Action 52 (Sega Genesis)

This article is about the Genesis version. For the NES version, see Action 52 (NES).

Action 52
Title screen of Action 52.
Publisher	Active Enterprises
Developer	FarSight Technologies Inc.
Console	Sega Genesis
Date	1993
Engine	Various
Sound engine	GEMS

Action 52 is a multicart of 52 original games, developed by FarSight Technologies Inc. and published by Active Enterprises in 1993. It is considered to be of somewhat higher quality than the NES version, and contains more of a variety, introducing new game genres not previously presented in the NES version.

List of Games

1. Go Bonkers!
2. Darksyne
3. Dyno Tennis
4. Ooze
5. Star Ball
6. Sidewinder
7. Daytona
8. 15 Puzzle
9. Sketch
10. Star Duel
11. Haunted Hill
12. Alfredo
13. Cheetahmen
14. Skirmish
15. Depth Charge
16. Mind's Eye
17. Alien Attack
18. Billy Bob
19. Sharks
20. Knockout
21. Intruder
22. Echo
23. Freeway
24. Mousetrap
25. Ninja
26. Slalom
27. Dauntless
28. Force One
29. Spidey
30. Appleseed
31. Skater
32. Sunday Drive
33. Star Evil
34. Air Command
35. Shootout
36. Bombs Away
37. Speed Boat
38. Dedant
39. G Fighter
40. Man at Arms
41. Norman
42. Armor Battle
43. Magic Bean
44. Apache
45. Paratrooper
46. Sky Avenger
47. Sharpshooter
48. Meteor
49. Black Hole
50. The Boss
51. 1st Video Game
52. Challenge

Trivia

• The name of Norman (game 41) is a reference to General Norman Schwarzkopf.
• Game 51, which is a clone of Pong, is erroneously called "1st Video Game". In reality, Pong (released by Atari in November 1972) was only the first video game to become popular with a wide audience, and there were many video games preceding it, including Tennis (Magnavox, Sep. 1972), Computer Space (Atari, 1971), Spacewar! (MIT, 1962), Computer Tennis/Tennis for Two (William Higinbotham, 1958), Noughts and Crosses/OXO (A.S. Douglas, 1952), and the actual first video game, Draughts/Checkers (Christopher Strachey, 1951).
• Game 52, Challenge, is an endurance test to see how long the player lasts in a random series of the highest levels of the other games. An ending for this was programmed, but appears to be inaccessible without hacking as the game crashes after beating one game/level. 
• The game was also released in PAL regions, with different artwork and running at 15-20% slower speed, as it is not optimised for the Mega Drive. These versions interestingly do not mention Active Enterprises or FarSight Technologies anywhere on the cartridge or box art, making their publisher and country release unknown while also making out that these are bootleg copies of a game that wasn't licensed to begin with.
• In the PAL version of the game, Game 14 Skirmish is broken, only letting each player place 2 units before combat, making it impossible to finish a game as intended.

Gallery

American box cover art.

American box back cover art.

American version.

Asian bootleg PAL version.

Taiwanese bootleg version.

Alternate bootleg version, unknown origin/country.

Bootleg cartridge of unknown origin.

Advert for the American versions (NES, Genesis).

Alternate advert.

Japanese article from Game Urara Vol. 5.