Difference between revisions of "Planet codenames"

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After successfully launching the [[Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]], Sega commissioned several projects under different codenames of the planets in the Solar System. These are listed below.
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After successfully launching the [[Sega Saturn]], Sega retrospectively gave different codenames from the planets in the Solar System to recently released projects, and used 2 more planets after Saturn for subsequent projects, in order to make sorting documentation out easier in the future.
  
<center>
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==Consoles==
{| class=prettytable
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<gallery widths="800px" heights="414px">
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Sega Planet Codenames Blackboard.png|A visual layout of the planet codenames, in a presentation by Hiroyuki Miyazaki.
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</gallery>
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{| class="prettytable" width="auto"
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!Codename||Equivalent
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|-
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|Mercury||[[Sega Game Gear]]
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|-
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|Venus||[[Sega Nomad]]
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|-
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|Earth||Unused
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|-
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|Mars||[[Sega 32X]]
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|-
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|[[Sega Jupiter|Jupiter]]||Cart-based 32-bit system; abandoned in planning stages in favor of a disc-based system that became known as...
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|-
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|[[Sega Saturn|Saturn]]||Final name.
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|-
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|Uranus||Unused.{{ref|1=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqdN_L4YaDE#t=20m24}} [[Hiroyuki Miyazaki]] offered a few explanations for this, saying when pronounced in Japanese it sounds like "Uranu" or "won't sell", what he called "an ominous name for a project."
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|-
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|[[Sega Neptune|Neptune]]||32X/[[Mega Drive]] combo unit
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|-
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|[[Sega Pluto|Pluto]]||[[Sega Saturn]] prototype unit featuring a different shell with a [[NetLink Internet Modem]] accessory built in. Only two produced. Uses US BIOS.
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|}
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Furthermore, hardware released around the time the Saturn was had codenames based on Saturn's moons:
 +
{| class="prettytable" width="auto"
 
!Codename||Equivalent
 
!Codename||Equivalent
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Mercury||[[Sega Game Gear]]
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|Titan||[[Sega Titan Video]]
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|-
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|Janus||[[Sega Picture Magic]]
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|-
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|}
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It is unknown whether the [[Sega CD]], [[Sega Mega Jet]], [[Sega Pico]], arcade hardware, or any other Mega Drive/Saturn-related hardware had codenames.
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By the time the [[Sega Dreamcast]] was planned, Sega had moved on to a new scheme. However during the development of the [[Mega Drive Mini]], due to an urban legend about Earth being the [[Mega Drive]]'s codename, [[Hiroyuki Miyazaki]] decided to give the Mega Drive Mini the codename of "Moon"{{ref|1=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqdN_L4YaDE#t=5m43}}.
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 +
==Games==
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[[File:Constellations Codenames.png|800px]]
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In addition to using space-themed codenames for its consoles, the initial lineup of Saturn games also used codenames internally, this time as constellations{{ref|1=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRLGPRHFiQE}}:
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 +
{| class="prettytable sortable" width="auto"
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!rowspan="2"|Game
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!colspan="2"|Constellation
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|-
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!English
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!Japanese
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|-
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|''[[Blue Seed: Kushinada Hirokuden]]''||Chamaeleon||カメレオン
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|-
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|''[[Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken Joukan]]''||Apus||エパス
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|-
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|''[[Gale Racer]]''||Aquarius||アクエリアス
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|-
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|''[[Gotha: Ismailia Seneki]]''||Pegasus||ペガサス
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|-
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|''[[Gran Chaser]]''||Cassiopeia||カシオペア
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Venus||[[Sega Nomad]]
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|''[[Kanzen Chuukei Pro Yakyuu Greatest Nine]]''||Ara||アラ
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Earth||Unused
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|''[[Kisuishou Densetsu Astal]]''||Centaurus||セントーラス
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Mars||[[Sega 32X]]
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|''[[Mahou Kishi Rayearth]]''||Delphinus||デルフィナス
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Jupiter||Cart-based 32-bit system; abandoned in planning stages in favor of a disc-based system that became known as...
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|''[[Panzer Dragoon]]''||Andromeda||アンドロメダ
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Sega Saturn]]||Final name.
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|''[[Pebble Beach Golf Links]]''||Canis Major||カニスメジャー
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Uranus||Unknown, possibly unused.
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|''[[Rampo]]''||Columbia||コロンバ
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Sega Neptune]]||32X/[[Mega Drive]] combo unit.
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|''[[Riglordsaga]]''||Lacerta||ラセルタ
 
|-
 
|-
|Sega Pluto||Unknown, possibly unused. It should be noted Pluto is no longer considered a planet.
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|''[[Shinsetsu Yumemi Yakata: Tobira no Oku ni Dareka ga...]]''||Coma||コマ
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|-
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|''[[Shin Shinobi Den]]''||Auriga||アリガ
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|-
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|''[[SimCity 2000]]''||Draco||ドラコ
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|-
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|''[[Victory Goal]]''||Aquila||アクイラ
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|-
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|''[[Virtual Hydlide]]''||Cancer||キャンサー
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|-
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|''[[WanChai Connection]]''||Cygnus||シグナス
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|-
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|''[[Wing Arms: Kareinaru Gekitsuiou]]''||Antares||アンタレス
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|-
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|''[[World Advanced Daisenryaku: Koutetsu no Senpuu]]''||Aries||アリエス
 
|}
 
|}
</center>
 
  
By the time the [[Sega Dreamcast]] was planned, Sega had moved on to a new scheme.
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Only three were ever used in public:
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*''[[Panzer Dragoon]]'''s "Andromeda" codename became the name of development team behind it, [[Team Andromeda]]. They would go on to produce the two Saturn sequels; ''[[Panzer Dragoon Zwei]]'' and ''[[Panzer Dragoon Saga]]''.
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*''[[Victory Goal]]'''s "Aquila" codename was also used as a team name, and was seen again in sequel ''[[Victory Goal '96]]''.
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*''[[Wing Arms]]'' was (accidentally?) named as "Antares" in early promotional material.
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The two earliest first-party games that did not originate on the Saturn, ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' and ''[[Daytona USA]]'' did not adhere to this naming scheme.
  
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==References==
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<references />
  
 
{{Sega_Consoles}}
 
{{Sega_Consoles}}
[[Category:Hardware]]
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[[Category:Sega]]

Revision as of 21:21, 4 September 2021

After successfully launching the Sega Saturn, Sega retrospectively gave different codenames from the planets in the Solar System to recently released projects, and used 2 more planets after Saturn for subsequent projects, in order to make sorting documentation out easier in the future.

Consoles

Codename Equivalent
Mercury Sega Game Gear
Venus Sega Nomad
Earth Unused
Mars Sega 32X
Jupiter Cart-based 32-bit system; abandoned in planning stages in favor of a disc-based system that became known as...
Saturn Final name.
Uranus Unused.[1] Hiroyuki Miyazaki offered a few explanations for this, saying when pronounced in Japanese it sounds like "Uranu" or "won't sell", what he called "an ominous name for a project."
Neptune 32X/Mega Drive combo unit
Pluto Sega Saturn prototype unit featuring a different shell with a NetLink Internet Modem accessory built in. Only two produced. Uses US BIOS.

Furthermore, hardware released around the time the Saturn was had codenames based on Saturn's moons:

Codename Equivalent
Titan Sega Titan Video
Janus Sega Picture Magic

It is unknown whether the Sega CD, Sega Mega Jet, Sega Pico, arcade hardware, or any other Mega Drive/Saturn-related hardware had codenames.

By the time the Sega Dreamcast was planned, Sega had moved on to a new scheme. However during the development of the Mega Drive Mini, due to an urban legend about Earth being the Mega Drive's codename, Hiroyuki Miyazaki decided to give the Mega Drive Mini the codename of "Moon"[2].

Games

Constellations Codenames.png


In addition to using space-themed codenames for its consoles, the initial lineup of Saturn games also used codenames internally, this time as constellations[3]:

Game Constellation
English Japanese
Blue Seed: Kushinada Hirokuden Chamaeleon カメレオン
Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken Joukan Apus エパス
Gale Racer Aquarius アクエリアス
Gotha: Ismailia Seneki Pegasus ペガサス
Gran Chaser Cassiopeia カシオペア
Kanzen Chuukei Pro Yakyuu Greatest Nine Ara アラ
Kisuishou Densetsu Astal Centaurus セントーラス
Mahou Kishi Rayearth Delphinus デルフィナス
Panzer Dragoon Andromeda アンドロメダ
Pebble Beach Golf Links Canis Major カニスメジャー
Rampo Columbia コロンバ
Riglordsaga Lacerta ラセルタ
Shinsetsu Yumemi Yakata: Tobira no Oku ni Dareka ga... Coma コマ
Shin Shinobi Den Auriga アリガ
SimCity 2000 Draco ドラコ
Victory Goal Aquila アクイラ
Virtual Hydlide Cancer キャンサー
WanChai Connection Cygnus シグナス
Wing Arms: Kareinaru Gekitsuiou Antares アンタレス
World Advanced Daisenryaku: Koutetsu no Senpuu Aries アリエス

Only three were ever used in public:

The two earliest first-party games that did not originate on the Saturn, Virtua Fighter and Daytona USA did not adhere to this naming scheme.

References

Sega Home Video Game Systems
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
SG-1000 SG-1000 II Mega Drive Mega Drive II
SC-3000 Mega-CD Mega-CD II Genesis 3
Sega Mark III 32X Dreamcast
Master System Master System II
AI Computer Game Gear
Saturn
Pico Beena