The 3DO Games Explosion

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You're listening to Memories of 3DO, a retrospective look at

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a video games console classic.

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To make sure you get the latest episode, hop on over to 3dopodcast.com/listen and

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choose your preferred app to follow on.

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And now, this week's episode.

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With the 3DO now launched in north America and Japan and a

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European release on the horizon,

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it was time for the game developers to stand up and

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show what the machine could do.

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After the stunted launch in north America, where there was only one game

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available on the day of the launch, things were going to be different for Europe,

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which would benefit the north American and Japanese markets by association.

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1994 saw a slew of great games released for the system, and

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really helped gamers see what all the early fuss had been about.

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Some of the standout games included Star Control 2, a hybrid strategy

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game, that mixed RPG, resource management, and arena shooter.

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It was a huge game with full voice acting, and an orchestral soundtrack

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that really immersed you in it.

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Flashback, the unofficial sequel to the groundbreaking Another

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World, the visuals and animation

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in this were leaps beyond the 16 bit console versions.

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Off-World Interceptor, a racing stroke, hunting game set in the future with you

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as the bounty hunter, some great graphics that helped show off the 3DO's power.

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Super Wing Commander, probably the best version of the space combat

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simulator, an any system, and a great forerunner to the incredible Wing

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Commander 3, that would appear in 1995.

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The Need for Speed,

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still my favorite version of the seminal racing game.

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This really gives you a feel for the different weight and

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handling of different cars.

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Playing this in Dolby surround was an incredible experience.

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Road Rash - after playing the cartoony version on the Mega

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Drive/Genesis and seeing the almost photo-realistic sprites of this game,

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it was a huge leap, a violent, but very funny bike racing and fighting game.

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The Horde - you play a farmer who has to build his land and property

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while fighting off hordes of marauding beasts intent on destroying said land.

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Fun, and very hard as the game went on.

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Cannon Fodder - you control a squad of little soldiers that you need to guide

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safely around enemy infested jungles.

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It's a lot more intense than it might appear at first glance.

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Way of the Warrior - while the Genesis and the Super Nintendo had Street

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Fighter, the 3DO had Way of the Warrior.

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Not the greatest game when it comes to gameplay, but it's photo-realistic

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graphics made up for this somewhat.

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And again, showed what the system could do.

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FIFA International Soccer - moving into the 3d space for the first time,

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FIFA International Soccer saw great controls and awesome visuals mixed

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with incredible surround sound, where the cheering fans would reverberate

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around your room, making you feel like you're actually in the stadium.

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With these games in the library, and the promise of an even

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better 1995 release lineup,

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it looked like the 3DO was here to stay.

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Of course its competitors weren't going to sit idly by and news was

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already coming out about Sega and Nintendo's next generation of machines.

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Not only that, but industry whispers about Sony's imminent entry into

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the market was incredibly positive.

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And by all counts, they had a very capable machine in their hands.

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All of 3DO's competitors were due to release some new consoles at the end

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of 1994, essentially giving the company 12 months to establish themselves.

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Games were going to be essential, and it looked like 3DO had delivered

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in spades when it came to this.

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But that wasn't their only weapon.

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Despite the machine only having launched at the end of 1993, there was already talk

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of the 3d or successor, nicknamed the M2.

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This would be a 64 bit machine and will be offered as a standalone

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unit or an upgrade for existing 3DO users via a motherboard switch.

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This new machine would offer unparalleled graphical power as well as computing

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speed and network features that would truly take it way beyond what

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Sega, Nintendo and Sony had planned.

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By providing the games over 1994 and 1995 that gamers wanted, and ensuring

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their purchase of a 3DO unit was future-proof with the M2, the 3DO

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company looked as if it was here to stay.

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But newcomer Sony would have other plans.

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In next week's episode, the juggernaut that was Sony PlayStation, a

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stall in 3DO hardware sales, and a financial reckoning for the company.