Dude its crazy I've watched you for 10+ years and you have not changed a thing with your videos and you're still just as insightful and consistent as back then. One of the GOATs! Thank you for the hours and hours of content!
Here in Brazil Sega Master System was a big hit. Was officially released here by TecToy - local company licensed by Sega. When Nintendo was only available by imports or clone systems. Until a few years ago we had some typs of master system released.
People always say that the Master System is still active here in Brazil but, what people NEVER say is how the latest SMS model released by TecToy was all the way back in 2009. You still can buy it brand new from them but still.
Nice to see that you're getting back into the swing of making vids like these. I've gotta say, my favorite content of yours is when you share insight into things like the market conditions of consoles to explain why things are how they are.
I ended up buying a Japanese saturn that was hard modded because the chances of a mini version are just so slim like you mentioned and tbh its one of those systems that experiencing it through hardware is a great feeling.
@@antiquefuturistic not that I am aware of. But I should mention that apart from the actual mod, everything in the system was replaced with new parts.
@@marlon2698-mI recently bought an American model 2 Saturn and I’m probably going to have a nightmare trying to find affordable games, but so far I love my Saturn
The Sega Saturn is so underappreciated with so many titles you can't play anywhere else : Shining Force 3, Shining the Holy Ark, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Albert's Odyssey, Nights into Dreams, Dragon Force, Legend of Oasis, Magic Knight Rayearth, Dark Savior, Linkle Liver Story, Burning Rangers and so many more. The Sega Saturn is my favorite console of all time and I play mine quite often, if they were to make a Saturn Mini I would literally lose my mind : and like you mentioned that the Sega Saturn was quite popular in Japan, it has a lot of nostalgia there and a ton of people I talk to didn't get the Saturn but are interested in some of it's exclusives : It is POSSIBLE they could release it, but the cost to do that would be probably too costly for Sega to actually do
I have like 4 portable systems that emulate dreamcast almost perfectly - Retroid Pocket 2+, 3+, flip and anbernic 405m. The first one was under 100 euros last year and that's for the android machine with display and stuff. I do believe with the scale of SEGA fanbase you can sell a mini dreamcast for like 70-80 euros on their 25th anniversary. Nostalgia sells very well today.
If only Sega were still in their ‘caution to the wind’ phase and made that ‘great product, huge price tag’ Dreamcast mini so the diehards could revel in it, haha. I love your insight, Adam, and it’s always a good day when you can set the whole console line on the table for a video. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, buddy
@Runeboi69 No it was the Yanks that ruined Sega, there's so many examples I can cite as to why this is, but Yanks ruin the video game industry in general, it was the only mahjor territory where the 1983 crash ever occured as well, they ruin anything business wise to differing degrees in fact, it's a persistent pattern, probably a manifestation of thr ethnic Yanks (American) 'Manifest Destiny' native culture and upbringing. The Sega subsidiery - Sega of America (SOA) ideally should never have existed, or at least had the Yanks much more tightly controlled and regimented, there's that old adage that Yanks rarely make good leaders but can make good servants when all other mistakes and possible outcomes have been exhausted.
I had this idea that Sega could launch a Dreamcast successor of sorts that would play some of its biggest hits since the demise of the Dreamcast. For example, Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Virtua Cop 3, Super Monkey Ball 2, the Legends version of Skies of Arcadia, Rez Infinite, Valkyria Chronicles, Sonic Racing, Shenmue 3, etc. It'd be a cool collection of Sega games available either on different console systems or only the arcade. I would totally buy that.
I also believe the controller is a roadblock. The Dreamcast controller, even if the VMU was omitted (which would be disappointing, people would want it even if completely built in) would still be too expensive to produce and take up too much space in the box. The N64 has a similar problem with its controller. You're correct, If we ever get a DC mini, I'll be years down the track. And that's s big if
I think a Dreamcast mini is still possible, but like what you said, technology has to get cheaper if people want a proper Dreamcast mini. Maybe 30th or 35th anniversary of the Dreamcast, but 25th anniversary is too soon.
@@litodat233 I"d like to see those handheld that supposedly "play Dreamcast perfect with no issues" because even the latest nightlies of Flycast on a modern PC are far from perfect, and the other emulators tend to be even worse, or at least they were last I checked (about a year ago, which is probably more recent than Adam's conversation with Sega execs). I'd wager your definition of "perfect" is sloppier than that of Sega, or you've only seen short excerpts carefully chosen by whatever youtuber you're following. Running Crazy Taxi at full speed is one thing, but all emulators I looked had some issues rendering perfectly in Sonic Adventure (glitchy eyes, water incorrectly displayed, stuff like that) and Shenmue, among others. Rez also used to have problems, though it's gotten nearly perfect more recently.
i think the dreamcast has the best shot, just because of the cult following it has nowadays and being held in such high regard by the people who experienced it during it's lifespan. and i think sega themselves would love to make it, just because. when the technology is there i think they'll do it, maybe even if it's not quite there :-D if there's one company that would, it's sega. it would be such a sega thing to do.
The technology already there they just don’t want too I’m sorry if it’s a bunch of great handhelds that currently run and emulate Dreamcast games perfectly then why can’t sega do it ? It’s bullshit
If the technology wasn't an issue I feel like the Dreamcast is the best pick because the Dreamcast is loved by people who never even played one, I can see it being something that people who always wanted one, buying it for the sake of experiencing it.
This man is the most consistent channel on TH-cam. Subscribed almost five years or so ago, had the same style for years in the past, still has the same format. You're a real one, my guy. Love your channel and love the Dreamcast, thanks for keeping the Dream alive!
Hey Adam. Game Gear Mini with master system games bundled in as well. Since game gear was basically a portable master system, it makes sense. Great video. 👍
@@FWDSUXARSE I'm sure they would make a closed system with all the games built in. This would probably be a modern portable gaming device with rechargable battery built in and no cartridge slots to keep the cost down. Would be nice though. 👍
It’s always strange to me when people talk about the Master System being a smash hit in the U.K. as I’m from the U.K., I grew up during the 8-bit era, and in all that time I’ve seen one Master System outside of a shop display. Just one. Everybody I knew had an NES, either Nintendo or Mattel branded. I know that’s just anecdata. I know that the sales data proves that my experience is an aberration. It’s still strange to me 🤷♂️
I feel kind of privileged to have been a sega kid , had the master system , had the mega drive and the game gear , had a Saturn and Dreamcast. My first Nintendo anything was the N64 and gameboy color. We never got a ps1 but we did pick up a ps2 after Dreamcast died ( commercially , never died in our hearts)
@@indevidualbeing6488 Especially Sega Saturn , I'm the only one with nostalgia for it out of everyone I know. Everyone else picked up a N64 or Ps1. Sometimes I mention the Saturn and they have no idea it existed. It's like Sega went from Genesis/Mega Drive to Dreamcast lol
You sound like me only I had all the Sega systems and the NES and SNES. I stopped getting Nintendo systems after SNES and got the Saturn and Dreamcast which was my last system. You should watch Uncle From Another World. The way he talks about Sega Genesis and Saturn games is hilarious.
It's the same reason Nintendo never made an N64 Mini, or a Gamecube Mini, Wii Mini, etc. just that the technology to make these more recent systems as Minis is still too expensive to be affordable, & like you said with the emulation many of these consoles have janky emulation to this day. Both the Saturn & the N64 still have emulation problems that prevent emulators from getting the same experience as the original consoles.
I'm on board with wanting all of the mini consoles you discussed. I'd buy a Master System mini, a Saturn mini, and a Dreamcast mini. But sadly I feel like that moment in history is over and we're not getting any more.
Great video. Sega was in a very different place on opposite sides of the Pacific compared to Nintendo or Sony. There was never a one size fits all solution on the table for them. Also just wanted to say hi. We had a good conversation at LI Retro. I'm the guy who had the copy of Astal.
2:55 Technically the Sega Astro City Mini is a mini console as well since it has HDMI output, allowing you to play games on your TV as well as the fact it has USB controller support. It just has the additional option of allowing you to play in tabletop mode if you really wanted to use that feature.
It would be something unique and "new". They can even market it as based on an unreleased Sega console. Makes me think of Star Fox 2 for the SNES mini.
@@mrbisshie yup and add virtua fighter svp 16bit as bonus game, it was done. But I'm sure some coke up manager threw proto cart in garbage 🗑️ and some dumb developer erases code. That's how Sega rolls.
I feel like at least now, the Dreamcast has the best shot. Looking at how easily like a Raspberry Pi for example can do Dreamcast emulation, I just feel like things have changed since then when Sega had been considering it before
A big issue is going to be storage. Each game can be up to 1gb in size. Depends on how many they'd want to ship with the console though. Not to mention the licensing they'd have to do for 3rd party games like SoulCalibur, Powerstone, Code Veronica, etc. And what about the VMU? I don't think they could bundle a controller cheaply that has a built in display for it. All-in-all executing a DC mini is going to be too expensive if they want to do it right, which is what they seem to be going for.
I live in Europe, I had a SMS model 2 and Sega was so ubiquitous here that I've never seen a NES or a SNES at sale during my childhood. The first really big Nintendo hit, at least in Portugal, was Nintendo 64 and even then if we think about the PS1... I only manage to see one online back in 99/00 when I got my first PC and searched for old consoles. P.S: Alex Kidd for life!!
I know you've been saying for years the emulation just isn't there: at least not for $80 a unit. Honestly they should have done a master system mini with sg1000 games as well.
@@JohnSmith-xq1pz Unfortunately I don't think the MiSTer can support Dreamcast. There's a WIP Saturn core and a WIP N64 core, but the particular FPGA chip that the MiSTer is based around (DE10 Nano) has some hardware limitations that would put the Dreamcast beyond its capabilities. Someone is exploring getting Dreamcast working on FPGA, but it'd have to be a different more powerful chip. Still, something to hope for in the future.
I'd be really intrigued by a Sega Master System Mini. During my time working at a video game store in Montreal, Canada, I had firsthand experience selling gaming consoles ranging from Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, Sega (SMS), and Nintendo (NES) during Christmas 1986; I was 21 years old. In that era, when the SMS came out, it sold at a ratio of 1 to 5 against NES; the Atari 2600 was still selling strongly for being the cheapest and largest game library. Maybe it was because I was really into it and kinda pushing it as well since we had a spiff bonus! It's quite evident that for a significant number of individuals, the SMS marked their very first gaming console. Considering the powerful wave of nostalgia at play, I'm fairly confident that there would be a whole bunch of people, including myself, eagerly seizing the opportunity to get their hands on a Sega Master System mini.
I feel like it was a missed oppurtunity to put Master System games in either of the Genesis Mini systems. The Genesis is backwards compatible, so it wouldn't have been out of place, maybe have a little animation of a Power Base Converter on the screen after you select a game.
I’d love a Saturn & Dreamcast mini, the nostalgia factor definitely is a point to consider but I’ve always believed it’s the emulation that’s the biggest stumbling block, SEGA said as much themselves in a recent financial call. I do think that both will eventually release however, but they may be a little while off, I also feel SEGA might want to do them linearly, Saturn first? I think a Saturn mini with accurate emulation would also be a major software breakthrough, so if SEGA manage it, hats of them!
I honestly think Minis haven't gone far enough. Picture something called the "Sega Sol" You put in good enough hardware, yes for the premium price. Then it's capable of emulating Dreamcast, Saturn, 32X, CD, Genesis, Game Gear, Master System, and SG-1000. You pre-fill it with games from each of those systems. You then launch it with an online store where you can buy more roms for it. You can take it further and sell roms for arcade systems like OutRun and Shinobi and and and.
If they were to do a Master System Mini, it would be cool for the main unit to be an emulator player, but have MS game cartridges that are basically SD cards with a number of selectable games on them, then when they get put in the top slot, the SD card reader that the card goes into can then load the games to play. So say each cart has a set number of games and could be either a collection of games from different genres, or each cart be a selection of games from one genre, eg 'Beat em Up: Collection Vol.1', and can buy each collection separately, and with SD card technology as it is, could pack quite a few games per cartridge!
What we need is a Dreamcast 2 with Blu-ray drive, complete games collection from all their previous hardware built in, with VMUs and removable 1TB storage for under $1200. Realistically, I'd rather see them re-release older games as remasters either on PC or other consoles. Until we get something like that I'm going to continue buying and hunting down Saturn and Dreamcast hardware.
I think Saturn and Dreamcast mini's can be done but clearly yes they will cost some money so I think what Sega needs to do is take a page out of the Egret 2 Mini's play book and have an expansion port so they can release more games in volumes so Sega can sell the systems abet cheaper than they normally would be but make up the difference buy selling more volumes of games!
When I look at how fast cheap Chinese emulation sticks have advanced just THIS year (many on the $60-80 range can handle Dreamcast), then I disagree that the tech is still too expensive to make sense. I think we are right at the razor's edge of it being totally possible to make and sell for around $100. They are probably just waiting until the profit margin becomes a bit more favorable.
It's wild that people need some kind of validation from a faceless corporation. Just buy a 3d printed shell and put all the console's games on a raspberry pie. That's literally what the fans do ANYWAY lmao.
Adam, my man, love the discussion videos! I enjoy unboxings, reviews and pickup videos as much as the next guy, but stuff like this is why I subscribed a decade ago.
My wife and I recently got enough money to buy a TV display cabinet with shelves around it, and she said it'll be great, because I can display the games like a kind of museum. When we were moving around the boxes, she was genuinely curious in the Sega Dreamcast, and my eyes lit up so much. I had always dealt with gamers who shunned the Sega Dreamcast (my favorite console of all time), and now that the person I love wants to dig into those games with me... I'm not sure if anything could make me happier. It's great to know other people who love these consoles are still out there!
I think they should go for the 300 dollar one. Honestly, the mini boom like you mentioned is over and people gobbled up the Genesis Mini 2 (which was made for fans and they came). I would have no issue spending the 300 ducats if the dreamcast mini (or whatever it is) faithfully honors its legacy.
We will get the Saturn next year, I am pretty sure. It is for sur a console that Japanese are waiting because it was the best of all Sega consoles for them ) same for me).
I don't know why but I find the discussion of console success depending on the region very interesting. Such as the Sega examples bought up here and the N64 doing worse than the Saturn in Japan.
That Dreamcast point is valid cause I believe MSRP for the Dreamcast in 1999 was $200 bucks. So are release at a more expensive price tag would make it more egregious
I think the n64 actually just isn't worth replaying, the games haven't aged well. The best game is arguably goldeneye and it is... really bad now. Mario Kart 64 is still good but has been surpassed. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are alright but otherwise I don't really see the point. Playstation 3d games also suffer badly from this outside of RPGs. It's just not a good era for gaming.
@@gentronsevenits a good era for gaming lol theres a ton of games that aged like a wine like mgs, crash, spyro etc but ye tons of them aged like milk cuz its early 3d but it doesnt mean it wasnt a great era for gaming same with n64 even tho n64 is overrated in terms of games when you compared to gamecube
I think the dreamcast is much more easier to make a mini than the saturn due to the complexity of the console. I might be wrong and I hope I that the dreamcast mini comes out.
I agree with everything said in this video. A Dreamcast mini could happen eventually once the tech becomes cheap enough, but who knows if there'll still be demand for it or if everyone will have moved on from the mini console craze? Before that point, I think it'd be cool if they made a new Genesis mini which had a cartridge slot and CD attachment port with USB ports in each of them. Then they could sell (probably limited quantities of) a CD mini, a 32x mini, and even a Power Base Converter as an alternative form of a Master System mini. In the case of the CD and 32x, the units could contain some extra hardware to handle the more demanding systems, but the Power Base Converter could just have game storage and run off the Genesis mini. I'm sure this would never happen, but I think it would be cool, and buying the items modularly would allow them to make the base hardware cheaper (and set production levels of the add-ons based on preorder demand).
They do care, Infact they are the only gaming company in modern day which cares about their fans out of the crowd of ungrateful likes of Nintendo, Sony, Rockstar, Valve and many more. They just do not have big bank to support the risks they want to take
I’m in America and I would love a master system mini. I’ve never owned, seen or touched one. So a mini version would be a perfect way for me to experience it in some way. Make it happen Sega!
I think you get a new genesis mini with the PowerBase "add-on" that has a mix of master system games and genesis games. Then maybe a 4th genesis with the 32x "add-on" with even more genesis games and some 32x games.
Yeah I think that would probably be more likely. I don’t think you’ll actually get a master system mini but another genesis mini that has master system games and a power base attachment for show is a little more likely
What about their arcade platforms? I'm a big racing fan and am constantly on the look out for ways to play the likes of Sega Rally and Daytona USA from the Model 2. Again haven't seen many SBC's capable of this but a guy can dream!
Licensing issues. Will never happen. They don't own the name 'Daytona' and have to license it from the Daytona Speedway each time. Then there are the car licenses for e.g., Sega Rally, Scud Race, etc.
I want to see Sega make a new add-on for the Genesis. Showing off what can be done with newer hardware if they made the next version of SegaCD. Not to play old Sega CD games but new hardware for new games. Maybe even from DVD disc's I wouldn't expect to play DVD movies but just having the higher storage and read speeds.
The latest raspberry pi can actually emulate Dreamcast fairly competently for a $35 computer board. Since the game list for a Dreamcast mini would be so curated anyway you wouldn't have to worry about perfect optimization for the entire Dreamcast library, you'd only have to focus on the list of 20 games or whatever they'd pick. It's not outrageous and it shouldn't be that expensive nowadays. The newest raspberry pi 4 came out in 2019 which is probably around the time Adam had these discussions with Sega about a Dreamcast mini, and like I said the pi 4 is actually pretty ok at Dreamcast emulation; however the pi 5 is supposed to come out next year in 2024 and I'd wager it should be perfectly adequate for Dreamcast emulation if their performance gains generation to generation keeps at the same pace it's been on (hell, even the pi 3 could emulate some Dreamcast games fairly well). I think we're actually at a time where a Dreamcast mini shouldn't be $300, this idea is probably worth revisiting currently. The PS mini wasn't a problem because of the device's lack of power or anything, it was a flop because Sony (or whoever they contracted to make it) screwed it up and didn't put real effort in; some games were NTSC and some were PAL and you couldn't chose which one you wanted for which game creating frame rate and frame pacing issues along with no effort into optimizing the games they put on the device, and other problems as well like input latency and stuff. The PS mini was just a bad product with clearly next to no effort put into it, I could make a FAR superior PS mini out a raspberry pi 3. But I stand by the Dreamcast probably being quite possible nowadays without a huge retail price tag, like I said it's probably worth revisiting that idea.
Would love if we got an proper Game Gear "mini" release. As seen with the Switch, there is a big demand for handheld consoles. Releasing a Game Gear Mini that's the same size as the original (or maybe slightly smaller) but with a high-end screen, TV-connection capability, and 50+ games, would be awesome. It would also be cheap for Sega to develop and release. I'm convinced there's actually a decent global market demand for the Saturn mini. If they found a way to emulate it well with minimal loading times, and bundle in Panzer Dragoon Saga and other gems, I'm convinced it would do well. A lot more gamers are aware of the Saturn now due to social media and gaming channels in particular. A lot of Genesis fans would welcome an opportunity to play another Sega console they probably skipped or didn't even know existed in the 1990s. As for Dreamcast Mini, better to do it right and more expensive than cheap and unappealing to its target market. People expect quality, and if Sega skimped out just to reduce the price I think it would impact sales more than if it was a bit extensive but excellent quantity. A lot of original Dreamcasts are experiencing disc drive failure now, so having a proper first party mini version would be great for those of us who still love the system but can no longer play the games.
Great video. Just a point about Dreamcast emulation - up until recently I was running Emuelec on an old 'Android TV' box (which cost about £25 in 2018) that did DC + Naomi really well (Retroarch + Reicast iirc). That was an 'off the shelf' Amlogic S905X so I'm sure the tech is ready for a low cost device. Capcom had a load of arcade games running on Naomi (with DC ports of course) - I'd love to see Sega and Capcom team up with a mini device. I can dream!
I think another good point is that some mini consoles could be released in very small numbers. The Turbografx-16 was even less successful outside of Japan than the Saturn was, but that still got a Mini released worldwide. However, a 16-bit console like that is a lot easier to emulate on low cost hardware than the Saturn is, so R&D was still less of an issue with that one. People are also usually more excited for Turbografx-16 developments than they are for Master System developments too, or at least I think so. Of course, even if they wanted to print them in larger numbers, mini consoles aren't as in vogue now as they are when Nintendo was making them. It's kind of a miracle Sega is even still thinking about mini consoles, considering that.
I think if Sega realizes how much of a following the Saturn has gained in retrospect in the west plus how popular it was in Japan, to me it's the only console that might have a shot. That emu though. The Master System for all its merits, still isn't popular at all. At least outside of EU and Brazil. If 10s of thousands of people suddenly decided they liked it then maybe but I don't see that happening.
Unfortunately I feel we just have to force ourselves to look outside of our fanbase bubble. The mega drive was perhaps the only SEGA console that the average Joe would have nostalgia for. Business wise I just don't think there's a big enough appetite for any of the others. DC maybe but you do have those form factor difficulties. Would not be expecting VMU's 😅
Sega Saturn Mini would be amazing! Dreamcast Mini has to got to happen sometime. All I know is there probably won't ever be a 32x Mini. How about the Mark III/Master System/SG-1000 Mini? Sega needs to do that first before the Saturn and Dreamcast minis!
I've been trying to emulate Saturn for the past decade now and I can definitely confirm that it's only really gotten at a decent point within the past couple years or so - and that's on a fairly good PC versus a far less powerful, budget-friendly microconsole
Yeah, Saturn emulation has definitely come a long way, which is incredible! It was one of the most difficult consoles to properly emulate, which was a shame as it actually has a pretty solid library of games.
I got all of Sega's mini classics, I love them all. I'd love to see a Master System Mini (Yes I am from the UK) or even an SG1000 Mini. You know your history about the systems and how popular they were, props to you my man. I can see them loading 32X games on the Saturn mini. I can see them making a Saturn Mini as an Amazon exclusive and only available for those that pre order kind of like what they did with the Mega Drive Mini 2/Genesis Mini 2. I believe the reason it is going to take time as they are planning to make a board that will work on both a Saturn and Dreamcast mini, they will make it, it's just gonna take time. However I believe in the interim they should release a Master System mini.
I'd love both a Saturn mini and Dreamcast mini, though I'm not holding my breath. I usually buy the Japanese Saturn games, and it would be cool for them to localize some of them but that seems like a lot of work for a nostalgia console. As for the dreamcast, some games like Crazy Taxi used licensed music which would be removed (and if I remember correctly was removed on a later release of it, plus the sponsored ties ins). Thats ok if they never come, I'm out of space anyway!
You have to think of it in context. SEGA has become a very japanese focused company in the last decade or so compared to previous eras, so the fact they reluctant to do Saturn mini as japan focused that SEGA has become in a market where the original system did well and would guarantee to sell very well in japan because of the nostalgia, shows there's a MAJOR issue involved. Saying that i still believe its also timing due to the planned remakes of Saturn and DC titles as well as genesis which wasnt in the works when the genesis and GG minis appeared. So this could be seen as a clash of sorts.
I agree the Dreamcast makes the most sense from a market appeal standpoint. A lot of people, even video gamers of sufficient age, don't remember the Saturn existed at all. It certainly wouldn't turn a lot of heads on North American store shelves. If there is a Saturn mini, it will probably be Japan-only or they'll sell it like they did the Genesis mini 2 which was to make a North American version but it only sold direct from Japan. I think we will eventually get a Dreamcast mini but it will be a few more years down the road when SBCs small enough, cheap enough, and capable enough to do Dreamcast emulation exist. Until that time, the economics just don't work to do it.
Excellent video Adam! I've been into emulation since forever... The holy grail for me is the original model 1 Virtua Fighter! I bought a Sega Saturn the day of release here in UK, walked around the corner to a shop that did 'grey-imports' and swapped my UK 50hz pal machine for a Japanese 60hz model, just to play Virtua Fighter at full speed! Yes, I was/am that obsessed!! To this day 'August 2023', Sega have never released an arcade-perfect version of Virtua Fighter... I was kinda' hoping to see an arcade perfect Virtua Fighter 1 on Dreamcast, alas... Virtua Fighter TB 😞 Enter the Sega Astro-City-Mini... I paid £125.00 Sterling, just to play THE BEST version of Virtua Fighter ever officially released! The original model 1 board rendered Virtua Fighter at 480p... The Astro City Mini pumps out Virtua Fighter in glorious 720p... And you can plug it into HDMI (Thank-God!) That's my love-affair with Virtua Fighter... Daily though, I play Dreamcast games through REDREAM emulator and upscale everything to a mind bending 4K! Soul Caliber in 4K is video-game-perfection! Ciao.
I'd say the Master System and Satun Mini would have a chance, because thanks to the advancement on the retro community and emulation, more people have an appreciation on those systems. I had no nostalgia for the PC Engine Mini but I grabbed one because I've grown on it over the years.
I didn’t play the master system in its hay day but I would buy a mini one now, I think the retro market would be interested enough for it to sell a least 100k units in North America, not sure if it’s worth it to them though.
The context you gave makes it sound more like the Saturn is a never but the Dreamcast is a matter of time and tech rather than them both being equally unlikely.
Thanks. I was telling people this very fact when people kept rumoring it. I kept dashing their hopes telling them that the hardware/fpga's needed were unrealistically expensive to make this a reality.
It was obvious that the Saturn being hard to accurately emulate would either mean it doesn't happen, or if it does happen will either be cheap and bad, or good and too expensive for the audience that's asking for it. Additionally, games start getting larger in the 32 bit era and tons of the great games I'd want would probably be left off. It's also relatively niche, so is the market big enough to make it function as nostalgia wank rather than something that only appeals to a hardcore audience who just tears it apart and tells people not to buy it? You're 100% right about there needing that factor. I love the Saturn to death and would be so happy to get that experience back, but it's a pipe dream, sadly.
As a kid in the UK in the late 80's there wasn't much of a market here for the NES. Nintendo didn't really have much of a footing here until much later with the SNES. It's weird, but I think a lot of the reason why the NES was a success in the US was the reason why it wasn't as successful in the UK. It was thought of as a kids toy because of Rob the Robot and Duck Hunt and no one here cared about Mario at the time. The kids here didn't want Nintendo's brand of cute gaming, they wanted conversions of the big feature Sega arcade games of the day like Hang On, After Burner and Space Harrier that they'd play at the weekends with their pocket money, which is why the Master System was a success. When the Mega Drive was announced, it was a no-brainer. The hype here was real. The screenshots in magazines had people salivating for it. I got a Japanese one bundled with Super Shinobi for Xmas, 9 mths before its UK release, from the back pages of a UK magazine Computer and Video Games and then bought a SNES from a friend a while later. I had to import Mega Drive games, but I didn't care because the presentation was so much better. The Japanese logos, typeface/branding and the box art was just a million times better. I was already used to buying Japanese games because I had an MSX bought during the big home computer thing here in 1984, before moving to consoles with the Mega Drive in 1988. My best friend at the time also had an MSX, but got a Master System so we'd play his a lot - especially Space Harrier and Wonder Boy. I don't think you guys in the states had that home computer thing so much? I had no idea the Megadrive wasn't a success in Japan! I always thought the opposite. Thanks for the video! Your explanation of why we wont see any more Sega minis makes the most sense. I agree, it would be a long shot, but if Sega did a Master System mini for the UK with the right games and the right number of games where it would be ridiculous for fans not to buy it, then they'd have a chance at sales.
Thank you for making this video. I think the mass majority really needed to hear this, but also if people want to play these games there are various way ti play them. R&D cost likely would make the Saturn mini $300 anyways. Lastly this doesn’t even include the cost to get the “must play” games on the console. Does ANYONE truly believe that a Dreamcast mini will sell without Powerstone 1/2, DOA2, Soul caliber, and any other capcom game. That $300 price tag is probably just the cost to make the mini Dreamcast and likely doesn’t include getting the games on there. On top of this you have to think about getting the rights for some of the music used in games like crazy taxi( which is a big part as to why people love the game)
He mentioned the sales of the Sega Master System and it’s true, very true. So true that if Sega weren’t as monstrously successful in the arcade scene as they were, we would have never had the Mega Drive. I knew 2 kids who had a Sega Master System growing up, and one of them actually belonged to their father so 1 kid really 😆😆 I always liked the graphics on the Master System. I didn’t have one as a kid though because, well, you know why 🤣
Knowing SEGA, I'd be worried to see how the final product ends up being... It would be cool, especially the Saturn mini, give us access to all the games that are unaffordable!
Hey Adam , greetings from central Florida , I am a retro-gamer content creator , and you have an awesome channel , , thanks for doing this Mini console follow up , , think eventually a Mini-Dreamcast will see the light of day , fingers crossed 🤞 , ,keep rocking dude 😸👍👍
I completely agree with everything you said. As an American who did play Master System when it was competing with Nintendo, I would buy a Master System Mini in a heartbeat. Phantasy Star alone would be worth the purchase let alone if they included other games like Golvelius, YS 1 and Golden Axe Warrior or even hack n slash games like Rastan. I know I'm in an extremely small minority here and the odds of it happening are worse than the odds of surviving an asteroid field in Star Wars according to C3-PO. Also I gave this video its 666 like. So take my opinion as you will given that information.
ReDream runs Dreamcast stuff at full speed on a Raspberry Pi 4. It could be done. However a Pi 4 costs about £100ish and don't forget Sega would have the licensing costs of all games they bundle. And they have to make Dreamcast controllers for a mini. And they have to make mini moulds for the case. And they have to have a decent profit margin. So yeah, maybe £300 which is not nostalgia funtimes money. And by the time single board computers are cheap enough to do the DC for maybe £30 , the generation who would be interested in one would be too old to consider getting one. People in their 30s are the prime target for that kinda thing.
Wish they would do something like an "arcade mini", and have the arcade versions of virtua fighter 1-3, virtua racing, Daytona, virtua cop 1&2, house of the dead, Sonic Fighters, Crazy Taxi, and more.
This is a long comment so I'll just put the TLDR first: Sega should make both brand new games and translations of games that were never released outside of Japan. The Saturn would benefit most notably from this since it would make it more marketable in other countries. It got only 258 games in the US while in Japan it had 1265. I know I'm late to the party but I've had this idea on my mind for a while now. I figured it might just be crazy enough to be onto something. Even though Sega is out of the brand new console war for now and probably quite a while more, the landscape has changed so dramatically since they left. We have games nowadays that have things like ray tracing and can make characters look extremely realistic. Yet despite this, not only are so many new titles flopping left and right but they keep copying one another to capitalize off of trends. Very rarely is it something original. There is a massive community of people who are tired of this and feel like the "industry" is missing something. So they look to things like indie games or retro games. Or even brand new indie games whos art style mimics that of the retro games for the sake of artistic style or nostalgia. So here's my idea: If graphics are no longer the problem and that we've pretty much proven everything there is to prove in that department, what if Sega made brand new games for their old consoles? Not only would this help the sales of the mini consoles but it could also help repair the neglect that some of their consoles libraries got such as the 32x and Sega Saturn. I'm not just talking about cheap new games either. I mean real honest-to-god masterpieces made with love from developers who truly care. Ones that are given true creative freedom just like the old days. While they're at it, they can make official translations of imported games. There are a TON of games that never saw release outside of Japan. Especially for the Sega Saturn. In the US, the Saturn only got 258 games while in Japan it had 1,265.
@@DarDarBinks1986 The Game Crash was a US game crash. It didn't happen in Europe or Japan. Gaming was taking off in the UK at the time of the US Game Crash. The gaming home computers at the time were known as micro computers. The term PC (personal computer) was used for home business computers.
Sega's history as a console maker is pretty interesting when seeing that each of their consoles were appreciated by one region of the world, the Genesis aside. I think the main reason why most folks, myself included, ask for other mini systems from Sega is because they jerk off the Genesis way too much, not just from a mini console perspective (seeing how they made two of them), but also from a rerelease perspective, as well. Ever since the Sega CD, you can play Genesis games officially in some shape or form on almost every console under the sun.
My jealousy for that Code Veronica Dreamcast is at an 11. I remember seeing it in a magazine but of course it was during that time where most cool video game things were exclusive to Japan.
Saturn would be very cool to me (who grew up on the Saturn) but, realistically, if there's going to be ONE console released I would have bet on Dreamcast due to its reputation + people having been able to play it properly after the fact through emulation. Also I would expect my region, Europe, to possibly get shafted once again. Edit: yeah wrote this comment before watching the video; we came to the same conclusion.
Dude its crazy I've watched you for 10+ years and you have not changed a thing with your videos and you're still just as insightful and consistent as back then. One of the GOATs! Thank you for the hours and hours of content!
Here in Brazil Sega Master System was a big hit. Was officially released here by TecToy - local company licensed by Sega. When Nintendo was only available by imports or clone systems. Until a few years ago we had some typs of master system released.
If sega never makes a pico mini it is going to be the downfall of western civilization
We also need a Virtual Boy mini from Nintendo, otherwise rioting will ensue around the world.
@@purplesabbath9057😂 it’s so small u can only use it with one eye.
@@captainobvious7453 The size won't matter because the image will be transmitted directly into your brain!
I have so much fun explaining the Pico to people. It blows their minds when I tell them there are officially licensed Pokémon games on Sega hardware
Pico mini and a Nomad mini!
People always say that the Master System is still active here in Brazil but, what people NEVER say is how the latest SMS model released by TecToy was all the way back in 2009. You still can buy it brand new from them but still.
I’d still love to see a Dreamcast, N64 and GameCube mini. Hopefully 1 day 🤞
gamecube mini why? it's already small
@@mikenewbold1699I want a GameCube MAXI it'd be the size of a small car and you have to climb inside to play it
i hope you aren't an adult making comments like this and if you are i hope you fix your life@@squidface7952
@squidface7952 controller so big, you’d need six friends just to play single player games.
@@mikenewbold1699Someone built a mini GameCube actually.
Nice to see that you're getting back into the swing of making vids like these. I've gotta say, my favorite content of yours is when you share insight into things like the market conditions of consoles to explain why things are how they are.
I ended up buying a Japanese saturn that was hard modded because the chances of a mini version are just so slim like you mentioned and tbh its one of those systems that experiencing it through hardware is a great feeling.
Does the laser wears more on the burned discs ?
@@antiquefuturistic not that I am aware of. But I should mention that apart from the actual mod, everything in the system was replaced with new parts.
@@marlon2698-mI recently bought an American model 2 Saturn and I’m probably going to have a nightmare trying to find affordable games, but so far I love my Saturn
The Sega Saturn is so underappreciated with so many titles you can't play anywhere else : Shining Force 3, Shining the Holy Ark, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Albert's Odyssey, Nights into Dreams, Dragon Force, Legend of Oasis, Magic Knight Rayearth, Dark Savior, Linkle Liver Story, Burning Rangers and so many more. The Sega Saturn is my favorite console of all time and I play mine quite often, if they were to make a Saturn Mini I would literally lose my mind : and like you mentioned that the Sega Saturn was quite popular in Japan, it has a lot of nostalgia there and a ton of people I talk to didn't get the Saturn but are interested in some of it's exclusives : It is POSSIBLE they could release it, but the cost to do that would be probably too costly for Sega to actually do
I have like 4 portable systems that emulate dreamcast almost perfectly - Retroid Pocket 2+, 3+, flip and anbernic 405m. The first one was under 100 euros last year and that's for the android machine with display and stuff. I do believe with the scale of SEGA fanbase you can sell a mini dreamcast for like 70-80 euros on their 25th anniversary. Nostalgia sells very well today.
If only Sega were still in their ‘caution to the wind’ phase and made that ‘great product, huge price tag’ Dreamcast mini so the diehards could revel in it, haha. I love your insight, Adam, and it’s always a good day when you can set the whole console line on the table for a video. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, buddy
If only Yanks didn't get involved with Sega.
@Runeboi69 No it was the Yanks that ruined Sega, there's so many examples I can cite as to why this is, but Yanks ruin the video game industry in general, it was the only mahjor territory where the 1983 crash ever occured as well, they ruin anything business wise to differing degrees in fact, it's a persistent pattern, probably a manifestation of thr ethnic Yanks (American) 'Manifest Destiny' native culture and upbringing. The Sega subsidiery - Sega of America (SOA) ideally should never have existed, or at least had the Yanks much more tightly controlled and regimented, there's that old adage that Yanks rarely make good leaders but can make good servants when all other mistakes and possible outcomes have been exhausted.
I had this idea that Sega could launch a Dreamcast successor of sorts that would play some of its biggest hits since the demise of the Dreamcast. For example, Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Virtua Cop 3, Super Monkey Ball 2, the Legends version of Skies of Arcadia, Rez Infinite, Valkyria Chronicles, Sonic Racing, Shenmue 3, etc. It'd be a cool collection of Sega games available either on different console systems or only the arcade. I would totally buy that.
I also believe the controller is a roadblock. The Dreamcast controller, even if the VMU was omitted (which would be disappointing, people would want it even if completely built in) would still be too expensive to produce and take up too much space in the box. The N64 has a similar problem with its controller.
You're correct, If we ever get a DC mini, I'll be years down the track. And that's s big if
I think a Dreamcast mini is still possible, but like what you said, technology has to get cheaper if people want a proper Dreamcast mini. Maybe 30th or 35th anniversary of the Dreamcast, but 25th anniversary is too soon.
a 99 dollar chinese handheld can do dreamcast full speed and some ps2/gamecube you don't know what you are talking about
Really? I thought 2019 would have been the perfect time to coincide with the 20th anniversary
@@mikenewbold1699that handheld struggles to run 2d capcom fighters for DC dude😂
It doesn’t make sense tho when there are literally handheld made devices that play Dreamcast perfect with no issues sega just don’t want too
@@litodat233 I"d like to see those handheld that supposedly "play Dreamcast perfect with no issues" because even the latest nightlies of Flycast on a modern PC are far from perfect, and the other emulators tend to be even worse, or at least they were last I checked (about a year ago, which is probably more recent than Adam's conversation with Sega execs). I'd wager your definition of "perfect" is sloppier than that of Sega, or you've only seen short excerpts carefully chosen by whatever youtuber you're following.
Running Crazy Taxi at full speed is one thing, but all emulators I looked had some issues rendering perfectly in Sonic Adventure (glitchy eyes, water incorrectly displayed, stuff like that) and Shenmue, among others. Rez also used to have problems, though it's gotten nearly perfect more recently.
i think the dreamcast has the best shot, just because of the cult following it has nowadays and being held in such high regard by the people who experienced it during it's lifespan. and i think sega themselves would love to make it, just because. when the technology is there i think they'll do it, maybe even if it's not quite there :-D
if there's one company that would, it's sega. it would be such a sega thing to do.
The technology already there they just don’t want too I’m sorry if it’s a bunch of great handhelds that currently run and emulate Dreamcast games perfectly then why can’t sega do it ? It’s bullshit
If the technology wasn't an issue I feel like the Dreamcast is the best pick because the Dreamcast is loved by people who never even played one, I can see it being something that people who always wanted one, buying it for the sake of experiencing it.
I’m a Saturn guy but that Dreamcast shell on the far right is lovely
Resident Evil Claire edition!
@@AdamKoralikooooooh that’s why it’s for the sega & MS Windows logo … nice 👌 I should have known … Claire edition :)
I love it too.
A gray and blue version would be beautiful too
This man is the most consistent channel on TH-cam. Subscribed almost five years or so ago, had the same style for years in the past, still has the same format. You're a real one, my guy. Love your channel and love the Dreamcast, thanks for keeping the Dream alive!
Thanks son.
Hey Adam. Game Gear Mini with master system games bundled in as well. Since game gear was basically a portable master system, it makes sense. Great video. 👍
That would be great. I have a master system adapter / converter for my Game Gear.
@@FWDSUXARSE I'm sure they would make a closed system with all the games built in. This would probably be a modern portable gaming device with rechargable battery built in and no cartridge slots to keep the cost down. Would be nice though. 👍
There were Gamegear micros in several colors. But I think each one only had a few games...?
@@Reelreactions999 Correct. But for this theoretical release, it would be about the standard size of a Game Gear, maybe a bit smaller.
It’s always strange to me when people talk about the Master System being a smash hit in the U.K. as I’m from the U.K., I grew up during the 8-bit era, and in all that time I’ve seen one Master System outside of a shop display.
Just one.
Everybody I knew had an NES, either Nintendo or Mattel branded.
I know that’s just anecdata. I know that the sales data proves that my experience is an aberration. It’s still strange to me 🤷♂️
I feel kind of privileged to have been a sega kid , had the master system , had the mega drive and the game gear , had a Saturn and Dreamcast. My first Nintendo anything was the N64 and gameboy color. We never got a ps1 but we did pick up a ps2 after Dreamcast died ( commercially , never died in our hearts)
This is also my gaming path. Feel like there are not many of us lol.
@@indevidualbeing6488 Especially Sega Saturn , I'm the only one with nostalgia for it out of everyone I know. Everyone else picked up a N64 or Ps1. Sometimes I mention the Saturn and they have no idea it existed. It's like Sega went from Genesis/Mega Drive to Dreamcast lol
I remember when I heard Sega was done as a kid and getting sad
You sound like me only I had all the Sega systems and the NES and SNES. I stopped getting Nintendo systems after SNES and got the Saturn and Dreamcast which was my last system. You should watch Uncle From Another World. The way he talks about Sega Genesis and Saturn games is hilarious.
It's the same reason Nintendo never made an N64 Mini, or a Gamecube Mini, Wii Mini, etc. just that the technology to make these more recent systems as Minis is still too expensive to be affordable, & like you said with the emulation many of these consoles have janky emulation to this day. Both the Saturn & the N64 still have emulation problems that prevent emulators from getting the same experience as the original consoles.
I'm on board with wanting all of the mini consoles you discussed. I'd buy a Master System mini, a Saturn mini, and a Dreamcast mini. But sadly I feel like that moment in history is over and we're not getting any more.
Sadly I agree, but we will always have hope 🙂
Great video. Sega was in a very different place on opposite sides of the Pacific compared to Nintendo or Sony. There was never a one size fits all solution on the table for them. Also just wanted to say hi. We had a good conversation at LI Retro. I'm the guy who had the copy of Astal.
Yeah son, I remember you.
The Saturn or Dreamcast mini would be cool but we all know what we really need is a Casio Loopy Mini
2:55 Technically the Sega Astro City Mini is a mini console as well since it has HDMI output, allowing you to play games on your TV as well as the fact it has USB controller support. It just has the additional option of allowing you to play in tabletop mode if you really wanted to use that feature.
If they added 32X support for a new mini, and made it with the Neptune form factor, that would be pretty cool I would think.
Yup the majesco shell Genesis 3 looks like Neptune jr
It would be something unique and "new". They can even market it as based on an unreleased Sega console. Makes me think of Star Fox 2 for the SNES mini.
@@mrbisshie yup and add virtua fighter svp 16bit as bonus game, it was done. But I'm sure some coke up manager threw proto cart in garbage 🗑️ and some dumb developer erases code. That's how Sega rolls.
That's why it was on poll in mini 2 box, I selected Genesis 3 and ✍️ wrote Neptune mini
@@legendsflashback Knuckles' Chaotix can finally be released on something since forever. lol
I feel like at least now, the Dreamcast has the best shot. Looking at how easily like a Raspberry Pi for example can do Dreamcast emulation, I just feel like things have changed since then when Sega had been considering it before
Are you sure a stock raspberry pi can do Dreamcast? A raspberry pi 3b+ can't. A raspberry pi 4 I think can .
you don't know what you are talking about a phone from 2013 can do dreamcast full speed@@marccaselle8108
A big issue is going to be storage. Each game can be up to 1gb in size. Depends on how many they'd want to ship with the console though. Not to mention the licensing they'd have to do for 3rd party games like SoulCalibur, Powerstone, Code Veronica, etc. And what about the VMU? I don't think they could bundle a controller cheaply that has a built in display for it. All-in-all executing a DC mini is going to be too expensive if they want to do it right, which is what they seem to be going for.
a 64gb sd card is pennies to a manufacturer@@J43rv1
@@J43rv1If I had to guess the VMU would probably end up emulated, either as a phone app or something on screen.
I live in Europe, I had a SMS model 2 and Sega was so ubiquitous here that I've never seen a NES or a SNES at sale during my childhood. The first really big Nintendo hit, at least in Portugal, was Nintendo 64 and even then if we think about the PS1... I only manage to see one online back in 99/00 when I got my first PC and searched for old consoles. P.S: Alex Kidd for life!!
I know you've been saying for years the emulation just isn't there: at least not for $80 a unit.
Honestly they should have done a master system mini with sg1000 games as well.
If I had the know how I'd build one my self with a MiSter system or something and hire a 3d printer to make a DreamCast shell etc
@@JohnSmith-xq1pz Unfortunately I don't think the MiSTer can support Dreamcast. There's a WIP Saturn core and a WIP N64 core, but the particular FPGA chip that the MiSTer is based around (DE10 Nano) has some hardware limitations that would put the Dreamcast beyond its capabilities. Someone is exploring getting Dreamcast working on FPGA, but it'd have to be a different more powerful chip.
Still, something to hope for in the future.
@@GreyMatterShades Darn, well as you said hopefully one day
Great video Adam. Really hope one day they make a Dreamcast mini or release a Dreamcast collection of games
I'd be really intrigued by a Sega Master System Mini. During my time working at a video game store in Montreal, Canada, I had firsthand experience selling gaming consoles ranging from Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, Sega (SMS), and Nintendo (NES) during Christmas 1986; I was 21 years old. In that era, when the SMS came out, it sold at a ratio of 1 to 5 against NES; the Atari 2600 was still selling strongly for being the cheapest and largest game library. Maybe it was because I was really into it and kinda pushing it as well since we had a spiff bonus! It's quite evident that for a significant number of individuals, the SMS marked their very first gaming console. Considering the powerful wave of nostalgia at play, I'm fairly confident that there would be a whole bunch of people, including myself, eagerly seizing the opportunity to get their hands on a Sega Master System mini.
I feel like it was a missed oppurtunity to put Master System games in either of the Genesis Mini systems. The Genesis is backwards compatible, so it wouldn't have been out of place, maybe have a little animation of a Power Base Converter on the screen after you select a game.
maybe a "super sega retro" with games from all generations could work priced at 200 or 300 dollars if it has games from all generations?.
That's pretty ambitious.
I’d love a Saturn & Dreamcast mini, the nostalgia factor definitely is a point to consider but I’ve always believed it’s the emulation that’s the biggest stumbling block, SEGA said as much themselves in a recent financial call. I do think that both will eventually release however, but they may be a little while off, I also feel SEGA might want to do them linearly, Saturn first?
I think a Saturn mini with accurate emulation would also be a major software breakthrough, so if SEGA manage it, hats of them!
I honestly think Minis haven't gone far enough.
Picture something called the "Sega Sol" You put in good enough hardware, yes for the premium price.
Then it's capable of emulating Dreamcast, Saturn, 32X, CD, Genesis, Game Gear, Master System, and SG-1000.
You pre-fill it with games from each of those systems.
You then launch it with an online store where you can buy more roms for it.
You can take it further and sell roms for arcade systems like OutRun and Shinobi and and and.
That would be genius.
Sega solar system
@@legendsflashback Exactly "Sol" the name of our star and why it's the "Solar" system. :)
@@retropulse03 Bernie solar too 💡
And retrobrawlers controller can run sms Genesis 32x Sega CD Saturn and Dreamcast as it's thumbstick, dpad, 6 face , 2 top triggers.
People tend to overestimate the how powerful SOC's are.
If they were to do a Master System Mini, it would be cool for the main unit to be an emulator player, but have MS game cartridges that are basically SD cards with a number of selectable games on them, then when they get put in the top slot, the SD card reader that the card goes into can then load the games to play. So say each cart has a set number of games and could be either a collection of games from different genres, or each cart be a selection of games from one genre, eg 'Beat em Up: Collection Vol.1', and can buy each collection separately, and with SD card technology as it is, could pack quite a few games per cartridge!
What we need is a Dreamcast 2 with Blu-ray drive, complete games collection from all their previous hardware built in, with VMUs and removable 1TB storage for under $1200. Realistically, I'd rather see them re-release older games as remasters either on PC or other consoles. Until we get something like that I'm going to continue buying and hunting down Saturn and Dreamcast hardware.
I think Saturn and Dreamcast mini's can be done but clearly yes they will cost some money so I think what Sega needs to do is take a page out of the Egret 2 Mini's play book and have an expansion port so they can release more games in volumes so Sega can sell the systems abet cheaper than they normally would be but make up the difference buy selling more volumes of games!
Retro Saturn games (imports) and hardware might go up because of this. The fans who would buy a mini console prob end up just buying the real hardware
When I look at how fast cheap Chinese emulation sticks have advanced just THIS year (many on the $60-80 range can handle Dreamcast), then I disagree that the tech is still too expensive to make sense. I think we are right at the razor's edge of it being totally possible to make and sell for around $100. They are probably just waiting until the profit margin becomes a bit more favorable.
It's wild that people need some kind of validation from a faceless corporation. Just buy a 3d printed shell and put all the console's games on a raspberry pie. That's literally what the fans do ANYWAY lmao.
Adam, my man, love the discussion videos! I enjoy unboxings, reviews and pickup videos as much as the next guy, but stuff like this is why I subscribed a decade ago.
It would be freaking hysterical if SEGA re-released the SEGA Pico & Beena!
My wife and I recently got enough money to buy a TV display cabinet with shelves around it, and she said it'll be great, because I can display the games like a kind of museum. When we were moving around the boxes, she was genuinely curious in the Sega Dreamcast, and my eyes lit up so much. I had always dealt with gamers who shunned the Sega Dreamcast (my favorite console of all time), and now that the person I love wants to dig into those games with me... I'm not sure if anything could make me happier.
It's great to know other people who love these consoles are still out there!
I think they should go for the 300 dollar one. Honestly, the mini boom like you mentioned is over and people gobbled up the Genesis Mini 2 (which was made for fans and they came). I would have no issue spending the 300 ducats if the dreamcast mini (or whatever it is) faithfully honors its legacy.
We will get the Saturn next year, I am pretty sure. It is for sur a console that Japanese are waiting because it was the best of all Sega consoles for them ) same for me).
I don't know why but I find the discussion of console success depending on the region very interesting. Such as the Sega examples bought up here and the N64 doing worse than the Saturn in Japan.
That Dreamcast point is valid cause I believe MSRP for the Dreamcast in 1999 was $200 bucks. So are release at a more expensive price tag would make it more egregious
Let's not forget about the jaguar mini, and a N64 mini, if it doesn't already exist, i think we all deserve some 64 Bit memories in mini's
Do the math!
I think the n64 actually just isn't worth replaying, the games haven't aged well. The best game is arguably goldeneye and it is... really bad now. Mario Kart 64 is still good but has been surpassed. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are alright but otherwise I don't really see the point. Playstation 3d games also suffer badly from this outside of RPGs. It's just not a good era for gaming.
I'd love a 3DO mini!
@@gentronsevenits a good era for gaming lol theres a ton of games that aged like a wine like mgs, crash, spyro etc but ye tons of them aged like milk cuz its early 3d but it doesnt mean it wasnt a great era for gaming same with n64 even tho n64 is overrated in terms of games when you compared to gamecube
Get Atari 50th Anniversary Collection 😊
I think the dreamcast is much more easier to make a mini than the saturn due to the complexity of the console. I might be wrong and I hope I that the dreamcast mini comes out.
I agree with everything said in this video. A Dreamcast mini could happen eventually once the tech becomes cheap enough, but who knows if there'll still be demand for it or if everyone will have moved on from the mini console craze?
Before that point, I think it'd be cool if they made a new Genesis mini which had a cartridge slot and CD attachment port with USB ports in each of them. Then they could sell (probably limited quantities of) a CD mini, a 32x mini, and even a Power Base Converter as an alternative form of a Master System mini. In the case of the CD and 32x, the units could contain some extra hardware to handle the more demanding systems, but the Power Base Converter could just have game storage and run off the Genesis mini.
I'm sure this would never happen, but I think it would be cool, and buying the items modularly would allow them to make the base hardware cheaper (and set production levels of the add-ons based on preorder demand).
Thanks for being awesome at LI Retro Expo (I was 1 of the 4 people who bought your hat 😂)
Hell yeah, I remember you.
I don’t think Sega really cares about anything other than releasing the same genesis compilations over and over again.
They do care, Infact they are the only gaming company in modern day which cares about their fans out of the crowd of ungrateful likes of Nintendo, Sony, Rockstar, Valve and many more. They just do not have big bank to support the risks they want to take
id Software cares about its fans.
I’m in America and I would love a master system mini. I’ve never owned, seen or touched one. So a mini version would be a perfect way for me to experience it in some way. Make it happen Sega!
What an awesome video. This brought me back to the console generation histories he did a few years ago. 👍
I think you get a new genesis mini with the PowerBase "add-on" that has a mix of master system games and genesis games. Then maybe a 4th genesis with the 32x "add-on" with even more genesis games and some 32x games.
Yeah I think that would probably be more likely. I don’t think you’ll actually get a master system mini but another genesis mini that has master system games and a power base attachment for show is a little more likely
The SMS "destroyed" the NES in Europe!??
Ps. If a Dreamcast Mini Ever sees the Light of day I would buy it in an instant!
Yes.
@@AdamKoralik Never new that ... I also read that the NES was never released in a few EU countries. That might explain that
@@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701 A lot of those countries didn't really exist when the NES was released.
What about their arcade platforms? I'm a big racing fan and am constantly on the look out for ways to play the likes of Sega Rally and Daytona USA from the Model 2. Again haven't seen many SBC's capable of this but a guy can dream!
You can play all the Sega 3D racing games right now. I've got a G920 steering wheel setup playing Scud Race as I type this.
Licensing issues. Will never happen. They don't own the name 'Daytona' and have to license it from the Daytona Speedway each time. Then there are the car licenses for e.g., Sega Rally, Scud Race, etc.
I want to see Sega make a new add-on for the Genesis. Showing off what can be done with newer hardware if they made the next version of SegaCD. Not to play old Sega CD games but new hardware for new games. Maybe even from DVD disc's I wouldn't expect to play DVD movies but just having the higher storage and read speeds.
The latest raspberry pi can actually emulate Dreamcast fairly competently for a $35 computer board. Since the game list for a Dreamcast mini would be so curated anyway you wouldn't have to worry about perfect optimization for the entire Dreamcast library, you'd only have to focus on the list of 20 games or whatever they'd pick. It's not outrageous and it shouldn't be that expensive nowadays. The newest raspberry pi 4 came out in 2019 which is probably around the time Adam had these discussions with Sega about a Dreamcast mini, and like I said the pi 4 is actually pretty ok at Dreamcast emulation; however the pi 5 is supposed to come out next year in 2024 and I'd wager it should be perfectly adequate for Dreamcast emulation if their performance gains generation to generation keeps at the same pace it's been on (hell, even the pi 3 could emulate some Dreamcast games fairly well). I think we're actually at a time where a Dreamcast mini shouldn't be $300, this idea is probably worth revisiting currently. The PS mini wasn't a problem because of the device's lack of power or anything, it was a flop because Sony (or whoever they contracted to make it) screwed it up and didn't put real effort in; some games were NTSC and some were PAL and you couldn't chose which one you wanted for which game creating frame rate and frame pacing issues along with no effort into optimizing the games they put on the device, and other problems as well like input latency and stuff. The PS mini was just a bad product with clearly next to no effort put into it, I could make a FAR superior PS mini out a raspberry pi 3. But I stand by the Dreamcast probably being quite possible nowadays without a huge retail price tag, like I said it's probably worth revisiting that idea.
Gosh they are so tight with their licensing too, i would love to see more mini arcade replicas and systems that play their virtua games smoothly.
Would love if we got an proper Game Gear "mini" release. As seen with the Switch, there is a big demand for handheld consoles. Releasing a Game Gear Mini that's the same size as the original (or maybe slightly smaller) but with a high-end screen, TV-connection capability, and 50+ games, would be awesome. It would also be cheap for Sega to develop and release.
I'm convinced there's actually a decent global market demand for the Saturn mini. If they found a way to emulate it well with minimal loading times, and bundle in Panzer Dragoon Saga and other gems, I'm convinced it would do well. A lot more gamers are aware of the Saturn now due to social media and gaming channels in particular. A lot of Genesis fans would welcome an opportunity to play another Sega console they probably skipped or didn't even know existed in the 1990s.
As for Dreamcast Mini, better to do it right and more expensive than cheap and unappealing to its target market. People expect quality, and if Sega skimped out just to reduce the price I think it would impact sales more than if it was a bit extensive but excellent quantity. A lot of original Dreamcasts are experiencing disc drive failure now, so having a proper first party mini version would be great for those of us who still love the system but can no longer play the games.
I hadn’t seen your videos in several years, but I saw an article from “The Gamer” which mentioned you and it brought back memories.
Welcome back!
Great video. Just a point about Dreamcast emulation - up until recently I was running Emuelec on an old 'Android TV' box (which cost about £25 in 2018) that did DC + Naomi really well (Retroarch + Reicast iirc). That was an 'off the shelf' Amlogic S905X so I'm sure the tech is ready for a low cost device.
Capcom had a load of arcade games running on Naomi (with DC ports of course) - I'd love to see Sega and Capcom team up with a mini device. I can dream!
I think another good point is that some mini consoles could be released in very small numbers. The Turbografx-16 was even less successful outside of Japan than the Saturn was, but that still got a Mini released worldwide. However, a 16-bit console like that is a lot easier to emulate on low cost hardware than the Saturn is, so R&D was still less of an issue with that one. People are also usually more excited for Turbografx-16 developments than they are for Master System developments too, or at least I think so. Of course, even if they wanted to print them in larger numbers, mini consoles aren't as in vogue now as they are when Nintendo was making them. It's kind of a miracle Sega is even still thinking about mini consoles, considering that.
I am still waiting for the Master system mini.
I think a lot of us feel we missed out on the Saturn but there is a lot of good games for it so that is why people want a mini saturn
I think if Sega realizes how much of a following the Saturn has gained in retrospect in the west plus how popular it was in Japan, to me it's the only console that might have a shot. That emu though. The Master System for all its merits, still isn't popular at all. At least outside of EU and Brazil. If 10s of thousands of people suddenly decided they liked it then maybe but I don't see that happening.
Unfortunately I feel we just have to force ourselves to look outside of our fanbase bubble. The mega drive was perhaps the only SEGA console that the average Joe would have nostalgia for. Business wise I just don't think there's a big enough appetite for any of the others. DC maybe but you do have those form factor difficulties. Would not be expecting VMU's 😅
Sega Saturn Mini would be amazing! Dreamcast Mini has to got to happen sometime. All I know is there probably won't ever be a 32x Mini. How about the Mark III/Master System/SG-1000 Mini? Sega needs to do that first before the Saturn and Dreamcast minis!
I've been trying to emulate Saturn for the past decade now and I can definitely confirm that it's only really gotten at a decent point within the past couple years or so - and that's on a fairly good PC versus a far less powerful, budget-friendly microconsole
Yeah, Saturn emulation has definitely come a long way, which is incredible! It was one of the most difficult consoles to properly emulate, which was a shame as it actually has a pretty solid library of games.
I got all of Sega's mini classics, I love them all. I'd love to see a Master System Mini (Yes I am from the UK) or even an SG1000 Mini. You know your history about the systems and how popular they were, props to you my man. I can see them loading 32X games on the Saturn mini. I can see them making a Saturn Mini as an Amazon exclusive and only available for those that pre order kind of like what they did with the Mega Drive Mini 2/Genesis Mini 2. I believe the reason it is going to take time as they are planning to make a board that will work on both a Saturn and Dreamcast mini, they will make it, it's just gonna take time. However I believe in the interim they should release a Master System mini.
I'd love both a Saturn mini and Dreamcast mini, though I'm not holding my breath. I usually buy the Japanese Saturn games, and it would be cool for them to localize some of them but that seems like a lot of work for a nostalgia console. As for the dreamcast, some games like Crazy Taxi used licensed music which would be removed (and if I remember correctly was removed on a later release of it, plus the sponsored ties ins). Thats ok if they never come, I'm out of space anyway!
You have to think of it in context. SEGA has become a very japanese focused company in the last decade or so compared to previous eras, so the fact they reluctant to do Saturn mini as japan focused that SEGA has become in a market where the original system did well and would guarantee to sell very well in japan because of the nostalgia, shows there's a MAJOR issue involved. Saying that i still believe its also timing due to the planned remakes of Saturn and DC titles as well as genesis which wasnt in the works when the genesis and GG minis appeared. So this could be seen as a clash of sorts.
I agree the Dreamcast makes the most sense from a market appeal standpoint. A lot of people, even video gamers of sufficient age, don't remember the Saturn existed at all. It certainly wouldn't turn a lot of heads on North American store shelves. If there is a Saturn mini, it will probably be Japan-only or they'll sell it like they did the Genesis mini 2 which was to make a North American version but it only sold direct from Japan.
I think we will eventually get a Dreamcast mini but it will be a few more years down the road when SBCs small enough, cheap enough, and capable enough to do Dreamcast emulation exist. Until that time, the economics just don't work to do it.
Where's my CD-i Mini?! 😂
Excellent video Adam!
I've been into emulation since forever... The holy grail for me is the original model 1 Virtua Fighter!
I bought a Sega Saturn the day of release here in UK, walked around the corner to a shop that did 'grey-imports' and swapped my UK 50hz pal machine for a Japanese 60hz model, just to play Virtua Fighter at full speed! Yes, I was/am that obsessed!!
To this day 'August 2023', Sega have never released an arcade-perfect version of Virtua Fighter...
I was kinda' hoping to see an arcade perfect Virtua Fighter 1 on Dreamcast, alas... Virtua Fighter TB 😞
Enter the Sega Astro-City-Mini... I paid £125.00 Sterling, just to play THE BEST version of Virtua Fighter ever officially released!
The original model 1 board rendered Virtua Fighter at 480p... The Astro City Mini pumps out Virtua Fighter in glorious 720p... And you can plug it into HDMI (Thank-God!)
That's my love-affair with Virtua Fighter...
Daily though, I play Dreamcast games through REDREAM emulator and upscale everything to a mind bending 4K!
Soul Caliber in 4K is video-game-perfection!
Ciao.
I'd say the Master System and Satun Mini would have a chance, because thanks to the advancement on the retro community and emulation, more people have an appreciation on those systems. I had no nostalgia for the PC Engine Mini but I grabbed one because I've grown on it over the years.
I didn’t play the master system in its hay day but I would buy a mini one now, I think the retro market would be interested enough for it to sell a least 100k units in North America, not sure if it’s worth it to them though.
The context you gave makes it sound more like the Saturn is a never but the Dreamcast is a matter of time and tech rather than them both being equally unlikely.
More like... possible if anyone cares in a few years.
Im not gonna lie...i had all sega consoles but most of all loved my saturn and dreamcast.I had soo much fun with their games.
Thanks. I was telling people this very fact when people kept rumoring it. I kept dashing their hopes telling them that the hardware/fpga's needed were unrealistically expensive to make this a reality.
It was obvious that the Saturn being hard to accurately emulate would either mean it doesn't happen, or if it does happen will either be cheap and bad, or good and too expensive for the audience that's asking for it. Additionally, games start getting larger in the 32 bit era and tons of the great games I'd want would probably be left off. It's also relatively niche, so is the market big enough to make it function as nostalgia wank rather than something that only appeals to a hardcore audience who just tears it apart and tells people not to buy it? You're 100% right about there needing that factor. I love the Saturn to death and would be so happy to get that experience back, but it's a pipe dream, sadly.
As a kid in the UK in the late 80's there wasn't much of a market here for the NES. Nintendo didn't really have much of a footing here until much later with the SNES. It's weird, but I think a lot of the reason why the NES was a success in the US was the reason why it wasn't as successful in the UK. It was thought of as a kids toy because of Rob the Robot and Duck Hunt and no one here cared about Mario at the time. The kids here didn't want Nintendo's brand of cute gaming, they wanted conversions of the big feature Sega arcade games of the day like Hang On, After Burner and Space Harrier that they'd play at the weekends with their pocket money, which is why the Master System was a success.
When the Mega Drive was announced, it was a no-brainer. The hype here was real. The screenshots in magazines had people salivating for it. I got a Japanese one bundled with Super Shinobi for Xmas, 9 mths before its UK release, from the back pages of a UK magazine Computer and Video Games and then bought a SNES from a friend a while later. I had to import Mega Drive games, but I didn't care because the presentation was so much better. The Japanese logos, typeface/branding and the box art was just a million times better. I was already used to buying Japanese games because I had an MSX bought during the big home computer thing here in 1984, before moving to consoles with the Mega Drive in 1988. My best friend at the time also had an MSX, but got a Master System so we'd play his a lot - especially Space Harrier and Wonder Boy. I don't think you guys in the states had that home computer thing so much?
I had no idea the Megadrive wasn't a success in Japan! I always thought the opposite. Thanks for the video! Your explanation of why we wont see any more Sega minis makes the most sense. I agree, it would be a long shot, but if Sega did a Master System mini for the UK with the right games and the right number of games where it would be ridiculous for fans not to buy it, then they'd have a chance at sales.
Thank you for making this video. I think the mass majority really needed to hear this, but also if people want to play these games there are various way ti play them. R&D cost likely would make the Saturn mini $300 anyways. Lastly this doesn’t even include the cost to get the “must play” games on the console.
Does ANYONE truly believe that a Dreamcast mini will sell without Powerstone 1/2, DOA2, Soul caliber, and any other capcom game. That $300 price tag is probably just the cost to make the mini Dreamcast and likely doesn’t include getting the games on there.
On top of this you have to think about getting the rights for some of the music used in games like crazy taxi( which is a big part as to why people love the game)
Extremely valid point.
@@AdamKoralik That’s like asking PlayStation to make a mini PlayStation without symphony of the night………. Oh wait 😂
He mentioned the sales of the Sega Master System and it’s true, very true. So true that if Sega weren’t as monstrously successful in the arcade scene as they were, we would have never had the Mega Drive. I knew 2 kids who had a Sega Master System growing up, and one of them actually belonged to their father so 1 kid really 😆😆 I always liked the graphics on the Master System. I didn’t have one as a kid though because, well, you know why 🤣
Well I know this not a Sega system but I like to see Philips make a cdi mini
Knowing SEGA, I'd be worried to see how the final product ends up being...
It would be cool, especially the Saturn mini, give us access to all the games that are unaffordable!
Hey Adam , greetings from central Florida , I am a retro-gamer content creator , and you have an awesome channel , , thanks for doing this Mini console follow up , , think eventually a Mini-Dreamcast will see the light of day , fingers crossed 🤞 , ,keep rocking dude 😸👍👍
I completely agree with everything you said. As an American who did play Master System when it was competing with Nintendo, I would buy a Master System Mini in a heartbeat. Phantasy Star alone would be worth the purchase let alone if they included other games like Golvelius, YS 1 and Golden Axe Warrior or even hack n slash games like Rastan. I know I'm in an extremely small minority here and the odds of it happening are worse than the odds of surviving an asteroid field in Star Wars according to C3-PO.
Also I gave this video its 666 like. So take my opinion as you will given that information.
ReDream runs Dreamcast stuff at full speed on a Raspberry Pi 4. It could be done. However a Pi 4 costs about £100ish and don't forget Sega would have the licensing costs of all games they bundle. And they have to make Dreamcast controllers for a mini. And they have to make mini moulds for the case. And they have to have a decent profit margin. So yeah, maybe £300 which is not nostalgia funtimes money. And by the time single board computers are cheap enough to do the DC for maybe £30 , the generation who would be interested in one would be too old to consider getting one. People in their 30s are the prime target for that kinda thing.
YES WHERE!? Serious if it happens I'm definitely buying one and WILL be putting a certain Orange Haired goddess's logo on the drive lid.
Uzume?
@@iCABALi Yup 👍
I love Neptune aka the protagonist of protagonists BUT Orange Heart is my favourite Goddess
Wish they would do something like an "arcade mini", and have the arcade versions of virtua fighter 1-3, virtua racing, Daytona, virtua cop 1&2, house of the dead, Sonic Fighters, Crazy Taxi, and more.
I see a new video posted by Adam about SEGA products including the Dreamcast, I click. There's no question about it.
This is a long comment so I'll just put the TLDR first: Sega should make both brand new games and translations of games that were never released outside of Japan. The Saturn would benefit most notably from this since it would make it more marketable in other countries. It got only 258 games in the US while in Japan it had 1265.
I know I'm late to the party but I've had this idea on my mind for a while now. I figured it might just be crazy enough to be onto something. Even though Sega is out of the brand new console war for now and probably quite a while more, the landscape has changed so dramatically since they left. We have games nowadays that have things like ray tracing and can make characters look extremely realistic. Yet despite this, not only are so many new titles flopping left and right but they keep copying one another to capitalize off of trends. Very rarely is it something original. There is a massive community of people who are tired of this and feel like the "industry" is missing something. So they look to things like indie games or retro games. Or even brand new indie games whos art style mimics that of the retro games for the sake of artistic style or nostalgia.
So here's my idea: If graphics are no longer the problem and that we've pretty much proven everything there is to prove in that department, what if Sega made brand new games for their old consoles? Not only would this help the sales of the mini consoles but it could also help repair the neglect that some of their consoles libraries got such as the 32x and Sega Saturn. I'm not just talking about cheap new games either. I mean real honest-to-god masterpieces made with love from developers who truly care. Ones that are given true creative freedom just like the old days. While they're at it, they can make official translations of imported games. There are a TON of games that never saw release outside of Japan. Especially for the Sega Saturn. In the US, the Saturn only got 258 games while in Japan it had 1,265.
The NES sold very little in the UK. Despite that, the NES Mini sold very well when it was released.
No wonder. At the time of the NES's heyday, PCs dominated the British market. PCs had been dominant since before the Great Video Game Crash of '83.
@@DarDarBinks1986
The Game Crash was a US game crash. It didn't happen in Europe or Japan. Gaming was taking off in the UK at the time of the US Game Crash.
The gaming home computers at the time were known as micro computers. The term PC (personal computer) was used for home business computers.
Sega's history as a console maker is pretty interesting when seeing that each of their consoles were appreciated by one region of the world, the Genesis aside.
I think the main reason why most folks, myself included, ask for other mini systems from Sega is because they jerk off the Genesis way too much, not just from a mini console perspective (seeing how they made two of them), but also from a rerelease perspective, as well.
Ever since the Sega CD, you can play Genesis games officially in some shape or form on almost every console under the sun.
Awesome video buddy. Would love to see a Dreamcast Mini :)
My jealousy for that Code Veronica Dreamcast is at an 11. I remember seeing it in a magazine but of course it was during that time where most cool video game things were exclusive to Japan.
Saturn would be very cool to me (who grew up on the Saturn) but, realistically, if there's going to be ONE console released I would have bet on Dreamcast due to its reputation + people having been able to play it properly after the fact through emulation. Also I would expect my region, Europe, to possibly get shafted once again. Edit: yeah wrote this comment before watching the video; we came to the same conclusion.