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[Theslammer]

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Super NES (1991)
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"Sega does what Nintendon't."

Some launches produce classic games. Some launches produce a lot of good games. Some launches, you look back and think, "There really wasn't much, was there?" I've put together the launches at the bottom of the post for the US, Europe and Asia.


My experience:

So.... none of these games are games I have amazing memories playing. This seems like one of the weaker launches despite the fact that I was a Genesis kid and loved the system.

The first two games my brother and I received were Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat, which were both fun as hell. It took several years for that to happen -- I think Christmas of 1993 -- which was four years after the console's launch. It's crazy to me to think that not long after we bought the Genesis, the 3D consoles were released. Time moved so slow in those younger years that a couple years with a Genesis felt like forever. Meanwhile, I'm amazed we're four years into this generation. =P

But yeah, we still had the NES for a while before ever getting the Genesis. I can say its launch wasn't very convincing looking back. Still, it ended up being a very good and fun console.

I'll say this! The newer controller seen in the second picture was so, so good for fighting games. Three kicks, three punches, all easy to access. The 3-button controller was kind of lame since I usually had to press the Start button in Street Fighter to change from punches to kicks, but the 6-button controller was great.

Altered Beast

Last Battle

Space Harrier II

Super Thunder Blade

Thunder Force II

Tommy Lasorda Baseball

Japanese launch: October 29, 1988

Space Harrier II
Super Thunder Blade

European launch: November 30, 1990

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Columns
Golden Axe
Space Harrier II
Super Thunder Blade
Thunder Force II

 

[Stevey]

I fucking loved my Mega Drive.
Probably my favorite console of all time.

 

[Kolibri]

Altered Beast is such a bad game. It's always puzzled me how it has fans.

 

[Crankshaft]

Altered Beast is such a bad game. It's always puzzled me how it has fans.

Because the game is fun. Also your name and avatar is Kolibri which is another game that has split fans, some like some hate. So I would think it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for you to understand people like different things.

 

[bjork]

Tommy Lasorda is probably the best game overall in that batch, if you're into baseball. Still fairly playable today for an arcade-style baseball game. What's weird is that it's so close in style to World Class Baseball on TG16, but I never heard about any lawsuits or anything. Another oddity is that Super League, the Mega Drive release of this, has a different news lady at the end of the game. Not sure why that is, they're both in business attire or whatever.

I like Last Battle, but I can recognize that it isn't the best game ever made.

 

[daninthemix]

Golden Axe

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

For such an amazing system man that launch lineup looked crappy.

 

[Clod83]

One of the worst launch ever (in japan there's was only Thunderblad and Space Harrier, argh)

 

[Theslammer]

Altered Beast is such a bad game. It's always puzzled me how it has fans.

I'm pretty sure I played it on Sega Channel, but I don't remember too much about it. Golden Axe I remember, though, but I don't know why I always compare the two because I forget if they actually have many similarities.

It's been so long since I played either. =P

For such an amazing system man that launch lineup looked crappy.

Seriously!

Then again, I think all the Playstation systems are great, but none of them had a launch that I thought was amazing. PS2's is underrated, and PS4's I believe is underrated, but the best stuff (besides Resogun, what a game) was yet to come.

 

[888]

I was a Genesis kid. I remember lots of Sonic, MK, Shinobi, Comix Zone, Aladdin, Shaq Fu (FML), Taz, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, MJ's Moonwalker and loads of platform games then the Sega CD with Sewer Shark, Tom Cat Alley, Road Avenger, Mad Dog etc.

 

[sixteen-bit]

How shortly after launch did Revenge of Shinobi drop? That was my jam.

 

[Piccoro]

I fucking loved my Mega Drive.
Probably my favorite console of all time.

Same here!

Fun fact: Last Battle in Japan was a Fist of the North Star game, based on FotNS 2.
When it came to the west they dropped the license and had to change the names of the characters.

 

[Kolibri]

I would think it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for you to understand people like different things.

I'm usually open-minded about people having different tastes, but Altered Beast is such a badly made game, it baffles me where people find the fun. You just walk right and shin-kick things for five levels, then it ends.

 

[Ramune]

Memories of playing Altered Beast and Thunder Force II at my next door neighbor's room and being blown away at the leap from the NES. But it was actually Strider (which I still have yet to get ironically), that cemented the Genesis as a MUST HAVE. With it looking SO much like the arcade game to my younger eyes.

I'm usually open-minded about people having different tastes, but Altered Beast is such a badly made game, it baffles me where people find the fun. You just walk right and shin-kick things for five levels, then it ends.

I mostly played that game with 2 players, so maybe that's why I was able to tolerate it a bit more than I probably would now. Oh who am I kidding, I'd probably still give it a go. Played the arcade game at a Retro Game Expo last year for instance. ^___^;

 

[Theslammer]

How shortly after launch did Revenge of Shinobi drop? That was my jam.

December 2nd, so not too long!

 

[Piccoro]

I'm usually open-minded about people having different tastes, but Altered Beast is such a badly made game, it baffles me where people find the fun. You just walk right and shin-kick things for five levels, then it ends.

Actually you can punch, kick, jump and transform into four different beasts. It's cool.

 

[Novel Mike]

Launch lineup was pretty bad although at least it had Phantasy Star 2 within the first year.

 

[Kolibri]

Actually you can punch, kick, jump and transform into four different beasts. It's cool.

Changing into the beasts was basically easy mode cheat time. Made the game even more mundane. Just hammer the special attack button untill everything one the screen dies.

 

[Neifirst]

The launch day lineup might not have been too hot, but my brother & I got the Genesis for Christmas in 1989, and received Revenge of Shinobi & Ghouls N Ghosts - two absolutely outstanding games that hold up even today. Plus, we got a huge RPG, Phantasy Star II, early in 1990 as I recall.

 

[zeexlash]

Altered Beast is such a classic, always worth a run through when the Mega Drive is set up.

I also love Super Thunder Blade, Revenge of Shinobi and Castle of Illusion.. huge fondness for the first year or so of Mega Drive games.

 

[jobrro]

First console I have real memories of, even though I got it maybe in 93 or 94.

Of the EU launch games I only had or played Alex Kidd and Columns. Liked both, though never completed either (if that is even possible on Columns). Still prefer Columns style to Tetris, though my favorite of that type of game is Baku Baku Animal.

 

[levious]

The launch lineup in the US was actually pretty good if you were into arcade games. Which most of us were back then. Thunder Force II is a classic game.

 

[cireza]

Phantasy Star II arrived pretty quick. Still my favorite RPG ever.

Ghouls'n Ghosts also.

 

[Ramune]

The launch lineup in the US was actually pretty good if you were into arcade games. Which most of us were back then. Thunder Force II is a classic game.

This! It was SO impressive having games that look and feel arcade like at home at the time!

 

[slash3584]

Wtf this was my first console ever, but I didn't know that it was released on my exact birthday!

 

[Jazzem]

Always found the Japanese launch selection weird, since you'd think those were chosen to show off how the system can do a facsimile of sprite scaling...which err doesn't really pan out with those two games

 

[captainraincoat]

Altered Beast is such a bad game. It's always puzzled me how it has fans.

because when you both turned into bears and ducked it looked like the bears are mating on screen

 

[RoninChaos]

If you loved arcade games then the launch was great. The fact that you could play arcade quality games at home at the time was STUNNING.

 

[TheDinoman]

Kinda funny that the Genesis didn't get its defining game/character until over a year later.

 

[bjork]

because when you both turned into bears and ducked it looked like the bears are mating on screen

the bear also throws up the Four Horsemen thing from wrestling in his default stance. It's like you turn into Arn Anderson.

 

[Theslammer]

Kinda funny that the Genesis didn't get its defining game/character until over a year later.

Reminds me of the PS1 in that aspect since Crash Bandicoot didn't come until later.

 

[megashock5]

Still one of my favorite systems of all time. Didn't get it quite at launch, but not long after.

Altered Beast was still the pack-in and while not great, the graphics were amazing at the time coming from the NES. First game I bought outside of that was Super Monaco GP which was outstanding.

I'd already had it for some time when Sonic finally hit. Bought it the second I saw it based on a tiny screenshot in a magazine. Took it home and after the first level my buddy and I couldn't believe how fast it was.

Fire Shark, Castle of Illusion, Strider, Spider-man, Road Rash, Streets of Rage...

I love this thing so much, probably more nostalgia for it than other system.

 

[Crankshaft]

I remember the first time I "tried" to play the Genesis. I was at a Video rental place and they had a Sega Genesis with Golden Axe setup. At the time Golden Axe was my favorite arcade game and I was dying to get my hands on that Sega controller to try what a home version was like. What was the problem? Why couldn't I play? I was there with my older cousin.

I kept saying, "I want to try! I want a turn". My cousin kept saying, "Ok in a minute. Ok hold on". Then it was time to leave. My cousin had played the whole time and blocked me lol.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

That's funny, I always thought sonic was a launch game.

 

[Red Liquorice]

I think the launch line up was pretty rough, at least here in the UK we got Golden Axe.

I got it the Xmas just after launch, and it was the Altered Beast pack-in, along with Revenge of Shinobi and Japanese copies of both Golden Axe and Ghouls & Ghosts with a converter (which I later didn't need because I filed down the edges of the cartidge slot!)

Mega Drive is still my fondest memory of gaming, I did sell it shortly before Sonic 2 came out because I was so hot to get a SFC for SF2 and Super Ghouls N Ghosts, so the games released later in it's life I totally missed out on at the time, but the first couple of years of the Mega Drive's life is the stuff of rose-tinted memories for me.
The UK also had a fantastic import scene at the time, even small corner shop video game retailers had an import section, some even specialised in imports.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I remember the first time I "tried" to play the Genesis. I was at a Video rental place and they had a Sega Genesis with Golden Axe setup. At the time Golden Axe was my favorite arcade game and I was dying to get my hands on that Sega controller to try what a home version was like. What was the problem? Why couldn't I play? I was there with my older cousin.

I kept saying, "I want to try! I want a turn". My cousin kept saying, "Ok in a minute. Ok hold on". Then it was time to leave. My cousin had played the whole time and blocked me lol.

What a jerk, lol

 

[Clod83]

all japanese MD releases in order
http://megadrive.me/mega-drive/

 

[Prophane33]

I just remember the demo kiosks in Toys R US. The only game that looked that interesting to me was Altered Beast. Of course my feelings on the Genesis would change after the summer of 91, when a certain blue hedgehog debuted. I didn't get a Genesis till well after Sonic 2, but had the SNES around launch.

Looking back at the actual launch games, Thunder Force II was alright (its sequels are amazing), Alex Kidd is another ok game, but I really like Space Harrier II (SH is one of those games I end up buying on everything).

all japanese MD releases in order
http://megadrive.me/mega-drive/

The Fist of the North Star (Hakuto no Ken) game is bad; but Super League and Super Daisenryaku are awesome. Tatsujin which is also on that page (and a few months after luanch) is known in the west as Truxton and is just plain awesome.

 

[Theslammer]

I remember the first time I "tried" to play the Genesis. I was at a Video rental place and they had a Sega Genesis with Golden Axe setup. At the time Golden Axe was my favorite arcade game and I was dying to get my hands on that Sega controller to try what a home version was like. What was the problem? Why couldn't I play? I was there with my older cousin.

I kept saying, "I want to try! I want a turn". My cousin kept saying, "Ok in a minute. Ok hold on". Then it was time to leave. My cousin had played the whole time and blocked me lol.

I hope you got to play it at SOME POINT. =P

 

[WITHE1982]

Loved my Mega Drive. Arguably the console which holds the fondest memories for me. My father and I would lose hours playing Streets of rage & Gunstar Heroes. Strange that I have almost no memory of its launch here in the UK. At 9 years old it was just something that was here one day when my day bought it.

Also still has some of my favourite games ever in Toejam & Earl, Sonic, Decap Attack, Shining in the Darkness, Flashback et al.

Jesus I still love the console to this day. Glad I've managed to hold on to most of my games and accessories over the years.

 

[Laws00]

Didn't get a Genesis till 1995.

Funny enough I was getting Sega Vision Magazines for a system I never owned

 

[Ferr986]

I got (well my parents lol) my Mega Drive in Chistmas 1992, with Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and a 3-in-1 pack with Golden Axe, Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi.

Needles to say it was the best Christmas ever! It was mindblowing coming from my Master System II (my first console).

Along the way I got not much (I was still a kid) but great games like Rocket Knight Adventures, Ristar, Sonic 3&K, Dragon Ball Z.. and rented a lot much other great games (cheaper) like Thunderforce, Castle of Illusion, Street Fighter II, Streets of Rage II, Castlevania...

what a damn great era.

 

[Jacknapes]

As much as the NES was the first home console i had, the Mega Drive was the first home console where i have a lot of fond memories.

Didn't have the original model, but had a Mega Drive II with a copy of Mega Games II (the one that had Columns and Super Hang On included). Whereas the NES was the console i had 2 player Tetris with my Dad, i had 2 player games of Columns with my Mum. Probably where her obsession with Candy Crush came from later.

I got all the Sonic games in a random order, my cousin lent me Sonic 2 and Sonic and Knuckles. But he let me keep them when he got a PS1, he sold his Mega Drive to fund some PS1 games. So i'm thankful for that at least. Found a copy of Sonic 1 at a carboot sale, it even had the cheat code written on the box for unlocking all the levels. So because i went backwards from 2 to 1, i thought you could use the dash feature of 2. But alas, there was no such luck. Loved the original a lot. I lent Sonic 3 from a friend, he forgot about me having it so i still have it somewhere.

Other games i had included

Aladdin
Tazmania
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim 2
Wrestlemania
Micro Machines
The Lion King

I dug out the Mega Drive a few months ago, still works. Luckily i still had a TV which could read the signal dotted about.

 

[bill0527]

Yeah playing Street Fighter II with the three buttons is like driving a car with three wheels. At some point you're going to say to yourself...why bother? The six button was a godsend and made the genesis my preferred system for sports games. Spent many, many late nights in college with my friends playing NHL 95 and Madden.

 

[Laevateinn]

I'm pretty sure I played it on Sega Channel, but I don't remember too much about it. Golden Axe I remember, though, but I don't know why I always compare the two because I forget if they actually have many similarities.

Golden Axe and Altered Beast were both System-16 titles developed by the same team. They are stylistically similar due to that and there's even a few things that were taken directly from one and placed into the other. For example, the first creature you ride in Golden Axe is an enemy in Altered Beast.

 

[BiggNife]

Genesis launch had a bunch of games that were visually impressive for the time but that all that fun. Golden Axe 1 and Altered Beast don't really hold up. Never played much of Space Harrier but I know people like that game a lot.

Genesis is weird in that it really didn't hit the mainstream until Sonic came out two years later. Arcade ports just weren't enough to stand out against the behemoth that was Nintendo.

 

[Tarin02543]

Got a megadrive2 around 1993 I think.

Still have it

 

[always crazy bacon]

Genesis launch had a bunch of games that were visually impressive for the time but that all that fun. Golden Axe 1 and Altered Beast don't really hold up. Never played much of Space Harrier but I know people like that game a lot.

Genesis is weird in that it really didn't hit the mainstream until Sonic came out two years later. Arcade ports just weren't enough to stand out against the behemoth that was Nintendo.

Yes they were, if you were there at the time. Home 8 Bit system could not compete with a 16 Bit "Arcade at home" system.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

dad got ours with altered beast and ghouls n ghosts still remember the day he brought it home good times

 

[Crankshaft]

I hope you got to play it at SOME POINT. =P

Yeah I got the Genesis when Sega did the promotion where you got Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 free with the console. Then like a couple of months later they had Genesis with Streets of Rage 2 and I was like "mmmmm maybe I should have waited!"

2 sonic games OR SOR2? That's a toughie for me. My enjoyment of beat em ups was way higher than platformers.