History MediaNotes / The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames

* [[/index]]''VideoGame/StarFox'':[[index]]

At the end of the generation's sales race, Nintendo and the SNES still came out ahead in numbers against Sega and the Genesis/Master System, but the competition between the two Japanese companies had been closer than ever before. But the rivalry would ultimately not last. In what can perhaps be seen as an PortentOfDoom for how Sega would fare in the subsequent generations, Sega would attempt to both prolong the life of the Genesis/Master System and regain a technological advantage over Nintendo by releasing a couple of peripherals for the console, namely the UsefulNotes/SegaCD and UsefulNotes/Sega32X , but both projects quickly turned out to be financial failures and ended up being relatively quickly discontinued by Sega. Instead the company decided to instead focus on their next console, which would use the CD technology as a basis for its games, and would kickstart the next generation.

* UsefulNotes/{{Satellaview}}
* Sega Channel

* UsefulNotes/{{XBAND}}

* UsefulNotes/NeoGeo
* UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis[=/=]Sega Mega Drive
** UsefulNotes/SegaCD (Mega CD in Japan and Europe)
* UsefulNotes/SuperACan
* UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem
* UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16

* UsefulNotes/AtariLynx
* UsefulNotes/GameBoy
* UsefulNotes/GameGear

** ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTwoBackFromTheSewers''
** ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesThreeRadicalRescue''

* [[/index]]''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'':[[index]]
** ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime TMNT IV: Turtles in Time]]''
** ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters TMNT: Tournament Fighters]]''

In terms of actual game design, the 16-bit era wasn't quite as big of a leap as the 8-bit era was to the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames Golden Age]], despite computing in ''general'' advancing by leaps and bounds during the lifetimes of the consoles (something that would be reflected in their successors). However, one notable technological improvement that sets this generation apart from 8-bit is the advent of "faux-3D" scrolling (i.e. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_7 Mode 7]]). The most successful games of the 16-bit era were often fleshed out and refined versions of their 8-bit counterparts design-wise. Many successful series from the 8-bit era threw off their EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and gained many of their standards in this era, such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]''. The industry made much bigger leaps in the graphics department. Games like ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'', and ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' were shining examples of SugarWiki/AwesomeArt with their well-drawn sprites and detailed environments. The releases of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' sparked a craze in DigitizedSprites on consoles, with notable games following suit including ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''. The era also produced early experiments with UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics on home consoles, most notably ''VideoGame/StarFox'' but also including arcade ports.

The PlatformGame's popularity from the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]] continued into this generation, highlights including the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''[='=] series fourth installment, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and the aforementioned Mega Drive KillerApp ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. A permutation that became very defining for the genre in this era, however, was the platformer starring a MascotWithAttitude, as the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog as a character [[FollowTheLeader inspired numerous imitators]], both from Japanese and Western developers. One genre that was born, so to speak, in this generation was the FightingGame. Spurred on by the revolutionary ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', many studios responded to capitalize on its success, with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' being a notable entry for its pioneering violence which would lead to an eventual debate on the effect of violent video games on young society. Nintendo had up to this point maintained a censorship code akin to UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode and UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, while Sega had created an MPAA-style ratings system, which allowed more freedom of content. Sega's allowance of blood in their console's port of ''Mortal Kombat'' (with a password) would result in it outselling the SNES port by a large margin[[note]]"Large" as in the Genesis port outsold the SNES port ''six to one''. Nintendo learned their lesson and ''Moral Kombat II'' was sold on the SNES completely uncut[[/note]], resulting in bitter Congressional hearings and, eventually, the foundation of the UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard.

** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1''

** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersVsTheMachineEmpire''

At the end of the generation's sales race, Nintendo and the SNES still came out ahead in numbers against Sega and the Genesis/Master System, but the competition between the two Japanese companies had been closer than ever before. But the rivalry would ultimately not last. In what can perhaps be seen as an PortentOfDoom for how Sega would fare in the subsequent generations, Sega would attempt to both prolong the life of the Genesis/Master System and regain a technological advantage over Nintendo by releasing a couple of peripherals for the Genesis/Mega Drive, namely the UsefulNotes/SegaCD and UsefulNotes/Sega32X , but both projects would turn out to be financial failures and were relatively quickly discontinued by Sega. Instead the company decided to instead focus on their next console, which would use the CD technology as a basis for its games, and would kickstart the next generation.

It must be noted, it wasn't that Nintendo had been entirely behind the curve on the potential of using the CD as a game medium. In fact, the company had been in talks with another Japanese company, Creator/{{Sony}}, as far back as 1988, about the development of a CD-based peripheral of their own for the SNES, and in June 1991, the two companies would even reveal that they had entered a partnership and were co-developing an entirely new CD-based console, called the "[=PlayStation=]". But already the very next day, Nintendo announced, in a massive surprise to everyone, including Sony, that they were desolving the partnership and was instead going to collaborate with the Netherlands-based company, Creator/{{Philips| Records}}, Sony's most fierce rivial on the eletronics market. The exact reasons for Nintendo's sudden U-turn aren't entirely clear, as sources differ somewhat on what caused the 11th hour breakdown in negotiations between the two companies, but it was certainly an insult that Sony didn't forget, and they decided that maybe it was time to go into the console market on their own...

Perhaps the single biggest innovation at release was in the realm of ''sound''; the limited sound capabilities of previous consoles had been a constant complaint, and all three major consoles of the time had taken time to expand audio capabilities significantly. Both the PCE and Mega Drive went with FM synthesis solutions that offered more sound channels and some additional co-processing to allow for wider sound options than the 8-bit machines and were still clear improvements on the NES. The SNES, however, went far beyond this: it utilized, effectively, [[https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11823578 a completely discreet audio processor]] similar to the dedicated sound cards appearing in UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer IBM PC]] designs of the time, and which even had dedicated RAM for instrument sample storage. While the overhead for utilizing this power was higher compared to the competitors (not only was memory size on the ROM cart a concern, but the burden lay on the composer who needed to arrange instrument samples and needed the skill to utilize and mix them well; the Mega Drive in particular, meanwhile, just provided an easy-to-use, consistent audio solution), developers who could devote some cart space to a good sample library could effectively make music equal to any [[UsefulNotes/{{MOD}} tracker module]] and play back virtually any kind of sound clip; this led to SNES games developing a reputation for ''excellent'' sound and to the production of some of the first truly legendary video game soundtracks and scores that could stand the test of time. Part of the focus of the add-on history of the PCE and Mega Drive involved furious attempts to try and bolt on some kind of competitive solution that would allow those machines to match the SNES's audio potential, especially later in the generation as developer skill and resources improved and developers felt constrained by the two competing machines' audio potential in comparison.

Perhaps the single biggest innovation at release was in the realm of ''sound''; the limited sound capabilities of previous consoles had been a constant complaint, and all three major consoles of the time had taken time to expand audio capabilities significantly. Both the PCE and Mega Drive went with FM synthesis solutions that offered more sound channels and some additional co-processing to allow for wider sound options than the 8-bit machines and were still clear improvements on the NES. The SNES, however, went far beyond this: it utilized, effectively, [[https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11823578 a completely discreet audio processor]] similar to the dedicated sound cards appearing in UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer IBM PC]] designs of the time, and which even had dedicated RAM for instrument sample storage. While the overhead for utilizing this power was higher compared to the competitors (not only was memory size on the ROM cart a concern, but the burden lay on the composer who needed to arrange instrument samples and needed the skill to utilize and mix them well; the Mega Drive in particular, meanwhile, just provided an easy-to-use, consistent audio solution), developers who could devote some cart space to a good sample library could effectively make music equal to any [[UsefulNotes/MOD tracker module]] and play back virtually any kind of sound clip; this led to SNES games developing a reputation for ''excellent'' sound and to the production of some of the first truly legendary video game soundtracks and scores that could stand the test of time. Part of the focus of the add-on history of the PCE and Mega Drive involved furious attempts to try and bolt on some kind of competitive solution that would allow those machines to match the SNES's audio potential, especially later in the generation as developer skill and resources improved and developers felt constrained by the two competing machines' audio potential in comparison.

Perhaps the single biggest innovation at release was in the realm of ''sound''; the limited sound capabilities of previous consoles had been a constant complaint, and all three major consoles of the time had taken time to expand audio capabilities significantly. Both the PCE and Mega Drive went with FM synthesis solutions that offered more sound channels and some additional co-processing to allow for wider sound options than the 8-bit machines and were still clear improvements on the NES. The SNES, however, went far beyond this: it utilized, effectively, [[https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11823578 a completely discreet audio processor]] similar to the dedicated sound cards appearing in UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer IBM PC]] designs of the time, and which even had dedicated RAM for instrument sample storage. While the overhead for utilizing this power was higher compared to the competitors (not only was memory size on the ROM cart a concern, but the burden lay on the composer who needed to arrange instrument samples and needed the skill to utilize and mix them well; the Mega Drive in particular, meanwhile, just provided an easy-to-use, consistent audio solution), developers who could devote some cart space to a good sample library could effectively make music equal to any [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/MOD tracker module]] and play back virtually any kind of sound clip; this led to SNES games developing a reputation for ''excellent'' sound and to the production of some of the first truly legendary video game soundtracks and scores that could stand the test of time. Part of the focus of the add-on history of the PCE and Mega Drive involved furious attempts to try and bolt on some kind of competitive solution that would allow those machines to match the SNES's audio potential, especially later in the generation as developer skill and resources improved and developers felt constrained by the two competing machines' audio potential in comparison.

Perhaps the single biggest innovation at release was in the realm of ''sound''; the limited sound capabilities of previous consoles had been a constant complaint, and all three major consoles of the time had taken time to expand audio capabilities significantly. Both the PCE and Mega Drive went with FM synthesis solutions that offered more sound channels and some additional co-processing to allow for wider sound options than the 8-bit machines and were still clear improvements on the NES. The SNES, however, went far beyond this: it utilized, effectively, [[https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11823578 a completely discreet audio processor]] similar to the dedicated sound cards appearing in UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer IBM PC]] designs of the time, and which even had dedicated RAM for instrument sample storage. While the overhead for utilizing this power was higher compared to the competitors (not only was memory size on the ROM cart a concern, but on the composer who needed to arrange instrument samples and needed the skill to utilize them well; the Mega Drive in particular, meanwhile, just provided an easy-to-use audio solution), developers who could devote some cart space to a good sample library could effectively make music equal to any [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/MOD tracker module]], and this led to SNES games developing a reputation for ''excellent'' sound and to the production of some of the first truly legendary video game soundtracks and scores that could stand the test of time. Part of the focus of the add-on history of the PCE and Mega Drive was furious attempts to try and bolt on some kind of competitive solution that would allow those machines to match the SNES's audio potential, especially later in the generation as skill improved and developers felt constrained by the two machines' audio potential in comparison.

In terms of actual game design, the 16-bit era wasn't as big of a leap as the 8-bit era was to the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames Golden Age]]. However, one notable technological improvement that sets this generation apart from 8-bit is the advent of "faux-3D" scrolling (i.e. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_7 Mode 7]]). The most successful games of the 16-bit era were often fleshed out and refined versions of their 8-bit counterparts design-wise. Many successful series from the 8-bit era threw off their EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and gained many of their standards in this era, such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]''. The industry made much bigger leaps in the graphics department. Games like ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'', and ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' were shining examples of SugarWiki/AwesomeArt with their well-drawn sprites and detailed environments. The releases of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' sparked a craze in DigitizedSprites on consoles, with notable games following suit including ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''. The era also produced early experiments with UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics on home consoles, most notably ''VideoGame/StarFox'' but also including arcade ports.

As an aside, this generation is also known for looking different depending on whether one lived either within or outside North America, with Sega's console having completely different brand names (Mega Drive or Genesis as aforementioned) and the Super Nintendo having very different aesthetics for its casing and colour scheme (the rounded, darker grey console and multi-coloured convex controller face buttons for the Super Famicom and European SNES, or the boxier, lighter grey console and purple convex and lavender concave face buttons for the North American SNES). While this didn't matter back then (since most people didn't have Internet access back then), this has led to online debates in the Anglosphere years later over which of Sega's console's brand names[[note]]especially over on [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki's]] article for Sega's console[[/note]] and the Super Nintendo's aesthetics were "better".

** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat2''

It must be noted, it wasn't that Nintendo had been entirely behind the curve on the potential of using the CD as a game medium. In fact, the company had been in talks with another Japanese company, Creator/{{Sony}}, as far back as 1988, about the development of a CD-based peripheral of their own for the SNES, and in June 1991, the two companies would even reveal that they had entered a partnership and were co-developing an entirely new CD-based console, called the "[=PlayStation=]". But already the very next day, Nintendo announced, in a massive surprise to everyone, including Sony, that they were desolving the partnership and was instead going to collaborate the Dutch-based company, Creator/{{Philips| Records}}, Sony's most fierce rivial on the eletronics market. The exact reasons for Nintendo's sudden U-turn aren't entirely clear, as sources differ somewhat on what caused the 11th hour breakdown in negotiations between the two companies, but it was certainly an insult that Sony didn't forget, and they decided that maybe it was time to go into the console market on their own...

The PlatformGame's popularity from the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]] continued into this generation, highlights including the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''[='=] series fourth installment, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and the aforementioned Mega Drive KillerApp ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. A permutation that became very defining for the genre in this era, however, was the platformer starring a MascotWithAttitude, as the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog as a character [[FollowTheLeader inspired numerous imitators]], both from Japanese and Western developers. One genre that was born, so to speak, in this generation was the FightingGame. Spurred on by the revolutionary ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', many studios responded to capitalize on its success, with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' being a notable entry for its pioneering violence which would lead to an eventual debate on the effect of violent video games on young society. Nintendo had up to this point maintained a censorship code akin to UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode and UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, while Sega had created an MPAA-style ratings system, which allowed more freedom of content. Sega's allowance of blood in their console's port of ''Mortal Kombat'' (with a password) would result in it outselling the SNES port by a large margin, resulting in bitter Congressional hearings and, eventually, the foundation of the UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard.

* [[/index]]''Franchise/ShiningSeries'':[[index]]

The PlatformGame's popularity from the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]] continued into this generation, highlights including the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''[='=] series fourth installment, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and the aforementioned Mega Drive KillerApp ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. A permutation that became very defining for the genre in this era, however, was the platformer starring a MascotWithAttitude, as the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog as a character [[FollowTheLeader inspired numerous imitators]], both from Japanese and Western developers. One genre that was born, so to speak, in this generation was the FightingGame. Spurred on by the revolutionary ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', many studios responded to capitalize on its success, with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' being a notable entry for its pioneering violence which would lead to an eventual debate on the effect of violent video games on young society. The fighting genre wouldn't see as big of a revolution until ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' in UsefulNotes/{{the Fifth Generation|OfConsoleVideoGames}}. The {{JRPG}} genre also hit its stride during this generation, with [[Creator/SquareEnix Square]] making some of the most well-loved titles in the genre of all time, such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' (marketed as ''Final Fantasy III'' in the Western hemisphere), ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''; the success of these titles helped pave the way for wider mainstream success of the JRPG overall in the next generation.

The PlatformGame's popularity from the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]] continued into this generation, highlights including the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''[='=] series fourth installment, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and the aforementioned Mega Drive KillerApp ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. A permutation that became very defining for the genre in this era, however, was the platformer starring a MascotWithAttitude, as the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog as a character [[FollowTheLeader inspired numerous imitators]], both from Japanese and Western developers. One genre that was born, so to speak, in this generation was the FightingGame. Spurred on by the revolutionary ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', many studios responded to capitalize on its success, with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' being a notable entry for its pioneering violence which would lead to an eventual debate on the effect of violent video games on young society. The fighting genre wouldn't see as big of a revolution until ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' in UsefulNotes/{{the Fifth Generation|OfConsoleVideoGames}}. The {{JRPG}} genre also hit its stride during this generation, with [[Creator/SquareEnix Square]] making some of the most well-loved titles in the genre of all time, such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''; the success of these titles helped pave the way for wider mainstream success of the JRPG overall in the next generation.

** ''VideoGame/EarthBound''