North American Genesis & Megadrive game

[TheRealist50]

ok so, I was playing Strider today. Love that game. Ive have it for at least 10 years but I just noticed something today for the first time. My copy of Strider says on the cart "Megadrive"

So I looked around on the internet to see if there is a version that says "Genesis" I thought maybe they all say "Megadrive" I found out there is a genesis version, so now I'm confused.

The point is how can I play a Megadrive game on a NA Genesis? I don't even know how I have a megadrive game, but the box says "Genesis" The manual says "genesis" but the game says "Megadrive" could this be just an error? or by some very weird way I ended up with a megadrive game.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Apparently, some games work on one, two or three regions. They just switch the language and / or between PAL/NTSC.

You probably got a copy of Strider with the European sticker applied. The ROM for the game is tagged as being UE, which means USA+Europe region.

[j_factor]

All Genesis/Megadrive games prior to 1993-94 had no region lock.

[sylvestor]

The region lock is in the shape of the cart. Japanese carts were a specific shape that fit into the M.D. slot of the same shape. The same is true for PAL/US version(genesis)......B.T.W. The Genesis 3 will accept both type of carts!

[j_factor]

The region lock is in the shape of the cart. Japanese carts were a specific shape that fit into the M.D. slot of the same shape. The same is true for PAL/US version(genesis)......B.T.W. The Genesis 3 will accept both type of carts!

European and American cartridges are interchangeable as far as shape goes. Many later Genesis games had a software lockout, though. But obviously that doesn't apply to Strider.

[retro junkie]

It is a software lockout. All early Mega Drive and Genesis carts are interchangable. I have the first model US Genesis that has the headphone jack and volume control. I am so glad to be able to play Zero Wing, a Mega Drive game, on it. Glad it was made before the date they decided to do the lockout. It also works on my Nomad.