As the book retro tells us, there was a big bang in the late 80s that heralded the beginning of a new era in home video gaming. An event of such biblical proportions that it pushed gaming out of its 8-bit confines and onto a righteous path that would evolve into the video games of today. A console that was built from the rib (or at least the technology) of its predecessor. SEGA Genesis, the beginning of the 16-bit era.

While the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System dominated the video game market from 1984 to 1989, arcade manufacturer Sega also ventured into the home console market with the Sega Master System.

Designed to rival the NES, the Master System was released seven years after the NES, and while it was slightly more advanced than its competition, it never really caught on in North America. While the Master System was a huge hit in Europe and became the dominant system in Brazil, in the US and Canada it was always considered the poor man's NES, with no "killer app" that made Master System owners the envy of their friends who were all playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on their Nintendo systems.

After years of fighting for a piece of the market, Sega came up with a new strategy. Instead of capitalizing on the current market of 8-bit gaming, they would release the first true 16-bit console with a system that was not only superior, but would also expand its power through a range of peripherals.