Let’s dance
From the moment
you turn it on, the
Mega Drive Mini charms
with its catchy menu
music by legendary
composer Yuzo
Koshiro.TESTED SEGA MEGA DRIVE MINISega’s long-awaited entry into the
miniaturised retro console market has
arrived in time to squeeze onto Santa’s sled
QNearly two decades after Sega
officially left the console-making
business, it’s a delight to see the
Japanese company revive its most
beloved 16-bit machine – and this
is the real thing, not some branded
knock-off using dodgy emulation.QIt’s too late for the Mega Drive’s
30th anniversary, which was last
year, but the wait has been worth
it: this lovingly dinky and accurate
replica includes a whopping 42
games, more than the SNES Mini
and PlayStation Classic combined.QSega has done an excellent
job of faithfully reproducing the
console based on its iconic Model 1
design, except at a hand-friendly
55 % of the original size. It’s even
got flaps for the dummy cartridge
slot. Bundled in are two control
pads, and the six-foot cables are
a vast improvement over the ones
you get with some mini consoles.QThe emulation work has been
handled by retro masters M2, also
behind the Sega Ages ports for
the Switch, so you can expect
these 40 classic games to run
every bit as well as you remember
them. As a bonus, they’ve even
ported a pair of old arcade gems,
classic puzzler Tetris and hardcore
shoot-’em-up Darius.QFor modern audiences who
might have a problem with the
old-school difficulty levels of these
games, you’re able to create up to
four save states... though there’s
no rewind function. Handily, you
can access the save menu just by
holding down the start button on
your controller.There’ll be playground rows and online feuds over whether Nintendo’s or Sega’s
games are better, but the Mega Drive Mini wins the mini retro console war in terms
of the faithful recreation of both hardware and software. It’s taken a long time to get
here, but as the saying goes, to be this good takes ages – and the Sega is going to be
the must-buy console this Christmas.Sega’s console
comeback is a
perfect little box
of arcade fun
Alan WenDrive is home for Xmas
STUFF SAYS Sega’s back – and this really is the ultimate mini gaming machine +++++
Games included 42
Connectivity HDMI, USB
Dimensions 270x176x73mm, 998gQ Cool if you think it’s over
A lot of the games are perfect for
pick-up-and-play sessions, and
over a third support two-player.
Those who want to invest in
their nostalgia for longer can
also enjoy RPGs like Shining Force
and Phantasy Star IV.Q The code to hell
While Sega has re-released its
16-bit back catalogue on other
platforms before, this collection
offers a fine summary of the
console’s history – including
third-party titles such as Street
Fighter II and Castle of Illusion.£70 / stuff.tv/MegaDriveMiniTech specs