Created in 1988, the Mega Drive - known as the Genesis in
the United States due to issues getting the name trademarked - was Sega's
bold entry into the 16-Bit era.
Slick and black, the console boasted many great games, from
arcade ports to platforming gems. Unfortunately while the
console was a much greater success than the company's previous
8-Bit machine, the Master System; the lead that the Nintendo
Entertainment System enjoyed made it difficult to break into
the US market. Clever marketing helped the console to
establish a slice of the action, in particular slogans like
"Genesis does what Nintendon't". The system
managed to hold its own, thanks, in part, to a supersonic
blue hedgehog and obtaining Electronic Arts and it's
lucrative - and numerous - sports titles.
In the end the Mega Drive was Sega most successful console,
a sleek and iconic piece of hardware that stood firm and
gave gamers something alternative to Nintendo at an
affordable price. Unfortunately Sega then tried to keep the
machine alive with short-sighted, ill-supported add-ons like
the Mega-CD and the 32X, which would eventually turn several
gamers toward the new machine from Sony.
Created in 1988, the Mega Drive - known as the Genesis in
the United States due to issues getting the name trademarked - was Sega's
bold entry into the 16-Bit era.
Slick and black, the console boasted many great games, from
arcade ports to platforming gems. Unfortunately while the
console was a much greater success than the company's previous
8-Bit machine, the Master System; the lead that the Nintendo
Entertainment System enjoyed made it difficult to break into
the US market. Clever marketing helped the console to
establish a slice of the action, in particular slogans like
"Genesis does what Nintendon't". The system
managed to hold its own, thanks, in part, to a supersonic
blue hedgehog and obtaining Electronic Arts and it's
lucrative - and numerous - sports titles.