I’ve really enjoyed the mini retro consoles that have come out recently. The Super Nintendo mini especially has gotten a lot of my time. But I didn’t grow up with a Super Nintendo, I was a Sega kid. There have been many re-releases of Genesis game systems over the years, many poorly made. But a new device, the Sega Genesis Mini, was jointly made by Sega and a company called M2, who are known for their great handling of retro game releases.
The attention to detail in the unit itself is fantastic. The device looks just like a smaller version of the original Genesis, with the exception of USB ports on the front for controllers, and an HDMI port on the back to hook to modern TVs. The system even has the removable door that, in the original, hooked the system up to the Sega CD. (A Sega CD add-on was made for the system, but it is, unfortunately, purely decorative.)
When you boot up the system, you’re given access to 42 games. The menu is backed by a song written by Yuzo Koshiro, one of the powerhouse composers for Sega. This new song is reminiscent of a bunch of Genesis tunes, while staying original and without directly referencing any of them.
The system has expected titles, like Sonic the Hedgehog and Streets of Rage 2, but also includes some deeper cuts like Phantasy Star IV and licensed titles like Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse or Castlevania: Bloodlines. It plays them all flawlessly.
I don’t doubt that this system will be less popular than the Nintendo mini systems-- Nintendo games seem to lend themselves more to nostalgia-- but Sega and M2 have made a product that really understands me and my need to play Sonic 2 for the ten-thousandth time.
