Sega Genesis Mini - Genesis

Nice job all around by Sega. This is a well-designed and well thought out little device with a lot of fun packed inside. I see a few ludicrous reviews on here, where people forgot to take their pills or whatever and resort to saying this device "SUCKS" or is "GARBAGE". Nothing could be further from the truth, and some people need to grow up.It was actually my cousin who was one of those "Sega kids", but I still got to play the Genesis some back in the day and have fond memories of Sonic, Road Rash and several other great games. Hardware-wise the original Genesis was somewhat more generic in internal design than the SNES and had some real limitations if you know what to look for. But it was still a fertile platform for fun and classic game play. In bringing this classic mini console to market Sega has seemingly followed Nintendo's lead in hardware design, having nearly identical internal specs and including power over micro USB, which will presumably be a vector for hacking this thing. That's a good thing! Then Sega upped the ante and doubled the number of included games compared to Nintendo mini consoles, including alternate international versions of the ROMs that you can access just by changing the language settings. However this probably means there is less internal storage available for any future hacking of the device, but perhaps they will get USB support working.Overall the game selection is pretty good with a small handful of weaker entries and a few glaring omissions. For example, although they were able to include two Disney-licensed Mickey Mouse games, the second-highest selling Genesis game of all time, Disney's Aladdin, is nowhere to be found. One would think it would have even made a great initial tie in with Disney promoting their recent re-hash of the film. Who knows, perhaps Sega tried. But still you won't lack for fun and entertaining game play here.The two included 3-button controllers seem nice and solid, very much like the originals. But I haven't used them. As a one-up on Nintendo this console did at least implement a way to get to the system menu using the controller by doing a long-press on the Start button. But an even better experience is with the officially licensed Retro-bit 6-button Sega game controllers. These give you the full 6 buttons you need for a couple of games, plus the Mode button on these gives you instantaneous access to the system/save menu from within games. Also the Retro-bit controllers have like a 12-14' long cable I think, so that is an improvement over the just okay 6' length of the included 3-button controllers. Well worth the modest additional cost.The user interface is simple but attractive, and has a funky new Sega-style synthesized music track. This will loop a few times and then the console will start going through demo mode of all 42 games. It's almost fun to just leave it on and watch it cycle through demos. The save state feature is basically equivalent to that provided by the Nintendo mini consoles, offering 4 save slots per game, but the implementation is not quite as polished. I believe you have to start the game before you can access the save states, rather than jumping directly into a saved state. Also the Nintendo consoles will add a little "time played" indicator to each save state, to give you even some idea besides the mini screenshot of where the save state is within the game, you know when you return to it weeks or months later. And I don't really see a way to manage save states, delete them, etc. Maybe I just missed it.Finally the emulation is done by M2, who are behind the emulation in virtual console and other ports of these classic games. Only one or two unofficial emulators come close to the same quality, so it's not really going to get any better than that. I find reports of lag curious. I can't detect any at all. Any form of emulation, including the Nintendo mini consoles, will have some minuscule amount however. At worst your TV may need some adjustment, but usually even that is not necessary. The games look, play, feel and sound right.Anyway, great job and congrats to Sega! This is a great item. As a bonafide Nintendo kid I'm happy to own this, and I hope Sega sells millions of them.

The Mini is unapologetically awesome, and bless Sega for doing this one right. At long last, Sega is rediscovering its groove and reigniting the 90s, which was arguably their decade more than anyone else's, including Nintendo.This reissue is confidently executed, competently crafted, and features 42 of the greatest, most diverse, and even surprising titles ever to grace the Genesis, including some unexpected cult classics like Toe Jam & Earl.Rather than focusing on the software which is proven and a real showstopper in the emulation department due to Sega's personal attention to the Mini, I'll focus instead on the hardware and packaging.Presentation-wise, Sega knocked it out of the park and through the windshield of an unexpecting passerby. The box screams 1991 nearly as loudly as its iconic ads screamed, "Sega!" with a perfect miniature replica of the Sonic Box as it was known nearly 30 years ago. I love this box.The system itself is just as convincing and features moving cartridge port dust cover flaps, or whatever they were called. Even the volume slider is there, and it slides with conviction and quality. I may spend just as much time admiring the proportions and attentiveness to detail as I will playing the thing. Maybe.The Genesis Mini rocks. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the previously unreleased games and blast the familiar and sorely-missed FM synth, courtesy of a proprietary Yamaha chip that has never been replicated. I think this chip should be celebrated for driving some of coolest sounds and tunes ever to grace a console.I applaud Sega for sticking to their guns with the 3-button controller, especially since we can get a first-party 6 button with ease for around $20. I recommend doing so for several of the games, but for 90% of the catalog you won't need it. While many complain it should have been included in lieu of the 3-button, I'd argue the true retro flavor would have been diminished significantly, as the Genesis was born into the world with just three buttons. It was only later in the 90s due to the popularity of games like Street Fighter 2 that Sega's wonderful 6-button controller earned a spot in Genesis lore, and like the Genesis Mini itself, it was worth every penny.