When did Shining Force release?

Shining Force was first released on March 20, 1992.

Shining Force

Mar 20, 1992Role-playing (RPG)StrategyTurn-based strategy (TBS)LinuxWii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)iOS

Shining Force — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Shining Force on?: Shining Force was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac.
When did Shining Force release?: Shining Force was first released on March 20, 1992.

About Shining Force

Shining Force is a turn-based tactical RPG. Battles take place in square grids, and each unit occupies 1 square. Units can belong to one of two sides: allies (controlled by the player) or enemies (controlled by the computer AI). Each unit can move up to a fixed amount of squares along the battlefield, determined by its Move statistic. Depending on its location relative to enemies and to allies, a unit also has the option to attack, cast a spell, use an item, search (if adjacent to a treasure chest), or stay and do nothing, all of which end the unit's turn. Some commands, such as equipping or dropping items, don't count as actions, and the character's turn is able to continue. The order of the turns is determined by the unit's agility score and a random seed. Units can use offensive actions, such as physical attacks or offensive magic, only on units belonging to the other side and can use supportive actions, such as healing magic, stat-enhancing magic, and items, only on units belonging to the same side.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Publisher: Sega
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Fantasy
Series: Shining Force

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

77/100

from 55 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1993	$53	$124	$522	Medium

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

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$53

Complete

$124

Sealed

$522

few sales

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$66	$160	—
Japanese release	$12	$30	—

What it needs to play

Some modesSave battery (inside the cartridge) — saves to memory kept alive by a battery inside the cartridge; if that battery has died, saves are lost (MAME cartridge records).

How often it sells

Loose: about once a week
Complete: about 2 times a week
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 $26 in Jan 2008, $49 five years ago, and $53 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$26	—
Jan 2009	$15.49	—
Jan 2010	$14.99	—
Jan 2011	$15.75	—
Jan 2012	$13.49	—
Jan 2013	$21	—
Jan 2014	$22	$31
Jan 2015	$28	$39
Jan 2016	$30	$43
Jan 2017	$30	$50
Jan 2018	$36	$50
Jan 2019	$37	$56
Jan 2020	$27	$53
Jan 2021	$35	$65
Jan 2022	$48	$94
Jan 2023	$45	$115
Jan 2024	$30	$79
Jan 2025	$39	$85
Jan 2026	$45	$110
Oct 2026	$53	$124

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

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode
North America	May 1993	1312	010086013122
Europe / PAL	July 1993	—	—
Japan	20 March 1992	G-5512	4974365555122

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: Med

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

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

The Genesis tactical role-playing classic, among the pricier US carts and one with a battery save to test.

Shining Force is a turn-based tactical role-playing game, the second game in the Shining series after Shining in the Darkness. Climax Entertainment and Sonic! Software Planning developed it and Sega published it. It came out in Japan on 20 March 1992, in North America in May 1993 and in Europe in July 1993.

While it was still a Japanese import, Sega Pro said the best cartridge role-playing game was a draw between Shining Force and Landstalker, and that Shining Force would take the average player about 30 hours to finish. Mega later placed it at number 33 in its list of the top Mega Drive games of all time.

What the press said at the time

“Now Sega comes along with Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, a tactical role-playing game that seeks entry to the list of exemplary hybrids. Does it qualify? I'm unsure, but the game is still better than most cartridge games on the market.”
— Video Games & Computer Entertainment, July 1993

Before you buy

Among US carts it is one of the pricier ones. The European cart usually costs somewhat more than the US one, while the Japanese cart usually costs much less and has a different cartridge shape. The cartridge saves to a battery inside it, so test that a save holds; a replaced battery is a normal repair and not a sign of a fake. For a game this valuable, ask for a photo of the board before paying for an expensive copy.