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What is the Sega Mega Drive?

The Sega Mega Drive (sold in North America as the Genesis) is a home console by Sega, released in 1988 in Japan and 1990 in Europe. With more than 30 million units sold it was Sega’s most successful console — and in Europe it gave the SNES a genuine run for its money. In many countries the Mega Drive actually won that battle.

The Mega Drive is home to Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Mortal Kombat, Desert Strike and hundreds of other classics. The hardware is remarkably robust: cartridges almost always still work, the console itself has very few vulnerable parts, and the video signal quality via SCART RGB is genuinely excellent for its era.

A bonus: the Mega Drive has an expansion port on the side — for the 32X or the Mega CD. Not required, but fun curiosities for enthusiasts.

Editions of the Sega Mega Drive

Advice: The Mega Drive 2 is the most commonly found version at thrift stores and marketplaces, works great and is compact. The Mega Drive 1 has a headphone jack on the front — handy if you also want to use the volume knob for audio control.

Getting started {#getting-started}

Here’s what you need to play today:

• Power adapter — The Mega Drive 1 and 2 use different adapters; make sure you have the right one for your model
• AV cable — Composite works, but the Mega Drive shines via SCART RGB. A good SCART cable gives excellent picture quality
• Controller — The Sega 3-button (original) or 6-button controller. Both work; some games require the 6-button

Most popular games

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sega's mascot at his fastest.

Streets of Rage 2

Widely praised as one of the greatest beat-'em-ups ever made.

Mortal Kombat

On the Mega Drive with blood — unlike the SNES version.

Desert Strike

Helicopter action that pulls you in immediately.

Gunstar Heroes

Spectacular run-and-gun by Treasure.

Phantasy Star IV

One of the best RPGs of the 16-bit generation.

Road Rash

Motorcycle racing with fists — timeless chaos.

Where to find games?

Physical

• Thrift stores / second-hand marketplaces — Mega Drive games are relatively easy to find
• A specialist retro game shop or retro fairs — More reliable, with guarantees
• eBay (from the UK) — Large British PAL stock

Digital: Mega Everdrive

A Mega Everdrive loads games via SD card. Supports the full international Mega Drive library as well as Master System games (with adapter).

Common problems & fixes

• No picture or fuzzy image → AV cable poor or composite in use. Upgrade to SCART. → AV cable troubleshooting
• Cartridge not recognised → Dirty cartridge connector. Clean with isopropyl alcohol. → Clean the connector
• No sound → Volume knob (MD1) or audio circuit damaged
• Console won’t start → Power adapter faulty or wrong voltage
• Controller not responding → Controller port or controller defective. → Repair controller

Mods & upgrades

• Set up Mega Everdrive — Full library on a single cartridge. → Set up Everdrive
• Region mod — Play Japanese and American games without an adapter
• Stereo audio mod (MD2) — The Mega Drive 2 outputs mono by default; this mod adds stereo
• HDMI mod — Digital output via HDMI for modern screens

Homebrew

The Mega Drive homebrew scene is active. New games are regularly released, from shoot-‘em-ups to platformers. Via a Mega Everdrive you can play them straight away. The community is international, friendly and easy to find.

Sonic, Streets of Rage, and a library full of forgotten classics: the Mega Drive deserves a spot in every retro collection.