There’s probably no other Sega topic that spurs such a debate as the 32X. You either love or hate the darn thing, and such feelings usually run deep. Even among the hallowed halls of Sega-16, controversy rages, and our own staff members have their opinions about the little-mushroom-that-couldn’t.

Given the ever-decreasing availability of older games in major retail stores, the only choice a retro gamer has to rely on thrift and pawn shops. Those with experience in this area know well what it’s like to scour their neighborhoods and even make trips into other towns to see if the fishing is better. Most of the time, pickings are slim and the only thing taken home is a mounting sense of disappointment. Sometimes though, a gamer gets lucky and makes a great score.

Chances are, if you own a 32X you’ve went through your fair share of problems to get the darn thing hooked up. Imagine what it was like for those who purchased an incomplete system or one from another region. The extra cables, adapters, and metal shielding (did anyone actually even use those?) was enough to make many gamers pass the 32X over in favor of the shiny new 32-bit consoles. Some however, had faith and pushed on, eventually getting their little mushrooms to finally work.

It’s never too late to become a Genesis fan, and Sega’s little black box is still attracting gamers a decade after it was officially put to rest. Many people have come to it over the years, looking to Sega’s quality arcade ports and original properties for experiences from a bygone era. Others, after years of loyalty to competitors, decided to give the Genesis a shot several times, but circumstances kept them from finally realizing their intentions.

Ever have buyer’s remorse? Everyone has at one time or another found themselves in a similar situation, when it became painfully obvious that a bad choice had been made. In the worst scenarios, this kind of problem can snowball into something much bigger, leaving lasting repercussions that take years to heal. We’ve a sad tale about the subject in the latest installment of Stories from the Book of Genesis.