Sega Genesis reaches 20 years of age in the United States

[YellerDog]

That never ends well.

[SpoDaddy]

Let me nerd it up a bit more by dragging video output into this.

The SNES (and NES) rotated the phase of the scanline 120 degrees on each pass. Essentially it nudged each scan line a little to the right and by the third scan it was back were it started.

The Genesis (and Master System) did not rotate the phase at all.

Bottom line is the Genesis put out a butt-ugly picture because of this.

CRT televisions have their phosphors fixed in place. If the incoming video signal is making every horizontal pixel fall in the same place, there is almost zero chance it will line up properly with the phosphors. It's a moire effect in one direction. So you get some vertical rows of pixels thicker than others.

Ever wonder why Genesis games looked like they had subtle vertical bars all over the place? That's why.

Since the Nintendo consoles rotate 120 degrees, you see the "thickening" on a diagonal. Think of the bottom of the boxer's shoes on NES Mike Tyson's Punchout as an example. Vertical lines also get a bit of a saw tooth to them. But it looks a bazillion times better on the picture as a whole.

SNES >>>> Genesis

The Genesis processor was 4X more powerful, which is why Genesis games packed the screen with sprites without slowdown while the SNES choked on everything. But you're right, the SNES displayed that slowdown well.

[gamevet]

The Genesis processor was 4X more powerful, which is why Genesis games packed the screen with sprites without slowdown while the SNES choked on everything. But you're right, the SNES displayed that slowdown well.

Have you played Bio Metal?

[Shooting Love]

Ever wonder why Genesis games looked like they had subtle vertical bars all over the place?

No.

[Advocate]

Cheebs = Recap '09

[Timber]

Let me nerd it up a bit more by dragging video output into this.

Jesus tap-dancing Christ. I am so fucking glad I couldn't care less about anything you typed up there.

[Advocate]

But Timber .... could you care more?

[Timber]

Yes, I suppose caring at all would be more.

[Advocate]

Word.

[Brisco Bold]

Okay, so I guess I was the only one who found that interesting and always wondered about that.

Why did TG-16 games have that weird whine?