The Genesis really was better than the Super Nintendo.

[Gentlegamer]

I think the SNES lovers are, on the whole, much more defensive about the SNES because they had to be back in the day. The SNES was the uncool kiddie system, while the Genesis was the mature, adult-oriented system with violent arcade games. I know others have said this before, and it was certainly true in my situation, but when I was younger nobody wanted an SNES and if their parents bought them one they felt embarrassed by it. But the people who had an SNES and thought it was great had to really stand up for their system, and they still feel a strong attachment to it today, which is why there are so many SNES fanboys.

Despite the desperate efforts of Sega advertising, there was no perception of uncool for the SNES. There was also nothing more mature or adult oriented about the system with a cartoon blue hedgehog as a mascot, no matter how much '90s 'tude he expressed.

Genesis fans may have thought they were mature adults, but really, they were this kid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl8rrBaHW6U

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

Nintendo still exists as a hardware developer and is still making new games in the same franchises that existed in the 8 and 16-bit eras (while Sega just keeps hammering away with the sometimes decent but often horrible Sonic). It's not much of a mystery as to why Nintendo has more loyal fans and why the popular perception of those gaming eras is strongly in favor of Nintendo. To Sega's credit they've become a solid publisher and sometimes throws their history a bone but they haven't even come close to maintaining their beloved intellectual properties as well Nintendo.

But I do agree it also has a lot to do with the type of games. Old-school arcade action has fallen out of favor with the majority. I wouldn't say it's because players don't form the same level of attachment with action games, but rather that changes in modern game design have left a lot of today's gamers clueless about how to approach older action titles so they're dismissed as lesser games.

And the N64 love comes mostly from people who were kids that owned the N64. There's a lot of rose colored glasses involved in regards to that console and honestly the entire early 3D generation.

Nintendo has crafted an identity that inspires brand loyalty. Sega dropped the ball in that regard. That's really the gist of it.

I get the brand loyalty because I grew up with my Mega Drive and will always love SEGA but I am still capable of at least having an open and honest debate about the strengths and weaknesses of both Nintendo and SEGA along with their various consoles over the years. This is an ability that Ninty fans seem to be overwhelmingly incapable of without resorting to crap system comparisons, telling outright lies about rival companies hardware and finally resorting to almost tearful dewy-eyed nostalgia. It's almost as if some of them are just saying "Hey, at the end of the day I win the argument because, as a hallowed Nintendo fan, I automatically have the moral high-ground." You point to some almost romantic loyalty that surrounds Nintendo and that, supposedly, just because they are still in the hardware market that somehow justifies the idiotic and simply false crap that some of their fans spout. Yes SEGA dropped the ball, several times, and as a SEGA fan I know that better than anyone but I fail to see how that somehow absolves huge portions of Nintendo's fanbase online from acting in an incredibly moronic fashion.

[JumpingRyle]

Despite the desperate efforts of Sega advertising, there was no perception of uncool for the SNES. There was also nothing more mature or adult oriented about the system with a cartoon blue hedgehog as a mascot, no matter how much '90s 'tude he expressed.

Genesis fans may have thought they were mature adults, but really, they were this kid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl8rrBaHW6U

Are you speaking for your experiences at the time? Because, as I said, in my situation the perception of the Genesis was definitely as an adult-oriented "cool" system while the SNES was for little kids. I mean, Mortal Kombat had blood! Aladdin had a sword! Of course it's silly and there wasn't really that much of a difference, but kids wanted the "R" rated system, not the G rated one. I don't think this was unique to my situation as I've heard it mentioned numerous times before. I suppose it depends a lot on your age at the time.

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

Despite the desperate efforts of Sega advertising, there was no perception of uncool for the SNES. There was also nothing more mature or adult oriented about the system with a cartoon blue hedgehog as a mascot, no matter how much '90s 'tude he expressed.

Genesis fans may have thought they were mature adults, but really, they were this kid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl8rrBaHW6U

I don't know how old you are but when I was a kid there was a definite uncoolness associated with the SNES and whether or not that was down to SEGA's aggressive and impressive advertising or just down to kids naturally preferring the Mega Drive/Genesis is up for debate. Nintendo having a childish image and not being regarded as 'cool' in the early 90's is certainly no myth though, not where I grew up. That is exactly how a lot of kids percieved them like it or not.

[midnightrider]

Well, you also have to understand the NES had the Japanese and North American markets in the '80's. That's where a lot of it really starts.

I'll never understand how the Angry Nintendo Nerd was so influenced by Nintendo on the whole, since he started with some 2nd generation consoles. You'd think having played other consoles would have nullified that kind of fanboyism for any specific brand...

On the flip side, the NES was my first. I didn't ever come to think Nintendo=video games, and everything else was just a pretender or something. I liked trying out other consoles, if I knew they existed.

I'll admit, I was probably close to becoming a SNES fanboy myself. I wanted one for that generation. However, not because I thought it would be the superior machine, or that I was butthurt over Genesis does or whatever. I just expected another generation of more of what I was used to(Castlevania, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden[which didn't happen...], and of course Nintendo's usual 1st party titles). When I got my Genesis, well, it was a new console on Christmas morning. I don't think I had 1 regret about not getting an SNES. The old man had explained to me that he thought it looked better, and hearing the interview's with Al Nilsen and the tour with Sonic and Super Mario World, I'd recently began to understand that decision (though, knowing him, the lower price point was also a big factor in that decision ).

As I said in one of my first posts here though, I don't recall Genesis owners ever starting that argument. It'd be that one SNES kid that would, in fact. Funny enough, if you recall that moment in the AVGN vid, he basically admits he was the instigator, until "blast processing" would shut him up.

I guess that "kiddy console" stigma was enough for SNES owners to develop an inferiority complex, I don't know. All I wanted to do was play games. I never gave a damn which console was supposed to be "superior." Hell, I wouldn't even mind giving the baby his bottle on that one, if they weren't so antagonistic about it, which brings out the worst in everyone really.

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

Well, you also have to understand the NES had the Japanese and North American markets in the '80's. That's where a lot of it really starts.

I'll never understand how the Angry Nintendo Nerd was so influenced by Nintendo on the whole, since he started with some 2nd generation consoles. You'd think having played other consoles would have nullified that kind of fanboyism for any specific brand...

On the flip side, the NES was my first. I didn't ever come to think Nintendo=video games, and everything else was just a pretender or something. I liked trying out other consoles, if I knew they existed.

I'll admit, I was probably close to becoming a SNES fanboy myself. I wanted one for that generation. However, not because I thought it would be the superior machine, or that I was butthurt over Genesis does or whatever. I just expected another generation of more of what I was used to(Castlevania, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden[which didn't happen...], and of course Nintendo's usual 1st party titles). When I got my Genesis, well, it was a new console on Christmas morning. I don't think I had 1 regret about not getting an SNES. The old man had explained to me that he thought it looked better, and hearing the interview's with Al Nilsen and the tour with Sonic and Super Mario World, I'd recently began to understand that decision (though, knowing him, the lower price point was also a big factor in that decision ).

As I said in one of my first posts here though, I don't recall Genesis owners ever starting that argument. It'd be that one SNES kid that would, in fact. Funny enough, if you recall that moment in the AVGN vid, he basically admits he was the instigator, until "blast processing" would shut him up.

I guess that "kiddy console" stigma was enough for SNES owners to develop an inferiority complex, I don't know. All I wanted to do was play games. I never gave a damn which console was supposed to be "superior." Hell, I wouldn't even mind giving the baby his bottle on that one, if they weren't so antagonistic about it, which brings out the worst in everyone really.

Absolutely. It's their sheer arrogance and antagonism on the subject that gets under my and other peoples skin and makes me want to call them out over their bullshit when really I should just walk away and leave them to it. I like the SNES, always have, is it superior to the Mega Drive? No it's not. For a machine that came out about two and a half years after the Mega Drive and that supposedly had superior hardware SEGA's machine and it's library of games matched it blow for blow and in many parts of the world such as Europe, South America, Asia and Australia the Mega Drive was by far the more popular machine. That's something that crazed Nintendo fanboys just need to deal with and hopefully move on with their lives.

[Obviously]

I fail to see how that somehow absolves huge portions of Nintendo's fanbase online from acting in an incredibly moronic fashion.

Well I'm only trying to explain some elements that lead to the phenomenon, not try to absolve anyone of bias nor justify bias. I'm pointing out why so much of that bias is in favor of Nintendo in the modern age, not that it's deserved but rather because they're still drawing in new fans and those fans are unfairly revising history in their favor in the process. If you got the impression that I was trying to act as an apologetic for fanboy idiocy I wasn't.

I certainly don't find brand loyalty to be a positive thing, just a success on behalf of Nintendo's marketing which has nothing to do with the consoles themselves.

[JumpingRyle]

All I wanted to do was play games. I never gave a damn which console was supposed to be "superior."

That's exactly how I feel. All consoles have something to offer and I want to play them all!

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

Well I'm only trying to explain some elements that lead to the phenomenon, not try to absolve anyone of bias. If you got the impression that I was trying to act as an apologetic for fanboy idiocy I wasn't.

Oh I know that mate it's just I'd heard the argument you put forward to explain some Ninty fans odd behaviour before and was talking about it in a wider sense not accusing you of defending their attitude.

We're all guilty of being nostalgic over certain things and memories and we all have our own brand of rose-tinted specs that we put on from time to time, I know I certainly do, but I guess some Nintendo fans had their particular brand of rosey specs surgically grafted to their faces sometime around 1992.

[Gentlegamer]

I'm gonna guess you who saw the Genesis/Mega Drive as "more mature and adult" were probably around 8-10 years old at the time, the same demographic that in modern day loves Call of Duty.

[j_factor]

Despite the desperate efforts of Sega advertising, there was no perception of uncool for the SNES. There was also nothing more mature or adult oriented about the system with a cartoon blue hedgehog as a mascot, no matter how much '90s 'tude he expressed.

I don't know that Sega advertising had much to do with it, but the perception was definitely there. Nintendo had cultivated an image in the NES era of being family-friendly and oriented towards kids. In 1991-94 there were a lot of "NES kids" who had gotten older and wanted something else, which Sega capitalized on. Nintendo even promoted their lack of mature content, in contrast to Sega's, in Congressional hearings on violence in video games. Nintendo enforced strict censorship policies, while Sega was much more lax. Not just violence either -- you couldn't use words like "damn" in an SNES game, and they even censored the phrase "chop shop" out of Shadowrun.

Plus Sega had the sports games, Road Rash, Mortal Kombat with blood, etc.

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

I'm gonna guess you who saw the Genesis/Mega Drive as "more mature and adult" were probably around 8-10 years old at the time, the same demographic that in modern day loves Call of Duty.

Speaking for myself and my friends at the time, and yes we were around 9, we loved the Mega Drive for games like Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Streets of Rage and Desert Strike, not because we thought "It's cool so we have to have one.". That was what other kids in school thought perhaps but me and my friends loved it for the games and the reason we all got a Mega Drive was so we could swap our games with each other as they were so eye-wateringly expensive back then, simple as. My absolute love for the machine grew naturally from there.

I notice it's fashionable to slag off the COD games these days as the franchise is supposedly a sign of a complete lack of originality in the games industry today. Maybe they are and maybe they aren't but I for one enjoy them and find them incredibly stress-relieving, so sue me.

[Kamahl]

I notice it's fashionable to slag off the COD games these days as the franchise is supposedly a sign of a complete lack of originality in the games industry today. Maybe they are and maybe they aren't but I for one enjoy them and find them incredibly stress-relieving, so sue me.

There man, fixed it for you, no need to thank me.

I loved the original modern warfare, it was super cool at the time. It's a bit of a shame they've rereleased it more times than I can count under different names.

[Mega Drive Bowlsey]

There man, fixed it for you, no need to thank me.

I loved the original modern warfare, it was super cool at the time. It's a bit of a shame they've rereleased it more times than I can count under different names.

lol yeah I do admit that there is absolutely no originality left in the tank of, not just the COD franchise, but in the whole FPS genre but for sheer stress busting fun after having a tough day there isn't many games that give me that feeling of pretending to be Arnie in Commando and just being a ridiculous one-man army just mowing down everything in sight. Having said that Rambo III and Mercs on the Mega Drive capture that feeling pretty damn well too!

[synbiosfan]

That sounds so familiar for some reason. Where have I encountered that, and who from? It's going to drive me nuts.....

I'm sure that's sarcastic but in case it's not, A Black Falcon.