Sega Genesis - North American 20th Anniversary

[Sonicwolf]

The Sega Genesis turns 20 here in North America on the 14th of this month and I thought it would be nice to have a show of respect for a great video game console.

I will always remember playing the Genesis whenever I went to my cousins when I was little. It was a lot of fun and a nice change from the Super Nintendo once and a while. I always found Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to be such a great game. Didnt get a Genesis until around 2003 though and now the Genesis ranks as the number one console in my collection for game quantity and for amount of complete game boxes.

[Dire 51]

I'm all for celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Genesis. Got mine hooked up right now and will be playing it soon, actually. It's my second favorite system after the NES. I remember devouring any scrap of info on it that turned up in the game mags at the time. Wish I still had some of those old issues of Game Players and VG&CE, actually, especially the ones with the initial previews.

So many great games for it... so many memories, a lot of which I talk about in my book Memoirs of a Virtual Caveman</shameless plug>. I still have quite a few of the games I bought for it initially, namely Space Harrier II and The Revenge of Shinobi.

[parallaxscroll]

Check out this 20th Anniversary MegaDrive thread
from last year when MegaDrive turned 20 on October 29, 2008

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340372


BTW i *love* this cover from the August 1989 issue of VG&CE:

[Dr. Dib]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nsBoqJ6s8

Now no one else can be in before the post of Genesis does what Nintendon't! Such an in your face ad, but I'm disappointed the advertisement described on Sonic-Cult has never been posted. It i missing from the site, but it was something about the people against SEGA Genesis society laying the grounds for the commercial.

Anyway, my own history with the console is also one where I regarded the Genesis with mystique. I never owned one as a kid, and every chance I got to play it was special. Usually I'd just end up playing Sonic games, but I remember playing a few other games like Toe Jam and Earl.

After many unsuccessful attempts to get a SEGA CDX at a cheap price, I finally got a Genesis 2 bundle in 2007. Since then I've been able to amass a collection of good and bad games. The greatest part about the Genesis today is how easy it is to collect for it. The games are more common than most other consoles and usually are sold for a decent price. Unfortunately most of those games are sports games, but whatever.

I'll be sure to remember to give my Genesis a play on Friday.

[parallaxscroll]

'Genesis Does What Nintendon't' was *not* SEGA's first marketing campaign for Genesis. That one started in the 2nd half of 1990, a year after Genesis was released here, well after launch.

SEGA's first marketing campaign for Genesis was:
'We Bring The Arcade Experience Home'
This is what actually helped launch Genesis in 1989.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppui7nC-jFs

[Dr. Dib]

'Genesis Does What Nintendon't' was *not* SEGA's first marketing campaign for Genesis. That one started in the 2nd half of 1990, a year after Genesis was released here, well after launch.

SEGA's first marketing campaign for Genesis was:
'We Bring The Arcade Experience Home'
This is what actually helped launch Genesis in 1989.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo

Never said that it was the first, I just decided to post the Genesis Does What Nintendon't advertisement instead. I'd guess that one is more familiar in people's minds since that was one of SEGA's main marketing strategy up until some time in the Saturn era I think. Won't post a link to the Saturn ad in order to avoid going too much off topic.

[thom_m]

The good ol' Mega Drive deserves one hell of a party. It was my console of choiice during the 16-bit wars, and it's still one of my favorite systems ever. I play it whenever I get the chance.

As ar as I remember (and correct me if I'm wrong), the MD was actually released in Brazil BEFORE it came outthan in the US - the year was also 1990, but it was some months earlier (I can't find the exact date). It's probably the only time something like this ever happened; I think it was because the SMS (released here in 1989) was doing so damn well.

Another fun fact (that you already know, I guess) is that you can still buy a brand new MD here, although it's an ugly, overpriced, cart slot-less turd. And I really don't know if I'm happy that the Mega Drive is somehow still alive, or sad to see it's history tarnished by Tec Toy's current abomination.

[parallaxscroll]

Never said that it was the first, I just decided to post the Genesis Does What Nintendon't advertisement instead. I'd guess that one is more familiar in people's minds since that was one of SEGA's main marketing strategy up until some time in the Saturn era I think.

Oh okay, I just wanted to make sure people understood that, since the first advertizing campaign is usually not remembered, kinda like you mentioned


I wish I could find the very first Sega Genesis commercial for the U.S., it aired in late summer 1989. It was on Youtube about a year or so ago but got taken down. The commercial takes place in a large darkened room with lots of bored kids playing NES games, including Blaster Master. One guy walks down the center of the room upto a huge screen where Genesis' Altered Beast starts playing. It's the same as what is seen at the very end of this commercial (but this isn't the same one)
http://gameads.gamepressure.com/tv_g...al.asp?ID=9865
They probably shared the same assets/props.

[mobiusclimber]

The Genesis was my first console. Absolutely love it and agree there's a ton of great games on it at great prices. I'll have to play some regular Genny games to celebrate. I just beat Snatcher and was planning on firing up some Mega CD games, but since the Genesis is having an anniversary, gotta show my love for the original.

I never did beat Crusader of Centy so maybe that'll be the game I take on.

[Sonicwolf]

I cant share in childhood or first console experiences with the Genesis unfortunately since my parents decided upon a Super Nintendo as our first console. (Not that that was too shabby )

I am going to drag my Xeye out soon and play some Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

[todesengel]

I still remember getting a Genesis for christmas of 1992. Seeing Sonic The Hedgehog running on the demo unit at Toys R Us sold me on picking the Genesis over the SNES.

[parallaxscroll]

I got my Genesis in April 1990, although well post-launch, still well before the Sonic era started in mid 1991.

My first major purchase was Phantasy Star II. It was priced at $79.99 but I only payed like $24 for it. You see, Sega was offering a rebate for your choice of free Genesis game, for those that had purchased the Genesis system. I had selected Forgotten Worlds as my free game. I took my free FW to Toys 'R US and "returned" it for store credit! Got $62 'Geoffrey Dollars', used that towards PSII!

Still have the receipt for that transaction on April 17, 1990:

[Hawksmoor]

I absolutely LOVE the Genesis. Some of my fondest gaming memories involve Genny games, like staying up all night with friends playing through Shining Force 1 and 2.

Xmas of 89, when I got my Genesis, is also one of my best holiday memories. I had asked for a TG-16 that year, but my father and brother decided on the Genesis after playing both Keith Courage and Altered Beast at the store. I was initially a bit let down when I tore off the wrapping paper and saw the Genesis, but after hooking it up and playing Altered Beast that dejection quickly disipated.

[tomaitheous]

I got my Genesis in April 1990, although well post-launch, still well before the Sonic era started in mid 1991.

My first major purchase was Phantasy Star II. It was priced at $79.99 but I only payed like $24 for it. You see, Sega was offering a rebate for your choice of free Genesis game, for those that had purchased the Genesis system. I had selected Forgotten Worlds as my free game. I took my free FW to Toys 'R US and "returned" it for store credit! Got $62 'Geoffrey Dollars', used that towards PSII!

Still have the receipt for that transaction on April 17, 1990:

Hahaha. Nice

[DeputyMoniker]

That mag cover sure makes me miss the good 'ol days. You know, the ones before I had to learn 50 billion different button combos. Genesis was my third console. I got it used from Jake, a stoner kid from school. That was in 8th grade...I'd love to see where that kid ended up. I got the Genny 1, Terminator 2, the Menacer, Flashback, and Streets of Rage 2 from him. Man that was a great system. Good job Sega. Thanks for the memories!

[Sailorneorune]

I was actually late to the party for the Genesis. My first was a model 2 with Sonic 2, actually got it shortly before Sonic 3 came out. The second Genesis (for my brother) came with Sonic & Knuckles.

The first games we bought with our own money were Shining Force II and Beyond Oasis.

And then there was the Sega Channel, which was an extraordinary idea, especially for parents who didn't feel like having their kids fight over the weekend game rental. One also did not have to worry about that copy of Crusader of Centy that seemed to have been rented out since the day after its release. Sega Channel was also great because it bestowed upon us the gift of Pulseman. Good stuff.

[77punk]

Happy Bday Genny! How I always adored Sega hardware..

[jb143]

Growing up, me and all my friends only had NESes so I never actually even played a Genesis untill college (2001/02-ish). It seemed at the time that the 'SEGA' is what the "rich kids" had while everyone else had a 'Nintendo'. Now though, it's one of my favorite consoles to go back to. It has also been one of the best systems to collect for since boxes and manuals can usually be found in the wild.

[RPG_Fanatic]

Happy Birthday Genesis!!!!!! It was the first system I bought with my own money $189 that was a lot back then. Bought mine in early 1990. Altered Beast & Mystic Defender were my first games, the memories.

[Robocop2]

It was my first 16 bit console and I got one Christmas of '89. I had a SNES later and loved it too but the Genny will always be my first love and now 20 years later the one that I remember the fondest. Sure alot will argue the SNES had better sound but I always thought it sounded tinny personally and the Genesis had many more memorable games at least for me. Maybe due in part to the the fact that SEGA has made an attempt to keep its memory alive rather than Big N who really until the VC largely ignored the past systems.
either way happy birthday Genesis