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Sega Genesis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive North American logo
European/Australasian logo
The original Japanese Mega Drive
Model 2 Genesis w/ 6-button controller
Top: Original Japanese Mega Drive
Bottom: Sega Genesis Model 2
Other variations are pictured under Variations below
Manufacturer
Sega
Type
Home video game console
Generation
Fourth generation
Release date
JP October 29, 1988
NA August 14, 1989
ROK August 1990
PAL November 30, 1990
Retail availability

1988

present

NA Ongoing (AtGames)
EU Ongoing (Blaze Europe)
BR Ongoing (Tec Toy)
Discontinued
WW 1997 (Sega)
NA 1999 (Majesco)
Units sold
Sega: 30.75 million
Tec Toy: 3 million
Majesco: 1.5 million (projected)
Media ROM cartridge
CPU
Motorola 68000 @ 7.6 MHz
Zilog Z80 @ 3.58 MHz
Display
Progressive: 320x224 (NTSC) or 320x240 (PAL) pixels, 512 color p
alette, 61 colors on-screen
Interlaced: 320x448 (NTSC) or 320x480 (PAL)
Sound Yamaha YM2612
Texas Instruments SN76489
Online services
Sega Meganet, Sega Channel, XBAND
Best-selling game
Sonic the Hedgehog (pack-in), 15 million[1]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (pack-in), 6 million[2]
Disney's Aladdin (stand-alone), 4 million[3]
Backward
compatibility
Predecessor
Successor

Master System[a]
Master System
Sega Saturn

The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive (Japanese: ?????? Hepburn: Mega Doraib
u?) in most regions outside North America, is a 16-bit home video game console w
hich was developed and sold by Sega Enterprises, Ltd. The Genesis was Sega's thi

rd console and the successor to the Master System. Sega first released the conso
le as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988, followed by a North American debut under
the Genesis moniker in 1989. In 1990, the console was distributed as the Mega Dr
ive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, by Ozisoft in Australasia, and by Tec Toy
in Brazil. In South Korea, the systems were distributed by Samsung and were know
n as the Super Gam*Boy, and later the Super Aladdin Boy.[b]
Designed by an R&D team supervised by Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa, the Genes
is hardware was adapted from Sega's System 16 arcade board, centered on a Motoro
la 68000 processor as a primary CPU and a Zilog Z80 as a secondary processor. Th
e system supports a library of more than 900 games created both by Sega and a wi
de array of third-party publishers and delivered on ROM-based cartridges. It can
also play Master System games when the separately sold Power Base Converter is
installed. The Genesis has benefited from several peripherals and network servic
es, as well as multiple first-party and third-party variations of the console th
at focus on extending its functionality.
In Japan, the Mega Drive did not fare well against its two main competitors, Nin
tendo's Super Famicom and NEC's PC Engine. However, it achieved considerable suc
cess in North America, Brazil, and Europe. Contributing to its success were its
library of arcade game ports, the popularity of the Genesis-exclusive Sonic the
Hedgehog series, several popular sports game franchises, and aggressive youth ma
rketing that positioned the system as the cool console for adolescents. The rele
ase of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System two years after the Genesis resul
ted in a fierce battle for market share in the United States and Europe that has
often been termed as a "console war" by journalists and historians.[4][5] As th
is contest drew increasing attention to the video game industry among the genera
l public, the Genesis and several of its highest-profile games attracted signifi
cant legal scrutiny on matters involving reverse engineering and video game viol
ence. Controversy surrounding violent titles such as Night Trap and Mortal Komba
t led Sega to create the Videogame Rating Council, a predecessor to the Entertai
nment Software Rating Board.
Sega sold 30.75 million Genesis units worldwide. In addition, Tec Toy sold an es
timated 3 million licensed variants of the system in Brazil, Majesco projected i
t would sell 1.5 million licensed variants of the system in the United States, a
nd much smaller numbers were sold by Samsung in South Korea. The console and its
games continue to be popular among game fans, game music fans, collectors, and
emulation enthusiasts. As of 2015, licensed third party re-releases of the conso
le are still being sold by AtGames in North America and Europe. Many games have
been re-released in compilations for newer consoles and offered for download on
various online services, such as Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation
Network, and Steam. The Genesis was succeeded by the Sega Saturn.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Development
1.2 Launch
1.3 North American sales and marketing
1.4 Sonic the Hedgehog
1.5 Trademark Security System and Sega v. Accolade
1.6 Videogame Rating Council and Congressional hearings on video game vi
olence
1.7 32-bit era and beyond
2 Technical specifications
2.1 Peripherals
2.2 Network services
3 Game library
3.1 Sega Virtua Processor

4 Add-ons
4.1 Sega CD
4.2 Sega 32X
5 Variations
5.1 First-party models
5.2 Third-party models
5.3 Re-releases and emulation
5.4 Later releases
6 Reception and legacy
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
History
See also: History of video games
Development
The Japanese Mega Drive logo
In the early 1980s, Sega Enterprises, Inc., then a subsidiary of Gulf & Western,
was one of the top five arcade game manufacturers active in the United States,
as company revenues rose to $214 million.[6] A downturn in the arcade business s
tarting in 1982 seriously hurt the company, leading Gulf & Western to sell its N
orth American arcade manufacturing organization and the licensing rights for its
arcade games to Bally Manufacturing.[7][8] The company retained Sega's North Am
erican R&D operation, as well as its Japanese subsidiary, Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
With its arcade business in decline, Gulf & Western executives turned to Sega E
nterprises, Ltd.'s president, Hayao Nakayama, for advice on how to proceed. Naka
yama advocated that the company leverage its hardware expertise gained through y
ears working in the arcade industry to move into the home console market in Japa
n, which was in its infancy at the time.[9]
Nakayama received permission to proceed with this project, leading to the releas
e of Sega's first home video game system, the SG-1000, in July 1983. The SG-1000
was not successful, and was replaced by the Sega Mark III within two years.[10]
In the meantime, Gulf & Western began to divest itself of its non-core business
es after the death of company founder Charles Bluhdorn,[11] so Nakayama and form
er Sega CEO David Rosen arranged a management buyout of the Japanese subsidiary
in 1984 with financial backing from CSK Corporation, a prominent Japanese softwa
re company. Nakayama was then installed as CEO of the new Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
[12]
In 1986, Sega redesigned the Mark III for release in North America as the Sega M
aster System. This was followed by a European release the next year. Although th
e Master System was a success in Europe, and later also Brazil, it failed to ign
ite significant interest in the Japanese or North American markets, which, by th
e mid-to-late 1980s, were both dominated by Nintendo.[13][14][15] With Sega cont
inuing to have difficulty penetrating the home market, Sega's console R&D team,
led by Masami Ishikawa and supervised by Hideki Sato,[16] began work on a succes
sor to the Master System almost immediately after that console launched.[17][18]
In 1987, Sega faced another threat to its console business when Japanese compute
r giant NEC released the PC Engine amid great publicity.[19] To remain competiti
ve against the two more established consumer electronics companies, Ishikawa and
his team decided they needed to incorporate a 16-bit microprocessor into their
new system to make an impact in the marketplace and once again turned to Sega's
strengths in the arcade industry to adapt the successful Sega System 16 arcade b
oard into a home console architecture.[18][20] The decision to use a Motorola 68
000 as the system's main CPU was made late in development, while a Zilog Z80 was
used as a secondary CPU to handle the sound due to fears that the load to the m
ain CPU would be too great if it handled both the visuals and the audio.[18]

First announced in June 1988 in Beep!, a Japanese gaming magazine, the developin
g console was referred to as the "Mark V," but Sega management felt the need for
a stronger name. After reviewing more than 300 proposals, the company settled o
n "Mega Drive." In North America, the name of the console was changed to "Genesi
s." The reason for this change is not known, but it may have been due to a trade
mark dispute.[20]
Launch
Sega released the Mega Drive in Japan on October 29, 1988, though the launch was
overshadowed by Nintendo's release of Super Mario Bros. 3 a week earlier. Posit
ive coverage from magazines Famitsu and Beep! helped to establish a following, b
ut Sega only managed to ship 400,000 units in the first year. In order to increa
se sales, Sega released various peripherals and games, including an online banki
ng system and answering machine called the Sega Mega Anser.[20] Nevertheless, th
e Mega Drive was unable to overtake the venerable Famicom[21] and remained a dis
tant third in Japan behind Nintendo's Super Famicom and NEC's PC Engine througho
ut the 16-bit era.[22]
Sega announced a North American release date for the system on January 9, 1989.[
23] At the time, Sega did not possess a North American sales and marketing organ
ization and was distributing its Master System through Tonka. Dissatisfied with
Tonka's performance, Sega looked for a new partner to market the Genesis in Nort
h America and offered the rights to Atari Corporation, which did not yet have a
16-bit system. David Rosen made the proposal to Atari CEO Jack Tramiel and the p
resident of Atari's Entertainment Electronics Division, Michael Katz. Tramiel de
clined to acquire the new console, deeming it too expensive, and instead opted t
o focus on the Atari ST. Sega decided to launch the console through its own Sega
of America subsidiary, which executed a limited launch on August 14, 1989, in N
ew York City and Los Angeles. The Sega Genesis was released in the rest of North
America later that year.[24]
The European version of the console was released on November 30, 1990. Building
on the success of the Master System, the Mega Drive became the most popular cons
ole in Europe. Since the Mega Drive was already two years old at the time of its
release in the region, more games were available at launch compared to the laun
ches in other regions. The ports of arcade titles like Altered Beast, Golden Axe
and Ghouls 'n Ghosts, available in stores at launch, provided a strong image of
the console's power to deliver an arcade-like experience.[4] The release of the
Mega Drive in Europe was handled by Virgin Mastertronic, which was later purcha
sed by Sega in 1991 and became Sega of Europe.[25]
Other companies assisted in distributing the console to various countries worldw
ide. Ozisoft handled the Mega Drive's launch and marketing in Australia, as it h
ad done before with the Master System.[26] In Brazil, the Mega Drive was release
d by Tec Toy in 1990,[27] only a year after the Brazilian release of the Master
System. Tec Toy also produced games exclusively for the Brazilian market and beg
an a network service for the system called Sega Meganet in 1995.[28] In India, S
ega entered a distribution deal with Shaw Wallace in Spring 1995 in order to cir
cumvent an 80% import tariff, with each unit selling for INR?18,000.[29][30] Sam
sung handled sales and distribution of the console in Korea, where it was rename
d the "Super Gam*Boy" and retained the Mega Drive logo alongside the Samsung nam
e.[31] It was later renamed "Super Aladdin Boy."[32]
North American sales and marketing
For the North American market, former Atari Corporation Entertainment Electronic
s Division president and new Sega of America CEO Michael Katz instituted a two-p
art approach to build sales in the region. The first part involved a marketing c
ampaign to challenge Nintendo head-on and emphasize the more arcade-like experie
nce available on the Genesis,[33] summarized by slogans including "Genesis does

what Nintendon't".[20] Since Nintendo owned the console rights to most arcade ga
mes of the time, the second part involved creating a library of instantly-recogn
izable titles which used the names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes su
ch as Pat Riley Basketball, Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, James 'Buster' Dougla
s Knockout Boxing, Joe Montana Football, Tommy Lasorda Baseball, Mario Lemieux H
ockey, and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.[19][34] Nonetheless, it had a hard time
overcoming Nintendo's ubiquitous presence in consumers' homes.[35] Tasked by Na
kayama to sell one million units within the first year, Katz and Sega of America
managed to sell only 500,000 units.[20]
In mid-1990, Nakayama hired Tom Kalinske to replace Katz as CEO of Sega of Ameri
ca. Although Kalinske initially knew little about the video game market, he surr
ounded himself with industry-savvy advisors. A believer in the razor and blades
business model, he developed a four-point plan: cut the price of the console, cr
eate a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continu
e and expand the aggressive advertising campaigns, and replace the bundled game
Altered Beast with a new title, Sonic the Hedgehog.[35] The Japanese board of di
rectors initially disapproved of the plan,[36] but all four points were approved
by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe a
nd the Americas, so go ahead and do it."[20] Magazines praised Sonic as one of t
he greatest games yet made, and Sega's console finally took off as customers who
had been waiting for the release of the international version of Nintendo's Sup
er Famicom dubbed the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or SNES decided to purchas
e a Genesis instead.[35] Nintendo's console debuted against an established compe
titor, while NEC's TurboGrafx-16 failed to gain traction, and NEC soon pulled ou
t of the market.[37] In large part due to the popularity of this game, the Sega
Genesis outsold the SNES in the United States nearly two to one during the 1991
holiday season. This success led to Sega having control of 65% of the 16-bit con
sole market in January 1992, making it the first time Nintendo was not the conso
le leader since December 1985.[38]
To compete with Nintendo Sega was more open to new types of games than its rival
, but still tightly controlled the approval process for third-party games and ch
arged high prices for cartridge manufacturing.[39] Technicians from American thi
rd-party video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) reverse engineered the Genesi
s in 1989,[40] following nearly one year of negotiations with Sega in which EA r
equested a more liberal licensing agreement than was standard in the industry be
fore releasing its games for the system.[41] The clean room reverse engineering
of the Genesis was led by Steve Hayes and Jim Nitchals, lasting several months b
efore EA secretly began development of Genesis games.[41] EA founder Trip Hawkin
s confronted Nakayama with this information one day prior to the 1990 Consumer E
lectronics Show (CES), noting that EA had the ability to run its own licensing p
rogram if Sega refused to meet its demands. Sega relented, and the next day EA's
upcoming Genesis games were showcased at CES.[41] EA signed what Hawkins descri
bed as "a very unusual and much more enlightened license agreement" with Sega in
June 1990: "Among other things, we had the right to make as many titles as we w
anted. We could approve our own titles ... the royalty rates were a lot more rea
sonable. We also had more direct control over manufacturing."[40] After the deal
was in place, EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon learned that "we hadn't fig
ured out all the workarounds" and "Sega still had the ability to lock us out," n
oting "It just would have been a public relations fiasco."[41] EA released its f
irst two Genesis games, Populous and Budokan: The Martial Spirit, within the mon
th.[40] The first Genesis version of EA's John Madden Football arrived before th
e end of 1990,[40] and became what Gordon called a "killer app" for the system.[
41] Taking advantage of the licensing agreement, Gordon and EA's vice president
of marketing services Nancy Fong created a visual identifier for EA's Genesis ca
rtridges: A yellow stripe on their left side added during manufacturing.[41]
Sega was able to outsell Nintendo four Christmas seasons in a row[42] due to the
Genesis' head start, a lower price point, and a larger library of games when co

mpared to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) at its release.[43] Seg
a had ten games for every game on SNES, and while the SNES had an exclusive vers
ion of Final Fight, one of Sega's internal development teams created Streets of
Rage, which had bigger levels, tougher enemies, and a well-regarded soundtrack.[
43] ASCII Entertainment reported in spring 1993 that Genesis had 250 titles vers
us 75 for Super Nintendo, but limited shelf space meant that stores typically of
fered 100 Genesis and 50 Super Nintendo titles. The NES was still the leader, wi
th 300 titles and 100 on shelves.[44]
Sega's advertising positioned the Genesis as the cooler console,[43] and as its
advertising evolved, the company coined the term "blast processing" (the origin
of which is an obscure programming trick on the console's graphics hardware) to
suggest that the processing capabilities of the Genesis were far greater than th
ose of the SNES.[45][46] A Sony focus group found that teenage boys would not ad
mit to owning a SNES rather than a Genesis.[47] With the Genesis often outsellin
g the SNES at a ratio of 2:1,[48] Nintendo and Sega both focused heavily on impr
ession management of the market, even going to the point of deception, with Nint
endo claiming they had sold more consoles in 1991 than they actually had, and fo
recasting they would sell 6 million consoles by the end of 1992, while their act
ual U.S. install base at the end of 1992 was only just more than 4 million units
.[49] Due to these tactics, it was difficult to ascertain a clear leader in mark
et share for several years at a time, with Nintendo's dollar share of the U.S. 1
6-bit market dipping down from 60% at the end of 1992 to 37% at the end of 1993,
[50] Sega claiming 55% of all 16-bit hardware sales during 1994,[51] and Donkey
Kong Country helping the SNES to outsell the Genesis from 1995 through 1997.[42]
[52][53][54][55] According to a 2004 study of NPD sales data that presents year
by year charts through 2001, the Sega Genesis was able to maintain its lead over
the Super NES in the American 16-bit console market.[56] However, according to
a 2014 Wedbush Securities report based on revised NPD sales data, the SNES ultim
ately outsold the Genesis in the U.S. market.[57]
Sonic the Hedgehog
Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
While Sega was seeking a flagship series to compete with Nintendo's Mario series
along with a character to serve as a company mascot, several character designs
were submitted as part of a company-wide contest, including "an anime-inspired e
gg and a teal hedgehog with red shoes created by Naoto Oshima that he called Mr.
Needlehouse."[58] "Mr. Needlemouse" won the contest and was renamed Sonic the H
edgehog, spawning one of the best-selling video game franchises in history.[59][
60] The gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog originated with a tech demo created by Yu
ji Naka, who had developed an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly o
n a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's original prototy
pe was a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball t
hrough a long winding tube, and this concept was subsequently fleshed out with O
shima's character design and levels conceived by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara.[61]
Sonic's blue pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his
shoes were a concept evolved from a design inspired by Michael Jackson's boots w
ith the addition of the color red, which was inspired by both Santa Claus and th
e contrast of those colors on Jackson's 1987 album Bad; his personality was base
d on Bill Clinton's "can do" attitude.[1][62][63][64]
Although Katz and Sega of America's marketing experts disliked the idea of Sonic
, certain that it would not catch on with most American kids,[19][65] Kalinske's
strategy to place Sonic the Hedgehog as the pack-in title paid off.[4][66] Feat
uring speedy gameplay, Sonic the Hedgehog greatly increased the popularity of th
e Sega Genesis in North America.[46] Bundling Sonic the Hedgehog with the Sega G
enesis is credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Ninten
do.[1]
Trademark Security System and Sega v. Accolade
Main article: Sega v. Accolade

After the release of the Sega Genesis in 1989, video game publisher Accolade beg
an exploring options to release some of their PC game titles onto the console. A
t the time, Sega had a licensing deal in place for third-party developers that i
ncreased the costs to the developer. According to Accolade co-founder Alan Mille
r, "One pays them between $10 and $15 per cartridge on top of the real hardware
manufacturing costs, so it about doubles the cost of goods to the independent pu
blisher."[67] To get around licensing, Accolade chose to seek an alternative way
to bring their games to the Genesis. They did so by purchasing one in order to
decompile the executable code of three Genesis games. Such information was used
to program their new Genesis cartridges in a way that would allow them to disabl
e the security lockouts on the Genesis that prevented unlicensed games from bein
g able to be played.[68][69] This strategy was used successfully to bring Ishido
: The Way of Stones to the Genesis in 1990.[70] To do so, Accolade had also copi
ed Sega's copyrighted game code multiple times in order to reverse engineer the
software of Sega's licensed Genesis games.[71][72]
An edition of the original model of Genesis, known as the Genesis III, was the m
odel at the center of Sega v. Accolade for its incorporation of the Trademark Se
curity System (TMSS)
As a result of piracy from foreign countries and unlicensed development issues,
Sega incorporated a technical protection mechanism into a new edition of the Gen
esis released in 1990, referred to as the Genesis III. This new variation of the
Genesis included a code known as the Trademark Security System (TMSS), which, w
hen a game cartridge was inserted into the console, would check for the presence
of the string "SEGA" at a particular point in the memory contained in the cartr
idge. If and only if the string was present, the console would run the game, and
would briefly display the message: "Produced by or under license from Sega Ente
rprises, Ltd."[68] This system had a twofold effect: it added extra protection a
gainst unlicensed developers and software piracy, and it forced the Sega tradema
rk to display when the game was powered up, making a lawsuit for trademark infri
ngement possible if unlicensed software were to be developed.[69][72] Accolade l
earned of this development at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 19
91, where Sega showed the new Genesis III and demonstrated it screening and reje
cting an Ishido game cartridge.[69] With more games planned for the following ye
ar, Accolade successfully identified the TMSS file. They later added this file t
o the games HardBall!, Star Control, Mike Ditka Power Football, and Turrican.[69
]
In response to the creation of these unlicensed games, Sega filed suit against A
ccolade in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Califor
nia, on charges of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and copyright inf
ringement. In response, Accolade filed a counterclaim for falsifying the source
of its games by displaying the Sega trademark when the game was powered up.[71][
73] Although the district court initially ruled for Sega and issued an injunctio
n preventing Accolade from continuing to reverse engineer the Genesis, Accolade
appealed the verdict to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
.[74]
As a result of the appeal, the Ninth Circuit overturned the district court's ver
dict and ruled that Accolade's decompilation of the Sega software constituted fa
ir use.[75] The court's written opinion followed on October 20, 1992, and noted
that the use of the software was non-exploitative, although commercial.[68][76]
Further, the court found that the trademark infringement, being required by the
TMSS for a Genesis game to run on the system, had been inadvertently triggered b
y a fair use act and the fault of Sega for having caused false labeling.[68] Ult
imately, Sega and Accolade settled the case on April 30, 1993. As a part of this
settlement, Accolade became an official licensee of Sega, and later developed a
nd released Barkley Shut Up and Jam! while under license.[77] The terms of the l
icensing, including whether or not any special arrangements or discounts were ma

de to Accolade, were not released to the public.[78] The financial terms of the
settlement were also not disclosed, although both companies agreed to pay their
own legal costs.[79]
Videogame Rating Council and Congressional hearings on video game violence
VRC MA-13 rating, as applied to Mortal Kombat for the Genesis
Main article: Videogame Rating Council
In 1993, American media began to focus on the mature content of some video games
, with games like Night Trap for the Sega CD, an add-on for the Genesis, receivi
ng unprecedented scrutiny. Issues about Night Trap were also brought up in the U
nited Kingdom, with former Sega of Europe development director Mike Brogan notin
g that "Night Trap got Sega an awful lot of publicity ... it was also cited in U
K Parliament for being classified as "15" due to its use of real actors.[80] Thi
s came at a time when Sega was capitalizing on its image as an edgy company with
attitude, and this only served to reinforce that image."[21] The most controver
sial title of the year by far was Midway's Mortal Kombat, ported to the Genesis
and SNES by Acclaim. In response to public outcry over the game's graphic violen
ce, Nintendo decided to replace the blood in the game with "sweat" and the arcad
e's gruesome "fatalities" with less violent finishing moves.[81] Sega took a dif
ferent approach, instituting America's first video game ratings system, the Vide
ogame Rating Council (VRC), for all of its current systems. Ratings ranged from
the family friendly GA rating to the more mature rating of MA-13, and the adults
-only rating of MA-17.[81] With the rating system in place, Sega released its ve
rsion of Mortal Kombat, appearing to have removed all of the blood and sweat eff
ects and toning down the finishing moves even more than in the SNES version. How
ever, all of the arcade's blood and uncensored finishing moves could be enabled
by entering a "Blood Code". This technicality allowed Sega to release the game w
ith a relatively low MA-13 rating.[82] Meanwhile, the tamer SNES version shipped
without a rating at all.[82]
The Genesis version of Mortal Kombat was well received by gaming press, as well
as fans, outselling the SNES version three- or four-to-one,[81][83][84] while Ni
ntendo was criticized for censoring the SNES version of the game.[82] Executive
vice president of Nintendo of America Howard Lincoln was quick to point out at t
he hearings that Night Trap had no such rating, saying to Senator Joe Lieberman:
Furthermore, I can't let you sit here and buy this nonsense that this Sega Night
Trap game was somehow only meant for adults. The fact of the matter is this is
a copy of the packaging. There was no rating on this game at all when the game w
as introduced. Small children bought this at Toys "R" Us, and he knows that as w
ell as I do. When they started getting heat about this game, then they adopted t
he rating system and put ratings on it.[81]
In response, Sega of America vice president Bill White showed a videotape of vio
lent video games on the SNES and stressed the importance of rating video games.
At the end of the hearing, Lieberman called for another hearing in February 1994
to check on progress toward a rating system for video game violence.[81]
As a result of the Congressional hearings, Night Trap started to generate more s
ales and released ports to the PC, Sega 32X, and 3DO. According to Digital Pictu
res founder Tom Zito, "You know, I sold 50,000 units of Night Trap a week after
those hearings."[81] Although experiencing increased sales, Sega decided to reca
ll Night Trap and rerelease it with revisions in 1994 due to the Congressional h
earings.[85] After the close of these hearings, video game manufacturers came to
gether to establish the rating system that Lieberman had called for. Initially,
Sega proposed the universal adoption of its own system, but after objections by
Nintendo and others, Sega took a role in forming a new system. This became the E
ntertainment Software Rating Board, an independent organization that received pr
aise from Lieberman.[81] With this new rating system in place, Nintendo decided
its censorship policies were no longer needed, and the SNES port of Mortal Komba

t II was released uncensored.[82]

32-bit era and beyond
In order to extend the life of the Genesis, Sega released two add-ons to increas
e the capabilities of the system: a CD-based peripheral known as the Sega CD (Me
ga-CD outside North America), as well as a 32-bit peripheral known as the Sega 3
2X.[66] 2.24 million Sega CD units were sold worldwide,[86] while an estimated 6
65,000 32X units were sold by the end of 1994.[87]
Following the launch of the next-generation 32-bit Sony PlayStation and the Sega
Saturn, sales of 16-bit hardware and software continued to account for 64% of t
he video game market in 1995.[88] However, Sega underestimated the continued pop
ularity of the Genesis and did not have the inventory to meet demand for the pro
duct.[88][89] Sega was able to capture 43% of the dollar share of the U.S. video
game market and claimed to have sold more than 2 million Genesis units in 1995,
while Genesis software such as Vectorman remained highly successful, but Kalins
ke estimated that "we could have sold another 300,000 Genesis systems in the Nov
ember/December timeframe."[89] Nakayama's decision to focus on the Saturn over t
he Genesis, based on the systems' relative performance in Japan, has been cited
as the major contributing factor in this miscalculation.[88] By contrast, Ninten
do concentrated on the 16-bit home console market, as well as its successful han
dheld, the Game Boy. As a result, Nintendo took in 42% of the video game market
dollar share, without launching a 32-bit console to compete directly with the Pl
ayStation or the Saturn.[88] Following tensions with Sega Enterprises, Ltd. over
its focus on the Saturn, Kalinske, who oversaw the rise of the Genesis in 1991,
grew uninterested in the business and resigned in mid-1996.[90]
Sega sold 30.75 million Genesis units worldwide.[91] Of these, 3.58 million were
sold in Japan,[86] while sales in Europe and the U.S. are roughly estimated at
8 million[92] and 18 million as of June 1997 (at which time Sega was no longer m
anufacturing the system) respectively.[55][93] In 1998, Sega licensed the Genesi
s to Majesco in North America so that it could rerelease the console. Majesco be
gan reselling millions of formerly unsold cartridges at a budget price, together
with 150,000 units of the second model of the Genesis.[55] It later released th
e Sega Genesis 3,[94] projecting to sell 1.5 million units of the console by the
end of 1998.[55] In addition, an estimated 3 million Genesis units were sold by
Tec Toy in Brazil.[95][96]
Technical specifications
European Mega Drive mainboard
The main microprocessor of the Genesis is a 16/32-bit Motorola 68000 CPU clocked
at 7.6 MHz.[97] The console also uses a Zilog Z80 sub-processor, which is mainl
y used to control the sound hardware and also provide backwards compatibility wi
th the Master System. The system has 72 kB of RAM, 64 kB of video RAM, and can d
isplay up to 61 colors[98] at once from a palette of 512. The system's games are
in ROM cartridge format and are inserted in the top.[99]
The system produces sound using a Yamaha YM2612 FM synthesizer and a Texas Instr
uments SN76489 PSG, the latter is integrated with the Video Display Processor (V
DP). The Z80 processor is primarily used to control both sound chips to produce
stereo music and sound effects. Most revisions of the original system contain a
discrete YM2612 and a separate YM7101 VDP; the functionality of these two chips
was later integrated into a single custom ASIC (FC1004) for the model 2 and late
r revisions.[99]
The back of the model 1 console provides a radio frequency output port (designed
for use with antenna and cable systems) and a specialized 8-pin DIN port, both
of which provide video and audio output. Both of these outputs produce monophoni
c sound, while a headphone jack on the front of the console produces stereo soun
d.[100] On the model 2, the DIN port, radio frequency output port, and headphone

jack are replaced by a 9-pin mini-DIN port on the back for composite video, RGB
and stereo sound, as well as the standard RF switch.[101] Earlier model 1 conso
les also have a 9-pin extension port, though this was removed in later productio
n runs and is absent entirely in the model 2. An edge connector on the bottom-ri
ght of the console allows it to be connected to a peripheral.[102]
Peripherals
Sega Genesis six-button controller
The standard Genesis controller features a rounded shape, a directional pad, thr
ee main buttons, and a "start" button. Sega later released a six-button version
in 1993. This pad is slightly smaller and features three additional face buttons
, similar to the design of buttons on some popular arcade fighting games such as
Street Fighter II. In addition, Sega also released a wireless revision of the s
ix-button controller, the Remote Arcade Pad.[103]
The Genesis is also backwards compatible with the Master System. The first perip
heral released for the system, the Power Base Converter, allows Master System ga
mes to be played on the console.[104] A second model, the Master System Converte
r 2, was released only in Europe for use with the Mega Drive II.[103]
A number of other peripherals for the console were released to add extra functio
nality. The Menacer is a wireless, infrared light gun peripheral used with compa
tible games.[104] Other third parties also created light gun peripherals for the
Genesis, such as the American Laser Games Pistol and the Konami Justifier. Rele
ased for art creation software, the Sega Mega Mouse features three buttons and i
s only compatible with a few games, such as Eye of the Beholder. A foam-covered
bat called the BatterUP and the TeeVGolf golf club were released for both the Ge
nesis and SNES.[103]
Sega Power Base Converter on a model 1 Genesis
In November 1993, Sega released the Sega Activator, an octagonal device that lie
s flat on the floor and translates the player's physical movements into game inp
uts.[103][105] Several high-profile games, including Mortal Kombat and Street Fi
ghter II: Special Champion Edition, were adapted to support the peripheral. The
device was a commercial failure, due mainly to its inaccuracy and its high price
point.[103][106] IGN editor Craig Harris ranked the Sega Activator the third wo
rst video game controller ever made.[107]
Both EA and Sega released multitaps for the system to allow more than the standa
rd two players to play at once. Initially, EA's version, the 4 Way Play, and Seg
a's adapter, the Team Player, only supported each publisher's own titles. In res
ponse to numerous complaints about this, Sega publicly stated that "We have been
working hard to resolve this problem since we learned of it" and that a new Tea
m Player which would work with all multitap games for the console would be relea
sed shortly.[108] Later games were created to work on both the 4 Way Play and Te
am Player.[103] Codemasters also developed the J-Cart system, providing two extr
a ports on the cartridge itself, although the technology came late in the consol
e's life and is only featured on a few games.[109] Sega planned to release a ste
ering wheel peripheral for the system in 1994, and the Genesis version of Virtua
Racing was even advertised as being "steering wheel compatible," but the periph
eral was cancelled.[110]
Network services
Sega Mega Modem peripheral, which allowed access to the Sega Meganet service
In its first foray into online gaming, Sega created Sega Meganet, which debuted
in Japan on November 3, 1990. Operating through a cartridge and a peripheral cal
led the "Mega Modem," this system allowed Mega Drive players to play seventeen g
ames online. A North American version of this system, dubbed "Tele-Genesis," was
announced but never released.[111] Another phone-based system, the Mega Anser,
turned the Japanese Mega Drive into an online banking terminal.[20]

In 1994, Sega started the Sega Channel, a game distribution system utilizing cab
le television services Time Warner Cable and TCI. Using a special peripheral, Ge
nesis players could download a title from a library of fifty each month, as well
as demos for upcoming games. Games were downloaded to the console's internal me
mory and were deleted when the console was powered off. The Sega Channel reached
250,000 subscribers at its peak and ran until July 31, 1998, well past the rele
ase of the Sega Saturn.[111]
In an effort to compete with Sega, third-party developer Catapult Entertainment
created the XBAND, a peripheral which allowed Genesis players to engage in onlin
e competitive gaming. Utilizing telephone services to share data, XBAND was init
ially offered in five U.S. cities in November 1994. The following year, the serv
ice was extended to the SNES, and Catapult teamed up with Blockbuster Video to m
arket the service, but as interest in the service waned, XBAND was discontinued
in April 1997.[112]
Game library
See also: List of Sega Genesis games
An in-game screen shot of Sonic the Hedgehog, taken from its first level, Green
Hill Zone
The Genesis library was initially modest, but eventually grew to contain games t
o appeal to all types of players. The initial pack-in title was Altered Beast, w
hich was later replaced with Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991.[20] Top sellers include
d Sonic the Hedgehog, its sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Disney's Aladdin.[113
] During development for the console, Sega Enterprises focused on developing act
ion games, while Sega of America was tasked with developing sports games. A larg
e part of the appeal of the Genesis library during the console's lifetime was th
e arcade-based experience of its games, as well as more difficult entries such a
s Ecco the Dolphin, and sports games such as Joe Montana Football.[20] Compared
to its competition, Sega advertised to an older audience by hosting more mature
games, including the uncensored version of Mortal Kombat.[20]
As Sega was a prolific arcade developer in the 1980s, early Genesis games includ
ed arcade ports such as Altered Beast, Golden Axe, and Super Hang-On. Console te
ams would develop titles in acclaimed series such as Castle of Illusion,[114] Ph
antasy Star, Shinobi, and Streets of Rage.[115] Alex Kidd was the mascot of Sega
's previous console, but he would not receive any Mega Drive sequels after Alex
Kidd in the Enchanted Castle due to Sega of America wanting to replace him with
the titular character from Sonic the Hedgehog as mascot. The Sonic the Hedgehog
series was a big hit both commercially and critically, with the original game be
ing the best selling game on the system. Sega of America would also help set up
Sega Technical Institute and Sega Interactive, who worked on titles such as Comi
x Zone and Eternal Champions respectively in an attempt to appeal more to wester
n audiences.
In addition to games developed by Sega's internal studios, Sega would collaborat
e with various other developers to publish more games for the system. These deve
lopers include Ancient (Beyond Oasis), BlueSky Software (Vectorman), Camelot (Sh
ining Force), Climax Entertainment (Landstalker), Johnson Voorsanger Productions
(ToeJam & Earl), Novotrade International (Ecco the Dolphin), Technopop (Zero To
lerance), Treasure (Gunstar Heroes), Vic Tokai (Decap Attack), and Virgin Games
(Disney's Aladdin).
Initially, the Genesis suffered from limited third-party support due to its low
market share and Nintendo's monopolizes practices. Notably, the arcade hit Stree
t Fighter II by Capcom initially skipped the Genesis, instead only being release
d on the SNES. However, as the Genesis continued to grow in popularity, Capcom e
ventually ported a version of Street Fighter II to the system known as Street Fi
ghter II': Champion Edition,[116] that would go on to sell over a million copies

.[117] One of the biggest third-party companies to support the Genesis early on
was Electronic Arts. Trip Hawkins, founder and then president of EA, believed th
e Genesis faster drawing speed made it more suitable for sport games than the SN
ES, and credits EA's success on the Genesis for helping catapult the EA Sports b
rand.[118] Another third-party blockbuster for the system was the port of the or
iginal Mortal Kombat game. While the arcade game was released on the SNES and Ge
nesis simultaneously, the two ports were not identical. The SNES version looked
more identical to the arcade game, but the Genesis version allowed players to by
pass censorship, helping make it the more popular port.[119] Ed Boon, co-creator
of the Mortal Kombat franchise, also compared the two versions, stating that th
e SNES version did not play as well the Genesis version.[120]
Sega Virtua Processor
The graphics produced by the Sega Virtua Processor are comparable to those of Ni
ntendo's Super FX chip.[121]
In order to produce more visually appealing graphics, companies began adding spe
cial processing chips to their game cartridges to effectively increase the conso
le's capabilities. On the SNES, these are several DSP chips and RISC processors,
which allow the console to produce faster and more accurate 3D and pseudo-3D gr
aphics. In particular, the Super FX chip was designed to offload complex renderi
ng tasks from the main CPU, enabling it to produce visual effects that the conso
le cannot produce on its own. The chip was first used in Star Fox, which renders
3D polygons in real time, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island demonstrated
the chip's ability to rotate, scale, and stretch individual sprites and manipula
te large areas of the screen.[121]
Further information: List of Super NES enhancement chips
As these enhancements became more commonplace on the SNES, the stock of existing
Genesis games began to look outdated in comparison. Sega began work on an enhan
cement chip to compete with the Super FX, resulting in the Sega Virtua Processor
. This chip enables the Genesis to render polygons in real time and provides an
"Axis Transformation" unit that handles scaling and rotation. Virtua Racing, the
only game released with this chip, runs at a significantly higher and more stab
le frame rate than similar games on the SNES. The chip was expensive to produce,
and increased the cost of the games that used it. At US$100, Virtua Racing is t
he most expensive Genesis cartridge ever produced. Two other games, Virtua Fight
er and Daytona USA, were planned for the SVP chip, but were instead moved into t
he Saturn's launch line-up.[121] There were also plans to sell the SVP chip as a
separate upgrade module for the Genesis,[122][123] but this module was never re
leased.
Add-ons
Genesis model 2 with a Sega CD 2 and 32X add-ons attached
In addition to accessories such as the Power Base Converter, the Sega Genesis al
so supports two add-ons that each support their own game libraries. The first is
the Sega CD (known as the Mega-CD in all regions except for North America), a c
ompact disc-based peripheral that can play its own library of games in CD-ROM fo
rmat.[124] The second is the Sega 32X, a 32-bit peripheral which utilizes ROM ca
rtridges as a format and serves as a pass-through for Genesis games.[125] Sega a
lso produced a custom power strip to fit the peripherals' large AC adapters.[126
] Both add-ons were officially discontinued in 1996.[53][124][125]
Sega CD
Main articles: Sega CD and List of Sega CD games
By 1991, compact discs had gained in popularity as a data storage device for mus
ic and software. PCs and video game companies had started to make use of this te
chnology. NEC had been the first to include CD technology in a game console with
the release of the TurboGrafx-CD add-on, and Nintendo was making plans to devel
op its own CD peripheral as well. Seeing the opportunity to gain an advantage ov
er its rivals, Sega partnered with JVC to develop a CD-ROM add-on for the Genesi

s.[5][127][128] Sega launched the Mega-CD in Japan[5] on December 1, 1991, initi

ally retailing at JP49,800.[129] The CD add-on was launched in North America on O
ctober 15, 1992, as the Sega CD, with a retail price of US$299;[5] it was releas
ed in Europe as the Mega-CD in 1993.[129]
In addition to greatly expanding the potential size of its games, this add-on un
it also upgraded the graphics and sound capabilities of the console by adding a
second, more powerful processor, more system memory, and hardware-based scaling
and rotation similar to that found in Sega's arcade games.[5][130] It also provi
ded battery-backed storage RAM to allow games to save high scores, configuration
data, and game progress;[127] an additional data storage cartridge was sold sep
arately.
Shortly after its launch in North America, Sega began shipping the Sega CD with
the pack-in game Sewer Shark, a full motion video (FMV) game developed by Digita
l Pictures, a company that became an important partner for Sega.[5] Touting the
benefits of the CD's comparatively vast storage space, Sega and its third-party
developers produced a number of games for the add-on that include digital video
in their gameplay or as bonus content, as well as rereleasing several cartridgebased games with high-fidelity audio tracks.[124][127] In 1993, Sega released th
e Sega CD 2, a smaller and lighter version of the add-on designed for the Genesi
s II, at a reduced price compared to the original.[124] A limited number of game
s were also later developed that utilize both the Sega CD and the Sega 32X add-o
ns.[131]
The Mega-CD sold only 100,000 units during its first year in Japan, falling well
below expectations. While many consumers blamed the add-on's high launch price,
it also suffered from a tiny software library, with only two titles being avail
able at launch. This was due in part to the long delay before Sega made its soft
ware development kit available to third-party developers.[129] Sales of the addon were more successful in North America and Europe, though the novelty of FMV a
nd CD-enhanced games quickly wore off as many of the system's later games were m
et with lukewarm or negative reviews. Finally, in 1995, Sega announced a shift i
n focus to its new console, the Saturn, and discontinued all advertising for Gen
esis hardware, including the Sega CD. The add-on sold 2.24 million units worldwi
de.[86]
Sega 32X
Main articles: Sega 32X and List of Sega 32X games
With the release of the Sega Saturn slated for 1995, Sega began to develop a sto
p-gap solution that would bridge the gap between the Genesis and the Saturn, and
would serve as a less expensive entry into the 32-bit era.[132]
At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1994, Sega of America researc
h and development head Joe Miller took a phone call from Nakayama, in which Naka
yama stressed the importance of coming up with a quick response to the Atari Jag
uar. One potential idea for this came from a concept from Sega Enterprises, late
r known as "Project Jupiter," an entirely new independent console.[133] Project
Jupiter was initially slated to be a new version of the Genesis, with an upgrade
d color palette and a lower cost than the upcoming Saturn, as well as with some
limited 3D capabilities thanks to integration of ideas from the development of t
he Sega Virtua Processor chip. Miller suggested an alternative strategy, citing
concerns with releasing a new console with no previous design specifications wit
hin six to nine months.[134] At the suggestion from Miller and his team, Sega de
signed the 32X as a peripheral for the existing Genesis, expanding its power wit
h two 32-bit SuperH-2 processors.[135] The SH-2 had been developed in 1993 as a
joint venture between Sega and Japanese electronics company Hitachi.[136] At the
end of the Consumer Electronics show, with the basic design of the 32X in place
, Sega Enterprises invited Sega of America to assist in development of the new a
dd-on.[134]

Although the new unit was a stronger console than originally proposed, it was no
t compatible with Saturn games.[135] Before the 32X could be launched, the relea
se date of the Saturn was announced for November 1994 in Japan, coinciding with
the 32X's target launch date in North America. Sega of America now was faced wit
h trying to market the 32X with the Saturn's Japan release occurring simultaneou
sly. Their answer was to call the 32X a "transitional device" between the Genesi
s and the Saturn.[133] This was justified by Sega's statement that both platform
s would run at the same time, and that the 32X would be aimed at players who cou
ld not afford the more expensive Saturn.[125]
The 32X was released in November 1994, in time for the holiday season. Demand am
ong retailers was high, and Sega could not keep up orders for the system.[135] M
ore than 1,000,000 orders had been placed for 32X units, but Sega had only manag
ed to ship 600,000 units by January 1995.[125] Launching at about the same price
as a Genesis console, the price of the 32X was less than half of what the Satur
n's price would be at launch.[132] Notwithstanding the lower priced console's po
sitioning as an inexpensive entry into 32-bit gaming, Sega had a difficult time
convincing third-party developers to create games for the new system. After an e
arly run on the peripheral, news soon spread to the public of the upcoming relea
se of the Sega Saturn, which would not support the 32X's games. The Saturn was r
eleased early on May 11, 1995,[137] four months earlier than its originally inte
nded release date of September 2, 1995.[138] The Saturn, in turn, caused develop
ers to further shy away from the console and created doubt about the library for
the 32X, even with Sega's assurances that there would be a large number of game
s developed for the system. In early 1996, Sega finally conceded that they had p
romised too much out of the 32X and decided to stop producing the system in orde
r to focus on the Saturn.[125] Prices for the 32X dropped to $99 and ultimately
cleared out of stores at $19.95.[135]
Variations
More than a dozen licensed variations of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive have been r
eleased.[139] In addition to models made by Sega, several alternate models were
made by other companies, such as Majesco, AtGames, JVC, Pioneer Corporation, Ams
trad, and Aiwa. A number of bootleg clones were also created during its lifespan
.[20]
First-party models
Genesis II
Sega CDX
Genesis (second model)
Genesis CDX
Sega Genesis Nomad
Sega TeraDrive
Genesis Nomad
TeraDrive
In 1993, Sega introduced a smaller, lighter version of the console,[99] naming i
t the Genesis II in North America and the Mega Drive II everywhere else. This ve
rsion omits the headphone jack in the front, replaces the A/V-Out connector with
a smaller version that supports stereo sound, and provides a simpler, less expe
nsive mainboard that requires less power.[102]
Sega also released a combined, semi-portable Genesis/Sega CD unit called the Gen
esis CDX (marketed as the Multi-Mega in Europe). This unit retailed at $399.95 i
n the US[140] (roughly $100 more than the individual Genesis and Sega CD units p
ut together, since the Sega CD had dropped its price to $229 half a year before[

141]), and was bundled with Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sega Classics Arcade Collecti
on, and the Sega CD version of Ecco the Dolphin.[142] It is incompatible with so
me games and cannot work with the Sega 32X due to overheating and electrical sho
ck issues. The CDX features a small LCD screen that, when the unit is used to pl
ay audio CDs, displays the current track being played.[143] With this feature an
d the system's lightweight build (weighing two pounds), Sega marketed it in part
as a portable CD player.[140]
Late in the 16-bit era, Sega released a handheld version of the console called t
he Genesis Nomad. Its design was based on the Mega Jet, a Mega Drive portable un
it featured on airplane flights in Japan. As the only successor to the Game Gear
, the Nomad operates on 6 AA batteries, displaying its graphics on a 3.25-inch (
8.25-mm) LCD screen. The Nomad supports the entire Genesis library, but cannot b
e used with the Sega 32X, the Sega CD, or the Power Base Converter.[144]
Exclusive to the Japanese market was the TeraDrive, a Mega Drive combined with a
computer. Sega also produced three arcade system boards based on the Mega Drive
: the System C-2, the MegaTech, and the MegaPlay, which support approximately 80
games combined.[20]
Third-party models
Wondermega
Wondermega 2
Amstrad Mega PC
Wondermega (JVC model)
Wondermega 2
Amstrad Mega PC
Majesco's Sega Genesis 3
AtGames's Sega Firecore
Pioneer LaserActive
Genesis 3
Firecore
LaserActive
Working with Sega Enterprises, JVC released the Wondermega on April 1, 1992, in
Japan. The system was later redesigned by JVC and released as the X'Eye in North
America in September 1994. Designed by JVC to be a Genesis and Sega CD combinat
ion with high quality audio, the Wondermega's high price ($500 at launch[145]) k
ept it out of the hands of average consumers.[146] The same was true of the Pion
eer LaserActive, which requires an add-on known as the Mega-LD pack, developed b
y Sega, in order to play Genesis and Sega CD games. Though the LaserActive was l
ined up to compete with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the combined price of t
he system and the Mega-LD pack made it a prohibitively expensive option for Sega
players.[147] Aiwa also released the CSD-GM1, a combination Genesis/Sega CD uni
t built into a boombox. Several companies added the Mega Drive to personal compu
ters, mimicking the design of Sega's TeraDrive; these include the MSX models AX330 and AX-990, distributed in Kuwait and Yemen, and the Amstrad Mega PC, distri
buted in Europe and Australia.[20]
After the Genesis was discontinued, Majesco Entertainment released the Genesis 3
as a budget version of the console in 1998.[148] In 2009, AtGames began produci
ng two new variations: the Firecore, which can play original Genesis cartridges
as well as preloaded games, and a handheld console preloaded with 20 Genesis gam

es.[149] Numerous companies, including Radica Games, have also released various
compilations of Genesis and Mega Drive games in "plug-and-play" packages resembl
ing the system's controller.[150]
Re-releases and emulation
A number of Genesis and Mega Drive emulators have been produced, including GenEM
, KGen, Genecyst, VGen, St0rm,[151] and Gens.[152] The GameTap subscription gami
ng service included a Sega Genesis emulator and had several dozen licensed Genes
is games in its catalog.[153] The Console Classix subscription gaming service al
so includes an emulator and has several hundred Sega Genesis games in its catalo
g.[154] In addition to emulation, a number of Sega Genesis games have been relea
sed on compilation discs for other video game consoles. These include Sonic Mega
Collection and Sonic Gems Collection for PS2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube; Sega
Genesis Collection for PS2 and PSP, and most recently Sonic's Ultimate Genesis
Collection (known as the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL territories)
for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[155][156]
During his keynote speech at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo presi
dent Satoru Iwata announced that Sega was going to make a number of Genesis/Mega
Drive titles available to download on the Wii's Virtual Console.[157] These gam
es are now available along with other systems' titles under the Wii's Virtual Co
nsole.[157] There are also select Sega Genesis titles available on the Xbox 360
through Xbox Live Arcade, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2,[158] as well a
s games available via the PlayStation Network[159] and Steam.[160]
Later releases
On May 22, 2006, North American company Super Fighter Team released Beggar Princ
e, a game translated from a 1996 Chinese original.[161] It was released worldwid
e and was the first commercial Genesis game release in North America since 1998.
[162] Super Fighter Team would later go on to release two more games for the sys
tem, Legend of Wukong and Star Odyssey.[162] In December 2010, WaterMelon, an Am
erican company, released Pier Solar and the Great Architects, the first commerci
al role-playing video game specifically developed for the console since 1996,[16
3] and also the biggest 16-bit game ever produced at 64Mb.[164] Pier Solar is al
so the only cartridge-based game which can optionally use the Sega CD to play a
special enhanced soundtrack and sound effects disc.[165] In 2013, independent pr
ogrammer Future Driver, inspired by the Disney film Wreck-It Ralph, developed Fi
x-It Felix Jr. for the Genesis.[166]
On December 5, 2007, Tec Toy released a portable version of Mega Drive with twen
ty built-in games.[167] Another version of the console called "Mega Drive Guitar
Idol" comes with two six-button joypads and a guitar controller with five fret
buttons. The Guitar Idol game contains a mix of Brazilian and international song
s. The console has 87 built-in games, including some new ones from Electronic Ar
ts based on the mobile phone versions.[168]
In 2009, Chinese company AtGames produced a new Sega Genesis/Mega Drive-compatib
le console, the Firecore.[149] It features a top-loading cartridge slot and incl
udes two controllers similar to the six-button controller for the original Genes
is. The console has 15 games built-in and is region-free, allowing cartridge gam
es to run regardless of their region of origin.[169] AtGames also produces a han
dheld version of the console.[170] Both machines have been released in Europe by
distributing company Blaze Europe.[169]
Reception and legacy
The Sega Genesis has often been considered among the best video game consoles ev
er produced. In 2009, IGN named the Sega Genesis the fifth best video game conso
le, citing its edge in sports games and better home version of Mortal Kombat, an
d lauding "what some consider to be the greatest controller ever created: the si
x button."[171] In 2007, GameTrailers named the Sega Genesis as the sixth best c

onsole of all time in their list of top ten consoles that "left their mark on th
e history of gaming," noting its great games and solid controller, and writing o
f the "glory days" of Sonic the Hedgehog.[172] In January 2008, technology colum
nist Don Reisinger proclaimed that the Sega Genesis "created the industry's best
console war to date," citing Sonic the Hedgehog, superior sports games, and bac
kwards compatibility with the Sega Master System.[173] GamingExcellence also gav
e the Sega Genesis sixth place in 2008, declaring "one can truly see the Genesis
for the gaming milestone it was."[174] At the same time, GameDaily rated it nin
th of ten for its memorable games.[175] In 2014, USgamer's Jeremy Parish wrote t
hat "If the Atari generation introduced video games as a short-lived '70s fad ..
. and the NES generation established it into an enduring obsession for the young
, Sega's Genesis began pushing the medium toward something resembling its contem
porary form", expounding that the system served as "the key incubator for modern
sports franchises", made "consoles truly international" by providing Western th
ird-parties previously put at a disadvantage by Nintendo's restrictive licensing
policies with a more profitable alternative, created "an online subscription se
rvice" that foreshadowed "PlayStation Plus more than 15 years early" with the Se
ga Channel, and "played a key role in ensuring the vitality and future of the ga
mes industry by breaking Nintendo's near-monopolistic hold on the U.S. and awake
ning the U.K. to the merits of television gaming."[176] For his part, Kalinske h
ighlighted Sega's role in developing games for an older demographic and pioneeri
ng "the concept of the 'street date'" with the simultaneous North American and E
uropean release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.[177][178] John Sczepaniak of Retro Game
r noted "It was a system where the allure was born not only of the hardware and
games, but the magazines, playground arguments, climate, and politics of the tim
e."[20]
See also
Portal icon
Sega portal
Portal icon
Video games portal
Portal icon
1980s portal
Portal icon
1990s portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sega Mega Drive.
Neo Geo
Philips CD-i
Notes
Through use of the Power Base Converter peripheral
Super Gam*Boy (Hangul: ?????), Super Aladdin Boy (Hangul: ???????)
References
Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 3/4. GameTap. 2009-02-17. Event occ
urs at 1:25. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
Boutros, Daniel (2006-08-04). "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Gamasutra. p. 5. Retrieved
2011-09-24.
Horowitz, Ken (2006-03-28). "Interview: Dr. Stephen Clarke-Willson". Retrieved 2
011-12-26.
Fahs, Travis (April 21, 2009). "IGN Presents the History of Sega (page 5)". IGN.
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[show]
v t e
Sega
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v t e
Video game consoles (Fourth generation)
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v t e
Home video game consoles
Authority control
GND: 4297332-6
Categories:
Products introduced in 1988Products introduced in 1989Products introduced in
19901997 disestablishments1999 disestablishmentsHome video game consolesFourthgeneration video game consolesSega consolesSega GenesisVideo game console add-on
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