When did Cutthroat Island release?

Cutthroat Island was first released on March 1, 1996.

Cutthroat Island

Mar 1, 1996PlatformAdventureSuper Nintendo Entertainment System Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Game Boy Sega Game Gear

Cutthroat Island — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Cutthroat Island on?: Cutthroat Island was released on Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear.
When did Cutthroat Island release?: Cutthroat Island was first released on March 1, 1996.

About Cutthroat Island

Based on the feature film of the same name. The game casts players in the role of renegade treasure hunters. The player is able to choose between two characters: Morgan Adams, a female character who wields a rapier; or William Shaw, a buccaneer who is armed with a sword. The game features single player and two player action mode. During single player mode, the player's character must battle through 10 levels, encountering various foes such as pirates, redcoats and harbor masters. The game features two different gameplay styles to choose from: Swordplay and Brawling. In addition to all the swordplay, level two requires players to flee from prison guards in a quarry cart, and level five puts player atop a runaway horse-drawn carriage. As the player progresses through the game several items such as knives, bombs, bottles, torches, hammers, pistols, and other weapons are collectable.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
Developer: Software Creations
Publisher: Playtronic
Game modes: Single player, Co-operative
Themes: Action
Series: Cutthroat Island

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

55/100

from 6 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1995	$9	$32	—	Low

Also released on: Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Game Boy · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

Complete

$32

Sealed

—

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$22	$70	—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about once a month
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 $5.85 in Oct 2007, $11.12 five years ago, and $9.00 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$3.75	—
Jan 2009	$1.97	—
Jan 2010	$2.64	—
Jan 2011	$1.99	—
Jan 2012	$2.40	—
Jan 2013	$1.99	—
Jan 2014	$3.47	$7.00
Jan 2015	$3.99	$7.45
Jan 2016	$5.02	$14.95
Jan 2017	$7.37	$13.99
Jan 2018	$7.50	$15.21
Jan 2019	$8.14	$16.00
Jan 2020	$7.70	$18.63
Jan 2021	$9.99	$16.24
Jan 2022	$9.98	$37
Jan 2023	$13.34	$39
Jan 2024	$12.49	$30
Jan 2025	$10.19	$27
Jan 2026	$11.89	$28
Oct 2026	$9.00	$32

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Barcode
North America	1995	021481800224
Europe / PAL	23 February 1996	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1995
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A forgettable movie tie-in that period magazines were harsh on, and a cheap US cart.

Software Creations developed this platformer, based on the 1995 pirate film, and Acclaim published it. It reached North America in 1995 and Europe on 23 February 1996.

Next Generation said it suffers from no single blatant fault but from a lack of anything setting it apart from an action game three years older. Mean Machines Sega was far harsher, counting it among its least favorite Mega Drive games.

What the press said at the time

“Even a patch-eyed, peg-leqged pirate would snarl at Cutthroat Island. You'd be better off walking the plank.”
— GamePro, March 1996

How the Sega Genesis version differs

GamePro's Johnny Ballgame compared the Genesis graphics to the 8-bit Master System, and concluded the game had no business in a sane Genesis owner's library.

Next Generation gave the Genesis version one star out of five.

Also on other platforms

Game Boy · Game Gear · Super NES

Super NES	Software Creations
Game Gear	Software Creations
Game Boy	Software Creations

Game Gear. GamePro panned the Game Gear version for repetitive gameplay, controls, graphics and glitchy sound effects.
Super NES. GamePro gave the Super NES version a more mixed review, finding the artwork and music at least decent.

Before you buy

Among US carts this sits below the median. The European cart usually costs over twice as much as the US one, loose and complete, so the US copy is the one to buy. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.