Mega Drive Tutorials

Ever wanted to code your own Mega Drive/Genesis game?
You've come to the right place!

Here you'll find various Mega Drive coding tutorials that will show you how to get started creating games using SGDK, the Sega Genesis Development Kit. This awesome piece of software allows you to code games in C instead of ASM, making the whole process a lot easier!

When I discovered SGDK I noticed that there were no tutorials to get beginners started. Since the Mega Drive is my favorite console of all time, I figured it was time I made a contribution to the community... and so I made these tutorials that will help you create Mega Drive games from scratch!

I recommend some basic knowledge of C (or at least a related programming language) before starting.

These tutorials are powered by my awesome patrons on Patreon, so special shoutouts to them!

New to Mega Drive coding? Start with Megapong!

MD-1: Megapong

Make a single player Pong-like game for the Mega Drive using SGDK!

  • Megapong 1 - Hello Mega Drive World!
  • Megapong 2 - Setting Up The Environment
  • Megapong 3 - Importing Resources
  • Megapong 4 - Palettes
  • Megapong 5 - Sprites
  • Megapong 6 - Input and Paddles
  • Megapong 7 - Collisions
  • Megapong 8 - Score and HUD
  • Megapong 9 - Game Over
  • Megapong BONUS - Flashing!

    • MD-2: Megarunner

    Create an endless runner for the Mega Drive!

  • Megarunner 1 - The Framework
  • Megarunner 2 - Tiles
  • Megarunner 3 - Scrolling
  • Megarunner 4 - Player and Obstacles
  • Megarunner 5 - Jumping Math
  • Megarunner 6 - Collision and Score
  • Megarunner BONUS - Tile Scrolling

    • MD-3: Megalaga

    Create a space shooter for the Mega Drive!

  • Megalaga 1 - Space
  • Megalaga 2 - Entities
  • Megalaga 3 - Enemies
  • Megalaga 4 - Enemy Movement and Input
  • Megalaga 5 - Bullets
  • Megalaga 6 - Collision and HUD
  • Megalaga 7 - Enemy Bullets
  • Megalaga 8 - Spam Protection
  • Megalaga 9 - Sound
  • Megalaga BONUS - Powerup

    • MD-0: Misc

    Miscellaneous tutorials for the Mega Drive!

  • Creating Graphics for the Mega Drive
  • Color Swapping
  • 4 Programs For Creating Mega Drive Graphics
  • Editing the Rom Header
  • Simple Game States
  • Creating a Simple Menu
  • Changing The Text Color in SGDK
  • Playing Music in SGDK
  • Converting VGZ to VGM
  • Processing Resets