Sonic Team's Creative Director Received Custom Mega CD BIOS From Coworkers in 1991

A custom Mega CD BIOS file from 1991 has surfaced, offering a glimpse into Sonic Team Creative Director Kazuyuki Hoshino's early years at Sega. The firmware, discovered and shared by the preservation community, replaces the standard Mega CD logo with a Sonic-themed alternative and displays the text 'Hoshino's Mega CD'.

Hoshino joined Sega in 1991 as a fresh employee on the Mega CD development team. At the time, hardware-based rotation and scaling of graphics were capabilities primarily associated with the Super Nintendo. The Mega CD team was working to bring similar functionality to Sega's system.

As the only artist on the team, Hoshino created the graphics needed for development. One of his test images became the basis for the customized BIOS. "Being the youngest on the team, my coworkers really looked after me," Hoshino explained when he saw the discovery online. "So they even made this awesome version just for me."

Reflecting on the find, Hoshino expressed gratitude for his early experience at the company. "Seeing this again after all these years brings back so many memories. I'm really grateful for those days, and for the amazing people I got to work with," he said.

The Hidden Palace, a video game preservation organization, highlighted the discovery on social media in September 2026. The BIOS file has been preserved and made available to collectors and enthusiasts interested in Sega's hardware history.