Editing Sega Mega Drive

{{FA}}
{{Real world}}
{{Otheruses4||the object in the [[Archie Comics]]|Mega Drive (Archie)}}
{{Infobox platform
|title           = Sega Mega Drive
|image           = <gallery>
Mega_Drive1.png|Model 1
Mega_Drive_2_Transparent.png|Model 2
Sega_Genesis_3.png|Model 3
</gallery>
|aka             = 
*Sega Mark V {{C|development codename}}
*Sega Genesis {{C|NA}}
*Super Gam*Boy {{C|KOR}}
*Super Aladdin Boy {{C|KOR}}
|price           = 
*¥21000 {{C|JP}}
*¥12800<ref name="model2">{{Cite web|title=Mega Drive 2|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/md2.html|publisher=[[Sega]]|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 February 2022}}</ref> {{C|JP, Model 2}}
*$189.99 {{C|US}}
*$49.95 {{C|US, Model 3}}
*£189.99 {{C|UK}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/segamegadrive/|title=Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Console Information|work=Console Database|publisher=Base Media|accessdate=4 June 2018}}</ref>
|type            = Video game console
|manufacturer    = 
*[[Sega]]
*[[Tectoy]] {{C|BR}}
*[[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]] {{C|Model 3}}
*[[Samsung Group|Samsung]] {{C|KOR}}
*AtGames {{C|Plug And Play}}
|first_available = 
'''Model 1''':<br/>{{Vgrelease|JP=29 October 1988<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gallery|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/gallery.html|publisher=[[Sega]]|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 February 2022}}</ref>|EU=September 1990<ref name="EUrelease">{{Cite journal|title=Console Zone: Sega MegaDrive|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/e/e7/NewComputerExpress_UK_097.pdf#page=48|journal=New Computer Express|date=15 September 1990|pages=48|issue=97}}</ref>|NA=August 1989<ref name="NArelese"/>|BR=Late 1990<ref name="tectoy">{{Cite web|author=Tecblogger|title=Tectoy History|url=http://www.tectoy.com.br/tecblog/?p=612|language=Portuguese|publisher=[[Tectoy]]|date=17 September 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323135409/http://www.tectoy.com.br/tecblog/?p=612|archivedate=23 March 2012|accessdate=26 February 2022}}</ref>}}
'''Model 2''':<br/>{{vgrelease|JP=23 April 1993<ref name="model2"/>|NA=June 1993|EU=August 1993<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Letter|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7c/SegaForceMega_UK_05.pdf#page=19|journal=Sega Force Mega|pages=19|date=November 1993|accessdate=25 February 2022}}</ref>}}
'''Model 3''':<br/>{{vgrelease|USA=1998}}
|discontinued    = 
*1997
*1999 {{C|[[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]]}}
|units_sold      = 
*30.75 million
*3 million {{C|[[Tectoy]]}}
*1.5 million {{C|[[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]], projected}}
|cpu             = 
*Motorola 68000 (primary)
*Zilog Z80 (secondary)
|ram             = 
*72kB RAM
*64kB VRAM
|sound           = 
'''Model 1 & 2''':
*{{H:title|6 Frequency modulation audio channels|Yamaha YM2612}}
*{{H:title|3 square wave tone generators and 1 noise generator|Texas Instruments SN76489}}
*Stereoscopic audio
'''Model 3''':
*Yamaha YM2612
*Texas Instruments SN76489
*Monophonic audio
'''[[Tectoy]] & AtGames revisions''':
*Yamaha YM2612
*Texas Instruments SN76489
*Monophonic audio {{C|[[Tectoy]]}}
*Stereoscopic audio {{C|AtGames}}
|precursor       = [[Sega Master System]]
|successor       = [[Sega Saturn]]
}}
{{Quote left|Welcome to the Next Level|Tagline}}
The {{Nihongo|'''Sega Mega Drive'''|メガドライブ|Mega Doraibu}}, also known as the '''Sega Genesis''' in North America, is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_generation_of_video_game_consoles 16-bit] video game console released by [[Sega]] in 1988 in Japan and 1989 in the United States. It was the company's third home console, succeeding the [[Sega Master System|Master System]] and a direct competitor of NEC's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboGrafx-16 PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16] (which was released one year earlier and had a better success in Japan) and [[Nintendo]]'s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System] (which was released two years later and was also a fierce rival in the U.S.). The console has a well-known legacy with certain games available and is the system where the highly successful [[Sonic the Hedgehog series|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise]] has debuted on. The Mega Drive/Genesis is by far Sega's most successful console before the company's transition from the hardware market to 3rd-party in the early 2000s following the commercial failure of the [[Dreamcast]]. The console was later succeeded by the [[Sega Saturn]] in 1994.

There are 11 Sonic games released for this system that have been ported to later games released by Sega, except ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ristar Ristar]'', such as ''[[Sonic Mega Collection]]'' and ''[[Sonic Mega Collection Plus]]''.

==''Sonic'' games==
*''[[Flicky (game)|Flicky]]''
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
*''[[Sonic Eraser]]''
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''
*''[[Sonic Spinball]]''
*''[[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]''
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''
*''[[Wacky Worlds Creativity Studio]]''
*''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''
**''[[Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]''
**''[[Knuckles in Sonic 2]]''
**''[[Blue Sphere]]''
*''[[Sonic Compilation]]''
*''[[Mega 6 Volume 3]]''
*''[[Sonic 3D Blast]]''
*''[[6-Pak]]''
*''[[Sonic Crackers]]'' {{C|unreleased}}
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (promotional cartridge)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' {{C|promotional cartridge}}

==Characters introduced==
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]
**[[Super Sonic]]
**[[Hyper Sonic]]

*[[Miles "Tails" Prower]]
**[[Super Tails]]
**[[Hyper Tails]]

*[[Badnik]]s
**[[Eggrobo]]

*[[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]]

*[[Knuckles the Echidna]]
**[[Super Knuckles]]
**[[Hyper Knuckles]]

*[[Mecha Sonic]]

*[[Mecha Sonic Mark II]]
**[[Super Mecha Sonic Mark II]]

*[[Gerald Robotnik (Paramount)|Gerald Robotnik (Movie Counterpart)]]
*[[Director Rockwell]]

==Box artwork gallery==
===North America===
{{Gallery start}}
<gallery widths="200">
Flicky-mdus.jpg|''[[Flicky (game)|Flicky]]''
File:Sonic1 box usa.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
File:Sonic2-cover.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''
Sonic-spinball-usa.png|''[[Sonic Spinball]]''
Dr-Robotniks-Mean-Bean-Machine-Genesis-US-Box-Art.png|''[[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]''
File:Sonic3cover.png|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''
File:Wacky Worlds Creativity Studio.jpg|''[[Wacky Worlds Creativity Studio]]''
Sonic & Knuckles (US).jpg|''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''
Sonic3DBlastUSfrontcover.jpg|''[[Sonic 3D Blast]]''
SixPackNA.jpg|''[[6-Pak]]''
Sonic Classics 3 in 1 - Sega Genesis.jpg|''[[Sonic Compilation|Sonic Classics]]''
</gallery>
{{Gallery end}}

===Europe===
{{Gallery start}}
<gallery widths="200">
File:Flicky-(UK).png|''[[Flicky (game)|Flicky]]''
File:Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Cover.png|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
File:Sonic the Hedgehog 2.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''
SpinballBox.png|''[[Sonic Spinball]]''
Dr-Robotniks-Mean-Bean-Machine-Genesis-PAL-Box-Art.png|''[[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]''
File:Sonic3 uk bx.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''
File:Sonic & Knuckles (UK).jpg|''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''
File:Sonic Compilation Coverart.jpg|''[[Sonic Compilation]]''
Mega6.jpg|''[[Mega 6 Volume 3]]''
File:Sonic3DBox.png|''[[Sonic 3D| Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island]]''
</gallery>
{{Gallery end}}

===Japan===
{{Gallery start}}
<gallery widths="200">
Flicky box art SG-1000.jpg|''[[Flicky (game)|Flicky]]''
S1JPfront.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
File:Sonic 2 (Japanese).jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''
File:Sonic-Spinball-(japanese).png|''[[Sonic Spinball]]''
File:Sonic-the-Hedgehog-3-Japanese-Cover.jpg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''
File:Sonic & Knuckles (JP).jpg|''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''
</gallery>
{{Gallery end}}

==History==
Although the [[Sega Master System]] was relatively successful in Europe, and later also in Brazil, it failed to ignite much attention in the North American or Japanese markets, which, by the mid-to-late 1980s, were both dominated by [[Nintendo]]'s large market shares thanks to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom], and ultimately lost to its rival in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_generation_of_video_game_consoles 8-bit era].<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=303, 360}}</ref><ref name="MarketShare1988">{{Cite book|title=Nintendo Official Magazine - Nintendo's Market Share 1988|author=Nintendo Official Magazine Staff|date=2001|pages=35|publisher=Future Publishing}}</ref><ref name="MarketShare1990">{{Cite book|title=Business Week - Nintendo's Market Share 1990|last=Business Week staff|date=1999|pages=60}}</ref> Because of this, Sega seeked out a new way to make itself a much stronger competitor then before.

The first name [[Sega]] considered for its console was the MK-1601, but it ultimately decided to call it the "Sega Mega Drive". The name was said to represent superiority and speed, with the new and powerful Motorola 68000 processor in mind.<ref name="sreac1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.skillreactor.org/cgi-bin/index.pl?megadrv|title=Sega Mega Drive information|accessdate=2008-04-01|publisher=skillreactor|last=Bolitz|first=Christoph}}</ref> Sega intended to use the name "Mega Drive" worldwide, but the North American version instead went by the name "Genesis" due to a trademark dispute.<ref name="retroinspection">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=68&title=Retroinspection:%20Mega%20Drive|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|year=2006|month=September|title=Retroinspection: Sega Mega Drive|publisher=Retro Gamer|accessdate=29 March 2018}}</ref>

===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''.

===Marketing===
The advertising of the Mega Drive's United States release as the Genesis was notorious for Sega's aggressive marketing specifically to challenge its established rival, Nintendo, head-on by all means possible and provide a more arcade-like experience than the NES at the time, creating the infamous "Genesis does what Nintendon't" (called "Sega does what Nintendon't" in Japan/Europe) slogan. In spite of this, Sega struggled to overcome Nintendo's sales, but eventually, by the time ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was released and became successful, Sega brought up new slogans such as "Blast Processing" or "Welcome to the Next Level" to advertise the Mega Drive CPU's faster processing speed in platform games (7.67MHz compared to the Super NES' 3.58MHz) and position it as the "cooler" console aiming for older audiences. This continues with the [[Sega CD]]/[[Sega 32X|32X]] add-ons.

In the United Kingdom, the most well-known of Sega's advertising slogans was "To be this good takes AGES, to be this good takes SEGA". Some of these adverts employed a rather inappropriate sentences for example, "The more you play with it, the harder it gets" displayed with an illustration of the waggling of a joystick.<ref name="SegaVizAds">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2006/03/segas-bizarre-early-1990s-viz-adverts.html|title=SEGA'S BIZARRE EARLY 1990S VIZ ADVERTS|accessdate=20 October 2007|year=2006|publisher=UK Resistance}}</ref> 

Another prominent figure in the European marketing was the "Sega Pirate", a talking one-eyed skull that starred in many TV adverts with a generally edgy and humorous attitude. Since the Mega Drive was already two years old at the release in Europe, the many games available at launch were naturally more in numbers compared to the launches in other regions. The ports of arcade titles like ''Altered Beast'', ''Golden Axe'' and ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', available in stores at launch, provided a strong image of the console's power to deliver an arcade-like experience.<ref name="MegaDriveLaunch">{{Cite web|url=http://www.vc-reviews.com/news/60/hardware-focus-sega-megadrive-genesis.php|title=Hardware Focus - Sega Megadrive / Genesis|accessdate=19 October 2007|year=2007|last=McFerran|first=Damien|publisher=VC Reviews}}</ref> 

The arrival of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' in 1991 was highly successful in Europe and especially North America, with the [[Sonic the Hedgehog|new Sega mascot]] becoming popular throughout the two continents and directly competing with Nintendo's [[Mario]].<ref name="MegaDriveLaunch"/>

In Brazil, the Mega Drive was released by [[Tectoy]] in 1990, only a year after the Brazilian release of the [[Sega Master System]]. Tectoy also ran the Internet service "Sega Meganet" in Brazil, as well as producing games exclusively for the Brazilian market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gameproducer.net/2008/02/26/how-piracy-can-break-an-industry-the-brazilian-case/|title=How Piracy can Break an Industry - the Brazilian Case|accessdate=14 April 2008|last=Tiago|first=Tex Pine|date=26 February 2008}}</ref>

===End of support and third-party licensing===
The Mega Drive/Genesis was supported until 1997 worldwide, when Sega announced it was dropping support for it.<ref name="ConsoleInfo 2">{{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|work=http://www.consoledatabase.com}}</ref> It was discontinued along with its predecessor, the Master System, to allow Sega to concentrate on its newer console, the [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]]. The Mega Drive's add-ons, the [[Mega CD]] and [[Sega 32X|32X]], were also both discontinued at this point, having been the same general failures they were in the other regions.<ref name="failure">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/111822.shtml|title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time|last=Blake|first=Snow|date=30 July 2007|publisher=[[wikipedia:GamePro|GamePro]]|accessdate=20 May 2008}}</ref>

In 1997, Sega licensed the Mega Drive to [[Majesco]] so that it could re-release the console in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/cgi-bin/page.cgi?pkpcode=genesis3|title=Sega (Majesco) Genesis 3|publisher=pelikonepeijoonit|accessdate=6 March 2006}}</ref> Majesco began re-selling millions of formerly unsold cartridges at a budget price together with the second model of the Genesis, until it later released a third version of it.

==Backwards-compatibility==
[[File:genesis power base.png|thumb|225px|right|Sega Power Base Converter]]
One of the key design features of the console is its backwards compatibility with Sega's previous console, the [[Sega Master System]]. The 16-bit design is based upon the 8-bit design, albeit enhanced and extended in many areas. In order to achieve backwards compatibility, the Master System's central processor and sound chip (the Zilog Z80<ref name="sreac3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.skillreactor.org/cgi-bin/index.pl?megadrv|title=Sega Mega Drive information}}</ref> and SN76489 respectively) are included in the Mega Drive, and the Mega Drive's Video Display Processor (VDP) is capable of the Master System's VDP's mode 4, though it cannot run in modes 0, 1, 2, or 3.

As the cartridge slot is of a different shape, Sega released the Power Base Converter, a separate device that sits between a Master System cartridge and the Mega Drive's cartridge slot. The Power Base Converter does not contain any Master System's hardware components, instead functioning as a pass-through device. The converter contains a top slot for cartridge-based games along with a front slot for card-based games, as well as the 3D glasses adapter. When a Master System game is inserted, the system puts the Z80 in control, leaving the Mega Drive's main 68000 processor idle.<ref name="sreac3"/> This peripheral was released in Japan on 26 January 1989 for ¥4500<ref name="adapt"/> and can only be attached to the original model, making it incompatible with the later second and third revisions of the Mega Drive.<ref name="adapt">{{Cite web|title=Mega Drive Adaptor|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/adapter.html|publisher=[[Sega]]|language=Japanese|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215062323/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/adapter.html|archivedate=15 February 2013|accessdate=25 February 2022}}</ref>

Although the peripheral can play any game within the Master System's library, one particular game does not work with this device, which is ''F-16 Fighting Falcon''.<ref>Master System Converter Instruction Manual, p. 7.</ref>

==Versions==
The Sega Mega Drive went through many different design changes and titles over the years it was in production. This list only includes standard Mega Drive variations and does not feature any "bundle" consoles such as the '''Sega CDX''' or '''TeraDrive'''.
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Title !!Also known as !!Year !!Region !!Distributor
|-
|'''Sega Mega Drive'''
|<p align="left">Model 1<br/>'''Sega Genesis''' {{C|NA}}<br/>'''Super Gam*Boy''' {{C|KOR}}<br/>'''Super Aladdin Boy''' {{C|KOR, later}}</p>
|1988
|rowspan="2"|International
|rowspan="2"|[[Sega]]
[[Samsung Group|Samsung]] (KOR)
|-
|'''Mega Drive II'''
|<p align="left">Model 2<br/>'''Genesis''' {{C|NA}}<br/>'''Super Aladdin Boy II''' {{C|KOR}}</p>
|rowspan="2"|1993
|-
|'''Mega Drive III'''
|rowspan="2"|N/A
|Brazil
|[[Tectoy]]
|-
|'''Mega Game II'''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coelho|first=Miguel|title=Coleccionismo de Mega Drive|url=http://www.revistapushstart.com/2015/02/26/coleccionismo-de-mega-drive/|publisher=PUSHSTART|language=Portugese|date=26 February 2015|archiveurl=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/H3H0h|archivedate=30 September 2021|accessdate=26 February 2022}}</ref>
|1997
|Portugal
|Ecofilmes
|-
|'''Genesis 3'''
|Model 3
|1998
|United States
|[[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]]
|-
|'''Super Mega Drive 3'''<ref name="tectoy"/>
|N/A
|2001
|Brazil
|[[Tectoy]]
|}

==Add-ons==
{{Main|Sega CD|Sega 32X}}
[[File:Sega-Mega-Drive-Tower-Mini.png|thumb|225px|left|Mega Drive with the [[Sega CD]] and [[Sega 32X|32X]] add-ons as well as ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' locked on a ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' cartridge (Japanese version).]]
The Sega Mega Drive features two optional add-ons: the '''Sega CD''' and '''Sega 32X'''. Both of these peripherals helped to expand the Mega Drive's lifespan into the next-generation of consoles (32-bit era).
*The '''Sega CD''' plays a high-quality CD-ROM using a slow 1x Optical Disc Drive while increasing audio and visual capabilities over the stock Mega Drive. This add-on was first launched in Japan on December 12 1991,<ref>{{cite web|title=Mega-CD|publisher=[[Sega]]|language=Japanese|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716110215/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/|archivedate=16 July 2014|accessdate=29 March 2014|}}</ref> with a North American launch on October 15 of the following year.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Beuscher|first=David|title=Sega CD: Biography|url=http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=36|publisher=AllGame|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114094429/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=36|archivedate=14 November 2014}}</ref> The Sega CD is best known for the exclusive debut of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]''.
*The '''Sega 32X''' works as an "enhancement" over a stock Mega Drive console, with an additional 32-bit processor to process more complex graphical tasks. The 32X was released in North America on November 12 1994,<ref name="ulthistory">{{Cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.|year=2001|chapter=The "Next" Generation (Part 1)|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|publisher=Prima Publishing|isbn=0-7615-3643-4}}</ref> just a day before the [[Sega Saturn]] was launched in Japan. This peripheral is best known for being the exclusive platform of ''[[Knuckles' Chaotix]]''. However, it was unsuccessful.

==Sega Mega Jet==
{{Infobox platform
|title           = Sega Mega Jet
|image           = SEGA Mega Jet.png
|caption         = The Sega Mega Jet.
|type            = [[:Category:Handheld platforms|Handheld video game console]]
|manufacturer    = [[Sega]]
|first_available = {{vgrelease|JP=1 July 1993 (airlines)<ref name="megajet">{{Cite web|title=Mega Jet|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/megajet.html|publisher=[[Sega]]|language=Japanese|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130109014734/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/md/megajet.html|archivedate=9 January 2013|accessdate=25 February 2022}}</ref>}}{{vgrelease|JP=10 March 1994 (retail)<ref name="megajet"/>}}
|price           = ¥15000<ref name="megajet"/>
|cpu             = 
*Motorola 68000 7.67MHz (primary)
*Zilog Z80 3.58MHz (secondary)
|ram             = 
*72kB RAM
*64kB VRAM
|sound           = 
*Mono speakers
*Yamaha YM2612
*Texas Instruments SN76489
}}
The '''Sega Mega Jet''' was another handheld version of the Sega Mega Drive. It was rented for use aboard Japan Airlines flights for both first and business class.<ref name="megajet"/>

The device lacked its own screen but could play Mega Drive cartridges when connected to a small armrest monitor used on Japan Airlines. The cord that connected to the display also supplied the device's power. An extra port was featured on the top of the Mega Jet so that a standard Mega Drive controller could be connected, and two players can play at once.

Four games for the flight were available, including ''Super Monaco GP'' and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''. However, since the unit accepted standard Mega Drive cartridges, passengers could bring in and use their own. The Mega Jet was marketed in Japan as a portable Mega Drive and was available in limited quantities in department stores.

The Mega Jet eventually became the basis for the Sega Nomad, a portable Mega Drive with a backlit screen, that was released exclusively in the United States in 1995.

==Sega Nomad==
{{Infobox platform
|title           = Sega Nomad
|image           = Sega Nomad.png
|caption         = The Sega Nomad.
|type            = [[:Category:Handheld platforms|Handheld video game console]]
|manufacturer    = 
*[[Sega]]
*[[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]]
|first_available = {{vgrelease|USA=October 1995<ref name="UGUS"/>}}
|price           = $179<ref name="UGUS">{{Cite journal|journal=Ultimate Gamer|date=November 1995|issue=4|page=14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=gabox|url=https://steemit.com/gaming/@gabox/sega-nomad-videogame-history-30-retro-review|title=Sega Nomad - Videogame History #30 - Retro Review|publisher=Steemit|date=11 January 2018|accessdate=11 June 2018}}</ref>
|discontinued    = 1999
|units_sold      = <1 million<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wesley|first1=David|last2=Barczak|first2=Gloria|title=Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry: Avoiding the Performance Trap|publisher=CRC Press|date=23 May 2016|pages=84, 85|accessdate=20 February 2018|isbn=1317116496, 9781317116493}}</ref>
|cpu             = 
*Motorola 68000 (primary)
*Zilog Z80 (secondary)
|ram             = 
*72kB RAM
*64kB VRAM
|sound           = 
*Mono speakers
*Yamaha YM2612
*Texas Instruments SN76489
|precursor        = [[Sega Game Gear]]
|successor        = [[Wikipedia:VMU|Dreamcast VMU]]
}}
The '''Sega Nomad''', also called '''Sega Genesis Nomad''' or just the '''Nomad''', was a [[:Category:Handheld platforms|handheld game system]] sold for the North American consumer market which played Sega Mega Drive game cartridges. The system was similar to the Japanese Sega Mega Jet but featured a built-in color screen; the Mega Jet needed a separate monitor. Its codename during development was '''Project Venus''', as per Sega's policy at the time of codenaming their systems after planets.

===Game library===
The Nomad does not have its own game library, but instead plays standard Genesis games. At the time of the Nomad's launch, the Genesis already had over 500 games available to play. However, no pack-in title was included for the Nomad. The Nomad can boot unlicensed, homebrew, and bootleg games made for the Genesis.

Some earlier third-party titles have compatibility issues when played on the Nomad but can be successfully played through the use of a Game Genie. Likewise, due to its lack of compatibility with any of the Genesis' add-ons, it is unable to play any games for the [[Sega Master System]], [[Sega CD]], or [[Sega 32X]]. The Nomad employs two different regional lockout methods, physical and software, but methods have been found to bypass these restrictions.{{-}}

==Trivia==
*Japanese Mega Drive cartridges have a different shape and will not fit in either the American Genesis or the PAL region Mega Drive cartridge slot. Japanese Mega Drive systems also have a piece of plastic that slides in a place of the cartridge when the power switch is turned on, inserting a Genesis cart will make it impossible to turn on a Japanese console. Minor modifications to the plastic locks in the consoles will bypass the regional locks.
**However, the console's main board was designed with language and frequency jumper sets, which originally activated features in the same ROM for the different regions, this feature was later used to enable software-based regional locks that display warning messages that prevent the game from being played. Switches placed instead of the jumpers will bypass the locks.
**In region-locked games, if there is a multiple language feature, it can be changed with the switches after the game has booted-up.
*There are over 900 games released for the Mega Drive/Genesis across seven major regions: Japan, North America, Europe, Australasia, Korea, Asia, and Latin America.
*In ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Level Pack (Lego Dimensions)|Lego Dimensions]]'', after [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] follows [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]] through a portal and subsequently battles [[Robo Sonic]], [[Mecha Sonic]] and [[Metal Sonic]]. After he is finished fighting, Metal Sonic explodes and hits the portal device causing three portals to open and the first model of the Sega Mega Drive flies out one of them.
*[[wikipedia:Japan Amusement Machinery Manufacturers Association|JAMMA]] made an arcade board called the "Sega Mega Play" in 1991, which has the ability to play Sega Mega Drive games. The hardware was released in Asia and the PAL regions, but never made it to North America.
*This was the first console with online connectivity via the Mega Modem add-on released in Japan only.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{WP link|Sega Mega Drive}}
*{{WP link|Sega Nomad}}
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