Push your Genesis to the Extreme!
You've already got the coolest 16-bit videogaming system ever, right? Now take the next step up to the universe of 32X, the only 32-bit upgrade for the Sega Genesis system. Faster action. Hammering graphics. And an endless stream of the hottest new graphics that only Sega can bring to you. And if 32X can do this for your Sega Genesis, imagine what it can do for your SEGA CD
--Sega advertisement pimping the 32x, dated 1994
http://www.sega.com/segascream/legacy/32x_bonus1_ad.jpg
The 32X was the second (and last) upgrade for the Genesis console. The idea behind the 32x was that it would be a stepping stone between the Genesis and the Saturn; Sega's Saturn wasn't quite ready to be launched yet, so Sega decided to push the 32x as an alternative. Revealed June 2, 1994, the 32X held the interest of some developers - Acclaim, Interplay, Midway being the big names among others.
However, when the 32x was launched in November 1994, a sense that the 32x would flop was apparent when there were no games available - not even an included game!. Sega put a few games on store shelves a couple of days later, but developer support dropped rapidly when it became apparent that making a game for the 32x was an unprofitable venture - nobody had the system! The Japan and European launches of the 32x were met with largely the same indifference.
Phyisically, the 32X was a 'T' shaped thing with the lower end plugging into the Genesis. Genesis and 32x cartridges were placed in the top, and Sega CD-32x hybrid CD games were placed in the Sega CD's tray/slot) Officially, the Sega 32X is incompatible with the portable Genesis-SegaCD combo CDX, but the 32X works just the same in this model.
Sega repeatedly insisted that it would support the 32x even after the Saturn was released, but by then, people had moved on to the hot, new exciting Playstation! Sega finally canned the monstrosity in 1996, with the ever-forgettable game Spiderman: Web of Fire
As a testament to the attitude of developers towards the 32x, I present to you this list of the games actually released in the United States.
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/32x/file/sega_32x.txt