When the Mega Drive was released in Europe in 1990, it was pretty much an immediate smash hit, and a huge success story for Sega. In North America, where the console was known as the Genesis, it was a similar story, but not so much in the Orient. Japanese gamers much preferred Nintendo consoles, primarily because the system was a go-to machine for cracking RPG action, and even Sega's marketing ploy - built around superior processing - couldn't change that. Regardless, cracking the Western market was key to the console having such a lengthy tenure, only being discontinued as late as 1997 (even later, 1999, in North American markets). The system is one of the most-loved gaming devices around, and there's still a huge fan base for the machine today. Yes, people from all over the world sure loved the Mega Drive/Genesis, but Sega's smash hit is a lot deeper than simply offering Sonic The Hedgehog and a plethora of tip-top sports titles, there's a lot going on under the hood. This article looks at 12 slices of interesting fact, all wrapped up a cozy blanket of nostalgia. The Mega Drive has a rich and interesting history, far beyond the spiky blue mascot and trademark logo, as this journey through the lesser known and more hidden side of the machine shows.