When did Uncharted Waters release?

Uncharted Waters was first released on May 18, 1990.

Uncharted Waters

May 18, 1990Role-playing (RPG)StrategyAdventurePC-9800 SeriesSharp X68000PC-8800 SeriesSharp X1PC (Microsoft Windows)

Uncharted Waters — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Uncharted Waters on?: Uncharted Waters was released on PC-9800 Series, Sharp X68000, PC-8800 Series, Sharp X1, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, DOS, FM Towns, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
When did Uncharted Waters release?: Uncharted Waters was first released on May 18, 1990.

About Uncharted Waters

Uncharted Waters revives a time of romance and adventure; the Age of Exploration. In 1502, ten years after the immortal voyage of Columbus, you assume the role of a young Portuguese captain. Your goal is to attain glory and restore honor to your once noble family name. This will be no easy task. There are distant shores to seek, pirates to battle, priceless treasures to plunder, and a beautiful princess to rescue! You can realize the dreams of a 16th century explorer in your own way. Play the part of a merchant and barter for precious treasures. Or, play the part of a ruthless pirate and make others pay the price of your fame. You decide your own fate when you embark upon the high seas.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer: Koei
Publisher: Koei
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Fantasy, Historical

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1992	$44	$108	—	65%	Low

Also released on: PC-9800 Series · Sharp X68000 · PC-8800 Series · Sharp X1 · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac · DOS · FM Towns · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$44

Complete

$108

Sealed

—

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Japanese release (Daikoukai Jidai)	$18	$33	—

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 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 $14.99 in Oct 2007, $41 five years ago, and $44 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$18.37	—
Jan 2009	$16.99	—
Jan 2010	$13.24	—
Jan 2011	$14.00	—
Jan 2012	$18.58	—
Jan 2013	$12.99	—
Jan 2014	$18.36	$30
Jan 2015	$26	$49
Jan 2016	$27	$43
Jan 2017	$18.00	$30
Jan 2018	$27	$55
Jan 2019	$25	$49
Jan 2020	$31	$46
Jan 2021	$32	$49
Jan 2022	$48	$96
Jan 2023	$68	$77
Jan 2024	$54	$73
Jan 2025	$30	$86
Jan 2026	$43	$111
Oct 2026	$44	$108

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

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode
North America	1992	—	040198000451
Japan	29 April 1992	T-76053	—

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: 1992
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 Koei naval adventure with a battery save, priced well above the middle for a US cart, though the Japanese cart costs much less.

This is the Genesis version of Uncharted Waters, developed and published by Koei, which appeared in Japan as Daikoukai Jidai on 29 April 1992 and in North America in 1992. The series began on Japanese computers, and the Genesis cartridge is one of its console ports.

What the press said at the time

MegaTech Issue 27

March 1994

65%

“Disappointing strategy game from the people who brought us the fantastic Aerobiz airport simulation game. Poor graphics and poor sound accompanies repetitive gameplay. Yawn-a-minute action all the way.”
— MegaTech, March 1994

Before you buy

Among US carts it is one of the pricier ones. The Japanese cart (Daikoukai Jidai) usually costs far less than the US one, both loose and complete, but its cartridge has a different shape from a Western one and fits a Western console only with an adapter or after removing two plastic tabs in its slot. The cartridge saves to a battery inside it, so check that a save holds; a replaced battery is a normal repair, not a sign of a fake.