight as a game and series would have benefited from being available to a larger audience than what it had as a Sega Saturn exclusive.

Rise of the Triad

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36167568

First-person shooters were a big deal back in the mid-90's, and Rise of the Triad was even more over-the-top than games like Doom and Duke Nukem. Running on a modified version of the Wolfenstein 3D engine, the 32X surely could have run the game perfectly fine, and it would have been a great title to showcase what the 32X could do and help the system appeal to a more adult audience.

Alien Trilogy

Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7556109

Alien was a huge franchise back in the mid '90's, and Alien Trilogy was a popular early 32-bit game on the PlayStation and Saturn. Considering the 32X shares the same CPU set-up as the Saturn, a port of that version of the game should have been relatively feasible, and it would have likely found a receptive audience had it been released.

So, there's 10 games that probably should have been on the 32X. This is by no means a definitive list, as there are plenty more games that we didn't mention that would have been perfect fits for the system. Are there any games not listed here that you would have wanted to see available back in the day? Drop a comment about it below!