SEGA officially introduced the Genesis / Mega Drive Mini at this year’s Fan Fast event, and it launches on September 19, 2019. The included 40 games will vary depending on region, but some of the titles confirmed for Japan include: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Shining Force, Gunstar Heroes, Comix Zone, Space Harrier II, Puyo Puyo 2, Rent-a-Hero, Castlevania Bloodlines and Powerball. This console features microUSB, HDMI out (720p resolution), save states, and a six-button version of the Genesis gamepad. Read more for a video with more details and additional information.
First unveiled at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show, SEGA’s 32X was presented as a low-cost add-on for the Genesis video game console, and designed to expand its power, thus serving as a transitional console into the 32-bit era until the release of the Saturn. It was mainly developed in response to the Atari Jaguar and concerns that the Saturn would not make it to market by the end of 1994, making the accessory a transitional device of sorts. The production model boasts two 32-bit central processing units and a 3D graphics processor. Read more for five more cool facts about this accessory.
Analogue specializes in releasing upgraded versions of classic game consoles, like the Super NES, and their latest product is the Mega SG. This modern SEGA Genesis not only features HD-output and crystal-clear audio, but an unreleased game from 1994 called “Hardcore”. Strictly Limited, the game’s publisher, originally wanted to release the shoot-’em-up game on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, but now, we’ll see the game when the Mega SG ships in April. Read more for some gameplay, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Tokka via Bored Panda
K·B Toys, also known as Kay Bee Toys, is a now closed American chain of mall-based retail toy stores, originally founded in 1922 as Kaufman Brothers, a wholesale candy store. By 1999, the company operated 1,324 stores across the United States, and was the second-largest toy retailer in the U.S. They officially went out of business on February 9, 2009 after filing for bankruptcy, with just 461 stores in operation at the time of its closure. Strategic Marks, a company that buys and revives defunct brands, purchased the brand in 2016, and in March 2018 announced plans to open new stores under the name this holiday season. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Gaming enthusiasts probably already know that the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive is a 16-bit home video game console first released during 1988 in Japan, followed by North America in 1989. However, did you know that it boasted several add-ons, including a Power Base Converter to play Master System games? That’s right, while it may not have any exterior Master System components, the Power Base Converter acted as a pass-through port, complete with two slots; a top slot for cartridge-based titles and a front slot for card-based games and accessories.
Photo credit: SEGA Retro
SEGA is best known for their Master System and Genesis consoles, but did you know they also released a motion-sensing electronic game back in 1994? That’s right, it’s called SEGA Pods, and consists of three sensor-equipped “pods” that the player must hold their hand over in order to play its seven built-in games. The special sensor was able to detect the height of the player’s hand, as long as it’s held 12-inches or below.
Analogue’s just announced MEGA Sg console will let you experience classic SEGA Genesis games without any wires or lag, and in Full HD 1080p. It’s compatible with the more than 2,000 games released on the SEGA Genesis, SEGA CD, and the Master System. “The core functionality of each system is engineered directly into an Altera Cyclone V, a sophisticated FPGA. We spent thousands of hours engineering each system via FPGA for absolute accuracy. Unlike the knock off and emulation systems that riddle the market today, you’ll be experiencing SEGA’s 16-bit and 8-bit era free of compromises,” said Analogue. Both the Mega Sg (shipping April 2019) and 8BitDo M30 controller are available for pre-order now, priced at $189.99 and $24.99, respectively.. Continue reading for another video, more pictures and additional information.
Before the Dreamcast, there was supposed to be a SEGA Black Belt console, also known as “Saturn 2”, being developed by 3Dfx, leaders in the PC video card market at the time, in the US. The company also hired Tatsuo Yamamoto, a former IBM engineer, to work on the Black Belt project, and his group opted to use 3Dfx’s Voodoo 2 and Voodoo Banshee graphics technology, initially trying RISC processors from IBM and Motorola.
Photo credit: Wermy
For those who never got to experience the SEGA Dreamcast, it used VMUs (Virtual Memory Unit) as its primary memory card. This device featured a monochrome LCD, multi-player gaming capability (via connectors at the top), second screen functionality, a real-time clock, file manager, built-in flash memory, and sound capability.
The SEGA Dreamcast was released in 1998, and the first in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox. The console enjoyed a successful US launch backed by a large marketing campaign, but interest in the system steadily declined as Sony built hype for the upcoming PlayStation 2. Unfortunately, it was not successful enough to warrant building a portable system based on the same hardware, but fortunately, many gamers, like “HailRazer” from the Ben Heck forums, have taken things into their own hands.