Earnest Evans
Earnest Evans — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Earnest Evans on?
- Earnest Evans was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD.
- When did Earnest Evans release?
- Earnest Evans was first released on December 20, 1991.
About Earnest Evans
In the 1930's, famed archaeologist Earnest Evans unearthed his greatest challenge: three ancient idols that together could bring an end to life on Earth. The idols were scattered at random throughout the world by the god of the winds, Hastur, before its power was crushed. Yet Evans was injured before he could complete the search. Fifty years pass and now its up to Dr. Evans' grandson Earnest to save the world. It is the second in a trilogy of games, which includes El Viento, Earnest Evans and Anett Futatabi
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD
- Developer
- Wolf Team
- Publisher
- Renovation
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action
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 GenesisDetails ↓ | 1992 | $30 | $65 | $108 | 2 reviews | Low |
| Sega CDDetails ↓ | 1991 | $17 | $31 | $56 | 3 reviews | Low |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega CD version ($17).
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version 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 Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a month
- 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 $2.12 in Oct 2007, $16.36 five years ago, and $30 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $2.09 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $3.00 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $9.04 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $8.75 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $8.99 | $30 |
| Jan 2015 | $10.99 | $42 |
| Jan 2016 | $14.00 | $70 |
| Jan 2017 | $13.44 | $59 |
| Jan 2018 | $18.99 | $45 |
| Jan 2019 | $15.60 | $43 |
| Jan 2020 | $17.92 | $42 |
| Jan 2021 | $19.99 | $56 |
| Jan 2022 | $17.63 | $72 |
| Jan 2023 | $24 | $77 |
| Jan 2024 | $23 | $79 |
| Jan 2025 | $25 | $75 |
| Jan 2026 | $21 | $70 |
| Oct 2026 | $30 | $65 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | March 1992 | 720238101705 |
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A colorful 1930s adventure with an unusually fluid hero, and a US cart that costs above the middle.
Earnest Evans is a platform game from Wolf Team, released in North America in March 1992 by Renovation Products. The hero is built from several sprites to give him a fluid, ragdoll-like movement, unlike most Genesis platformers. It is the second game, and chronologically the first, of a trilogy that includes El Viento.
Sega Pro previewed it as an 8-megabit cartridge that would shed the CD sound and between-level animations of the Mega-CD version, and later reviewed the Mega Drive import as a colorful adventure.
What the press said at the time
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 72% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 62% |
“It’s a shame the game doesn’t play as great as it looks. However, in spite of its slightly sluggish gameplay, Earnest Evan’s is a decent game.”
“The original version that was later to become one of the first Mega-CD games. Guide your intrepid explorer through countless scenarios in this colourful adventure.”
“The original version that was later to become one о! the first Mega-CD games. Guide your intrepid explorer through countless scenarios in this colourful adventure,”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis version arrived in North America from Renovation Products about three months after the Japanese Mega-CD release.
The hero is built from several sprites, which gives him a fluid, ragdoll-like movement that most Genesis platformers lacked.
Sega Pro scored the import Mega Drive cartridge 72%, calling it the original version of what became one of the first Mega-CD games.
Also on other platforms
Sega CD
| Sega CD | Madhouse |
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the middle, and the risk is low. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega CD · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-11-02
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a year
- Complete: about 4 times a year
- 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 2026-11-02.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $11.34 in Jul 2021, $13.85 five years ago, and $16.81 as of Nov 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2022 | $22 | $23 |
| Jan 2023 | $18.24 | $28 |
| Jan 2024 | $16.00 | $24 |
| Jan 2025 | $14.08 | $25 |
| Jan 2026 | $19.00 | $43 |
| Nov 2026 | $16.81 | $31 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Nov 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 20 December 1991 | T-32014 | ¥7,300 |
- Region
- JP
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega CD version
A platformer with a CD soundtrack and animated cutscenes, and a Mega-CD release that Sega Pro liked as an import.
This is the Mega-CD version, which Wolf Team released in Japan on 20 December 1991. It came out only in Japan. The Mega-CD release has a Mixed Mode CD soundtrack and animated cutscenes created by Madhouse.
Sega Pro reviewed the Japanese disc as an import and liked it: spectacular graphics, a good storyline, numerous soundtracks and constantly challenging stages made the platformer a real pleasure to play.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 19 | July 1993 | 50% |
| Sega Pro Issue 21 | July 1993 | 75% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 56% |
“Whatever the movement, there are loads of frames of animation — and cinemtatic scenes. The overall effect is stunning.”
“the programmers have come up with novel situations, and the idea of making the characters look more realistic by animating their limbs is good — but the finished product is disappointing.”
“It's just that the programmers didn't share the same, inspired vision. Yukky graphics and lots of gameplay glitches cause the problems.”
“Spectacular graphics and a good storyline. Numerous soundtracks and constantly challenging stages make this platformer a reál pleasure to play.”
Also on other platforms
Genesis
Before you buy
A Japanese Mega-CD is needed to play this disc. Loose copies sit near the middle of the Japan-only Sega CD games on price, and the disc and its case should match. Limited Run Games issued a separate official Earnest Evans in 2025 with its own price, so check the publisher name, the year and the barcode before you assume a listing is the Japanese original.
Earnest Evans screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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