101 Secrets of the PC Engine

[Dio]

My view of when the Megadrive took off is probably more aligned to Japan than Europe, because we were a small shop doing imports and the Europe launch, if anything, harmed sales because the chains took away all the new game business and we were only really left with trade-in.

So I'd say it started in 1989 and then 1990 was the first big year, but that's probably earlier than most would.

 

[Sonic]

The Genesis took off in Japan?

 

[Megadrive1988]

Sonic came out around mid 1991, almost 3 years after Megadrive's initial release in Japan.

 

[PC-Engine]

The TG16 didn't do as well in the US as the PCE did in Japan because NEC didn't release a lot of the better Japanese games in the US. Back then I remember hoping and wishing Y's IV would be translated and released onto the US market but no

Games like Far East of Eden, Dracula X, Flashiders, Langrisser, Legend of Xanadu 1&II, Gotzendiener, Snatcher, and a bunch of really good shooters like Gradius II, Image Fight 2, Spriggan 1&II, Super Star Soldier, Super Darius II, Rayxanber III, and Nexzyr were never seen in the US.

PCE/TG16 did have a mascot named Bonk and the first of the series was pretty fun

 

[zurich]

PCE/TG16 did have a mascot named Bonk and the first of the series was pretty fun

Bonk was GREAT! I still remember being very impressed by the 'supersized' Bonk in Bonk's Revenge!

 

[Ty]

The TG16 didn't do as well in the US as the PCE did in Japan because NEC didn't release a lot of the better Japanese games in the US. Back then I remember hoping and wishing Y's IV would be translated and released onto the US market but no

Games like Far East of Eden, Dracula X, Flashiders, Langrisser, Legend of Xanadu 1&II, Gotzendiener, Snatcher, and a bunch of really good shooters like Gradius II, Image Fight 2, Spriggan 1&II, Super Star Soldier, Super Darius II, Rayxanber III, and Nexzyr were never seen in the US.

Though the above may be good games, I don't think not bringing them over ultimately put the Genesis ahead. Instead I think it had much more to do with EA behind the Genesis than anything else. They put out some great sports games and I think that helped to catapult it ahead of the competition.

 

[Dio]

Games like ... Langrisser ... were never seen in the US.

It was, but only on the Megadrive. Great game, though the plot wasn't up to much. I completed the Japanese version when we got it in on import and still understood the plot.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/data/6890.html
I'm sure the Japanese date here is wrong, I would hazard a mid-1990 release date.