Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday on?
- Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday was released on Commodore C64/128/MAX, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, Amiga.
- When did Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday release?
- Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday was first released on December 31, 1990.
About Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday
It's 2456. Earth is under the control of NEO now, but the shadow of RAM is still present. Occasional attacks by RAM military are explained away as "acts of overanxious officers and "unfortunate lapses of judgement." NEO scrambles to rebuild a shattered planet and build the forces required to fend off the RAM attack it feels is inevitable. "Buck Rogers!" The name is everywhere. "Buck Rogers and NEO victory at Gauntlet- Vid at eleven." The Video Network News, people talking on the streets of old Earth, even in the furthest asteroid outposts--Buck Rogers and NEO are everywhere. There is a feeling of hope now. After years of domination, RAM no longer holds old Earth, and NEO is finally able to make a real stand against the corporate behemoth. Victories, real and exaggerated, boost NEO confidence daily. NEO ranks are swelling with new recruits -young people who never before felt they could make a difference. Your team is assembled from those ranks. Each member has made his or her way to Chicagorg with plans to join the war against RAM supremacy. Each has visions of great victories, glory, and lasting fame--like Buck Rogers.... To play Countdown to Doomsday, you must make characters and band them together into a team. The team must have a variety of talents and skills to survive and finally succeed.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- SSI (Strategic Simulations, Inc.)
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Science fiction
- Series
- Buck Rogers
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1991 | $29 | $59 | $119 | 8 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Commodore C64/128/MAX · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · DOS · Amiga. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $18 | $33 | — |
What it needs to play
- Some modesSave battery (inside the cartridge) — saves to memory kept alive by a battery inside the cartridge; if that battery has died, saves are lost (MAME cartridge records).
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $5.90 in Oct 2008, $31 five years ago, and $29 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $0.98 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $3.97 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $3.97 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.79 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $8.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $10.00 | $13.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $9.94 | $34 |
| Jan 2016 | $9.95 | $21 |
| Jan 2017 | $17.50 | $36 |
| Jan 2018 | $16.89 | $35 |
| Jan 2019 | $18.77 | $39 |
| Jan 2020 | $16.95 | $41 |
| Jan 2021 | $17.51 | $32 |
| Jan 2022 | $30 | $66 |
| Jan 2023 | $33 | $41 |
| Jan 2024 | $26 | $54 |
| Jan 2025 | $20 | $45 |
| Jan 2026 | $28 | $68 |
| Oct 2026 | $29 | $59 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | December 1991 | 014633070965 |
| Europe / PAL | April 1992 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
A competent Gold Box role-playing game squeezed onto the Genesis, with fewer options than the computer original.
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday is a tactical role-playing game in SSI's Gold Box line, set in the Buck Rogers XXVC universe. Strategic Simulations developed the Genesis version and Electronic Arts published it, in North America in December 1991 and Europe in April 1992. The Genesis game shows exploration in an isometric view, and its races and classes are more limited than in the computer versions.
The game had some admirers: Mega placed it thirty-ninth in its list of the best Mega Drive games of all time.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 91% |
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 88% |
| MegaTech Issue 18 | June 1993 | MT RATING: 88% |
| Mega Summer Special 1993 | July 1993 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 23 | November 1993 | 88% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 82% |
| MegaTech Issue 26 | February 1994 | 88% |
| MegaTech Issue 27 | March 1994 | 88% |
“his console cart is a great place to start if you're ready to go where no Genesis gamer has gone before.”
“if you want a cart that offers an enjoyable, long-lasting challenge, give Buck Rogers a whirl.”
“Looks and sounds boring, but this massive RPG-style game is fur from that. With loads of missions to complete and tons of variety in the gameplay, this has enough pace and action to appeal to everyone!”
“Lots of gun battles, strategy-based spacecraft battles with a soupcon of puzzle solving, i Good plot and quite enjoyable, even for players with only a passing interest in RPGs. Rather basic graphics may put off your standard Megadrive fan.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis version shows the Adventuring view as a third-person isometric view, where most other versions are first-person, and replaces most text with icons.
Genesis players can choose only Human, Desert Runner or Tinker as races and Warrior, Rocketjock, Medic or Rogue as classes, with significantly fewer skills and equipment types than the PC version.
The Genesis game has a reduced selection of weapons, and ammunition is no longer required.
Also on other platforms
Amiga · MS-DOS · Commodore 64
- MS-DOS. The game was first published in 1990 by Strategic Simulations for MS-DOS, Commodore 64 and Amiga, and SSI sold 51,528 copies.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the middle. The European cart usually costs less than the US one, loose or complete. The cartridge saves to a battery inside it, so check that a save holds; a replaced battery is a normal repair, not a sign of a fake.
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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