Sega Genesis Mini 2 & Mini Tower of Power are HERE!!

In this episode, we unbox and check out the Sega Genesis Mini 2, along with the Mini Tower of Power 2!

Sega has such an amazing legacy, and in 2019 they put their own spin on the white-hot retro mini console market with the Sega Genesis Mini and Mega Drive Mini. Perhaps the best mini console to that point, the Genesis Mini has been widely praised for its quality of games and terrific emulation. In Japan, they even released a Mini Mega CD and 32X Tower of Power kit, that also included a copy of Sonic And Knuckles and Sonic 3. In the years since the Mini console market has died down, but in the summer of 2022 Sega announced they were coming out with a follow-up to the Genesis Mini, and it would follow the same design changes as back in the day with the Genesis Mini 2 and Mega Drive Mini 2. Both would include different games than the original, and there would also be a Tower of Power Mini 2 as well. While this all seemed exciting, Sega had some curveballs for consumers. First, the Genesis Mini 2 wouldn't be confirmed for several months after the Mega Drive Mini 2 was announced. Second, the Mini Tower of Power 2 would again be a Japan-exclusive. Finally, whether you were ordering the Mega Drive Mini 2 or Genesis Mini 2, ALL orders would be handled exclusively by Amazon. You will not find these in any store, which is a bummer.

While we ordered the Mega Drive Mini 2 months beforehand, our Genesis Mini 2 actually showed up first, several days after the release date. This was disappointing as when I had ordered the TurboGrafx 16 Mini from the Japanese Amazon site it arrived ON launch day. As of this video, my Mega Drive Mini 2 won't be arriving for at least another week.

From the box, and the box on the Genesis Mini 2 is CONSIDERABLY smaller than the original's, you get the console itself, a Micro USB Power Cable, HDMI Cable, and a single 6-button Genesis Controller with USB connection. Interesting that they are charging considerably more for this system than the Model 1 yet are including 1 less controller.

I did order the Mini Tower of Power 2 at the same time I ordered my Mega Drive Mini 2, and it actually arrived at the same time as my Genesis Mini 2, which I thought was odd. The Mini Tower 2 is based on the design of the Mega CD Model 2. As such the system sits beside the CD, not on top of it. Unlike the original Mini Tower of Power, this unit includes a mini CD that you don't need to open the system to find. It also comes with a Virtua Racing mock cart, and all the parts and pieces to use it with a Model 1 Genesis or Mega Drive Mini. One thing missing was the 32x Mini, which the original included. I was quite disappointed to see it not here.

While the mini Sega Mega CD will work with the Mini Genesis 2, one thing that won't is the Virtua Racing Cart. Sega kept the Japanese shape of the cartridge, meaning it will ONLY work with the Japanese Mega Drive Mini. That's a bummer for sure. But my Model 1 32X Mini fit the Genesis Mini perfectly, and I could use the cartridge in that.

The included 6-button wired controller is very nice and feels very similar to the original from Sega. The controller cable is rather short, definitely not 10FT long, however, Retro-bit's excellent USB Wireless 6-button controllers work perfectly with the system.

Much like the original Sega Mini, the Genesis 2 looked, sounded, and played fantastically. While typical tweaks were here, such as 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio options, CRT Filters, and more, the audio received a very cool customization. Since the Model 1 and Model 2 Genesis systems do have different audio output qualities and sounds, they designed audio profiles to match each of those systems! I don't know that they're the most authentic, but the option is neat and does sound different.

Why It RoX:
- Terrific collection of games
- 6-button controller
- Truly plug-n-play
- Aesthetically spot on
- Mini Tower of Power 2 looks fantastic
- Included scale CD and Virtua Racing with Tower of Power 2

What could be improved:
- Only 1 controller included
- Micro USB for power... in 2022
- Short controller cord
- Games are somewhat hit-and-miss
- Mini Tower of Power doesn't include 32x
- Amazon Exclusive
- Over-priced IMO

Should you buy one?
Where I absolutely needed to have the original Mini Genesis, the Mini 2 was a harder sell for me. So many of these titles are available on other platforms, and for the money, I think the Genesis Mini 2 is a bit over-priced. I'm also floored that it uses Micro USB and not USB C for power and only 1 controller kind of stinks. I'm still looking forward to my Mega Drive Mini 2 so I can compare it to this one, but this isn't nearly as impressive to me as the original.

#GenesisMini2 #Sega #TowerOfPower