Retro Games Reviewer #12; Nintendo Versus Sega.
Back in the days, when the political Cold War was reaching to an end, the one of the Video Game Universe was at its peak. Nintendo was the super-power, but Sega fought it bravely, step by step, never letting the Big N taking over the world completely.
If someone told me, or anyone, I think, 20 years go, that one day, we would see a Sonic game in a Nintendo system, it would be like saying the pope was joining Metallica. Could anything be more unspeakable and impossible than this?!
Super Mario was Nintendo's icon, and Sonic was Segas'. The NES/Famicom was a complete success, - although its Sega's counterpart, the Master System, did well in Europe, it was no match for the Nintendo 8 bit machine - and Sega didn't wait very long to launch the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. I remember well the marketing. Sega, all around the world, attacked agressively. It was supposed to be a "cool" video game system. The black colour, its sophisticated shape, a design closer to other, then modern, home video entertaining machines, like hi-fi's and videos, the games that were brought from the Arcade Sega hits, the Sports games, and, of course, the 16 bits. All this was probably intended to attract older people. Older, meaning, more teenage and young adults, than kids. Sonic was also supposed to be cool. I think Sega exagerated the supposed "coolness" of Sonic, and, to me, as a kid, it lacked magic and creativity. How many teenage animals or heroes were there already in the cartoon and videogame world? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for example. Since I was 2, I remembered to see all sorts of talking freaking animals all around the child entertaining universe.
Although Mega Drive was 16 bits, the NES fought it well, for a long time, before the Super Nintendo came out. And even after SNES came out, the NES was active for a short while.
You already know the NES is my personal favorite. But the others are not jealous.
Nintendo did not back down with its strategy. Super Nintendo was going to continue the NES magic, and its exclusive games creativity. Nintendo's message to Sega was "we don't need to look cool or sophisticated. we just need to be Nintendo."
All my video game units are Nintendo systems, but in Portugal, the Mega Drive had a huge success. Nintendo did not have a good distributor. A big Portuguese Toy company also distributed the Nintendo products. When I was a kid, Sega was all around the TV marketing. The NES had a decent exposure, in the beginning, but Nintendo commercials practically stoped after the first SNES year.
So, anyway, all my friends and cousins had the Genesis/Mega Drive. And so, I played it.
I was quite disappointed. I thought the 16 bits of the Genesis were not doing wonders, and the games lacked creativity. - I say this word a lot, I know, but it's because it's so damn' important. Life's short, and if I'm going to burn hours of it in front of a TV screen, then, it better be good. I have to forget I'm sitting on a couch for days, because I'm living a true adventure, or experience, and I even forgot it's just a videogame.
And Sega, just didn't have that Nintendo magic powder. This is my honest opinion. I was hoping Sonic to be a great game series, but it didn't match the Super Mario Sagas. Not even close. - I finished Sonic 2. I played it to the end. I'm not just a "visitor" - and, sure, it's a fun couple of games to play, they are ok, if you just want to relax, or have to stay home with the flu, or whatever, but definitely not an experience through gaming. I'm sorry, but this is my opinion.
The graphics and sound of the Genesis, were not that great either. You have to keep in mind that I heard and read, all over the TV, and Game Magazines, that the Mega Drive was 16 bits, twice the power of the NES. Twice! And I asked myself :"Where the fuck is all that? At least in technology?"
Remember the Game Gear? Sega's "portable" game system? It destroyed 8 bateries in a couple of hours. Yes, it had colors, light, but it was nothing more than a Master System with a tiny screen. It didn't have original games, and it was not very portable, either. Again, the marketing focused on the Game Gear colors, and the fact that Game Boy was in black in white. Sega used the negative marketing, A LOT. Not only promoting their own stuff, but also trying to "bully" Nintendo. I never liked that. Was that also based on the idea of being "cool"? Or perhaps just desperation?
Mega Drive had its highlights in the two player games. Those were very fun to play. I played with my cousins, for hours, games like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Fifa's, etc. Great way to spend a few afternoons, fooling around with the guys or girls. - my female cousin played Streets of Rage and Golden Axe like a bad ass. - so, it's definitely a social video game system. None of these games, in my opinion are a match to Contra (NES), or Super Probotector (SNES) for example, but Genesis/MD, had a lot of titles that were meant to be played by two.
The logic of Nintendo vs Sega is a little this. Nintendo always had the better games. The Super Marios, the Final Fantasies, the Zeldas, Konami best titles, Tetris!, etc, etc.
In Europe, everybody loves football - americans call it soccer - and the Mega Drive had huge success also thanks to the Fifa Soccer games series. At least in Portugal, they were cheap, and the kids loved them. The SNES also had those game series, but they were expensive, and, frankly, no one is going to buy a Nintendo system because of any other games than the exclusive ones.
When I was 13 years old, only 2 of us had Super NES, in my classroom. The remaining 20 had Mega Drive. And all of them had the system because it was cheap, and because of the Fifa Soccer games, mainly. They wanted to play and compete with friends. They did not want to play a long Mario game, much less a complex Zelda, or any other.
So, this is the idea I always had of the Genesis/Mega Drive. Like fast-food. "Fast-gaming." This is not necessarily something bad. There's a place for every kind of system. I think about it as an Arcade kind of gaming mentality. Unlike Nintendo, where you have to put on your agenda if you're going to play Zelda, for example, or the whole 96 levels of Super Mario Bros. 3, or the whole journey of Donkey Kong Country. It demands time and you have to be focused! At least if you're playing the games for the first time.
Of course, there are many many games for the Genesis, and very good ones, but I think you would agree with me, regarding what I wrote before.
Sega understood Nintendo's software, meaning games, were superior. - In fact, even Sonic, for example, is kind of a bastard son of Super Mario. Green Zones, 100 "rings" for an extra life, underground levels, item boxes, etc. Come on. We know where they got THOSE ideas from.
And so, they tried to squeeze Genesis/Mega Drive until exhaustion. Remember the Sega CD, and the 32x. Always using the "modern" and "sophisticated" argument, and propaganda. It failed completely, regarding these two advices. They were a fail. Knowing the gaming battle was lost, Sega focused on the hardware war. Even in this field, they lost the conflict. While SNES was already superior to Genesis/MD, and Sega drowned its 16 bit system with the CD and 32x freaks, Nintendo simply developed a Chip, the FX Chip, which allowed us to play wonders like StarWing (StarFox) and even Doom.
Well, it's true, Nintendo had a partnership with Sony to build a CD system to the SNES, but it was aborted. And after that, a new monster was created. Another story.
When my father asked me if I wanted a Mega Drive, I said I'd rather wait for the Super Nintendo. And so I did. And I'm glad. Although, I'm also glad the Mega Drive existed. I spent many fun hours playing it with my cousins. And I think the Nintendo-Sega Cold War, made both companies work their ass off to make better games, inspite their ideas, or directions. In the end, we all won.
Sonic belongs to Sega. And, as a "Nintendero", it feels quite odd to see it on the cover of a Nintendo game pack. Videogame history is quite interesting, unexpected, and rich.
Sega Saturn, like Playstation, the then newbie on the field, abandoned the essence of home videogaming. These two consoles, were, mainly, built around PC Games, and arcades. Lots of titles, trying to be realistic, but lacking creativity. - here's that word again.
We waited a lot for N64, and it was worth it. Nintendo proved that magic could still be made in 3D. And without CD rom technology.
Sega Saturn was not a good experience, and the Dreamcast was the last standing warrior for Sega, regarding video game systems.
Nintendo did not have time to celebrate the victory of this Cold War. Because of Sony's new important share of the market. But, seriously, regardless how many sells Playstation 1, 2, or 4300 may accomplish, it's just not the same. And we know it.
Nintendo probably did not want to celebrate it, anyway. I guess it's not a coincidence why today, Nintendo's logo is grey. Probably, a reflex of the whole gaming industry.
Fortunately, my good old systems still work!
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