It is nearing three years now
since Nintendo stunned the gaming world and sent gamers on a nostalgia trip
when they introduced the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Classic Edition, and
somehow the community has not yet sated in their taste for retro game consoles
in small emulation hardware packages with present-day audio-visual options.
Other game companies followed suit with a Sony PlayStation Classic and SNK Neo
Geo Mini, while Nintendo followed up with an SNES Classic Edition. Old-time
game fans originally wondered why Sega had not joined in the bandwagon, only
for word of the Sega Genesis Mini to be revealed in 2018. Now, its release date
has been revealed.
Rappler reports that the Sega Genesis Mini, a retro console
celebrating the most iconic gaming device ever developed by Sega, which was the
main rival for Nintendo from 1989 to 1997 before the rise of Sony and
Microsoft. As the name implies, the device looks like a miniaturized Genesis
console (called Mega Drive in Japan) that plays 42 pre-installed games in
emulated 16-bit graphics via HDMI cable. Other updated features are USB
controllers and power cable with AC adapter. The system costs about $79.99 and
will be released next month.
In comparison, early reviewers
opine that the Sega Genesis Mini offers an experience closer to the Nintendo
retro consoles than the Sony PlayStation Classic, which is considered a subpar attempt
at retro gaming goodness. But even here Sega has gotten a few hits over its old
rival. Where the NES Classic needed to press the Reset button on the console to
return to its game library, the Genesis Mini can access its library by pressing
and holding a controller’s Start button for a few seconds. Granted, the visual
representation of the game titles is believed lesser compared to Nintendo’s,
but the Sega menu has a retro/new BGM courtesy of legendary game music composer
Yuzo Koshiro.
Also notable is the ability to
change the “region” of the Sega Genesis Mini to alter the gaming presentation.
The regions are the major markets that the console was originally designed for:
Japan, the US, and Europe. Of course, 42 games definitely mean more play
options than the NES Classic’s 21. Also, depending on the region some of the
titles might change in style. An example is the Konami game “Contra: Hard Corps”
where the original Japanese had the player characters having life-bars while
the US version kept to the original games’ one-hit kill mechanic.
Sega had originally licensed
third-party developers to develop dedicated console platforms carrying their classic
Genesis games. This time however, Sega decided to take the nostalgia and mold it
with its own hands, resulting in this sweet Genesis Mini retro device. Sega
fans will soon be able to get their hands on another brand of gaming history
when the Genesis Mini releases this coming September 19.
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