List of best-selling Sega Genesis games explained

This is a list of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive video games that have sold or shipped at least one million copies, sorted in order of copies sold. The best-selling title is Sonic the Hedgehog, first released in North America on June 23, 1991. Due to being bundled with the console, it sold 15 million copies. The second best-selling game is its sequel, 1992's Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with 6 million copies sold.

List

Copies sold!Regional breakdown!scope="col"
Release date
Sonic the Hedgehog15 million (bundled with Genesis/Mega Drive hardware)[1] [2] [3]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2More than 7.55 millionNorth America[4]
United Kingdom – + (in 1992,[5] 400,000+ in 1993)[6]
France, Germany, Spain, Austria – 750,000 [7]
Japan – 400,000 [8]
Mortal KombatMore than million[9]
Disney's Aladdin4 million[10]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
4 million[11] Sonic & Knuckles: At least 1.24 million in the US[12]
Sonic 3: At least 1.02 million in the US
/
Jurassic ParkAt least 2.2 million in the US[13]
NBA JamAt least 1.93 million in the US
Mortal Kombat IIAt least 1.78 million in the US
Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition1.665 million[14]
Eternal ChampionsMore than 1.6 million[15]
Altered BeastAt least 1.4 million in the US (bundled with hardware)[16]
Mortal Kombat 31.02 million in the US
Ms. Pac-ManMore than 1 million in the US[17]
NFL '98More than 1 million in the US[18]
NFL Football '94More than 1 million
Sonic SpinballMore than 1 million[19]
X-MenMore than 1 million[20]
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers1 million in the US[21] [22]
Sonic 3D BlastMore than 1 million[23]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 3/4. 1:21. https://web.archive.org/web/20160721184052/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFs2v7XM4o. July 21, 2016. live.
  2. Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective (Alternative Compilation Upload). 12:40 (Sonic 1), 14:39 (Sonic 2), 18:40 (Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles). 2019-07-28. 2020-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20201223004829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ij_RcEzcI. live.
  3. "Review: Sonic Jam". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 22. August 1997. p. 68. ISSN 1360-9424.
  4. Saturday Night . . 1996 . 111 . 1–5 . 92 . Consolidated Press Limited . Sonic 2 has sold copies in North America alone. . 2023-02-07 . 2023-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230207162552/https://books.google.com/books?id=hgjuAAAAMAAJ . live .
  5. Sonic: A brief history . . 20 January 1994 . 26 (February 1994) . . United Kingdom . 24 .
  6. Top-Selling Video Game Titles In UK — 1993 (All Formats) . . 1994 . 110 . Screen Digest Limited . 2 Sonic 2 Sega
    nb sales level at number 5 = 400,000 units . 2023-02-07 . 2023-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230207162553/https://books.google.com/books?id=WVnvAAAAMAAJ . live .
  7. Video game sales scale greater heights . . 1992 . 271 . Screen Digest Limited . Initial orders for Sonic The Hedgehog 2 game from Sega suggest it will become best-selling European title to date. First orders from UK, France, Germany, Spain and Austria totalled 1.5m units—0.75m in UK alone, worth £25m at retail. . 2023-02-07 . 2023-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230207162556/https://books.google.com/books?id=zFjvAAAAMAAJ . live .
  8. Sonic CD Slips Up . . 4 March 1993 . 16 (April 1993) . 12 . In other news, Sonic 2s enormous overseas success has surprisingly not been matched in Japan. (...) Sega officially claims to have sold 400,000 units. . 7 February 2023 . 29 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160329203427/http://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/SegaForce_UK_16.pdf#page=12 . live .
  9. Book: Kent . Steven L. . The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games . 2000 . BWD Press . 978-0-9704755-0-3 . 372 . Acclaim sold approximately Mortal Kombat cartridges. The Genesis version, which included the original arcade fatality moves, outsold the edited-down Super NES version by nearly three-to-one . 2023-02-07 . 2023-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222935/https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ . live .
  10. Web site: Interview: Dr. Stephen Clarke-Willson . Sega-16 . 2006-03-28 . 2018-05-13 . Ken . Horowitz . 2014-02-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223000420/http://www.sega-16.com/2006/03/interview-dr-stephen-clarke-willson/ . live .
  11. Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 4/4. 1:39. 2017-09-03. 2015-07-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725182313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbu4TEE1_pE. live.
  12. Web site: US Platinum Videogame Chart. The Magic Box. August 3, 2008. December 27, 2007. October 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211009200207/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml. live.
  13. American Jurassic Boxes Clever. Computer and Video Games. 11. October 1993. 143.
  14. Book: Million titles . Company Profile . https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/data/pdf/fy2001b.pdf#page=7 . . May 2001 . 7 . 5 November 2021 . 5 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105130831/https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/data/pdf/fy2001b.pdf#page=7 . live .
  15. Book: Horowitz, Ken . Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games . . Omega Group . 2016 . 9780786499946. 279.
  16. News: Nintendo Goal: Bigger-Game Hunters. subscription . 2011-01-16. The New York Times. 1991-06-01. Eben. Shapiro. 2022-01-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20220119072703/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/01/business/nintendo-goal-bigger-game-hunters.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm. live.
  17. Web site: Retronauts Episode 91: A Tengen Family Reunion. Frank Cifaldi talks to rebellious NES game developers Franz Lanzinger (Toobin', Ms. Pac-Man), Steve Woita (Super Sprint, Police Academy) and Mark Morris (Hard Drivin', 007: License to Kill) about the old days.. 2010-09-27. Frank. Cifaldi. 1Up.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121016142710/www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9027362. 2012-10-16.
  18. Web site: FarSight Studio Games: NFL 98 . 2011-03-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050210093753/http://www.farsightstudios.com/games/nfl_98/index.htm . 2005-02-10 . dead .
  19. Web site: Sega of America in the early 1990s - Sales Year for Sega's Genesis, Game Gear and Sega CD. SEGA Forum . factiva. 2010-11-06. Business Wire. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008132646/http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?99947-Sega-of-America-in-the-early-1990s. 2011-10-08. dead.
  20. Web site: Part-time Artist / Western Technologies, Inc. / jun. 1990 - may. 1994. LinkedIn. July 24, 2024. Eric. Iwasaki. Company's first dedicated video game artist. Despite working summers-only before Fall 1993, made immediate and significant contributions including pixel-pushed 2D animated sprites appearing within SEGA's million-plus selling X-Men for Genesis. Team's first 3D artist - learned 3D Studio Release 3 on personal time, volunteering rendered elements for Trivial Pursuit titles on SEGA CD and Windows..
  21. Web site: Masterpiece Album . Development staff interview with Ryouichi Hasegawa . 2010-08-31 . . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20080306015313/http://sega.jp/archive/album/11_ecco/interview1.html . 2008-03-06 .
  22. Web site: Masterpiece Album (English translation). English translation of the development staff interview with Ryouichi Hasegawa as published by Sega.jp. 2010-08-31. romhacking.net. 2016-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20160729220605/http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,11314.0.html. live.
  23. Book: Horowitz, Ken . Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games . . Changing of the Guard . 2016 . 9780786499946. 145.