Centurion: Defender of Rome
Centurion: Defender of Rome — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Centurion: Defender of Rome on?
- Centurion: Defender of Rome was released on PC-9800 Series, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, FM Towns, Amiga, NEC PC-9801.
- When did Centurion: Defender of Rome release?
- Centurion: Defender of Rome was first released on December 31, 1990.
About Centurion: Defender of Rome
The year is 275 B.C. Through conquest and careful diplomacy, the Roman republic has brought the petty kingdoms and city-states of Italia under its control. This is the moment at which the heirs of Romulus and Remus step onto the world stage. This is the humble beginning of an empire that will one day cover most of Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. As an ambitious young officer, you duty is to defend Rome. Your hope is to become Caesar. Your fate - to rule the world.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Bits of Magic
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy, Historical, Warfare, 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate)
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1991 | $9 | $22 | — | Low |
Also released on: PC-9800 Series · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · DOS · FM Towns · Amiga · NEC PC-9801. 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 | $7 | $24 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.01 in Jul 2008, $12.00 five years ago, and $9.37 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $5.90 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $3.25 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $3.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.77 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $4.47 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $7.01 | $9.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.95 | $10.95 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.00 | $8.97 |
| Jan 2017 | $8.47 | $12.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $6.63 | $15.73 |
| Jan 2019 | $7.90 | $13.75 |
| Jan 2020 | $7.00 | $15.02 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.55 | $18.42 |
| Jan 2022 | $12.38 | $26 |
| Jan 2023 | $17.96 | $22 |
| Jan 2024 | $9.00 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2025 | $10.00 | $25 |
| Jan 2026 | $13.43 | $23 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.37 | $22 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | July 1991 | 014633070255 |
| Europe / PAL | July 1991 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
A Roman empire-builder that was ambitious for the Genesis, now cheap but slow going for anyone not into strategy.
The Genesis version of Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy game with real-time battle sequences, designed by Kellyn Beck and Bits of Magic and published by Electronic Arts. It reached North America and Europe in July 1991, after the computer original.
Video Games & Computer Entertainment called it one of EA's meticulous PC-to-Genesis conversions and a real smorgasbord of strategy and wargaming. A Mega Drive games guide was less taken, finding it interesting in concept but ultimately tedious and frustrating unless you are into Roman history.
What the press said at the time
“Centurion is yet another of its meticulous PC-to-Genesis conversions, and it's a real smorgasbord of a game: an overall flavor of strategy/war-gaming with a lot of arcade sequences, superb graphics and sound effects on the side.”
“Not really an RPG, and not really a war game. Although the Mega Drive could sorely use a decent war game, this isn't it.”
Also on other platforms
MS-DOS · Amiga · FM Towns · NEC PC-9801
- MS-DOS. The game debuted on MS-DOS in 1990, with the Amiga and Genesis ports following in 1991.
- MS-DOS. Dragon gave the PC version 3 out of 5 stars, and Computer Gaming World praised its VGA graphics and audio.
Before you buy
Among US carts the loose cart sits below the middle. The European loose cart usually costs less than the US one, while complete copies cost about the same. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Centurion: Defender of Rome screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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