Sega Genesis is 25 Years Old…Feel Old Yet?
25 years...that is a long time am I right? What were you doing 25 years ago? Were you even born yet? I was born in 1987 (making me 26 years old), and my first game console was the NES. I loved that little grey box...it introduced me to the 8-Bit world! Mario, TMNT, Back to the Future...you name it, Nintendo had it! As I got older, I wanted more awesome graphics, and a neighbor (my friend of over 20 years now) owned this black beast named Sega Genesis...and it was awesome.
My parents upgraded my NES to an SNES in the early 90's and I loved the thing (still have my original thank you!). I was dazzled by the vast array of colors and graphics, it was unlike anything I had ever seen in a video game. I soon met my long time friend Jon, who lived down the street and he had something different...something sleeker, more adult, less childish, faster, and more intense...that console was the Sega Genesis. He had this new game that featured this new character I had never heard of before named Sonic The Hedgehog! He was WAY COOLER than Mario was! As a kid...I HAD TO HAVE A SEGA! So after much begging to my parents...I saw my dad walk into our home with a Sega Genesis with Sonic The Hedgehog 2!
Sega Genesis just seemed more brutal and adult than the SNES. Games like Comix Zone, Vectorman, Altered Beast, and the bloodiest game ever Mortal Kombat dragged me into the TV. It had 3 simple button (which down the road...really kinda sucked) controller, and just seemed so much more cutting edge. After awhile though, my Sega started to collect dust and the SNES (I.M.O) just offered such a variety of games that Sega kind of had. I still think the SNES is the best console ever, but Sega Genesis was there always. Hard to imagine that this game console is over 25 years old. If you mention this console to most old skool gamers, they share fond memories of it.
I still have my Sega, and that old friend of mine Jon and I still play the thing like it was brand new! We blasted through Toe-Jam and Earl Panic on Funkotron and still play as the ROOKS on NBA Jam Tournament Edition.
Cheers to 25 Years of Blast Processing....whatever that meant.
"GENESIS DOES WHAT NINTENDON'T!"