[ Thanks to LinuxLinks for this link.
]
“The Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) was a leading
16-bit video game console system. The console was developed by Sega
Corporation in 1988. Sega was unable to obtain trademark rights in
North America, and it was released in that market under the name of
Sega Genesis.“By current console standards, the Mega Drive’s specification
seem positively pedestrian. However, at its launch the console’s
specifications surpassed competitors in many respects. At its core
is a Motorola M6800 16 bit processor running at 7.67 MHz with a
Zilog Z80 8-bit co-processor to handle sound. In the graphics
department, the console offers a typical resolution of 320 x 224
pixels, with a 512 colour palette (up to 64 displayable at any one
time), with up to 80 sprites. When released in Japan the console
did not meet anticipated sales, but it was more popular in the
North American and European markets. Demand for the Mega Drive took
off with the release of the classic game, Sonic the Hedgehog.“The Sega Mega Drive spawned a number of variants including the
a redesigned version of the console called Mega Drive 2. To
maintain interest in the platform, Sega also released the Mega-CD
(Sega CD in North America) which offered an improved specification
over the original console and the ability to play audio CDs, as
well as the video game console add-on, 32X, which was inserted into
the system like a normal game cartridge.”