History Platform / SegaGenesis

* 2 Hitachi [=SH-2=] chips, just like the SegaSaturn, but unlike the Saturn, the chip are a bit slower and are running at 23 [=MHz=]. each.

* BlatantLies: The whole "Blast Processing" marketing was just hyping up the fact that the Mega Drive had a faster processor than the SNES.
** More infamously, the marketing of the console, along with NEC's {{Turbografx 16}}, started the notorious misconception that [[HowVideoGameSpecsWork Bits are an indicator of a game consoles power]].
** Subverted. The term 'Blast Processing' was used to refer to a technique that would temporary increase the Genesis' graphical capabilities. The Retrogamer interview with Scot Bayless revealed that the 'Blast' part came from blasting data to Digital-to-Analogue converters

** Subverted. The term 'Blast Processing' was used to refer to a technique that would tempoary increase the Genesis' graphical capabilities. The Retrogamer interview with Scot Bayless revealed that the 'Blast' part came from blasting data to Digital-to-Analogue converters

* DarkerAndEdgier: Sega aimed their console more towards the older game crowd, and was much less strict with censorship than Nintendo was with their games (and not to mention a contrast from Sega's more genial MasterSystem). As if to drive home that they weren't bluffing, instead of a colorful, kid friendly platformer like AlexKidd being the consoles advance man, the systems first pack-in game, AlteredBeast, is a arcade beat-em-up, featuring gore, violence and nightmarish content that would ''never'' have been allowed on the NES. Their port of Mortal Kombat also kept the arcades beloved blood and gore intact (albiet you needed a cheat code to turn them on), unlike the heavily censored SNES port. Their advertisements likewise had a very abrasive, "in-your-face" attitude (and an occasional penchant for innuendos and raunchy humor) that staunchly contrasted Nintendo's more wholesome image, and weren't above making [[TakeThat mean spirited snipes at the competition.]]

After failing to make a real dent against the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem[[note]]At least in North America and Japan; the SegaMasterSystem [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff did well in Europe and South America]][[/note]], Creator/{{Sega}} decided just to top them. If Creator/{{Nintendo}} was dragging their feet to a [[The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit]] system (the arcade standard at the time), then Sega would beat them to the punch with a console based on its System 16 arcade board codenamed "Mark V".

* Graphics generated by a more advanced [[UsefulNotes/{{GPU}} Video Display Processor]] compared to the SegaMasterSystem.

* 8 KB of extra RAM for backwards compatibility with the SegaMasterSystem (although that requires an adapter).

'''Power Base Converter''': An add-on which allowed the Mega Drive to play SegaMasterSystem games, either of the cartridge or the chip variety, and included support for the SMS's [=SegaScope=] 3D glasses. This was initially marketed for the first model Mega Drive, but a small quantity was made for the redesigned, compact Mega Drive ([[NoExportForYou But only in Europe]]). Also, it can not play SG-1000 games (or Master System games that use the system's video modes like F-16 Fighter Falcon) or use its Japan only FM chip (the [=YM2413=], which was also used on the {{MSX}} under the name ''MSX Music'' and was cloned by Konami as the [=VRC7=] chip for the Famicom in Japan) unless the unit is modded. It also won't work with a 32X unless it is modded.

* ScapegoatAd: Sega's famous anti-Nintendo commercials are fondly remembered by many a nostalgic Mega Drive fan. Unfortunately, when Sega began to be brought down by their failing add-ons, Nintendo took the opportunity to do their OWN TakeThat to Sega in the commercial for ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'', which advertised that such a technically ambitious game was NOT a Sega game and didn't need a CD or 32X adaptor to be played. Now the ads are HilariousInHindsight due to Sega falling out of the hardware business after the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast.

* ScapegoatAd: Sega's famous anti-Nintendo commercials are fondly remembered by many a nostalgic Mega Drive fan. Unfortunately, when Sega began to be brought down by their failing add-ons, Nintendo took the opportunity to do their OWN TakeThat to Sega in the commercial for ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'', which advertised that such a technically ambitious game was NOT a Sega game and didn't need a CD or 32X adaptor to be played. Now the ads are HilariousInHindsight due to Sega falling out of the hardware business after the SegaDreamcast.

*** As such, both Pururut and Mega Drive appear in the crossover game ''Chō Jigen Taisen Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls: Yume no Gappei Special'' as each other's rival/counterpart.

* ''X-Men''
** ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars''

* The console has a 16-Bit CPU, which was prominently used as a marketing point over the 8-bit NES.

* [[UsefulNotes/CentralProcessingUnit Motorola 68000]] runs at 7.68 [=MHz=] (varies per region).

For the most part, it worked. This was helped by some of Nintendo's U.S. policies being ruled as anti-trust violations by some developers supporting Sega due to them being a lot more lax [[note]]although Nintendo did later drop a lot of their remaining policies due to this[[/note]], and [[KillerApp their first truly successful hit]] known as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1''. So, the Mega Drive was a hit, selling 35 million systems (with [[ProductFacelift miniaturized versions]] and handhelds still on the market ''today''). There were also the [[UsefulNotes/OtherSegaSystems Sega CD and 32X]] add-ons, but they were commercial flops.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Bomberman94}} Mega Bomberman]]''

** ''VideoGame/{{Double Dragon 1}}''

* ''VideoGame/{{Gain Ground}}''

* ''[[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Mega Man]]: The Wily Wars''/''Rockman Megaworld'': A rerelease of ''VideoGame/MegaMan'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' with 16-bit graphics. [[NoExportForYou Only released in Europe and Japan]], although it was briefly available in the US via Sega Channel, and is now locally available via the Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Player.

** LighterAndSofter: Ironically, their biggest breadwinners ended up being their most family friendly titles ([[BadButt albiet with a light streak of 'tude]]), namely the first two SonicTheHedgehog games and the Disney Aladdin video game. VideoGame/CastleOfIllusion was another early hit for the system that completely contrasted the consoles edgier image. And to hit this trope home, Sega even released a [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] game. For the records, there were no Barney games for other consoles.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The Mega Drive was more well known for its variety of big-name sports titles and arcade ports before ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' gave the console a face in 1991.

* FanNickname: A Sega Mega Drive with every possible add-on (A Power Base Converter, Sega CD, a 32X, a lock-on Sonic&Knuckles cartridge with Sonic 2 or 3 hooked in, possibly [[NoKillLikeOverkill if you're feeling incredibly bold]] a Game Genie (as seen [[http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2010/05/03/behold-the-sega-tower-of-power/ here]]) has been called the "Tower of Babel." Other names include the "Tower of Power" or the "Doom Tower".

** The trope is especially prominent in {{UsefulNotes/Russia}}, where Mega Drive was (and in many cases still is, at least for those who aren't interested in gaming industry) one and only 16-bit console. It's explainable by the fact that the Russian video game market in the nineties was mainly based on bootlegging and piracy, and since SNES was nearly impossible to clone at that time, it was much easier and cheaper for various video game stores to import countless unlicensed Mega Drive clones and cartridges. As a result, before the rise of the internet not many people in Russia even ''knew'' about SNES existing.

In short, the Mega Drive could at least come close to the SNES in total power, and could match it with extra chips. The only true limitations that the system had was its limited color output and smaller sprite size.

In short, the Mega Drive could at least come close to the SNES in total power, and could match it with extra chips.

* Could not do scaling and rotating sprites, but the faster CPU could imitate them by resizing sprite data.

* ''ComicBook/ChakanTheForeverMan''

Creator/{{Nintendo}} eventually had its own entry in the 16-bit era in the form of the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem. The SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis had a long and fierce [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars console war]] that is probably the best-remembered of them all.

* FandomRivalry: Bringing up the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars between SuperNintendo and Sega Mega Drive can cause InternetBackdraft ''even today''.

After failing to make a real dent against the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem[[note]]At least in North America and Japan; the SegaMasterSystem [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff did well in Europe and South America]][[/note]], Creator/{{Sega}} decided just to top them. If Creator/{{Nintendo}} was dragging their feet to a [[The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit]] system (the arcade standard at the time), then Sega would beat them to the punch with a console based on its System 16 arcade board.

* 8 KB of [[GamingAudio sound memory]]

** LighterAndSofter: Ironically, their biggest breadwinners ended up being their most family friendly titles ([[BadButt albiet with a light streak of 'tude]]), namely the first two SonicTheHedgehog games and the Disney Aladdin video game. CastleOfIllusion was another early hit for the system that completely contrasted the consoles edgier image. And to hit this trope home, Sega even released a [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] game. For the records, there were no Barney games for other consoles.

* CountrySwitch: It was found that many early region-free games actually does this. Depending on the game, changes may be as subtle as removing or adding a trade mark symbol to a complete overhaul (for example, ''Mystic Defender'' revealing itself to actually be a PeacockKing game and reverting certain elements to its uncensored state).

Creator/{{Nintendo}} eventually had its own entry in the 16-bit era in the form of the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem. The SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis had a long and fierce [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars console war]] that is probably the best-remembered of them all.

For the most part, it worked. This was helped by some of Nintendo's U.S. policies being ruled as anti-trust violations by some developers supporting Sega due to them being a lot more lax [[note]]although Nintendo did later drop a lot of their remaining policies due to this[[/note]], and [[KillerApp their first truly successful hit]] known as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1''. So, the Mega Drive was a hit, selling 35 million systems (with [[ProductFacelift miniaturized versions]] and handhelds still on the market ''today''). There were also the [[OtherSegaSystems Sega CD and 32X]] add-ons, but they were commercial flops.

[[redirect:SegaGenesis]]