You can now play your old SEGA Mega Drive games on your HD TV lag-free! Imagine!
Analogue first came to my attention with the super sleek aluminium Nt Mini which is a luxury version of the NES Mini. Unlike the various clones of the NES Mini on the market it wasn’t an emulation. It played all your old Nintendo and original Famicom games plus various add-ons and extras where you could essentially customise the console in look and sound. With the success of the Nt Mini and Super Nt, Analogue have now set their sights on SEGA with the Mega Sg, and I for one am way too over excited!
Due to be released in March 2019 and costing around £150, you can get your preorders in now. There is no need to drag out a heavy CRT TV to experience retro gaming, as you can now play in HD without losing out on video and audio quality. The Mega Sg which can play over 2180 classic cartridges, will make the knock off retro gaming toys out there look very silly!
I am a big SEGA Mega Drive fan. I transitioned straight from the daddy of retro game consoles, Atari, to a Sinclair ZX Spectrum to a 16-bit revolution with a Mega Drive. Yes, I had my dalliances with a Nintendo Game Boy and enduring chronic thumb fatigue playing Track & Field, but receiving a Mega Drive for Christmas with a 6 in 1 game cartridge with the likes of The Revenge of Shinobi, Columns and Golden Axe was and still is my happy place.
Here’s the science!
This bad boy is NOT an emulation machine like the other plug n play systems. This means no lag with video output and 1080p Hi Definition graphics all engineered with FPGA technology. The FPGA is a chip that simulates the original Mega Drive hardware instead of an emulation with software. The audio packs a 48KHz 16 bit stereo which essentially means the sound is upscaled to the highest digital quality. So no more complaints of distorted, variations of sounds when you’re trying to beat those “I only have one move” flying kick bitches in Streets of Rage!
The use of such high-end tech and precision engineering allows the Mega Sg to be free from compromises allowing you to play all the games as they were intended to be played all those years ago.
“We design systems to celebrate and explore the history of video games with the respect it deserves,” – Analogue.
As well as SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis cartridges and of course the Sega Master System, you are also able to use an original Mega-CD with the Sega Sg. There is a connector concealed in the expansion door that allows you to plug in and get going!
Analogue are all about preserving the rich gaming history of old skool video games and the consoles of our childhood, so of course they have thought about everything! And by everything, I mean, game cartridge adapters for Game Gear, Mark III, Sega MyCard, SG-1000 and the SC-3000. So, you can play even more retro games and avail of the sophistication and accuracy of FPGA.
With the Mega Sg you can use your old SEGA controllers but if you don’t have them then you will unfortunately have to purchase the control pads separately for roughly £20. But that’s not so bad as Analogue have super fancy wireless 8bitDo M30 controllers that come in black in white… and they look the business!
I know I know, historically speaking wireless controllers used with retro gaming consoles have always been a taboo matter, mainly down to the fact of the annoying lag you can experience with gameplay, but these wireless 2.4GHz control pads (not Bluetooth) are lag-free. Of course! Even though I have original Mega Drive gamepads, I still think I will purchase these… because reasons!
If you’re a SEGA fan and you want to invest in a bit of tech that we make you cry nostalgic tears of joy… then you need to hit up Analogue post haste!
General Spec of Mega Sg
Colours
*USA, Europe, Japan and White.
Dimensions
*138mm (L)
*168mm (W)
*47mm (H)
What You Get in the Box
*Analogue Mega Sg
*Analogue SEGA Master System Cartridge Adapter
*USB Cable
*HDMI Cable
*USB Power Cable
Compatibility
*Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Master System Cartridges
* Game Gear, Mark III, Sega MyCard, SG-1000 and the SC-3000
*Mega-CD
*Region Free (PSU: 100-240v, 50-60hz)
Audio
*48Hz 16-bit
*Digital audio via HDMI
*3.5mmm Headphone Jack
Video
*HDMI 1080p/720p/480p
*NTSC and PAL Support
*Zero Signal Degradation, Lag Free
Special Features
*Original styled controller ports for Mega Drive/Master System
*Original connector for Mega-CD
*SD Card Slot for Firmware Updates
8BitDo M30 Game Controller – 2.4g Wireless Receiver
*20hr Battery Life
*Auto Sleep Mode After 15 Minutes
*Lag-Free