Sega Genesis turns 20

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Aug 14, 2009 12:23 pm PT

Third-party publisher celebrates 16-bit console's anniversary by letting gamers vote on next vintage release on Xbox Live Arcade.

Sega's last hurrah as a console maker, the Dreamcast, is set to turn 10 years old next month. Gamers may readily remember that system's anniversary thanks to its heavily marketed "9/9/99" release date, but Sega today is celebrating a less remembered but no less important milestone.

"Wise fwom your gwave!"

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Sega Genesis' North American debut, and Sega is marking the occasion by letting gamers vote on the next Genesis title to be rereleased on the Xbox Live Arcade. Through August 21, gamers will be able to visit GenesisPoll.com and vote for one of seven different 16-bit titles. (In a nostalgic nod to marketing campaigns past, the poll claims to be "powered by blast processing.")

All of the eligible titles were developed by Sega, with the exception of Shiny Entertainment's breakthrough platformer, Earthworm Jim. As of press time, that game was leading the candidates with 42 percent of the vote, followed by Toe Jam & Earl, Shining Force II, and Revenge of Shinobi. Rounding out the field of candidates were dark horses Golden Axe II, Streets of Rage (the sequel of which is already available on XBLA), and Wonder Boy in Monster World.

153 Comments

  • RingCollector

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 12:54 pm PT

    sega prooved more then one game console could be succesful at once, if it wasn't for sega we might not have gotten the ps1 and xbox

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 10:25 pm PT

    Shinig Force - Toejam and Earl.....NOW!

    Is it possible to take back altered beast. I LOATHE THAT GAME. die

  • zakkess

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 8:31 pm PT

    for all the people complaining abt why this wont be released on psn..there was a thing called the ps2, and another system called the dreamcast..and well lets just say people forgot abt the dreamcast and went to the ps2

  • Talldude80

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 8:23 pm PT

    they said Sega Genesis turns 21, not Mega drive..... (yes i know its basically the same thing). lol

  • InsultToInjury_

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 4:24 am PT

    20?!! I feel old. Happy Birthday Mega Drive. Anyone remember Chicky Chicky Boys?

  • tyladog

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 11:47 pm PT

    Happy birthday to my Mega Drive. Still running and currently hooked to my TV between my Saturn and Dreamcast. All still played. As for voting...has to be Shining Force. Come on Sega, give us a new one as well.

  • izmickey

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 9:27 pm PT

    Happy B-Day, i remember all the fond gaming moments i had with my genesis. My genesis is still running strong....the good old days. Sonic games truly shined on this system.

  • Tauu

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 8:28 pm PT

    The release of Sonic 2 was Sega's greatest moment. The game was simply awesome.

  • amilcar44

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 8:10 pm PT

    there is another one ,but this time was a reponse from the people who supported nintendo..no offense to sega on its day just to let you remember the good old times--"nintendo does what genesISNT"...in the end i had both of them and were the best! darn nostalgia...

  • hannify

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 6:54 pm PT

    mega drive sounds better

  • Erebus

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 5:15 pm PT

    Herzog Zwei. If that game was on the list, I'd actually bother voting.

  • Maddaus

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 4:03 pm PT

    Ah, the Genesis. It was just too good. I remember at the time I read a spec's comparison. SNES was able to have 32 colors on screen simultaneously while Genesis claimed 2,000,000. Not saying the Genesis was better but it was my favorite system. I used the 6-button controller for everything though. The 3 button just didn't cut it.

    Here's a fun fact, the Sega Genesis was known as the MEGA DRIVE pretty much everywhere else in the world.

  • athenian29

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 2:25 pm PT

    I dunno, I can't really play old games. They just don't click with me the same way newer things do.

    Although, I would love to get my hands on a copy of Herzog Zwei...

  • athenian29

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 2:25 pm PT

    I dunno, I can't really play old games. They just don't click with me the same way newer things do.

    Although, I would love to get my hands on a copy of Herzog Zwei...

  • HB_Dad

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 2:09 pm PT

    Ghosts N Goblins and Strider are two absoulute musts!

  • HB_Dad

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 2:08 pm PT

    Remember the old ad "Genesis Does What Nintendon't"

  • janderdarkmoon

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 1:03 pm PT

    Oh by the way Shining Force, Phantasy Star, those where they days when those names actually meant something

  • janderdarkmoon

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 1:01 pm PT

    Wow this will all sound cliche but twenty years already. I was the first kid on the block to have one and sure enough everyone was lining up at the door.

  • Spoon_Si

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 1:01 pm PT

    PSN never gets nothing good... i'm sell this crap and get an elite..

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