Sony and Nintendo may be the main players when it comes to video game consoles these days, but back in the day, Sega also developed and sold their own consoles to gamers. One of which is the Sega Genesis, which was released in Japan in 1988 (it was known as Mega Drive) and sold a year later in North America.
Here are five interesting facts and trivia about this video game console that you might not know about:
1. Yes, It Was Not Known as Sega Genesis in Other Countries
We won't be surprised if you read the first paragraph of this article and scratched your head when you read the words Mega Drive. Since when did Sega Genesis become Mega Drive?
The answer is... well, the console has always been known as Mega Drive, among other names outside of North America. So why was the name changed for the North American market?
Per an article by Game Rant, "The new name was meant to be a symbolic title representing a new era of Sega in the American marketplace."
2. The Design of the Sega Genesis was Inspired by Cars
According to the article by Game Rant, sega wanted its Genesis console to appeal to a more mature audience especially since Nintendo was going for a younger market.
Because of this, cars and audio players actually inspired the design of the physical appearance of the Sega Genesis. Per the article, "Sega felt these two items were popular among older demographics, and that their target audience would, as a result, associate the Genesis with maturity."
Related Article: #ToyTech: The History of the Nintendo Entertainment System
3. Sonic the Hedgehog is Not the First Freebie Game of the Genesis
When you think of Sega Genesis games, the first and probably only game that might come to mind among gamers is Sonic the Hedgehog. However, Sonic is actually not the first freebie game of the console as it was released three years after the Genesis was launched in Japan and two years after the North American launch.
So what's the first freebie game for the Gensis?
According to The Gamer, it is actually a game called Altered Beast. If you need to refresh your memory or you simple have never heard of the game, here is a longplay video of the game:
4. The Sega Genesis was a Flop in Japan, But Popular Elsewhere
Unfortunately for Sega, the Genesis was not popular in Japan, the company's home country and the first market the console was released to.
However, Uproxx points out in its article that the Sega Genesis was a huge success in Brazil. "This was mainly because Tectoy, the company with a complete iron grip on the South American video game market, was oddly loyal to Sega," Uproxx's article explains.
5. It was Known as Super Gam*Boy in South Korea
We mentioned earlier that the Genesis had different names in different places. North American gamers know it as the Sega Genesis. Japanese gamers know it as Mega Drive. South Korean gamers know it as Super Gam*Boy. Yes, you read that right.
According to Uproxx, Japanese companies were barred from selling their products in South Korea for a very long time. If they wanted to sell in the South Korean market, they had to change the name of the product and sell it via a local company.
Sega partnered with Samsung, who previously renamed another Sega console, the Master System, to Gam*Boy.
