Console war erupts as Sega takes on Nintendo with retro Mega Drive

In a move that will have gamers of a certain age going misty-eyed with nostalgia, Sega has announced it is reviving the console wars of the early 1990s with a new version of its classic Mega Drive console.
The Mega Drive ClassicThe Mega Drive Classic
The Mega Drive Classic

QUIZ: Can you name these 30 Mega Drive characters?: The hardest Mega Drive quiz you’ll ever play

The news of the Mega Drive Classic’s release comes hot on the heels of Nintendo’s announcement recently that it was launching a 21st-century version of its iconic NES console.

The move puts the two former console titans head to head for the first time since Sega stopped selling the Dreamcast in 2001, although the 16-bit Mega Drive was really a competitor for the NES’s successor - the Super NES.

Launched to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th birthday, the Mega Drive Classic goes on sale in October for £49.99.

It comes pre-loaded with 80 games, including all the Sonic games, a trio of Mortal Kombat titles, Altered Beast and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. That’s a substantial boost over the Nintendo Classic Mini’s 30-game offering.

What’s more, unlike the Nintendo, the Mega Drive features a slot on top to accept the original console’s cartridges so expect a lot of grown adults to be raiding their parents’ lofts between now and October.

The Mega Drive Classic will ship with two wireless controllers in place of the NES’s one.

For those who like their gaming on the go there is also a portable version of the Sega console on its way featuring a 3.2-inch screen, the same 80 games and an SD card slot, presumably to allow gamers to expand their games collection with ROMs.

The full list of games:

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

Alien Storm

Altered Beast

Arrow Flash

Bonanza Bros.

Chakan: The Forever Man

Columns

Columns III

ComixZone

Crack Down

DecapAttack

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

ESWAT: City Under Siege

Eternal Champions

Fatal Labyrinth

Flicky

Gain Ground

Golden Axe

Golden Axe II

Golden Axe III

Jewel Master

Kid Chameleon

Phantasy Star 2

Phantasy Star 3

Ristar

Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic Spinball

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog II

Sonic 3D Blast

Sword of Varmilion

The Ooze

Vectorman

Vectorman II

Mortal Kombat I

Mortal Kombat II

Mortal Kombat III

Adventure in the Park

Cross the road

Jack’s Pea

Jewel Magic

Curling 2010

Plumbing Contest

Wall-Breaking

Bubble Master

Break a Fireline

Mahjong Solitaire

Warehouse Keeper

Chess

Memory

Snake

Air Hockey

Spider

Naval Power

Mr. Balls

Cannon

Fight or Lose

Bottle Taps Race

Bomber

Checker

Hexagonos

Whack-A-Wolf

Mirror Mirror

Panic Lift

Black Sheep

Flash Memory

Brain Switch

Mega Brain Switch

Hidden Agenda

Dominant Amber

Hide and Seek

Jura Formula

Lost World Sudoku

Meatloaf Rotation

Mya Master Mind

Skeleton Scale

T-Rex Memory Match

Yawning Triceratops

Related topics: