【France】

With the Sega Genesis Mini,France Sega has restored the good names of the classic games it helped bring into the world, finally giving them the respect they deserve.

Inspired by Nintendo’s own NES Classic and SNES Classic consoles, Sega’s own foray into recreating its most beloved console in a tiny, game-stuffed package is a success in pretty much every regard. It includes 42 games, all of them well-emulated, and there’s not much more you can ask for.

For Genesis kids, it’s a wonderful trip back to the past. For people who want to dig into the annals of gaming history with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Altered Beast, Castlevania: Bloodlines, and other games, it’s the best way to experience them.

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When developers care, good re-releases are possible

First of all, the hardware is a lot of fun. The Genesis Mini looks like somebody hit the Genesis with a shrink ray. The details are great, from the little volume slider on the left side to the working flaps on top the open up into a cartridge slot, and the slot on the side that would presumably hook up to a Sega CD Mini. None of these details are actually usable, but it’s fun to see that Sega is including these little reminders of how things worked in the past.

The Genesis Mini comes with two controllers that feel like one-to-one remakes of the Genesis controllers. The only knocks on the controller are that the buttons are a little wobbly and the d-pad feels just a little too sensitive, but it’s nothing too serious.

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In terms of the games themselves, everything plays very well. These are some of the best Sega emulations to date, and they include the ability to create save states at any point, which is a nice addition to modernized classics as seen in Nintendo’s Classic consoles and virtual console offerings.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Before the Genesis Mini, it wasn’t easy to find a solid emulation of most of these games. Re-releases on various platforms were spotty and the Sega Genesis Classic system created by AtGames a couple years ago was pretty bad. If you want to play actual Genesis cartridges, you might have to drop a pretty dollar on used copies and a system like the Mega Sg.

The Genesis Mini cuts out the hassle and delivers a high-quality experience with everything you need to play right in the box.

It’s a nice reminder that, when developers care, good re-releases are possible. The world doesn’t need more half-assed emulations which are nothing more than a disservice to players and the developers who originally worked on the games. We can make old games playable.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Nintendo has been doing this for years. It’s nice to see Sega doing it now too.

SEE ALSO: These seven Sega Game Gear classics will bring you back to the ‘90s

Here's a full list of the 42 games on the Sega Genesis Mini:

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

• Alisia Dragoon

• Altered Beast

• Beyond Oasis

• Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

• Castlevania: Bloodlines

• Columns

• Comix Zone

• Contra: Hard Corps

• Darius

• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

• Dynamite Headdy

• Earthworm Jim

• Ecco the Dolphin

• Eternal Champions

• Ghouls ‘N Ghosts

• Golden Axe

• Gunstar Heroes

• Kid Chameleon

• Landstalker

• Light Crusader

• Mega Man: The Wily Wars

• Monster World IV

• Phantasy Star IV

• Road Rash II

• Shining Force

• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

• Sonic the Hedgehog

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2

• Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball

• Space Harrier

• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition

• Streets of Rage 2

• Strider

• Super Fantasy Zone

• Tetris

• Thunder Force III

• ToeJam & Earl

• Vectorman

• Virtua Fighter 2

• Wonder Boy in Monster World

• World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

The Genesis Mini is available for $80 on Sept. 19.

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