In the late 80's Nintendo ruled the gaming world with it's famous NES system. However, a lesser known company called Sega was about to change everything. With the release of the Sega Genesis system in 1989, Sega brought a whole new level of graphics and sound quality to the console market. For the first year sales were slow, while some great games were coming out, Sega had yet to capture the mass market dominated by Nintendo. With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1990, things changed.

Coupled with excellent marketing campaigns pointing out the NES's inferiority and 'childishness,' Sega was launched into the limelight eventually controlling more than 60% of the 16-bit market in the USA. Their campaigns were so successful in fact, 90% of surveyed kids were actually afraid to admit owning a Nintendo system to their peers. Even after the release of Nintendo's SNES, Sega continued to prosper with the help of sports and action titles. In the end, the 16-bit market was split evenly between Nintendo and Sega (with NECs PC-Engine filling in the rest). Eventually, the system began to show its age, and with the Saturn's release in 1994 it was ready to fade away.