#SEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console

[postgamecontent]

Spatter (MD Mini 2)

I'm starting to think there are about as many great forgotten arcade games as there are those that are remembered. The phrase 'hidden gem' is overused to the point of parody in retro gaming circles, but I promise that arcade history is full of them. Thanks to the inclusion of this M2 port on the Mega Drive Mini 2, Spatter is almost certainly less obscure than it used to be. Still, not a game likely to come up in most conversations about SEGA's arcade output.

This is a maze game where you play as a little fellow on a tricycle. Your goal on each stage is to collect all the flowers strewn about. You're being pursued by a variety of enemies, the most common of which are buggy-riding creatures. You have a single means of defense against them, beyond staying out of their way. The interesting thing is that this single means can be applied in a few different ways.

So long as you have a guard rail on one side of you, you can jump into it. This will get you around anything directly ahead of you safely, which is helpful. Jumping into the rail will make it bounce out on the other side, and if that hits any enemies it will defeat them. If there is a box on the other side, it will launch that box, which will in turn defeat any enemies it hits. You can also push those boxes around and break them, collecting the score items inside. At certain intervals between stages, you'll play a bonus round that involves some platforming. All up, there are a lot of ways to score points once you learn the mechanics.

Spatter is a lot of fun, presenting an enjoyable twist on the well-trodden maze game concept. I'm happy M2 saw fit to port this relatively unknown title to the Mega Drive, and that SEGA opted to include it in the Mega Drive Mini 2. Along with another title we'll be looking at in a couple of days, this gives us a view of SEGA's earlier years as a game producer. An excellent choice for a bonus game on this mini console.

[alternativecontrollervc]

More Retro

The Menacer

The Menacer is a light gun designed for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis gaming console. It was released in the early 1990s and was Sega's response to the success of Nintendo's Super Scope for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Menacer features a futuristic, white and black design and is held like a rifle. It requires players to aim at the screen to interact with on-screen targets.

Games for the Menacer:

Menacer 6-Game Cartridge:

This compilation cartridge included six mini-games designed specifically for use with the Menacer. The games varied in genres, including shooting galleries, target practice, and sports-themed challenges. It showcased the versatility of the Menacer peripheral and provided a range of interactive experiences.

Body Count:

Body Count is a light gun shooter game designed for use with the Menacer. Players take on the role of a futuristic soldier battling enemies in a variety of environments. The game features fast-paced action and requires players to aim and shoot at adversaries using the Menacer's light gun functionality.

The Zapper

The Zapper is a light gun peripheral designed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was initially released in 1985 and came bundled with the NES Action Set. The Zapper is used by pointing it at the screen and pulling the trigger to interact with on-screen targets. The technology behind it involves detecting light changes on the television screen to determine where the player is aiming.

Games for The Zapper

Duck Hunt:

Duck Hunt is one of the most iconic games that used The Zapper. Players take on the role of a hunter accompanied by a dog. The objective is to shoot ducks that fly across the screen. The Zapper is used to aim and shoot at the ducks, and the game also features a bonus round where players can shoot clay pigeons.

Hogan's Alley:

Hogan's Alley is a shooting gallery-style game that utilizes The Zapper. Players take on the role of a police marksman and must shoot various targets, including gangsters, while avoiding innocent bystanders. The game features different modes, each presenting distinct challenges for players to improve their shooting skills.

The Power Glove

The Power Glove is a controller accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) released in 1989. It was developed by Mattel and designed to be worn on the player's hand like a glove. The Power Glove aimed to provide a unique and immersive gaming experience by detecting hand and finger movements for controlling games.

Games for The Power Glove

Super Glove Ball:

Super Glove Ball was specifically created for use with the Power Glove. In the game, players manipulate a glove-shaped cursor to bounce a ball through various mazes and obstacles. The Power Glove's motion-sensing technology was intended to provide a unique way to control the ball's movement.

Bad Street Brawler:

Description: Bad Street Brawler is a beat 'em up game that was compatible with the Power Glove. While the Power Glove was not the primary controller for this game, it had a mode where players could use the Power Glove for specific actions, such as punching and jumping.

[internetglitchstuff]

{"itemId":352814087030,"title":"SEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console","endsAt":"2019-12-04T15:48:36.000Z","imageUrl":"https://t.co/eN0poCHlCW} Item Feed for ebay partner networkSEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console https://t.co/A9XEcg4ue2 http://twitter.com/AmazonBay4u/status/1197426472950128640 November 21, 2019 at 08:08AM

{"itemId":352814087030,"title":"SEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console","endsAt":"2019-12-04T15:48:36.000Z","imageUrl":"https://t.co/eN0poCHlCW} Item Feed for ebay partner networkSEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console pic.twitter.com/A9XEcg4ue2

— AmazonBay4u (@AmazonBay4u) November 21, 2019

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #482

Top Ten Sega Games

So I read somewhere on the internet that in June it’s the thirtieth birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog (making him only a couple of months younger than my brother, which is weird). This is due to his debut game, the appropriately-titled Sonic the Hedgehog, being first released on June 23rd. As such – and because I do love a good Tenuous Link – I’ve decided to dedicate this week’s list to Sega (also there was that Sonic livestream and announcement of new games, so I remain shockingly relevant).

I’ve got a funny relationship with Sega, largely because I’ve got a funny relationship with last century’s consoles in general. As I’ve said before, I never had a console growing up, and never really felt the need for one; I came from a computing background, playing on other people’s Spectrums and Commodores before getting my own Amiga and, later, a PC. And I stuck with it, and that was fine. But it does mean that, generally speaking, I have next to zero nostalgia for any game that came out on a Nintendo or Sega console (or Sony, for that matter). I could chew your ear off about Dizzy, or point-and-click adventure games, or Team 17, or Sensible Software, or RTS games, or FPS games, or whatever; but all these weird-looking Japanese platform games, or strange, unfamiliar RPGs? No idea. In fact, I remember learning what “Metroidvania” meant about five years ago, and literally saying out loud, “oh, so it’s like Flashback, then,” because I’d never played a (2D) Metroid or Castlevania game. Turns out they meant games that were, using the old Amiga Action terminology, “Arcade Adventures”. Now it makes sense.

Despite all this, I did actually play a fair few Sega games, as my cousins had a Mega Drive. So I’d get to have a bash at a fair few of them after school or whatever. This meant that, for a while, I was actually more of a Sega fan than a Nintendo one, a situation that’s broadly flipped since Sega stopped making hardware and Nintendo continued its gaming dominance. What all of this means, when strung together, is that I have a good deal of affection for some of the classics of Sega’s 16-bit heyday, but I don’t have the breadth or depth of knowledge you’d see from someone who, well, actually owned a console before the original Xbox. Yeah, sure, there are lots of games I liked back then; and probably quite a few that I still have warm nostalgic feelings for, even if they’re maybe not actually very good (Altered Beast, for instance, which I’m reliably informed was – to coin a very early-nineties phrase – “pants”, despite my being fond of it at the time). Therefore this list is probably going to be quite eccentric when compared to other “Best of Sega” lists. Especially because in the last couple of decades Sega has become a publisher for a number of development studios all around the world, giving support and distribution to the makers of diverse (and historically non-console) franchises as Total War and Football Manager. These might not be the fast-moving blue sky games one associates with Sega, but as far as I’m concerned they’re a vital part of the company’s history as it moved away from its hardware failures (and the increasingly lacklustre Sonic franchise) and into new waters. And just as important, of course, are their arcade releases, back in the days when people actually went to arcades (you know, I have multi-format games magazines at my parents’ house that are so old they actually review arcade games. Yes, I know!).

So, happy birthday, Sonic, you big blue bugger, you. Sorry your company pooed itself on the home console front. Sorry a lot of your games over the past twenty years have been a bit disappointing. But in a funny way you helped define the nineties, something that I personally don’t feel Mario quite did. And your film is better than his, too.

Crazy Taxi (Arcade, 1999): a simple concept – drive customers to their destination in the time limit – combined with a beautiful, sunny, blue skied rendition of San Francisco, giving you a gorgeous cityscape (back when driving round an open city was a new thrill), filled with hills to bounce over and traffic to dodge. A real looker twenty years ago, but its stylised, simple graphics haven’t really dated, feeling fittingly retro rather than old-fashioned or clunky. One of those games that’s fiendishly difficult to master, but its central hook is so compelling you keep coming back for more.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive, 1992): games have rarely felt faster, and even if the original Sonic’s opening stages are more iconic, overall I prefer the sequel. Sonic himself was one of those very-nineties characters who focused on a gentle, child-friendly form of “attitude”, and it bursts off the screen, his frown and impatient foot-tapping really selling it. the gameplay is sublime, the graphics still really pop, and the more complex stages contrast nicely with the pastoral opening. Plus it gave us Tails, the game industry’s own Jar Jar Binks, who I’ll always love because my cousin made me play as him all the time.

Medieval II: Total War (PC, 2006): I’ll be honest with you, this game is really the number one, I just feel weird listing “Best Sega Games” and then putting a fifteen-year-old PC strategy game at the top of the pile. But what can I say? I like turn-based PC strategy games, especially ones that let you go deep on genealogy and inter-familial relationships in medieval Europe. everyone knows the real-time 3D battles are cool – they made a whole TV show about them – but for me it’s the slow conquering of Europe that’s the highlight. Marrying off princesses, assassinating rivals, even going on ethically-dubious religious crusades… I just love it. I’ve not played many of the subsequent games in the franchise, but to be honest I like this setting so much I really just want them to make a third Medieval game.

Sega Rally Championship (Arcade, 1994): what, four games in and we’re back to racing? Well, Sega make good racing games I guess. And Sega Rally is just a really good racing game. Another one of those that was a graphical marvel on its release, it has a loose and freewheeling sense of fun and accessibility. Plus it was one of those games that revelled in its open blue skies, from an era when racing games in the arcades loved to dazzle you with spectacle – like when a helicopter swoops low over the tracks. I had a demo of this on PC, too, and I used to race that one course over and over again.

After Burner (Arcade, 1987): there are a lot of arcade games in this list, but when they’re as cool as After Burner, what can you do? This was a technological masterpiece back in the day: a huge cockpit that enveloped you as you sat in the pilot’s seat, joystick in hand. The whole rig moved as you flew the plane, and the graphics (gorgeous for their time) wowed you with their speed and the way the horizon shifted. I was, of course, utterly crap at it, and I seem to remember it was more expensive than most games, so my dad hated me going on it. But it was the kind of thrilling experience that seems harder to replicate nowadays.

Virtua Cop (Arcade, 1994): I used to love lightgun games in the nineties. This despite being utterly, ridiculously crap at them. I can’t aim; ask anyone. But they felt really cool and futuristic, and also you could wave a big gun around like you were RoboCop or something. Virtua Cop added to the fun with its cool 3D graphics. Whilst I’d argue Time Crisis was better, with a little paddle that let you take cover, Cop again leveraged those bright Sega colours to give us a beautiful primary-coloured depiction of excessive ultra-violence and mass death.

Two Point Hospital (PC, 2018): back once again to the point-and-clickers, with another PC game only nominally Sega. But I can’t ignore it. Taking what was best about Theme Hospital and updating it for the 21st Century, TPH is a darkly funny but enjoyably deep management sim, with cute chunky graphics and an easy-to-use interface (Daughter #1 is very fond of it). The console adaptations are good, too. I’d love to see where Two Point go next. Maybe to a theme park…?

Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox, 2002): I never had a Dreamcast. But I remember seeing the original Jet Set Radio – maybe on TV, maybe running on a demo pod in Toys ‘R’ Us or something – and being blown away. It was the first time I’d ever seen cel shading, and it was a revelation; just a beautiful technique that I didn’t think was possible, that made the game look like a living cartoon. Finally being able to play the sequel on my new Xbox was terrific, because the gameplay was excellent too: a fast-paced game of chaining together jumps and glides, in a city that was popping with colour and bursting with energy. Felt like playing a game made entirely of Skittles and Red Bull.

The Typing of the Dead (PC, 2000): The House of the Dead games were descendants of Virtua Cop’s lightgun blasting, but with zombies. Yeah, cool; I liked playing them at the arcades down at Teesside Park, in the Hollywood Bowl or the Showcase cinema. But playing this PC adaptation of the quirky typing-based spin-off was something else. A game where you defeat zombies by correctly typing “cow” or “bottle” or whatever as quickly as possible? A game that was simultaneously an educational typing instructor and also a zombie murder simulator? The fact that the characters are wearing Ghostbusters-style backpacks made of Dreamcast consoles and keyboards is just a seriously crazy detail, and the way the typing was integrated into the gameplay – harder enemies had longer words, for instance – was very well done. A bonkers mini-masterpiece.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch, 2019): the very fact that erstwhile cultural enemies Mario and Sonic would ever share a game at all is the stuff of addled mid-nineties fever dreams; like Downey’s Tony Stark sharing the screen with Bale’s Batman (or Affleck’s Batman, who the hell cares at this point). The main thing is, it’s still crazy to think about it, even if it’s just entirely ordinary for my kids, sitting their unaware of the Great Console Wars of the 1990s. Anyway, divorced of all that pan-universal gladhanding, the games are good fun, adapting the various Olympic sports with charm, making them easy-to-understand party games, often with motion control for the benefit of the youngs and the olds. I don’t remember playing earlier games extensively, but the soft-RPG trappings of the latest iteration are enjoyable, especially the retro-themed events and graphics. Earns a spot in my Top Ten for its historic nature, but it’s also thoroughly enjoyable in its own right.

Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if all those crazy internet rumours were actually true, and Microsoft did announce it was buying Sega this E3? This really would feel like a very timely and in some ways prescient list.

[askroahmmythril]

Smash Universe Experience

So I’ve been in a bit of a bad mental state the last few days, lots of personal stress and such, the tropics won’t shut up, various current year events, etc.  So trying to distract self with various things, and figured I’d try figuring out what my personal history is with the various Smash Bros. franchises.  Note, we’re only counting actual fighters here, not Mii Costume inclusions.  Distraction tactics go! :

Super Mario : I’ve played a lot of Mario games definitely.  I think I missed some of the “New” SMB games, like I never played the one on DS where there were things like the Gold Flower and it was all about getting as many coins as possible.  Also some side games, like I... at least don’t THINK I’ve played any of the “sports” type games like the golf, tennis, baseball, or soccer ones.  Also never really got into the Paper Mario series, only played Super Paper Mario and never finished it.  Also Superstar Saga is the only one of the “Mario & Luigi” RPGs I ever played.  Want to say there are a few Party games I skipped as well.  If we count Luigi’s Mansion under the Mario blanket, I haven’t played 2 (but have a copy) or 3 (want to get a copy).  Still, fairly solid Mario experience under my belt.

Donkey Kong : There are a number of DK games I have played, but probably more that I missed.  I played the original, DK Jr., pretty sure I’ve at least played DK3 on things like Virtual Console or such?  As far as the Country games, I’ve... only really played the first two and part of the third.  I tried DKC3 while I was at Full Sail, but could just never really get into it.  I did play the GBC Donkey Kong game, that one’s good...  I want to try the DKCR games, I’ve heard good things.  Definitely would like to at least get the Switch port of Tropical Freeze and give that a go.

Legend of Zelda : As far as officially sanctioned and remembered Zelda games (we don’t talk about the CDi games, which I never had that system so never played them anyway), I want to say the only mainline Zelda game I never played was Skyward Sword.  I never had a Wii Motion Plus, so couldn’t play that one.  Keep hoping we get a port on Switch so I can try it.  There are some side games I never played though, like never played Crossbow Training, or the Tingle game.   Oh, actually I guess I never played Tri Force Heroes, admittedly not sure how well that one plays as a single-player experience.

Metroid : I’ve played most of the Metroid series I would say.  I think my main gaps are Metroid Prime Pinball, Hunters, haven’t gotten around to playing Prime 3 but I do have the Wii version of Trilogy.  Kinda hoping Trilogy gets a Switch port.  I haven’t played Other M or Federation Force either.  I’m also admittedly a weirdo what preferred the original Metroid to Zero Mission, and probably preferred the original Metroid II to Samus Returns.

Yoshi : I never did finish playing Yoshi’s Story, but I have played Yoshi’s Island to 100% completion, as well as Woolly World.  Also need to finish Crafted World sometime.  I want to say there’s some motion control Yoshi game I know of but never played, but I think I also might be mixing it up with a Kirby game...?

Kirby : I’ve played a lot of Kirby games, though I know I never played Mass Attack, Squeak Squad, Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse, or Rainbow Curse.  I want to say there might have been another one as well...?  Well I know I never played Super Star Deluxe, and there are some of those mini side games on 3DS I never played.  I think there was also one with a clay aesthetic I never played?  Unless that was already one of the ones I mentioned...

Star Fox : The only ones I’ve ever played are the original and 64.  I do have SNES Online, so I can give 2 a try sometime.  I’m... really bad at Star Fox games though, haha.

Pokémon : ......Considering I have an alternate blog for all my Pokémon nicknames, yeah, I think we’re covered here.  I’ve played all main series games and most side games by this point.  I did not play Dash, and there were those three Mystery Dungeon games on Wii eShop that never got released here.  I never played Masters, nor the new Cafe game, and only really played Go long enough to get Meltan and Melmetal.  But yes, pretty solid Pokémon experience.

Mother : Earthbound is the only one I played.  I tried on multiple occasions to really get into it, but just... couldn’t really.  It just never really reeled me in and kept my interest.  I think the furthest I ever made it before quitting was the desert area near Fourside, and I just ran out of steam.

F-Zero : I’ve only played the original and I think maybe the one on GBA a little?  I can’t say it’s a series I’m good at, haha.  And yet the crazy part of me would kinda like to get the infamously difficult Gamecube one.

Ice Climbers : Yep, I’ve played it....  That’s pretty much all we got for that one, just the one game, and yes I’ve played it.

Fire Emblem : The only FE game I’ve played is Fire Emblem Warriors, so... not exactly the real FE experience.  Granted I can’t say I really feel all that interested.  Turn based strategy games like FE, Advance Wars, Wargroove, they don’t tend to keep me interested all that long.  I also have a feeling the permadeath aspect would drive me batty.

Game & Watch : I don’t know if I ever had a legitimate Game & Watch, as in, the actual machines.  However I played the heck out of the Game & Watch Gallery games.  I loved those things.

Kid Icarus : I’ve played the original and Uprising all the way through.  The GB one, Of Myths & Monsters, I’ve only gotten to try that one via an emulation, and it glitched during a boss fight, so I was never able to finish it.

Wario : On the Wario Land side of things, I’ve played most of them I think.  I never played Master of Disguise, not sure if that counts as a “Land” game.  As for WarioWare, that too, I’ve played most of them, though I never played Smooth Moves I think, the Wii one?  I know I’ve played the original, Twisted, Touched, and Gold.

Metal Gear : I haven’t played much of this series.  I played a little of the original NES game, never beat it, and watched my uncle play the original Metal Gear Solid, and..... honestly I think that’s about it.  So not a lot of Metal Gear experience.

Sonic the Hedgehog : I’ve played a lot of Sonics.  I didn’t play 4 or either of the “Storybook” games, haven’t really had access to most of the side games though, like I never played Shuffle, the Game Gear ones, also never played things like the Sega All Stars Racing games, not sure if those count for Sonic or just Sega in general really though to be fair.  I do have a weird choice of favorite Sonic game though, I unironically really enjoyed the 360 version of Unleashed.

Pikmin : Unless you count things like the Gamecube and Wii versions of Pikmin as separate entities, I think I’ve played all Pikmin games : 1-3 and Hey Pikmin.  I have 3 Deluxe pre-ordered as I felt it would be an easier one to record for an eventual project.

ROB : Played one out of the two games he had.  I played Gyromite, never had Stack Up.  Sadly my ROB was stolen long ago from storage.

Animal Crossing : I want to say the only ones I never played were Wild World and Happy Home Designer.  Well, unless you count ones that weren’t released here.

Mega Man : Yeah, kinda think I got this one covered.  I never played the Game Gear one, which.... yeah, looks pretty bad, so I don’t feel I missed out there.  Played 1 - 11 of the Classic series, as well as Powered Up and MM & Bass.  Played X1 - X5, Zero 1 - 3, all the Battle Network games (aside from mobile ones that I don’t think were released here), Starforce 1 and 2 (got 3, just never got around to it, and never quite finished 2), and a small bit of Legends 1 (want to give that another try sometime).  Heck, even played the PC Mega Man 1 and 3.  Think I’m pretty set with this one, haha.

Wii Fit : I.... played Wii Sports, does that actually count?  Probably not.  I never played one of the proper Wii Fit games with the balance board and all that.

Punch-Out!! : I played the NES and Wii games.  I... honestly don’t remember if I ever played Super Punch-Out!! or not...  I know I never beat the Wii game, I stalled out at Soda Popinski.

Pac-Man : I’ve played a lot of Pac-Man games, as well as other retro Namco games.  I had all the Namco Museum games on PS1, loved those.  There were a ton of different Pac-Man games though, so there are likely some I missed along the way.  Probably mostly in the vein of Pac-Man World type games, I don’t think I got to play a lot of those.

Xenoblade : I never played any of the Xenoblade games.  I’m kind of intrigued by maybe wanting to get the Switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles, but RPGs tend to be intimidating for me to get into, the whole time commitment thing.  Still seems like something I might be interested in trying sometime.

Duck Hunt : Indeed, I played it.  I know well the trauma of dog ridicule.  As far as other light-gun games on NES, I did play Hogan’s Alley and Gumshoe.

Street Fighter : I think the only one I ever played was the SNES version of Street Fighter 2 that had the four extra characters, I want to say it added Cammy, Dee Jay, T. Hawk, and Fei Long I want to say?

Final Fantasy : The main ones I played a lot of were 7 and 9.  I did play a bit of the one with Kefka as a kid, but didn’t really get too into it.

Bayonetta : I’ve played both 1 and 2 all the way though, and am interested in hearing more about 3 when we get some new info there.  I can’t say I’m that GOOD at them, but I could at least beat them, haha.  Still find them fun.

Splatoon : I played the original, but can’t play online, so just the single player stuff.  Still need to do that on Splatoon 2, I do have a copy, just haven’t really gotten around to playing it.

Castlevania : I’ve played MOST of the series I want to say?  Mainly some of the 3D ones I missed on, never played the Lord of Shadows games, 64, also notably never had access to the actual Rondo of Blood, only Dracula X.

Persona : The only one I ever played is Persona 4.  I’d be tempted to give 5 a shot if it got a Switch port.  Admittedly I kinda shied away from this series for awhile due to Persona 3 being the main one I’d heard about, and mostly it was hearing about how they invoked their Personas, which was... not something I liked due to personal squick with that sort of thing.  I had the mistaken impression that was how it was in ALL the games as such.

Dragon Quest : I’ve played a bit of some of the NES ones as a kid, but never really could get too into them.  Always liked the monster designs though, so I did like the Dragon Quest Monsters games.  Only got to play the two on GBC though.  I tried the demo for DQ 11... just didn’t really pull me in.  Turn based RPGs are just hard for me to get into admittedly.

Banjo-Kazooie : I played and loved the original and Tooie, as well as the GBA game (don’t remember much about that one though).  I never played Nuts & Bolts.

Fatal Fury : I don’t THINK I’ve ever played a Fatal Fury game.  If so, I have no real memories of doing so.  Still familiar with Terry though, just never really had much SNK / Neo Geo access growing up.

ARMS : I only ever played the demo of the game, not the full one.

Minecraft : I’ve never played it.  From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t look like my kind of game.  Just total open world sandbox / survival type stuff, not usually something that pulls me in, and admittedly I don’t really like the Minecraft aesthetic too much.  Nothing against anyone that likes it, just not really my thing.

[dazstormretro]

My Final Retro Memories - Sept 1999

Now in my final year at uni me and a group of mates had decided to move out of our dilapidated student house and return to dorms for one final blowout. So in the September of 1999 with my bags packed and both my PlayStation and N64 boxed up I arrived back in Derby to finish off university in style.

Unfortunately as the year progressed the workload on my university course increased dramatically leaving less time for video gaming. Saying that I still tried my best to fit in the odd hour here and there. My next purchase would be Final Fantasy VIII in the October of this year on the PlayStation (probably not the best choice when your trying to write a dissertation!)

Having loved the previous instalments in the series I was looking forward to this particular title with great excitement. I must have invested a good chunk of time into FF VIII but unfortunately due to my course work stacking up and the stop/start nature of RPG progression the game eventually ended up on the shelf, yet another uncompleted Final Fantasy game.

Feeling I needed a change of pace and having recently watched Saving Private Ryan next up was Medal of Honour. A brand new game created by Steven Spielberg which would kick off the trend for WW2 first person shooters on consoles. Medal of Honour was indeed a fantastic addition to my PS1 collection. Taking on the role of Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson I soon found myself being completely immersed in war-torn Germany. With many varied objectives and missions to complete I must have played through this game countless times over the coming months, I especially enjoyed the sniper based stages, taking out Nazi soldiers with the perfect headshot was extremely satisfying.

Throughout 1999 and into 2000 I consumed yet more episodes of the X Files, enjoyed watching Peter MacNicol in Ally McBeal and first came across Spaced created and staring the very talented Simon Pegg. Crammed full of nerdy references to tv shows, movies and video games Spaced was (and still is) such a great show featuring zany characters, hilarious scripts and summed up the late 90’s to a tee.

Fast forward to June of 2000 and my university career had finally come to an end and I was thrust out into the real world to try and carve out some kind of career for myself. Having a full time job defiantly effected my gaming time during this period. I stopped buying the latest gaming magazines, new consoles past me by and most of my spare time was taken up with girlfriends and socialising.

Not being on the pulse of the latest console releases during this time may have actually worked to my advantage as in the July after saving up some cash I purchased Perfect Dark for my N64. Launching late in the N64’s life meant a lot of people missed out on Rare’s latest first person shooter.

Being a massive fan of Goldeneye which I had played to death the year previous Perfect Dark was an obvious choice. I remember it took me a good few weeks to save the £60 needed to purchase the title plus some extra cash to buy the memory expansion pack which was needed to play the game, increasing the consoles RAM storage capacity to 8 MB.

Once again I would jump into this game with both feet, playing and replying missions over and over. In fact I would play this game on and off for the next two years up until I finally sold my Nintendo 64. Like Rare’s previous shooter you took on the role of a secret agent (this time a female lead called Joanna Dark) and set about completing various missions armed to the teeth with futuristic weaponry and later in the game a sidekick alien by the name of Elvis?

Still to this day I enjoy a quick half hour session on Perfect Dark, taking out enemies with the Laptop Gun, launching grenades into glass elevators with the SuperDragon and watching the blood fly.

Perfect Dark was my last memorable exciting gaming purchase from back in the day. As a kid the anticipation of receiving a new game to play was overwhelming. Reading reviews over and over, researching every last bit of detail all while counting down the days until it’s release was so exciting. At the point of buying Perfect Dark I might have been in my early 20’s yet I still remember that buzz of finally receiving my copy after saving my hard earned cash over the summer.

That Christmas there would be no video gaming related items, instead I had asked for a Sony portable mini disk as my main gift. Gaming was once again starting to take a backseat with only the occasional Perfect Dark shooting rampage occurring.

Everyone has their own perception of what they class as retro. In my mind my retro gaming memories finished around 2001 when I sold my N64 and handful of games for beer money at a local videos games shop (a regret which I still have to this day). I would go onto purchase Final Fantasy IX on release in the February of this year but this wouldn't last long before also being traded in and like my N64 my PlayStation was soon after sold to help fund a lads holiday to Greece. I do remember going over to my mate Robs house the day he purchased a Sega Dreamcast and playing multiplayer Power Stone well into the early hours which was great fun but not enough to convince me to once again join the side of Sega. By mid 2001 I was consoleless and and it would remain that way for over a year. This was the first time since receiving my Sega Master System back when I was eleven that I didn’t video game.

By no means was this the end of my love for video games, far from it. In late 2002 I would once again join the console generation after purchasing a PS2. Over the coming years I would continue play games in my spare time owning such systems as the PS3, XBox, Wii and most recently a PS4 and Nintendo Switch. In fact my interest in video games (both modern and retro) is just as involved now as it was in my teens. Granted my multi-player gaming sessions have dwindled over the years and that initial excitement of getting a new game or console doesn’t have the same appeal that it once did but video games still rule in my book.

Nowadays my gaming time is evenly split between actually playing games and both reading and watching YouTube videos relating to the latest gaming news or retro perspectives. I also enjoy whipping out an old issue of Mean Machines or Super Play once in a while to get a little nostalgia kick. Only time will tell if this hobby will continue into my later years but as of 2019 I can’t see any signs of it slowing down.

So that’s the end of my my retro gaming memories. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my adventures in the world of video games, maybe it’s even helped spark a few gaming memories from your own gaming past? I must admit I’ve thoroughly enjoyed casting my mind back and reliving some of these amazing times from my childhood.

Since first playing Roland on the Ropes on my brothers Amstrad 464 back in 1988 which lead to my Sega Master System the following Christmas I’ve been hooked. I feel very lucky to have lived through so many momentous gaming moments over the years. From the UK launch of the Mega Drive to the Super Nintendo, the now famous Sega vs Nintendo wars, the heyday of the video games magazine, the 90’s arcade scene through to the launch of the first PlayStation. These are just a few examples of how great the 1990’s were to a young gamer like myself, exciting times indeed.

Anyway that’s enough waffling from me, it’s back to my man cave to see if I can remember how to play Goldeneye with that bloody controller!

[thegame-r-boy]

The Last and Lonely Fighter - Virtualna Arena 2.0, 5th (and last!) strike!

EN We’ve come this far - to the last competition in the Virtualna Arena 2.0 in the movie theater in Idrija. And we’ve also had a great game to compete in - it’s called DragonBall FighterZ. But there were a lot of things happening that weekend. There was sunny, 20 celsius weather outside and nearby was also the annual Rally Championship. And how many visitor came around this time? Five? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty??? Nope, exactly zero, nada, nichts visitor were around on this championship!

This is how my setup looked liked.

And a bit nearer.

This is how the playing screen looked like.

And how the visitors would see the image.

So yeah, you’ve heard me right - there was absolutely NO VISITOR OR COMPETITOR for this time lasts match. If I was dissapointet? Oh wel, I was in a reeeealllyyy bad mood! And to top it all off, I got a message from the owners of the film theater, who just said that after 20 minutes after I leaved the place, around 5 people wanted to play the game. Whaat? 20 minutes past 5 o’clock? Please, we can’t just stand there and wait for people to come to play! They HAVE TO BE PUNCTUAL!!! This is also the fact that shows us completely, how rude and non-punctual people are to gamers. I mean, yeah, we don’t live in a city, let alone in capital one, but stil, peole should’ve been more accurate in coming at the right time to this event! So much for “those” people ... -___-

Where the f@©k is everybody???

No winners? No losers? Nobody? WHAT?! This was just it. Creme-de-la-creme of gaming in my humble little village. For next year, there will be some changes. Firstly, the name will be spelled a bit different, adding “retro” in it, because we are going to be playing on older consoles. Next year, the event will be called “Virtualna Retro Arena”. We will play the best games on the Sega Mega Drive (Mini) consoles. There will be around 6 of them. And most importantly - I, as the owner of the consoles, will be payed! In cash! Because no matter how many people will come around (this Year there from 48 People only 15 came around) - this type of businnes won’t be for free from my side! He should pay me, or else, I won’t have my old console with me. See you next year (and see you soon, because I’ll go to a PC convention tommorow!).

DE

Wir kamen so weit an - zur letztem Kampf in der Virtualna Arena 2.0 im Filmtheater in Idrija. Und wir hatten auch ein geiles Spiel zum spielen vorbereitet - es heißt DragonBall FighterZ. Aber es gab auch sehr viele andere Geschenisse, die am selben Tag am diesen Wochenende stattfanden. Es gab sonniges Wetter, um die 20 Grad, draußen und in der nähe war auch noch das alljährliche Rally Weltmeisterschafft. Und wie viele Besucher kamen zu Besuch? Fünf? Zehn? Fünfzehn? Zwantig??? Neine, ganz genau keiner, nada, nichts von den Besucher kamen zu diesem Wettkampf hervor! So sah meine Switch aus. Und etwas näher. So sah der gespielte Monitor aus. Und so würden die Besucher den Beamer sich ansehen. Also ja, ihr habt mich richtig verstanden - da gab es absolut KEINE BESUCHER, WEDER WETTKÄMPFER für dieses letzte Wettkampfspiel. War ich enttäuscht? Na ja, Ich war in einer seeeehhhhr schlechten Stimmung! Und zur Krönung der Sache war, als ich eine Nachricht von den Inhaber des Filmtheaters in Idrija bekam, das 20 minuten nach Fünf Uhr, als ich schon zurück nachhause war, ca. 5 Leute herbei kamen und das Spiel spielen wollten. Wass? 20 Minuten nach Fünf Uhr? Bitte, wir können nicht einfach so rumstehen und auf Leute warten! Sie MÜSSEN PÜNKTLICH SEIN!!! Das zeigt uns auch sehr gut, wie unhöfflich und nichtpünktlich die Leute zu Gamern sind. Ich meine, Okay, ich lebe nicht in einer Stadt, geschweige den in einer Hauptstadt, aber dennoch, sollten sich Leute mehr pünktlich benehmen und rechtzeitig da auf diesem Ereigniss sein! So viel über “diesen” leuten ... -____- And to top it all off, I got a message from the owners of the film theater, who just said that after 20 minutes after I leaved the place, around 5 people wanted to play the game. Whaat? 20 minutes past 5 o’clock? Please, we can’t just stand there and wait for people to come to play! They HAVE TO BE PUNCTUAL!!! This is also the fact that shows us completely, how rude and non-punctual people are to gamers. I mean, yeah, we don’t live in a city, let alone in capital one, but stil, peole should’ve been more accurate in coming at the right time to this event! So much for “those” people ... -___- Wo zum Teufel sind alle den hin? Keine Gewinner? Keine Verlierer? Keinder da? WAASSS?! Das war es. Creme-de-la-creme von Spielen in meinem Heimatdorf. Für nächste Jahr wird es schon einige Verschiedenheiten geben. Zu erst, wird sich der Name dieses Ereignisses verändern. Da kommt noch das wort “retro”, weil wir auf älteren Konsolen spielen werden. Nächstes Jahr wird sich das Ereigniss als “Virtualna Retro Arena” bezeichnen. Wir werden nur die allerbesten Spiele auf der Sega Mega Drive (Mini) Konsole spielen. Es wird ungefähr sechs von diesem Spielen geben. Und am allerwichtigsten - Ich, als Leithaber dieser Konsole, werde dafür bezahlt! In Bar/Knette/Kohle! Denn wir auch immer viele Leute mit dabei sein werden (dieses Jahr kamen von 48 nur 15 Leute hervor) - diese Sorte wird nicht umsonst von mir sein! Er sollte mich dafür bezahlen, oder sonst, werde ich meine alten Konsolen nicht dabei haben. Wir screiben uns nächstes Jahr (uns bis Bald, da ich morgen auf einer PC Konvention sein werde.)

[truemedian]

Sega's masterpiece gets the micro revival it deserves with the Mega Drive Mini

https://valiep.com/?p=2680 Sega's masterpiece gets the micro revival it deserves with the Mega Drive Mini REVIEW - With perfect retro looks, easy HD output and an incredible lineup of 42 built-in games, Sega's Mega Drive Mini is a loving tribute to the company's revered 16-bit machine, and an excellent way to experience the system if you don't want to get your hands dirty with emulators or expensive hardware. While Nintendo… https://valiep.com/?p=2680 Watch your favorite videos on Viewyng! - https://viewyng.com Buy your electronics here! - https://valiep.com #laptops #iphone #ipads #samsunggalaxy #phones #smartwatch #sale #free #computers #accessories #videogame #galaxybuds #airpods #console #gaming

[bigmelwalter]

Retro Sega Genesis Mini will launch on September 19th with 40 games

Retro Sega Genesis Mini will launch on September 19th with 40 games

We first got a glimpse of the Sega Genesis retro version console last, but its release was delayed. Sega recently announced at Sega Fest 2019 that the Genesis Mini / Mega Drive Mini will launch in the US and Japan on September 19th.

The console will come with 40 built-in games. The consoles will have slightly different game lineups when released, the Japanese version will include classics like…

[archiesonicretro]

About Me

Welcome to my Retro Den. Here, you can view my ever-growing retro video games collection. You can take a look at my updated-on-some-basis video game reviews (some are coming soon), read my game comparisons and take a look at some of the stuff I re-blog on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy browsing through the games and hardware, but remember that the cover scans I provide are sourced from the likes of Sonic Retro, Sega Retro, NEC Retro, Gamefaqs and other sorts of gaming websites - oh and keep in mind that if I were to play any game via emulation, I will state which emulator and settings I use at the notes section below any review (^v^;)

Without any meandering, how about an About Me section?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT ME

Hi. I am Archie Sonic (Nobusuke) and I am the site master of this blog, and I am an official member of the e-sports organisation Secure Sector. Today, I'm going to talk a little bit about myself. What's up?

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I grew up in Malaysia. In terms of the retro gaming landscape, it's not exactly the best-performing with most of every retro console being a bootleg NES of some sort, or the most popular devices being subpar performers at best, but I've grown accustomed to my country and what it is. I've had plans to move out, but I don't feel like it at the moment.

ARE YOU ON OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA?

Meet me at archieSonic#6113 on Discord, that's my new home of communications at the moment. To be honest, I'm not really the most active these days, but I got to get on that.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ANYTHING GAMING?

I've been interested in video games ever since I was a little kid (I'm 22 years old at the time of this post), and I had one of these little bootleg portable PSP's which was basically a Sega Mega Drive inside. As for actual genuine gaming hardware, my start was a PS1, PS2, a blue Game Boy Advance SP with the flip-out backlit LCD screen, a black PSP 2000, and a white Sega Saturn mk2. Oh, and the occasional PC game or two. Don't forget, that was in 2006 - and I had a little computer with Windows XP. I don't exactly remember the entire specs of the thing, but all I know is I did not play online games on the bugger. And, as I grew older, I've become a gaming fan. You know, Pixels, Ready Player One, the XBOX One, PS4.... idk, everything.

WHAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE IN THE GAMING WORLD?

The XBOX 360.

I got that thing as a present in November 2009, and I've basically gotten sucked into the world of 7th gen high definition games. You know, games like Eschatos, Lollipop Chainsaw, Forza Motorsport 3, and such.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A RETRO GAMING FAN?

When I first explored the gaming scene on YouTube, I was like "okay, there's an angry video game reviewer with a ton of views talking about some old game I haven't known about" and he was talking about Wayne's World on the Super Nintendo. Weirdly enough, another popular video game review of his was about the Kowloon Kurosawa game that took a piss when it came to basing itself on Hong Kong's handover to Mainland China in 1997. That was some wild stuff. Hahaha. Then it turns out that such channels like AVGN were big enough, and I was like "aww man..." The retro gaming craze was so huge, every single company since then wanted in. Nintendo with the NES and SNES Classic, Sega with the Mega Drive Mini and Konami with the PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini. That being said, I did have some experience with emulated titles on modern consoles. Radiant Silvergun on XBOX 360 Live Arcade was the best of them.

There's a funny story too. When I announced that I would be writing my own blog on my since-then-discontinued Twitter page, I would get a DM from Depletion, who was part of the e-sports organization Secure Sector. They said something about expanding into more than just modern games and breaking into the retro gaming sphere, so.... yeah.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

When I'm not running blogs or sat on the couch playing video games, I tend to go to the gym, play basketball or some other sport I fancy like soccer, rugby and tennis. It's important to stay healthy, ya know, especially when your weekday schedule basically boils down to work, work and work from 8 to 6 in a corporate office block. If I had to pick just one, though, it'd definitely be playing basketball. Basketball to me is a pretty good way to let the steam off, get energized and everything. I've scored 2 points, 3 points, layups, and I've mastered passing, dribbling and stealing the ball as well as strategically blocking opponents' attempts to steal the ball from my team. My goal for the future is to score one slam dunk - I always seem to get stuck though, but someday. I also started playing tennis a few months ago... something like 9 months ago. It's super fun, especially serving the ball with the racket; but you know, unfortunately, outside where I live, the weather and infrastructure doesn't really work out so... places to go tennis indoors.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO BE YOUR FAVOURITE GAME GENRE(S)?

I got to say my favourites are RPGs and strategy games. I really like something that challenges my mind and helps to solve some problem. Games like Cosmic Fantasy 2 on the PC Engine CD come to mind. These days, though, I find myself playing more shooters and racers. Not those first-person shooters, I mean vertical and horizontal shooters. Things like R-Type and Radiant Silvergun. They're quite good for what they are.

SINCE YOU MENTIONED E-SPORTS, WHAT E-SPORTS GAMES ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

I'm really curious about these e-sports PC and console games. I mean, it's great for some online multiplayer banter and fun here and there. Minecraft and Fortnite keep exploding into popularity day by day, and I'm curious about GMod. GMod is always well known in some fandoms for animations made using the GMod engine. Man, I would love to be part of the main bread and butter of these games. Being about to game on with my friends from Secure Sector - that e-sports org.

WHAT'S IT LIKE AT SECURE SECTOR?

So what's it like working with Secure Sector? Well, the organisation is quite small at the time of this post (it's mainly online-only for now), but the people in there are really great. They're really awesome, everybody loves what they do, and it feels like a big family, really. Overall, I feel great to be here. I get to play with the best and worst of retro, and share the passion with all the guys from Secure Sector from all around the world.

ENJOY!!!

-Archie Sonic (Blog Master)

[laganumalimited]

Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 game console announced with 50 retro cartridges and CD games

Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 game console announced with 50 retro cartridges and CD games

A few years ago, mini-retro consoles came into fashion. Then Sega released the Mega Drive Mini (Genesis Mini in North America). This is a portable game system with a selection of classic games. Now it’s time for a sequel. As part of a recent broadcast, the company announced the Mega Drive Mini 2. Sega said the console will come with 50 pre-installed games, including Mega Drive and Mega CD games.…

[internetglitchstuff]

{"itemId":352814087030,"title":"SEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console","endsAt":"2019-12-04T15:48:36.000Z","imageUrl":"https://t.co/6CTPIPhVbz} Item Feed for ebay partner networkSEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console https://t.co/i3Af4oOW2w http://twitter.com/AmazonBay4u/status/1196700364365586433 November 19, 2019 at 08:02AM

{"itemId":352814087030,"title":"SEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console","endsAt":"2019-12-04T15:48:36.000Z","imageUrl":"https://t.co/6CTPIPhVbz} Item Feed for ebay partner networkSEGA Mega Drive Mini Retro Console pic.twitter.com/i3Af4oOW2w

— AmazonBay4u (@AmazonBay4u) November 19, 2019

[gamingsection]

Retro Apocalypse : Sega confirme la Mega Drive Mini 2, une nouvelle mini console pour l’Europe, qui comprendra 60 classiques https://gamingsection.net/news/retro-apocalypse-sega-confirme-la-mega-drive-mini-2-une-nouvelle-mini-console-pour-leurope-qui-comprendra-60-classiques/

[dazstormretro]

Discovering Retro Gaming Part 2

It was now early 2009 and I was officially a retro gaming addict. Having previously purchased an old Super Nintendo on a whim I soon found myself with a decent collection of both games and video game magazines which I had enjoyed as a teenager. Now I was looking for my next fix of nostalgia so it was back to eBay.

It wasn’t long before I came across a PAL Sega Mega Drive with a copy of Altered Beast. This was an obvious choice as before I owned my Super Nintendo back in the 90’s I was a dedicated Sega kid. The secondhand console was instantly purchased and before long I was enjoying such classics as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Shinobi and Castle of Illusion all over again. I remember loving the original design of the Mega Drive back in the day, it felt so sleek and futuristic and in my opinion still holds up.

Over the next few months I would purchase several titles for the console plus plenty more magazines including Mega Tech and Mean Machines Sega to accompany the system. My spare bedroom had now turned into a mini time capsule chocked-full of old Sega and Nintendo paraphernalia. I soon added a Sega Master System to the mix as this was the very first console I owned as a kid. My games library was (and still is) relatively small for the console but having titles such as Double Dragon, R-Type and Psycho Fox at hand felt great. The box art for these games might look primitive compared to later console titles but to me that basic artwork with its graph paper background screams my childhood.

As my collection expanded I started to outgrow the spare bedroom (plus my girlfriend wasn’t exactly over the moon having a room full of ‘old tat’) so it was time to relocate. Luckily I had an attic space which was bordered out and had several power points already pre-installed. After a lick of paint and a good clean I had my first man cave. Entering through a trap door in the landing roof (which wasn’t the most practical way) I suddenly had my own personal space to game. New shelving was bought to house my games, an old 27 inch CRT TV was purchased for a £1 and up went several of my retro gaming posters which had come free with Mean Machines from back in the day.

Obviously having more space meant more retro goodness was purchased including an original NES and Game Boy plus a Dreamcast and a Game Gear, two consoles I never owned as a kid. Around this time I received a text from an old mate asking if I wanted a couple of used game consoles he’d found at his parents house. Of course I jumped at the chance and soon found in my possession a GameCube, a model one PS1 and a model two PS2.

I now had retro gaming on tap. With a choice of multiple consoles to play and numerous games at my disposal my interest in the subject peaked even further. After a chance meeting with a friend I was introduced to yet another avenue to explore - YouTube. Up until this point I had not really bothered with YouTube, I had no interest in watching cute cat videos or people maiming themselves in skateboarding accidents but my eyes were suddenly opened to its true potential. Turns out there were thousands of people like me who shared this passion for retro gaming and many of them were making videos on the subject. The first show I discovered was Game Sack which I loved and for weeks binged watched the entire back catalogue. Next up was the Happy Console Gamer which was equally enjoyable and still watch to this day. Before long I had subscribed to around thirty different channels, all making exceptional content on the subject of retro gaming and gaming memories.

Off the back of Youtube I also started listening to various gaming podcasts. Shows such as Maximum Power Up and Retronauts suddenly made car journeys and walking the dog so much more bearable. Retro gaming was everywhere. I now had access to an unlimited wealth of information thanks to online videos, the aforementioned podcasts and could even read newly published material thanks to Retro Gamer Magazine, Twitter and various Facebook groups. The retro gaming community was growing rapidly and I felt humbled to be part of it.

The retro man cave was now properly established and looked eerily like my old bedroom from the 90’s. Crammed full of old posters, video games and magazines this was the place I went to when the real world got too much, a place to relax and switch off for a while.

Another interest which coincided with retro gaming was my love of vintage toys from my childhood, mainly G1 Transformers and a bit of Lego. This new hobby originally started after my dad dug up an old action figure one afternoon whilst gardening. Recognising the toy my mum called me saying she had something she thought I would like. I couldn’t believe when she handed me one of my original M.A.S.K figures, Brad Turner to be exact. This figure had been buried in my parents back garden for over twenty five years! Being reunited with this old friend after so long felt magical. Brad Turner was the very first M.A.S.K toy which I received as a child. That evening I was straight on eBay to purchase Condor, his green motorcycle which now sits on atop of Boulder Hill and takes pride of place in my current man cave.

Having amassed a decent sized collection of the games and consoles which I grew up with it was time to concentrate on the peripherals. For the SNES I hunted down a Hudson Super Multitap, Super Scope, and a Universal Adapter Japanese games converter. The Mega Drive got the Arcade Power Stick and the N64 the rumble pak plus the expansion pak so I could finally play my copy of Perfect Dark.

Approaching my 36th birthday I decided to celebrate one of my all time favourite games, Secret of Mana. On my 16th birthday I had asked for and received this amazing game. Being a big Final Fantasy fan at the time I couldn’t wait for the release of Square Soft’s latest RPG. Exactly twenty years later I thought it would be fitting to once again track down this game. Managing to acquire a boxed copy of Secret of Mana for a decent price I once again set about my quest to find the Mana Sword. To go alongside this beautiful game I commissioned a custom painted Secret of Mana themed Super Nintendo which to date has been my most extravagant retro gaming purchase. This now sits along side my other consoles and looks simply stunning.

Fast forward to October 2016 and my family and I had decided to move house. Of course moving up the property ladder is an important decision, you have to get the right location, suitable garden and of course the right amount of space which suits your budget. Whilst my partner was busy scouring property websites for these sensible options I was searching for a property which could house my gaming collection. It was time to move out of the hot and musty attic space and into a proper gaming room, but to my disappointment this wasn’t to be. We did end up purchasing a lovely house but unfortunately without building an extension there was no extra space to store my gaming collection, suddenly I was without a man cave!

[thegame-r-boy]

(Mini) Genesis does, what Nintendon’t - a proper Sega Mega Drive Mini review!

EN

As you guys, gals and girls know, I’m a HUGE retro 8/16 bit video game system fan, because when I was a child, I couldn’t afford, let alone buy myself such a great gaming device. Besides, my love for Mario and Sonic comes from this time period, when I was only 4 or 5 years old. I still can good remember, how awesome the americanized-japanese version of the Sega Mega Drive was!

Yeah, this ad never gets old! ;)

Fast forward 30 years later (this system came out on the 4th of October 2019) and I got the chance to buy (with my own earned money!) a classic collection of the finest 40 games from the Sega Mega Drive (Mini) era! And boy, is this video game system awesome!

A close-up of the incarnated version of the Mega Drive.

And a throughout comparision to my OG Mega Drive from the year 1990! It’s soooo tiny and small!!! ^^

In the package, you get an HDMI cable, 2 controllers, one console and a power cable. You set everything up, chose the play language and are greeted by the menu screen and the catchy music. In the menu, you can also change the screen size. I always pick the big screen size, because I’m not a fan of those ugly black bars. But still, wow, they made the big screen mode just absolutely right!!

The console, hooked up on my TV and in big screen mode.

The other thing that this company (I think it was M2) made the emulation absolutely nailed it is the speed of the emulation! I can clearly remember, how slow the sound of Sonic 1 was when I got it, together with the forementioned OG Mega Drive, on my 30th anniversary birthday. The sound was really slow. But in this version, nope, the sound and gameplay are ultra-fast (playing in 60 fps is really a charm for yout eyes!), just like Sonic would love it! ;)

Just look at the gameplay speed!

Now that’s what I call “gotta go fast!” :D

Another thing I like about this device is the fact that the buttons are really soft to touch. But not only that, they are also very responsive. No input lag at all!

All in all, it’s a great video game system, one that every retro fanboy (myself included!) should have or should buy for his kids for christmas. In comparasion with the Playstation Classic, that just wanted to get money out of the classic games, this is quite the opposite of it - they wanted to preserve those gems of games. And they did an awesome job in doing that!

(This console will be used for next years 2020 Virtualna Retro Arena in the movie theater in Idrija - just need to buy two wirelles controllers and hack it once it’s public!)

9/10

The good:

+ Retro fine design

+ Very small, almost pocketable.

+ 40 great games + 2 bonus games.

+ Has an HDMI output.

+ (Really) fast emulation and smooth controls.

The BAD:

- Quite a steep price.

- Where’s Sonic 3, NBA Jam or Mortal Kombat 2?

- At the time of this review (8. October 2019), it’s not being hackable ATM.

DE

(Mini) Genesis macht, was Nintendo lacht - einer vollständige Rezension der Sega Mega Drive Mini

Wie ihr Männer, Burschen und Mädels weisst, bin ich ein GROSSER 8/16 bit Videospiel-Fan, da ich solch ein system in meiner Jugend mir nicht leisten könnte. Ausserdem kam meine liebe zu Mario und Sonic aus der Zeitperiode, wo ich nur 4 oder 5 Jahre als war. Ich kann mich noch immer gut an die Werbesprüche von der japanisch-amerikanisierten Sega errinern.

Ja, dieser Werbespruch wird niemals alt werden! ;)

Fassen wir und 30 Jahre nachwärts (diese Konsole kam am 4. Oktober 2019 heraus) in ich bekam eine Change zum Kauf (mit meinem eigenem hartverdiendem Geld!) einer Klassischen Kollektion von 40 Spielen von der Sega Mega Drive (Mini) Zeitperiode. Und Mann, is diese Videospielkonsole toll!

Ein näheres Foto der wiederauferstehenden Version der Mega Drive Konsole.

Und eine zusammengefasster Vergleich der OG Mega Drive aus dem Jahre 1990! Es ist sooo klein und fein!!! ^^

In der Packung bekommt man einen HDMI Kabel, zwei Kontroller, eine Konsole und ein Netzteil. Man schliesst alles ein, wählt die Spracheingabe ein und man wird von einer tollen Music in Menü begrusst. Da kann man auch die Bildschirmgrösse einstellen. Ich bin nähmlich kein Fan von den schwarzen Balken. Deshalb wähle ich immer den Grossbildschirmmodus ein. Aber immer noch, wow, haben die Macher dieser Konsole den Grossbildschirm-Modus hervorragend eingestellt!

Die Konsole, die am TV vernetzt ist im Grossbildschirmmodus.

Das andere Ding das ich gesehen habe (die Kompanie M2 machte dieses Gerät) ist die Schnelligkeit der Emulation! Ich kann mich noch sehr gut daran errinern, wie langsam die Musik in dem Spiel Sonic 1 war, als ich meine OG Mega Drive zum 30-jährigen Geburtstag bekam. Die Musik war wirklich langsam. Aber in dieser Version, nein, die Musik und Spielerlebnis sind ultra-schnell (so in 60 fps zu spielen ist Balsam für’s Auge!), so wie der Sonic es lieben würde! ;)

Schau dir das Spielerbniss an!

Das andere was ist relativ schnell festgestellt habe, ist das die Tasten auf dem Controller wirklich sehr sanft und weich sich anfüllen. Aber nicht nur das, sie sind auf sehr meldisch! Kein Inpu Lag!

Alles im Allem ist das eine wundervolle Videospielkonsole, eine die jeder Retro-Fan (so wie ich einer bin!) haben muss oder zumindest für seine kinder zu Weihnachten kaufen muss. Zum Vergleich mit den Playstation Classic, wo es ihnem nur um Profit von klassischen Spielen ging, ist das genaus das Gegenteil - die macher (M2) wollten diese Diamanten weiterleben lassen. Und sich machten einen aussergewöhnlich guten Job dafür!

(Diese Konsole wird for nächstes Jahr 2020 für die Virtualna Retro Arena in dem Filmtheater Idrija benutzt - muss mir nur noch zwei ohne-kabel Controller kaufen und die Konsole hacken, wenn mal öffentlich wird!)

9/10

Das Gute:

+ Retro gutes Design.

+ Sehr klein, passt fast in die Hosentasche.

+ 40 gute Spiele und noch zwei extra Spiele drauf.

+ Hat einen HDMI Output.

+ (Wirklich) sehr schnelle emulation und sehr glatte Tasten.

Das Schlechte:

- Ganz schon hartnäckiger Preis.

- Wo sind Sonic 3, NBA Jam und Mortal Kombat 2?

- Zum Zeitpunkt dieser Rezension (8. Oktober 2019) ist die Konsole noch nicht zum Hacken geöffnet.