--- title: Sega Genesis categories: - Consoles params: name: Genesis image: /media/museum/photos/sega_genesis_2s.jpg company: /companies/sega company_name: Sega tabs: - photos - hardware - connectors - software - emulators - links - videos forum_thread: 818 photos: - title: GENESIS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/genesis_face.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/genesis_profil.jpg - title: CLOSE UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/genesis_profil2.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/genesis_profil3.jpg - title: EUROPEAN MEGADRIVE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_eur_face.jpg - title: MEGADRIVE - CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_eur_profil.jpg - title: MEGADRIVE - CONTROL PANEL subtitle: '' text: The volume slider, on/off switch and Reset button. image: /media/museum/photos/md_eur_buttons.jpg - title: POWER LED subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/megadrive_close.jpg - title: BOTTOM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/megadrive_back.jpg - title: JAPANESE MEGADRIVE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_jap_face.jpg - title: JAPANESE MEGADRIVE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_jap_profil.jpg - title: CONTROL PANEL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_jap_buttons.jpg - title: CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_jap_profil2.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_jap_profil3.jpg - title: VERSIONS COMPARISON subtitle: '' text: |- From top to bottom : - European Megadrive - Japanese Megadrive - American Genesis Just a few cosmetic differences... image: /media/museum/photos/md_comparaison.jpg - title: CONTROL PAD subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_pad.jpg - title: PAD - TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_pad_2.jpg - title: PAD - CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/md_pad_buttons.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/megadrive_box.jpg - title: BOX - BACK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/megadrive_box_back.jpg hardware: - title: THE ACTION CHAIR subtitle: '' text: |- The action chair is a rare item. Connected to a Genesis/Megadrive, it acts as a controller! When you lean backward/forward it tells the Genesis to go down/up and when you lean left/right it tells to go left/right. Two handles on each side offer two buttons each, resulting in 4 buttons : START, SELECT, A & B. The Action Chair is basically a chair mounted on a controller. It is thus possible to play all games with it, though it is more convenient to play games like After Burner II, Space Harrier II, Super Thunder Blade, Hang on, Road Rash, Super Monaco GP, etc. Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 1 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_1.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 2 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_2.jpg - title: THE UNIT subtitle: '' text: |- The MegaCD was released in 1991 in Japan, in 1992 in the USA and in 1993 in Europe. This very expensive addon was meant to fight the Nintendo SNES which was just released, and alternatively the NEC CD based systems... The main interest of the MegaCD was that if enabled bigger games and FMV movies/music. Despite this, movie based games were often boring, offering very little interaction with the player. Finaly there were not a lot of games produced for the MegaCD. Another version of the MegaCD was released to be used with the Genesis / Megadrive II system. image: /media/museum/hardware/megacd_seul.jpg - title: CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megacd_close.jpg - title: GENESIS / MEGADRIVE FIITED ON THE MEGACD subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megadrivemegacd.jpg - title: 'PICTURE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megadrivemegacd_2.jpg - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megadrivemegacd_3.jpg - title: 'CLOSE-UP #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megadrivemegacd_profil.jpg - title: BACK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/megadrivemegacd_side.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_megadrive_megacd1_box_1.jpg - title: 'PICTURE #1' subtitle: '' text: |- The Sega Powerbase Convertor enables the Genesis / Megadrive to play Master System games. Its case design is a mix between the Genesis and the Master System. It fits on top of the Genesis / Megadrive and includes a cartridge slot and a cart slot. The Powerbase cannot be used with the Genesis / Megadrive II but a special version was later released for it, which, like the Genesis / Megadrive II, did not include the cart slot. image: /media/museum/hardware/md_powerbase.jpg - title: 'PICTURE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/md_powerbase_2.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_megadrive_baseconverter_box.jpg connectors: - title: A/V CONNECTOR PINOUT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/connectors/genesis_md_sms_mkiii_video.gif - title: 3 BUTTONS JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: |- The joystick port uses a multiplexing technique based on the 74HC157 chip (high-speed cmos quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer) built-in the controller. There are 2 inputs for each 4 outputs of the chip. The console can determine which function is read by setting the *select* signal to 0v (logic low) or +5v (logic high). **Fun fact :** Atari 2600 joysticks could be used in the Genesis joystick ports. The button of the Atari joystick was the "B" button on a Sega Genesis, and the direction buttons are fully functional. image: /media/museum/connectors/genesis_joystick.gif emulators: - title: Gens url: http://gens.consolemul.com/ platform: Windows text: Excellent Genesis emulator - title: KEGA url: http://www.eidolons-inn.net/kega/ platform: Windows text: Kega is a Sega SG1000, SC3000, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Megadrive and SegaCD/MegaCD emulator for Win9x/ME/2000/XP - title: Wgens url: http://emu.makii.pl/pokazpliki.php3?tematy=smd platform: Windows text: Sega Megadrive emulator links: - title: GameFAQs url: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/ text: All sort of FAQs related to the Genesis / megadrive (games, hardware, etc.) - title: GameWinners.com url: http://www.gamewinners.com/GEN/ text: Great cheat codes archive ! - title: GAMEX.COM url: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/genesisav.htm text: Genesis / Megadrive video pinouts - title: Genesis Collective url: http://www.genesiscollective.com/ text: Giant software database, full of useful info - title: IGN.COM url: http://codes.ign.com/ text: A LOT of Genesis game codes - title: Megadrive FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/megadfaq.shtml text: Megadrive FAQ hosted by Classicgaming.com - title: Official 32X pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/32x/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Mega Drive pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/md/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Sega CD pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: SEGA CD FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/segacdfaq.shtml text: Sega CD FAQ hosted by classicgaming.com - title: The Dump url: http://www.classicgaming.com/thedump/genesis/ text: Box arts, covers, reviews and more - title: The McDonald Family Homepage url: http://www.billnkaz.demon.co.uk/segalist.htm text: How to build a RGB to D-SUB video cable for your Genesis / Megadrive 1. Also a big cheat file is available - title: Video Game Music Archive url: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/ text: Sega Genesis music files directory !!! - title: Zophar's Domain url: http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html text: Nice emulator list & some interestinf game info to download - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Sega dedicated newsgroup videos: - title: Sega Genesis TV commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo text: 'Length: 30s' related: - /museum/sega-genesis-2 - /museum/sega-genesis-3 - /museum/sega-mega-drive - /museum/sega-mega-drive-ii - /museum/sega-nomad - /museum/sega-wondermega software: - /software/36-great-holes-starring-fred-couples-32x - /software/after-burner-complete-32x - /software/chaotix-32x - /software/doom-32x - /software/fifa-soccer-96-32x - /software/kolibri-32x - /software/mortal-kombat-ii-32x - /software/nba-jam-tournament-edition-32x - /software/pitfall-the-mayan-adventure-32x - /software/sangokushi-iv-32x - /software/space-harrier-32x - /software/spider-man-web-of-fire-32x - /software/star-wars-arcade-32x - /software/stellar-assault-32x - /software/tempo-32x - /software/wwf-raw-32x - /software/zaxxon-s-motherbase-2000-32x oc_id: 837 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230602055346/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=837 date: '2023-06-02' --- The Mega Drive was renamed Genesis for its 1989 American launch. Lack of awareness of the [TurboGrafx-16](/museum/nec-turbografx-16-turbografx/) left the [NES](/museum/nintendo-nes/) as the Genesis' biggest competitor until the release of the [SNES](/museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system/). By this time the Genesis had established a large user base and was able to outsell the SNES in America. Shortly after the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (on Sonic 2's Day, which as you probably guessed was a Tuesday!) the Genesis held a massive 65% share of the market. However, the success of the console in the States, and as the [Mega Drive](/museum/sega-mega-drive/) in Europe, may well have contributed to Sega's downfall. Two misjudged pieces of hardware, the 32X and Sega CD put a huge dent in Sega's reputation, one so large that the company would never recover. A redesigned [Genesis II](/museum/sega-mega-drive-ii/) was released in 1994. The smaller console was cheaper to produce, similar in concept to the [Master System II](/museum/sega-master-system-ii/). --- **Taneli Lukka from Filand adds :**\ Connecting the 32X addon to the original Genesis/Mega Drive is very difficult because a special adapter cable is required to link the 32X unit and the MD console together. This happens because MD1 has a diffirent AV port than the MD2. This cable was very hard to get even when 32X was released (many people had to buy a MD2 unit to get their 32X working) and it's almost impossible to get your hands on one of these cables today. **James (UK) comments :** I believe i have a seen two different versions which havent been mentioned here. the Mega Drive i own has a white piece of plastic around the power L.E.D, and no writing at all on the ring. it has no EXT port and all plastic feet and only mono sound from the a.v out port - i modified it for stereo by taking the output from the headphone port. The Mega Drive my uncle had was one of the first in the UK. That had a GREY piece of plastic around the led and had 'high definition audio' only written on the ring :)