Sega Genesis
- Manufacturer
- Sega
- Production
- 1989–1997
- Generation
- Gen 4
- Type
- Home
- Launch price
- $189
- Units sold
- 30.8M
About Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in October 1988 in Japan as the Mega Drive, and in August 1989 in North America as the Genesis. In 1990, it was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, Ozisoft in Australasia, and Tectoy in Brazil. In South Korea, it was distributed by Samsung Electronics as the Super Gam*Boy and later the Super Aladdin Boy.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Library & collector facts
915licensed games
- North America: 712
- Japan: 539
- PAL: 752
Lineage
Release timeline
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- October 29, 1988
- 🇺🇸 North America
- September 1, 1990
- 🇪🇺 Europe / PAL
- September 1, 1990
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- September 1, 1990
- Lifespan
- 8 years on market
Pricing
Launch price (1989)
- 🇺🇸 USD
- $189
- 🇯🇵 JPY
- ¥21,000
- 🇬🇧 GBP
- £190
Launch titles & exclusives
Altered Beast · Last Battle · Space Harrier II · Super Thunder Blade · Tommy Lasorda Baseball · World Championship Soccer · Ghouls 'n Ghosts · Truxton · Forgotten Worlds · Mystic Defender
Altered Beast (early NA bundles); Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 onward — the system-seller bundle that defined the platform)
Sonic the Hedgehog 1/2/3 & Knuckles · Streets of Rage trilogy · Phantasy Star II/III/IV · Shining Force I & II · Gunstar Heroes · Comix Zone · Vectorman · Toejam & Earl · Ranger X · Alien Soldier · Castlevania: Bloodlines · Rocket Knight Adventures · Eternal Champions · Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 · Dynamite Headdy · Beyond Oasis · The Story of Thor
Tectoy continued producing Mega Drive games in Brazil into the 2010s; Pier Solar and the Great Architects (2010, indie release) is widely cited as the highest-profile late release
Pier Solar CIB (~$200+); Adventures of Batman & Robin (~$300+ CIB); Mickey Mania (rare CIB); Tempo (~$150+); Sega Genesis Classics gold-color promotional carts
Variants of Sega Genesis
Hardware specs
- Cpu
- Motorola 68000 @ 7.6 MHz, Zilog Z80 @ 3.58 MHz
- Ram
- 64 KB RAM, 64 KB VRAM, 8 KB audio RAM
- Sound
- Yamaha YM2612, Texas Instruments SN76489
- Display Output
- Progressive: 320×224, 256×224 (NTSC) or 320×240, 256×240 (PAL) pixels, 512 color palette, 61 colors on-screen, Interlaced: 320×448, 256×448 (NTSC) or 320×480, 256×480 (PAL)
Hardware revisions
- Model 1(1988)
original launch hardware ('Genesis Model 1' with 'High Definition Graphics' badge), separate Power Base Converter for SMS support, EXT port for the (cancelled) Mega Modem, the only model that handles the analog YM2612 sound chip's true output — collector-prized for FM audio
- Model 2(1993)
cost-reduced redesign, slightly different audio output (collector debate about which sounds 'better'), more reliable
- Model 3(1998)
cheaper plasticky redesign, no headphone jack, no expansion port
- Nomad(1995)
portable Genesis with composite TV-out, ~3 hours on 6 AAs (poor battery life)
- Tectoy Mega Drive 4(Brazil)
built-in games with HDMI output (modern production)
Launch colorways & special editions
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Beta Edition (gold)
- Various JP color variants
- Nomad portable Genesis (1995, NA-only handheld)
- Tectoy Mega Drive Brazil variants in many colors
Modding scene
- Difficulty
- soft-mod
- Custom firmware
- N/A; flashcarts: MegaSD (FPGA, plays CD and 32X too), Mega EverDrive Pro
Reception & legacy
Strong — Sega's aggressive 'Genesis Does What Nintendon't' campaign and a 2-year head start over the SNES gave it real competitive footing in NA
Mortal Kombat blood-code controversy (1992 SNES had sweat, Genesis had blood, contributed to the 1993 congressional hearings and ESRB creation); Sonic 2 'Sonic 2sday' simultaneous worldwide launch (1992) was a landmark marketing innovation
Sega's commercial peak; nearly tied Nintendo in NA during 16-bit era; Sonic established as cultural icon; the 1993 congressional hearings prompted by Genesis-vs-SNES Mortal Kombat directly created the ESRB rating system
References
More from Sega
No Sega Genesis listings yet. List yours or browse similar items.
Sega Genesis in the news
Recent coverage mentioning the Sega Genesis, gathered from 80+ gaming-news sources.
8 Sega Genesis JRPGs With Surprising Developers Behind Them
When you think of consoles with JRPGs made by an all-star cast of developers, if you don't think of the Sega Genesis, you should.
"The Single Largest Upgrade The Game Has Ever Had" - Sega's Ghostbusters Is Getting A Massive Overhaul
"I might take a break from ROM Hacking for a bit when it's all said an done". Released on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1990 and jointly developed by Sega and Compile, Ghostbusters was a unique release. Rather than attempt to follow the plot of the movies – released in 1984 and 1989 – it presented...
You Can Play Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon's Unofficial Genesis / Mega Drive Port Now
Update: Public demo now available. The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive is doing pretty well when it comes to fan-made ports of Castlevania games – not only is the 16-bit system getting Symphony of the Night, Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania IV conversions, it's also getting Circle Of The Moon, the...
Cuphead Developers Announce New SEGA Genesis Game "Mighty Cuphead Adventure"
I love seeing “modern” studios and developers create retro versions of their games, and even more so when it’s available for retro consoles, physically. It’s the subtle nod to an era that changed the industry for good and also shines a spotlight on systems
"A Small Tribute To One Of My Favorite Games" - Game Boy Tetris Is Being Ported To Sega Genesis
Tetris DMG-01 goes from small screen to big screen. Homebrew developer >>>AAR<<< is currently working on a Sega Genesis port of the Game Boy version of Tetris. Released in 1989, this is considered by many to be one of the most influential ports of Alexey Pajitnov's legendary falling-block puzzler....
Lego Sega Genesis Set Can Also Look Like a Mega Drive
The Lego Sega Genesis console set is out now and includes parts to build a Mega Drive. The post Lego Sega Genesis Set Can Also Look Like a Mega Drive appeared first on Siliconera.