Nintendo launched the business (and also the fashion) of mini-consoles five years ago and since then several manufacturers have followed the example of the big N in order not to miss this great opportunity. And so over the years came mini versions of the NES, SNES, C64, PS1, Amiga 500, Mega Drive and PC-Engine. When it was thought that the wave was almost exhausted if not for a possible revival of the 32, 64 or 128-bit consoles, SEGA surprised everyone by announcing the Mega Drive Mini 2.
It is a somewhat bizarre product in the concept, given that it is in fact a re-proposition of the Mega Drive II, a revised (not necessarily improved) hardware version of the 16-bit console from SEGA, which however has as its selling point the presence in the library of several Mega CD games. For the uninitiated, the Mega CD was an add-on to the Mega Drive that added the ability to play games on Compact Discs and some additional processing power.
This allowed game makers to offer larger maps and more complex level designs, more elaborate, high-fidelity sampled soundtracks, and FMV footage. However, the add-on had limited success due to its high cost: in fact, those who did not already own a Mega Drive would have had to spend a large amount to buy the two devices and access the Mega CD titles, which only worked with the combo. In addition, to sabotage the entire operation, SEGA itself has taken its hand by launching the 32X, another add-on for Mega Drive which, instead of expanding towards audio-video fidelity, guaranteed the power of 32-bit (at least on paper). , with the possibility of creating a sort of “monster” in the style of a robot from the 80s by combining the three consoles.
Inevitably, the user has fragmented and several pearls of software have gone quite unnoticed. The tombstone to this parenthesis was the same SEGA, then launching a new 32-bit console (all within 2-3 years!), The Saturn, in order not to lose the war with Sony’s debutante PlayStation. We all know how it ended but today we look back with nostalgia to that past because few have had the opportunity to play those titles. SEGA knows this and hinges precisely on this nostalgia factor in its proposal for the Mega Drive Mini 2.
This time the console is sold in a much smaller edition than the first model and distributed exclusively by Amazon. According to the retailer, the unit ratio compared to the first Mega Drive Mini is 1: 10. It follows that it is a niche product dedicated more to true hardcore fans, and the price confirms the positioning: it takes € 109 to take home the new mini-console, or about € 30 compared to the first edition. The price increases, along with the library of titles, but the contents of the package decrease.
Mini in name and in fact, therefore. The new console is about half smaller than the first model, especially in width. The packaging is really tiny in the shape of a cube and the packaging in this round is really sparse. We find only one controller instead of two (although now it is finally the 6-key one) the HDMI cable and a USB cable for power supply. The instruction manual is missing, which instead was in the model three years ago.
The console is made of plastic and faithfully reproduces the shapes and lines of the original: we have power and reset buttons (the latter acts as a save state function), a cartridge slot that is not functional but allows the insertion of facsimile cartridges for those who want a scenic effect, the expansion slot with cover reproduced (but without port) and on the back the HDMI output (up to 720p) and the USB power port. However, SEGA got lost in chatter by omitting the console power LED, present instead in the Jap version.
At least the list of games has grown and is full-bodied and thick, and also well-assorted. We have 60 titles of which 7 are for Mega CD. As often happens with mini consoles, we have differences in the game list of the various PAL, NTSC / JAP models, which will inevitably force collectors to recover all three editions (hard to think it is not a commercial operation studied at the table .. .).
The good news is that changing the language in the menu will change not only the covers and titles based on the region, but also the version of the game itself. For example, Ristar has differences in both the logo and the sprites, with the western version having the protagonist with the meanest expression and the Japanese one more smiling, while in Bare Knuckle 3 (Jap version of Streets of Rage 3) playing the version oriental is a completely new experience: it gives you access to the best version available with all its audiovisual, gameplay and content differences (and there are so many).
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Another nice touch is the ability to select the audio from the Mega Drive or the Mega Drive II. As retrogame fans will know, the Mega Drive II made substantial changes to the sound card. In particular, the FM YM2612 processor has been replaced with an FM YM3438 (integrated in the FC1004 ASIC), while the Zilog Z80 has been incorporated into other integrated processors and changes the internal sound reinforcement system. All these changes result in a different sound: not better or worse, just different. And from this point of view it’s nice to have the chance to appreciate the sonic differences in each title.
As for the list of titles, we have 60 games against 42 of the first model, so almost 50% more. There is a selection of great classics and platform hits such as After Burner 2, Alien Solder, Desert Strike, Golden Ax II, Sonic CD, Outrun and Outrnners, Truxton and Super Street Figher II (this time playable as it should be thanks to the pad 6-key). All genres are quite covered, but by analyzing the games list and comparing it with that of the first, a complementary rather than integrative list appears.
There are in fact a lot of sequels but the prequels we find them only on the old version. In practice, a true fan will have to own both versions. Too bad that SEGA has not thought of integrating rather than diversifying, also because the Mega Drive 1 is now out of production and recovering it from private online sellers is often a drain. Looking at the list of games in the Jap version, moreover, we can only feel envious of the inclusion of Thunder Force IV (considered one of the best horizontal shooters ever) and of Lunar and its sequel.
However, there are a lot of gems between games that have made the most of the 16-bit console such as Ranger X (a side scrolling run & gun considered among the best technically on the platform) and titles reworked by the skilled hands of M2 with real and own ports redone from the respective arcade versions. For example, Space Harrier II finally solves the sprite scrolling problems that were present in the MD cartridge version, and now appears more similar to the cabinet version.
Then there are also some bizarre choices, such as Puyo Puyo Sun. This is the third title in the timeline of the famous tetris-style puzzle series, and a port from Saturn. Porting that seems to have been done hastily and since the development times were not compatible with those of the Mini 2 release, it was decided to impair the game by inserting only the two-player mode. Too bad, however, that only one pad has been inserted into the console. In short, absurd choices that seem like the children of a hasty publication, perhaps to take advantage of Black Friday and Christmas gifts.
Also this time the emulation software is taken care of by M2, an internal team renowned and acclaimed for the excellent conversions of SEGA titles of old consoles, such as those of the SEGA Ages and SEGA 3D Classics Collection series. M2 has done an even better job on this lap: now there isn’t a game that doesn’t have perfect gameplay and everything runs smoothly, without bugs or smudges, thanks also to the upgraded hardware. The output is (unfortunately) once again at 720p, so if you have a 4K TV the scaling will be a bit brutal, better play on 1080p screens then. We find in the menu the usual graphic filters, aspect ratio selection and the customization possibilities that we have appreciated in the other mini consoles.
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Summing up, the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 is a well-made product and a perfect complement to the Mega Drive 1: it does not want to replace it but offer a plus thanks and above all to the inclusion of Mega CD games. At this point one wonders why we did not want to call Mega CD Mini also mimicking its design. It would have been a consistent choice as the Mega CD was an add-on and therefore the complete system read both formats, and we are sure it would have had a lot more appeal among fans. The emulation this time is perfect and the burrs of the Mega Drive Mini disappear, but we are not there with the price.
While other peers such as The64, TheA500 Mini and PC Engine Mini are on the same price range, SEGA should have at least included two gamepads and a little more fan love. There are no paper manuals and digital ones are only available on the console’s official website. Too bad that the console has no network card and it is not possible to consult them directly from the menu. In short, it could have been the perfect 16-bit SEGA mini console, but strange hasty choices prevent it from assuming that status.
If you are a true retrogaming enthusiast and lover, however, we are sure that you will pass over these smudges and take it home before stocks run out. Also because this time the edition is more limited and it is clear that it is a product more oriented towards collectors than the casual and nostalgic of the 90s.
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