Sega Mega 32X
The Sega Mega 32X was a video game console by Sega in Europe and Australia.For more information on the North American version, see: Sega Genesis 32X. For more information on the Japanese version of this console, see: Sega Super 32X.
With the release of the Super Famicom in Japan and the Super NES in North America, Sega needed to leapfrog Nintendo in the technological department. The Sega Mega-CD aka Sega CD hadn't worked as well as they wanted it to. Sega had various developments underway, named after planets. Some used System 16 technology like the Sega Megadrive and Sega Genesis did, as well as other arcade games.
On 8 January, 1994, Hayao Nakayama, then CEO of Sega, ordered his company to make a 32-bit cartridge based console that would be in stores by Christmas 1994. This would at first be named 'Project Jupiter', but after Sega found CD technology cheaper, they decided to modify it instead of dropping the cartridge project. Hideki Sato and some other Sega of Japan engineers came over to collabarate about the project with Sega of America's Joe Miller. The first idea was a new Sega Megadrive/Genesis with more colors and a 32-bit processor. Miller thought that an add-on to the Megadrive/Genesis would be a better idea, because he felt that gamers would not buy an improved version of the Megadrive/Genesis. And so, this project was codenamed Project Mars, and Sega of America was going to shape the project.
At the same time, however, Sega of Japan was working on the Sega Saturn, a CD-based 32-bit videogame system. Sega of America did not learn of this until Project Mars was already in progress.
The Sega 32X was released in January 1995 in Europe for £150. The system cannot work by itself. The Sega 32X can only be used in conjunction with a Sega Megadrive system; it is plugged in where the cartridge bay is. Besides playing its own cartridges, it also acted as a passthrough for Megadrive games so it would be a permanent attachment. The 32X came with 10 coupons and several spacers, so it would work with all versions of the Megadrive.
The versions of the 32X all have lockout chips, so 32X games cannot be played on a different region than what region the console came from.
Since this was an expensive add-on system, Sega decided to bundle in some video game systems with the console. However, the offer came in the form of money off vouchers that had to be sent as a rebate. It was difficult to take advantage of this offer. Just like its North American counterpart, this console was initially popular. Orders exceeded 1 Million, but not enough were produced, and shortage supply problems came.
Two games, Darxide, and FIFA Soccer '96, were only released for the PAL 32X. The Darxide videogame had been awarded "Best 32X Game".
The public quickly grew disgusted with this console, and when they got word of the Sega Neptune, the public ran off. The Neptune never made it past the drawing board.
Just like its counterparts in other parts of the world, the 32X was ignored by customers, and it died in 1996. However, the Megadrive would last until 1998 in the European market.
Technical Specifications
