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[Fat Frog]

No votes:

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Street Fighter II' Plus
• Party Quiz Mega Q
• The Story of Thor: Hikari o Tsugumono
• Columns

0.5% chose:

• The Super Shinobi
• Super Fantasy Zone
• World of Illusion: Fushigi na Magic Box
• Puzzle & Action: Tant-R
• Langrisser II
• Puyo Puyo Tsuu
• Comix Zone

1% chose:

• "I can't choose just one!"

1% chose:

• Golden Axe
• Road Rash II
• Phantasy Star: Sennenki no Owari ni

1.4% chose:

• Space Harrier II
• Daimakaimura
• Rent A Hero
• Shining Force: Kamigami no Isan
• Bare Knuckle II
• Snow Bros.
• Gunstar Heroes

1.9% chose:

• Thunder Force III
• Wrestleball
• Alisia Dragoon
• Dyna Brothers 2 Special
• Dynamite Headdy
• Contra: The Hardcore
• Rockman Mega World
• Game no Kanzume Otokuyou

2.4% chose:

• Slap Fight MD
• Vampire Killer
• Monster World IV
• Lord Monarch: Tokoton Sentou Densetsu
• Madou Monogatari I

2.9% chose:

• Musha Aleste: Full Metal Fighter Ellinor
• The Hybrid Front

3.8% chose:

• Assault Suit Leynos

4.3% chose:

• Landstalker: Koutei no Zaihou

10% chose:

• Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Makyou Toitsusen

15.3% chose:

• Tetris

16.3% chose:

• Darius

Musha, Leynos, Hybrid Front, Landstalker, Hakusho... the Japanese mini is perfect for Otakus who loved the Sega Saturn but didn't have the opportunity to play the genesis at the time.(and couldn't buy those expensive games 30 years later)

 

[Bar81]

Asian MD Mini units preorder back on in stock at PlayAsia:

SEGA Mega Drive Mini

SEGA Mega Drive Mini * You can save anywhere in the game up to 4 locations, then load many times and play it repeatedly * Can be operated like the original with sophisticated design of power switch, power light and reset button * 42 title recorded games with a wide variety of genre, from action...

www.play-asia.com

 

[EightBit Man]

Non-Mega Drive Mini controllers tested. Result? They do not work.

Article on ASCII.jp

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Non-Mega Drive Mini controllers tested. Result? They do not work.

Article on ASCII.jp

So what only retrobit controllers work? They claim that 6 button one works on it. Who even makes the official controllers for the system?

 

[EightBit Man]

So what only retrobit controllers work? They claim that 6 button one works on it. Who even makes the official controllers for the system?

Yes, the Retro-bit ones work, probably because they made it compatible through software. I have no idea who's responsible for manufacturing the official hardware.

 

[Kazza]

Non-Mega Drive Mini controllers tested. Result? They do not work.

Article on ASCII.jp

That's a little disappointing. I was hoping to use my Saturn one with the USB converter.

 

[EightBit Man]

That's a little disappointing. I was hoping to use my Saturn one with the USB converter.

I was willing to try that out also, haha. Yeah, a bit disappointing.

I'm not going to modify the unit myself, but maybe somebody will add compatible drivers with some potential custom firmware.

 

[EightBit Man]

I forgot to mention that the official (included) Mega Drive controller works on PC, even though the order of the button is out of sync:

 

[GrayFoxPL]

That's still lame. I don't have a 3ds or switch to get any of the Sega Ages M2 stuff, why should it matter for a Genesis mini selection. Outrun was an amazing arcade game on the Genesis.

Yeah. Sega has no problem in releasing Altered Beast Genesis and Arcade version over and over but I have never played Outrun Genesis because they never bothered to put it on any compilation. I'd like to finally play it Sega.

 

[EightBit Man]

Koch Media, distributer of the European Mega Drive Mini, will make it playable during the Japan Expo:

 

[EightBit Man]

As I suspected, the current Retro-Bit controllers have a use for the Mode-button:

 

[EightBit Man]

Finally, a trailer of the Asian version has been uploaded:

 

[Kazza]

Finally, a trailer of the Asian version has been uploaded:

I still could have done without two whole Puyo Puyo games and will miss Shinobi 3, Earthworm Jim and Kid Chameleon, but I still think this is the best one overall.

 

[EightBit Man]

I still could have done without two whole Puyo Puyo games and will miss Shinobi 3, Earthworm Jim and Kid Chameleon, but I still think this is the best one overall.

I absolutely agree. It's a good mix of the Japanese and Western release, plus some exclusives.

Two months and one day left now.

 

[Kazza]

I absolutely agree. It's a good mix of the Japanese and Western release, plus some exclusives.

Two months and one day left now.

Can't wait!

 

[lachesis]

I'm a bit confused - looks like there's new version called "W" for Japanese Mini. Looks like they are dividing the ones with 6 buttons and 3 buttons. (at least the play-asia email that I got today seems to says so)

I pre-ordered Asian Megadrive from them (cancelled Genesis US ver - as I grew up with JP megadrive and it has more games that I wanted - snow bros and Musha aleste). I was hoping it would come with 6 buttons, but I oh well.. looks like Asian versions would come with 3 button controllers only.

Thankfully, I do have an 8bitdo 6 button controller - so hopefully I can get an adapter to use it for.

[edit] never mind - I didn't know that JP version actually had 1 pad version and 2 pads version (w version) - and play-asia's email showed European megadrive box.. lol

 

[EightBit Man]

(from SEGA's twitter)

 

[Oemenia]

Any news on the SoC itself?

 

[EightBit Man]

Any new on the SoC itself?

Not yet! Guess we'll find out - when it's out.

 

[Bullet Club]

 

[EightBit Man]

As if the waiting wasn't already hard enough! We'll manage though. Thanks for the update Bullet Club

 

[Chittagong]

Awesome news. August - September is too packed already.

 

[BlackTron]

I've always been baffled by all the Genesis compilations missing Sonic 3, but now I wonder if it's because Michael Jackson's sound team wrote most of the soundtrack. Maybe it's an entire legal/licensing can of worms they prefer to avoid.

To be fair, I'm much less mad about this having thought of a plausible reason lol.

 

[sol_bad]

I forgot to mention that the official (included) Mega Drive controller works on PC, even though the order of the button is out of sync:

Are the cables long or short? Do we know?

 

[EightBit Man]

Are the cables long or short? Do we know?

On the Japanese site it was said that the cable length was 2 meters long (approx. 6.56 ft.).

(Source: SEGA's site)

The few people who have commented on the Western release also said that the cable length was much longer than Nintendo's efforts and said it was around the above mentioned length. Even if the cable(s) are too short to one's liking, USB cables are very easily extendable as they are not proprietary connectors (eh, Nintendo?)...

 

[EightBit Man]

I've always been baffled by all the Genesis compilations missing Sonic 3, but now I wonder if it's because Michael Jackson's sound team wrote most of the soundtrack. Maybe it's an entire legal/licensing can of worms they prefer to avoid.

The problem has less to do with Michael Jackson's songs. In fact, the instrumentation of some of the songs predate some of Jackson's released tracks by years (like Stranger in Moscow). No, the main problem is the person who incorporated some of his own songs into the game, Brad Buxer. He was part of a New Wave band called The Jetzons, and the instrumentation of the track Hard Times was basically used for Ice Cap Zone, Act 1. There's a video on YouTube going into the whole thing:



My guess is that he's a very greedy person, who wants to seize this opportunity to get a lot of money from SEGA.

 

[sol_bad]

On the Japanese site it was said that the cable length was 2 meters long (approx. 6.56 ft.).

(Source: SEGA's site)

The few people who have commented on the Western release also said that the cable length was much longer than Nintendo's efforts and said it was around the above mentioned length. Even if the cable(s) are too short to one's liking, USB cables are very easily extendable as they are not proprietary connectors (eh, Nintendo?)...

They are pretty short, but yeah, USB extension cords are very easy to get. I wasn't aware that it was a USB connection so that is good to hear.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[BlackTron]

The problem has less to do with Michael Jackson's songs. In fact, the instrumentation of some of the songs predate some of Jackson's released tracks by years (like Stranger in Moscow). No, the main problem is the person who incorporated some of his own songs into the game, Brad Buxer. He was part of a New Wave band called The Jetzons, and the instrumentation of the track Hard Times was basically used for Ice Cap Zone, Act 1. There's a video on YouTube going into the whole thing:



My guess is that he's a very greedy person, who wants to seize this opportunity to get a lot of money from SEGA.

Wow informative video. But it still leaves many questions as to the real issue with this game.

I didn't realize a PC release swapped out music already. Beyond that, even while notably missing from compilations the game saw other versions like Wii VC and XBLA.

 

[EightBit Man]

Wow informative video. But it still leaves many questions as to the real issue with this game.

I didn't realize a PC release swapped out music already. Beyond that, even while notably missing from compilations the game saw other versions like Wii VC and XBLA.

Yeah, I agree. I'm very curious how have things have been dealt with behind the scenes. However, I don't think Michael Jackson's copyright holders have been a problem. The game (in its original form) was re-released for years on other platforms. But suddenly not when people began investigating and find find out the backstory. This very researching (and thus contacting Brad Buxer) may have been responsible for stirring up something better left alone.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Glad I pre-ordered the Japanese Release then.

Sucks if you pre-ordered the EU version though.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Bastards

 

[Bar81]

Do we know if the krikzz joyzz wireless pad will work with the mini?

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Comments on the SEGA Twitter are pure GOLD!

SoE are also keeping up the tradition of slowing down games for the PAL Format.

 

[Bullet Club]

 

[Kazza]

Sega have been doing a neat little series called MyGenesisStory/MyMegadriveStory, where people record themselves talking about what the system meant to them for one minute. You can add your own entry here (closing date is August 13th)

They've already released a few so far, for example from then CEO of SoA Tom Kalinski and former Head of Marketing Al Nilson:

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Still pretty bitter that we missed out on some games because SoA at the time didn't think they would sell (lucky escape for Gunstar Heroes).

Things like Phantasy Star 4 being put at $100/£70 to show that it won't sell and promoting Sports over their own stuff kind of irks me as I heard that Surging Aura is AMAZING!

I still think of the scenario where we got these games plus the likes of Cotton, Pulseman, The Hybrid Front (which is shocking we never got as it looks very Western oriented), , Bahamat Senki, Langrisser 2 (since we needed RPGs badly) and Rent-A-Hero if SoA and SoE tried to promote both Western and Japanese games rather than picking what they assumed the audience wanted.

I am too shy to put up a Tweet about my experiences with the Mega Drive, but it was mostly playing at a Friend's House all the SEGA games he borrowed from his own friend such as OutRun, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Revenge of Shinobi, Ranger X, Streets of Rage 2 and Golden Axe. He himself owned Alex Kidd, Altered Beast, Bruce Lee Story and Streets of Rage 1.

My cousins got the Mega Drive later and had World of Illusion, Terminator vs Robocop, Kid Chameleon, Taz: Escape from Mars and T2 the Arcade Game that I borrowed. (my other cousin owned Aladdin)

I owned mostly all of the Sonic games and Disney games (Jungle Book, Lion King & Mickey Mania because for some reason my parents assumed I liked those games) but I was also given Ecco: Tides of Time, Hellfire (first Shmup I owned), Desert Strike and Prince of Persia (those two games didn't resonate with me as much, probably due to the controls and difficulty).

I think I started to look into the library more after I owned the Wii and used the Virtual Console Service far more than I realized. (all the systems, not just the Mega Drive). I also played Monster World 4 to completion on the 360 about 7 years ago now.

I got to play Ristar and Pulseman for the first time using this service and started to actively look for some more games via eBay a few years after.

Thanks to that, I got to find Rocket Knight Adventures, Sparkster (not as good), Strider, Vectorman 1, Alisia Dragoon, Puyo Puyo 1, Super Fantasy Zone, Steel Empire, Sub Terraria and Dynamite Headdy for cheaper prices (mostly between £5 to £15 range, with the exception of Sparkster and Sub Terraria which is £20).

I also managed to buy Pier Solar on a Reprint a year after it released. That game is so so hard!

In my more recent searches, I managed to snag Soliel (UK version) for £16.50, The Story of Thor for £35 and Castlevania: The New Generation for £50 (it's gone up since), Chiki Chiki Boys for £30 (not really worth that price) and Arrow Flash (Cart Only) for £6 that I recommended to DunDunDunpachi (it's seen as a Sequel to Transbot on the Master System).

I am still trying to find Valis and War Song at a decent price and one day hope that Panorama Cotton is released in some form!!! Other than that, I would love Rent-A-Hero, Langrisser 2, Bahamat Senki and Surging Aura in English too.

 

[Kazza]

Still pretty bitter that we missed out on some games because SoA at the time didn't think they would sell (lucky escape for Gunstar Heroes).

Things like Phantasy Star 4 being put at $100/£70 to show that it won't sell and promoting Sports over their own stuff kind of irks me as I heard that Surging Aura is AMAZING!

I still think of the scenario where we got these games plus the likes of Cotton, Pulseman, The Hybrid Front (which is shocking we never got as it looks very Western oriented), , Bahamat Senki, Langrisser 2 (since we needed RPGs badly) and Rent-A-Hero if SoA and SoE tried to promote both Western and Japanese games rather than picking what they assumed the audience wanted.

I am too shy to put up a Tweet about my experiences with the Mega Drive, but it was mostly playing at a Friend's House all the SEGA games he borrowed from his own friend such as OutRun, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Revenge of Shinobi, Ranger X, Streets of Rage 2 and Golden Axe. He himself owned Alex Kidd, Altered Beast, Bruce Lee Story and Streets of Rage 1.

My cousins got the Mega Drive later and had World of Illusion, Terminator vs Robocop, Kid Chameleon, Taz: Escape from Mars and T2 the Arcade Game that I borrowed. (my other cousin owned Aladdin)

I owned mostly all of the Sonic games and Disney games (Jungle Book, Lion King & Mickey Mania because for some reason my parents assumed I liked those games) but I was also given Ecco: Tides of Time, Hellfire (first Shmup I owned), Desert Strike and Prince of Persia (those two games didn't resonate with me as much, probably due to the controls and difficulty).

I think I started to look into the library more after I owned the Wii and used the Virtual Console Service far more than I realized. (all the systems, not just the Mega Drive). I also played Monster World 4 to completion on the 360 about 7 years ago now.

I got to play Ristar and Pulseman for the first time using this service and started to actively look for some more games via eBay a few years after.

Thanks to that, I got to find Rocket Knight Adventures, Sparkster (not as good), Strider, Vectorman 1, Alisia Dragoon, Puyo Puyo 1, Super Fantasy Zone, Steel Empire, Sub Terraria and Dynamite Headdy for cheaper prices (mostly between £5 to £15 range, with the exception of Sparkster and Sub Terraria which is £20).

I also managed to buy Pier Solar on a Reprint a year after it released. That game is so so hard!

In my more recent searches, I managed to snag Soliel (UK version) for £16.50, The Story of Thor for £35 and Castlevania: The New Generation for £50 (it's gone up since), Chiki Chiki Boys for £30 (not really worth that price) and Arrow Flash (Cart Only) for £6 that I recommended to DunDunDunpachi (it's seen as a Sequel to Transbot on the Master System).

I am still trying to find Valis and War Song at a decent price and one day hope that Panorama Cotton is released in some form!!! Other than that, I would love Rent-A-Hero, Langrisser 2, Bahamat Senki and Surging Aura in English too.

You should record a clip and send it to Sega (maybe cut out the SoA criticism though, or they might not show it )

 

[Starlight Lotice]

You should record a clip and send it to Sega (maybe cut out the SoA criticism though, or they might not show it )

I wish I could but I am incredibly shy when it comes to showing my face!

I would rather just show my love here.

I am critical of SoA because they did good things for a certain audience but they did a lot of crappy things as well.

It's funny as Nintendo out of the two got the lions share of the Third Parties as NoA seemed more lenient with what was on the system but at the same time, they hindered themselves with the more mature content, which sadly did bite SEGA in the arse as well.

 

[EightBit Man]

Al Nilsen is a nice dude. No comment on Tom Kalinske. Ellen Beth Van Buskirk was also a very important person at SEGA of America (the only good thing Steve Race was good for at the time; recommending her), but she doesn't seem to like the spotlight though (outside of Console Wars, no interviews I have found).

I did see her decades ago on Dutch television:

 

[Kazza]

Just a comment I saw on the Youtube trailer. Thought it was quite funny:

1990 Dad, I want a Megadrive.
2019 Son, we must buy a Megadrive.

 

[Bullet Club]

 

[Kazza]

For people who don't like this dude so much, here are a few alternatives :






And probably the most detailed:

 

[Bullet Club]

For people who don't like this dude so much, here are a few alternatives

LOL

Just a heads up, Happy Console Gamer is another that can be included in the "people who don't like this dude so much" category. I'm neutral on him but know some people that dislike him quite a bit.

 

[Kazza]

LOL

Just a heads up, Happy Console Gamer is another that can be included in the "people who don't like this dude so much" category. I'm neutral on him but know some people that dislike him quite a bit.

I don't hate the guy but, like Dreamcast guy, the clickbaity titles and goofy thumbnails just rub me the wrong way a bit. I'll watch some of their videos, but if there are alternatives then I'll watch them instead.

 

[Bullet Club]

MVG got one as well.

I don't hate the guy but, like Dreamcast guy, the clickbaity titles and goofy thumbnails just rub me the wrong way a bit. I'll watch some of their videos, but if there are alternatives then I'll watch them instead.

Yep, agreed.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

 

[Kazza]

New advert to celebrate the 30th anniversary. Genesis does!

 

[Kazza]

I watched some of the videos, and they are generally very positive. The only serious negative noted (by MyLifeInGaming) was a slight lag in some sound effects, but I had a little trouble hearing it to be honest. Happy Console Gamer said it was perfect, and he is kind of my level in terms of being able to judge accuracy (I personally thought the Xbox 360 compilation was good)

 

[Kazza]

Ok, the new version of the Genesis Does advert is pretty good, but they tried a European version too and I really don't think it works too well ("Megadrive Does"?, "Make new memories"?):




Fuck "Megadrive Does", give me the cyber-razor cut!

 

[Starlight Lotice]

The Backloggery dudes are the only ones to complain about the menu and that comment about Monster World 4 is dumb.