History Platform / SegaGenesis

* CopyProtection: This is actually ''averted'' with the Sega CD. If you're able to burn a Sega CD ISO file to a CD-R and pop it into the system, the system will play it like it would any legitimate copy of the same game. To be completely fair, most early CD-based systems were in a similar boat, since [=CDs=] were expensive and difficult to copy at the time, and owning of a CD-R drive at the time meant you were very rich[[note]]they were roughly the price of a small sedan, and that's not counting the required support software and related hardware- to wit, you also needed a huge hard drive to temporarily cache the disk copy - and hard drives above 500MB at the time were the realm of corporations and very rich people. You also needed a SCSI card since CD-R drives at the time were SCSI devices due to the IDE standard being relatively young and no burners were being made for IDE (IDE only began supporting burners in 1998 when the ATAPI extension was introduced), and SCSI cards are not cheap either. And let's not get started on the required burning software[[/note]], very nerdy, or both - but one suspects that this would've still massively bitten Sega in the ass if the Sega CD had actually taken off.

* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage1991''
* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage2''
* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage3''

The very same Nintendo/Sega rivalry would find a new light in 2019 when Sega responded to Nintendo's release of Classic Mini Platform/PlugnPlayGame systems with their own Sega Genesis Mini (called the Mega Drive Mini outside North America). The system would release worldwide on September 19, 2019. [[labelnote:List (exclusives in bold)]]'''''VideoGame/AlexKidd in the Enchanted Castle''''', '''''VideoGame/AlienSoldier''''', ''VideoGame/AlisiaDragoon'', '''''VideoGame/AlteredBeast1988''''', '''''Assault Suit Leynos''''', ''Beyond Oasis 2'', '''''VideoGame/CastleOfIllusion Starring Mickey Mouse''''', ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaBloodlines'', ''VideoGame/{{Columns}}'', '''''VideoGame/ComixZone''''', ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'', ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'', '''''VideoGame/DrRobotniksMeanBeanMachine''''', '''''Dyna Brothers 2''''', '''''VideoGame/DynamiteHeaddy''''', '''''VideoGame/EarthwormJim''''', '''''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin''''', '''''VideoGame/EternalChampions''''', ''Game no Kanzume Otokuyou'', ''Ghouls N Ghosts'', ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'', ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'', '''''VideoGame/KidChameleon''''', ''VideoGame/{{Landstalker}}'', '''''Langrisser II''''', '''''VideoGame/LightCrusader''''', '''''VideoGame/LordMonarch''''', ''Madō Monogatari I'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan: The Wily Wars (officially releasing this game in North America for the first time)'', ''Monster World IV'', '''''VideoGame/{{MUSHA}}''''', '''''VideoGame/OutRun 2019''''', '''''Party Quiz Mega-Q''''', ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', Powerball, '''''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo 2''''', '''''Puzzle & Action Tant-R''''', '''''Rent-A-Hero''''', ''VideoGame/RoadRash 2'', ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'', '''''Shining Force 2''''', '''''Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master''''', '''''Slap Fight MD''''', '''''Snow Bros''''', '''''VideoGame/SonicSpinball''''', '''''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1''''', ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''Space Harrier 2'', '''''VideoGame/StreetFighterII Special Championship Edition''''', ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 2'', '''''VideoGame/{{Strider}}''''', ''Super Fantsay Zone'', '''''Sword of Vermillion''''', ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' (saving a long-lost Genesis port of that game from DevelopmentHell), '''''The Hybrid Front''''', '''''The Revenge of Shinobi''''', ''VideoGame/ThunderForce 3'', '''''VideoGame/ToeJamAndEarl''''', '''''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}''''', '''''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter 2''''', '''''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld''''', ''VideoGame/WorldOfIllusion'', and ''''' Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen''''' [[/labelnote]] In 2021, Nintendo introduced an Expansion Pack for its Platform/NintendoSwitch Online service, which includes a library of Sega Genesis games. New games are added to the library every so often. Nintendo also introduced a replica three button Genesis controller that can be used with the Switch. In 2022, following the Mini's massive success, Sega revealed the Sega Genesis Mini 2 (again named the Mega Drive Mini 2 outside North America), modelled after the Genesis Model 2 and featuring another 50+ games, including a number of Sega CD games[[labelnote:List (exclusives in bold)]]'''''Aa Harimanada''''', ''VideoGame/AfterBurner II'', ''VideoGame/AlienSoldier'' (previously only on the Taiwan/Korea version of the original Genesis Mini), ''VideoGame/AtomicRunnerChelnov'', ''VideoGame/BonanzaBros'', '''''VideoGame/CaptainTsubasa''''', '''''VideoGame/ClayFighter''''', '''''VideoGame/{{Columns}} III''''', ''VideoGame/CrusaderOfCenty'', '''''VideoGame/DesertStrike''''', ''Devi & Pii'' (an unreleased game developed by Takashi Iizuka pre-''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3AndKnuckles Sonic 3]]''), ''[[VideoGame/RoboAleste Dennin Aleste]]'' (''Robo Aleste'' outside Japan), '''''VideoGame/EarthwormJim 2''''', '''''Elemental Master''''', ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin CD'', ''[[VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin Ecco: The Tides of Time CD]]'', ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'', ''VideoGame/FatalFury2'', ''VideoGame/FinalFight CD'', ''VideoGame/GainGround'', '''''VideoGame/GoldenAxeII''''', ''Granada'', '''''VideoGame/Hellfire1989''''', '''''VideoGame/HerzogZwei''''', '''''Honoo no Toukyuuji Dodge Danpei''''', '''''Katayama Masayuki no Mahjong Dojo''''', '''''[[VideoGame/LangrisserI Langrisser]]''''' (under its English name, ''Warsong'') '''''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue''''', '''''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar''''', '''''Manga/MagicalTarurutoKun''''', '''''Mahou no Shoujo: Silky Lip!''''', ''VideoGame/MansionOfHiddenSouls'', ''Megapanel'', ''VideoGame/MidnightResistance'', '''''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''''', ''VideoGame/NightStriker'', ''VideoGame/NightTrap'', ''VideoGame/{{TheNinjaWarriors|1987}}'', '''''VideoGame/TheOoze''''', ''VideoGame/OutRun'', '''''[[VideoGame/OutRun OutRunners]]''''', '''''Party Quiz Mega-Q 2022''''', '''''Party Quiz Sega-Q''''', ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' (includes the easy difficulty added with the [=PS2=] Sega AGES release) '''''VideoGame/PopfulMail''''', ''VideoGame/{{Populous}}'', '''''Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R''''', '''''VideoGame/RainbowIslands Extra''''', ''VideoGame/RangerX'', '''''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi''''', '''''VideoGame/{{Ristar}}''''', ''VideoGame/RollingThunder 2'', '''''VideoGame/{{Romance of the Three Kingdoms|Koei}} III: Dragon of Destiny''''' (both the Mega Drive and Mega-CD versions), '''''VideoGame/SewerShark''''', '''''VideoGame/ShadowDancer''''', '''''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI Shin Megami Tensei]]''''', '''''VideoGame/ShiningForceII''''', ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'', ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness'', ''VideoGame/{{Silpheed}}'', '''''VideoGame/Sonic3DBlast''''', ''VideoGame/SonicCD'', '''''[[VideoGame/DragonSlayer Sorcerian]]''''', ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier II'' (an upgraded version that plays more akin to the original arcade game), ''Spatter'' (a new port of a Sega arcade game), ''VideoGame/{{Splatterhouse}} 2'', '''''Star Cruiser''''', ''Star Mobile'' (a completed, but previously-unannounced and unreleased game from 1992), '''''VideoGame/{{Starblade}}''''', '''''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 3''''', '''''Super VideoGame/HangOn''''', ''Super Locomotive'' (another new Sega arcade game port), ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', '''''Tenka Fubu: Eiyuutachi no Houkou''''', ''VideoGame/ThunderForce IV'' (''Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar'' outside Japan), '''''VideoGame/ToeJamAndEarl in Panic on Funkotron''''', '''''Tougi-ou King Colossus''''', ''Viewpoint'' (officially releasing in Japan for the first time), '''''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}} 2''''', ''VideoGame/VirtuaRacing'' (the SVC chip-powered Genesis/Mega Drive version), ''VS VideoGame/PuyoPuyoSun'' (a demake of the Saturn game's 2-player mode with tweaked/updated mechanics), '''''Wondermega Collection'''''[[/labelnote]], which was released natively in Japan and via import in North America and Europe on October 27 of that year.

* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'':
** ''Streets of Rage''
** ''Streets of Rage 2''
** ''Streets of Rage 3''

'''Genesis Model 2/Mega Drive II''': Slimmed-down version of the Model 1, giving it about the same footprint as the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]. Retailed for only $99 but lacked the headphone jack and volume slider, sadly the "16-BIT" was also the victim of budget cuts. Probably the most common Genesis/MD out there. Compatible with the Model 2 Sega CD and the 32X, incompatible with the Model 1 Sega CD (which requires the headphone jack on the original Genesis) and the Power Base Converter unless it's modded, as it will block the A/V ports. A Power Base Converter II that works with the Model 2 Genesis/MD was released in Europe but will work on any Genesis/MD.

** ''VideoGame/BatmanSunsoft''
*** ''Batman: Revenge of the Joker''

** ''VideoGame/CheeseCatAstrophe starring WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales''

* ''VideoGame/TheLostVikings'' (the Sega version has 5 exclusive levels and 3-player support)

** ''The Ren And Stimpy Show Presents: VideoGame/StimpysInvention''