The Mega Drive turns 20

Vexorg · Post by **Vexorg** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:04 pm

Over at Kotaku today, they've pointed out that today is the 20th anniversary of the Japanese release of the Mega Drive. The Genesis didn't make it to the US for nearly another year, and Europe didn't get it until 1990 though. At the time I was pretty firmly in the Nintendo camp, but these days I still have my Genesis hooked up to the TV right next to the 360 and Wii, although I haven't used it in a while. I've also got a JVC X'Eye in the closet that I haven't used much in a while, and used to have a Nomad before I traded it off. I'll have to see about firing it up for a few rounds of TFIII and Fire Shark tonight...

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:35 pm

In the last year or so I've gotten a huge Genesis collection going. I missed a lot of great stuff owning only a SNES most of that time, especially shmups. Let's see some top tens. Here's mine off the top of my head:

01 Shinobi III
02 Thunderforce III
03 Streets of Rage II
04 Columns III
05 Sonic 3 and Knuckles
06 Rocket Knight Adventures
07 Fire Shark
08 Contra Hard Corps
09 Castlevania Bloodlines
10 Musha Aleste

If you plan on celebrating any of those would be a good start. Here's some more obscure stuff...

Crusader of Centy: Weird Zelda type game with graphics unlike anything I've seen on the system anywhere else. Published by Atlus in the US. I think the EU name is Soleil or something.

Pulseman: Platformer that is as innovative as most of the stuff Treasure put out. Design by Game Freak, character designs look a bit like Pokemon at times. There's a full english translation somewhere.

Monster World IV: Wonder Boy in Monster World but fleshed out to Super Metroid levels of intensity. Japan only but there's a 100% english translation of this too.

also HAPPY BIRTHDAY

D · Post by D » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:45 pm

Let's not forget Shadow Dancer.
Never owned a 16-Bit Sega Console.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:54 pm

Perhaps a little TF IV playtime is in order to celebrate.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:58 pm

Emulation is great and everything but nothing is like playing on the real deal. Here's to you my sweet 16 bit SEGA machine.

croikle · Post by **croikle** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:06 pm

ZERO WING

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:28 pm

Contra Hardcorps for me, though emulated. I will play Lunar tonight after work. Thank you, Sega, for one of the greatest consoles ever made.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:31 pm

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?ar ... 562&page=1

Too much goodness on MD to pick up a few and celebrate - I was thinking to get myself the Sega Consumer History book

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:41 pm

The Sega Genesis debuted on USA soil at the MSRP of $199.99 USD back in the summer of 1989. And it launched within a few weeks timeframe of NEC's launch of it's American PC Engine console, the Turbo Grafx-16 -- with a MSRP of $189.99 USD. NEC was unprepared for that stunt and never recovered from it. NEC also admitted that if they had done their homework properly, the TG-16 console would've launched all by itself with no competitors around. Too late to learn that particular lesson but future console releases could learn from it. And the same thing with the Turbo Duo console, TTI should've released more killer app gaming titles for the USA market but did not do so. When the big guns of Sega and Nintendo had Street Fighter II for their consoles, TTI just couldn't muster up the necessary cash for it to be ported on the Duo/TG-16 platforms and everything went downhill from that point on. TTI even resorted to selling it's TG-16 console with a bundled packaged deal of two Hu-Card games of Blazing Lazers and Air Zonk to entice last minute sales but that really didn't make a dent sales-wise in 1993 for it's unsold remaining inventory. ^_~

You might recall that the USA PS3 and the USA Wii consoles launched within mere days of each other...of course, the Wii console still continues to outsell the PS3 to this day.

Here's to a happy 20th B-Day, Mega Drive/Genesis... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:48 pm

http://kotaku.com/5070365/the-sega-genesis-turns-20

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:43 pm

Pixel_Outlaw wrote:Emulation is great and everything but nothing is like playing on the real deal.

Tightest cartridge slot ever.

Seriously, it's kind of annoying.

Playing Gunstar today (why not something good, you ask?).

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:47 pm

At least the Majesco produced Sega Genesis III console's cart slot is roomy enough to accomdate both Genesis and Mega Drive games without the need for modification. Unfortunately, it's a stripped down Genesis at best. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:48 pm

Rob wrote:
Pixel_Outlaw wrote:Emulation is great and everything but nothing is like playing on the real deal.
Tightest cartridge slot ever.

You file it, Rob. That's how you enjoy all those awesome imports.

Matsunaga · Post by **Matsunaga** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:27 pm

I have my sega CDX hooked up right now, mostly for MUSHA, Eternal Champions, and General Chaos. I was always a Sega fan, too bad they gave up on consoles.

Leandro · Post by **Leandro** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:31 pm

happy birthday to my favorite system

MOSQUITO FIGHTER · Post by **MOSQUITO FIGHTER** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:09 am

I remember when the Genesis first came out with Altered Beast. I rented one with Streets of Rage when I was a kid. I loved the music.

Everyone I went to school with had the Genesis. It was terrible. I’ll never forget everyone reminding me that it’s the system that has the version of Mortal Kombat with blood in it.

Eventually got one used after getting out of High School so I could play the Thunder Force games and ended up enjoying it quite a lot. The Genesis really got me into shooters. Plus it was the perfect system for someone with a crappy minimum-wage job. I could pick games on it for $3. It was nice.

Happy Birthday Genesis

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:00 am

Shit's old.

(I have like, I dunno, eight of the things in all sorts of configurations. Don't have a Teradrive or CD-X or X'Eye/Wondermega though).

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:47 am

Sega kicks much ass!!!
I too still have a Sega unit (or two...three) hooked up to the ole 27 incher!
After 8-Bit Nintendo, there was nothing else worth playing. In other words, Sega took over where Nintendo left off, not that they left off poorly.
Its all about the games...long live great playable games!

ThunderForce II 1987/89!!! At LAUNCH!!!

Play on...

Diabollokus · Post by **Diabollokus** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:18 pm

Has it really been that long? I still remember playing hellfire back in 1991 and streets of rage. Shining force 1 was awesome, I could reminisce all day about it.

I never actually played rocket knight adventure although I did beat the genesis sequel sparkster back in 1995. Thank god for emulation I say.

joeboto · Post by **joeboto** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:24 pm

my sega mega drive unit has lost. friend borrowed from me, but i didnt remember to take it back. shame..

first game was Red Zone. damn hard game, but i still remember some of the passwords till today.

KindGrind · Post by **KindGrind** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:11 pm

A great console I discovered somewhat late (having owned both consoles during their peak, and played the snes A LOT more). Pretty much the one I had most fun collecting games for. Lots of great titles, mostly on the japanese side of things.

MOSQUITO FIGHTER · Post by **MOSQUITO FIGHTER** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:26 pm

Behold! The leaning tower of Sega.

Picture just cracks me up.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:33 am

^ the left side of that picture reminds me of an upright vaccum cleaner!

Just add a handle.

Bloodreign · Post by **Bloodreign** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:06 am

Celebrated the old Genny by playing and finally completing the last good version of Ghouls N Ghosts I was never able to beat, too bad it was the US version with more checkpoints (with the Japanese version accessible via code, would've been better that way).

LaserGun · Post by **LaserGun** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:04 am

Here's a pic of my favorite games that I own:

I actually haven't completed Bloodlines, I remember getting far when I was much younger and I just couldn't be bothered writing down the passwords at the end of each level.

I actually haven't touched my Megadrive in 3 years now since getting an emulator on my Xbox and PC.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:09 pm

I played a little of Road Rash on ye N64 and it's hilarious.

I understand the original 3DO version is a classic, I should check out the Genny version too though.

Never_Scurred · Post by **Never_Scurred** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:10 pm

D wrote:Let's not forget Shadow Dancer.
Never owned a 16-Bit Sega Console.

Shame.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:11 pm

You haven't beaten Bloodlines yet? Just pick Eric and it should be a cinch.

Stormwatch · Post by **Stormwatch** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:32 pm

D wrote:Let's not forget Shadow Dancer.

A game that would have been awesome, if only it had a fuckin LIFE BAR.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:22 pm

Wimp.