The explosive success of the NES Classic in late 2016 led to a surge of miniature, plug-and-play retro console replicas, courtesy of rights holders who were interested in cashing in on the fad and making a buck. We of course saw the SNES classic, but also the Playstation Classic, the Turbografix Mini, the Neo Geo Mini, and even the Commodore 64 Mini. There might even be more that I forgot about.
That is a pretty substantial list of pre-HD video game platforms, but it is missing one crucial (and sadly, former) hardware manufacturer - Sega. To be fair, Sega has been licensing out the rights to make plug-and-play Genesis replicas for years, but these third-party devices have generally been cheap and low quality. The NES Classic added a level of quality and care that changed the game for these mini systems, and a lot of people wanted to see the same treatment be given to Sega hardware. It took Sega until 2019, three years after the NES Classic, to finally release their own Genesis Mini, just in time for the console’s 30th birthday.
So, is it any good? Did the quality in prove by bringing the design and development in house? Let’s find out.
Packaging
As is typical of these mini boxes, the box looks like a pretty close replica of an original Genesis box, complete with the “includes Sonic the Hedgehog” announcement in the corner. For reference, here is an OG box the Genesis Mini packaging is probably based on:
The back of the box lists all of the games, but it has the same kind of cramped, busy feel that typified console boxes of the time:
Hardware
If you have any experience with these mini consoles, you know the drill here. The Genesis Mini looks just like an original model Sega Genesis, albeit in a miniature size.
Unfortunately I do not have an original model Genny to compare it to, so you will have to deal with these size comparisons against my Model-2 Genesis instead.
From this angle it looks smaller, but not that much smaller. From other angles, however, the difference appears much more stark:
In regards to the quality of the hardware, Sega went above and beyond, in what feels like a very obvious effort to one-up their old competitor Nintendo. It uses multiple kinds of plastic to simulate the look and feel of the original console. It also recreates all of the console’s moveable parts and ports. The power switch and reset button obviously do what you think they’d do, but you can also play with the volume slider (it does not work), and the cartridge slot opens and closes. Even the Sega CD expansion port opens up (though again, it does nothing). Sega did not have to add in any of these details, but they are very welcome, and they add a bit of fun and nostalgia to the mix. One almost gets the sense that Sega finally wants to treat its history with the respect it deserves (this being Sega, I remain skeptical that this is anything more than a one-off fluke).
Now it is time to take a look at the controllers. Again, as is typical, these are supposed to be replicas of the original devices. They certainly look the part:
Here it is next to an original Model 2 controller. The colors differ, since they removed all traces of red from the Model 2 Genesis, but the rest is spot on:
I am pretty sure they also feel the part. I did not play enough Genesis back in the day for the feel of the controllers to be burned into my memory like the NES or SNES, but playing with these suckers brought back a wave of childhood memories of playing Sonic 2 and Streets of Rage 3 at my aunt and uncle’s house. That tells me they must pretty accurate. I feel ashamed to admit that I forgot just how nice the buttons on Genesis controllers feel. They have a great sense of resistance, but also a tiny bit of squishiness. The buttons also have a nice rubbery feel that would probably keep a thumb from slipping during a particularly sweaty gaming session.
One very nice thing about these replicas is that they use standard USB connections, meaning they can be used on PC, Mac, and even some other game consoles. This is far preferable to the proprietary connectors used by Nintendo’s mini systems, which do work with other Nintendo consoles, but nothing else.
Unfortunately, there are still two problem with these controllers. The biggest by far is the fact that these are original three-button controllers, rather than the later, superior six button pads that came later. The three button models simply do not have enough inputs to be viable as a PC gaming controller. Heck, they are not even optimal for all the games on the Genesis Mini, most notably Street Fighter II, which requires you to hit the Start button to switch between punch and kick.
This problem would be resolved if Sega would have included even one six button controller in the box - which is exactly what they did in Japan. We folks here in the States must instead take solace in the fact that Sega is selling six-button controllers separately, and for a decent price (15-20 bucks online). I wish we did not have to fix this issue, but I guess having the option is better than not.
The other problem with these controllers is that the cords are not long enough. This is not a unique problem to these mini consoles, but it drives me nuts. I get the interest in fidelity and accuracy, but this is one detail that no no one misses. Back then, we all had blurry tube TVs that we had to sit close to anyway in order to see the picture. Now we all have larger HDTVs, and so most people arrange their furniture much further away to their displays. These short cords simply do not work.
Software/OS
The main menu works as expected - you can see all the games, sort them, and adjust some display settings.
Choosing a game gives you some historical and background information:
As for the rest of the OS’ capabilities, we get a bunch of pros and cons. One cool feature allows you to display the spines of each game case, lining them up as if they were on your shelf.
Unlike Nintendo’s mini consoles, the Genesis Mini does not force you to get up and hit the physical reset button in order to exit out of your current game. Instead, you hold down the Start button for a few seconds, and a special menu pops up that allows you to either access your save states, or return to the main menu.
This feels a bit awkward at first, but it is far more convenient than Nintendo’s approach.
One really cool feature is that the menu and the game box art change based on the language you choose. Switch it to Japanese, and you get the Japanese versions of each game, and the menu gets a Mega Drive motif.
Switch it to a European language, and you get a “European Mega Drive” motif instead.
In addition to looking cool, changing the language has an impact on some of the games. For example, Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine was released as Puyo Puyo in Japan, and changing the language allows you to play Puyo Puyo instead. Furthermore, the Japanese version of Contra Hard Corps gives you more a three-hit health bar, while in Europe it becomes Probotector.
As for the cons, the Genesis mini has fewer display options than Nintendo’s devices. It only has two different display modes - standard and widwscreen. There is no equivalent to Nintendo’s “Pixel Perfect” mode.
There are also only two measly wallpapers that can be described as “Sonic” and “not Sonic”.
This would have been a great opportunity to throw in some cool background art featuring classic Sega characters, or at least some vintage 90’s colors or patterns. The lack of options and variety feels out of place when you consider how much care went into other aspects of this hardware and software.
Surprisingly, the Genesis Mini lacks an equivalent to the SNES Classic’s Rewind feature. This is not a huge loss, as the Rewind feature was far too inconvenient to be of any great use, but considering how much of the design of this device is intended to one up Nintendo’s efforts, it feels like a strange omission.
My last beef with the OS is with its sound effects (or should I say sound effect). Every time you confirm anything in the menus, it plays the confirm sound effect from the Streets of Rage games. This sound is tolerable when you hear it once or twice at the beginning of those games, but after multiple times it becomes “nails on the chalkboard” levels of annoying.
The Games
None of these mini consoles has a perfect list of games. Short of including all of the games, the idea of a “perfect list” is impossible. How would you cultivate it? Do you go for a list of games that accurately represents the console’s history and its library? Or do you instead opt for the “best” games, period? Do you cover a fair spread of genres, or do you ignore some genres in favor of others? What happens if you cannot negotiate the rights to a big third party hit that everyone expects to see?
While I do not think any of these systems have a “perfect” list of games, most of them do a pretty good job overall (with the exception of the Playsation Classic. Screw that thing). The Genesis Mini is no different. Clocking in with 42 games, it certainly beats the competition in terms of quantity. In terms of quality, well, that is where things get interesting. There are some very good games on here, including regulars such Sonic 1 and 2, Shining Force, and Streets of Rage 2. You also get Contra: Hard Corps and Castlevania: Bloodlines, two excellent Genesis games that have not shown up in many (or any) retro compilations over the years. Oh, and Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Heady, and the Mickey Mouse-themed platformer Castle of Illusion. The highs on the Genesis Mini are very high.
The lows, however, can get pretty low. I’m sorry, but early Genesis games such as Golden Axe and Altered Beast do not hold up these days, and I cannot understand how the Genesis port of Space Harrier 2 passed muster for anyone back then. We get Eternal Champions despite the fact that no one remembers that fighting game fondly, and we get Earthworm Jim, a classic from that era to be sure, but hardly a quality platformer in retrospect. Perhaps the most ridiculous inclusion is the Genesis version of Virtua Fighter 2, which is somehow even worse than I imagined it was.
Meanwhile, the Genesis Mini does not have Sonic 3, or Sonic and Knuckles. It does not have Shining Force 2 or Streets of Rage 1, neither of which get the love and attention they deserve. It lacks any of the Genesis’ licensed sports games due to rights issues.
Here is the problem as I see it - the Genesis became big in western markets in large part due to its heavy reliance on sports games and games with celebrity endorsements/tie-ins. This all but prevents the Genesis Mini from having a lineup that is truly representative of the console’s history. In that case, the next best thing is to simply throw in the very best titles you can possibly license. The Genesis Mini does that to some extent, but it cannot help but include certain first party titles out of nothing more than a sense of obligation or tradition. This is a problem when you consider that Sega has released so very, very many retro game compilations and plug-and-play hardware devices over the years. The original Sega Smash Pack came out on Dreamcast for goodness’ sake. No one needs another copy of Altered Beast or Columns, trust me. On the other hand, a lot of people have probably not played stuff like Alisia Dragoon and Light Crusader. More of that kind of stuff would have been more than welcome.
Emulation Quality
I am not an expert at this. Online chatter suggests that there is a bit of delay between actions and sound effects, but I am not hearing it yet. Otherwise, sound and video quality appear fine to me. The thing to keep in mind about these mini consoles is that they are not going for 100% accuracy, because they are mainly intended for an audience of older gamers who just need them to perform with a fidelity that is close enough to their childhood memories. I think it manages to achieve this, which actually makes it one of Sega’s better attempts at properly emulating these games.
Unreleased Games
In another attempt at one-upsmanship, the Genesis Mini saw the SNES Classic’s single unreleased game, and raised it a second unreleased game. That’s right, this device comes with two never before seen games. One of them is Tetris, and according to the Internet it is a “brand new” port of an old arcade version of Tetris. The second game is a port of the original Darius made by a fan as a passion project. Both of these inclusions feel so very weird and unexpected, and Darius alone is better in quality than Star Fox 2.
There is a third game that is sorta unreleased. Monster World IV never came out on the Genesis here in the States, but the Genesis Mini includes an English translation. A bit of research suggests this is not the first time this translation has arrived on these shores, as it appeared years ago in an Xbox 360 compilation. It still remains an intriguing and cool inclusion.
Final Verdict
It really does feel as if the Genesis Mini was put together with some degree of love. It is certainly no worse than any of its competitors. Whether it is any better, however, depends on:
a) How much you like Genesis games b) How much you like these particular Genesis games c) Whether or not you have these games already from some previous Genesis compilation
This brings us to the biggest problem with the Genesis Mini. As a student of history, I find it both fascinating and disturbing to witness the history and perception of Sega be revised over the course of my own lifetime. If you look at Nintendo, they have this perception as a premium brand with prestige games. Part of the reason why is due to the company’s willingness to introduce artificial scarcity into their product lines. This is the same tactic that Disney employed for decades. Make your products hard to find, and take them out of the “vault” occasionally to whip people up into a frenzy. Do this enough times, and you can convince people that even your crummiest games are better than they actually are.
Sega has a different reputation. For lack of a better word, they have whored out their back catalog as much as they possibly could for going on decades. The effect of this is that Sega games and Sega hardware now have a perception of being cheap, shoddy, and lower in both quality and value.
Of course, this is not actually true. No one playing Super Nintendo back in the day thought that Genesis games were inferior across the board, or were somehow worth less money. As someone who experienced the era, I can tell you that even the most diehard Nintendo fanboys secretly coveted more than a few Genesis games. These two consoles competed neck and neck throughout the nineties. This idea that one of them was somehow better and more prestigious is an entirely modern perception, one that Sega was all too willing to allow to occur, and which gamers (and games media) were all too willing to eat up without question.
Regardless, the damage was done, and as a result I can see a lot of people looking at the Genesis Mini, counting all the games they like, and realizing they already own most of them. For people like me, who either do not have them, or who simply have an appreciation and/or nostalgia for Sega’s greatest era, the Genesis Mini is a solid choice. I just do not know how many of us are around…
Other Thoughts
- Just like with Nintendo’s mini consoles, the Genesis Mini has a special jingle that plays in the system menu. In what is likely yet another attempt at one-upping their old competitor, Sega went out and got the best man for the job. The Genesis Mini’s little ditty is composed by Yuzo Koshiro, legendary video game composer and an absolute master of FM synthesis-baesd chiptunes. Allegedly Koshiro still has his original equipment he used to compose Genesis tracks, and went back to it once again for this jingle. Here is where I get a bit controversial - I do not think this song is a “banger”, as many critics describe it. It does not “slap”, as the kids may say. It is not bad by any stretch. It is simply that the music used in the NES Classic (and the remixed version used in the SNES Classic) is much catchier to my ear. And yet the Genesis Mini song feels much more like the kind of track you would have heard back in the day. It is a sort of Everysong that captures the tone, sound, and mood of a very specific period in Sega’s history. It figuratively sounds like Sega in audio form. For this reason I think I have even more respect for it than Nintendo’s catchier effort.
- Unlike Nintendo’s mini consoles, the Genesis Mini lacks a poster insert. This made me sadder than I care to admit.
- As a gag, Sega made a bunch of non-functional replicas of the Sega CD, 32x, and the Sonic & Knuckles cart so that you can recreate the old Genesis “Tower of Power”. Sadly, they only put it on sale in Japan. In America, the Tower was only given to “influencers” and game journalists. What better way to treat your most diehard fans than by giving something they would appreciate to a bunch of Youtubers who were not alive when the Genesis was in its prime.
- The Genesis Mini has yet not been hacked to play additional games. Apparently the way the software is built means it is not enough to simply drop some ROMs into the filesystem and wait for the OS to find them. More work is involved, and hobbyist hackers are still trying to figure it all out. I have no idea if the software was intentionally designed this way in order to discourage piracy. Props to Sega? Maybe? I guess?
- I keep referring to Sega in this post, but I should clarify that the software and emulation for the Genesis Mini was handled by development studio M2, who are the best of the best when it comes to getting retro Sega games running well on modern hardware. Furthermore, the six button controllers are being made by company retro-bit (though are officially licensed by Sega). Just wanted to give credit where credit is due.
- Look for a review of the 6 button controller soon. (I ordered it as soon as I got the Mini).
- As far as I can see, the Genesis Mini lacks an official carrying case, though there are cases being sold on Amazon by various small shops. I plan on getting one eventually.