Analogue, the company that brought you the NT Mini and the Super NT, an NES and Super Nintendo aftermarket console, respectively, announced that they are creating the Mega SG. This retro console will combine the Sega Genesis, Master Drive, and the Mega Drive together in one console! Analogue boasts that it can play over 2,180 classic cartridges on the retro system!
The Mega SG is powered by the same hardware that Analogue used to create the Super NT but with some variances. It still utilizes the Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip found in the Super NT in order to emulate the capabilities of the original Sega Genesis hardware. This is a solution that bypasses emulation and produces an authentic gaming experience. They’ve also taken care to use a Yahama YM2612 chip replicate the sound fonts of the original games as closely as possible to bring that authentic Sega Genesis experience back.
Even with all of the hardware used to replicate the retro experience, you can play these games in 1080p resolution through the console’s HDMI port without the worry for any input lag. The console does not come with any controllers but you can either purchase ones from Analogue or hook up any old Sega Genesis controllers you may have laying around the house in a dusty box somewhere. The console has two controller ports in the front for multiplayer play. Analogue’s offering for controllers come in the form of wireless 8bitdo M30s. While going wireless isn’t exactly true to the retro experience, it still a common expectation in today’s gaming market so it makes sense.
If you remember forming the Megazord with your Sega Genesis, 32x, etc to play the latest games, Analogue states that it plans to recreate cartridge adapters for the Mark III, Game Gear, Sega MyCard, SG-1000, and SC-3000… all of which will be coming in 2019.
The Mega SG is slated for an April 2019 release and will be region free. It can be updated using an SD card and contains a video output features to help replicate some of the 90’s gaming nostalgia. As far as how much this system will set you back… it will be the same price as the Super NT, weighing in at $189. If you want to secure your console straight away, pre-orders are available right now!
