Kai Magazine Software is a name that will be familiar to anyone who is interested in homebrew and indie games on the Genesis / Mega Drive, and the team is about to release its most ambitious 16-bit title yet.
The Secret of the Four Winds is an action RPG which has traces of Final Fantasy, Snatcher and Shadowrun in its design; you control a team of characters as they explore a dark, modern-day setting.
Showcasing slick animated cut-scenes and detailed environments, it's easy to see why this has taken the studio so long to produce – Kai Magazine Software says the development time totals more than Metal Dragon, Life on Mars and Life on Earth (its previous games) combined.
However, the headline news here is that the game contains a CD-quality soundtrack, made possible thanks to some custom hardware inside the cart.
"The cartridge contains a custom board with an audio enhancement chip that offers the possibility to enjoy the game with Sega CD / Mega-CD music quality – no actual Sega CD / Mega-CD is required," says the studio. You can, if you so wish, play the game with a more traditional FM-style soundtrack.
The catch is that The Secret of the Four Winds will only run on the Mk1 and Mk2 Mega Drive / Genesis; when played on the Genesis 3, no CD-quality audio is present. Also, you might have to disconnect your Sega CD when playing the game, as it being present can prevent the CD audio from playing.
You can pre-order The Secret of the Four Winds now, and it's available in different regional variants. There's also a cool collector's edition, which comes with a host of goodies.