Console of the Month (Sept 2023) - Sega Mega Drive/Genesis

[bmoc]

Sega released the Mega Drive (as it was known in most markets) in the late 80's or early 90's depending on where you lived. Known as the Genesis in North America, it beat Nintendo's 16-bit system to market and vastly outsold the SNES for many years. The initial pack-in game was a port of Sega's arcade hit, Altered Beast, but it would soon be replaced with Sonic the Hedgehog who became the company's mascot.

The Genesis is also well known for its many hardware variations and addons. There were three console revisions produced by Sega (Model 1, Model 2, and CDX) - four if you count the portable Nomad. Sega also licensed third parties to make variations of its console such as the JVC X'Eye, Genesis Model 3 (Majesco), and a module for the Pioneer Laseractive. Sega also really really liked addons during this time period. The Genesis was backwards compatible with Master System games but you needed an adapter known as the Power Base Converter. Sega also released a CD-ROM addon called the Mega-CD/Sega CD and a 32bit addon called the 32X. Night Trap (a Sega CD game) along with Mortal Kombat were at the center of congressional hearings on video game violence that led to the formation of the ESRB.

What were your favorite games for the Sega Genesis? At the height of the "console wars", were you Team Sega or Team Nintendo? Did you buy a 32X back in the day only to be disappointed by its paltry library? Share any other memories and experiences with Sega's 16bit console.

[Raging Justice]

One thing I loved about the Genesis was how it gave us alternate versions of certain games and franchises. Aladdin was two different games depending on if you played The Genesis version or the SNES one. And while many classic franchises migrated from the NES to the SNES. The Genesis allowed them to experiment with those franchises. The SNES would get a normal Contra game in Contra III and the Genesis would get a different take on the formula with Contra Hard Corps,

Genesis pushed the boundaries of animation too with games like Aladdin. While the Genesis and the SNES were wowing us with near arcade ports, Genesis was also wowing us with games that looked like cartoons. The SNES would end following suit.

The SNES is known for its high quality audio, but the Genesis gave us some of the greatest soundtracks ever in spite of supposedly inferior audio capabilities. The Sonic games, Jesper Kid soundtracks, the Streets of Rage series, Gunstar Heroes, the Shinobi games, Thunderforce games, some Sunsoft games (Batman}, etc. Not to mention the Sega CD library. I think Genesis is more remembered for its music than the SNES is.

I also remember the Genesis as the "edgier" console with blood in games where the SNES version would remove it.

And the TV commercials, Sega was killing Nintendo in that department. The 16-bit console wars remind me of the Monday Night Wars that pro wrestling fans are familiar with.

As for its games, plenty of great ones, a few standout though for their impact. Sonic, the Streets of Rage series (possibly the most copied games ever in the indie and homebrew scenes), Aladdin, Shinobi, Strider, Gunstar Heroes, etc., not to mention arcade ports like Golden Axe.

[Raging Justice]

Somewhat related to this topic, how many of you have seen the Sonic movies? In addition to tons of references to the old Sega Genesis games, they have these awesome intro sequences that you see before the movies start. It's like this big collage showing gameplay from years of Sega games. It starts out with a bunch of Genesis games you'll all recognize before eventually showing you stuff like Valkyria Chronicles. It's a thing of beauty that can bring a tear to your eye. If you haven't seen it here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwJQiWG2Qkg

Here's a pic, but it's better to see the thing in motion in the youtube clip:



I didn't see the Sonic movies in theaters (saw them at home), but I would imagine this would get older people in attendance cheering.

[RobertAugustdeMeijer]

Not as good as the Super Nintendo, and I'll debate anyone who thinks otherwise!

One thing I respect a lot is its PC ports and strategy games, like Star Control, Starflight, Pirates!, Buck Rogers, Langrisser, Dune 2, Gain Ground, General Chaos, Herzog Zwei, and King's Bounty

[Limewater]

I was definitely team Nintendo in the nineties. The general opinion locally at the time was that the Genesis/Mega Drive was better for sports games, but the SNES was better for most other genres. I'm not going to pretend that I was some level-headed, objective arbiter at the time. I criticized the Genesis for some pretty stupid stuff.

I did NOT like the Genesis controller. The D-pad was too big, and I didn't like the large circular pad. Similarly, the buttons were too large and far apart. I didn't feel like I could easily get from A to C if I needed. I will say, though, that I was also put-off by the SNES controller because I thought it had too many buttons and I wouldn't be able to keep them straight.

I didn't actually own my own SNES or Genesis until after 2005. I am also probably one of the few Americans who has more direct play time on the Sega Master System than the Genesis.

I remember watching my cousin playing the Sega CD version of Dragon's Lair. I think he had some kind of infinite lives cheat enabled, but I was amazed at it. I might have previously seen a Mad Dog McCree machine once before, but that might have been my first exposure to FMV games. Otherwise, I mostly only saw folks playing Sonic, Sonic 2, Altered Beast, or various Madden iterations.

At this point I'm pretty sure I've played more Genesis games via emulation on other systems than I have on original hardware, via things like the PS2 version of the Sonic Mega Collection Plus.

[RobertAugustdeMeijer]

The general opinion locally at the time was that the Genesis/Mega Drive was better for sports games

Madden '92 and '93, and NHLPA '93 had better frame rates. And there were the Mutant League games. Other than that, it was really neck to neck. Here's a zipper list:

Sports Talk Baseball - Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
World Series Baseball - Keny Griffey Presents MLB
??? - NCAA Basketball
NBA Jam - NBA Jam
NBA Live - NBA Live
Better Madden 92/93 - Worse Madden 92/93
Madden 94-98 - Madden 94-98
Tecmo Super Bowl - Tecmo Super Bowl
Mutant League Football - ???
Better NHLPA 93 - Worse NHLPA 93
NHL 94 - NHL 94
Mutant League Hockey - ???
World Trophy Soccer - Super Soccer
FIFA International Soccer - Striker
Sensible Soccer - Sensible Soccer
FIFA 95 - International Superstar Soccer
??? - Super Tennis
Greatest Heavyweights - Super Punch-Out!!
PGA Golf Tour - Irem Skin's Game/Hal's Hole-in-One

[Markies]

So, the Sega Genesis was the first console that I ever considered to be mine. I played my older brothers 2600 and NES prior, but I was given a Genesis as a Christmas present one year. And I remember enjoying the console at the time. I did not have a ton of games for it, but the ones I had, I really enjoyed.

Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, NBA Jam, NHL 95, Outrun 2019, Street Fighter II...

After I moved on from the console, I still go back to it every now and then, but it has been a bit difficult. The games created for the Genesis always seemed to be a bit more difficult. Maybe its because of Sega's arcade roots, but most of them have limited continues and can be quite brutal. However, I have found some hidden gems and some very enjoyable games. Its kind of like a needle in the haystack, but when you find one, they are quite good.

Castle of Illusion, Out Run, Phantasy Star IV, Ristar, Shining Force 1 & 2, TMNT: Hyperstone Heist, Phantasy Star IV...

I still have quite a few of Genesis games left to discover, so I intend to keep playing and buying them for quite a while. Hopefully, I still have quite a few hidden gems to discover.

[Syndicate]

...I've been waiting for the September Console of the Month for a little bit now. The Genesis is perhaps my favorite Sega console and definitely in the running for my favorite console of all time. Coming off of a 7800, for Christmas '89 my parents gave me a choice between the Genesis and TurboGrafx, having experience with the SMS I went for the Genesis and never looked back (not that the TG16 isn't awesome though). Even though the initial launch games were kind of shallow, I had a blast playing through Altered Beast until I was gifted copies of Columns, Moonwalker, and Castle of Illusion. Those were followed up w/ESWAT, Final Zone, and the original Sonic. I was having an amazing time, by '91, Blockbuster had started renting Genesis games and my parents stopped buying and started renting. I was never a fan of this, but it gave me an opportunity to try a pretty good amount of the popular games, classics like Streets of Rage, Toe Jam & Earl, Shinobi III, Mystic Defender, Street Fighter II SCE, Aladdin, Cool Spot, Earthworm Jim and so many others.

...during the 16-bit era I poured through issue after issue of EGM and Visions looking for the next game I needed to check out. The Genesis just holds so many great memories for me. I find that Genesis games have a certain look and feel to them that I just enjoy. As for that trademark Genesis Yamaha FM synth sound, I utterly adore it, to the point that I still listen to a ton of Genesis OSTs weekly. I know a lot of people think that the Genesis has poor sound quality, but it's really about the developer behind the music. Games like Thunder Force III/IV, Streets of Rage 1-3, The Revenge of Shinobi/Shinobi III, M.U.S.H.A, Cool Spot, Ecco, Aladdin, Elemental Master, and quite a few others show what the YM2612+Z80 could really do in capable hands. Other than the 32X debacle, there isn't anything I can say I really don't like about the console. Imo, the 3 and 6 button controllers were awesome. Plus, I even enjoyed the Power Base convertor and Sega CD, access to some fun 8-bit Sega goodness and quite a few CD based gems, it was a great time. There's no doubt that the SNES is a great console, but for me the Genesis is just special. It's home to the first game I ever bought w/my own money, I took it w/me to college, and when I finally got back into classic gaming it was the platform I started with, and the one that I've leaned the hardest into. I even buy Genesis consoles when I come across them at yard sales, I have 3 Model 1s including my original '89 console and two Sega CDs...I just feel like they all need a good home

...I currently have 111 games in my Genesis library and still growing. Though it's sort of difficult w/some of the more desirable classics (Crusader of Centy, Elemental Master, Ristar, and etc) are sort of pricey, I get an imperfect fix from the Genesis Mini consoles and the tons of various Genesis compilation discs that Sega released. From enjoying those excellent commercials, buying my first game ever, to sitting around during summer breaks and playing Sonic and Final Zone while eating a bowl of Triples, and now working through the games I missed...I just have so many great memories around Sega's 16-bit powerhouse.

[RobertAugustdeMeijer]

Great to hear your story, Syndicate!

[ZRofel]

When I was a kid, like many of you have said, I only had enough money to get one console (and not even that, really) so when it came to choosing an SNES or a Genesis, as a satisfied NES owner, I went SNES. Like most kids at the time, I stuck to my side in the console war and took every opportunity to dump on the Genesis in public. But despite that, I actually harbored a secret fascination of the Genesis. Its games just felt so different than what was on the SNES, so much darker and more arcade-like. I'd play stuff like Sonic the Hedgehog, Terminator: The Arcade Game, and Streets of Rage 2 at friends' houses, and while I'd feign indifference in front of my friends, I'd always secretly wish I could take the games home and play them for a while at my leisure. When I eventually got obsessed with RPGs, the SNES definitely felt like the right place to be, despite the occasionally intriguing looking Sega CD ad for stuff like Lunar or Popful Mail. By the time I'd gotten to college I'd largely dismissed the Genesis as having nothing to offer my gaming interests. But then a friend told me, as a lover of Final Fantasy Tactics, I needed to try the two Shining Force games. So, in the early days of emulation, I fired up Shining Force II on an emulator and instantly fell in love with it. It felt like the kind of game I would have instantly become obsessed with as a kid, just as I had with Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, and I actually felt a little sad that I'd missed out on it for so long.

After college, when I really started to get into retro game collecting, I eventually scooped up a super cheap Genesis and started hunting down all the games I'd always wanted. Shining Force II was an early acquisition, as were things like Castlevania: Bloodlines, Streets of Rage 2, Toejam & Earl, and Crusader of Centy. Eventually I actually managed to find a cheap Sega CD in the box, and scooped up all the greats for that as well, like Snatcher, Popful Mail, Shining Force CD, Lunar, etc. I know in recent years people have started to push back against the whole, "the Sega CD was a crappy add-on with no games," line of thought, and I'm with them on that. The Sega CD is actually pretty awesome, and has a robust collection of great games (most of the best of which are exclusive). The 32X on the other hand...

So, while I do still hold my beloved SNES in the highest of esteem, my Genesis, Sega CD, and pile of Genesis/CD games have definitely become beloved parts of my retro game collection. I've really enjoyed getting some of the more recent releases like Beggar Prince, Pier Solar, and l'Abbaye des Morts, as well as first-time U.S. releases like Mega Man: The Wily Wars and Mad Stalker. My recommendation for an awesome, under the radar game is Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter. It's a really tough, really run beat-'em-up based on Mazinger Z. Part of me is a little surprised it actually got a U.S. release back in the day, but when you play it, the grotesque designs of most of the enemies does kind of track with Sega's edgy, heavy-metal-style of the time. Regardless, it's definitely cool that we got it.