Whenever I teach history lessons in my classes, students will often ask me “which was better?” when really what they want to know is why would different people prefer different options. In essence, the question of “what was the better option” completely misses the interesting part of the story — why did different groups of people prefer their respective options differently? The debate over which console was “better” between the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) is an excellent example of this.
Students debated the issue for literally decades, and despite the fiery debates, 99 times out of 100, the debate wasn’t over which console was “objectively better”. Rather, the debate centered around what each console represented, and which type of person each console best suited.
The SNES and the Mega Drive launched within mere years of each other. The SNES launched in Japan in 1990 and North America in 1991. The Mega Drive launched in Japan in 1988 and in North America in 1989. Sega effectively had a three-year head start on Nintendo, but in the end Nintendo’s “marketing machine” and “library of games” steamrolled Sega in terms of sales. That doesn’t mean the Mega Drive was worse than the SNES; rather, it simply means Nintendo won the battle for marketing dollars and shelf space at retail. Two completely different questions from “which console had better games”.
It wasn’t until years later that people admitted the truth, that both consoles were equally incredible. The Mega Drive was different than the SNES. The Mega Drive had strengths that showcased itself better in different areas. Each console appealed to a different type of gamer. Each console had their own library of games. Ultimately there was no objective answer as to which console was better — they simply were different and a gamers preference was a reflection of the type of gaming experience that he or she desired to play.
The Super Nintendo Had Legitimate Reasons to Excel
The Super Nintendo had several legitimate reasons to outperform the Mega Drive. First, the processor on the SNES was more powerful when it came to certain areas. Second, the graphics on the SNES were impressive. Thanks to Mode 7 (which allowed for the creation of what appeared to be 3-D rotation and scaling), the SNES had a definitive visual edge. Third, certain games like Star Fox and F-Zero simply showcased technology the Mega Drive couldn’t match up with. Fourth, the SNES had a larger colour palette then the Mega Drive. Fifth, the SNES had a more powerful sound chip. And sixth, Nintendo had a ridiculous amount of third party support for their console. As such, Square, Enix, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy — some of the largest Japanese RPG franchises — all belonged to Nintendo. Capcom’s biggest titles were all primarily released on the SNES. Overall you couldn’t go wrong in any given genre on the SNES because their library was truly stellar. And finally Nintendo’s own first party games were just amazing. Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, and Donkey Kong Country were all franchises that showcased what the SNES was capable of greatness.
The SNES controller is iconic. The way the SNES controller was setup was meant to be utilized by gamers. The button layout on the SNES controller was specifically designed for fighting games and to accommodate arcade to console conversions. Street Fighter II on SNES became the standard every subsequent version of Street Fighter II would be judged by for years to come.
Nintendo’s marketing was also among the best we’ve seen from any company. They had the cultist following, they had the retail relationships, they had the feel of dominance that made developers want to build their games for Nintendo. This created an everlasting cycle of third party support because the third party support for the SNES allowed for more sales which allowed for more third party support.
The Mega Drive Had Advantages People Forget When Looking Back
While the SNES had many reasons to kill the Mega Drive, the Mega Drive had advantages people forget about when looking back. The Mega Drive’s processor was faster at certain tasks. The Mega Drive also had superior sprite handling. The Mega Drive also had a Yamaha FM synthesis sound chip that produced a unique sound that many arcade conversion focused developers enjoyed. Compare Sonic the Hedgehog’s soundtrack to Super Mario Bros 3’s and you can clearly hear the difference. The Sega Genesis sounded more brash and upbeat whereas the SNES sounded more polished and orchestral. Ultimately neither console sounded better they just approached problems differently.
Another reason was Sega’s success in the late 1980s with arcades. Because Sega owned so many popular arcades by the time the Genesis rolled around, many arcade-perfect ports were released on the Mega Drive first. Fighting games, shooters, and other arcade-staple action games simply played better on the Mega Drive due to how similar the hardware was to arcade hardware. Golden Axe, Shinobi, Gunstar Heroes, and Thunder Force IV were all examples of games that felt authentic to the arcade.
Lastly Sonic the Hedgehog became Sega’s answer to Mario. While there will always be argument about who is superior overall, Sonic ushered in a new design philosophy. Games for Sonic rewarded speed and momentum in ways other platformers wouldn’t. Sonic games looked and played different. The games for Sonic were marketed differently. Sega established themselves as the cool edgy alternative to Nintendos family friendly mascot. Again this is partially a marketing strategy but it also highlighted how the games being developed thought differently.
Sega also had better sports games. Sega Sports titles quickly became on par with and then surpassed Nintendo sports titles. Joe Montana Football, Madden on Genesis, and NBA Live were all incredible gaming experiences if you were a sports fan. The Sega Genesis became the go-to console for serious sports gamers.
The Libraries weren’t Better, They Were Different
Nowhere is this debate more apparent then when you analyze both consoles libraries. The libraries of both consoles weren’t better they were different. The SNES had more exclusives overall. The Mega Drive had better arcade translations. The SNES had SQUARE, Enix, etc. as their flagship RPG franchises which appealed to RPG fans. The Mega Drive had their fantastic sports library and action library which appealed to their respective fans.
The parallax scrolling and pre-rendered sprites for the Donkey Kong Country series on the SNES showcased what the SNES was capable of graphically. The Mega Drive didn’t have an equivalent series. However games like Rocket Knight Adventures and others on the Mega Drive showcased what the Mega Drive could do graphically as well. Both consoles could awe you visually, they just did it different.
Nintendo had clear first party dominance over Sega on the SNES. Nintendo’s games were exceptional and they typically were well-polished. Kirby Super Star, Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, A Link to the Past, Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, and Star Fox were all incredible games that defined Nintendo. Sega’s first party titles weren’t as strong, however Sega would go on to create many amazing games for the Mega Drive. Also there were many awesome third party titles for the Sega Genesis.
Both consoles had amazing libraries in different ways they just catered to different audiences.
The Console Wars Forged Brand Tribalism
The console wars forged brand tribalism over console choice. Gamers defended their choice of console for years because, not only did they spend money on the console, but they felt like by choosing one console over the other, they were choosing an ideology of what kind of gamer they wanted to be. SNES gamers treasured Nintendo’s desire to create memorable and well-polished games. Mega Drive gamers treasured Sega’s desire to push arcade-style games and their willingness to be bold and edgy.
Commercially and critically Nintendo won the console wars. The SNES is viewed more favorably in retrospective articles and Nintendo games are more praised. However a lot of this can be contributed to why Nintendo was better at persuading gamers that any other console wasn’t worth your time.
Every few years gamers will re discover the library of the Mega Drive and be amazed at how good the games are because they grew up hearing how terrible Sega was so they assumed the games had to be garbage as well.
Is This Debate Even Relevant Nowadays?
Both consoles were amazing platforms. Looking back the technical specifications of each console wasn’t as important as you thought at the time. Both consoles could accomplish crazy feats and both consoles had many stellar games. Ultimately the argument of which console was “better” was never about which was better at being a console but rather which you simply enjoyed more.
More then that both consoles helped shape history. The SNES solidified Nintendo’s place as a powerhouse company that would stay dominant for generations to come. The Mega Drive proved that Sega was here to stay and that they could actually put out games that could go toe-to-toe with Nintendo in quality. This competition allowed for better games on both consoles as developers had to prove to consumers why they should buy their particular brand of gaming.
If you recently purchased a retro console, buy the one with the library of games you’d like to play and not because of some arbitrary reason as to which console is objectively better. The SNES has more games and more variety. The Mega Drive gives you unique gaming experiences you cannot get anywhere else. Both consoles are worth purchasing if you consider yourself a hardcore retro gamer.
The true lesson you can take away from this argument is that regardless of what console you choose, console wars are nothing more then marketing wars and taste wars. Don’t spend years hating on a brand simply because you prefer another. Both consoles were superior in different ways and gave gamers legendary gaming experiences that they deserve to be remembered as more then just some argument over which brand is better.
Joe’s a history teacher who treats the console wars like actual history. A lifelong Sega devotee from Phoenix, he writes with passion, humor, and lingering heartbreak over the Dreamcast. Expect strong opinions, bad puns, and plenty of “blast processing.”
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