Sega Genesis Mini Pre-Order Guide: Full Games List, Review, Where To Buy

Releasing mini versions of classic consoles is an ongoing trend that took off with Nintendo's SNES and NES Classics and continued with Sony's PlayStation Classic. Now Sega is throwing its hat into the ring--the company announced March 30 that its own nostalgia console, the Genesis Mini (or Mega Drive Mini, for those in Europe), will launch worldwide on September 19. The retro console will cost $80 / £70/ €80 / AUD $140 and comes with 42 games.

Sega has slowly revealed more games that'll come pre-installed on the console over the past couple of months, and the final batch of games was recently announced, including two unexpected titles, Tetris and Darius. Other newly confirmed games include Road Rash II, Strider, Virtua Fighter 2, Alisia Dragoon, Columns, Dynamite Headdy, Kid Chameleon, Monster World IV, Light Crusader, and Eternal Champions. Plus, classic titles like Earthworm Jim and Sonic the Hedgehog will be available too. You can check out the full list of games at the bottom of this article.

Based on the Model 1 Genesis, the mini console is about 55 percent smaller than the original and comes with two classic three-button controllers, a USB-to-Micro-B power cable, and an HDMI cable. If you live in America, a power adapter will also come with it.

Overall, GameSpot's Peter Brown was pleased with the console in his Genesis Mini review. "For $80, you get a handsome little system, two controllers, and 42 games. While the Mini isn't without a few quirks, it's heads and tails above previous software-emulation-based Genesis offerings that have plagued Sega fans for years," he wrote. "If you want to play Genesis games but can't afford the real thing and a stack of cartridges, the Genesis Mini should be at the top of your list."

If you're itching to play all those old-school games from your childhood ASAP, there's another option: the Analogue Mega Sg, which is more expensive at nearly $200 but comes with more adaptability. You can read more on that in our Mega Sg review. In the meantime, the Sega Genesis Mini is available for pre-order--more info on that below.

The Sega Genesis Mini is offering twice the number of games that the PlayStation Classic had for $20 less, so we expect it'll sell out eventually, just as the SNES Classic and NES Classic both did. So if you want the Sega Genesis Mini, consider pre-ordering now before scalpers get their hands on the console.

Pre-order at Amazon

Pre-order at Best Buy

Pre-order at Walmart

Complete lineup of Sega Genesis Mini games

1. Sonic the Hedgehog
2. Ecco the Dolphin
3. Castlevania: The New Generation
4. Space Harrier 2
5. Shining Force
6. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
7. ToeJam & Earl
8. Comix Zone
9. Altered Beast
10. Gunstar Heroes
11. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
12. World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
13. Thunder Force III
14. Super Fantasy Zone
15. Shinobi III
16. Streets of Rage 2
17. Earthworm Jim
18. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
19. Probotector
20. Landstalker
21. Mega Man®: The Wily Wars
22. Street Fighter II®: Special Champion Edition
23. Ghouls ‘n Ghosts®
24. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
25. Story of Thor
26. Golden Axe
27. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
28. Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball
29. Vectorman
30. Wonder Boy in Monster World
31. Tetris®
32. Darius
33. Road Rash II
34. Strider
35. Virtua Fighter 2
36. Alisia Dragoon
37. Kid Chameleon
38. Monster World IV
39. Eternal Champions
40. Columns
41. Dynamite Headdy
42. Light Crusader