Tuesday 6 September 2022

Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 this October



The definitive mini console of 2019, the Sega Mega Drive Mini, has been completely revamped! Its improved hardware is tucked away in a new, compact design based on the Sega Mega Drive 2!

Sega fans (myself included) may have hoped for a Dreamcast Mini, but given the cost of living crisis, this is a smart move for the upcoming holiday season.

Sega has announced 60 titles including the following games:

Fantasy Zone
Golden Axe II
Night Trap
OutRun
Space Harrier II

The Sega Mega Drive (Genesis in the US due to a copyright issue and at the suggestion of Atari before a distribution deal fell through because Jack Tramiel wanted to focus on the Atari ST) ignited the 16-bit console wars and pushed incumbent Nintendo off the top spot with its futuristic looks and edgy marketing targeted at the cool kids.

As a college student, I remember flicking through the pages of Dark Horse Comics and eagerly awaiting the UK launch of the console in 1990. This would be my first new console since the Atari VCS, and the 8-bit computer era, dominated by the Commodore 64, was at an end. Near-perfect arcade ports of Sega titles, including Space Harrier and Golden Axe, were too irresistible.

Sega's 16-bit machine was a hot seller in the winter of 1990 and, as a Michael Jackson fan, I coveted, nay, obsessed over Moonwalker (Sega America had signed a deal with the pop star to develop a video game based on the movie of the same name). The console conversion did not disappoint and the music samples taken from Jackson's Bad album deserve special mention. The 'synth sound' lent itself to the medium perfectly.

I sold my Sega Mega Drive to a college classmate and switched to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992. So, I played the Mega-CD titles (including the infamous Night Trap, which ignited a moral panic in the conservative media) on their console.

The Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 is available to pre-order (affiliate link).

Whilst I failed to add the Sega Mega Drive Mini to my classic console collection in 2019, I've pre-ordered the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 available exclusively from Amazon this October.

Did you own a Sega Mega Drive/Genesis back in the day? What are your memories and will you be getting the new mini console? Let me know in the comments below.

4 comments:

  1. Although technically not a Mega Drive fan (I started with the C64 and never really moved on to consoles until the original PlayStation), you had me at OutRun ;)

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  2. Great article John! I think this might have to be a purchase as I own the original Megadrive mini and I really like that but the mega drive 2 mini looks better it's got a better choice of games from the Shoot-em ups, beat-em ups and some great classics like Ecco Super Hang On, and Virtual Racing (Personal Favourite) and great to see some Mega Cd titles as well. I think it's a purchase for me when it's released.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! Fond memories of playing Sega Mega Drive titles with you during video game nights.

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