The Sega Genesis Mini 2 - REVIEW 

Just a little note for the not-american viewers. The european version comes without the AC adapter, and you will probably think "who cares, everybody has a spare one at home somewhere". Well, the thing is, this time it requires at 5V/2A adapter instead of the most common 5V/1A used by the first mini. Bottom line, in Europe we have to shell out additional cash, 10€ at least, for buying the adapter. On top of 110€ of console is not so great.

Really want to see a Saturn mini. Doubt that will happen though.

I know it's not much, but I do appreciate the channel and your hard work that goes into each video. ☺️

Love the credit scene of the stop-motion filming process. I love the stop motion stuff you do Joe, and all the clear effort that goes into the editing and production. I hope Game Sack never changes

Complain about Super Locomotive, but I think that was quite beloved by Japanese arcade patrons. Considering how popular trains are there, it doesnt surprise me. It was never ported home at the time, as I dont think many machines could handle the two viewports with the track map and side-scrolling action. The glory days of the game had long passed by the time it could be ported to the MD/GEN, so I think thats it's a neat inclusion. Sega's 8-bit arcade catalogue is largely (and in my eyes, unjustly) forgotten hy the company, so I'm happy to see this and Spatter.

I want a Sega Arcade Mini with arcade perfect versions of Daytona USA, Virtua Racing, Rad Mobile, etc, etc. All their amazing arcade games of the 80's and 90's.

Insane how you got this out so quickly but it’s still as quality as ever

I wonder if SEGA will make a Mini Saturn as it's 30th anniversary on late 2024 is on its way, if that is even possible in a very low powered device like this. They didn't even consider the SMS, so the chances are thin, but still, it may happen.

Alien Soldier was also released in PAL regions, it wasn't just Japan and I like that Sonic CD can also run at 50fps. Nice review.

I'm kinda shocked you just brushed Super Locomotive aside :( it was a really crazy bonus for them to include it cause it was an arcade board that only had 30 pcbs produced. It used rydeen as the main theme and the game is incredibly addictive, but really hard when you get into it.

Nothing says "The ending of a Game Sack video" better than Joe giving a thumbs up with with an awkward smile.

I think it’s the best thing Sega put out since the Dreamcast. Sure it’s not perfect but having Shadow Dancer, Revenge of Shinobi, Gain Ground, Ranger X, Golden Axe 2, and the ability to play the Japanese versions are awesome! The Working Designs/Victor Ireland thing definitely pissed me off though.

Joe does the best hardware reviews! Some of his sketches are funny. They'll probably do a Genesis mini 3 that can fit on a keychain, if the money's right.

Given how bad Victor Ireland’s reputation has soured over the years I’m not inclined to believe anything he says

A shame they still haven’t addressed the audio delay. Good review as always.

I’m 36 years old and I can honestly that was the most comprehensive, well made, and informative review I’ve ever seen in my life. Kudos. Subbed

I just got mine yesterday. I didn't get a chance to play it yet but just the size of the unit itself is tiny! Honestly if Sega wanted to do another one, maybe make a one based on the Genesis 3 and focus more on just Sega CD and 32x.

I like it. Didn't even notice any of the issues like the sound lag. Plays fine to me.

I think the Mini 2 is pretty cool! I just wish that Lunar got a release on this thang.

I watched a few reviews so far and could not wait for Game Sack's take on it, since this channel is the official SEGA authority and Joe a tough reviewer. Am I right Evercade?

If they do make a Model 3 I'd hope they'd find a way to get SNATCHER on it.....That and also some 32X Games so that way they can say they covered Genesis/Mega Drive Games, CD, and the 32X with these minis! 😮

I appreciate this review as Joe, even as a self confessed SEGA fanboy, has been way more honest than a lot of other reviewers have been. Every other review has been utterly glowing about this. He basically says 'it's ok, with some flaws, and potentially an opportunity missed'. I pre-ordered and have it anyway - but it's good to see someone with integrity in the retrogaming community who isn't just shilling something they got for free.

Appreciate you mentioning Canada, but they did open up pre-orders to us lesser-North-Americans a few weeks back. No hoops to jump through :)

Would've been cool if they got our unfinished/unreleased Super Strike Trilogy CD, which a compilation/director's cut of Desert, Jungle and Urban Strike. But I'm happy to have at least one of my games included in this compilation. I'm off to Amazon to order! Oh and I know you were trying to be funny, but I also worked on Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia! ROFL!

I'm loving mine, but I totally understand the shortcomings/warts...but I am 100% happy with it.

I like how Joe implies that PAL territories aren't real life.

Shining Force CD 🤯😁🥳

Super Locomotive is the first legitimate home release of a virtually EXTINCT arcade game that happens to be one of the earliest train related video games, if not the first such game whatsoever. I’m all for game history not being buried in the realm of access via piracy-only.

On the old MD collections they would throw in a few Master System/Game Gear versions of games, sometimes as secrets/unlocks. I'd like to see some of that from future consoles, adds a bit of old school mystery to the thing. Thanks for the overview Joe

I’m still buying it to complement my Genesis mini 1. I still love Sega despite not being in the console market anymore.

Lots of fond (really!) memories of playing Sewer Shark with my dad. But we got into a lot of stuff no one liked, mainly cuz we spent money on it... a few underrated gems we discovered were XCOM on the Playstation and the Kings Field series. XCOM developed a huge cult following eventually but back in the day no one had heard of it (even on the PC) and Kings Field gave my dad, my grandma, and I countless hours of exploratory fun ❤

In case anyone was wondering, yes it is pronounced Devi and PEE, as in urine, not "Pie". I think that makes it a better game.

"Smaller is better"

It's a little disappointing there's no Sonic 3/Knuckles on here. I can't imagine there being a Genesis Mini 3 since the model 3 Genesis was a cheap aftermarket KB Toys deal with no addon capability IIRC. But I can totally imagine Nintendo making an NES Classic 2 shaped like the top loader and an SNES Classic 2 shaped like the mini SNES if they like money enough.

If we got a bunch of Sega cd and 32x games I’d definitely be interested in a Genesis mini 3 I also would like Spellcaster to be on it.

11:30 I remember taking six button controllers back to the store because I thought they were broken when I bought Golden Axe II eleven years ago.* *At first I thought I bought it twelve years ago, then ten years ago, remembered I kept the receipt, and it turns out I bought it eleven years ago. Complete in box for $3.99.

This is brings nostalgia to the next level. $130 was what I paid for the Genesis originally. -_- That being said, if it had Lunar 1 & 2, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat.

People are steadily buying this for nearly $200 on eBay when it is still available on Amazon directly from Sega for $100. 🤔

I'm impressed how thorough your review was and how you managed to try out all these games with all the different modes in such a short time! Amazing job!

Did anyone notice Joe said “hidden gem” without putting on his metal Jesus costume?

Great review like always and i wished they would of included rocket knight adventures and its sequel sparkster

Strange, I remember the PAL version of Alien Soldier for sale in europe...

Didn't expect a new video from Game Sack on a late Tuesday night. Am watching it nonetheless. Hope everyone enjoyed Halloween.

I was hoping you’d address whether _Sonic CD_ utilized the original compressed versions of the animated cutscenes or used non-compressed versions from later ports.

I'm surprised you've never played The Ooze before this, as it was a notable addition to Sonic Mega Collection +. I thought it was an interesting concept, though I'd always gravitate to the other games

Not sure what was going on with the game choices as alot of them have been on collections before

The audio delay alone is a dealbreaker for me.

Good stuff! I’m having some controller issues, I think. On Super HangOn and After Burner II it’s almost like a turbo button is being held, even if I’m not pressing anything. Any ideas?

Love the thoroughness of this review, you're the first to mention Bare Knuckle 3 being censored that I've heard (Wow, that 😞 sucks!). The fact that it's got the Game Sack humor makes this all the more worthwhile.

I would have bought it just for an English version of Lunar Eternal Blue. I love the first game, but the sequel is crazy expensive. Same with Snatcher, never have played it. But Sega isn't exactly known for always making good business decisions.

I’d almost forgotten that Super Locomotive’s soundtrack is basically YMO’s “Rydeen” on loop, nice to see they were able to keep that in, even if the game itself isn’t exactly filled with thrills.

Finally caved in. Man, it is worth it. Could use Snatcher and the Lunar series, but overall pleased with the package…oh and the censorship of Bare Knuckle 3 is so unnecessary.

I always preferred the sleek aesthetic of the megadrive 2. Internal qualities aside like sound and whatnot, I just think it looks cooler.

- *fully remakes Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier II because someone at Sega of Japan and/or M2 has had the biggest two-decade boner for Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier* - *includes some weird breakout game no one has heard of or cares about, that was probably canceled for a good reason* - *completely butchers Bare Knuckle III by censoring it in the laziest way possible that cuts out a big chunk of content* - *no Earthworm Jim Special Edition even though they got Earthworm Jim 1 and 2* Overall it's still a good package but I will never understand Sega's priorities.

I think if we judge the Mini 2 for what it is rather than for what it could have been, it’s awesome.

The US should of been the focus with this. The Genesis and Sega CD sold way better in the US than everywhere else. A shame Sega still doesn't get it.

Now they need to release a Nomad with all the mini 1 & 2 games plus Lunar, Snatcher, and more.

I'm sorry Joe, but I'd take a smoother FPS over not having flicker any day of the week. M2 made the correct call with Space Harrier 2.

It’s a shame the Lunar games are not on it. Would have picked one up if the mini 2 had them.

They better be working on a Saturn mini. Japan loves the Saturn almost as much as I do.

Like the Mega Drive 2 Mini so far, great collection of games overall and nice emulation. Sad that the hardware shortage made the pricing a bit off but hey, enough Games for a Mega Drive 3 Mini or Nomad Mini still there :D

Criminal not to include Lunar, though I doubt anyone is going to pay a ton. Also the PSX versions of Lunar are better, I know that's where a lot of people discovered that GEm, but the Genesis version is pretty solid too

A real untapped market IMO for all these mini consoles in the future would be to make 'Redux' version's of them, with fixed, enhanced, modded, translated and just overall improved versions of original game releases. Official mods and fixes of course....not third party romhacks. The nostalgia factor of these mini's with the same exact stock roms is starting to run thin.

Not only should there be a Genesis Mini 3, but it should also include some 32x games like Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing, and After Burner! (I know Virtua Racing,Virtua Fighter, and After Burner had Genesis Releases, but everyone knows that the 32X's versions were far superior).

The actual Sega CD edge connector door made me chuckle

Damn it joe! Alien solder DID release outside of America. I’m in the UK and I had it! So I’m pretty sure the rest of Europe got it too

I got mine yesterday, I love it. I played it for the remainder of my Thursday. I even have the Genesis Mini 1. So I have them both. If they do a Genesis Mini 3, it'll probably have Sega 32X games included. Afterburner 2 and Super Hang-On are my favorites on it and are the reason why I bought it. Gotta have my Afterburner and Hang-On.

Well thanks for the comprehensive review. Aside from missing out on a few games like EWJ2, Splatterhouse 2, and Toejam and Earl 2 I don't regret not picking it up. Also, nice "tower of power" nod at the end. 😊

Really hope they release a mini version of their most neglected console: Sega Master System. Think they own the rights to most the library, and hardware can handle it for sure. Action Fighter, The Ninja, Choplifter, Rambo II(Secret Command), Alien Syndrome, Fantasy Zone, Out Run, Phantasy Star, Wonder Boy III, Space Harrier, Zillion, Shinobi....so many incredible games that they own and should actually do something with.

So I note in the comments section that a lot of people are hoping for a mini 3, and I just thought I'd point out that Madlittlepixel did a video called Segas next mini console, on how the JP version of the mini 2 actually came with a digital voting card (link and unique password) for a questionnaire that included a question about what console SEGA should make mini next. The options included a genesis 3, but also the Master System, Dreamcast, and Saturn, among a few other less interesting ones. Personally hoping for a Dreamcast Mini, but just the idea that SEGA is at least considering doing more mini consoles is hype as far as I'm concerned.

Gain Ground is an amazing game! Quite addicting with iconic music.

Night Trap isn't much today, but it's crazy they added that on there. I hope they didn't cut out the scenes w/ Dana Plato💘. I was a preteen back in the early 90s when I had my experience with the game. FMVs seemed so cutting edge at the time. NT is one of only mabe 5 games sealing my decision to buy this unit. But I might take the gamble and wait for these to circulate here in the US at a cheaper price. Or at least in attempt to void that extra shipping off the main retail $$.

My Japan version came with a survey about which Sega mini should be next, Genesis mini 3 an option 😆

Doesn't work with other USB controllers? *Alarm bells.* *ALARM BELLS!* Can't get a replacement control pad for the Super Retrocade to this day.

I do love GameSack's outro music. Feels very nostalgic to TV shows from the 80s and 90s.

Alien Soldier was released on cartridge outside of Japan in the UK, and presumably Europe. Remember seeing it second hand years ago and could have bought it if I was interested, but didn't.

For Space Harrier 2 wouldn’t it have been easier to emulate the Mega CD tech to include the scaling?

Didn't know this thing existed until it randomly showed up on Amazon. I ordered it. Snatcher would of been a fantastic addition for all your wacky Kojima'ness. Still hoping for a Saturn Mini

Just imagine how small the Genesis mini 3 would be.

The only console that’s worth reviewing is no ther the PS VR 2 that’s $549 that plays a thousand times better then Sega Genesis mini 2 will ever I think everyone knows what’s Sega Genesis is how many times was it released it’s hackable you can add different games if you don’t see a game you wanted on it just need a PC to hack it

Whilst I appreciate the clear effort to create a collection with some new things we probably haven't seen before, certain parts of the Megadrive back catalogue have been re-released and re-released again and again since the days of the PS2 and I've reached a point where I just can't face the prospect of a collection with the inferior Megadrive ports of games like Outrun and Afterburner getting wheeled out again. A few failed projects that weren't commercially viable for release are bonus content at best.

Got mine (the Megadrive 2 version) a couple of days ago in australia, via amazon in the UK. Seriously who doesn't have a 5v2a adaptor at this stage, unless you are a stupid apple-drone prepared to put up with their slow chargers.

Nice overview. One thing I wish reviewers would cover every time one of these mini consoles are released however, is how many times some of the titles have been regurgitated over the years. By my count, about 1/3rd of the titles included in the Mini 2 have previously been made available in one form or another on physical media -- 15 in previous compilations, Splatterhouse 2 as an unlockable in Splatterhouse (2010), and Truxton and Night Trap on physical media via Retro-Bit and Limited Run respectively.

I disagree about the CRT filter: it'll compensate for the modern too bright LED TVs, and the slight blur will work to produce a better dithering, crucial in a lot of Sega Genesis games.

Hilarious skit, as usual.

The shell is not exactly the same for the US and JPN models, the cartridge slots are accurate to the region. The Virtua Racing Cartridge and or the Mega Tower Zero (Power Base Converter) will not fit into the US model.

Great review on Genesis Mini 2. Thanks for telling us about not having both Lunar and Popful Mail on the International version. Sega should have just paid the fee to Victor Ireland, even if he asked for royalty. There is no excuse for "semiconductor or chip shortage," licensing negotiations that slowed down during the pandemic, and announcing the International version last minute when they focus more on the Japanese market. Sega should have delayed the release to 2023 because there were some problems for M2 and maybe other developers during the development of MD Mini 2. Puyo Puyo Sun supposed to have single-player/story modes and needed three more months when they had one month left to finish the full game, but Yosuke Okunari (producer of MD Mini 2) wanted the device to be released in October 2022. So M2 decided to have VS mode only and called the game "VS Puyo Puyo Sun." I don't know who to blame, but it should have been better with Mini 2 if they have taken the time for improvements. If Yosuke Okunari wants to develop Saturn Mini or Dreamcast Mini, then Sega should take more effort into research, takes more development time, maybe localize some games for fans overseas, and focus both on the Japanese and International markets.

The revenge of Shinobi not to be confused with Revenge of Shinobi on the GBA. I've only played the GBA game and I have to say that it's pretty good if you play it in an emulator so you don't have to worry about passwords. It's one of those games where it's worth playing but it's not the top tier.

Great to see some sack on a weekday

I like that Crusader of Centy, Shining Force CD and Thunder Force 4/Lightening Force is on it and makes it worth the purchase alone. Those three games are still very expensive in the after market. But I wish that they could have included MUSHA, that game is ridiculously expensive now if you want the authentic cart.

I love the stop motion "making-of" during the end credits.

Love how it's got the option to model the sound of each version, just like MiSTer does. Although having a mister I have no reason to get this really other than for looks and stuff which I don't think I'm going to do that

Once I got a Series X, these things became an amusing novelty at best. The censorship on certain titles and lack of key titles supersedes the clean presentation these officially licensed products provide. But I am always thankful for any kind of hardware release because it means Joe is going to talk about it on Gamesack.

As a gamer, I kind of want one. But apparently not engough to actually pay $100 for it. I have most of these games on multiple devices...and the ones I don't, I don't care about. This is a pass for me.

Thanks for pointing out the flaws of this system unlike other RU-vidrs who ignored them or didn't notice them in order to get their review out first *cough*MVG*cough*

Out of stock on Amazon UK. If anyone can point me in the direction of somewhere with stock it'd greatly appreciated.

Thanks for telling us about the Audio Delay. As someone who has to deal with Capture Delay with my HD PVR 2. The Audio Delay would probably drive me nuts over time. So I'll sadly pass

15:30 aw man, my only pet peeve with the model 2 mini is the ristar samples not being emulated properly, they don’t sound as deep or slow on original hardware

Was able to get this one in a physical store in Japan 1 day after the release. Was sold out everywhere but in this little store where no one would even think they'd sell it, since they only focus on pre-owned games. Not really sad for it not having some of games that are on the EU and American versions, instead happy for those that it has got instead. Also, thanks for another great episode.

This time Sega did not go all out with the license. No Disney or Marvel games. This mini would benefit a lot with games such as Quackshot and X-Men 2 Clone Wars