# Sega Genesis Mini
The **Sega Genesis Mini** (known as the Mega Drive Mini, メガドライブミニ, in Japan) is a dedicated retro console released by Sega on September 19, 2019, a palm-sized replica of Sega's 1988 16-bit Mega Drive home console that comes preloaded with 42 classic games and two controllers[1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/) • [2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/). It was Sega's first in-house entry into the mini-console market after years of licensing its catalog to the third-party manufacturer AtGames, and it was developed in partnership with M2, a studio specializing in faithful ports of older games[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | September 19, 2019, announced at Sega Fes 2019[1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/) |
| Price | $79.99 in North America; 6,980 yen (tax excluded) in Japan[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/) |
| Games | 42 built-in titles in the US/EU version; 40 announced for the Japanese Mega Drive Mini[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/) |
| Developer | M2, working with Sega after Sega ended its AtGames licensing arrangement[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) |
| Size | 154 mm wide, 39 mm high, 116 mm deep[1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/) |
| Output and power | 720p over HDMI; powered over USB[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) |
| Controllers | Two three-button pads with 6-foot cables; supports six-button USB pads such as Retro-Bit reproductions[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [3](https://time.com/5701451/sega-genesis-mini-review/) |
| Follow-up | Sega Genesis Mini 2, based on the Genesis Model 2, with 60 titles including Sega CD games[4](https://www.sega.jp/genesismini2/) |
## Background
Sega had licensed its Genesis catalog for more than a decade to AtGames, whose plug-and-play clone consoles were widely criticized for poor emulation quality and padded game lists, in which a large share of the advertised titles were not actual Genesis games[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [5](https://as.com/betech/2017/01/03/portada/1483438730_775804.html). To match Nintendo's success with the NES Classic and SNES Classic, Sega ended that arrangement and worked with M2, a team it had already used for many catalog re-releases[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/).
The console was announced at the Sega Fes 2019 event in [Akihabara](https://www.edgepedia.org/akihabara) on March 30–31, 2019, for a September 19, 2019 release, roughly thirty years after the original Mega Drive launched in 1988[1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/). A two-controller bundle, the Mega Drive Mini W, was sold alongside the standard unit at 8,980 yen[1](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/).
## Hardware and design
The Mini is a mostly faithful miniature recreation of the original Model 1 Genesis, smaller than the controllers it ships with, down to cosmetic details such as the removable expansion-port cover and cartridge-slot flaps; a working power switch and reset button operate as on the original[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [6](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sega-genesis-mini-review). The front stereo headphone port of the original hardware is absent[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/). Japanese customers could also buy mock miniature add-ons such as the Mega CD and 32X, and miniature cartridges, options not sold in other markets[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/).
The system displays at 720p over HDMI and is powered over USB, either from a TV port or the included power adapter[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/). The included three-button controllers replicate the original pads, with 6-foot cables, one foot longer than the SNES Classic's and twice the NES Classic's[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far).
## Game library
The 42-game US/EU lineup spans eight years of the console's life, from *[Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-kidd-in-the-enchanted-castle)* to the 1997 Genesis port of *Virtua Fighter 2*[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far). It includes *Sonic the Hedgehog*, *Sonic the Hedgehog 2*, *Sonic Spinball*, and *Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine*, though *Sonic the Hedgehog 3* and *Sonic & Knuckles* are not included, as well as *Golden Axe*, *Ecco the Dolphin*, *Streets of Rage 2*, *Castlevania: Bloodlines*, *Gunstar Heroes*, *Phantasy Star IV*, and the two Mickey Mouse Disney titles *Castle of Illusion* and *World of Illusion*[3](https://time.com/5701451/sega-genesis-mini-review/) • [2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [13](https://www.androidauthority.com/sega-genesis-mini-review-1065992/).
Several inclusions are notable for their rarity. *Mega Man: The Wily Wars* and *Monster World IV* were never released at retail in North America, and the Mini uses the English translation of *Monster World IV* that reached the Wii Virtual Console in 2012[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far). The Genesis *Tetris* is a rare cartridge, with only a handful of copies of the Japanese version surviving after production was halted following a lawsuit[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/). The most unusual entry is *Darius*: the original Taito arcade game had never existed on the Genesis until a hobbyist developer in Japan created his own port, which M2 polished for release on the Mini[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/).
Yuzo Koshiro, composer of *Streets of Rage*, contributed a new song for the home screen, written on the same Yamaha YM2612 sound chip used in the original hardware[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far).
## Features and emulation
Every game includes four save-state slots, a practical addition because the Genesis's best action games famously lacked backup save batteries[8](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/09/sega-genesis-mini-review-genesis-does-what-ninten-did-and-thats-good-enough/). Video options include a 4:3 aspect ratio, a 16:9 mode that stretches the image horizontally, and a CRT filter that reproduces scanlines, though it darkens the image noticeably[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far) • [9](https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-12-sega-genesis-mini-review.html) • [14](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sega-genesis-mini).
**Region switching** is a distinctive feature: changing the system's language changes the regional version of the games on offer, swapping in Japanese cover art and Japanese ROMs, so that, for example, *Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine* becomes *Puyo Puyo*[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [9](https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-12-sega-genesis-mini-review.html). The option is buried in the language settings, and the regional title sets are not identical across territories[2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/) • [10](https://retroonly.com/what-games-come-on-the-sega-genesis-classic/).
Limitations reviewers noted include the absence of a rewind function, which the SNES Classic offers, and the three-button pads, which make fighting games such as *Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition* much harder because Start must toggle between punches and kicks; five of the 42 games support the six-button controller[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far) • [2](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/).
## Reception
The Mini was received as a strong entry in the mini-console market. Tom's Guide called it the new benchmark for retro consoles, citing its roster, emulation quality, and feature set[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far). Engadget's review was titled "the best mini console out there"[9](https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-12-sega-genesis-mini-review.html), and Nintendo Life argued it finally did Sega's history justice, noting that its 42-game lineup doubled the SNES Classic's 21 games[11](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/the-genesis-mega-drive-mini-finally-does-segas-history-justice). At roughly $2 per game, reviewers considered it good value[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far).
## Sega Genesis Mini 2
A sequel, the **Sega Genesis Mini 2**, was released with improved hardware in a compact design based on the Genesis Model 2, shipping with the six-button control pad[4](https://www.sega.jp/genesismini2/). It includes 60 classic titles, surpassing the first Mini, and adds [Sega CD](https://www.edgepedia.org/sega-cd) games such as *Sonic the Hedgehog CD*, *Night Trap*, and *Final Fight CD*, plus a never-released bonus game[4](https://www.sega.jp/genesismini2/). The western release came on October 27 as the Genesis Mini 2, with games not included on the first unit, such as *Alien Soldier* and *Lightning Force* (known elsewhere as *Thunder Force IV*)[12](https://www.mclibre.org/descargar/docs/revistas/wireframe/wireframe-65-en-202208.pdf).
## References
1. [『メガドライブミニ』、令和元年9月19日（木）発売決定, SEGA](https://www.sega.jp/topics/detail/190401_soft_2/)
2. [Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Mini Review – Rad Retro Revival, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-genesismega-drive-mini-review-rad-retro-reviv/1100-6469738/)
3. [Sega's Throwback Genesis Mini is Packed With Good Vibes, TIME](https://time.com/5701451/sega-genesis-mini-review/)
4. [Genesis Mini 2, SEGA](https://www.sega.jp/genesismini2/)
5. [¿Son recomendables las alternativas a la Mini NES para los Reyes Magos?, AS](https://as.com/betech/2017/01/03/portada/1483438730_775804.html)
6. [Sega Genesis Mini review, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sega-genesis-mini-review)
7. [Sega Genesis Mini Review: The New Retro Benchmark, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/a-week-with-the-sega-genesis-mini-what-we-love-so-far)
8. [Sega Genesis Mini review: $80 delivers a ton of blast-processing fun, Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/09/sega-genesis-mini-review-genesis-does-what-ninten-did-and-thats-good-enough/)
9. [Sega Genesis Mini review: The best mini console out there, Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-12-sega-genesis-mini-review.html)
10. [What Games Come on the Sega Genesis Classic? Full List, Retro Only](https://retroonly.com/what-games-come-on-the-sega-genesis-classic/)
11. [Review: The Genesis / Mega Drive Mini Finally Does Sega's History Justice, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/the-genesis-mega-drive-mini-finally-does-segas-history-justice)
12. [The Mega Drive Mini, Wireframe issue 65](https://www.mclibre.org/descargar/docs/revistas/wireframe/wireframe-65-en-202208.pdf)
13. [Review: Sega Genesis Mini is the perfect gift to put under your tree](https://www.androidauthority.com/sega-genesis-mini-review-1065992/)
14. [Sega Genesis Mini review](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sega-genesis-mini)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Platforms and hardware › Emulation and preservation › Mini and dedicated reissue consoles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license