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DF Retro: Sega Genesis Mini/ Mega Drive Mini Review: The Ultimate Nostalgia Trip?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ย. 2019
- It's not perfect - but it's very, very good nonetheless. M2's work on the Sega Genesis Mini (aka Mega Drive Mini) is pretty awesome, the hardware itself is beautiful and the game selection is astonishing. What's not to like? John Linneman has the DF Retro verdict right here.
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Oh man, I still remember clearly.. I was 9 and asked for a NES from my dad. He said if I do well in my exams, he'll buy me one. I did. Then followed him to Toys R Us to buy the console. To my surprise, he bought me a Mega Drive instead! Together with Golden Axe & Sonic the Hedgehog. You couldn't even imagine the happiness I felt on that day. Love you dad!
Ozarudin Azman Awww that’s amazing. This story made me smile.
More stories like this please. Everyone always claims they "played when they were a kid", yet can never cite memories like these.
I was a bit older at the time but no chance my father would buy me a console, even a portable one, too expensive =( I played the Mega Drive the first time at a friend´s house during elementary school.
You took exams at 9?
Pro same thing happened to me bro than I fell in love with the Sega Genesis I played sonic 1 and mortal combat lol😅
This is by far the best review of this console on TH-cam, thank you for taking the time to break it down properly :)
You didn't like the Cinemassacre one? ;-P
@@drewirons2646 Haha no I really liked it, I'm actually a big fan of Mike Matei but I prefer comparisons and deep technical explanations as opposed to an empty game store with people getting into fake fights :P Was funny and entertaining tho
@@JeBubbieSpubbies I think they could probably get a good thing going with Retail Reviews, but it can't feel like they just turned on the camera and hoped for the best. There are simply too many high quality and informative videos on retro games these days for them to just be so off-the -cuff. If they are trying to go the RedLetterMedia route, they can't talk over each other so much and they need to follow a loose outline. I think they could probably make it more casual than something like My Life in Gaming, but they need to also be straighforward in their delivery.
@@emersonarmstrong89 Right; it would do them well to do something more like RedLetterMedia. Casual and fun conversation, but to the point.
If Sega made a Dreamcast Mini I would buy it instantly day one.
Tell me about it!
Me too!
Same!!!! Dunno about it every happening though sadly.
I would buy 2!
God yes, Powerstone 1&2, Shenmue 1&2, Ferrari F355 Challenge, Code Veronica, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5, Jet Set Radio, Marvel Vs Capcom, Grandia 2 for starters, give it to me!
Tetris on the MD mini is actually a brand new version, not just the old unreleased game.
Why no piece preview?
@@richardhutnik there is at the top, just one though
It's Tetris, what do people expect?
@@nintendo1889x It's M2, so they used the OG Sega Tetris arcade assets and programmed a new version.
@@nintendo1889x The original (unreleased) version was quite flawed, mostly the controls. And no, Tetris is not just Tetris :)
That Genesis sound chip was no joke. Plugging headphones into was so awesome.
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldnt picture this
GT45000 fifty inch screen money green leather sofa
BIG ;)
Got 2 rides, a limousine and a chauffeur....
16:35 Urgh, sound delay :( Thank you for pointing that out, this is the kind of detail I look forward to being discussed in your videos.
The Mega Drive had some of the best soundtracks for their games. Streets of Rage 2 by far has the best soundtrack on the MD and of all time.
Eric Cartman I totally agree !!
John states in the video that the Mega Drive/Genesis Mini is his favourite mini console yet at 4:37. That's good enough for me :)
keyword being mini console, good thing to get as a collectors item or for the kids, but not something people familiar with the original hardware should hedge on seriously.
Tinny sound in places, constant Sound lag and input lag and fixed library. Might as well emulate or bite the bullet and go Analogue.
Until tg16cdgrafx mini drops lol but I'm getting both
Can always count on you Jon for the most in-depth and trusted reviews of anything retro. Thanks for your hard work!
I love your retro videos John! Even if it is a territory that I now very little about you always manage to make this interesting.
Ahh the power of blast processing is still unrivaled
The Sega Master System didn't need blast processing.
@ Its still being sold as it is still in demand. No mini.
@ btw, your face is rubbish.
Nick Tronson
No one wanted a Master system ever at least in the UK, the Amiga was the go to machine and after that import PC Engine or Megadrive in the late 80's. The Master System like the NES were 8 bit shite that no one cared about. They were better than 8 bit early 80's computer yes but dog shite compared to 16 bit computers, no one cares.
John, you inspire me to do better. Your breakdowns are phenomenal and incredibly thorough. Keep being a master at your craft, the rest of us have a lot to learn!
Really happy to hear that the PAL-versions also run at 60hz. That was something that worried me, as the Mega Drive Mini will only release in Europe in october, and I'm not sure if the american versions of the games are available on the european Mega Drive Mini.
This thing would be DOA in PAL regions otherwise. The era of the Genesis was not kind to PAL region gamers.
It's so heartwarming to see John finally diving back into PC CRTs :')
Love John’s work & DF Retro Sunday’s!!
Genesis games got some sick tracks!
Best review of the Mini so far. Excellent work, including the great choice of music and editing throughout!
I wish they had the composite filter. That blew my mind seeing how much better Genesis look on composite than the more cleaner RGB or HDMI
Man, Streets of Rage 2 had such a brilliant soundtrack.
David Addis yeah agreed , still one of my favourites 👍😊
37 minutes of genesis talk? Great start to a Sunday
Agreed
But its not 37 minutes long?
Jonathan Graber yeah I had watched gamesacks vid right before this and got my times thrown off
Contra Hard Corps is one of my favourite childhood games.
the train robot tho
@@robertbektas1810 So good.
TripleFermentation I only found out about the game this year and it’s one of my favourites. I’m glad it’s playable in two ways.
@@robertbektas1810 It blew me away when I was 7 or 8, and I played the hell out of it. There's a secret ending that I found as well :D
TripleFermentation if you play as Sheena it’s the most progressive ending cause it’s lesbian and inter-species relationship
Gunstar Heroes was one of the best and most technical side scrolling beatem ups in it's day. One of my favs growing up. Super original artwork, contra style weapon system and close quarters throw mecahnics just made it memorable for me.
I have this on preorder! I keep fantasizing about the Saturn Mini that will never come!
Pre ordered mine. Lets hope Game Stop stays open till its release. Lol. Now on to the TurboGrafx 16 mini!!
This is the one I'm really waiting on. I had a NES, SNES and Genesis as a kid but I never had access to an TG16. They were so exotic lol. I sure hope they get it right. I'm looking forward to trying some games out with an OE controller.
@@jokerzwild00 I got the Turbo instead of the Genesis for Christmas one year. My best friend got the Genesis. We loved playing Herzog Zwei and Golden Axe at his house. My house was Bonk, Military Madness, Splatterhouse, Blazing Lazers..... I could go on. Man those were the days.
Aladdin genesis > Aladdin live action cash-in
Aladdin Deck Enhancer> all
That was a low self steem Jazmín movie. More of the same wahmen pandering.
Thank you for such a detailed look at the console, nobody else I've watched mentioned the exact number of frames between the sound and the action, and most importantly you finally made it clear that resolution is 320x224 instead of the more commonly used 320x240, which introduces uneven scaling.. I would say this is the most comprehensive breakdown I've seen so far, even comparing the sound, which is super important.. Great video!!
I cannot wait for this! I have two machines pre-ordered. One for me and one for my fiancee. We are huge gamers for life and many of our friends are gamers as well.
We are having a 16-bit console throwdown this weekend. We are setting up multiple screens with multiple Genesis Mini's and Snes Mini's (10 screens with 2 mini's each). We will be featuring a Sega Genesis (model 1 '89) and Snes (original '91)on their own screens in our retro room. Our home arcade will be rocking as well and for kicks my Neo Geo AES will be going in our living room. Further, I have a selection of 8 MVS carts for our two MVS candy cabs running that are from the Neo Geo's first 2 years in the arcade. Even though we do have multiple Xbox One X 's, PSPRO's, and Switches...there will be no new games played this weekend.
Bring on the retro games! My fiance and I have a 4 day weekend coming in preperation for this monumental occasion. I started gaming in 1985 and 1986 with the Nes and Master System respectively. The Sega Genesis turned me into a hardcore gamer that I am today. My fiancee started in 1996 with the N64 (she is younger than me). Sorry....I'm so freaking stoked! Thank you Digital Foundry!
No mention of Toejam & Earl or Phantasy Star 4? I expected more from you, John.
This is the Genesis Mini review I’ve been waiting for.
At 1:34 - the most epic moment of the video. The music from the credits of Thunder Force 4. I LOVE this game. Thanks DF.
I love the amount of detail you out into the review. Fantastic work as always!
Such a professional review, really nice and good informations. Keep working like this !
ost of thunder force 4
Came back to get myself hyped for the Model 2 , hope u guys cover that when it comes out
Good to see the High Definition Graphics text is properly accurate for once.
First review I've seen that goes in-depth on the audio. That delay issue is a no-go for me :(
Gamesack talks about it as well. I have been posting comments about it and people are going apeshit with the replies
I don't own any M2 developed games/port but I was always under the impression that they were the best of the best when it came to porting games I understand not anything is perfect but the audio lag is just shocking I mean did anyone not noticed I mean it's pretty blatant either way I'm buying one for my daughter I have to make up for the debacle when I bought the at games version I bought a while back
Support Sega and buy one anyways.
@@shaggymcdaniel3216 @Lord Punchings its as bad an the revered nes mini and snes mini. People are hating on the genesis mini for audio delay but pretend that nes and snes mini dont have it...It bafles me
@@ajbad4ever Been saying I don't know how people are defending the Sega Genesis Mini with all these problems?I knew it wouldn't be 100% but damn this is like 70%-60%???
They should sell a mini Mega CD or Mini 32x and make them give the console Mega CD and 32x games.
I just want them to jump straight to the Dreamcast mini lol.
Why would I want to play 32x games?
Just Another TH-cam Channel I agree, or just put those game libraries on a Genesis Mini, would be so easy for them to do
32X is a lot heavier to run, and apparently it was a challenge enough for M2 to get the ordinary Megadrive games to run well.
A 32X mini with Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter, Chaotix and Doom (with the farting soundtrack)
What a great tune at 15:12 !
When it's DF Retro, you're in for a blast. Good job as always John!
i always wanted a thing called tuna sashimi !
God damn TH-cam - stop recommending excellent videos that make me want to by a mega drive mini!
Great video! Might have to pick one of these up after Christmas.
7:17 CLASSIC BATMAN THEME
Do you know where come this 10:00 from?
It seems the YM2612 source code was pulled out from earlier Genesis emulators like Gens or Kega... Fusion 3.64 has the sound issues resolved.
I grew up on Nintendo consoles but this seems to be the best overall "classic/mini" console.
The production of this episode was great. Entertaining to watch even if you aren't into a genesis.
Yup SOR music; so good it deserved to have been used twice 👍🏻. Well done on another solid video, keep up the good work 👏🏼
I was waiting for Digital Foundry's take on the mini. Looks pretty good. Put in a pre-order just now because, hey, if DF says it's good, who am I to disagree?
Fanboy have your own opinion.
7:35 for Sega Lord X!
:D
yess :)))
Thats a track from the batman game!
13:35 lol This is an ancient stuff from gems emulator.
I don't have those on, Kega Fusion, Mednafen, BlastEm
As if the sound delay wasn't already a big enough issue (although the NES and SNES Mini also had sound delay but still), the Mega Drive Mini also has to have that old sound fail from Gens emulator... :/
I personally don't care much about those mini consoles anyway but this is still a shame that the quality controll was barely there...
Dude for real where did you get the mini cartridges?!
Great video as usual, but what with the audio levels? They are all over the place from section to section.
It was hard to hear the end of the video...I was furiously dancing the last bit of music..🌝
It would be great if you guys did a review of the Sega Genesis Mini 2 since you did this one.
You gotta tell us how you got those custom mini cartridges, John L.
DeL Keyes agreed! Was just about to ask the same
That is a trick I think Nintendo and now Sega have missed. If the mini consoles could support mini carts im sure people would pay $15-$20 for each game.
They are a pre-order bonus for the Mini.
theonik2006 from which retailer
@@TheTechnique Yes I have to know I preordered at Gamestop.
The sound delay is a little off putting but I don't think most people will notice that too much. Overall the console looks great and I agree that there's a great selection of games here even if some other key ones are missing like Revenge of Shinobi. Great review.
I noticed it in earlier videos before SGM released with the delay and sound shown here.Been playing Genesis for a very long time and it's very noticeable in my opinion?
@@CAPCOM784 Yeah perhaps, I haven't played many Megadrive games on emulator as I have most of the originals that I want, but it's something to think about if I get the Megadrive mini.
Composite is why. Composite is no longer used. Don't blame SEGA, blame Modern FTC Standards for NTSC.
17:04 ATGAMES music is such a banger
So amazing review by DF, once again you are the true king of tech!
So the key question is: which Darius is better? This brand new MD Darius or the Super Darius on PC Engine CD?
Excellent video John! Since you mentioned Rocket Knight Adventures, that would be a pretty cool series to do a technical retrospective on. That first game is one of the greatest looking on the console.
Yeah it's strange the first game looks the best out of the whole series.
my guy came right out the gate with an ost from Thunder/Lightning Force !
Thanks for showing the music at the end, really appreciate that 👍
Also input delay I didn’t know existed on the NES Mini as I have one I backed and put a bunch of games on.
Still don’t own an SNES mini tho, too expensive for me atm :(
Why Sonic 3 is not in there is beyond me.
[glares at Michael Jackson estate]
Meh. Sonic 3 Complete and Sonic 3 Angel Island Revisited have superseded the original Sonic 3 & Knuckles entirely. I wouldn't play Sonic 3 on the Genesis Mini if it was on there.
I think Sega will release something like MD2 mini 1-2 years after MD1 mini with Sonic 3 and other great games
You can download that to play on most systems, and there are about a billion collection that it is featured in. making room for games that have had few or none re-releases is more important.
@@Dhlamedia He took himself off the credits, his estate has zero claim to the rights. They couldn't put Sonic 3 on the mini because they needed room for the super popular and much requested Sonic Spin Ball.
7:05 Sega Lord X activate!
It would be great to see a DF Retro video on the 3DO that was competing with the PS1 around that time.
first time i've watched one of your videos but you hit the nail on the head: the best way will always be original hardware through RGB into a CRT. anything else will mean compromises somewhere. £65 for a replica box and 42 games is a good deal. i am a bit disappointed in the audio delay and would have appreciated something a little more scientific about input delay other than "it feels like a few frames".
theycallmejpj more scientific than measuring the delay like he does in the video?
@@laatmaarzien he doesn't measure it. what the hell are you talking about. he did a slow motion capture for audio delay but nothing for input delay and all his comments were qualitative only
Oh my, I have been waiting for this the whole day! Mega Drive is my second favorite console of all time! And I hate it how companies like AtGames have ruined its reputation as they make it seem way worse than it actually is!
As much as l loved the Mickey Mouse games, out of the 2, Castle of Illusion is the best. Would've swapped World of Illusion with Quackshot. Those Disney games are legendary on the Mega Drive. Alien Storm, what a game that was. Surprised to see Road Rash 2. Shame there wasn't a PGA Golf game, more so European Tour. Shame that Tetris has been tweaked, so it's not the original. Two Crude Dudes, Tazmania and EA Hockey. Never played Earthworm Jim, was shocked how great it still looked. And the Japanese version has 6 button controllers. Forgotten Worlds and MERCS. Strider soundtrack is legendary.
Incredible work as always, John! Thank you!
One thing I wish would be a feature on these mini systems is the promise to add more titles to download onto a USB stick or SD card to plug in the system, working on and adding more titles on their website bit by bit to continue the viability of these systems and allow the option to potentially play classic titles that might've been overlooked the first time around
As long as they play as good as snes classic I'll be pleased as punch.
Even in 2019 Genesis Does what Nintendon't...
Real_Sgt_Tom is it input lag?
I heard about the sound and control issues from another review, but now I'm not worried about it. Thanks.
This is the stuff you can get ONLY from Digital Foundry. Fantastic work.
my childhood stil in 2019. :)
Nit picky as always...
Do I expect anything less from Digital Foundry? Absolutely not 👍
Am I still getting it? Absolutely.
Very excited to relive my Sega teenage years even wit a 10 frames sound delay 😝
Gotta respect the dedication they have to their craft 👍 digging down to the molecular level of a 16bit emulator's performance ? - only DF 👏
Barley anyone is going to notice that sound delay anyway
Fantastic video as always John! Thank you!
I hope this console does well in sales
It's got RAVE Reviewers from ALL Game and Tech Sites. Of Course it'll do great in sales.
Hopefully they do a Saturn and a dream cast mini
It's a purchase obviously, however. No Super Shinobi????
Unsurprisingly this is the best review of the console. Great job
p.s. Your MD's reset button is a travesty
the music in this video is fantastic stuff
Excellent review john!
This will always be the Mega Drive.
Nope. Sega Genesis.
@@bdre5555 Nope. Mega Drive.
@@jamiewilliamson9829 sorry to break it to you, you're incorrect guy.
@@bdre5555 How am I incorrect?
I can’t wait till they do a Sega Saturn mini and Dreamcast mini :D
They aren't doing those
@@subzero8679 How do you know?
@@pferreira1983 because they already said they weren't going to. Just like Nintendo isn't going to do an N64 mini. Who is going to buy a Saturn mini? Lol. It would be such a tiny market. Not many people have nostalgia for the Saturn. It would be a loss for Sega to make that mini.
@@subzero8679 Where did Sega state that? Interested to read the interview or article.
Remembering the lack of the inclusion of Rocket Knight Adventures prooves you have great taste!
I have been so excited to get this Genesis Mini. I can't wait. I had a Nintendo as a kid and although everyone I knew seemed to love the Super Nintendo, I thought Sega Genesis was the coolest thing in the world. Wish I didn't have to wait anymore, but Thursday will be here soon enough.
I still think Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection on Xbox360 is the best way to play Sega Genesis games on modern consoles.
It is, but that's last gen and those are getting rare themselves.
@@saynotop2w Genesis Collection on XB1 is better, has Landstalker
@@axrevolutionai The Xb1 and PS4 Collection also has lag and worse emulation.
What the everlasting fork, man? How can you put that smokin' hot song at the start and not give us a name? Is it Thunderforce related?
It's called "Stand Up Against Myself", the ending credits of Thunder Force IV, the very best 16-bit shooter in mine or other op.
The music of this game is sooooo good, easily on the level of legends like SoR.
Feyt, absolutely. Genesis/MD has at least a few dozen great obscure soundtracks. (Mostly from Japan)
The songs are all listed at the end of the video, as usual :)
@@thanksbetotap Well, damn I guess I just should've been patient.
M2’s emulation is STILL 97-98% spot on in my book which is an A plus!! Excellent job M2!!
Great background music to this video.
5:50 editing blooper.
JP (purple) and US (brown) are placed incorrectly.
Not only that, but if you're going to show regional differences in Dynamite Headdy, there are other bosses in the game that look 100% different from each other and would have been a far better example.
The Mega Drive or, for a small part of the world, The Sega Genesis.
It's the Genesis for me. In the US, epicenter of the world. And genesis sounds 1000 times cooler than mega drive
I hope after a couple weeks after release we will able to mod the Genesis Mini to add games that’s not on the console,because a couple games I really want to play again.
Thank you for another fantastic video ! You're in a league all of your own, John. Incredible work!
Go look at other TH-cam channels most say good things about Sega Genesis Mini
Honestly these "issues" seem extremely minor to the point where most people won't notice at all.
I dont even hear any differences.
Same. The audio differences are basically indistinguishable.
They won't. The majority of this stuff would be noticed by speedrunners, but they wouldn't practice with a system like this anyway.
very true. But These "issues" and the in-depth talk about them is why I love DF! hell, I wouldn't even have noticed more than half of them if they weren't mentioned - but damn, these guys are DEDICATED to their jobs - gotta respect that 👍
@@ber-js5we To be fair I do, I just felt some things mentioned were a little over critical. It's never going to be spot on especially playing on a modern tv but from what I've seen this is hands down the best mini console so far.
I loved my genesis as a kid. I can't wait to get my mini console
Props to you John for using SSH songs in a lot of your videos!
I am really disappointed that the Western version doesn't have Revenge of Shinobi, otherwise this console would be perfect.
Agreed, it was huge in the West, by the time Shinobi 3 came out, many people had gotten rid of their MD's there was much more familiarity with Revenge.
Just wait for the hacking scene and you will be able to add v1.0 of Revenge.
@@noobtubephails Ive ordered a Asian mini off playasia, as it has the best overall selection of games imho, the Japanese version had a few obscure RPG's I have no interest in or nostalgia for.
@@leeboy2k1 I will just wait for the hacking scene to catch up but purchasing a Japanese model is an option as well ofcourse.
@@leeboy2k1 Shinobi 3 is a good game, but the lack of Yuzo Koshiro's music is a huge bummer. It just pisses me off that Sega made a conscious decision to exclude it from the Western version, as it's present on the Japanese and Asian versions.