Andlabs/Sega Mega Drive
From Sega Retro
- This rewrite is under active development and will replace the original page once complete.
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| Andlabs/Sega Mega Drive |
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| Manufacturer: Sega |
| Variants: Mega Drive 2, Genesis 3, Sega Mega Jet, Sega Nomad, Sega Teradrive |
| Add-ons: Sega CD, 32X, Power Base Converter, Super Magic Drive |
The Sega Mega Drive, called Sega Genesis in the United States due to trademark issues, is a video game console developed by Sega in 1988 in an attempt to take back its losses in the home gaming market from Nintendo by creating a home console to provide a closer arcade experience at home. Arcade hardware manufacturers had been creating games with more complex visuals and soundscapes than the Nintendo Entertainment System could provide, and Sega saw an opportunity for success — using scaled down versions of commonplace arcade components that would fit more easily in a consumer's budget.
It was first released in Japan on October 29, 1988 with two launch titles, Space Harrier II and Super Thunder Blade, and retailing at ¥21,000. International releases would come over the next few years. The early game library and marketing campaigns focused on the arcade-at-home stance, and the Mega Drive found itself following the trends of arcade games at the time — shoot-'em-ups.