Miniaturized consoles are nothing new to Sega as it was releasing them long before Nintendo’s Classic NES and SNES consoles took the spotlight. The plug-and-play systems it produced in collaboration with AtGames usually carried a decent library of titles, but the quality of the emulation was always subpar at best. However, things are finally changing for Sega as it has become more involved with production duties and is now in full control of its upcoming plug-and-play console, the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive, if you prefer) Mini.
Sega has poured its all (and then some) into this miniaturized Sega Genesis Model-1; it comes with most of the bells and whistles of the original and is jam-packed with 42 games that have all been ported over by the emulation masters themselves, M2. This sounds like a dream come true for both Sega fans and anyone with a firm interest in retro gaming, so let’s take a look and see what the Sega Genesis Mini has to offer.
Sega Genesis Mini: The Hardware
The miniaturized Sega Genesis Mini looks absolutely adorable, especially alongside it’s original '90s Model-1 counterpart. From the tiny yet functional power and reset buttons to the moveable volume slider and cartridge door, this console oozes charm. The Sega Genesis Mini receives power through a standard micro USB port and connects to your TV through HDMI, and all necessary cables are included in the box – which looks just like the one you'll have received back in the early '90s, assuming you were old enough to own one.
However, it's not quite perfect; we do wish the console itself was built a little sturdier. The plastic isn’t thin by any means, but feels a little on the light end. Plus, the console is lacking any sort of rubber grips on its bottom to keep it in place. One wrong tug of a controller during a heated match of Street Fighter II could easily send the system flying. On the whole, it's certainly a marked improvement over the terrible AtGames Sega clones, but it's not quite at the same level as Nintendo's micro-consoles.
Two replica Genesis (3 Button) controllers are also included and they look and feel just as good as you remember, if not better. Buttons are tight and responsive, and the floatiness found in the original controller’s D-Pad is absent in this version. Each controller also comes wired with a lengthy 6-foot USB cord (unlike the pitiful 3-foot cord on the NES and SNES Classic controllers), ditching the unreliable Wireless IR sensors that AtGames used for their controllers in the past.
These controllers scream quality and are exactly what you hope to find in a premium first-party product – but we have no idea why Sega didn't choose to bundle the superior six-button pad which Japan is getting. As it stands, it's a pain to play titles like Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition with this pad, as you have to press start to switch between punches and kicks. We can only assume that Sega went with the original pad design because it's what fans will remember; at least it's possible to buy replacement pads to use with the console.
Sega Genesis Mini: The Games
The Sega Genesis Mini comes packed with a whopping 42 games, featuring a slew of Sega published titles and a few sprinkled in here and there from the likes of Capcom, Konami and a few others. You won’t find any unlicensed shovelware here.
You’ll also want to keep in mind that each region’s list of games will vary. So if you’re planning to order yourself a Mega Drive Mini from Japan, you’ll have a different line up of games.
Western Exclusives:
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
- Altered Beast
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- Earthworm Jim
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Eternal Champions
- Kid Chameleon
- Light Crusader
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
- ToeJam & Earl
- Vectorman
- Virtua Fighter 2
Available In All Regions (Genesis & Mega Drive):
- Alisia Dragoon
- Beyond Oasis
- Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Comix Zone
- Columns
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Darius - Brand New Port!
- Dynamite Headdy
- Ghouls 'n Ghosts
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- Landstalker
- Mega Man: The Wily Wars - Previously A Sega Channel Exclusive!
- Monster World IV
- Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
- Road Rash II
- Shining Force
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Space Harrier II
- Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition
- Streets of Rage 2
- Strider
- Super Fantasy Zone
- Tetris - Insanely Rare Version!
- Thunder Force III
- Wonder Boy in Monster World
- World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
Not only did Sega double the lineup of games on the Genesis Mini versus the number packed into the SNES Classic but depending on who you ask, it also outperforms due to the quality of its titles. It includes a majority of the classics from series like Phantasy Star, Sonic, Streets of Rage and Toejam & Earl, but also includes a ton of insanely hard to find titles (that cost a pretty penny to buy physically nowadays) like Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, to name a few. Sega even tossed in a few bonus titles, (because why not, right?) like the (kinda) never-released Tetris and a brand new port of Darius.
The Sega Genesis Mini also includes a helping of simultaneous multiplayer titles to put that second controller to good use. You can clean the streets with a friend in Streets of Rage 2, then take on each other in Street Fighter II (as long as you don't mind swapping buttons, as we mentioned earlier). Then, when the fighting has finally ceased, you can jump right back in with a chaotic match of Tetris.
Sega has made sure to include a wide variety of titles to not overindulge on any one genre, and while there are some huge titles missing from the list, (*cough* Ristar, Rocket Knight Adventures, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Zombies Ate My Neighbors *cough*) we understand it would be impossible to please everyone. Even though every title on this list might not suit your fancy, we think there is enough to keep most players happy.
Sega Genesis Mini: Performance
Sega has had quite the reputation of releasing some fairly awful clone consoles in the past with AtGames. Their consoles and controllers were typically cheaply manufactured, but a worse crime was the emulation quality, which was severely unkempt, leaving games broken or with completely brutalized soundtracks and effects, ultimately making them a mess to play. Thankfully Sega has hired back the folks who’ve worked on the Sega Ages line of games to handle the emulation, M2. Needless to say, they’ve done an excellent job and should be proud of the effort they’ve put in.
Games play flawlessly, and as they should in the modern era. Some purists may be able to notice minor inconsistencies between these and at their original versions but any differences that might exist weren’t apparent to us. The Genesis Mini outputs a 720p image with a few possible image settings. You’re able to select a standard 4:3 or stretched aspect ratio, and beyond the ability to slap one of two wallpapers behind your game, there really isn’t much else to help customize your image.
Now the home menu may not be as elaborate as it is on Nintendo's rival systems, but it's fairly clean and does the job showing off your library of games without any hiccups. Selecting a game will give you a brief background on the title or series and will tell you the year it was released. You’re also able to sort the library by alphabet, genre, the year they released, and the maximum number of players.
Some of the sound effects on the menus can get a tad annoying after a while, but what easily makes up for it is the newly included menu theme composed by none other than Yuzo Koshiro, composer of the Streets of Rage series. It’s an original tune exclusive to the Genesis Mini that was created with the same Yamaha 2612 sound chip found in the original Genesis.
One nice leg up on the competitors is the ability to return to the home menu without having to get up and reset the system. When playing a game, hold down the start button on your controller for about 3 seconds and you’ll be taken to a menu where you can save your current progress, load an old save state, reset the game or simply return to the home menu. It’s a nice touch that our late night legs are extremely thankful they included.
Sega Genesis Mini: The Verdict
While the Genesis may not have had as many groundbreaking and infinitely replayable titles as SNES did, it still has a treasure trove of great games that are begging to be rediscovered and the Genesis Mini features some of the best of the best. Its hardware plays and feels like it should, and that too is really the most important thing. Plus, with the added addition of save states, more will have the courage to venture through some of these games' toughest challenges. It’s obvious to see that this wasn't just another product for Sega. The Genesis Mini is a well-crafted love letter to Genesis and Sega fans alike and is well-deserving of the Sega Genesis Seal of Quality.
Pre-Order Sega Genesis Mini - USA
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Comments 129
"While the Genesis may not have had as many groundbreaking and infinitely replayable titles as SNES did" Wash your mouth out! Personally I loved both consoles, so I can't wait to get the MegaDrive Mini. For me - it did have more groundbreaking and re playable titles. I just wish the whole series of games were included. e.g. not Just SoR 2 - but all of them. Not just Golden Axe, but all of them etc...
I am certainly tempted. Does anyone have the Megadrive games collection released for Switch? How does that compare?
If only Quackshot had been included it would have been a no-brainer, but then I really do want to play Castle of Illusion again...
The only system I had during the 16-bit era was the NES, and the next home console I'd own was the N64. Thanks to Virtual Console and SNES Classic, I eventually got to see what Nintendo brought to the table during their rivalry with SEGA, but the only Genesis games I'd play were on the Sonic Mega/Gems Collection, Golden Axe, Bubsy, and Comix Zone. I can't wait to see what made games like Earthworm Jim, Dynamite Headdy, and Toejam & Earl such beloved classics!
Who would've guessed that the best way to get a great Genesis mini console was to get rid of AtGames?
@Ooccoo_Jr I went for the Mega Drive Collection on Xbox as it had the Wonderboy title missing form the Switch entry. It's a great presentation and the emulation is spot on.
I do wish Quackshot was on this collection too, along with the games NL mentioned too. Sadly, I will have to pass on this release, at least until after Christmas when funds will be more readily available.
I had Both super Nintendo and Sega Genesis growing up, but man oh man did I love the Genesis more (despite being a Nintendo Fan boy most of my life).
But having only a single game out of series like Sonic or Streets of rage doesn't make much sense (thanks Nintendo for inspiring this logic).
The Megadrive and its add ons were my teenage years. What a time to come of age. An era of great music, crazy parties and incredible games. I can still remember the day I first laid eyes on Sonic the Hedgehog on my mates Japanese Megadrive. It blew me away like nothing else. It was not long after that I got my own, bundled with Sonic and...... Greendog. Hated Greendog but fortunately Dixons allowed me to exchange it for Chuck Rock, which I knew I liked from playing it on my mates Amiga. Loved my Megadrive.
I wasn't planning on getting any of the mini consoles but after this review, I don't think I can resist.
Does anybody know which games specifically aren't optimally compatible with the included controller? Is it just street fighter?
Day 1 when it is released. I loved SNES but Genesis was always my main system back in the day. Earthworm Jim and Castlevania Bloodlines here I come.
Looks like a ton of fun, but I think I missed a memo somewhere...
...Can anyone help me understand why Sonic the Hedgehog 3 / & Knuckles shows up so rarely these days? Is there some clear reason?
I’ve never owned a Sega Genesis. I didn’t want to buy one from AtGames because i’ve heard they weren’t great. Might have to pick this one up. The game library looks solid, so I might get one.
The snes mini controller is also 6 feet in lenght, its the nes mini controller that has 3 feet cables
That's cool and all, but there will NEVER be a Genesis in my house. EVER.
You kids don't understand what the '90s were like. Team SNES for life.
A Genesis will NEVER be in my house as MEGA DRIVE is the best.
But still have My original Mega Drive and Mega Drive 2 so don't really need this, even though it looks cute
No scanlines basically kills my interest. For me these games just don't look right without CRT filters. I was so looking forward to this, as I'm a huge Mega Drive fan, but now its just not as good as the retropie pirate box I already have. So disappointing.
[Edit] But wait: according to Destructoid there is a CRT filter....
No scanline filter? That's just daft. No mention of this audio delay folk were talking about,can we assume that's gone?
At least in Europe we didn't have those beloved scanlines, it's as easy as booting some old console up in a CRT monitor and look closely. Someone told me it was more apparent in NTSC screens. I don't know.
However, I would have liked the option or some kind of smoothing effect, because pixel perfect graphics are a little too much in today's giant screens.
well i want one to add to the collection. I was never a fan boy and had both snes and megadrive. now mini gamecube next please or a saturn mini.
@Justao76 Maybe Eternal Champions. But I’m actually pretty sure you could play that fine with 3-buttons.
Wait does that mean the titles listed under “North American Region (Genesis) Exclusives” aren’t on the European Mega Drive? I swear I’ve seen them list for the European console. Or are you comparing them to he Japanese Mega Drive?
You should update this article with list of games for Europe
Dreamcast mini please!!. Am interested in this though
Given its place in history on this console, it's a little bit of a surprise and a shame we couldn't get Mortal Kombat on this console. ABACABB.
Then again, the violence in it would've forced them to place a warning or M rating on the packaging. There's a few reasons not to include it, I guess.
Well, aside from the blatant lack of MUSHA.
@Ooccoo_Jr
If you're talking about Sega Mega Drive Classics for the Nintendo Switch, you should avoid this as it has unacceptable levels of input lag.
What should have been a straight-forward port of Sonic the Hedgehog feels like constant ice physics due to the input latency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy5oZXHTF2w
There are much better SEGA AGES offerings for individual games on the eShop that were developed by M2, same as the Mega Drive Mini.
I find it kind of funny how many news articles there have been about this product on a Nintendo site, seeing as it has nothing to do with Nintendo. That said, I do appreciate the review.
Is there something other than soundtrack issues stopping Sega from rereleasing Sonic 3 and Knuckles? If that was the main stopping block as has long been rumored, you figured they would've just put out a new version with a different soundtrack (as much as that would suck, considering the sound track is awesome).
@Steel76 Well, the thing is every retro loving gamer now, even here in Europe, states to remember those scanlines as something undeniable, but you have to put yourself with the nose stuck to the screen to actually see them. If I sometimes use them is just for making the pixel based graphics easier on the eye with LED monitors, but it's not something I remember as part of my childhood experience.
Sure, there are scanlines, but they're not noticeable playing from a healthy distance.
Somewhere, Chakan: The Forever Man is weeping at being forgotten.
Never had a saga but I did use my mates one when I was a kid. I always, and still do like the snes more but I'm going to show support and grab one of these.Just like the snes mini,eventually every game you want on it will be available if you want to go down that route.
The absence of S3&K is disappointing, but otherwise the lineup is incredible. Several games in here, such as Strider, Castlevania, and Mickey Mouse, have been absent from the many previous Genesis compilations, to say nothing of Wily Wars!
"Not only did Sega double the lineup of games on the Genesis Mini versus the number packed into the SNES Classic but depending on who you ask, it also outperforms due to the quality of its titles."
Anyone who tries to tells you that this collection of Sega Games is superior to the SNES Classics Library is on drugs. The SNES Classic has the greatest collection of games ever assembled in a single product without, even remotely close, competition.
This Genesis Mini would have to have every Genesis Game on it to claim it has a better library than the SNES Classic and even then it would only be winning on Quantity.
To be clear, I love the Genesis and it has some great games, but half of the games on the SNES Mini are better than every game on the Genesis.
@jhess826 a true gamer will own all consoles just for the exclusive titles alone. A true gamer from 90 have experienced both. Nuff said. lol
I own the NES, SNES, PS1, and Sega Genesis (The original consoles), and I can say that all of the minis (even the ps1) are actually pretty good and are great recreations of the older consoles.
Sega are back in the console business.
Mine is paud off and waiting to pick up next week.then the next day go pick up links awakening dreamer edition and amiibo
@XAHydra Since 2011 when Sonic 3 & Knuckles was last ported anywhere, to Steam, Sega has stopped rereleasing this game. It's since been revealed that Michael Jackson actually did work on the soundtrack, like it had been rumored for years, with evidence proving the similarities between songs in the game, and songs Jackson released.
What was supposed to happen was that any songs relating to Jackson were supposed to be removed, but Zones 4-6, the title theme, the Knuckles theme, the invinciblity theme, and the credit theme all weren't. Jackson and his team worked on them. With the exception of Zones 4-6, in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, all of the aforementioned music is changed, when the two cartridges lock together. This is because it pulls the music from the bottom cart, but why make the changes unless they needed to, especially when Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were supposed to be the same game originally, just split into two parts due to a marketing deal with McDonalds that couldn't be pushed back and additional time to finish the game.
Sega is avoiding rereleasing the game now to avoid legal trouble with the Jackson Estate. It sucks. I recommend checking out Sonic 3 Complete and Sonic 3 A.I.R. . Both games will fill your Sonic 3 fix, with A.I.R. eventually coming to mobile, but not consoles.
@thesilverbrick I've given up on that battle, the name of this website in my head now is "Nintendo Life ...and That!".
Not an original idea, borrowed it from this place.
Thinking about getting this for my sons birthday next week. I wonder if I can buy it in the Nintneod NYC store? 🤣
Looking forward to mine. Still getting the analogue system at some point as well. (This month wrecked me for gaming budget)
I hope SEGA will make a second Genesis /Mega Drive Mini based off the Model 2 to include games that are not in this release like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles for example.
As I'm a sucker for mini retro consoles with decent emulation (even though I can just roll one of those RetroPie thingies and call it a day), this will make a nice addition to the SNES and NES mini consoles I have on my desk (still waffling on the Neo-Geo and PS ones). I think what some others would be waiting for is if there would be an exploit tool for this Genesis console like there are for other consoles - it certainly helps in expanding the library if you have access to ROMs.
Mega Drive me to the store.
Indeed!
Mine arrives October 4th.
“While the Genesis may not have had as many groundbreaking and infinitely replayable titles as SNES did”
Wow, just had to fanboy the SNES to put your heart at ease? Just can’t let the Genesis have one shining moment?
@NinChocolate Even a huge SNES fan like me agrees with that.
Suprised that so many people wanted Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Has everyone forgotten that both games are a bit knackers?
Half of the bosses self destruct, and there are big chunks of the game (the much-hyped snowboard, and I'm looking at you in particular, stupid yellow laser hoop tube in Death Egg Zone Act 2) where you can just put the joypad down and walk off and do something else.
@BlueOcean Not for another week though.
@RevrsblSedgewick
He’s OK, he meets up with Greendog, Ristar and the guy from Decapattack for a beer every week
No Herzog Zwei?
Sounds great, I'll definitely be getting one.
Shame on Nintendo Life for completely forgetting Europe exists (as usual); I'm pretty certain those "North American region (Genesis) Exclusives" are on the European Mega Drive too. Or is Europe part of America now?
There's also an "Asian" variant, which has, IMO, the best game lineup of all. But I'll be passing on the Genesis mini. To me, the Genesis was all about sports games. To have one without just doesn't feel right.
@Knuckles I literally could not ask for a better answer than that. Thanks!
...Good thing I still have the original carts
Robocop v terminator! Starflight! Getting day 1 anyway can’t wait x
@XAHydra supposedly music rights
I'm seeing the US "exclusives" games on both the Amazon UK and Game links so are they US exclusives not not?
Can't wait to pick one up. This looks great.
@LaytonPuzzle27
Yes i hope there’s a model 2 release that have games not included in this model 1 version. A great way to milk additional revenue for Sega too!😆
@Moroboshi876 it’s there on NTSC screens,and the difference when you turn it on on SNES Classic is noticeable,but it’s not the HUGE deal people make it out to be.
It’s kind of like when people point out the lag when playing a 8/16 bit game on an HDTV. I’m sure the lag is THERE,but no normal player is going to notice it.
@jhess826 please tell me this is a joke
@Wavey84 I’m in the same camp. Gamesack reviewed this a month or so ago and mentioned lag was definitely noticable. I guess we can’t get any closer due to the inherent limitations of emulation and flat panel screens.
What we need is Sony/Panasonic to make a small range of professional CRT’s again!
Confused by the games listed as "Genesis Exclusives" as I'm pretty sure they were also listed for the European Mega Drive release. Should be listed as Western Exclusives.
@Crono1973 Mega Drive me next week.
@Ooccoo_Jr honestly it has many of the same titles but it also has some different titles. It will depend on what you really want to play.
I myself would wait to purchase one as it will be mass produced and it will not hold value and be on sale by Christmas and if not will definitely be on sale by next year
The lack of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the best Sonic 2D game in my opinion, is disappointing but not a deal breaker as I'll find other way to play it.
@X68000 yea lag will always be there when you take a crt tv game and put it on a flat screen. Flat screens gather pixels differently so there is no way for them to fix this issue.
But then again is it lag or button response? Back in the day button response time was way longer than today which is almost instant.
Cannot wait for this—though, TBH, I’m even more excited about PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Mini.
Can’t wait for this to arrive on my door mat 4/10/19! I never had a mega drive as a young lad (was a fierceSNES fanboy) but time heals wounds and am really excited to have this under the TV. Great game selection - perhaps mutant league hockey could have circumnavigated the NHL licensing issues and thus allowed the inclusion of sports games?
Both SF2 and Eternal Champions play better on a 6 button pad.
@XAHydra I still have the original carts too. Would still love to see my favorite game be ported to newer consoles.
Will buy once its hacked. I want the games I have physically loade on it to play on my HDTV any mega drive is on my WEGA CRT
@Knuckles I was held over a good bit with Hydro City in Sonic Mania However, They only teased Angel Island, and I missed Launch Base ( I don't know why ) and Sky Sanctuary ( My favorite ). & Knuckles also has the coolest Death Egg levels ever
I sound like a complainer ( unintentional ) but I also wish Ecco: The Tides of Time would get more love!
@Wavey84 All of what you said! I guess I am old now, but CRTs definitely still have something modern displays don't! Yeah, they are big bulky and heavy, but they were unbeatable in latency and had no blur (although they trade that for flicker at lower refresh rates) I miss 'em.
@StephanDLW "Thanks for the review but it would be nice if you included the European and Japan exclusive games as well".
Especially on a UK website.
I still have my Genesis Mini on preorder, I can't wait for it to arrive. It's just too bad that Sonic 3 & Knuckles ain't here, but at least I still have it on Sonic Mega Collection and on the Wii Virtual Console. Aside from eBay, this will be the first time I buy a Sega console. (I never had any Sega console back in their heydays - I was a Nintendo-only kid until I got the PlayStation 2.)
Gotta pick mine up next Friday from Gamestop. Soon....
I’ve got this on pre-order, as well as the TG-16 mini that comes out next March. They’ll sit in the shelf next to my SNES mini. 12-year old me would’ve lost his mind!
Can’t wait to get my hands in this, and my 6 button controller I preordered. Lots of good games out of the box. Hopefully it’ll be a breeze to add to this as I’d love to have both X-men games again and boogerman. Golden axe 3 would be nice to but that games hard to find.
No Shining Force II? What the hell are they thinking?
Actually preordered 2 of these bad boys at Gamestop! Looking forward to it! Saturn and Dreamcast next Sega! Hell I’ll even take a Sega master system mini!! 😊
Man, all this negativity about supposed lack of scan lines (it actually DOES have scan lines, which are activated by pressing the C button), supposedly noticeable lag, inferior game lists and what not. This is a great system, and thanks to M2, great effort was made to make the emulation as good as possible. For me, getting one was an absolute no-brainer.
Side note to the author and other people wondering: the also supposedly "incomprehensible" lack of the inclusion of the six button controller really isn't all that weird, since only two or maybe three titles at most, make use of them, one of which also supports three button controllers, so it really isn't such a big issue as it might seem.
It would be weirder to include six button controllers as a standard seeing as at least 39 games in this collection DON'T support it.
As for reviews outside of NLife, the following videos are the best three that I've personally found to be quite thorough and realistic.
So, without any further ado:
Slightly correcting the article, last year's AtGames system actually had very solid emulation. It utilized the open source emulator Genesis Plus GX, replacing the flawed AtGames programmed emulator from their 2017 system which first brought HD capabilities to their Sega line.
It was an unpublicized release which was presumably due to the recent divorce with Sega. I assume the split came about so late that the systems were under production already and as a compromise, they were allowed to be sold as if they were left over 2017 stock with AtGames not allowed to state that it was a new for 2018 product.
I didn't buy that system last Fall, but I did buy the arcade oriented spin off called the Legends Flashback with the same guts and Genesis controller ports (But no cartridge slot). It had a few Genesis games preloaded alongside dozens of arcade games (And a few NES games) and via the SD card slot, I was able to put it through its paces with dozens of other games. Everything for the Genesis (And Sega CD) that I threw at it played beautifully except for Virtua Racing with its SVP processor running slow.
It's what AtGames should've been selling 5 years earlier. I'm confident that the Sega relationship would be alive today and their reputation with fans would've been much improved at this point had they done that.
I’ll just wait for the Dreamcast mini.
@NinChocolate
While this may a hanging crime in these parts to admit to I feel that Sega won the 16 bit era handily. Sure SNES had some great games too but Sega just kicked the crap out of everything to get software to the streets. They just made poor decisions. The console market may have been very different if they had focused on one launch like Nintendo did.
@Wavey84
I am not sure if you have played the M2 ports but I compared the Sega classic collection on the Switch to my Genesis still hooked to a CRT set and the lag is really imperceptible. They did a good job. Now the Castlevania series I downloaded has some serious lag in spots as does the Contra series.
@RevrsblSedgewick
I never cared for Sonic 3. We rented it a few times and it just did not have the same feel as the first two.
@Moroboshi876 I believe those scanlines are more in NTSC/US versions 60hz. In 50hz that wasn't much there due the higher resolution. I don't remember scanlines either. But I read somewhere that the NTSC does have other things like the very noticeable scanlines. I never had those (i don't remember) PAL version was always used when I had Nintendo 8 bit/16bit or Genesis
@Ooccoo_Jr
The lag makes the megadrive collection on switch almost unplayable, the AGES ports are far superior
@XAHydra Music rights. Some of the music in Sonic 3 was composed by Michael Jackson.
Considering it'll be $120 just to get this in full, I'll wait for a price drop. Maybe until it reach $60 or $40 like the PlayStation Classic mini. It's just Sega Genesis games so it's no big deal to me.
Too many ninty games coming out that I really want to get this, but man, I loved Vectorman.
@chiptoon @timson72 There are indeed scan lines on the Megadrive/Genesis Mini. They are activated by pressing the C button in the video menu.
You can see it in action in the second video that I posted in comment #90.
I've pre-ordered it, so yea whatever, but how they've included Tetris over the original Streets of Rage is literally the most bizarre decision.
And yes, colour me "could not care less" about it being "a rare version". It's Tetris. Tetris is Tetris!
Still, looking forward to it all the same!
Just to correct the games list. The one for Genesis is the same as EU MegaDrive. The only difference should be that the Contra is Probotector and a couple other small differences. But the "same" games.
@ramu-chan I see this story thrown around all the time like it's a fact. Are we sure it's not a giant game of Chinese whispers based on utter nonsense? I mean, if it was true, then why haven't SEGA simply replaced the music? Re-release the game with a new title and new music?
I think while the Genesis mini wins on quantity, the SNES Classic mini still wins on quality. Of the 21 titles included on the SNES Classic, only about three would I say are less than excellent: Kirby's Dream Course, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts and Star Fox 2. The Genesis mini has a ton of great titles, but there are some on this list that definitely give a "filler" or "mediocre" vibe.
Speaking of Sonic 3, I beat it earlier this year on my Wii U Wii Virtual Console. You can definitely tell Michael Jackson composed a lot of the music for that game. The sound and style is inescapable.
I already had 2 of these ( one for me and one for my sister) reserved at Gamestop. Review only confirmed what I could see from the trailers and announcements. I never owned the original incarnation of this system, so my sister and I will be thrilled.
@Wavey84 I can’t say I have much of an opinion about your comment and personal experience, both consoles offered pure gameplay experiences by some of the best game designers in japan. I think highly of developer Treasure in this regard. I bought Musha as a kid and it blew my socks off, I can’t think of an equally rocking vertical shmup on SNES. While the SNES had timeless RPG’s and a few co-processor tricks on specific cartridges, Genesis had a lot of very experimental gameplay mechanics across its library, carrying on with those pure gameplay hooks from the arcade. Stuff enthusiasts are still marveling at today. I hold the NES in much higher regard than the SNES. Aside from its RPGs it didn’t enthrall me like Genesis in its time.
@Ooccoo_Jr The MD collection for Switch is enough, its far cheaper than mini and U can play it anywhere without the tv. And all (major) games are included.
@Wawaw which f..ng lag ? Theres none, and i had MD as a child.
@premko1 But the collection for Switch has input lag and emulation issues while the Mega Drive Mini don't.
@nocdaes Actually, there is an alternative soundtrack that was created for the Windows version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Therefore, the soundtrack is not the reason why Sonic 3 & Knuckles hasn't been released on recent systems. On top of that it is currently available on Xbox One store via backwards compatibility and on Steam. Sonic & Knuckles was part of Xbox Game Pass too until recently. Only Sega knows what problems do they have with Sonic 3 & Knuckles. I'd like to know.
@BlueOcean imho there is no lag and the emulation is ok.
What I need to know is how much space is there to add in more games. Gotta have me some Thunderforce IV, Quackshot, The Chaos Engine, Corporation, Shadowrun etc...
I watched Rerez's review earlier and I agree with him that this is a less than stellar product that really isn't worth it if you have any system capable of playing the Genesis collection that was recently release on several systems. Just get the collection for Switch and pick up the RetroBit Sega controller.
@Cyberbotv2 Your profile pick is great. Have that game sitting on my shelf.
@BlueOcean I agree with premko1, I got the Sega Genesis Collection on Switch and didn't experience any lag during gameplay on any of the game. Even if there are it might had something to do with the kind of wireless controllers you use. Either that or Sega fix the lag, the collection did had an update not too long ago so maybe it got fix. It's at version 1.0.2 now. Also a lot of the bugs that are found on the collection were the same bugs found on the original Sega Genesis/Mega Drive so no big deal there. I had completed 20 of the 52 games on the collection and didn't encounter any so call game breaking bugs or lags.
@jhess826 No need to be a console nazi, man. Can’t we all just game along?
@Knuckles : I think it's a situation where if Michael Jackson was alive, we'd probably see the game back in circulation. Just a shame that we may never see it again in it's original format.
@Ooccoo_Jr
Don't get the genesis classic collection on switch, I have it, the emulation is terrible, it sounds off, and there is noticeable lag.
@koaeinferno : I just watched Moonwalker on blu ray the other day. Ah, the glory days...
Im excited to get this.
Worth it for Wily Wars alone 😀
@ThanosReXXX Thank you
@RupeeClock @Ooccoo_Jr It's been almost entirely solved. It's perfectly playable now. I've been playing a lot of the games in the collection to the end and everything is running much better now, including both Sonic games
@coxy100 It will get hacked in a couple of months, talking about what is and isn't on there is a waste of time.
@John_Deacon
Is that so, they fixed it in updates? I'll have to try it again.
@RupeeClock when i bought it and staret playing it, it was ridiculous and unplayable. I think only one or two of the games that I tested worked well, so I forgot it for quite some time. Then I decided to give it another chance and see if the lag was better due to any update and actually it was much better. Games like Sonic (and 2), Kid Chameleon, Revenge of Shinobi are now ok. Take a look at it
@timson72 You're welcome.
@Heavyarms55 The three extensive video reviews I posted in comment #90 definitely don't agree with Rerez's assessment, and in one of the videos, the mini is even tested against the Analogue NT version of the Megadrive/Genesis, and it definitely seems to be holding its own. I wasn't expecting any less anyway, seeing as M2 is responsible for the almost perfect emulation that it apparently displays.
On a side note: I think that it's a bit too soon for any of us to form any kind of definitive opinion or verdict on this, seeing as we haven't got the device in our hands yet, so we're only basing our "findings" upon other people's previews.
However, most of the more thorough ones are highly positive, so for now, I'll stay cautiously optimistic, especially seeing as I've already pre-ordered one...
@dumdum I'm interested in that ability to add ROMs, as well, and strictly from games I own, by the way. It is pretty much the difference between buy or no buy for me. I'd be happy to above-board-pay for them (for the 3rd or 4th time), but that is rarely an option.
Bah! The Genesis's library is excellent! Anywho, can't wait to find these in stores. I knooow what I'm getting meee for Christmas. 😍
Have pre-ordered mine ages ago and so happy the Genesis/Mega Drive Mini has been well received. I can never decide whether I prefer Mega Drive or SNES as they were both awesome consoles.
@John_Deacon
I booted it up, the latest update available was v1.02.
I tried Sonic the Hedgehog, but it still had very poor input latency compared to the SEGA AGES version. Didn't try anything else though, but I believe that all games would've been running on the same fundamental Mega Drive emulators.
I already bought the Genesis Collection for Switch...
But I could see myself getting one these too after Xmas.
Weird how some games seem to be exclusive to either product though...
Not sure why people still feel the need to argue Genesis vs SNES so many years later. Guess it's a testament to how awesome that console war was. SNES was the clear victor, especially when looking back at the total library, but Genesis had some amazing games that people may have missed. Their Contra and Castlevania versions were awesome.
I'm really looking forward to this! the reviews seem to be good for the mini console, so I'm happy.
@ThanosReXXX Digital Foundry are dropping theirs on Sunday.
@timson72 Ah, good to know, thanks. I'll be keeping an eye on that, although perhaps I won't have to, because I don't think that it would be too much of a stretch to expect that video to pop up right here on NLife.
In the mean time, here's another decent review, which also shows the inside of the device, in case that interests you:
@aaronsullivan I'm all but sure that it will be hackable, and according to the video that I posted above this comment, the memory chip inside is a 256 Megabyte flash module, and with 42 games on there, that should mean that, even with the included emulators and so on, you should at the very least be able to double the amount of games already on there.
However, a very good point is made in the second video that I posted in comment #90, where one of the guys that tested it makes clear that M2 fine-tuned the emulation of every game on there individually, so any and all games manually added in whatever emulator is on there, is guaranteed to not take any benefit from that, because it won't be receiving that same treatment.
Then again, if people aren't really looking for 100% perfect emulation, and just want to play their old favorites, then I suppose it'll do just fine.
@Atariboy Good on you bringing it up. Convenient everyone and the site are ganging up on atgames ignoring this solitary final release of their Sega systems, the only time they ever got it basically entirely correct. Going with Genesis GX Plus and including firmware updates on their site, and that first one adding their handheld tradition of loading any game ROM you want, that's huge. You here have a cheaper system that runs a large staple of games, plus takes real carts, plus takes ROMs through SD card support. And somehow that gets ignored and lumped into over 10 years worth of firecore turdboxes and Sega gets all the love for so called showing them up. ATGames did too much, too late, definitely not too little, and odds are unless the emulation is somehow better by M2(very doubtful) to make a difference Sega has the worse package as it's game limited. 2018 Genesis GX Plus ATGames console can do whatever Sega does in later 2019, and far more for less money. Sorry but I see no value in this box from Sega unless it gets hacked considering the other does it all and better out of the box.
I have a original Sega and a everdrive. Pop a SD card in it with all the roms and bam.
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