Sega has fulfilled the dreams of nostalgic gamers across the globe in its grand unveiling of the Sega Mega Drive Mini at this year’s Sega festival. Sounds like the Atari VCS has got some competition! This tentatively named ‘Mega Drive Mini’ celebrates the 30 year legacy of the original Mega Drive, and will be releasing in 2018, also in its native Japan.
The pint-sized feat of engineering will likely replicate the HDMI connection used in NES and SNES Mini consoles. If this announcement seems strangely familiar, that’s because AtGames has already gifted fans with a classic plug and play system boasting a plethora of games. Sega’s official version is smaller, and more closely resembles its eighties-born ancestor.
Both the exact lineup and total number of playable games is currently unknown. However, according to Sega Corp chairman Hajime Satomi, the selection of games accompanying the Mega Drive Mini will feature mania-inducing titles that took the gaming world by storm — so start casting your predictions. I think it’s safe to say Sonic, Golden Axe, Altered Beast, and Mortal Kombat games will make an appearance. More details are expected to be revealed soon.
Additionally, Sega announced that Shenmue I and II would be available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with options between retro and modern control schemes.
Are you loving the retro renaissance? The 8-bit home computer Commodore 64 also recently downsized into a mini-edition. Since we’re in the spirit of shrinking classic consoles, I’m wagering a PlayStation or Xbox Mini aren’t a long way off, either.