Wondermega

Sega and Victor Japan (JVC) have had many joint projects. Creating special versions of Sega consoles is clearly one of the best. The Wondermega is a JVC created console featuring the option of playing both Mega Drive and Mega CD titles.

The unit was launched in Japan in 1993 at a price well over $600. At this price it would have been cheaper to just buy the Mega Drive and the Mega CD add-on, but for the higher price tag, the Wondermega actually had something to offer. First off, as stated, it plays Mega Drive and Mega CD titles - but it does this better than any Sega combi-console. JVC, being an audio giant, delivered much better audio, a CD player function that was better than the CD players of its time and even included a very good karaoke option. Of the other extra features, the fully automated CD drive lid and the giant stylish LEDs should be mentioned - this unit is pure quality, and actually has no problems justifying its high price to Sega collectors alike.

It also supported S-VHS output, a feature that was becoming the standard in Japan, and is much appreciated by collectors today. This is especially the case in the US, where RGB inputs on televisions are rare, eventhough it is superior to S-VHS.