Back in June, when Sega revealed the Sega Genesis Mini / Mega Drive Mini and its library of games during a Famitsu live stream in Japan, it continued to surprise viewers by showing off additional non-functioning components for the device.
This included miniature-sized versions of the Sega CD / Mega CD, 32X add-on, a Sonic & Knuckles-style lock-on connecting cartridge and a normal cart. This entire package is better known as the Sega Mega Drive Tower Mini and it's currently exclusive to Japan.
Despite the limited release, Sega is now sending out the Genesis Tower Mini version to select media within the west, and our very own video producer Zion Grassl was lucky enough to receive one – so he's decided to an unboxing!
Sega of America senior communications manager Jacob Nahin also made the following comment over on Twitter:
Before anyone asks, these were *very* limited / a small run, and just sent to select folks. No announcements have been made about selling these in the west. We might figure out how to get a few of these into your hands though...
With any luck, Sega finds a way to make the Tower Mini available to fans in the west. Would you like to be able to recreate this almighty stack? Tell us below and be sure to check out the video above.
In the meantime, you could order the Japanese version...
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Comments 29
Having Sonic & Knuckles in that but not actually playable on the Mini how tonedeaf can Sega get?
Since we don't get this in the west, i don't feel so bad buying all those Genesis Multicarts from China. Just remember spend the extra $3 and get the battery save.
@SalvorHardin is this your first Sega experience or something?!
This is pretty pointless... ... ... I wonder when I’ll be able to preorder...
Looking on Ebay all the tower sets there have a japanese version of Sonic and say Mega CD on the player. so by the look of this set we may very well be getting a set here in the west. Question is Where do we order one from?
To hype things they say its limited run. Limited to only 1 billion pcs probably coz you don't make a whole molding for a limited run. A molding is made for mass production. I ll soon see this pop up in my local grocery store.
@Unblowupable5 does it mean fans cant be vocal about Sega somehow getting their act together and releasing one of their best two Sonic titles?
@SalvorHardin you'll be able to hack it shortly.
Does nobody notice the game loaded into the Sonic & Knuckles cart? .-. Even if this was a functional thing, IT DON'T WORK THAT WAY.
"Hey, beloved customers, look at all this stuff you can't have!"
...That's a pretty mean trick, Sega.
@SalvorHardin
Because Sega already probably knows we'll hack the Genesis Mini to play it. ;3
@ELRinley Sure it does. It's how you play the full Blue Sphere game.
This is neat but it's a right shame the device doesn't actually have any Sega CD games or 32X games. Many of those titles have never seen a re-release and are still tricky to emulate.
They forgot the Game Genie
Well at least they didn't forget about Sonic and Knuckles even if the game wasn't part of the Genesis Mini lineup.
Totally useless and silly. I need one now.
NOW SEGA. I needs it.... My precious.... (especially since I sold mine to get a CDX!)
I would buy it at a high price.
@SalvorHardin the megadrive mini is amazing, but this is absolutely the most weird decision of this whole mini.
@Jawessome Sure you can. Knock yourself out!
Obligatory reminder here that Sega haven't re-released S3 / &K due to them probably having issues licensing the music.
Sadly, the artwork on this faux-cartridge is likely to be the only official S3 media we're gonna get from Sega. For dedicated Sonic aficionados, I recommend checking out the very cool fan-made mod/hack S3 A.I.R.
@ELRinley
Sure it does, if you really like the blue spheres game.
Note: I don't know of I would pay $50.00 for a stack of plastic. Maybe $20 to $30...
@SalvorHardin this is true, but the rest of the tower is the same, there are no Sega CD or 32X games playable within the Genesis Mini either, yet they're part of the tower.
I'm not upset about this being limited. Those Genesis Mini Cartridges, however. It might be a good thing to have a World of Illusion Cart to go with my regular sized one, and my Mickey and Donald plushes.
Glad I held off on ordering the Japanese, this is sure to come west now. Hopefully it gets a UK release!
@mlj11 sure they have...
Sonic & Knuckles Collection (1997)
Sonic Jam (1997)
Sonic & Garfield Pack (1999)
Sonic Action Pack for PC (2000)
Sonic Action 4 Pack for PC (2001)
Twin Pack: Sonic CD and Sonic & Knuckles Collection (2002)
Sonic Mega Collection (2002)
Sega PC Mega Pack (2003)
Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2004)
Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (2005)
Xbox Live Arcade (2009)
Sega Fun Pack: Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Shadow the
Hedgehog (2009)
Sonic PC Collection (2009)
Sonic Classic Collection (2010)
Virtual Console (2010)
Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection Volume 3 (2010)
Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection Gold Edition (2011)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles for Steam (2011)
I'm not sure how all of a sudden this is suddenly a problem again 8 years later.
@Jawessome There is one release where they changed some of the game's music, and most people didn't like that. We can assume that's approximately when they didn't have the license anymore. Kinda underscores my point actually.
Seems a bit silly take make a small run when there is so much fan interest. We'll likely see this in time, just not at crazy eBay prices
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