What platforms is Socket on?

Socket was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.

When did Socket release?

Socket was first released on August 17, 1993.

Socket

Aug 17, 1993PlatformHack and slash/Beat 'em upSega Mega Drive/Genesis

Socket — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Socket on?: Socket was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
When did Socket release?: Socket was first released on August 17, 1993.

About Socket

Who is this Socket and where is he going so fast? He's a duck with an attitude, and he's taking himself and his electric cord toil anywhere he needs to be. Socket is one bad duck. He's so fast that he can turn out the lights and get out of the room before it gets dark! He's got more alternating current than the electric company and more moves than Air-What's-His-Name. Plug into Socket for a little AC buzz and some fast times!

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer: Vic Tokai
Publisher: Vic Tokai
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1993	$20	$63	—	Medium

Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$20

Complete

$63

Sealed

—

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Japanese release (Time Dominator)	$226	$361	—

How often it sells

Loose: about 2 times 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 $4.35 in Jul 2010, $28 five years ago, and $20 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2011	$5.98	—
Jan 2012	$9.08	—
Jan 2013	$3.49	—
Jan 2014	$7.47	$19.99
Jan 2015	$10.49	$14.99
Jan 2016	$9.95	$21
Jan 2017	$12.99	$30
Jan 2018	$18.26	$39
Jan 2019	$18.30	$37
Jan 2020	$16.99	$43
Jan 2021	$13.20	$50
Jan 2022	$29	$97
Jan 2023	$33	$90
Jan 2024	$29	$80
Jan 2025	$26	$80
Jan 2026	$16.76	$63
Oct 2026	$20	$63

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

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode
North America	1993	T-23046	034912230460
Japan	25 March 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: JP+NA
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

A side-scrolling platformer starring a robot duck, with a Japanese version that costs far more than the US cart.

Socket is a platformer developed and published by Vic Tokai for the Genesis, and it never appeared on another system. You play Socket, an android duck, trying to stop the Time Dominator from stealing treasures from the past and tampering with the flow of time. It came out in North America in 1993 and in Japan on 25 March 1994 as Time Dominator.

What the press said at the time

“An above average game in terms of look and play, but completely dwarfed by Sonic and his works.”
— Mean Machines Sega, March 1994

“Sonic clone that still manages to be challenging, fun and even a bit original. Packed with super-fast action.”
— Sega Pro, September 1994

“If there has ever been a game that resembles Sonic the Hedgehog and couid be seen as a complete rip-off, it is this one.”
— Sega Pro, November 1993

Before you buy

Among US carts it sits above the middle, and it is worth a careful look before you pay; ask for a photo of the board. The Japanese cart (Time Dominator) usually costs many times as much as the US one, both loose and complete, and its cartridge has a different shape from a Western one.