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SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2
£104.99
Pros
- Great choice of video games
- Easy to setup
- Easy to make use of UI
Cons
- Overpriced
- Short controller cable size
I used to be over the moon once I heard SEGA was revealing one other Mega Drive Mini console, it was my first ever residence console rising up as a baby, and after reviewing the unique Mini console, i knew I needed to snag the brand new and improved SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2… that was till I noticed the value.
This unit price me a whopping £104.99 right here within the UK. Which is loopy while you suppose which you can purchase an authentic Mega Drive in good situation bundled with video games for round £40 on eBay.
In 2020 after we reviewed the unique, it price us £69.99. I do know occasions are powerful, however that improve is ludicrous.
I’m saying it early on on this overview, however a Mini console like this shouldn’t be priced at £104.99, particularly in a time when emulation is free, simple and simply nearly as good.
Now, with that within the open, let’s get into the overview.
Unboxing expertise
Like SEGA’s earlier mini consoles their containers are designed with the originals in thoughts, and this field does simply that.
It takes you again to the golden age of gaming, when SEGA, Nintendo and ATARI have been at every others necks.
It options the unique logos, the modernised photograph of the console and controller alongside daring textual content that exhibits the video games and bonus titles alongside the outsized age certifications.
Just just like the console, the field is extremely small, accurately to maintain the mini aesthetic and to save lots of on wastage.
The again options photographs of over 20 video games with a protracted record of all of the video games featured on the console, similar to the great previous days.
Selection of video games
I personally love the huge choice of video games used within the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2, it options video games from all genres, with an enormous choice of builders to discover. They have even chucked in a handful of SEGA CD video games which is a pleasing shock.
The SEGA CD didn’t promote in addition to they hoped again within the day, so giving new clients the prospect to discover “hidden gems” is a pleasant characteristic.
I used to be most enthusiastic about enjoying one of many finest Sonic video games of all time, that’s Sonic 3D, a sport I keep in mind vividly enjoying as a baby, it was deemed a step into “next gen gaming”, which on the time felt prefer it was true.
With a mini console like this they’re some what restricted to what and the way a lot they’ll pre-load onto the console, and it’s going to be close to unattainable to please each single SEGA fan when choosing simply 60 video games.
You’ll discover video games similar to Earth Worm Jim 2, Fatal Fury 2, Ristar, Streets of Rage 3, Thunder Force IV, Virtua Racing and extra.
The SEGA CD assortment has a complete of 12 video games to select from together with Sonic The Hedgehog CD, Ecco The Dolphin, Night Trap and even Shining Force CD. Not unhealthy!
First Impressions of the console & controller
The console and controller could be very nicely made, admittedly it feels gentle, and just a little empty however that’s as a result of theres probably not numerous expertise in right here.
The console being gotten smaller has principally the identical traits as the unique, with the sliding energy button being the one actual distinction. Original Mega Drive 2’s within the UK had a button not a slider, this got here to our consideration by Time Extension.
There’s additionally a delicate reset button and a cartridge slot that does actually open, do you have to prefer to… play with the flaps? (Did i truly simply write that).
On the entrance you’ll find the 2 USB- ports on your controller.
The controller feels nostalgic, and is the very same measurement as the unique, making it really feel much more like the true deal, even when it’s related to a tool that’s truly smaller than the controller itself.
The cable is just 2M, a size that has trigger me points when sitting on my couch. It’s just a little too quick, and at occasions I discovered my console hanging in skinny air between the controller and the HDMI cable.
For those that sit comparatively far out of your TV, you will have to put money into a for much longer controller. Annoying I do know, and it brings me on to why I believe at this value, SEGA ought to have used wi-fi controllers.
It’s 2022, wi-fi controllers are simple to pay money for and low cost to purchase. I perceive why SEGA would need to preserve that nostalgic feeling of a wired controller however in actuality clients truly desire a wi-fi controller in order that they don’t seem to be restricted to 2 meters.
A wi-fi controller would permit clients to “pick up and play” as a substitute of getting to get the controller out of storage, unwind it, plug it in, after which pressure them to take a seat inside a 2m distance.
At £104, this ought to be commonplace. We are barely upset.
User interface and expertise
SEGA have completely nailed the consumer expertise, it’s fluid, simple to grasp and has a really nostalgic feeling about it.
I believe they understood that one of the necessary issues a mini console will need to have, is ease of use. Simply plug it into your HDMI port, join it to USB for energy, press on and be welcomed with a library of unimaginable video games, it’s that simple.
Games go in alphabetical order, however after enjoying your “recently played” will probably be added to the highest. you possibly can organise by way of consoles, builders, and genres too.
In the settings you possibly can change music, you possibly can view the video games backbone as a substitute of the face, you possibly can change facet ratio and you may add backgrounds to make it look customized. There’s solely a handful of background selections although, so don’t get too excited.
When you go to load up a sport you may be greeted with an outline of the sport, and learn how to play, alongside controller settings.
This is good for anybody new to Mega Drive video games, but additionally nice for these like me that also hasn’t performed all of them.
When in sport, you possibly can press the newly added “MODE” button on the highest proper of the controller, it will convey you right into a menu that means that you can save, hundreds states and leap again out into the principle menu.
This button is necessary and i exploit it typically to save lots of video games and leap into earlier load video games when switching between my library.
Gaming expertise
Because SEGA are utilizing emulation to create a flawless expertise of their very own video games, it has gone by numerous evaluations to get it working as completely as attainable, nevertheless it nonetheless is identical tech used of their earlier Mini console.
After placing numerous hours into this system I not often skilled any issues with the gameplay efficiency.
There was no stuttering of audio, no crashes, no display screen tearing, no body fee drops, it carried out because it ought to, which isn’t a shock as a result of low cost $30 retro handhelds can emulate the finest SEGA Mega Drive video games nicely too.
The solely push again I observed was load occasions. This was when switching between video games, transferring by the menus and so forth. It wasn’t sluggish, nevertheless it was noticeable to a degree the place I’d typically hear myself whisper “come on!”.
But to be truthful, that’s the one “performance” challenge I discovered, it’s a real silk easy SEGA expertise.
Should you purchase a SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2?
I actually like my SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2. It’s simple to setup, takes energy from a USB socket so I don’t have to make use of a wall socket, and it’s a blast to play on, however in a time of financial battle and the simple entry to emulators makes the £100+ price ticket far to large to make it really feel like a “good deal”.
This is a product aimed purely at SEGA fans, that’s it.
If you’re an enormous SEGA fan that wishes to relive the great previous days of the Mega Drive Mini 2, and wishes the sensation of an genuine controller whereas with the ability to simply join it to a HD TV then that is for you.
But due to the value tag, you will get an actual one with numerous video games for a similar value if not cheaper. And there’s many emulator handhelds that may additionally hook as much as a TV with bluetooth controllers for much cheaper too.
So it’s caught within the center between shopping for the true genuine previous console, or shopping for a extra reasonably priced emulation console that has the flexibility to play by way of a wi-fi controller on a HD TV.
If that was priced at £69.99 like the unique Mega Drive Mini then this overview could be lots totally different.
While i write this overview, the cherry on high is that that is bought out on Amazon, so it’s now close to unattainable to pay money for for that over-inflated value.
It’s an actual disgrace, and it’s doubtless that SEGA’s subsequent Mini Console will even have an inflated value if that is something to go by.
A 29 12 months previous fella that’s had a Gameboy habit ever since he was a baby. Brandon is the founding father of RetroDodo and created a YouTube channel with 240,000 subscribers devoted to retro gaming merchandise. He now needs to create the No.1 web site to showcase the newest retro merchandise from across the globe.
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