Kmart to sell the Sega Mega Drive once more

PALGN News | Bringing Sega consoles back to store shelves.

In a bit of unexpected news, the latest catalogue from retailer Kmart has revealed their plans to sell new versions of the Sega Mega Drive.

Made by AtGames, the console is officially licensed by Sega and shall contain two controllers and 15 built-in games, with the option to use cartridges as well. On top of this, the console can change from PAL to NTSC with a flick of a switch, making it effectively region-free.

Retro aficionados can pick up the Mega Drive from today, at a cost of $49.

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12 Jun, 2009 Vintage Collection available now.

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13 May, 2009 Gunstar Heroes to PSN.

New Mega Drive collection for 360 and PS3
07 Nov, 2008 Sonic, Ecco, Streets of Rage, etc.

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28 Comments

johnmiceter

1 year ago

I suppose it's good, but with all these Emulators out now, why would you want another old console laying around. I hope SEGA go good though, because I really used to like them when I owned a Dreamcast.

Jahanzeb

1 year ago

I say re-release the Dreamcast!!!

one can only hope

Fetidchimp

1 year ago

i went and boughted a dreamcast and i done fixed him up good...

woah woah there senko no ronde duo?

benspyda

1 year ago

I wonder how it connects to the tv. Does it connect through the ariel like the original or does it go through av cables now.

Fetidchimp

1 year ago

they list it as "plug and pray" so i would be going with AV

Jahanzeb

1 year ago

Fetidchimp wrote

woah woah there senko no ronde duo?

sure is!

Really feels like a proper game now, has alot more substance and better gameplay and graphics.

The first one could have easily been a XBLA game, but Duo is a proper retail game imo.

RichieT23

1 year ago

Yeah, I had a 'what the' moment when I was looking through the catalog this morning. I thought I'd woken up in 1990!

I've actually still got my Megadrive packed away in the box in storage.
Pretty sure I paid a hell of a lot more than 50 bones back in the day too!

Benza

1 year ago

haha still got my megadrive and master system in boxes somewere

are they going to be reselling games? Or only the ones on the console.

light487

1 year ago

Yer.. I guess this is the budget console thing.. a throw-away console if you like. They used to have these in KMart-style stores back in the day.. In my opinion, there is definitely a market for it but they need to just have it come with 101 games built in and leave it at that.. no silly carts to buy.. make it real *beeping* simple for everyone concerned.

RichieT23

1 year ago

It's got a cartridge slot so I would assume that they will be re-releasing the software at some stage. Unless Sega expect everybody to just pick 'em up of eBay?

Cyph

1 year ago

Some interesting information for perspective buyers;
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Variations_of_the_Sega_Mega_Drive#8.

Quote

Announced in 2008, as the "Firebox" aka "Sega Genesis 4"; A remodeled "Sega Genesis" console was designed to spark life back into retro-gaming by rekindling the flame, the Genesis Firecore was manufactured by AtGames. The system doesn't have an expansion port, which made the Firecore incompatible with the Sega CD, and is also incompatible with Sega 32X, Power Base Converter and Virtua Racing. It was released in 2009 as the "Firecore":

•Smaller than the Genesis 3
•No expansion port
•No headphone port
•Power LED, unlike the Genesis 3
•Mono A/V output
•Does not support Sega CD, Sega 32X or Power Base Converter
•"Sega Genesis" above cartridge slot, and a red sticker that says "Firecore" in the corner
•Has a NTSC/PAL switch
•First licensed Sega Genesis/Mega Drive to have no region lockout
•Larger cartridge slot to accommodate all Sega Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges
•20 Built-in Games:
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Alien Storm, Altered Beast, Arrow Flash, Columns III, Crack Down, Decap Attack, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Ecco the Dolphin, Ecco Jr., ESWAT, Flicky, Gain Ground, Golden Axe, Jewel Master, Kid Chameleon, Shadow Dancer, Shinobi III, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Spinball

In Europe, a version of the Firecore is marketed by Blaze and is simply called the Sega Mega Drive.

The Blaze Mega Drive comes with 15 built-in games rather than the Firecore's 20 [1] [2] :

Alex Kidd, Alien Storm, Altered Beast, Arrow Flash, Columns, Crack Down, Decap Attack, ESWAT, Flicky, Gain Ground, Golden Axe, Bonanza Bros and Fatal Labyrinth, Shadow Dancer and Sonic & Knuckles.

Also, from Wiki;

Quote

Blaze Europe is a developer and distributor of accessories and software for video game consoles, handheld media devices and personal computers.

The company is based in Doncaster and was founded by Jason Cooper.

Mono only and apparently the controllers feel cheap and flimsy; guess they wanted to cut production costs somewhere.

Based on what I've read, I doubt they'll be rereleasing games, they didn't in the UK.

Stevorooni

1 year ago

I'll probably buy one. My old Megadrive controllers are busted and it'd be nice to hook it up through the AV plugs rather than tuning it in through the ariel whenever I go through a retro stage.

Gamesta

1 year ago

johnmiceter wrote

I would MUCH rather play them on a console with a control than an emulator.

I want one.

RichieT23

1 year ago

If they re-released the Dreamcast, I would seriously consider getting one.

Benza

1 year ago

You know it just occured to me, looking at that list most of those games are on the megadrive collection I own for 360.

Mr_Staypuft

1 year ago

Just a tip: From what I've read, these things *do not* have original 'megadrive' chips in them. It's an emulation, and I've read reports that the sound in some games is pretty poor.

Maybe* some Kmart will have a demo unit somewhere?

*What am I saying? Stores haven't let you 'test' games for yeeaarrss.

Must have been all those C64's back in the 80's that did it...
10 print "Kmart Sux"
20 goto 10
...not that I'd do that, of course.

Chrono Blue

1 year ago

What I want is a Saturn with component cable with a few of the top Saturn games including Nights!

Cyph

1 year ago

Mr_Staypuft wrote

Just a tip: From what I've read, these things *do not* have original 'megadrive' chips in them. It's an emulation, and I've read reports that the sound in some games is pretty poor.

This may interest you audiophiles, the difference in sound produced from a early Model 1, late Model 1 and Model 2 Megadrive...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFXCnEEAppo&feature=related

XtremeXfactor

1 year ago

Mr_Staypuft wrote

Used to be awesome times, also with the Commodore Amiga disk logo on screen

. Fond memories of playing various games (the original TMNT nes game being one).

I havn't seen it done, except at EB, GAME and to a lesser extent JB Hifi (usually guitar hero demo units are there to try).

The last time i saw one in K-Mart would be the first Spider-man game on the original xbox.

Target did it on and off, many lol's were had at seeing their Xbox 360 kiosk.... complete with rrod 360

. They still have a mini Nintendo DS capsule with Mario Kart.

Even one of the larger Harvey Norman stores i used to frequent had stopped doing it in recent years, too many people were crowding around and waiting for turns... almost making the game area like Time Zone (it's their fault for having 8+ demo units

el_rezzo

1 year ago

Benza wrote

You know it just occured to me, looking at that list most of those games are on the megadrive collection I own for 360.

I realised this after going to my local Kmart and not seeing any of these Mega Drives, thankfully of course.

David No.1

1 year ago

http://www.diezeitgeist.it/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blaze-sega-mega-drive-300x300.jpg

Is that the Blaze Sega Mega Drive? It looks pretty nifty for 50 bucks. My original Mega-Drive doesn't even output sound anymore.

armageddon12

1 year ago

Cyph wrote

This may interest you audiophiles, the difference in sound produced from a early Model 1, late Model 1 and Model 2 Megadrive...

And there was me thinking it was just nostalgia. Bought an MD again a few years back after selling my original one prior/shortly after the N64 was released. This time an MD II. Thought it was just because I was so used to emulators, interesting to know, guess I'll look into modding, need an NTSC switch anyway.

yvanm

1 year ago

This one is selling pretty quickly, they sold old already at Westfield Kotara (NSW) KMART and at the one at Waratah Village (NSW as well) 4 were purchased the 10-20 minutes I was there, and it's only been out a day or so. The buyers seem to be mothers with younger children from what Iâ€™ve seen.

light487

1 year ago

yvanm wrote

The buyers seem to be mothers with younger children from what Iâ€™ve seen.

Yup. The same market that used to buy those cheap game consoles that had the 20 games built in when the Megadrive was expensive..