Earlier this month, Sega announced the Mega Drive Mini 2 for the Japanese market. The new mini console will feature over 50 games, 20 of which will be Mega CD games. Excitement for this type of product largely depends on the included games, so Sega is announcing the Mega Drive 2 Mini's titles in batches. The latest batch of games includes the co-op classic The Ninja Warriors and several ports of arcade classics. Interestingly, an analog flight stick will be available for the Mega Drive Mini 2 as well.
Newly Announced Games
Cartridge Games
- After Burner II
- Columns III
- MegaPanel (A falling-block game from Namco that was only released in Japan)
- Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (Fushigi no Umi no Nadia in Japan, this is a Japanese-exclusive JRPG based on the anime)
- OutRun
- Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R (A minigame collection. The arcade version is available for Switch.)
- Splatterhouse Part 2
- Star Mobile (A Mega Drive Mini 2 exclusive, Star Mobile was previously released on PC Engine and Sharp computers in Japan.)
Mega CD Games
- Night Striker (An arcade port from Taito, Night Striker is a 3D rail shooter similar to Space Harrier.)
- The Ninja Warriors
- Starblade (An arcade port from Namco, Starblade is a rail shooter utilizing FMV for environments.)
Seven of the 11 games in this batch are arcade ports, oddly enough. Isn't that what the Astro City Mini is for? Arcade ports were one of the Genesis/Mega Drive's strengths, though, so their inclusion makes decent sense. I'm still hoping that Final Fight CD will be revealed in future announcements; it was the best home version of Final Fight before the GameBoy Advance version came along.
These 11 games only include a single co-op title: The Ninja Warriors, a side-scrolling action-platformer in which a pair of heroic ninja robots must stop an evil army from taking over the world. When the protagonists take damage, their robotic parts begin to show through their disguises. The Mega CD version of the game features an excellent remixed Zuntata soundtrack and a strange "Zuntata" prologue featuring English narration and photos of live actors (see the video below).
Previous Announced Games
See our previous story for a breakdown of the Mega Drive Mini 2's features and co-op title(s).
Cartridge Games
- Bonanza Bros.
- Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive Mini 2 Exclusive)
- Magical Taruruto-kun (A platformer based on an anime and manga, and developed by Game Freak)
- Shining in the Darkness
- Thunderforce IV
- Virtua Racing
Mega CD Games
- Mansion of Hidden Souls (The Story of Yumemikan in Japan)
- Popful Mail
- Shining Force CD
- Silpheed
- Sonic CD
Cyber Stick Controller
Most surprising from this week's announcement is the reveal of the Cyber Stick controller for Mega Drive Mini 2. It's a new version of a flight stick that was previously released for the Sharp X68000 computer in Japan. This Cyber Stick will work with Mega Drive Mini 2 and PC but not the original Genesis/Mega Drive Mini or Astro City Mini.
Of the games revealed so far, the Cyber Stick will work with After Burner II, Night Striker, and Star Blade (all ports of arcade games that originally used flight sticks). More compatible titles will surely be among the remaining Mega Drive 2 Mini games to be announced.
The Cyber Stick will sell for ~19800 Yen (~$146 USD). Amazon.jp lists the product but hasn't opened preorders yet.
The Ninja Warriors (Mega CD)
The Mega Drive Mini 2 and Mega CD 2 Mini will release on October 27 in Japan. Preorders for the Mega Drive Mini 2 are currently sold out at Amazon.jp. Preorders for the Mega CD Mini 2 are also sold out at Amazon.jp. We expect that both products will be available to purchase upon release.
North American and European versions of the Mega Drive 2 Mini still have yet to be announced, but they're pretty likely. We'll definitely let you know when the announcement comes. Update: The Sega Genesis Mini 2 has been announced!