When did Eternal Champions release?

Eternal Champions was first released on December 11, 1993.

Eternal Champions

Dec 11, 1993FightingLinuxWii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)Mac

Eternal Champions — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Eternal Champions on?: Eternal Champions was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac.
When did Eternal Champions release?: Eternal Champions was first released on December 11, 1993.

About Eternal Champions

Sega released Eternal Champions for their Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993, hoping to capitalize on the fighting game mania that the game industry was in the midst of following the massive success of Street Fighter II (1991) and Mortal Kombat (1992). The game tried to set itself apart with unique features like a heavier emphasis on its story, characters pulled from different time periods, reflectable projectiles, force fields, fighters that carried weapons, a training mode where players had to defend themselves against robotic traps, a novel method of executing moves, and elaborate stage-specific finishing moves called "Overkills".

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Tec Toy
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Split screen
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

67/100

from 22 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1993	$10	$14	$106	6 reviews	Low

Also released on: Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$10

Complete

$14

Sealed

$106

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Cardboard box release	—	$52	—
European (PAL) release	$7	$19	$95
Japanese release	$14	$48	—

How often it sells

Loose: about 2 times a week
Complete: about 3 times a week
Sealed: about once a month

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $0.75 in Jan 2008, $5.73 five years ago, and $9.65 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$0.75	—
Jan 2009	$0.75	—
Jan 2010	$0.75	—
Jan 2011	$0.75	—
Jan 2012	$0.87	—
Jan 2013	$0.87	—
Jan 2014	$3.37	$6.92
Jan 2015	$3.24	$5.89
Jan 2016	$3.39	$7.99
Jan 2017	$4.72	$8.25
Jan 2018	$4.78	$8.62
Jan 2019	$5.00	$9.01
Jan 2020	$5.00	$9.99
Jan 2021	$4.53	$11.49
Jan 2022	$4.94	$14.97
Jan 2023	$4.52	$14.86
Jan 2024	$7.03	$15.70
Jan 2025	$6.78	$14.09
Jan 2026	$6.00	$15.09
Oct 2026	$9.65	$14.00

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

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode
North America	December 1993	1145	010086011456
Europe / PAL	28 January 1994	—	—
Japan	18 February 1994	—	—

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+JP
Released: 1993
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 story-driven Sega fighter best played with a six-button pad, and a cheap cart with a pricey boxed variant.

Eternal Champions is a fighting game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis, with North America getting it in December 1993, Europe on 28 January 1994 and Japan on 18 February 1994. Fighters pulled from throughout history compete in a tournament for the chance to avert their deaths, and the game stresses its story and its elaborate finishing moves, called Overkills. In the United Kingdom it was the top-selling Mega Drive game in February 1994.

The Genesis game is optimized for six-button controllers or the Activator. On a standard three-button pad you press Start during play to toggle the buttons between punches and kicks.

What the press said at the time

Game Players Issue 5	May 1994	97%
MegaTech Issue 30	June 1994	83%
MegaTech Issue 34	October 1994	83%
GameRankings (aggregate)		62.5%
Electronic Gaming Monthly		8/10, 7/10, 5/10, 5/10
IGN		8/10

“Eternal Champions is as much a landmark product as Street Fighter Il and recommended without even a nanosecond's hesitation.”
— Sega Magazine, January 1994

“Eternal Champions skirts the edge of greatness, and rests somewhere between Street Fighter Il and Mortal Kombat. It's one of the best fighting games ever to grace the Genesis.”
— GamePro, January 1994

“Eternal Champs is king on the Genesis. While it doesnt take out SF2 Turbo, it puts a strong hold on second place and is a must-have for any fighter fan.”
— Game Informer, January/February 1994

“eetfighter 3. The training sections add a of depth, with the Danger Room being »tty much an extra bonus game. Overall s one of the best Megadrive games ever.”
— Mean Machines Sega, February 1994

Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Genesis version.

Before you buy

Among US carts the loose cart sits below the middle. The European loose cart usually costs less than the US one, but a complete European copy usually costs more. The Japanese cart usually costs more, especially complete. The cardboard-box edition is priced separately and a complete one usually costs much more than the plastic-case copy. Sega Retro lists it as using the six-button pad and working with the Activator, so a six-button pad is worth having.