Sega Mega Drive 2 Mini Review - Imported Retro Greatness?

How different is the Japanese Mega Drive 2 Mini compared to the American Sega Genesis Mini 2? We find that out as we unbox and test it out, comparing it to the American version, to see if this is retro greatness.

The mini console market really hit its peak about 3 years ago, which is why many people were surprised to see Sega announce a follow-up to the original, amazing little Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive Mini. These are some of the best-performing mini consoles to date, but Sega also had a revision of the Genesis and Mega Drive in full scale to draw design inspiration from. They did just that in the summer of 2022 and they announced the Mega Drive Mini 2, featuring the aesthetics of the second Mega Drive, and an entirely different library from the original. But how does it stack up not only to the original but to the American version?

Out of the box, the Mega Drive Mini 2 comes with the system itself, one six-button controller, an HDMI cable, and a micro USB cable for power. Unlike the US system, it does not include a power supply. Much like the US version, I am disappointed to see a micro USB for power and not USB-C. there's really very little reason not to make this switch and upgrade.

Aesthetically, the Mega Drive Mini 2 is virtually identical to its US counterpart. The cartridge slot is rectangular in shape versus having the region shape that the US cartridge had for one. For two, and this is something that the US version did incorrectly, the power switch is a slide-on-off versus the push button we got here on the original Genesis 2. Sega maintained the slide switch for power for the US version which was disappointing.

A major difference between the Mega Drive Mini 2 and the Genesis 2 can be seen when you power the system up for the first time. With the Genesis Mini 2, you go through a setup screen to select your language and a few other things. Not so with the Mega Drive Mini 2, it takes you right to the games menu. It is possible to switch the menus from Japanese to other languages, we did find that setting in the menu, but it wasn't as complete of a translation as we would have liked.

One of the key reasons that many people had looked to import the Mega Drive Mini 2 was the library of games. Specifically, the Lunar series. Many people not only wanted to play these games but have them translated into English. Unfortunately, none of the games have been translated from Japanese to English.

While the American Genesis 2 can fit and be displayed on the mini Tower 2, the fitment seems much better on the Japanese Mega Drive Mini 2. The pieces seem to go together a whole lot better. Also, since the Virtua Racing cartridge included has the shape of the Mega Drive cartridge slot, this fits perfectly unlike in the Genesis Mini 2. Such an odd decision but okay. The system also seemed like it was held into place a little bit better, like the molds lined up a little better or something.

Why it RoX:
- Amazingly accurate aesthetics
- Six button controller
- Good selection of games
- Compatible with retro bit wireless controllers
- Very good performance

What could be improved:
- Micro USB for power
- Only one controller included
- Only available through Amazon Japan
- No translation patches for games

Should you buy one?
The games in English were virtually, if not completely, identical to the games that were on the Genesis Mini 2. They played well, and they look good, but I couldn't help but feel like I paid for the same thing twice which I literally did. I was really hoping that some of the games would have language options and I'm quite disappointed none of them did. This is a major factor to keep in mind if you're looking to import the system. I don't know that this is something that I will hold on to long-term, and that's unfortunate, but that's also the nature of collecting imports. Sometimes it's a bang, sometimes it's a bust, and right now I feel like the Mega Drive Mini 2 was a bit of a bust, at least for me.

#Sega #MegaDriveMini2 #ImportGames #GenesisMini2 ##MiniConsoles #16BitGames