Sega Genesis VS SNES

[WickedLiquid]

In the 16 bit era which were you; a Genesis kid or a Super Nintendo kid? What are some memorable moments, games, music from your console?


What do you think was better in terms of games, controller, graphics, music, game boxes, etc...

 

[Affen]

I weren't even sure Sega existed back then. Nobody I knew had a Sega console. I don't feel like I've missed on anything. I've played few games on emulators, but lost interest pretty quickly.

sonic sucks

 

[MattAY]

I mostly had a Sega Master System 2, so Sonic ruled my childhood. But my neighbour actually had a SNES, and I'd often find myself round there playing 2 player Mario All-Stars. Probably preferred the latter, but only because it's more fun playing with friends.
Pretty much my only memories I can think of right now .

 

[Green_Lantern]

I guess I'm weird and had both.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Genesis had blast processing.

BLAST
PROCESSING

 

[danielrbischoff]

SNES for the games....

But Genesis for attitude.

 

[used44]

BLOOD CODES!

 

[WickedLiquid]

Blood codes FTMFW

But let's compare some shit, shall we?

Controllers

The SNES controller

This controller was so well designed that Microsoft and Sony now use the exact same button layout. Having the buttons on an angle makes it easier to use your thumb on more than one button at a time.


The Genesis controller

Clearly the inferior controller in this competition. It doesn't have nearly enough buttons for fighters like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. And when compared to the button layout on the SNES, the buttons are awkward being in a line instead of an angle.

 

[De-Ting]

What about the 6 face-button Genesis controller?

 

[WickedLiquid]

I'm talking about the controller you get with the console which is the original design. Back then we didn't need to pay for extra shit if we didn't want to. Consoles came with two controllers for each port.

You could buy a 6 button controller but that's just because Sega dropped the ball.

 

[WickedLiquid]

Something Sega got right were the boxes the games came in.

These game boxes are now used for every console.


On the SNES the boxes were awkward and just got in the way

Most people, including myself, just threw out the SNES boxes because they were a pain in the ass.

 

[danielrbischoff]

Yeah I hated the SNES cardboard boxes... and the Nintendo 64 cardboard boxes... and the NES cardboard boxes... and the Game-- You know what, never mind.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Hey, you're forgetting the plastic dust caps that came with most games. The one thing you have to remember about cartridges...they were their own boxes.

 

[used44]

Haha. Yeah. I recently started buying old games off eBay and anytime I got one in the original cardboard box I was shocked. People kept these?! I just threw mine away almost immediately.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Yeah, sure, the controller and all, but here's the thing...

BLAST!
PROCESSING!

Do you ever COMPREHEND how great that is?


BLAST
FUCKING
PROCESSING!

 

[danielrbischoff]

MODE7 BITCH

 

[WickedLiquid]

And that takes us to marketing!

Advertising to kids before the internet was about as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Sega's BLAST PROCESSING was so successful amongst the kids in elementary school that some wouldn't admit to owning an SNES.

The famous commercial is right here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlulSyBI2aY

Just those 30 seconds could turn kids in grade 1 against the SNES, it was that easy.

But what the fuck is blast processing? We know now that it was a marketing term invented by Sega to brainwash all us dumb kids. But is there any truth to it? Does Sega actually run faster than the SNES? Well, I looked it up, yes that's right, I looked something up and read.

And here's what I found.
http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/content/s ... r-nintendo

Ok, so I don't know what the fuck any of that means. But thankfully the guy summarizes it at the bottom

It is demonstrable that the SNES could actually display 2-3 times the colors on screen, while the Genesis could display 2-3 times the sprites and independently scrolling 2D planes. The SNES also could scale and rotate one 256 color plane, which could be made to look like large objects such as Bowser in Super Mario World or the Bomber in the first level of Contra IV. Alternately, games on the Genesis typically ran with less slowdown, featured faster scrolling levels, "tilted" sprites and backgrounds, and featured more custom special effects like scaling backgrounds and fully polygonal gameplay without any cart loaded processors. The Genesis' software effects are best seen in Contra Hard Corp, Castlevania Bloodlines, Batman and Robin, Ranger X, Sonic 3D Blast's bonus levels, LHX Attack Chopper, and Red Zone, for starters.

TL;DR? The Genesis was indeed faster however the SNES was on par or better in every other category. Stuff like graphics and audio were utilized better on the SNES but it wasn't as fast. Sega found that one thing that was better and ran with it.

 

[Affen]

Did you happen to watch the Angry Video Game Nerd video on this subject recently?

 

[WickedLiquid]

Hey man I looked that shit up myself. I never look anything up. And I talk about the 16 bit war all the time so might as well make a thread about it. But if you've heard it all before it just means I'm right.

 

[danielrbischoff]

The next video I clicked on after that BLAST PROCESSING ad?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQRcinZ ... re=related