Sega Mega Drive

Released in Japan in 1988 as the Mega Drive and in North America in 1989 as the Genesis, this is the 16-bit successor of the 8-bit Sega Master System. Originally designed to compete with Nintendo’s NES and NEC’s PC Engine, it ultimately became the primary rival to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

• Launch Price (US, 1989): $189 – about $470 in 2025
• Units Sold Worldwide: Over 30.5 million
• Successor: Mega Drive 2 (released in 1993), though many fans still consider the original Mega Drive the best version.

THE SEGA MEGA DRIVE AT A GLANCE

The Sega Mega Drive became a gaming legend, offering arcade-like performance at home. With a Motorola 68000 processor and a dedicated chipset for graphics and sound, it delivered a high-quality gaming experience for the time.

• Regions: Released in three main regions – Japan, North America, and Europe (PAL)
• Game Library: Around 900 officially licensed games (not counting Sega CD and 32X titles)

Technical Specifications -Mega Drive Overview

• Main CPU: Motorola 68000 @ 7.6 MHz
• Secondary CPU: Zilog Z80 @ 3.58 MHz (also handles sound and Master System compatibility)
• Memory: 64 KB system RAM + 64 KB video RAM
• Cartridge Size: Ranges from 512 KB to 8,224 KB
• 2 sound chips: Yamaha YM2612 and Texas Instruments SN76489 offering 5 FM channels + 1 PCM channel
• 512 color palette and 64 colors on-screen
• 80 hardware sprites (on screen) and multi-featured hardware scrolling
• Enhanced with hardware expansions such as the X32 and the Sega CD

Graphics

• Graphics Chip: Sega 315‑5313 (Yamaha YM7101)
• Video RAM: 64 KB
• Color Palette: 512 colors total, up to 64 on-screen at once
• Sprite Capabilities:
• 80 sprites on screen
• 20 sprites per scanline
• Sprite flipping, scaling, and combining (up to 1280 sprite tiles)

Display Features:

• Scrolling: Vertical, horizontal, line, row, and column scrolling for smooth backgrounds and parallax effects
• Shadow/Highlight Mode: Expands color range to 1,536 shades

Screen Resolutions:

• Standard: 320×224, 256×224 (NTSC); 256×240 (PAL)
• Overscan: 427×262 (NTSC), 423×312 (PAL)
• Interlaced: 427×524 (NTSC), 423×624 (PAL)

Audio Capabilities

• Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2612 (FM synthesis) + Texas Instruments SN76489
• Audio Features:
  • 6 FM channels (can switch to 5 FM + 1 PCM channel)
  • DAC mode for 8-bit PCM playback
  • 8 KB audio RAM
  • PCM sample rate: up to 32 kHz
  • FM sample rate: ~52.8 kHz (PAL), ~53.3 kHz (NTSC)

Hardware Expansions

• Sega CD: CD-ROM add-on (sold ~2.25 million units)
• 32X: 32-bit add-on with 2 RISC CPUs, 256 KB RAM/VRAM, and support for 32,768 on-screen colors (sold ~800,000 units)

Common Add-ons

• EverDrive: SD card storage for games
• Power Base Converter: Play Master System games
• Accessories: Arcade joystick, steering wheel, Mega Modem, Game Genie, J-Cart (extra controller ports built into the cartridge)

I/O Ports & Connectivity

• 2 Controller Ports: DE-9 (on front)
• Cartridge Slot: Top of the console
• Video Output: Includes RGB SCART support
• Modem/EXT Port: For online or expansion use (rarely used)

Video Games Library

• Official Titles: About 900 licensed games
• Add-ons: Additional titles available for Sega CD and 32X
• Homebrew Scene: A strong fan base continues to produce high-quality homebrew games
• Top Sellers:
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: 15 million units sold
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2: 6 million units sold

■ Sega Mega Drive Games Console

Binaryvalue.com (c)

Games:

• https://cdromance.org/sega_genesis_roms/

Sources:

• https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega_Drive/Technical_specifications
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis