The BEST 16-Bit Sega Console! | Analogue Mega Sg Review

Analogue has made a name for themselves with their high-quality, high-definition FPGA-powered Nintendo clone consoles. Now they've set their sights on Sega's 16-bit era.
Mega Sg product page: www.analogue.c...
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[@KierenAmero]

No need to apologize for that pun at the end, it was absolutely great! I always look forward to your videos on things like this!

[@mikael6043]

It was a reference to Sega’s anti-SNES commercials in the 90s

[@Mave-rick]

I didn't see the need for the apology as well. It fit right in context with your previous comment and was a good reference to the ads SEGA ran back in the 90's. Anyhoo, great video, thumps up! :)

[@estebanvasquez2307]

Jesus Christ! My suscription box just got blown away by Modern Vintage Gamer, Game Sack, Metal Jesus Rocks and you, all talking about this!

[@emmettturner9452]

You aren’t expecting that? Exact same as last year: the review embargo lifted and their videos all went live at almost the same time.

[@emmettturner9452]

ch282 Everyone was given an early unit for review as long as they agreed not to release any info before the agreed upon date. This happened last year too except Cinemassacre screwed up and posted their Super Nt Video the night before. Many tech products and reviews are done this way, including Apple and Intel products. Deliberately break the embargo to beat everyone else and expect to get cut-out of the next major product review. If you can’t get an early unit and have to wait until release to buy yours then your review will end up being late and many people will have watched other reviews and made their decisions already.

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

Try The Handlebar Gamer. Thank me later.

[@estebanvasquez2307]

@@user-rd5wj2mm8n I thank you now!

[@TheRetroFuture]

Wow. That looks exceptional. Fantastic, clean review as always!

[@TheRetroFuture]

I hope they do an N64 NT!

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

So do I!

[@Deanster101]

Scanlines look a lot better at 720p 😊

[@matthybel955]

I love the Sega Genesis, got one from my Grandma Christmas of 92 with the Sonic 2 console. Still love the Genesis as it's still one of my favorite systems. Got my SNES later on toward the end of the 16 bit era and wasnt fond of it at first but recently its grown on me too and actually has a lot of good games as well. I love the oldies like Atari 2600 and NES too!

[@guspaz]

Analogue has said repeatedly that they have no plans to restart production of the Nt Mini, so perhaps we might eventually see an NES adapter for the Super Nt? The FPGA is more than capable enough.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I'd absolutely love to see NES, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance cart adapters for the Super Nt.

[@WickedGamerCollector]

Invasion of the Analogue Reviews on KZbin :P Great Video like always !

[@rainbowdashgirl1192]

One of the reasons we still love you tube

[@Jarkan]

Does the Sonic 3d level select trick work in the mega SG?

[@duffman18]

Now that's a good question. I imagine it would, based on what the guy who programmed the game said (he has a KZbin channel called Game Hut, and he did a video explaining that particular feature). It's basically if the cartridge and console detects any error that'd crash the game, it defaults to the level select screen. So hitting it works, but so do other methods, and it happens even if you get a random bug in the game

[@Jarkan]

And the reset button on the X-Men game? Just out of curiosity.

[@enthusiasticgamer88]

After investing $400+ on a Genesis Model 1 + OSSC + Properly Shielded SCART and still having jailbar / shimmering issues I'll happily spend $350 CAD on this (after shipping and customs fees).

[@shannonbirt8123]

Did the same thing and got the same defects so agree 💯, original hardware is great but it has its flaws also.

[@enthusiasticgamer88]

Shannon Birt I failed to mention I did fix the shimmering and jailbars with the rgb bypass board that came out but desoldering the rf module was so rough. That said I just played with my Mega SG for the past 3 hours and it blows it out of the water. FPGAs are incredible, particularly Analogue's. Al though I have to say I'm equally as impressed with my RetroUSB AVS NES so FPGAs in general seem to be the way to go to play on a modern tv.

[@shannonbirt8123]

I should have mine tomorrow and couldn't be more excited for it , once the DAC comes out 32x should work so I might check that out then also. I have sega CD and I'm blown away that I don t have to use the mixing cables , that's a nice suprise also. Finally the best 16bit console has been done justice in FPGA goodness !!

[@videogameobsession]

Looks like you had the scanlines setup incorrectly. You need to set it to the correct integer multiplier to ensure the lines are evenly spaced.

[@cube2fox]

But they apparently still don't have gamma correction. The games look too dark then.

[@RobertSzasz]

Small correction. Emulation in an FPGA is still emulation. The fpga is programmed to have the same logic and timing as the original system, but goes about doing things in a totally different way electrically.

[@derek7808]

Robert Szasz yes no one except sega knows what the internals of their custom chips look like. This is still reverse engineering and writing an emulator in verilog.

[@PSNGormond]

Yeah, you could argue that it's more hardware simulation than emulation.

[@sjm4306]

@@PSNGormond Yeah I think calling it a hardware simulation/clone is much closer to what is happening under the hood than calling it emulation.

[@RobertSzasz]

@@PSNGormond it's hard to say without looking at the vhdl, but I assume they are replicating outputs for a given input state instead of doing simulation. They don't have beefy enough hardware to be doing low level simulation work, and once you abstract away enough levels the difference between simulation and emulation is mostly semantics.

[@MikeyTaylorGaming]

For something that isn't an emulator, I've never seen video quality like that from a Megadrive/ Genesis game. Also, the fact it supports multiple controllers for the console. Let't not forget that the designs of each of their mini consoles are fantastic! I'd say they're worth the price tag but I still won't be buying one. Emulation is cheap, easy and I would argue looks equally as good as this. I own a ton of cartridges, but I feel it's just easier to hook the Laptop up to the TV and play away ahaha

[@ncc74656m]

I agree with the first half of this, but still, this is damn good for a plug and play system with zero trouble.

[@derek7808]

there is a misconception about what is implemented in this FPGA. This is still "emulation" in the sense that even though it runs on hardware, it does not reproduce the internal circuits of the original console. It just implements the exact same thing a software emulator would implement, with what we learnt about the original hardware through reverse engineering. It's an emulator written in Verilog so you can expect the same level of accuracy as other software emulators. However since there is no OS, USB and other intermediate layers, you will have the lowest input lag possible.

[@MayorRitzia]

I've always wondered: why does your 1080p video look so much better than almost every other 1080p video on KZbin?? It is so much more vibrant and crisp.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

It probably has to do with the fact I shoot/edit in 4K now, and I spend *way* too much time color correcting my footage lol

[@joshmartimez2235]

I was hesitant to pick up a Mega Sg since I have a nearly flawless Genesis model 1 watched more reviews and picked one up a month ago and love the system. Ultra Core is a good run and gun game similar to Alien 3. Great review.

[@walterariel1726]

I will never understand why people seek to play 8-16bits games in better resolution and audio... original's are just perfect (for me). But these consoles are much better than the "classic mini's" emulation shit. Greetings from Argentina

[@Shindinru]

Why? Because the up scalers built into most modern TVs are horrid. The capacitors in my GameGear, Model 1 and CDX are dying, which is a very common problem with all older hardware, leading to reduced quality and functionality. Getting them recapped means finding a trusted repair tech, shipping them out then waiting to get them back and wondering if they will even survive the trip.

[@Fattydeposit]

@@Shindinru Or you can cheaply order the cap kits your dying consoles require (from Console5) and discover how much easier repairing vintage hardware is than you might realise. I won't lie - I think I want a Mega SG - but it'll never fully replace the real thing on a CRT.

[@Shindinru]

@@Fattydeposit - That is a bit of an assumption there and also a bit condescending. Some of us are not capable of that (personally, I've had a stroke that prevents me from doing the level of detailed work it entails. I use to do that for a living.) while others don't have the time.

[@Fattydeposit]

@@Shindinru No condescension meant, I totally get the huge appeal the Analogue FPGA products have. They even appeal to me as someone who games almost exclusively pre-HD consoles on a consumer CRT.

[@compzac]

The audio is quite easy with the genesis as the genesis/megadrive had a great audio chip but only in the first gen with the high quality audio badge, all the others the chip was subpar and it sounds it, the upscaling is because unlike the minority like me who have an ancient (1987) CRT Tv for their retro games most people are gonna bang these consoles through modern TV's and even with a decent upscaler built in most games are just a bit odd, then theres the fact that newer TV's process the image before displaying it, which while being fast is still slower than an old dumb CRT tv which just displays what source is plugged in, and the "game" mode on new TV's only goes so far.

[@rossoreilly05]

How does it compare to the latest Mister FPGA updates?

[@cube2fox]

Apparently the scanlines look bad because they do not apply gamma correction. To explain, if you have black lines on the screen, the whole image appears to be darker. In order to correct for that, the pixels between the black lines have to be brighter.

[@nathanstrik]

Hi Colin, tip: never use scanlines with a 1080p output, because the alignment is off then. Use 720p instead and the scanlines should look great. (This was the same on the Super NT)

[@RetroSho]

Very nice review, Colin!

[@stopthrm]

Hey Colin its everyone, how's it goin'?

[@luismartins3785]

Fantastic Review. Really enjoyed it ! Thanks TDNC.

[@mintpalmer]

I don't have the budget or the library for this kind of console, but the care put into its construction, and the promise of future updates gives it a real edge over emulators in some ways. Great video as always Collin!

[@stopthrm]

The thing that really surprised me about it were the options for the yamaha audio chip.

[@mintpalmer]

To me, that Sega sound is really iconic, and the fact they went above and beyond in that regard is admirable.

[@TomSchuster26]

To get scanlines looking right, you need to be at a 4X or 5X vertical scale.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Yeah, that's an unfortunate (though minor, in the grand scheme of things) oversight in the firmware -- the system defaults to 4.5X scaling. Maybe in a future update they can have it automatically switch to 4X or 5X, or at least warn the user, when enabling scanlines.

[@lovelorn88nick]

I hope they make these for a good while. I want one. But not dying to throw down $200 right now for one.

[@yllib2012]

Yes! It is the absolute best Mega Drive clone money can buy. The same can be said for all Analogue consoles. Add a Mega Everdrive Pro and you have the perfect Sega console.

[@ziewknihtewza]

as soon as you were done showing the clip of the chemical plant zone, I immediately had to go rewatch smooth mcgroove's acapella version of the song.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

That's a good one, but this is probably my favorite: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWatqaqfodKhjtE

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Awesome review, can’t wait for mine to arrive! I picked the PAL colour scheme one.

[@billiesan69]

You have to use 720p to get correct scanlines. Framemeister is the same way.

[@IvanSantanaEu]

It would be cool if they made an Analogue 32X with HDMI output. So those who already have an MD could buy it and plug it into a standard TV today.

[@brandonkick]

Great review! As someone who had and loved sega as a child (also had nintedo systems starting with the NES) I decided to aquire and refub some genesis systems in the past year. I've wound up with one model 1 unit and four of the model 2 units. They all work well now, but the difference in quality is interesting. Not something you'd have probably picked up on as a kid. I have what is regarded as the best and worst versions of the model 2 and the worst version is clearly inferior in terms of composite out and audio quality. I honestly didn't mind the "good" output from the model 1 or the good version of the model 2. I ordered one of those special AV cables you showed off with the stereo adapter for the model 1, pretty awesome I must say. I also aquired a 32X and Sega CD with the latest model 2 I've purchased. All in, I have about $200 invested in all five segas, the 32x and the model 2 CD. I'm tempted to sell off 3 of the model 2s and perhaps the model 1 and use that money towards a mega SG. Pro tip: You do not need to use the mixing cable on the Sega CD / Sega Genesis Model 2 combo. The mixing cable isn't even required with a model 1 Genesis / Model 2 sega CD unit as the genesis can put out the needed sound. The difference is, the model 1 doesn't put out stereo under normal circumstances but with the cable talked about earlier it can. For the most part, the mixing port and the AV ports are not needed, they serve no necessary function. I've confirmed this with my own model 2 sega and model 2 sega cd setup. Why you need to "enable" CD audio on the Mega SG is probably just down to the way things were implemented. I'm sure the firmware can be updated to auto detect the presence of the sega CD and turn that option on. I will give honerable mention to the pound HDMI cable that metal jesus is reviewing. IF that cable is priced reasonably, I can see that being a nice alternative for those who don't want to sink the $190 into Mega SG. What excites me about the mega SG though is being able to play master system and game gear games. Makes me wonder if I can play master system games via my ever drive without the need of the SMS "add on". Now that would be cool! I don't think the mega ever drive supports game gear roms, but maybe that will change.

[@sandplasma]

Do you have to return the console after review?

[@bryanladdproductions6184]

Thanks for this review. I am Saving for one. My first Coronavirus me purchase.

[@HybridDivide]

Given the similar architecture between the Mega SG and the Super NT, Analogue now have a base they can adapt to other consoles with a minimum of fuss. I predict that they'll revisit the NES at some point. It likely wouldn't take Kevtris much to adapt the existing FPGA code to work on this new architecture, and the lower price point would encourage a ton of people to buy it that were priced out of the original NT and NT Mini. Simply put, there's a lot of money to be made by doing so, with less development overhead required.

[@camron2674]

If you have a pair of headphones with a volume adjustment built in, you could probably set the volume on the Mega SG all the way up and then tweak it on the headphones to your liking. Also 720 p with normal scanlines looks amazing on my Super Nt. I also have a crt and original console. Since I just recently discovered the 720p with normal scanlines I don’t think I will be going back to crt/original setup. I was on the fence about getting the Mega SG. Now that I found these new consoles sweet spot I will be getting one as well. If your a video purest I would definitely recommend you try the 720p setup. Thanks for the great video.

[@roasty80]

interesting comment.i got a mega sg on the way so will try your suggestion of 720p

[@Sr.D]

Waiting for one revision that adds save states to the games, other FPGA solutions can do it, like the x7 or mega SD.

[@hbarudi]

Looks like they are making a console for people who would like to play the genesis, but I really wish they make a portable version of a genesis complete with adapters to play all sega consoles excluding saturn and dreamcast.

[@WheeledHamster]

I thought he said Field Programable Gatorade.

[@chandlerzhu9735]

what's the name of that jewel game at 8:30 ?

[@Shindinru]

I ordered one to replace my aging CDX and gain HD. Digging up a SEGA CD v2 is a lot cheaper then another CDX.

[@adultmoshifan87]

Is it just me or was there a bit of sound delay during that Sonic 2 footage? I noticed it in the footage showing Chemical Plant Zone.

[@lowercase7455]

can it play mega drive games?

[@ChrisRottweiler]

If the mega sg is connected to the Sega cd does each need a plug? Or do. You just need to plug in. The Sega CD and the Mega Sg works through it?

[@igormoreno3464]

Colin's reviews are just awesome. Wow.

[@gamerxt333]

what about a filter that blurs colors to remove dithering similar to that filter for Fusion emulator (hylian beta 3) for LCD pictures ? It doesnt blur the picture too much either although text can seem a little more blured though

[@pungisotu]

You mention adapters for Master System, Game Gear and SG-1000. What about Mark III and Sega My Cards?

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

"video is perfectly sharp AND smooth"!?

[@RadioactiveBlueberry]

Smooth in animation, I think. Of course 50/60 Hz needs to be adjusted manually if the cartridge is from different region.

[@Ultranist]

Awesome hardware but are those old games still enjoyable without the intoxicating nostalgia?

[@robertdanker6193]

Hahahahah Colin don't apologize, puns are always welcome!!

[@ClaudioGomboli]

Great review, thanks

[@muddfoot69]

Do multi carts work?

[@rndtrash]

Lmao, MVG released a video about Mega Sg almost at the same time

[@gmcnewlook]

Иван Кузьменко there’s a whole bunch of channels that focuses on retro games that have reviewed it today......

[@emmettturner9452]

Everyone did.

[@ahmedp800]

4 videos in my subscription feed 🤣 but I'm not complaining.

[@PSNGormond]

Welcome to the world of review embargo :D

[@duffman18]

All these channels probably got sent the console free. It makes sense though that everyone is reviewing it the day it comes out. When else would they review it?

[@Voidsworn]

I think I will be asking my wife for the Mega SG for my upcoming birthday :)

[@crolodon8024]

This looks amazing, I can't wait for mine to ship! Strange to hear the price being brought up as high though.... it's only $190.00!

[@MikeyTaylorGaming]

I think the argument is that it's expensive for a console to play classic retro games on when you consider Emulation on PC being a bonus freebie of having a PC. BUT, I also think for what you get the price is pretty good. They've put some good design into it and isn't just an emulator!

[@emmettturner9452]

Your capture setup’s frame rate is almost intolerably bad... unless that was from your video encoding. Regardless, the 60hz effects are completely broken on KZbin and that shouldn’t be the case. The Elgato HD (non-60) does not support 60FPS at 1080p. Could that be it? 8BitDo is an homage to Nintendo and is pronounced that way. Why does everyone dance around the reason 32X doesn’t work? It’s really not that complicated: 32X requires analog output from the Genesis and the Mega Sg currently has no analog output option. Simple. Your settings are just completely wrong for scanlines. You have to have a vertical integer scale for the effect to work and look right. It’s no wonder you didn’t like them. Even when you have a perfect integer scale for 720p or 1080p output, your display settings need to be correct too. Many displays hide or don’t even have the settings you need. For most people with trouble it‘s typically one that ensures 1:1 pixel mapping with no simulated overscan.

[@fubrokonway8529]

When the DAC is released then it can play 32x

[@emmettturner9452]

fubro konway Presumably/hopefully. Analogue has not confirmed this yet despite Rerez or someone saying it “will.” :(

[@fubrokonway8529]

@@emmettturner9452 hopefully, it support light guns games

[@bland9876]

That be awesome if it could output the headphone audio through the HDMI to give you stereo

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Thankfully the HDMI output is already stereo! (That would be quite the oversight if it wasn’t!)

[@irregularmana6216]

Metal jesus rocks brought me here

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Me too! ;)

[@John-jc3ty]

it looks great, what a rerelease should be and none of them have been. i wonder, maybe they should have made it bigger, like the original? basically, release the original with all of these extras

[@hugofernandes8559]

Analog does What ATdon't

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

End of video "sending a Mega SG my way". Oh, ok. That changes things a bit.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I said it at the beginning too

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute my bad I missed that.

[@PabloKart]

Great info! Does Sonic & Knuckles rom work? (using SD memory)

[@MikeyTaylorGaming]

It doesn't play ROMs ahaha not till the community create their own firmware for it at least. He says that in the video, man. The original cartridges should work though.

[@PabloKart]

​@@MikeyTaylorGaming thats true, thanks! I will waiting for the community firmware.

[@ericmin6055]

They should now make a PS1 or PC-Engine clone

[@RyGuy0520]

Ok so hopefully and eventually this thing will support game gear and 32x games and if so than it will definitely be the best aftermarket Genesis on the market I first saw John Hancock's review and by watching it he led me to think that this thing would never be capable of playing those systems games! Glad I saw your review!

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Game Gear sounds like a done deal, just need to wait for the cartridge adapter. 32X is a bit more of an unknown, it depends on if they can have the FPGA handle all of it, or if they need to come up with some kind of video adapter cable for the 32X hardware.

[@Grungeman1980]

Damn you Collin! Now I need one! 😁 Awsome video... ... As always... 😜

[@hme53]

how do you compare the quality of the game play vs the mister project?

[@bishopwalton3122]

Mister has lag due to the upscale. The mega sg renders the video in real time hence theres no lag. Also mistet cant do the dithering effect

[@sharpsharkabcabcabc]

Bro. Can you try playing golden axe 2? There was a problem with the 6 button controllers . I just want to make sure if this console fixes that.

[@Fattydeposit]

Golden Axe 2 is not compatible with 6-button controllers. Hold the 'mode' button (or middle extra button if you're using an M30) to switch the controller to 3-button mode.

[@mr.z8877]

And the mega Retron HD it's only once again only 45 US dollars any college with a good really good really good control they could do the same thing as a mega SG the only thing it doesn't do is play Sega CD you can play Mega Drive and clone Homebrew games as well

[@DannyHensel74205]

While both devices essentially do the same thing (Play Genesis/Mega Drive/Master System games on modern televisions), they were made with two very different goals (and therefore customers) in mind. The Mega SG absolutely hits the mark for those looking for the absolute best SEGA classic console experience with modern hardware and are willing to pay a premium for it. The Mega Retron HD, on the other-hand, succeeds at being your best value option for a "close enough" experience that's well worth the relatively low price tag. The one you choose to buy ultimately depends on your priorities and your budget where retro gaming is concerned.

[@theshadowman1398]

It finally came back in stock. I immediately got one. Wanted it for a long time especially to play Game gear games on TV.

[@MartellThaCool]

One day, I'll going g to buy this analogue Sega and SNES/SFC consoles 😀😁😃

[@ButcherGrindslam]

5:19 - bullshit. YM3438 is superior to YM2612 as it has no low volume distortion. Stock amplifier was bad, NOT THE CHIP.

[@superspecky4eyes]

Anyone out there with a Mega SG know why I am missing some menu features and also the "Ultracore" built in game on my unit?

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Did you somehow get one with prerelease firmware?

[@superspecky4eyes]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute I contacted Analogue and they said I just need to update to the latest firmware. Which is a bit of a pain as it requires a specially formatted SD card and I do not have an SD card reader on any devices I own. Perhaps the units they sent out to reviewers already had the latest firmware installed? I haven't noted anyone mention having to do this in any of the reviews.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

My review unit came with older firmware, but it had all the menu options and Ultracore. I updated to the current version as soon as I got it.

[@superspecky4eyes]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute Hmm that's slightly worrying. I need to work out a way to update the firmware ASAP so I can check that it adds Ultracore.

[@superspecky4eyes]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute I updated the firmware and that has fixed all my issues. Ultracore is pretty fun!

[@babystacks]

Couldn't care less about this until you said that its going to get a Game Gear adapter? That's pretty interesting imo!

[@DannyHensel74205]

I know, right? FINALLY some Game Gear love in the modern retro console scene (other than that afterthought of an adapter Hyperkin put out for the Retron 5). I grew up with a Game Gear and have a decent collection of games I still occasionally play on the original hardware (replaced capacitors, but otherwise unmodded).

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

Is the controller available separately?

[@silentundersea]

Yeah it's from a separate company called 8bitdo. They have a bunch of controllers on their site you can browse through.

[@duffman18]

Yeah. I ordered mine today from amazon, its coming tomorrow. I already have 3 other 8bitdo controllers, and their high quality standards are great. I play games on the switch with my SNES pad (w/ 4 shoulder buttons and analogue sticks, and motion control) from them. But I want that mega drive controller d-pad, especially for the mega drive collection on switch. Plus I wanna use it for my tablet to play old Street fighter games. Cos short of getting an arcade stick this seems the best option

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

Oh geez, he even says in the video that it's available separately. I shouldn't post questions so soon after waking up.

[@koopatrupabowser4727]

THE MULTITAP WORKS ON THIS CONSOLE???????????????

[@MrJ0mmy]

so many youtubers are reviewing this

[@atheistbear2500]

More retro gaming, keep it up!

[@ecosmith7852]

9:52 what Nintendon’t

[@Azzurri_203]

The only thing you need to do is add some "Sega Mega Drive/16-BIT" decals. Unit itself looks a little bland without them.

[@linuxuser2858]

why Retro Games Got Fame in Modern Computing world

[@cesheadvideo]

Because retro games were the beginning and the base; and the first gamers who played are still playing.

[@sagiriizumi8079]

It's "cool" and all, but it's only for guys with a 1000 dirty carts. Retropi/PC still has way more options, including 32x and SEGA CD. I would ONLY rush to get it if it played Saturn games.

[@Fattydeposit]

If you really want options you need real hardware and a CRT. That's the only way to get 100% video / audio accuracy, light gun support, true zero-lag and full add-on support.

[@miked4377]

good review...im looking for another great game computet console channel to get into ...yours looks good...

[@ncc74656m]

This might compel $190 out of my wallet. I'm loathe to use most emulators/clones/alternate hardware unless I'm trying to go super portable or minimalist, but this? This is pretty freaking cool, and it might work as a complementary device for my genuine Genesis.

[@duffman18]

This isn't emulation. That's why Analogue consoles get so much hype, cos every other clone console seems to use emulation, but with Analogue's NES, SNES and now this Mega Drive one, it's literally the consoles themselves, no emulation. Meaning 100% compatibility. And everything looks exactly as its supposed to. Their whole philosophy seems to be preservation, as the original consoles all eventually break down, these are just more of them, newly made NESs and SNESs and Mega Drives, that'll last decades too.

[@derek7808]

@@duffman18 this is incorrect. This is an FPGA implementation of reverse engineering work on the original hardware, but not a reproduction of the original. Like the Analogue NT who suffered the exact same bugs as Higan on very specific games, because it was based on the same incomplete documentation.

[@mikipank]

John Hancock, MetalJesusRocks, Modern Vintage Gamer, Game Sack, This Does Not Compute, Rerez, all of them have given their opinion on this product in the last few hours, maybe I'm crazy but this smells like conspiracy theory (In the background, music from " Twilight Zone " is heard) !?!?!?

[@duffman18]

Because it's being released today. So of course they'll review it today. When else would you think they'd review it? I imagine they all got sent consoles early so they could test it out, and today the review embargo was lifted so they could publish their videos on it. Your question is like asking why every film critic reviewed Avengers Infinity War around the day it got released. Well duh, of course they would.

[@mikipank]

@@duffman18 my comment was a joke, I guess you see with "conspiracy theory" and music from the "twilight zone", but as soon as I have to explain this simple joke to you, you see your wise, smart one!

[@alucart1984]

I clapped at the Nintendon't comment. Brilliant!!!

[@rhysperegrine5100]

Saaay-gah!

[@jacktsang05]

You can justify the price point

[@RetroTechSelect]

Awesome pan shot at the start of the video. I really loved putting together my own review of the SG, it's an awesome little device: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXWzd6ePbNFobas Your close-up on the smoothing scaler really shows off how smudgey those modes look. I'm hoping that the Game Gear adapter launches soon, as that was a big draw for me in deciding to pick this up.

[@mr.z8877]

We're going on with the mega Retron HD that's a good clone console as well

[@duffman18]

The Retron consoles are just emulation, whereas this thing is literally a mega drive, not just simulating one or close to one, it's a 100% flawless mega drive. That's why this company's products are so expensive, because they go for complete accuracy, and don't use any emulation. Emulation is fantastic still, but for people who want a perfect mega drive experience with modern HDMI output then they can either mod an old mega drive or get this thing. To be fair, modding an old mega drive is a far cheaper way. The price of their NES one was particularly ridiculous, it was like $600 and made of thick solid metal

[@derek7808]

@@duffman18 check the changelog of their firmware updates: support.analogue.co/hc/en-us/articles/360000557452-Super-Nt-Firmware-Update-v4-6 if it were 100% identical to the original, they wouldn't have to fix bugs in games, but they do. That's because it's very good hardware emulation, but still emulation. We may call this simulation, but definitely not a clone.

[@brandonkick]

@@derek7808 You have to understand that some times things are done in "hacky" ways or things are done with special chips in the carts themselves that is hard to account for. The analog team has enough on it's plate from just the genesis hardware level alone in terms of recreating a flawless / near flawless FPGA implementation. Are they also expected to know about and account for unique individualities across the hundreds and hundreds of official releases? No one expects that this system would never ever need or benefit from an update. No one realistically should...

[@derek7808]

@@brandonkick i agree with that, this was not my point. I like Analogue products, but i just want to say that it's not a hardware copy of a Megadrive. It does not implement the same gates array as the original chips, and is just as accurate as a software emulator. The only difference is the reduced lag because there is no OS running it, but in the end it's implemented in a programming language (Verilog) by looking at the imperfect documentation that has been written through reverse engineering. An FPGA can in theory reproduce the original hardware, but no one except Sega really knows what's inside the original hardware ! So of course they have an imperfect implementation, like any software emulator, and publish updates when they find issues with their code.

[@СергейЛукьяненко-ш6ь]

Подскажите, как купить с доставкой в Украину? На офсайте нет Украины в списке стран, да и самой mega sg нет в наличии, когда интересно появится?

[@louis1443]

8bitdo like condo, commando, Nintendo, tornado and avocado, not du like perdu, tendu, and Kathmandu. I’m not trying to be rude.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I asked them how to pronounce it, and they told me it’s “do” as in “I do”, not like “Nintendo.”

[@gehtdinichtsan309]

with it being a stationary device - why care about micro-usb/usb-type-c? it doesn't become more energy-efficient because of a newer plug.

[@FinalManaTrigger]

USB-C is by design easier to use (you can insert it either way) and also less prone to breaking. Energy efficiency was not implied by Colin at all.

[@gehtdinichtsan309]

@@FinalManaTrigger - why should it break? It's not like you're going to plug and unplug this device often.

[@FinalManaTrigger]

@@gehtdinichtsan309 Well, it shouldn't as long as long as the system isn't moved and plugged/unplugged a bunch. But I was just highlighting the advantage of USB-C vs the older ports.

[@gehtdinichtsan309]

@@FinalManaTrigger and you're right in case of all the mobile devices. But this is a console I'm going to put in its spot next to a TV or computer monitor and it's going to sit there ad infinitum.

[@compzac]

@@gehtdinichtsan309 not necessarily some people will be disconnecting and reconnecting the device, maybe to put it away if they cant permenantely store it under the TV also in households with children and animals the fact that they will run over and can wreck cords is real, I dont quite see the problem here with this device, but USB-C is a better option as its what the future will eventually fully adopt and I'm fully on board as micro USB is pretty flimsy compared to well all of its USB connector counterparts.

[@musclemark2710]

Sega does what Nintendo don’t! I got a super nt though lol 😆

[@kalloggs40]

Love your voice mate, please do more reviews, maybe some Chinese consoles, they are so cheap on aliexpress, starting at $10 delivered.

[@jessicamagno4776]

Sega Genesis

[@IllegalPriest]

Me. It’s for me

[@leecollins5479]

I will stick to my megapi or real megadrive.190 bucks it a bit steep

[@Obscure_man31]

Its really not that bad really

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

@@Obscure_man31 When you can buy a real sega mega drive for $40 $190 for a clone is way too much money.

[@Obscure_man31]

@@FloppydriveMaestro that depends on the model either they could end up not working or worse audio quality in models the mega sg price is not that bad because fpga's are expensive so you get what you paid for and that is a high quality product with a allot of options and 1 unrealsed game.

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

@@Obscure_man31 All you do is buy one that is listed as working. If its not working paypal will give you your money back. Its still too expensive.

[@Obscure_man31]

@@FloppydriveMaestro not really its the same price as the megadrive released in 1989 plus i also said it also depends on the model because the megadrive had allot revisions with either worse audio or worse video so your going to have to pick your plosion also 190 bucks is not that expensive you can get that kind of money in a week unless you dont have a job

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

"Considering its 2019 this really should be usb type c" Ive litterally never used anything that uses a type c cable. I have millions of micro usb cables laying around and most of the world had them as well. Micro usb still works perfectly well for most things, there is no reason to use the more expensive type c connector.

[@jeffescortlx]

USB- C is physically stronger, can deliver more power, transfer data faster and is reversible. Dollar stores now stock USB-C cables. There no reason to use the older USB port now.

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

@@jeffescortlx The ports them selves are still cheaper. This machine does not max out a micro usb port and the usb port is not for transferring data so there is no reason to use type c in this application.

[@jeffescortlx]

@@FloppydriveMaestro look, I was scared of USB-C too when it first came out. But even if you don't like it, micro USB B is going to fade out just like mini did. USB-C is better in every way. Manufacturers need to more foward to the new standard. Once you start to use it, you'll love it too.

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

@@jeffescortlx Im not scared of it I just dont see why people complaining about the fact it uses micro usb when micro usb works perfectly fine for this application.

[@stopthrm]

Say Guh

[@zusurs]

My eyes are bleeding from than on-screen menu font that they are using. But cool technical execution, kudos for FPGA usage. Almost 200$ price tag, on the other hand, is a bit crazy. I see that virtually anyone is trying to milk us, millenials, by trying to tap in our childhood nostalgia.

[@PSNGormond]

You can change the font, I didn't like the default on my Super NT either.

[@brandonkick]

You do realize that just the FPGA chip alone costs over $50 right? They pay taxes on their sales... they have employees, they have expenses in the tooling needed to create these, they have to pay for future development and bug fixes for this product, they licensed the ultracore came included (that never saw the light of day otherwise). This isn't a get rich quick scheme, there was real money put into making this. It's not a Retron style system on a chip using "stolen" emulation code they have no right using....

[@MusicDiscoveryNet]

who else is watching 4K on a 1080p display? :D