The Sega Genesis's arrival on the console market in 1988 meant Nintendos market dominance finally had a challenger. Promising a slew of arcade game ports and the arrival of their own mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, the console was aimed at capturing the adolescent audience, as opposed to Nintendos family-friendly marketing. Across its 16-bit era, RPGs would become increasingly popular and recognized across the globe not only to their traditional Japanese audience.