Everything You Need to Know About the SEGA Genesis Mini: Full Game List, and What's In the Box
The SEGA Genesis Mini is nearly upon us. With a September 19 release date, there's not much time left before we're all living the 16-bit dream of the early '90s on release day. With 42 games, two controllers included in the box, it has everything you need to start reliving SEGA's console glory days.
M2 is handling the Genesis Mini software and emulation, and if you're familiar with M2, you know it has a storied history of going above and beyond when it comes to bringing old games to modern hardware. For example, changing the language options in the Genesis Mini menu also changes which localized version of the game you can play. In addition, there's a port of the arcade game Darius inside the Genesis Mini, a game that never existed for SEGA Genesis in an official capacity. The Genesis version of Tetris is also part of the 42 games coming to SEGA Genesis Mini, as well as Monster World IV, both of which never released in the US for the console.
With a September 19 release date, there's plenty of time to grab one for yourself, and the good news is you can preorder the SEGA Genesis Mini right now. It looks like the Genesis Mini will be closer to Nintendo's offerings with the NES Classic and Super NES Classic than to Sony's misstep with the PlayStation Classic. The SEGA Genesis Mini game list is chock full of popular classics, rare gems, and even a wholly new port. It could very well be the new gold standard when it comes to retro all-in-one consoles.
SEGA Genesis Mini Games List
Some of the best SEGA Genesis classics are coming to the SEGA Genesis Mini. All told, it has 42 games, 2 more than initially promised. Here is the full list of SEGA Genesis Mini games:
Ecco the Dolphin
Castlevania: Bloodlines (Castlevania: The New Generation in AU/UK)
Space Harrier 2
Shining Force
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Toe Jam & Earl
Comix Zone
Sonic the Hedgehog
Altered Beast
Gunstar Heroes
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Earthworm Jim
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
Thunder Force III
Super Fantasy Zone
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Streets of Rage 2
Contra Hard Corps (Probotector in AU/UK)
Landstalker
Mega Man: The Wily Wars
Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Sonic Spinball
Phantasy Star IV
Beyond Oasis (The Story of Thor in AU/UK)
Ghouls 'N Ghosts
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Golden Axe
Vectorman
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Tetris
Darius
Virtua Fighter 2
Alisia Dragoon
Monster World IV
Kid Chameleon
Road Rash II
Eternal Champions
Columns
Dynamite Headdy
Strider
Light Crusader
If you're unfamiliar with M2, it handled the excellent SEGA Ages Collections and also the delightful SEGA 3D Classics Collection for Nintendo 3DS. It would be hard to find a developer with a better pedigree to handle the software for the first-party SEGA Genesis Mini, so these Sega Genesis classics should get the respect they deserve.
What to Look Out For
Navigating the world of SEGA Genesis Mini retail is something of a minefield. SEGA played fast and loose with its licensing in the past. Be advised: there are a lot of third-party "mini SEGA Genesis" consoles already on the market, but only one official SEGA Genesis Mini, coming out September 19, 2019. The third-party SEGA Genesis mini consoles seem like a good value, packed with tons of games, but they have poor emulation and most don't output a high-definition signal. In fact, some of them ONLY output using A/V cables, a feature increasingly absent from modern television sets. Don't be fooled!
The good news when it comes to supply is it doesn't look as though the SEGA Genesis Mini is in danger of selling out immediately, as was the case with the first runs of the NES and Super NES Classics from Nintendo.
All in all, it looks like this will be a hit, unlike Sony's PlayStation Classic mini console, which is regarded by almost everyone (except emulation hackers) as a complete disappointment.
If you're the sort of person who drops extra money to get the Japanese / Asia versions of your favorite mini-consoles, here's the full list of games coming to the Mega Drive Mini, also releasing on September 19, 2019.
Japanese / Asia Mega Drive Mini Games List
Here is the fill list of Mega Drive Mini games coming to Japan / Asia:
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Comix Zone
Gunstar Heroes
Madou Monogatari I
Powerball
Puyo Puyo Tsu
Rent-A-Hero
Shining Force
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Space Harrier 2
Thunder Force III
Super Fantasy Zone
Musha
World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
Streets of Rage 2
The Hybrid Front
Landstalker
Contra: Hard Corps
Dyna Brothers 2
Game no Kanzume Otokuyou
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Mega Man: The Wily Wars
Golden Axe
The Revenge of Shinobi
Phantasy Star IV
Beyond Oasis (The Story of Thor: A Successor of The Light)
Puzzle & Action: Tant-R
Party Quiz Mega Q
Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Touitsusen
Tetris
Darius
Virtua Fighter 2
Alisia Dragoon
Monster World IV
Kid Chameleon
Road Rash II
Eternal Champions
Columns
Dynamite Headdy
Strider
Light Crusader
The Mega Drive Mini is getting an extra bonus in the way of a purely cosmetic "Megadora Tower Mini," also known as the SEGA Tower of Power. While real life versions can get even more ridiculous, this beastly amalgam is comprised of miniature, official hardware replicas. It's extremely cool and limited-edition, and so far it looks like only Japan is getting the add-on. The Mega Drive Mini tower releases in Japan on September 19, the same say as the SEGA Genesis Mini and Mega Drive Mini.
Seth Macy (2019, September 17)
Everything You Need to Know About the SEGA Genesis Mini: Where to Preorder, Full Game List, and What's In the Box. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com