Sega (Console Game Boot Screens)

Background

From 1988 with the Mega Drive/Genesis to 1998 with the Dreamcast, Sega made these screens on those consoles' BIOS when a game is loaded into the system. This was originally done to prevent unlicensed developers' games to work with Mega Drive/Genesis systems, since the massacre of unlicensed Accolade games. But since the majority of unlicensed independent, pirated, and hacked games for the Dreamcast being playable on the console, the screens later served no purpose but to notify the gamer that a game has been accessed, just with the appearance of it.

1st Screen (October 29, 1988-1998)

Visuals: The logo starts with text reading "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD." centered on a black screen approximately for three seconds.

Variants:

On the Game Gear console, the background is blue.
On few Absolute titles for Genesis, such as Toys (1993), the screen fades in and out. Plus, the text is in a different font.
Games with region lockout will display a message if attempted to be played on an incompatible console.
- If a Japanese cartridge with region lockout is played in a non-Japanese machine (via a Game Genie), it will say "Developed only for use with NTSC Mega Drive Systems".
- If a European cartridge with region lockout is played in a non-European machine, it will say "Developed only for use with PAL and French SECAM Mega Drive Systems".
- If an American cartridge with region lockout is played in a non-American machine, it will say "Developed only for use with NTSC Genesis Systems".

Technique: A text-generated graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Can be displayed when a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega 32X both manufactured from 1991 onwards is booted up with a licensed game placed on the cartridge slot.^[Examples?]

It also appears on Game Gear manufactured when it was turned on.^[Examples?]

2nd Screen (1991-mid/late 1990s)

Visuals: On a white background is the black text "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENCE FROM KABUSHIKI KAISHA SEGA ENTERPRISES.", under the Sega logo. The background turns black as the black text turns white and the Sega logo glows.

Technique: Sprite animation.

Audio: A spacey rendition of the Sega chant.

Availability: It is seen when you play a licensed game on a Japanese/Asian Mega-CD.^[Examples?]

3rd Screen (1992?-1990s)

Visuals: On a black background, Sonic is shown next to the Sega logo. Under them is the text "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENCE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD.". Sonic waves his finger, causing stars to appear, bordering the Sega logo as the rest of the stars fall down.

Technique: Sprite animation.

Audio: An echoed version of the sound when you collect a ring in Sonic games when the stars appear, followed by a Sega Genesis-like rendition of the Sega chant.

Availability: It is seen when you play a licensed game on a North American/European Sega CD/Mega-CD, such as Sonic CD and Snatcher.

4th Screen (November 22, 1994-March 30, 2000)

Visuals: The Sega logo is shown with the words "PRODUCED BY or UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD." below on a black background.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Can be displayed when a Sega Saturn manufactured from 1995 onwards is booted up with a licensed game placed into the CD-ROM drive of the Saturn.^[Examples?]

5th Screen (November 27, 1998-March 8, 2007)

Visuals: On the same background as the Dreamcast logo is the Sega logo on the left and the text "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD." on the right.

Variant: A variant has the Windows CE logo on the bottom-right. This can be found on games that support CE technology, such as Sega Rally Championship 2 (1999) as well as several third-party titles.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Can be displayed when a Dreamcast manufactured from 1999 onwards is booted up with a licensed game or some home brew is placed into the Dreamcast's GD-ROM (basically a CD-ROM, but 1 gigabyte as opposed to 700 megabytes) drive.^[Examples?]