Philips CD-i

1990 - No generation identified

The Philips CD-i (Compact Disc Interactive) was a multimedia CD player developed and released by Philips in 1991. It was intended to be a home entertainment device that could play music CDs, video CDs, and interactive CDs, as well as display still images and provide access to online services. The CD-i was not a video game console, but it did have a limited number of games available for it, many of which were developed by Philips themselves. The CD-i had a number of features including: A built-in digital video decoder, which allowed it to play video CDs and display still images. A built-in FM tuner and a karaoke function, which allowed users to play music CDs and sing along with the lyrics displayed on the screen. A built-in infrared remote control, which allowed users to control the device from a distance. A built-in keyboard and mouse, which allowed users to interact with the device and access online services. Despite its multimedia capabilities, the CD-i was not as successful as Philips had hoped. It had a relatively high price point, and the games that were available for it were generally considered to be of poor quality. Additionally, the CD-i's hardware was not as powerful as that of dedicated video game consoles of the time, making it difficult to create high-quality games for the system. The CD-i was not a popular console, however it had a few exclusive games such as Hotel Mario, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Link: The Faces of Evil. These games were developed by Philips and Nintendo as part of a licensing agreement between the two companies, but received poor reviews and criticized for their poor quality and lack of resemblance to the original games. Some games that were available for the Philips CD-i include: Hotel Mario: A puzzle game developed by Philips Interactive Media, where Mario and Luigi must rescue Princess Toadstool from the clutches of Bowser, who has taken over several hotels. Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon: An action-adventure game developed by Animation Magic, it is part of the Zelda series of games but it's not well received by the audience. Link: The Faces of Evil: An action-adventure game developed by Animation Magic, it is part of the Zelda series of games but it's not well received by the audience. Burn: Cycle: A cyberpunk-themed action-adventure game developed and published by Digital Pictures. The Apprentice: A educational game developed by Philips Interactive Media, where players learn business skills and strategy through a series of interactive challenges. Mad Dog McCree: A live-action first-person shooter game developed by American Laser Games. Dragon's Lair: A interactive movie game developed by Don Bluth Productions and published by Philips Media. Cosmic Crusader: A side-scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Philips Interactive Media. Keep in mind that the list is not exhaustive, and many of the games that were available for the CD-i were not well-received by critics and players due to the system's limited hardware capabilities and the poor quality of the games themselves.