Sega announces Mega Drive Mini, loaded with 40 games

ISKMogul Gaming

5 years ago

The system was first announced in 2018 at Sega’s Fes event. Since then, gamers have been waiting anxiously for more details about the Mega Drive/Genesis mini console, and now that wait is over. Sega has finally revealed more details about the product, including the launch date and the first 10 games that will be included.

The console will launch worldwide on 19th September. It will be priced at 6,980 yen or 8,980 yen in Japan if you want two of the USB-based controllers. There’s a total of 40 games confirmed for the release, with 10 confirmed and announced.

In North America, the Genesis will be sold for $79.99 and in Europe the Mega Drive equivalent will cost €69.99 or €79.99 if you want two controllers. The NA versions will start off with the following games:

Altered Beast
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Comix Zone
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Ecco the Dolphin
Gunstar Heroes
Shining Force
Sonic The Hedgehog
Space Harrier II
ToeJam & Earl

The version of miniature console for Japan will have it’s own game list of 10 starter titles as well, here’s that list:

Sonic the Hedgehog
Ecco the Dolphin
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Space Harrier 2
Shining Force
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
ToeJam & Earl
Comix Zone
Altered Beast
Gunstar Heroes

In terms of features, both versions will support HDMI output, with controllers modeled after the original 3-button pad included for the sticker price. Each game will also have support for multiple save states, up to four for each game, allowing for quick saving and loading.

In a separate presentation at Sega Fes, Sega also revealed a bit of detail about the behind-the-scenes work on the console. Sega composer Yuzo Koshiro worked on the menu music for the emulator, while the team at M2, the same developers behind Sega Ages, developed the actual software that the mini console uses.

There’s also some suspicion that all the versions of the product will include multiple copies of some games, localized to different regions. For example, the Mega Drive Mini in Japan will include the U.S., European, and Japanese versions of Castlevania: Bloodlines. No confirmation yet though if this support would be echoed in the international versions of the Mega Drive/Genesis.

If you want to see more of the console and its games in action, check out some trailers for it down below.