"Even retro console superfans would be forgiven for not knowing about the LaserActive, a pricey LaserDisc player released in 1994 alongside swappable hardware modules that could add support for Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx-16 games and controllers. Using those add-ons, you could also play a handful of games specifically designed for the LaserActive format, which combined game data and graphics with up to 60 minutes of full-screen, standard-definition analog video per side."
"Mega-LD games (as the Genesis-compatible LaserActive titles were called) were, for the most part, super-sized versions of the types of games you'd find on early CD-ROM console of the era. That means a lot of edutainment titles, branching dungeon crawlers, Dragon's Lair-style animated quick-time event challenges, and rail shooters that overlayed standard Genesis or TG-16 graphics on top of elaborate animated video backgrounds (sometimes complete with filmed actors)."
The Pioneer LaserActive was an expensive 1994 LaserDisc player with swappable modules to support Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx-16 games and controllers. Mega-LD titles combined cartridge-style game data with up to 60 minutes of full-screen analog video per disc side, producing edutainment, branching dungeon crawlers, animated quick-time event games, and rail shooters with animated video backgrounds. High hardware and software prices plus limited must-have titles kept sales low, resulting in an estimated 10,000 units sold and a small cult following. Ares v146 introduces emulator support for Mega-LD, making these previously hard-to-play titles accessible to many users.
Read at Ars Technica
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