Sega bringing back 16-bit days with new ‘Mega Drive Mini’

MANILA, Philippines – Nintendo made retro gaming all the rage when it rereleased the NES in 2016 and the Super NES Classic last year which sold out within minutes. Sega is now following suit and hoping to cash in on the nostalgia by unveiling a miniature version of the Mega Drive, currently called the Mega Drive Mini at Sega FES 2018.

The announcement is in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sega Mega Drive, called Genesis in the US, first released in 1988. Nothing was revealed about its price and extra features but gamers can rest assured that it’s shipping with a number of classic games.

The Tokyo-based video game company partnered with gaming hardware manufacturer, AtGames, whose technology is going to power the new console.

“The rumors are true,” AtGames wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “Sega is going to release the Mega Drive Mini in Japan, powered by the latest AtGames technology. This same new and improved technology will find its way into the U.S. and other territories later this year!”

Here’s a photo tweeted by Sega:

『メガドライブ ミニ』（仮称）

※画像はイメージです。#セガフェス #メガドライブ #メガドライブ30周年https://t.co/HWj6NFL96y pic.twitter.com/KG8a6DhG7L

— セガ公式アカウント (@SEGA_OFFICIAL) April 14, 2018

This tweet hints that the console is expected to hit Japan first before finding its way in the US and other territories later this year.

Sega exited the hardware manufacturing business in the early 2000s when its Dreamcast console failed to compete with the likes of Sony’s Playstation 2, Microsoft’s Xbox, and Nintendo’s Gamecube. The company is now hoping to capitalize on the recent success of Nintendo’s Classic line and strike gold with the reboot of the console that birthed a new generation of video games. – Rappler.com