3DO Interactive Multiplayer (3DO INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER) Roms

3DO Interactive Multiplayer ROMs

Developed and released by The 3DO Company, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a home console better known as simply 3DO. It was a bit different from the classic consoles of that time and came with a few innovative features.

The original design was made by EA founder Trip Hawkins. While referred to as a home video game console, 3DO is actually something else. It brings in a set of unique specifications that third parties could employ in their work.

For instance, Panasonic was responsible for the first official releases, back in 1993. The release targeted the North American market. During the next year, 3DO was also released in Japan and Europe. It was considered so innovative that Time named it the product of the year.

Panasonic wasn’t the only top brand producing 3DO. Later on, the hardware was also produced by GoldStar and Sanyo, before Creative Labs took over. Samsung is the last major name to employ and produce the technology.

The console release was heavily promoted all over the world. It was seen as something new and innovative. However, reviews were mixed. It did have its fair share of fans, but on the same note, the market was a bit saturated at that time.

Furthermore, Sega and Sony released their own consoles, and marketing was much better, so competition was simply too strong for 3DO. Therefore, it was discontinued just a few years after being released, in 1996. Much of the hardware was sold to Samsung for further development.

3DO came with a wide variety of accessories. The package included a traditional controller and cables for audio and video. Controllers were a bit unusual, mainly because of the connectivity. You could connect up to eight controllers.

Some modern controllers introduced by Panasonic also featured volume control and a headphone jack. Logitech also produced its own controllers. Each accessory had its own unique specs.

The Gamegun was also a nice accessory. The light gun made the experience more realistic, but there were only a handful of games able to use it. Both Panasonic and Logitech came out with other accessories too, such as a mouse.

At the same time, Home Arcade Systems came with a steering wheel for 3DO. It was quite useful for a few racing games, such as The Need for Speed. Panasonic made a memory unit as well, but it was only sold in Japan. A karaoke mixer was also created by the same brand, also for limited markets.

Some of the best rated games for 3DO include Lucienne’s Quest, Star Control 2, Road Rash, Policenauts, Snow Job, Immercenary, Return Fire, Way of the Warrior, The Need for Speed and Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger.

Some of these games have gained huge popularity. While it looks like they're dead today, since they were released around two decades ago, the truth is fans can still experience them in the exact same 3DO manner by downloading the ROMs. Emulating them on modern computers will provide the same feel.