Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Dick Tracy on?
- Dick Tracy was released on Sega Master System/Mark III, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Dick Tracy release?
- Dick Tracy was first released on March 31, 1990.
About Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a tie in to the 1990 movie adaptation of the classic comic strip, staring Warren Beatty and Madonna. While an action/adventure hybrid using this license was released by Disney for the PC and Amiga, Titus also held a license to the movie. This is a side scrolling action game, where you control Dick Tracy as he moves through five stages, shooting gangsters with an assortment of weapons. Each stage leads to one of the mob bosses, until you ultimately capture the big man himself.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Sega Technical Institute
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Open world
- Series
- Dick Tracy
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 Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1991 | $34 | $132 | — | 5 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1991 | $30 | $70 | — | 10 reviews | Low |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($30).
Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $15 | $27 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 4 times a year
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $6.75 in Oct 2009, $25 five years ago, and $34 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $26 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $40 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $10.95 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $25 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $15.95 | $33 |
| Jan 2015 | $7.96 | $46 |
| Jan 2016 | $8.50 | $39 |
| Jan 2017 | $10.00 | $45 |
| Jan 2018 | $19.38 | $56 |
| Jan 2019 | $10.00 | $78 |
| Jan 2020 | $23 | $47 |
| Jan 2021 | $23 | $48 |
| Jan 2022 | $26 | $201 |
| Jan 2023 | $26 | $225 |
| Jan 2024 | $25 | $166 |
| Jan 2025 | $38 | $160 |
| Jan 2026 | $40 | $169 |
| Oct 2026 | $34 | $132 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date |
|---|---|
| North America | February 1991 |
| Europe / PAL | April 1991 |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Master System version
A movie tie-in that one period magazine called rather duff, and a cart worth buying European.
Dick Tracy is the Master System tie-in to the 1990 film, developed by BlueSky Software and published by Sega. It came out in North America in February 1991 and in Europe in April 1991. Sega made a separate Mega Drive game from the same license, developed by Sega Technical Institute, so the two are not the same game.
Computer and Video Games, writing in issue 114 about the Mega Drive game, called the Master System version rather duff.
What the press said at the time
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 21% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 21% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 21% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 21% |
| Sega Pro Issue 28 | February 1994 | 21% |
“graphics and sound are pretty basic, and the gameplay is just a tad confusing, due to the unresponsive controls. Not a chart-topper.”
“Blurred graphics, jerky animation and is totally unplayable. One of the worst film tie-ins ever.”
“Blurred graphics, jerky animation and is totally unplayable. One of the worst film tie-ins ever.”
“Blurred graphics, jerky animation and is totally unplayable. One of the worst film tie-ins ever.”
Before you buy
There is a US cart and a European cart. The European cart is a fraction of the US price loose, and a complete European copy is far cheaper still, so Europe is clearly the better buy for a player. Loose, it sits above the middle of the US-released carts, and the look-alike risk is low. Check that a complete copy has its manual.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $16 | $43 | $951 |
| Japanese release | $16 | $54 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- 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 $4.89 in Oct 2007, $31 five years ago, and $30 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $6.25 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $5.50 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $4.60 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $4.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $4.35 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $5.52 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $7.90 | $17.89 |
| Jan 2015 | $9.35 | $13.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $11.50 | $22 |
| Jan 2017 | $15.00 | $26 |
| Jan 2018 | $14.00 | $28 |
| Jan 2019 | $14.34 | $32 |
| Jan 2020 | $14.86 | $43 |
| Jan 2021 | $23 | $46 |
| Jan 2022 | $20 | $75 |
| Jan 2023 | $26 | $75 |
| Jan 2024 | $31 | $71 |
| Jan 2025 | $29 | $57 |
| Jan 2026 | $28 | $65 |
| Oct 2026 | $30 | $70 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | February 1991 | 1014 | 010086010145 | 171-5703 · MPR-13661-S |
| Europe / PAL | May 1991 | 1014 | — | 171-5703 · MPR-13661-S |
| Japan | 1 March 1991 | — | 4974365540449 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A gun-toting movie tie-in that plays like a Shinobi-style action game, and a better bet than its Master System namesake.
This is the Genesis version of Dick Tracy, built by Sega Technical Institute from the license for the 1990 film. It is not the same game as the Master System tie-in on this page, which came from a different studio. It reached North America in February 1991, Japan on 1 March 1991 and Europe in May 1991.
MegaTech reviewed the Genesis game and described a challenging, addictive action game in the manner of Shinobi, only with machine guns, that should appeal to fans of the film and to ordinary players alike.
How it was made
Sega Technical Institute developed the Genesis game, and it was the studio's first title.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 89% |
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 79% |
| MegaTech Issue 18 | June 1993 | MT RATING: 79% |
| MegaTech Issue 19 | July 1993 | 79% |
| Sega Pro Issue 28 | February 1994 | 71% |
| Sega Pro Issue 33 | June 1994 | 71% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 71% |
| Sega Pro Issue 37 | October 1994 | 71% |
| Sega Pro Issue 41 | February 1995 | 61% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 61% |
“Dick Tracy seems simplistic at first, but give it time and it grows on you. However, hardcore fans of lone lawman shoot-em-ups might prefer to step into the future with ESWAT.”
“Even fans of the film version may be disappointed, since the villains in the game are nothing like the larger-than-life weirdos of the film version.”
“A sort of Shinobi-style game with machine guns, Dick Tracy is a challenging and addictive action game which should appeal to fans o| the movie and gamesplayers alike.”
“A sort of Shinobi-style game with machine guns, Dick Tracy is a challenging and addictive action game which should appeal to fans of”
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the middle, and the risk is low. The European cart usually costs much less than the US one, and the Japanese cart usually costs less too. The Japanese cartridge is a different shape from a Western one. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Dick Tracy screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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