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The past month has seen a a few Genesis-related stories surface, and what better way to see what’s up then by reading a new installment of MEGA Bites? See why Al Qaeda loves 16-bit, prepare for a new Genesis compilation, learn about the possible future of Space Harrier, and drool over a possible Capcom vs. Sega fighting game. It’s all here for you, so read the full article!
Today, we close out our week-long celebration of the Genesis’ twentieth anniversary. We have two goodies on tap for you tonight. First, our monthly Reader Roundtable feature focuses on the console’s launch and the first games we all experienced with our shiny, new Genesis systems! There’s a bunch of first time experiences to read, so check out the full article for all the details.
Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the Genesis launch in Japan, and we’re continuing our week-long celebration with a new installment in our Stories from the Book of Genesis series. In “Good Night Victoria,” staff member Vince Thornburg details the evolving relationship a model 1 console had with a family, and how it was finally sent off with the proper respect after a long and fruitful life.
When you think of the Genesis, one of the games that instantly comes to mind is Altered Beast, even though few people generally have anything positive to say about it today. Why is it then, that this particular title is etched in our minds whenever the topic comes up? Is it that it was included with the console for free and was thus the first Genesis experience for most people who bought the console at launch? Probably, and what’s really interesting is that most people don’t tend to associate the simple and repetitive gameplay with a deep marketing strategy. Believe it or not, Altered Beast was probably the perfect game to include as a pack-in, from a marketing standpoint at least.
Over the years, we’ve taken a look at some of the great arcade games that never made it to a home console. Many of these games – by companies such as Sega, Taito, Capcom, and Konami – could have had a great home on the Genesis and its add-ons. Sadly though, they were left behind, and it seems that we can keep adding to hat list. Arcade great Namco had a slew of console hits, but a good chunk of its catalog was left in the arcades for the duration of the 16-bit era.