Year of Release: 1991, Discontinued in 1998
Quick Overview: The CD Interactive console famously (under)developed by Philips and Sony, the Philips CD-i attempted to wow with versatility, at the expense of its gaming audience. Widely marketed as a player for games, educational software and music, the pricey console had too few titles to its name to warrant legitimate merit in the gaming community.
Best Game on the System: The Zelda Trio
And when we say “best,” we mean it in the worst way. Throughout the CD-i’s tenure, Philips released three games for The Legend of Zelda franchise: Link:The Faces of Evil; Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon; and Zelda’s Adventure. The games were ridiculed by critics due to poor graphic quality and second-rate plots, but managed to endure more than any other CD-i game – and they have their notoriety to thank. Even the awful dialogue is remembered. “There is no time. Your sword is enough.” Perhaps developers were under the same stress.
Reason for Downfall: Price not worth the value
Priced at $700, the CD-i underperformed consoles that had price tags with amounts less than half of its own. Chalk a seven-year run up to an extensive marketing campaign, but consumers soon ditched the console for cheaper, more efficient devices.
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