2018 saw the release of Sega’s Genesis Mini console (also known as a Mega Drive Mini). 2022 will see the release of the Genesis Mini 2, a second retro console from the Japanese publisher. And we have Amazon to thank for spoiling Sega’s announcement.
The launch isn’t all that unexpected. Japan has a Mega Drive Mini 2 launching this year, which will have a Sega CD add-on. The Genesis version hasn’t got the addition confirmed, yet, but its 27 October launch date is pretty official.
I want a Genesis Mini 2
Amazon dropped the ball on this one, accidentally revealing the console’s existence on its storefront. Sega took the early reveal on the chin, however. The publisher immediately launched an official website and detailed the first batch of games coming to the console. All told, there should be about 50. 23 are known so far, including one previously unreleased game. Yes, there’s a version of Sonic on it.
Additionally, the Genesis Mini 2 will launch with:
- After Burner II
- Alien Soldier
- Bonanza Bros.
- Fantasy Zone
- Lightening Force
- Mansion of Hidden Souls
- Night Striker
- The Ninjawarriors
- The Ooze
- OutRun
- OutRunners
- Rainbow Islands Extra
- Rolling Thunder 2
- Shining Force CD
- Shining in the Darkness
- Silpheed
- Sonic 3D Blast
- Sonic CD
- Splatterhouse 2
- Star Mobile (unreleased)
- Super Hang-On
- Vectorman 2
- Virtua Racing
Alien Soldier, Night Striker, and The Ninjawarriors are the Japanese versions of these titles. Others were originally released on Sega CD. The ones with ‘CD’ at the end are the obvious lot, as well as Mansion of Hidden Souls, Night Striker, The Ninjawarriors, and Silpheed.
There are a couple of tricky bits with regards to Sega’s new mini-console. There’s an official price available — $104, or about R1,800 (at today’s exchange rate). But shipping might be from Japan, and that’ll cost a little extra. The Sega Genesis Mini 2 is also apparently an Amazon exclusive. That doesn’t mean you can’t buy one. It just means you’ll have to buy one from Bezos’ company. As it happens, Amazon is planning on expanding its reach to several new countries. South Africa, apparently, is one of them. In that case, you might have to wait until February 2023, which is when Amazon will turn up in search of all our disposable income. Provided we haven’t spent it all on petrol by then.