There are a few CD-i titles that are marked as 'Digital Video Optional'. It means that in principle these titles are designed as base-case CD-i titles and playable on any CD-i player, with or without installed Digital Video Cartridge. But, when the CD-i player detects the presence of a Digital Video Cartridge, it can enhance the CD-i software by using the extra memory to present extra audio or video. Which games do actually benefot from this feature? We know a few CD-i titles that are playable as base-case CD-i title, but benefit from the extra memory and the MPEG playback when a DVC is present:
Master Labyrinth was a title that offers a boardgame adaptation of the Ravensburger game 'Master Labyrinth'. When the DVC is installed, you can actually go through the maze in MPEG sequences, a lot more fun and a lot more beautiful to play it with the DVC. But the fact it is also playable as a base-case cd-i title is remarkable.
Rise of the Robots marks on the cover it requires a Digital Video Cartridge but in fact it is playable as a base-case CD-i title. The CD-i developer Pete Dabbs once told us a DVC version was in the works but in the end cancelled by Philips. Who knows if any of the DVC features ended up in this version? We're not sure yet if there are differences when you play this game with or without a Digital Video Cartridge...
XDRA's Great American Golf 2 was a major update over the first disc and offered for the first time Digital Video sequences in full-screen during the game, but only if you had a DVC installed. If you didn't, you could still play this title but you were just mssing the MPEG videos in between. Clever!
The Apprentice might be the most well-known title to be marked as 'Digital Video Optional'. It benefits from the extra memory by being able to play both SFX sounds and background music at the same time. Without the Digital Video Cartridge, it just plays the background music and the SFX sounds are scrapped.