Editing Sega Mega Drive (section)

===Launch===
The Mega Drive was released in Japan on October 29 1988,<ref name="ConsoleInfo 1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/segamegadrive/index.html|title=Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Console Information|accessdate=18 October 2007|author=Console Database Staff|publisher=Console Database/Dale Hansen|work=http://www.consoledatabase.com}}</ref> almost exactly a year after the release of NEC PC Engine and the same year as the release of TurboGrafx-16 in North America. The Japanese release of the Mega Drive was a commercial failure in this region due to it already being overshadowed by the then-newly released ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3 Super Mario Bros. 3]'' on the Famicom in the same year, and remained a distant third behind the PC Engine and especially Nintendo's Super Famicom.

In 1987, [[Sega]] announced that the North American release date for the system (under the name "Sega Genesis") would be January 9 1989.<ref name="GenesisRelease">{{Cite book|title=Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children|last=Sheff|first=David|date=1993|pages=352|location=New York|publisher=Random House|isbn=0-679-40469-4}}</ref> Sega initially attempted to partner with now-defunct [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Corporation Atari Corporation] for distribution of the console in the U.S., but the two could not agree to terms and Sega decided to do it themselves.<ref>{{Cite book|ref=CITEREFKent2001|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|pages=401}}</ref> Sega was not able to meet the initial release date and United States sales began on August 14 in test regions New York City and Los Angeles, with the North American release following by the end of the month.<ref name="NArelese">{{Cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games|pages=404–405|location=Roseville, California|publisher=Prima Publishing|year=2001|isbn=0-7615-3643-4}}</ref> Initially, although it proved to be technologically superior over the NES, the Genesis was not successful until the arrival of the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' in 1991, which immediately resulted in an intense rivalry between Sega and Nintendo by the release of the more advanced Super NES in the same year, infamously known as the "Console Wars", due to North America's previous dominant experience with the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega's aggressive marketing in the region (which Nintendo also did the same). Throughout the 16-bit era, despite both companies' consoles were extremely popular in the U.S., neither could maintain a definitive lead, but the Super NES ultimately surpassed the Genesis in market sales by a small margin.

The European release was in September 1990, keeping its original name.<ref name="EUrelease"/> Following on from the European success of the [[Sega Master System]], the Mega Drive became a very popular console in Europe like its predecessor and even outselling the Super NES. Unlike in other regions where the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System had been the dominant platform, the Master System was the most popular console in Europe at the time, which continued for the Mega Drive.

The Mega Drive's launch titles in Japan are ''Space Harrier II'' and ''Super Thunder Blade''. In North America and Europe, more games were added including ''Altered Beast'', ''Golden Axe'', and ''Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle''.