First called the "Mega Drive" upon its initial release in 1988, Sega Genesis is the consoles North American name. It holds the record as Segas most successful home console and is notable for being able to challenge Nintendo during the first console wars. In the second half of the 1980s, Nintendo dominated the home console market, and companies like Sega struggled to break into it. However, the release of the Genesis resulted in a radical shift in that regard.