The nostalgia is strong with this one. Hyperkin, the company behind a massive heap of gaming accessories and hardware clones has just announced that it will be releasing an all-new handheld with support for Sega Genesis and Mega Drive cartridges.
Dubbed “The Mega 95,” the handheld will come loaded with a 5″ screen, a six-button Genesis controller layout, and most intriguingly, a dock that will allow players to seamlessly connect the console to a TV. The dock will come with two standard Sega Genesis controller ports, allowing you to use official controllers while docked. Based on what I can see right now, it doesn’t appear that the dock will offer any Bluetooth controller support, but that may change once Hyperkin releases the official spec sheet down the line.
However, thanks to a press release obtained by The Verge, we do know that the handheld itself can provide up to ten hours of handheld gameplay and can switch between a 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio. A ten hour battery life is quite commendable, especially when you consider that the original Genesis handheld, the Sega Nomad, only offered around two to three hours at best. Which reminds me…
Where have I seen this before?
Isn’t the Mega 95 just a Sega Nomad?
Now, this might just be the old man in me coming out, but the moment I saw this little device, the first thing that went through my mind was, “Hey! Isn’t that just a Sega Nomad?” And to be honest, it really is. The Mega 95 seems to take more than a little inspiration from Sega’s 1995 Genesis handheld. Although the Nomad was a bit blockier, while The Mega 95 looks to go for that curved shape the original Genesis controller had.
Believe it or not, I actually owned a Sega Nomad back in the day, and despite the absolutely abysmal battery life, I loved playing my Genesis games on the go. Yes, the screen kind of sucked, and not all games were compatible, but I really did love the idea of playing console-quality games in the backseat of my mom’s minivan. Unfortunately, just like the Nomad, it doesn’t appear that the Mega 95 will offer support for 32X titles or a way to emulate Sega CD games.
Who is the Mega 95 for?
This is a bit of a loaded question, but it needs to be asked: “Who is the Mega 95 for?” The novelty of having a device capable of playing real cartridges on a modern handheld is pretty strong. However, with more compact devices offering more robust functionality, such as the Analogue Pocket, it’s hard to justify a device with such a limited scope. The availability of a decent game library on Nintendo Switch Online, the Sega Genesis Mini released a few years back, and numerous other Genesis emulation options makes it increasingly challenging to justify purchases like this, at least from my perspective.
Transparent Analogue Pocket collection coming soon in extremely limited quantities
Nevertheless, if you’re a dedicated Genesis collector seeking the nostalgia of using original cartridges, the Mega 95 may be exactly what you’re looking for.
How much will the Mega 95 cost and when will it release?
No word as of yet on when we can expect to see the Mega 95 release or what we can expect to pay, but judging by previous Hyperkin product launches, my guess would be around the $100 to $150 price point. Stay tuned for more details about the Mega 95 as we receive them!
Via: The Verge
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
