Super Famicom Arrives in US
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Nintendo releases the 16-bit Super Famicom in America and calls the $249.95 console the Super NES (SNES). The system uses a dedicated 8-bit Sony SPC700 sound chip with eight separate channels.
Introducing Play-by-Play
Sound clips: Joe Montana Sportstalk Football
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Joe Montana Sportstalk Football II for Sega Genesis debuts, marking the first time a sports game employs continuous play-by-play commentary. Previous games had featured the occasional shout-out, but Sportstalk was the first game to feature an announcer describing the action on the field as it happened. The Madden football franchise would go on to dominate the field, so to speak, upping the commentary ante with each release. Whether or not this is progress depends greatly on your opinion of John Madden.
The Mean Streets of Rage
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Sound clips: Streets Of Rage
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Sega releases Streets of Rage for the Genesis system. A classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up, the game's techno soundtrack takes full advantage of the Genesis system's advanced sound hardware. The songs include rumbling drum samples, sticky melodies, and innovative use of stereo effects.
Sega CD Released
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Sega releases the $299 Sega CD system, as the migration toward superior CD-based storage continues.
3DO Console Arrives
Panasonic releases the 32-bit 3DO console system to rave reviews. The system uses a custom 16-bit processor with 17 separate channels to and from system memory, taking maximum advantage of the CD-ROM format. The $700 price tag cools sales.
Jaguar Pounces
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Atari leaps over its competition by introducing the 64-bit Jaguar Atari, bypassing the 32-bit arena altogether. It's actually two 32-bit coprocessors, affectionately named "Tom" and "Jerry." Jerry, a 32-bit digital signal processor, handles sound duties and is able to produce CD-quality sound with full stereo effects.
Final Fantasy's Apex
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Square's wildly popular Final Fantasy series hits a new high with Final Fantasy VI (III in the US in 1999) for the NES. A great example of Uematsu's brilliance, this soundtrack demonstrates the increasing sophistication of video game music. Character-specific leitmotivs recur throughout gameplay, and the sheer variety of styles employed is audacious. Uematsu is deservedly compared to film composer John Williams. (The game's soundtrack would ultimately place first in GameSpot's Readers' Choice of the all-time greatest video game soundtracks.)
Sega 32X
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Sega releases its 32-bit console peripheral, the 32X, which enables the Genesis to run a new set of 32-bit cartridge games. The 32X adds two more sound channels with its built-in PCM stereo sound chip.
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Sega releases its 32-bit, $399 Saturn in the US in May. The system employs two sound processors--a Yamaha FH1 24-bit digital signal processor and a 22.6MHz Motorola 68EC000 sound processor.
Sony PlayStation Arrives
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Sony releases the 32-bit PlayStation in the US in September at a price of $299. The 24-channel sound chip provides CD-quality stereo sound and has built-in support for digital effects such as reverb and looping.
