The Genesis titles include Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Castlevania: Bloodlines, and Streets of Rage 2 the N64 titles include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. This week, Nintendo launched its online retro gaming expansion, porting a selection of games from the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo 64 to the Switch. The Genesis, launched a decade earlier in August 1989, was Sega’s one uncomplicated success. The Dreamcast, launched in September 1999, was Sega’s final, bittersweet failure. Sega now publishes games-great games, in fact, such as Yakuza, Persona, and Bayonetta-but the company exited the console business at the turn of the century. But only one of these brands, Nintendo, would persist in the console market to the present day. Now, as an adult, you might grab a handful of games for each console, compare them side by side, and recognize two very different childhoods. What kind of gamer are you, and what kind of games do you play? Did you prefer cutesy JRPGs and adventure games? Did you prefer beat-em-ups, shoot-em-ups, and sports titles licensed from the major leagues? How about Mario or Sonic? Your taste and temperament determined your console, and at a costly price point-your selection was a decisive one. Nintendo-was a technical contest, but also, as with so many other competitive marketing campaigns, a cultural referendum. The original video game console war-Sega vs.
