09/14/2022
A Mega collection
The Mega Drive Mini has the largest collection of games from a mini console to date. The emulation work has been handled by retro developer masters M2, also behind the SEGA AGES ports for the Switch, so you can expect 40 classic games running as well as you remember. As a bonus, they’ve even ported a pair of old arcade gems, classic puzzler Tetris and hardcore shoot-’em-up Darius, taking the grand total of games to 42.
While Sega has re-released its 16-bit back catalogue on other platforms before (about half of these already feature in the Mega Drive Collection released just last year for PS4, Xbox One and Switch), this collection does a fine job of demonstrating the console’s decade-long history.
These include notable third party titles such as Street Fighter II, Castlevania: The New Generation, and even Disney-licensed Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion. The likes of Streets of Rage 2, Comix Zone, and of course Sega’s very own cool blue mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, especially showcase the hip, mature edge the Mega Drive had over its direct competition Nintendo at the height of the ’90s console wars.
Not all of these games have aged well. Alex Kidd and Altered Beast, I still maintain, were never good to begin with, while the 2D demake of Virtua Fighter 2 is just all sorts of wrong. However, Sega’s arcade heritage also makes a lot of these games perfect for quick pick-up-and-play sessions, especially if you’ve got company as over a third of these support two-player. Still, those who want to invest in their nostalgia for longer can also enjoy RPGs like Shining Force and Phantasy Star IV. There really is something for everybody.
