Region codes

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In the late 1980s, Sega made the choice of localising their releases for specific countries. To keep things in check the product code (listed on all Sega hardware and software) was often altered to reflect which region of the world the product was intended for. It is an extension of the system which first started in Japan, and applies to most regions of the world.

This article describes the most common form of product region codes when dealing with Sega products. Others exist but were not as widely practised. This particular form has never been used in Japan or North America, and is completely absent from early games (typically those for the SG-1000).

Regions are identified by the last three digits of Sega product codes. Most common format is the following:

First-Party:

MK-XXXYYY-ZZ

Third-Party:

T-XXXYYY-ZZ

in which green symbolises the First-Party MK-Series Code or Third-Party T-Series Code, and purple dictates the region. The amount of numbers may vary, and some codes lack the "MK-" or "T-". Often European country codes only apply to packaging - the cartridges or discs may be identical to other European releases. In some cases European product codes are identical to those used in North America.

Identifying region codes is vital for documenting Sega game releases. Games can vary between regions of the world for language, marketing or censorship purposes. Many databases fail to take these attributes into account.

Code	Region	Notes	Examples
03	Europe	Some Master System releases.	Lord of the Sword, Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord, Ys: Ancient Ys Vanished Omen
05	United Kingdom	Older UK releases may use -50.
06	Spain	Sometimes paired with Italy
07	Asia	Not including Japan and South Korea
08	South Korea	Came into use with the Sega Saturn
09	France
11	China	Distributed by Freeton Co.
13	Italy
16	Taiwan
18	Germany
20	The Netherlands
22	Canada
27	France/Spain
29	Germany	Alternative to -18	Worms Armageddon
40	Asia	Not including Japan and South Korea
45	Brazil
50	Europe	Used for non-localised European content.
51	Germany/France/The Netherlands		Gauntlet Legends, Marvel vs. Capcom
53	United Kingdom/France/Germany/Spain	Alternative to -50
55	The Netherlands
56	United Kingdom/Italy		Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
58	Germany/France/The Netherlands		Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2, Pen Pen
59	France/The Netherlands		Fur Fighters, V-Rally 2: Expert Edition
60	Italy/Spain		Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
61	United Kingdom/Spain/Italy		Gauntlet Legends, Pen Pen
64	United Kingdom/France/Germany		Wetrix Plus, Wild Metal
71	United Kingdom/France/Germany/Spain	Alternative to -50	Conflict Zone
72	France/Spain	Sometimes alternative to -50	Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Conflict Zone
74	United Kingdom/Germany/Italy/The Netherlands		Stupid Invaders
75	France/Spain/Italy		Disney's Donald Duck Quack Attack
76	United Kingdom/Spain/The Netherlands		Deadly Skies, ESPN International Track & Field
77	Germany/France/Italy		Deadly Skies
78	Scandinavia
79	France/The Netherlands/Italy/Spain		Worms Armageddon
80	France (with English language)		Evil Dead: Hail to the King
83	France/Germany		Dragon's Blood
87	Germany/France/Italy		ESPN International Track & Field
89	United Kingdom/France/Germany/Sweden/Finland		NHL 2K
91	United Kingdom/The Netherlands		Le Mans 24 Hours

Other consoles have different methods. For example, Nintendo currently employs a coloured triangle system.