Sega Genesis

Genesis of a New Era: How the Sega Genesis Changed Console Gaming

The Sega Genesis changed the game, no doubt about it. With Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Phantasy Star IV, it was a must-have console for any real gamer. And let’s not forget the iconic sports games like NBA Jam and NHL ’94 that we all spent hours playing. Of course for me, it was Golden Axe.

Interesting Facts:

The Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega Drive in Japan and Europe, was first released in 1988.
The console was known for its “Blast Processing” technology, which was a marketing term used to describe its faster processing speed compared to other consoles of the time.

Hardware

Used a Motorola 68000 CPU clocked at 7.6 MHz, over twice as fast as the SNES
Had a palette of 512 colors with up to 61 displayable on screen
Backward compatible with Sega Master System games via an adapter

Games

Launched with successful arcade ports like Altered Beast and Golden Axe
Sonic the Hedgehog became the killer app and mascot after its 1991 release
Had a library of over 900 games from Sega and third-party publishers
Notable franchises included Sonic, Streets of Rage, Phantasy Star, Shining Force

Marketing

“Genesis does what Nintendon’t” ad campaign positioned it as the cooler, edgier console
Controversial marketing included references to drugs, sex, and violence
Mortal Kombat’s violence led to the creation of the ESRB rating system

Add-Ons

Sega CD (1992) and 32X (1994) add-ons attempted to prolong its lifespan
But were commercial failures due to high prices and lack of killer apps

Legacy

Sold over 30 million units worldwide, though less than the SNES
Considered one of the greatest and most influential consoles of its era
Helped establish Sega as a major player before decline in later generations

15 Things You Never Knew About the Sega Genesis

There was a time when Nintendo was a bit too synonymous with video games. You didn’t own an NES. You owned a Nintendo. You weren’t playing your old Atari. You were playing Nintendo. You asked your parents for quarters so you could go to the arcade and play Nintendo.

Sega’s adventures in hardware would end in tragedy after tragedy years later, but in October of 1988, Japan released the Mega Drive. Nearly a year later, it came to North America as the Genesis.

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