Happy Birthday Genesis!

[Melf]

I'm surprised no one made a thread for this already!

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the official nationwide Genesis launch. On that day, thousands of hungry gamers paid $189 to bathe in the 10 minutes of wonder offered by Altered Beast, and then they quickly tossed it aside to play Revenge of Shinobi and Alex Kidd.

Happy birthday, you beautiful little console!

[Genesis Knight]

Wow, had no idea. It's hard to believe it's getting close to 20 years. Regardless...

WOOT!

[AD2101]

18 years and still going strong!! Congrats to the Genesis for being the awesome piece of hardware that it is!

[Blades]

18 years old, and it still has a huge internet following, with new games being made every month.

Sega Genesis, one of the most impressive feats of gaming ever created.

[Genesis Knight]

YEAH! You like Streets of Sim City!

At last, I am not alone!

[GeckoYamori]

I always prefer Sim Copter.

[Blades]

YEAH! You like Streets of Sim City!

At last, I am not alone!

Yeaaaah! Streets kicked ass. It was awesome at least see my S2000 Cities "3D-ized".

And the combat part wasn't too bad either.

[Genesis Knight]

I'm just shocked anyone remembers it. I wasted too many hours to count on that game. Makes me nostalgic.

[Aarzak]

Happy Birthday 'ol Genny!

I noticed on August 14th and today that it was the Genny's birthday, but I figured since no one gave a damn or remembered (like they do with Nintendo and Sony's consoles) that I shouldn't bring it up. I'm glad someone did though.

So, who were bought or played the console the earliest? The Pre-Sonic Genesis era is quite underrated and largely forgotten. Unfortunately I only recall playing Genesis as early as 1991 (when I was 4). Though "Altered Beast" was one of the earliest games I recall playing and I think I even beat it at that age. The extended intro sequence with the moving eyeballs used to scare the crap out of me as a little kid, as did the "Game Over" screen on Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (when the beaten character pic turns B&W and they let out their final "ughhhhh!") and Ryu's somber ending theme as well. I was such a video game puss back then. I didn't own my own Genesis until fall 1995 ( a used, Sonic-era Model 1 w/used NFR Sonic 1) though.

I wonder what were the best-selling and most popular games during the Pre-Sonic era. I bet "Ghouls 'N Ghosts" sold liek hotcaeks. It and "Revenge of Shinobi" were the highest rated '89 Genesis games by EGM.

[Melf]

I was so stoked for the Genesis that I bought the only game my local store still had in stock - World Championship Soccer, and I didn't even have the console. When my dad, who I'd gone to Texas to visit, finally got me my Genesis (after making me go to 9 different stores because he thought that the universal $189 cost was price fixing by the stores. He finally gave in and took me back to Lionel Playworld to get one.), I beat Altered Beast in about 15 minutes and then played through WCS completely in one playthrough. A friend had given me $50 to buy him Super Hang-On, and I played through that as well.


Great times.

[Gentlegamer]

I knew Genny's birthday was near, but I assumed someone else would make the announcement for the celebration.

Happy Birthday! Wow, can't believe it's been EIGHTEEN YEARS.

[Blaze]

That system was the one to beat, happy late B-Day baby. I gave up all the other systems for you

[Sixfortyfive]

I was wondering, how long to the patents on game consoles last? Is it 20 years? I'm trying to remember when all of those unlicensed 3rd party Famiclones started popping up and wondering how long we have to go before the Genny gets similar treatment.

[Aarzak]

I wonder if Yuji Naka will ever come out and talk about that Famicom emulator he cobbled up for the Mega Drive during it's infancy. Insider stories like that are always a treat to hear..........like the complete, unreleased, 3DFX cart-enhanced Saturn port of "Virtua Fighter 3" that's supposedly locked tight inside the proverbial vault.

Back to the Mega Drive, check out the amount of games available for it in it's first seven months in Japan:

Game Name Release Date
Space Harrier II 29 October 1988 (Launch Title)
Super Thunder Blade 29 October 1988 (Launch Title)
Altered Beast 27 November 1988
Osomatsu-kun 24 December 1988
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle 10 February 1989
Phantasy Star II 21 March 1989
Super League 22 April 1989
Super Daisenryaku 29 April 1989
Thunder Force II 15 June 1989
Hokuto no ken 15 June 1989

Damn that was rough. Nintendo and their damn policies!

Now that we're talking about launch titles you know what that means..........first-gen commercials!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBMbRvoPbIw (Genesis commercial feat. "Ghostbusters", "Ghouls 'N Ghosts" and "Forgotten Worlds"......w/ live-action re-inactions!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kxghxCcfqo (same style commercial feat. "The Revenge of Shinobi" and "Super Monaco GP")

[Joe Redifer]

On that day, thousands of hungry gamers paid $189 to bathe in the 10 minutes of wonder offered by Altered Beast, and then they quickly tossed it aside to play Revenge of Shinobi and Alex Kidd.

No they didn't because Revenge of Shinobi and Alex Kidd weren't available at launch. Neither was Ghouls n Ghosts, though that did come quite awhile before RoS.