The Sega Genesis in 1990 | Classic Gaming Quarterly

Published 2019-05-04
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Episode 59 - The Sega Genesis in 1990. We pick up where “The Sega Genesis in 1989” and launch episodes left off. 46 games came out for the Genesis in 1990; some great, many good, and a few stinkers. Standout titles include Truxton, Golden Axe, Phantasy Star II, Thunder Force III, and Castle of Illusion. Obviously with this many games to cover they can’t all get equal screen time, so I tried to give more attention to the games that deserved it.

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Show notes:

- Obviously everyone is going to have their own preferences as far as the 1990 lineup goes. I tried to focus on games that are exceptionally good or that have a compelling story in order to keep the flow of the video going. That means that some people will be displeased when a personal favorite game of theirs got limited screen time. Unfortunately, it is not possible to please everyone, so I focussed on the storytelling.

- The excellent website SegaRetro.org was an invaluable resource when researching this episode.

- As was shown in an on-screen credit, the footage of both the Phantasy Star II pocket guide and the Sega Arcade Power Stick were provided by Coury over at My Life in Gaming, as I do not own either of those items. As always, his collaborative spirit is much-appreciated.

- As usual, all arcade footage for this episode was recorded using MAME. The arcade overlays used in this episode were created by "Orions Angel" - youtube.com/user/RetroVGamer

- The Die Hard Arcade footage was recorded using Mednafen, and is actually the Sega Saturn port of the game.

- The Mega SG console was released while I was producing this video. Some of the footage was recorded using a model 1 Genesis, while other footage was recorded using the Mega SG. I can’t tell which is which, which is a good thing.

- At about 25:44, during the “Genesis Does” commercial, I’m about 95% sure that’s “Malibu” from American Gladiators as the warrior with the broad sword.

- My wife served as player #2 for the Golden Axe vs. footage and the Forgotten Worlds footage. Thanks, Mrs. CGQ!

- The script for this episode was 8,834 words long. I don't know if that's long, but it seems like it. That's a lot of writing!

- I got not one, but TWO Die Hard references in this video.

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All video game footage featured on Classic Gaming Quarterly is recorded from actual game hardware, unless otherwise noted. As of episode 35, it is recorded in RGB using an XRGB Mini Framemeister and an Elgato Game Capture HD, or an OSSC and a Startech USB 3.0 capture device. Prior to that, it was recorded in s-video using am RGB to s-video encoder and a DVD recorder. All videos are edited on a Mac using Final Cut Pro X.

Most box art featured in CGQ videos comes from The Cover Project (www.thecoverproject.net). Check them out for all of your video game insert needs. Other box art and magazine scans come from Matt Henzel Video Game Obsession (www.videogameobsession.com). Many, many other photos appear thanks to Wikimedia Commons and Evan Amos.

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All Comments (21)
  • @33Dannyb
    There’s a fascinating feeling about the Genesis in 89 and 90, before Sonic was on the map.
  • @chrisr529
    These always put me in the mood to play some Genesis .
  • I was so glad that you mentioned CGR when you covered Truxton. You did Mark proud.
  • @mylifeingaming
    [Coury] this came out awesome. So many great games from this year that define the system more than any other. Thanks for letting me be a part of it!
  • @boscopit
    My brother and I used to love playing Hard Drivin' at the arcade just to crash and watch the replays!
  • @trav8028
    1990 was a hell of year for games that year not just from the Genesis ike SMB 3 from the NES, Bonk's Adventure for the TG16 to just name a few. Theres was a charm about those early Genesis games I loved that I cant really explain, just gotta play it to know what I mean. One of my favorites that year was Castle of Illusion. Such a great game that I felt it was slept on because it was a Disney game & its Mickey Mouse. Love that game as a kid & still do to this very day. Also I loved how Sega use the black grid template for all the box art which they end up changing in '93 or '94 I think when the new model of the Genesis was releasing
  • @matthewsan78
    Man, I rented and played SO many of these games, that I had completely forgotten about until seeing this video! Technocop, for example. Wow. Thanks for the memories.
  • "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US." Love it. Thanks for the awesome videos. The nostalgia is hitting hard.
  • @aybabtudani840
    Great job dude! You speak so well I use your videos to learn english!
  • I’m typically immune to nostalgia, but this video really struck a chord. So many memories. Thank you.
  • @marathi22
    In the nineties, there was one thing we all were crazy for - arcade perfection. Truxton was one of the first shooters to give us that, and I believe that's why it sold so good - it was finally like having a coin-op at home!
  • @godzilla7391
    Had a lot of fun with the Genesis. Got it a launch, had to beg my mom , telling her it could be my younger brother and i both Christmas gift. Firing up Altered Beast for the first time blew us away. Many nights of playing Golden Axe coop was a blast.
  • @Flannelsurfer
    I pumped so many quarters into the Golden Axe when I was a kid, Forgotten Worlds also, which was much more fun to play in the arcade with the special spinner knob. I later got both of those games for my Genesis, in am very grateful for when I grew up.
  • @lacquerware6962
    These year-by-year overviews are fantastic. I'd love to see you cover subsequent Genesis years.
  • @JesseH76
    You always do such a wonderful job of capturing what it was like back then in your narrative and the use of video game magazines and their advertisements and reviews. Very well written, informative and descriptive. And FUN. Great job, as usual, CGQ!
  • @TheStrstudios
    a fantastic and professional documentary. solid production values and always great to see gameplay rather than still images. highly recommend any retro game fan to watch this.
  • @uwr74
    Herzog Zwei is in my top 5 all time. I bought it from one of the guys that I used to sit with at lunch when I was a sophomore in HS, all of us had Master Systems and we all got the Genesis the Christmas when it was released. (Kinda interesting that all of us had Sega consoles instead of Nintendo and we didn't realize that when we started sitting together at lunch.) In any case one of the guys said he got this new game over the weekend and was going on about how he hated it. I happen to have $20 in my pocket and told him I'd buy it from him for the twenty I had if he hated it that much. Next day I had Herzog Zewi in my hands... Similar to how the original Phantasy Star changed my idea of what video games could be, this game made me realize how awesome strategy games could be and even more so when playing against another player. I played this game like mad and over the summer our friend from down the street would come over regularly and play this game for hours. (Best $20 I ever spent.) Even all these years later you can still pick this up and it is just as fun to dive into or play against someone. The game play, music and visuals are all excellent. P.S. Awesome video as well.
  • @DrPepperone
    Mentioning the legendary Classic Game Room while speaking about Truxton was a nice due tribute :)