Facts about the Sega Megadrive
The #Sega #Megadrive was more than just a games console (we say was, but retrogamers are still booting it up today for a quick session), it was essentially the console that allowed gamers to find quick, fun experiences that displayed smart graphics, plenty of speed, and an often staggering attention to detail when it came to sophisticated gameplay. Retro games enthusiasts will often cite this console as one of their favourites. Let’s take a look at some facts around the classic system.
One of the biggest facts that many people are simply unaware of is the little gem around South America. It happened to be one of the biggest consoles in the region, and was universally loved by both fans and critics. In fact, at the console's height of popularity, even Nintendo were ignored as regards to consoles. The Megadrive was so big it ruled over all other attempts by companies to create any competition. Even though the rest of the world fell in love with the Megadrive, South America loved it the most.
The biggest innovation?
It also happened to have something that no other console had. It actually allowed players to download games through an internal modem. This is back in 1990 by the way, and this was essentially light years ahead of anything else at the time. Literally innovative, this aspect of the Megadrive was huge. #Retrogamers may be scratching their heads at this revelation though, because the online capability of the console never made it beyond Japan. Cruelly, the rest of the world was not allowed to use the online aspects of the amazing console.
Sega was also responsible for turning the world of consoles on it's head in other ways too. One of the most important aspects of this was the iteration idea. Sega would keep making new versions of the console, so that it often became the case that people had different versions of the same console. This was absolutely amazing stuff, because it meant that Sega simply kept trying to make the console better than it was. It didn't have earth-shattering changes made to it, but it was a sign of things to come, as console makers gradually got the idea that patches and updates made consoles better all round. Retro gamers may not remember any significant changes in capability, but it is almost certain that they will remember seeing a ‘different’ Megadrive to the one that they owned.
Finally, it needs to be known that Sega was an innovator when it came to controllers too. When wireless controllers became all the rage with Sony and Playstation as well as Nintendo in later years, it is forgotten that Sega had set the bar quite high with this aspect of gaming. The company had used the Megadrive as a guinea pig effectively, and released infrared controllers back in the 1990s.
So there are a few facts for retrogamers to get their heads around. Some people still play the Mega Drive, and it is a great platform for retro gaming. But we bet most people you know were not aware of the facts above.
