Sorry for the lack of updates, but here’s something important. Hopefully I can get back to a more regular (at least weekly) update schedule after this.<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/span><\/p>\n I know that this has been mentioned plenty of times around the internet, particularly with reference to the Sega CD, but to check the status of my collection in particular, I recently checked all my Sega CD games, and here’s what I found.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s really bad, unlike anything for any other console I own.<\/p>\n First though, by “bit rot” I mean when you look at a CD, looking at the back of the disc and pointing the label towards a light source, and look to see if you can see any light through the disc.\u00c2\u00a0 If you can, that’s either bit rot or bad label-side surface scratches.\u00c2\u00a0 There isn’t really any way to tell the two apart, but it doesn’t matter really which it is, the end results are the same: dead discs.\u00c2\u00a0 The data on CDs is much closer to the label than the back of the disc, so scratches on the label side are actually worse than scratches on the back.\u00c2\u00a0 I will call any points where I can see light through the disc “bit rot” here regardless of what it actually is, because that’s a common term used for this kind of thing.<\/p>\n Now, I got a Sega CD in mid 2006.\u00c2\u00a0 Interestingly, as the list below should show, almost all of the games I own with bit-rot problems are games I bought between ’06 and ’10; few games I got since 2011 are affected.\u00c2\u00a0 I wonder if this is because of something that happened, or if it’s just that I got much better at checking games for damage before buying them… because that did happen, but it could be both, I’m not sure.\u00c2\u00a0 I do know that there are some SCD games that worked better when I got them than they do now, and others that always did have issues.<\/p>\n An argument against there being some kind of thing that happened, whether it’s bad storage or what have you, is that no other console’s discs, or my PC CD game collection, are similarly affected.\u00c2\u00a0 I do have a bunch of dead Gamecube discs, but none have ‘bit rot’ — all are just not working even though there’s no visible damage, or visible damage that I got professionally buffed out but the discs still don’t work.\u00c2\u00a0 Yeah, those nonworking GC discs are weird, but there are only five of them, and all are among my most played games for the console; it’s not random stuff, it’s games I played a lot of.\u00c2\u00a0 Also I kept many GC discs in a holder case thing instead of their jewelcases for years.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s an nice one with actual things to clip discs into instead of just sleeves, but still, it still was harder on them than the cases I imagine.\u00c2\u00a0 I was also at college during the GC generation, so I carried it around a lot.\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway, I mention this because it’s the only other thing I have with many nonworking discs.\u00c2\u00a0 I got a Playstation in January ’06, before the Sega CD, but the only nonworking PS1 discs I have are games that I got that way, I don’t have any that once worked but now don’t.\u00c2\u00a0 I don’t have any similar issues with any of the disc-based consoles I’ve gotten after that, either.\u00c2\u00a0 Oh, and as for the PC, I’ve had a PC with CD drive since ’95, but the with only a few exceptions, most of the few PC CDs I have that used to work but don’t now are discs that physically broke.\u00c2\u00a0 And the one or two that are actually scratched too badly to read are games I played a LOT.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s nothing like the Sega CD.\u00c2\u00a0 As for disc-based consoles I got after ’06, most have few to no nonworking discs in my collection.\u00c2\u00a0 I do have a some bad Dreamcast discs, but all are discs I got that way, none worked and then failed on me.\u00c2\u00a0 Other systems I have are not like the Sega CD, not even close.\u00c2\u00a0 This includes the Turbo\/PC Engine CD and early to mid ’90s PC CD games, so it’s not just age.<\/p>\n So yeah, why is this?\u00c2\u00a0 Why are Sega CD games so likely to have that ‘you can see light through the disc’ issue that irreparably damage them?\u00c2\u00a0 Did Sega just use bad CDs or something?\u00c2\u00a0 I’d love to know if anyone knows anything.<\/p>\n Key & Definitions<\/span><\/p>\n Below is a list of my SCD games, followed by a note saying what I saw when I looked at the back looking towards the light.<\/p>\n Format: Gamename Date Purchased (Approximately, these are not all accurate) – Status<\/p>\n Notes: By “pinholes” I mean places where you can see a spot of light through the disc.\u00c2\u00a0 By “scratches” or “blobs” I mean larger areas with light shining through.\u00c2\u00a0 “Clumps” of damage mean bunches of pinholes and scratches together.<\/p>\n (J) means that it’s a Japanese import game.<\/p>\n 32X CD Games<\/span><\/p>\n Fahrenheit 11\/26\/2007 – 32XCD disc – several pinholes and 1 clump with damage.\u00c2\u00a0 The game seems to work based on what I’ve played, but it’d probably crash somewhere I imagine. Sega CD Games<\/span><\/p>\n Adventures of Batman & Robin, The 06\/12\/2010 – Good Conclusions<\/span><\/p>\n – I have no games I got since 2011 with damage bad enough to make the game not work, and few with damage I’ve gotten since then.\u00c2\u00a0 Pointing this out is why I put the dates above.<\/p>\n – All of my Digital Pictures games have no damage, and only 1 of the 10 Japanese import games has even a single pinhole and the one that does has only one, and it’s in the center ring where it doesn’t matter.\u00c2\u00a0 Huh.\u00c2\u00a0 Did the sellers just not sell discs with this kind of stuff, or did Sega of Japan use better discs?\u00c2\u00a0 Could be either one really.<\/p>\n – Again, no other CD game collection I have is anything REMOTELY like this in terms of damage.\u00c2\u00a0 The others have either no or maybe one or two games with any games where you can see light through the disc, not counting discs I got nonworking (and for Sega CD that would really only eliminate ThunderStrike, the other nonworking games used to work.).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sorry for the lack of updates, but here’s something important. Hopefully I can get back to a more regular (at least weekly) update schedule after this. Introduction I know that this has been mentioned plenty of times around the internet, … Continue reading
\nNight Trap 12\/09\/2014 – Good
\nSlam City with Scottie Pippen 07\/13\/2011 – Good (all discs)
\nSupreme Warrior 12\/09\/2014 – Good (both discs)<\/p>\n
\nAdventures of Willy Beamish, The 01\/15\/2010 – 1 pinhole.\u00c2\u00a0 The disc works, though I haven’t gotten far into the game.
\nAfter Burner III 07\/13\/2011 – Good
\nAH-3 Thunderstrike 08\/01\/2007 – Not working.\u00c2\u00a0 There are many pinholes all over the disc.\u00c2\u00a0 This disc never worked for me.\u00c2\u00a0 I can get the game to start on my PC’s DVD drive, but it can’t read the whole disc.
\nAisle Lord (J) 03\/13\/2014 – Good
\nAndroid Assault: The Revenge of Bari-Arm 06\/12\/2010 – Good
\nArcus 1-2-3 (J) 04\/01\/2014 -Good
\nArslan Senki (J) [The Heroic Legend of Arslan] 04\/13\/2015 – Good
\nBattlecorps 08\/09\/2006 – 1 pinhole, 1 scratch, and 2 clumps of pinhole and scratch damage.\u00c2\u00a0 The game works though, at least through the first few levels; I would expect it’ll fail at some point though, with all this damage…
\nBram Stoker’s Dracula 08\/08\/2006 – Not working.\u00c2\u00a0 11 pinholes, a clump of pinholes, and 2 scratches are on the disc.\u00c2\u00a0 This game worked back in ’06 in my SCD, before failing several years later.
\nBrutal: Paws of Fury 08\/18\/2011 – Good
\nChuck Rock 06\/12\/2010 – Good
\nChuck Rock II: Son of Chuck 06\/12\/2010 – Good
\nCliffhanger 08\/26\/2010 – Good
\nCobra Command 08\/26\/2010 – 3 pinholes (disc works, as far as I’ve gotten into the game)
\nDemolition Man 07\/13\/2011 – Good
\nDouble Switch 08\/17\/2008 – Good
\nEarnest Evans (J) 03\/13\/2014 – Good
\nEcco the Dolphin 12\/02\/2012 – Good
\nESPN Baseball Tonight 08\/22\/2014 – Good
\nESPN National Hockey Night 07\/13\/2011 – Good
\nFahrenheit 11\/26\/2007 – 11+ pinholes and clumps.\u00c2\u00a0 This disc probably doesn’t work, but I haven’t used it much beyond using it as a key disc to play the 32XCD version, which has less damage (see above).\u00c2\u00a0 When I did play this version some in the late ’00s I did get partway in without it crashing, though.\u00c2\u00a0 Not sure if that’d still happen.
\nFhey Area (J) [Faeria] 04\/01\/2014 – Good
\nFlink 02\/24\/2010 – 1 pinhole.\u00c2\u00a0 As far as I’ve gotten the game works fine.
\nFormula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit 03\/30\/2011 – 1 pinhole.\u00c2\u00a0 There’s also a scratch near the center (maybe not on data?).\u00c2\u00a0 The game seems to work fine.
\nGames Can #1 (J) [Game no Kanzume Vol. 1] 04\/01\/2014 – Good
\nGames Can #2 (J) [Game no Kanzume Vol. 2] 04\/01\/2014 – Good
\nGround Zero Texas 11\/26\/2007 – Disc 1 – 3 pinholes near ring.\u00c2\u00a0 Game seems to work though.\u00c2\u00a0 Disc 2 – 3 pinholes near ring, 1 on disc.\u00c2\u00a0 Not sure about this disc, I haven’t finished disc 1.
\nJurassic Park 11\/26\/2007 – Not Working – Game will not play.\u00c2\u00a0 There are 7 pinholes, plus a clump of damage in the center ring.
\nLethal Enforcers 03\/29\/2011 – Good
\nLoadstar, The Legend of Tully Bodine 08\/08\/2006 & second copy several years later – The first copy doesn’t work, it did at first but failed after a few years, and has lots of pinholes and such.\u00c2\u00a0 The second copy has no damage and works great.
\nMahou no Shoujo: Silky Lip (J) 04\/13\/2015 – Good
\nMansion of Hidden Souls 10\/08\/2010 – 1 pinhole (the game works as far as I’ve gotten into it, though)
\nMickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse 02\/24\/2010 – Good
\nMidnight Raiders 08\/01\/2007 – 1 pinhole on disc and 3 in ring.\u00c2\u00a0 The game seems to work fine though, though I’ve never gotten to the last level, level 3 (it’s so hard!).
\nMortal Kombat (1993) 08\/26\/2010 – 1 pinhole.\u00c2\u00a0 This disc also is scratched up a bit.\u00c2\u00a0 I don’t know which is the cause, but it crashes during the intro FMV, though when I first got the game it could play it without issue.\u00c2\u00a0 If you skip it the game works fine though.
\nNBA Jam 11\/05\/2014 – Good
\nRacing Aces 04\/06\/2011 – Good
\nRecord of Lodoss War: Eiyuu Sensou (J) 04\/13\/2015 – 1 pinhole in center ring.\u00c2\u00a0 Game works fine.
\nRise of the Dragon 05\/25\/2010 – No real damage, but the center ring looks a bit ‘chewed’ — it’s uneven.\u00c2\u00a0 Game plays fine.
\nRoad Avenger 02\/04\/2015 – 3 pinholes in center ring.\u00c2\u00a0 Game works as far as I’ve gotten.\u00c2\u00a0 I saw the damage in this before buying the game a few months back, and it seems to be fine.
\nRobo Aleste 06\/12\/2010 – Good
\nSega Classics Arcade Collection 4-in-1 07\/18\/2011 – Good
\nSega Classics Arcade Collection 5-in-1 12\/02\/2012 – Good
\nSewer Shark 04\/06\/2011 – Good
\nSherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective — Volume I 07\/18\/2011 – Good
\nSilpheed 06\/12\/2010 – Good (the center ring is a bit chewed, as with Rise of the Dragon, but the game seems unaffected.)
\nSol-Feace 04\/06\/2011 – Good
\nSonic CD 07\/21\/2008 – 3 pinholes in a clump in the center ring.\u00c2\u00a0 Game works fine.
\nSpider-Man vs. the Kingpin 06\/12\/2010 – Good
\nStar Wars Chess, The Software Toolworks Presents 11\/26\/2007 – 1 pinhole on disc, 5 in center ring in clump.\u00c2\u00a0 The game seems to work.
\nStar Wars: Rebel Assault 08\/08\/2006 – Not working.\u00c2\u00a0 11+ pinholes on disc, plus more on the center ring.\u00c2\u00a0 The game will start, but crashes at certain points in multiple levels.\u00c2\u00a0 This disc initially worked fine — I beat teh game back after I got it, before later on the disc stopped working for whatever reason.
\nStarblade 11\/26\/2007 – 1 pinhole near ring.\u00c2\u00a0 The game works fine.
\nStellar Fire 10\/08\/2010 – 1 scratch on disc, 2 pinholes in center ring.\u00c2\u00a0 It works as far as I’ve gotten though.
\nSurgical Strike 02\/16\/2011 – (Sega CD disc) – Good
\nThird World War 08\/08\/2006 – Not working.\u00c2\u00a0 The game will start, but it crashes partway through a game.\u00c2\u00a0 There are many pinholes in and near the center ring, and 5+ on the rest of the disc.
\nTomcat Alley 05\/25\/2010 – 1 pinhole
\nWing Commander 05\/16\/2015 – Good
\nWirehead 02\/16\/2011 – Good
\nWWF Rage in the Cage 08\/26\/2010 – 5 pinholes and a (maybe deep) scratch.\u00c2\u00a0 The game works as far as I’ve gotten though.
\nYumimi Mix (J) 02\/07\/2014 – Good<\/p>\n