Sega Reveals Genesis / Mega Drive Mini, Contains 40 Classic Games [Update]

Update: Another 10 Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Mini games have been revealed. We now know the console will launch with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Earthworm Jim, Caste of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, and World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Take a look at the full list of games revealed so far at the bottom of this article. Original story follows.

Sega has announced the Genesis Mini, also known as the Mega Drive Mini, if you're in Europe. The compact version of its classic 16-bit console will allow fans to indulge their nostalgia and play a range of old school games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Castlevania: Bloodlines, and Gunstar Heroes on modern displays.

The Genesis Mini was revealed as part of Sega's Fes event, which is taking place in Tokyo, Japan. It will include 40 games, and so far the company has revealed ten of them: 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, and Gunstar Heroes. More games will be slowly revealed "over the coming months."

The Genesis Mini will launch worldwide on September 19. It will cost $79.99 US/£69.99/€79.99/AUD$139.95, and some retailers have begun taking preorders.

The Sega Genesis Mini is based on the Model 1 Genesis, except is approximately 55 percent smaller than its original incarnation, according to Sega. In the box will be the Genesis Mini, two replica three-button USB controllers, one USB to Micro-B power cable, and one HDMI cable. In North America a power adapter will also be included.

The game ports that are on the Genesis Mini were handled by M2, a team that is well known for its work on emulation and re-releases. M2 previously worked on Sega Ages and Sega 3D Classics Collection.

Releasing Mini versions of classic consoles has become something of a trend recently. Nintendo led the way with the NES Classic and the SNES Classic, both of which were received well by critics and went on to be hot commercial items. Sony followed suite with the PlayStation Classic, which wasn't received as warmly.

For those looking for a more immediate option, and one that offers a few more options, there's Analogue's Mega Sg. "While roughly $200 is a lot to spend on a console to play Genesis games, right now, the Mega Sg is the easiest way to get them up and running on a modern TV without sacrificing audio or video quality--the support for Master System and Sega CD games is the icing on the cake," said Peter Brown in his Mega Sg review.

"Some people will always prefer to go the route of using emulators, and others may only want to play with original hardware and stick to aftermarket mods. But if you are open to the idea of a third-party Genesis console, and you want the peace of mind knowing that it looks and sounds better than the best original console from Sega, there's no better option on the market than the Mega Sg."

Sega Mega Drive Mini / Genesis Mini Games Lineup (So Far)

1. Sonic the Hedgehog
2. Ecco the Dolphin
3. Castlevania: Bloodlines
4. Space Harrier 2
5. Shining Force
6. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
7. ToeJam & Earl
8. Comix Zone
9. Altered Beast
10. Gunstar Heroes
11. Castle of Illusion
12. World of Illusion
13. Thunder Force III
14. Super Fantasy Zone
15. Shinobi III
16. Streets of Rage 2
17. Earthworm Jim
18. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
19. Contra: Hard Corps
20. Landstalker