The name was said to represent superiority and speed, with the new and powerful Motorola 68000 processor in mind. The first name Sega considered for its console was the MK-1601, but it ultimately decided to call it the 'Sega Mega Drive'. It remains Sega's most successful console. The console has a well-known legacy with certain games available and regarded as the starter of the Sonic the Hedgehog series as well. It was a direct competitor of NEC's PC Engine (which was released one year earlier and had a better success in Japan) and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (which was released two years later and a fierce rival in the U.S.). The Sega Mega Drive ( メガドライブ, Mega Doraibu ?), also known as the Sega Genesis in North America, is the 16-bit video game console released by Sega in 1988 in Japan and 1989 in the United States.
