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If you've been following the growth of "clone" consoles over the past decade or so then the name AtGames will instantly ring a bell. This company has been producing licensed hardware clones for years, and has periodically updated its Sega Genesis / Mega Drive line with new features and games, but what it has planned for 2017 is very interesting indeed.

According to Sega Nerds, AtGames will launch a new Genesis system in September. Modelled on the original MK1 Genesis system, it will feature 85 pre-installed games, a pair of 2.4Ghz wireless controllers, a cartridge slot for original software, 720p output over HDMI and the ability to suspend your game at any point and resume later on. The price is expected to be around 79.99 Euros (£67 / $87).

AtGames doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to this kind of venture; its previous Genesis / Mega Drive clones have suffered from terrible audio emulation and sketchy performance, but perhaps this new model is a sign that the firm has turned a corner. There's clearly a lot of demand for this type of hardware - last year, the existing AtGames Mega Drive saw a sales jump 400 percent in the run-up to Christmas in the UK, and the global success of the NES Classic Mini won't have gone unnoticed. 

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In terms of pre-loaded software, AtGames is promising a real bounty of Sega classics, including the entire Sonic, Phantasy Star and Mortal Kombat franchises - well, all the ones released on the console, anyway.

Here's the list of original Genesis / Mega Drive games which will be included:

  • Mortal Kombat I, II, III
  • Virtua Fighter 2
  • Altered Beast
  • Golden Axe
  • Phantasy Star IV
  • Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
  • Sonic & Knuckles
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
  • Alien Storm
  • Arrow Flash
  • Bonanza Bros.
  • Chakan: The Forever Man
  • Columns
  • Columns III
  • ComixZone
  • Crack Down
  • DecapAttack
  • Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
  • ESWAT: City Under Siege
  • Eternal Champions
  • Fatal Labyrinth
  • Flicky
  • Gain Ground
  • Golden Axe II
  • Golden Axe III
  • Jewel Master
  • Kid Chameleon
  • Phantasy Star II
  • Phantasy Star III
  • Ristar
  • Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
  • Sonic Spinball
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Sonic 3D Blast
  • Sword of Vermilion
  • The Ooze
  • Vectorman
  • Vectorman 2
  • Virtua Fighter 2
  • Shining Force: the Legacy of Great Intention
  • Shining Force II: the Ancient Seal
  • Shining in the Darkness
  • Super Thunder Blade

As well as these titles, there's also a selection of (mostly terrible) non-Sega titles pre-loaded as well. We'll spare you the details of those.

If rumours are true that Nintendo is set to release a SNES Classic Mini later this year, then a Genesis equivalent would almost certainly benefit from the hype; shopkeepers could offer the Sega clone to those disappointed by the inevitable SNES Classic sell-outs. It would be like the 16-bit console war all over again!

Will you be investing in this, or have you had a bad experience with a previous AtGames system? As ever, we'd love to know so be sure to post a comment.

[source seganerds.com]