While consoles today such as the Xbox360, PS3 and Wii offer great graphics and high performance games, my most beloved video game console of all time would have to be the Sega Genesis. Released in the U.S. around 1989 it provided many hours of entertainment and enjoyment with titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, NHL hockey, and Madden football, with many others to boot. As with any form of entertainment it must be taken in the context and the time frame of one’s own experiences and life, and this is no exception.
As a much younger man free time was more available and many hours were spent with friends competing to be the best virtual football player, hockey player, or whatever suited your fancy. Don’t get me wrong not that there aren’t many great titles on the newer consoles but they just don’t have the replayability or game play that the Sega Genesis had. The graphics of today’s systems are of course far superior to the 16 bit technology of that time and 3D(unavailable back then) is awesome, but game play seems to be lacking. Furthermore the cartridges utilized by the Genesis were far more durable and less expensive than the digital discs used in today’s systems.
Considering that the Sega Genesis came out at the relative infancy of video gaming technology it must be thought of as a pioneer that went beyond the Atari by leaps and bounds, yet held its own against rivals such as the Nintendo Super NES and the Turbografx by NEC. It was advertised as an arcade type system bolstering state of the art graphics and a comprehensive game library well in excess of 200 titles. The controller consisted of a three button layout later improved to a six button one, which was an excellent design both technically and ergonomically. Unlike today’s systems the Genesis stored all saved games directly without the need for any type of peripheral, keeping the costs to a minimum.
Looking back, this stalwart console provided many hours of enjoyment on one’s own and in the company of friends who shared the same fondness for the Sega Genesis, which has since been retired because as great as it was, good things always come to an end.