Sega to Release the Mega Drive Mini in 2018

SEGA prepares for the Genesis’ 30th anniversary.

SEGA has something special in store for its fans this year. As part of the 30th anniversary of its Genesis console, the company wants to release a mini version of it. We’re talking about the Mega Drive Mini, which will become available soon in Japan. The Genesis was known as Mega Drive everywhere outside of North America, so this is a very fitting tribute to a very popular product. Apparently, AtGames will take care of this new console’s manufacturing. This is the same company that made last year’s Sega Genesis Flashback, by the way. Unfortunately, that particular product did not enjoy a very good reception.

Should fans be concerned?

Things could be better this time around if AtGames has learned from its mistakes. The manufacturer revealed that the Mega Drive Mini would rely on a new emulator with improved gameplay and the audio. After the Japanese launch, the console will arrive in the US and other regions eventually, but we don’t have any information on a release date right now. No specific news on hardware or what games to expect either, but we do know that Sonic 3 will not be a part of the lineup. That’s because of some licensing issues with the game’s music. Moreover, the Japanese version of the Mega Drive Mini will not include a cartridge slot. The US version will probably have one, though.