Sword of Sodan
Sword of Sodan — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Sword of Sodan on?
- Sword of Sodan was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Mac, Amiga, Apple IIGS, Macintosh.
- When did Sword of Sodan release?
- Sword of Sodan was first released on December 31, 1989.
About Sword of Sodan
Like Søren Grønbech's other game Datastorm, Sword of Sodan was most noted on the technical side, as the sprites were large and distinctive-looking. Your task (as either a hero or heroine) is to dethrone the tyrannous Zoras the Necromancer, and avenge his killing of your father. There are 11 levels to take on, with indoor and outdoor settings. Your character has a range of sword-slashing and jumping moves, which must be used to their full effect if you are to make progress. The game features digitised sound and speech, as well as an action-replay feature, an unusual concept outside sports games at the time.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Discovery Software International
- Publisher
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy
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 Genesis | 1990 | $9 | $21 | — | 2 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Mac · Amiga · Apple IIGS · Macintosh. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $12 | $36 | $132 |
| Japanese release | $13 | $40 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about 2 times 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 $2.95 in Apr 2008, $9.95 five years ago, and $9.24 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $1.30 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.26 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.98 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.45 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.99 | $10.00 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.24 | $21 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.80 | $14.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $6.90 | $25 |
| Jan 2018 | $7.07 | $16.50 |
| Jan 2019 | $7.99 | $15.25 |
| Jan 2020 | $6.68 | $30 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.78 | $30 |
| Jan 2022 | $9.95 | $36 |
| Jan 2023 | $8.27 | $38 |
| Jan 2024 | $9.99 | $31 |
| Jan 2025 | $8.39 | $30 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.95 | $28 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.24 | $21 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 1990 | — | 014633070262 |
| Europe / PAL | 1990 | — | — |
| Japan | 11 October 1991 | G-4056 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1990
- Authenticity
- Low
A scaled-down port of an Amiga hack-and-slash that magazines found slow.
Innerprise Software made the Genesis version of Sword of Sodan, which has reduced graphics and sound and changed gameplay compared with the Amiga original. Electronic Arts published it in North America and Europe in 1990, and Sega in Japan on 11 October 1991.
Mean Machines Sega thought the big sprites looked impressive but judged the animation poor and the play pedestrian, appealing only to those who like their action slow.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 1 | December 1991 | MEGATECH RATING 55% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 55% |
“Brilflant graphics are let down by a very monotonous game concept. Save yout cash for something bett&r.”
“If you're looking for a real brain-buster, find another cart. But if it's blood and guts you want, Sword of Sodan could be your cup of plasma.”
“the poor animation and pedestrian playability results in a game that will only appeal to people who like their action sl-o-o-w”
“Although Sword of Sodan’s big sprites look impressive, the poor animation and pedestrian playability results in a game that will only appeal to people who like their action sl-o-o-w.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis game is a scaled-down port: enemies attack from both directions instead of one, and the shield was removed completely.
The Genesis version cuts the areas from eleven to eight and has only eight enemy types against thirteen on the Amiga, though enemies spawn more often.
Mean Machines Sega scored it 55%, saying the big sprites look impressive but the poor animation and pedestrian playability appeal only to those who like slow action.
Also on other platforms
Amiga · Apple IIGS · Mac · Macintosh
| Amiga | Discovery Software (publisher) |
- Amiga. The Amiga original offers two playable characters, Brodan and his twin sister Shardan, with identical gameplay characteristics.
- Apple IIGS. An Apple IIGS port was advertised and shown at the 1989 CES, about 70% complete, but was not made public until 2018.
- Macintosh. A Macintosh System 7 port was published by Bethesda Softworks in 1993.
Before you buy
Among US carts this sits below the median. The European cart usually costs somewhat more than the US one, as does the Japanese Mega Drive cart, which also has a different cartridge shape. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Sword of Sodan screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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