12 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Sega Mega Drive

By Jamie Kennedy /

11. South Americans Were The First To Embrace It

Incredibly, even though the Mega Drive was a hit in Europe and the Genesis did well in the US, South America was one of the biggest markets for Sega's new system. Several different variations were released in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, and the console often came in a unique white model, contrasting heavily with the edgier black used elsewhere. Eagle-eyed readers may notice a company name emblazoned on the casing of the machine, 'Tectoy'. That brand was the largest toy manufacturer in Brazil, and they sure loved Sega. In fact, Tectoy had such a fabulous relationship with the purveyors of the Mega Drive that they never really associated with Nintendo, or any other company for that matter. This meant that the Mega Drive ruled the roost in South America, giving them another market they could claim as their own. Shockingly, back in Japan, even other systems such as the TurboGrafx-16 were more popular than Sega's product.