Editing Sega Mega Drive/Genesis

{{Template:Infobox console
|name = [[Image:Megadrive_logo.png|230px]]
[[Image:Genesis-logo-16bit.jpg|230px]]
|image = [[Image:Genesis_system.jpg|230px]]
|caption = Sega Genesis model 1
|Manufacturer = [[SEGA]]
|Generation = Fourth generation
|Release date = October 29, 1988 (JP)<br>
August 14, 1989 (NA) <br>
November 30, 1990 (PAL)
|Media type = ROM cartridge
|Input Controller = 2 controller ports
|Predecessor = [[Sega Master System]]
|Successor = [[Sega Saturn]]}}

The Sega Genesis is a home video game console released on October 29, 1988 by Sega as the Mega Drive (メガドライブ Mega Doraibu), the name it is known as outside North America. The reason for the two names is that Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in North America. As a fourth-generation console, the Sega Genesis is Sega's third console and the successor to the Sega Master System with which it has backward compatibility when the separately sold Power Base Converter is installed.

The Sega Genesis was the first of its generation to achieve notable market share in continental Europe and North America, where it competed against a wide range of platforms, including both dedicated gaming consoles and home computer systems. Two years later, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the competition between the two would dominate the 16-bit era of video gaming. The console began production in Japan in 1988 and ended with the last new licensed game being released in 2002 in Brazil.
==Technical specifications==
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table article-table-selected" style="width: 500px;"
|-
! scope="col"|Processor:
! scope="col"|Motorola 68000 16/32-bit processor @ 7.67 MHz
|-
|Co-processor:
|Zilog Z80 8-bit @ 3.58 MHz
|-
|Video display processor:
|Yamaha YM7101
|-
|Memory:
|64kB work RAM (68000), 64kB video RAM, 8kB work RAM (Z80)
|-
|Display palette:
|512 colors (normal) or 1536 (shadow/highlight mode)
|-
|Onscreen colors:
|64 (normal) or 183 (shadow/highlight mode)
|-
|Maximum onscreen sprites:
|80 (320-pixel wide display) or 64 (256-pixel wide display)
|-
|Resolution:
|256×224, 256×448, 320×224, 320×448, (PAL and NTSC)
256×240, 256×480, 320×240, 320×480 (PAL only), 256×192 (SMS games only)
|-
|Sound:
|Yamaha YM2612 5 channel FM and 1 channel FM/PCM,  Texas Instruments SN76489 4 channel PSG (Programmable Sound Generator)
|}


==Hardware==
Over its lifetime, the Genesis came in three different models, each of which had several motherboard revisions. For more details, see [[Sega Genesis Hardware]].

===Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [Model 1]===
[[File:Genesis_system.jpg|thumb|200px|Model 1 Genesis]]
The model 1 Sega Genesis is the largest model and features a headphone jack with a volume slider. There are at least seven motherboard revisions of the model 1 that are known to exist, labeled VA1 - VA7. Early revisions, which bear the text "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" in white above the cartridge slot, are considered to have the best audio output of any version of the Genesis. The VA7 is the latest revision, and internally they are similar to the model 2 Genesis, and they do not have the "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" text on them.

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%;" style="text-align: left;"
! colspan=2 width="100%"|Model 1 differences
|-
! Country !! Particularities
|-
|style="text-align:center"|Japan ||
*Japanese-language settings
*Headphone jack
*AUX port marked A/V OUT
*9-pin EXT. port
*RF modulator
*Has a cartridge lock
*On the circular molding, in purple is the text "AV Intelligent Terminal High Grade Multipurpose Use". At the bottom of the circle is a purple square section with a red power indicator LED.
*"Mega Drive" is printed in white on the lower right of the console to the left of the Sega logo.
*The reset button and start button on the joypad are blue.
*Early models have a small registered trademark icon (®) just to the right of the Sega logo to the lower right of the system.
*Model number HAA-2510
*Word "Tymakz" Printed under the cooling fan.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|Europe, Australia & New Zealand ||
*Video outputs PAL 50 Hz signal.
*Smaller "16 BIT" logo than Japanese model, as per the Genesis.
*English-language settings.
*Unable to play Japanese Mega Drive games due to shape of cartridge slot. However, adapters were sold to play Japanese games in the European model, and by widening the cartridge slot it is possible to play many import games with no additional modifications, especially with the earlier games.
*Cartridge lock removed.
*The text "High Definition Graphics · Stereo Sound" located behind cartridge port (only found on earlier models).
*The reset button and the start button are white.
*Model number 1600-03 (original model), 1601-03 (second variation without "High Definition Graphics - Stereo Sound" text or EXT port)
|-
|style="text-align:center"|North America (as Sega Genesis) [[File:Genesis_system.jpg|200px]]||
*AUX port marked A/V OUT
*Headphone jack with volume slider (adjusts audio volume output to headphones only, not A/V OUT)
*9-pin EXT. port on early models
*Reset and start buttons are gray
*"SEGA GENESIS" graphic in light gray on top of machine below cartridge slot
*"HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" along circle above cartridge slot, and "SEGA GENESIS" graphic in two shades of gray, on early models.
*Model number MK-1601 is made in Japan, newer revisions were made in Taiwan to cut production costs
|-
|style="text-align:center"|Asia ||
*"AV INTELLIGENT TERMINAL HIGH GRADE MULTIPURPOSE USE" printed around circle on some models, omitted on others.
*Larger "16-Bit" logo used as per Japanese model.
*Power panel magenta instead of white.
*"Start" and "Reset" button are blue
*Identical to European Mega Drive with PAL or NTSC output
*Used Japanese Mega Drive logo and packaging similar to the Japanese version
*Registered trademark icon to the right of the Sega logo for earlier models
*Games packaged the same as European with the same labeling. However, the cartridges are shaped like Japanese Mega Drive games.
*Both Pal and NTSC versions available in Asia models
*Model number: 1601-15 (revision without the EXT port)
*Not region locked.
|-
|- style="font-size:0; line-height:0;"
! style="width:10%; padding:0" |
! style="width:70%; padding:0" |
|}

===Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [Model 2]===
[[File:Genesis-model2.jpg|thumb|200px|Model 2 Genesis]]
The model 2 was smaller than the model 1 and lacked a headphone jack but was capable of outputting stereo audio through its rear A/V multi-out port.

Changing in the audio mixing circuts of the model 2 genesis gave it lesser sound quality than the early model 1 genesis.






{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%;" style="text-align: left;"
! colspan=2 width="100%"|Model 2 differences
|-
! Country !! Particularities
|-
|style="text-align:center"|Japan ||
*New square shape
*No headphone jack
*One custom multi-output for picture and sound (9-pin mini-DIN connector rather than the 8-pin DIN connector on the original model)
*Purple colored flaps on cartridge port
*The text "High Grade Multi Purpose Intelligent Terminal" located behind cartridge port.
*Packaged with six-button controller.
*No power LED
*Slide power switch
*Model number HAA-2502
|-
|style="text-align:center"|Europe, Australia & New Zealand ||
*New square shape
*No headphone jack
*A/V port switched to one custom multi-output for picture and sound (previously, only mono sound was used, as the stereo sound came through the headphone jack)
*Push-button power switch
*Smaller power connector and different AC adapter used
*RF modulator removed
*Has a red power LED between the power and reset buttons
*Auto-switching RF lead included
*Model number MK-1631-50
|-
|style="text-align:center"|North America (as Sega Genesis) [[File:Genesis-model2.jpg|200px]]||
*New square shape
*No headphone jack
*One custom multi-output for picture and sound
*Has a red power LED between the power and reset buttons
*"Genesis" logo printed in the area above the cartridge slot
*Model number MK-1631
|- style="font-size:0; line-height:0;"
! style="width:10%; padding:0" |
! style="width:70%; padding:0" |
|}

===Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [Model 3]===
[[File:Genesis-model3.jpg|thumb|200px|Model 3 Genesis]]
The sega genesis model 3 was released exclusively to North America in 1998 as a "budget system", and sold for $50. Many features were removed as cost cutting measures such as the expansion slot used by the sega cd, stereo sound, and a power LED.

The genesis 3 had compatability issues with virtua racing the sega 32x, and the power base converter and could not be used with the sega cd due to the lack of an expansion slot.

A addressing bug was fixed with the genesis 3, which makes it incompatable with games that exploit this bug.
===Sega CDX/Multi-Mega===
===[[File:800px-Genesis-CDX-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|300px|Sega CDX]]===
The sega CDX was released in 1994 in North America for $399, and in 1995 in Europe as the sega multi-mega for £350.

The sega CDX is a sega genesis, and sega cd combined into one compact machine. It can also be used as a portable CD player.

About 5,000 CDX units were released in North America, and are considered rare and collectable.

==Variations==
===Sega Mega Drive===
===Sega Mega Drive 2===
Sega Mega Drive 3






==Add-ons==
*[[Sega 32X]]
*[[Sega CD]]

==See Also==
*[[Sega Genesis Cartridge]]
*[[Sega Genesis Hardware]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis]]
[[Category:Console]]