Sega Genesis Mini review

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VideoGameCritic
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Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby VideoGameCritic » January 12th, 2020, 1:22 pm

Check out my review of the new Sega Genesis Mini system.

https://videogamecritic.com/extras/reviews/genmini.htm

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RDReynolds
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby RDReynolds » January 12th, 2020, 6:48 pm

Good review. I was kinda bummed they went with the three-button controllers, but like the system overall.

djc
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby djc » January 12th, 2020, 8:38 pm

Good review.

I was debating picking up the officially licensed Genesis mini but after doing some research, I decided to go with the last Atgames (hold your eye-rolls) Sega Genesis Flashback HD console which was produced in 2018. This one not only looks the part (much better than the prior 2017 model), the emulation is significantly improved over previous Flashback offerings. Sound effects no longer make my ears want to bleed and the framerate is vastly improved.

While it's not perfect by any means and just about all purists will bemoan something about the emulation, I think the fact that it supports HDMI (720p), has an actual cartridge port, has an SD card slot, built in save slots, and has a sizable library of built in games (85) representing the Genesis, Master System, and Game Gear makes it a great system for casual gamers.

Much like you I have the real consoles and a good selection of games but this gives me the ability to play games I would never purchase on my own for a number of reasons.

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Retro STrife
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby Retro STrife » January 13th, 2020, 9:12 am

Nice review. I'm still on the fence about buying this. I've bought other mini systems - but I barely ever use them - and this seems destined to just sit on a shelf if I got one. Seems like the perfect option for gamers that don't own a Genesis though. And I love the box and system design (good call including the original and mini in your photo, btw; great comparison).

A couple quick typo notes:
-First paragraph, last sentence.. says "they you could argue".. delete "they".
-Third paragraph.. "there's a nice selection of role player games" should be "role playing".

djc wrote:I was debating picking up the officially licensed Genesis mini but after doing some research, I decided to go with the last Atgames (hold your eye-rolls) Sega Genesis Flashback HD console which was produced in 2018.


Another great option for anyone on the fence is "Sega Genesis Classics", a game that was released on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, and sells for around $20. While other Genesis compilations have been released in the past, I think Sega Genesis Classics is the best yet. It has over 50 games, with many top-tier games. Most of them are on the Genesis mini and prior compilations, but there are a few differences. Genesis Classics also has other useful features like save states and a rewind button. I love it - great option for Genesis games on a budget or anyone that doesn't want another mini console. Here's the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sega+Genesis ... eogamec-20

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noah98
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby noah98 » January 13th, 2020, 6:35 pm

I bought one because I got it on sale and seem to now be collecting mini consoles. I bought a six button controller too. I think it's a solid unit, great for those who don't have the real thing. I did the Project Lunar mod where you can just add a few more Genesis games without changing the UI or adding other systems. That made it better, but I still prefer to play on the Mega SG or my CRT with the original console.

newmodelarmy
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby newmodelarmy » January 13th, 2020, 7:03 pm

Great review!

Well the Genesis was a system I had "back in the day". I played the heck out of sports titles like Madden and NHL. I honestly didn't play much else, boy was I missing out!

I got a mini for Christmas and really enjoy it. I would highly recommend you review Beyond Oasis, it is a fun adventure game. Also for Christmas, I got the six button controller which is great, makes playing the fighting games much easier.

Good review as always. If anybody interested in adding additional games to their mini, google "Project Lunar".

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Matchstick
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby Matchstick » January 13th, 2020, 8:33 pm

djc wrote:I decided to go with the last Atgames (hold your eye-rolls) Sega Genesis Flashback HD console which was produced in 2018. This one not only looks the part (much better than the prior 2017 model), the emulation is significantly improved over previous Flashback offerings.

I almost bought one of these, myself, a little while back, but man, have the prices spiked on them! They were going for about $25 or so around last Summer when I first had my eye on one. After the Genesis Mini was released, prices began to climb, and it now looks like I can't pick one up for less than $60. At that rate, I feel like I might as well get the Genesis Mini. I like the idea of a cartridge slot that can play all my physical games, but the asking price is a bit steep for what it is. I already have my OG Genesis hooked up to a 20" tube TV in the back room, and for me, it's just not worth spending a lot to be able to play my Genesis games on my living room HDTV, too.

GameStop had these Genesis Mini consoles for $35 on New Year's Eve, with free shipping. *Almost* went for one then. I might snap one up when they go on sale for close to that amount again. For me, it's less about the purchase price and more about whether or not I'll actually be using the damn thing. $35 is a great price, but if I drop $35 on something and literally never use it once, then there's not much point in buying it to begin with!

I like the review, but I have one nitpick. The last photo in the review appears to have been taken without a flash, and it seems so much darker and more dim than the other photos on the page. The rest of the photos are bright and vibrant and really pop off the screen, making the last shot seem so dull by comparison. It's probably too late to get a "group shot" of all the items in the box now, so I guess the existing last shot will have to do.

I am rather impressed they managed to snag a few third-party titles for this mini console, such as Road Rash and Castlevania. I never thought I would see any of the RR games on one of these things, so that shows what I know! Shame there aren't any sports titles, as games like NBA Jam, NHL Hockey, the Sports Talk games, and the Mutant League series were always absolute go-to games around my house.

Funny that us old timers can appreciate the fact that super-expensive games such as Castlevania Bloodlines are included with this set, yet at the same time bemoan the fact that bargain-bin titles like Madden '92 are not. If only the Genesis Mini had a functional cartridge slot, there would be no complaints. Well, less complaints, anyway. Maybe they'll put out a Model 2 next year??

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby VideoGameCritic » January 15th, 2020, 9:49 pm

Somebody emailed me that the Genesis Mini lets you toggle between the English and Japanese versions of the games! I should give that a try and perhaps update the review.

Teej
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby Teej » January 16th, 2020, 7:48 am

VideoGameCritic wrote:Somebody emailed me that the Genesis Mini lets you toggle between the English and Japanese versions of the games! I should give that a try and perhaps update the review.


You should definitely play around in the Japanese interface (that’s how you access the international versions, by changing the systems language settings). The Japanese version of a Contra Hard Corp is a HUGE improvement, as the difficulty is toned down to reasonable levels. And the Japanese Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine is simply the original Puyo Puyo!

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Atariboy
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Re: Sega Genesis Mini review

Postby Atariboy » January 17th, 2020, 6:55 am

Be aware that the steps to revert to the English menu afterwards will be in Japanese.


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